Facebook has eaten my creativity

I'm having a hard time budgeting my time around work, Facebook, and blog. I was hoping Facebook would dwindle in popularity like MySpace and I could go back to my nice quiet life. Sigh. More to come....

Laura's Dinner Night: A Review

I’ve been busy since I got back, so haven’t had time to review my vacation for y’all. I’m sure you are on tenterhooks, so here goes.

I started in Sacramento at my sister’s. Laura and her friends have a rotating dinner club where each couple makes dinner for the others on the first Saturday of each month. It’s a great idea, and Laura apparently makes the most of the opportunity everytime her turn comes round. Her past themes have been classic French feast and Greek home cooking, while her friends have gone with Make-Your-own Pizza night and Classic American BBQ (for July 4th, natch). Chuck’s garden and the bountiful Sacramento farmers markets are in almost-full glory, so she chose a “home farm” theme.

The menu:

Cheese plate w figs and black olive tapenade
Chuck’s stuffed zucchini blossoms (from his garden!)
Rachel’s fried green tomatoes
Grilled Flank Steak w Watermelon-chili relish
Zucchini fettucine
Israeli couscous and quinoa “risotto” w roasted vegetables
Peach blueberry & amaretti crisp.

The zucchini blossoms were, of course, a massive hit, as was the flank steak. We probably made way too much of the watermelon relish, but it was great w the steak anyway. A friend of Laura’s brought some really delicious French wines that were a great complement to the spicy steak and the full-flavored accompaniments. I had a ball sous chef-ing for Laura and even if the food had been wack, it was still worth the effort. A very pleasant evening.


Next: Our intrepid heroine heads north to the wilds of Southern Oregon…and finds roasted quail bliss!

I havent forgotten you...

Apologies for delay in posting. I can feel my loyal readers ebbing away. I was out of town and since I have been back I've found myself unusually busy. All that time spent thinking inappropriate thoughts about the US Men's Swim team really steals the hours out of a girl's day. Seriously. I am one very small step away from posting pictures of Jason Lezak and Aaron Peirsol in my locker. If I had a locker. Or whatever. xxoo Jason: Call me.

Anyway.

My birthday festivities: dinner at Chichen Itza with some friends and then, fortified by cochinita pibil, drinks at Mountain Bar. A very enjoyable, if a little random, evening. Chichen Itza is a foodie Mexican place that specializes in Yucatecan cuisine. It was surprisingly good. The restaurant is near MacArthur Park, which meant I was not allowed a birthday cake because -- wait for it -- someone left it out in the rain. I dont think that I can take it. Because it took so long to bake it.

Anyway.

I will have a more full review of my holiday later on, but I leave you with this one pearl of joy....