A Ghostly Birthday

The evening started off casually enough with a friendly gathering to celebrate a friend's birthday. There were appetizers...

And tasty treats in the form of Birthday Cake shots!!! That's what you call festive!

Around sunset, things got a little strange. A hearse arrived to chauffeur us around the city. This wasn't your average sight-seeing tour though.

No, this was a ghost tour of the nation's oldest city! Oh yeah, we were in trouble!

First stop, a National Cemetery and mass grave. The cemetery itself isn't creepy. It's quite beautiful, actually, and small in size. The cemetery covers approximately 1.5 acres, and you can't miss the three pyramids that line one side. Those pyramids mark the mass grave of 1468 unknown soldiers that died fighting the Seminoles.

I won't spill all the secrets & stories from the evening because honestly it was such a great experience, you really should consider taking the tour yourself. In fact, I must remember this adventure as a potential outing for any future guests that are brave enough to accept the invitation! Oh, and did I mention that the guide includes several pub stops along the way? Definitely a good time & a very happy birthday!!!

Uninspired

That's how I'm feeling. Maybe it's a case of writer's block, but it seems like there's nothing newsworthy to report. You know what they say, no good is sometimes good news. That statement applies to our current life. Things are uneventful, and I'm not complaining!

On Sunday, we got together with Jay, Lisa, and little Miss Hayden for a friendly bowling match. We all played with the pop-up bumpers that prevent you from rolling a gutter ball. In theory, we thought we were helping Jax & Hayden's scores, but the bumpers actually turned out to be more of an aid for the parents. Maybe it was beginners' luck or something. Of course, bowling is one of those sports where you have to question whether it's better to be good or bad? I mean, have you seen the folks that frequent bowling alleys? Just something to think about.

Today, also included some fun. While Jax was at school, Baylor was entertaining his buddies Ethan & Hudson here at the house. Lisa, Whitney, and I once again used our children as an excuse to get together. I'm happy to report a good time was had by all, and the current plan is to make the gathering a standing appointment on the calendar. Since it was such a nice day, we ended up walking over to one of our neighborhood playgrounds so the kids could get some fresh air, and the moms could work off a few calories ahead of swimsuit season which is barreling down on us.

See! Nothing really newworthy, but fun all the same. Hope the report is similar from your neck of the woods.

In the Dark

Last week, Anh and I went on an unusual double date with our friends, Bob & Whitney, where we dined completely in the dark. Evidently, it's all rage in the culinary world. I've heard of chefs hosting such events, but only in huge metro areas like New York & L.A. I never imagined we could enjoy the experience right here in our little beach town. I guess it's not the size of the town that matters, but rather the creativity of the chef.

The basic idea behind Dinner in the Dark is by taking away one's sense of sight, the other senses will be intensified. Sure it's wacky, but the theory makes sense. (Pun intended.) I know for a fact my sense of hearing was more acute that evening. I was quite the eavesdropper, but not intentionally. While waiting for a cue from our waiter about the arrival of a new course and the paired wine, I would pick up on bits & pieces of the other diners' conversations. One couple actually got engaged at the start of the evening!

Ultimately, the evening was a smashing success, but some careful planning and strategy did help. Not sure what to expect out, I carefully selected a black dress with a pattern running through it as appropriate attire. I figured that should more food end up in my lap than in my mouth, at least the stains could be disguised as part of my dress pattern. I figured with 5 courses the odds weren't exactly in my favor. In the end, I did surprisingly well. Probably because the food was absolutely delicious, and I was extra careful not to lose a single bite.

It was also helpful that I knew proper place setting. That made finding the correct or most useful utensil a lot easier. While not entirely appropriate to enjoy seared venison with a spoon, it was a lot more practical in the dark. Besides, no one was looking! Also, we were advised to slide our hand along the tabletop to find our wine and water glasses, as opposed to just reaching out into the darkness. That bit of wisdom should be credited with saving millions of gallons of water, both the ones that weren't spilled and the ones that weren't used in repeated washings trying to remove the red wine stains that could have resulted from toppled glasses.

The evening was about as close as I will ever get to participating in an episode of Top Chef. At points, we were convinced they were probably secretly videotaping us for some candid camera show. I highly recommend the experience if you should discover the opportunity is offered in your area. I hope they'll schedule more dark dinners in the future so I can introduce other friends to the concept. It's not your typical night on the town. That's for sure!

Now, for no other reason than to make your mouth water, here was the evening's menu:

Hors D'Ouerves
Crab Salad Tartlet with Champagne Diamonds & Micro Greens
Bacon Wrapped Dates
Smoked Tomato Soup
Paired with Louis Pedrier, Brut, Champagne

1st Course
Five Spice, Butternut Squash Shooter with Essential Oil of Cinnamon & Mint Foam
Paired with Mercer Riesling

2nd Course
Sherry Glazed Duck Spring Roll with Candied Walnuts, Macerated Figs, and Truffles Frisee
Paired with Villa Mt. Eden Chardonnay

3rd Course
Seared Venison, Spaetzle, Wild Mushrooms, and Blackberry Tea Reduction
Paired with Picket Fence Pinot Noir, Russian River

4th Course
Roasted Kurobuta Pork Belly, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Ginger Bread Pudding with Blueberry Gastrique
Paired with The Turk Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Mourvedre, Grenache

5th Course
Deconstructed Smores, Flourless Chocolate Cake, Graham Cracker Crumbs, and Pine Nut Powder
Paired with Warre's Otima 10 Year Tawny Porto

FABULOUS!!!

What Have I Done?!

Yesterday, Baylor and I had friends over to the house for a play date. It was actually our second play date with little Ethan and his mommy, Whitney. However, it was our first time hosting them. Once again, the boys played well together. That is after they starred each other down for about an hour. Plus, at this age, they don't really play together. It's more like they follow each other around. Both seemed happy with the arrangement though. So, we'll say they had fun.

I guess I had fun too because I temporarily lost my mind and agreed to share hosting duties for a weekly play group. I'm sure it will be fun, but the idea of commitment seems a little overwhelming to me now. I don't worry about the social aspect. No, that will fun. I'm dreading the preparation, and by that I mean CLEANING. What have I done?!