A Civilized Cocktail Hour

We hosted another one of our Horizon service auction offerings last night -- something about Summer Night Cocktails -- I'll have to find G-man's flowery description. It included:

• Maytag Blue Cheese & Crackers
• Crispy Green Beans & Carrot Chips
• Cantaloupe Slivers with Lime & Black Pepper
• Fig, Thyme & Gorgonzola Tartlets
• Warm Marinated Olives
• Crab Gazpacho Shots (from Central Market)
  
• Dry Jack Crisps
• Elderflower Sours
  
• Classic Gin & Tonics
• Martinis
  
• Cuba Libres
• Dark & Stormys
• Chocolate Stout Mini-Floats (yes, beer with ice cream - try it, you'll like it!)
  

It was a smallish (5 plus us) older crowd, but lively. J played his Lego Star Wars video game in our room; when I asked him if he was having fun, he said "Yes! Are you having fun talking?" What more can I say?

I'm baaack...

Forgive me Blogger, for I have sinned. It's been four weeks since my last post...

Seriously -- this summer is whizzing by, and I am not keeping up (in fact, I planned to include some links in this but I wanted to get it posted; maybe I'll update later, LOL).

Been to my last week of Lean Six Sigma training (all Lean all the time for this one - ask me about 5S sometime!)... been to San Antonio by train (where I spent most of a week napping or splashing in the pool with J)... been to see some movies in the theatre (Wall-E, and Indiana Jones rides again)... been working on coming out of my self-absorbed depression wallow (which seems to be finally ending)... been trying to get caught up at work and at home (see previous items -- did take a whole carload of stuff to Goodwill already 'though we're still got a ways to go)... been trying to stay cool (the usual Texas summer challenge).

I have even been cooking a bit. Sunday supper last week was a nice Thai beef salad, 'cuz I love flap steak, and leftover cheese with dried fruit, nut and chocolate nibbles for dessert because we'd been to a fabulous wine tasting / potluck the night before. And Julian stayed with an honest-to-goodness babysitter, said he liked her, and fell asleep before we got home! No doubt, we've cooked one or two other meals, but I'm not sure what they were.

Tonight we had over a couple we met through Horizon, and had a delicious dinner:

• Elderflower Sours
• Killer Shrimp
• Wolfgang Puck's Chino Salad
• Martha Stewart's Peach, Cornmeal and Lavender Upside-Down Cake with vanilla ice cream

Wine with dinner, and Averno afterwards -- a good time was had by all, especially because Unca' Ron was kind enough to take the Juj to the movies for part of the time. (J gave Space Chimps a thumbs up; haven't got Ron's review yet.)

However, I think Sunday supper may be take-out. We did a a pretty good job cleaning house today -- Gil even spot-shampooed the carpet -- and we were both showered and relaxed with all the dinner prep work done before our guests got here. And anyone who's been to dinner at house knows what a rarity that is. ;-)

So a happy weekend to all, and to all a good night!