Gastronomic Delights

We've been enjoying our time together with our far-flung family back in the home nest. Except...that every person in our household (except me) has been getting over sickness or getting sick every single day. Fun times!

When Katie arrived, she and the little guys were getting over a virus they'd been down with at home. Just a few days after her arrival the members of this household began dropping like flies. Soon the house was full of the worst flu of the season and Valentine's Day was celebrated with big pots of chicken noodle soup and hot tea.

Yesterday Katie was feeling well enough to break out of the house for a planned girl's night out in the big city.

We started with a bit of big city shopping. Andrew came along for the ride, as did our friend and Katie's sister-in-law, Loraine (who, as a mom of six, needed a little girl time out).

The special treat of the night was an invitation from Brother Kris to indulge in some fine dining at Blue Hour.

I told the girls how I had walked past this restaurant about ten years ago and peered in the windows, wishing I had the financial means to eat there. I had been reading all the restaurant reviews and knew this was the place to go for a memorable meal.

Because the restaurant was busy, we were treated like family by sitting at the server's meal table near the kitchen where the staff eats family style with the chef every day before the evening bustle begins.


It was actually fun to watch the kitchen and staff in action. We also got to meet the important cogs in the wheel, most notably Chef Thomas, the new chef who left the domain of Wolfgang Puck in Hollywood for the Great Northwest.

My son Kris arranged for food to arrive at our table at regular intervals. He took a moment with each course to explain the composition of the dish.

With her first experience in haute cuisine, Alyssa got to try victuals way outside her comfort food zone.

Here's a poor photo of some fabulous house-made charcuterie that included head cheese, divine foie gras on brioche and (Alyssa's favorite) blood sausage.

This sashimi melted in our mouths with delicate flavors of sea and soy.

The octopus terrine caused trepidation at the table but won everyone over with its deliciousness.

I was too busy eating gnocchi with rabbit ragout, seared scallops and drinking some fine libations to take more photos until.....

Dessert! House-made truffles with surprising flavor varieties.

This was the most amazing, satiny flourless chocolate torte in the universe, with barley ice cream to rival any Italian gelato in Roma. There was no polite leaving of the last bite when spoons dueled over this plate. We almost stormed the kitchen with demands for more.

Kris made the mistake of describing a new dessert of brown butter creme brulee with a garnish of a magically bacony (!) strip of crispy parsnip on top. So he had to bring us one.

Our family times do seem to orbit around good food, at home and abroad. We're so spoiled.

Hearts

And now for something just a lil' bit different...

Just in time for the day we demonstrate our love for those special people in our lives, some vintage cards that made me both scratch my head and chortle.

Dead rodents= True Love

Love me or you'll be sorry.

Are you sure you want to know?

Our modern cultural sensibilities have changed a bit I think. Do these strike anyone else as being a tad bit violent in their passionate expression?

Even a little stalkerish?

Yes, the flames of desire....

..burning passion...

...hearts on fire...

What is the message exactly?

Are they examining the abused aortas?

Lest you  think these cards represent my mood for the day, here's a pretty one.

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Be careful with the hearts of those you love!

Evan

Last year when he came to visit he was just a blue-eyed baby who loved to snuggle, suck his thumb and twirl your hair.

This year he's a very busy toddler.

He still likes to suck his thumb and twirl his own hair but he has many other things to do also.

In just three days he has inspected every drawer and cupboard in Grandma's house that is within his reach, reinspecting as necessary.

He mauls the kitty who tolerates his examinations with patient yet cat-like indifference.

Evan talks a lot- in his own tongue without benefit of an interpreter. He especially likes to pontificate in a loud voice whenever anyone else is reading a book aloud for the benefit of others.

He can be even louder when he doesn't get what he demands.

He is bi-lingual. While speaking only his own language he understands English perfectly. We, on the other hand, can only guess what he is saying.

Shoot! The battery is running low. Need to charge it.

Excuse me guys, I need to take this call.

Dude! Yeah, I'm in town for two more weeks. We need to hang out.

Oh sorry, gotta go. The diaper's getting a bit ripe. Catchya later!

Baby Bonding

Everyone arrived, safe and sound, though terrifically tired.

The first order of business was simply to get to meet and snuggle the newest member of our family.

Andrew was happy to meet each and every one. Not the least bit hesitant or shy.

Three months old is simply the greatest age!

Precious and sweet, loving to be held and cuddled without end.

Lots of baby bonding going on around here.

His feet will never need to touch the ground. His mama says the only time she'll get to see him is when he's hungry, poopy or crying.

Ready to Occupy

Remember our little construction project? We tore down an old decrepit section of the house and rebuilt it just a hair larger and certainly much straighter and tighter. Part of that addition is a bedroom.

Our kids have been helping us since the beginning with the demolition. Now they are helping to get it finished on the inside. In November we used this space to seat twenty four people at our Thanksgiving feast. Now, with the help of our kids, it has finished, painted walls....

...a nice floor....

.... and electrical power and lighting!

There is still more to be done but it is fit to be occupied.

Just in time for the arrival of Katie and our three grandsons! They arrive today. It is completely appropriate that Katie is the first guest to occupy this space. When we first came to this shack of a house (built for people of diminutive stature) in 1993, this part of the house had a teeny tiny bedroom that belonged to our oldest daughter. Now it is about three times the size and much more comfy and will be a unique homecoming for her and her own offspring.

Another Excuse to Eat Well

We're kind of odd Americans in that we don't watch football around here and the Super Bowl passes us by with barely a blink of notice. No one ever invites us to Super Bowl parties because we just don't hang with that kind of crowd. (In fact last year I ignorantly planned a big birthday party for my girls on SB Sunday because, hey, I didn't know any better. Consequently, there were a couple people who didn't come to my party!)

That said, this time of year, days before the game, there are menus and recipes for all kinds of good ol' American party food like hot wings and guacamole everywhere I turn. Now that is something I can get into- party food with a theme that everyone looks forward to as part of the special day. It almost makes me want to throw a Super Bowl party and try to find someone who would come. Almost.

Today I found another excuse to eat on a theme. An Oscar party. With food inspired by the nominees for best picture! I'm sorry, but I just love the fun idea of cooking and eating with a theme like oats and apples in the form of Cranberry Apple Crisp and Oatmeal cookies to honor the movie War Horse, or Cheddar Hot Dogs and Caramel Corn Clusters for the baseball movie Moneyball, crab cakes for the Hawaiian setting of The Descendants and oysters and champagne for Midnight in Paris. Please! Someone throw this party and invite me!  Or, I'll throw it and you come and help me cook and eat. Who cares who wins the best picture award, let's just eat good food for fun!

This is one reason why I love the gourmet dinners we have a few times a year with my gourmet cooking friends. We always pick a cuisine and work up a menu that is fun to make together as well as a delightful treat to eat together. At our last meal we made Thai/Vietnamese food and I learned the proper way to make Phad Thai. We'll see if I remember what I learned because Monday is daughter Alyssa's birthday as well as the day Katie and our precious grandson's arrive from Michigan and Alyssa has requested Phad Thai for our celebratory family meal.

So I do have great party food to look forward to, even if not a football game on the side.

Satellite Image of Snow and Ice in the NW

Interesting perspective on our storm!

Mt. Hood is the white spot in the lower left corner, between the words Portland and Oregon.