emotional pivot

yesterday's share was draining for me, so today i'm going to celebrate the good things that the long weekend brought. gotta re-center into the positives and keep track of the things that fill my happiness bucket.

on friday night, marc and i did something we've done far too few times through our married life: we went to the home of friends for dinner.

for so many people, that's a normal activity, and one they take for granted. but for us? it was a treat. even better, the husband works with my husband, so they like each other, and the wife is a chef who excels at presentation, and we could talk all manner of food and cooking and travel. we love spending time with them.

and how often does a five-course meal get made for you by a professional chef?

we started with roasted shrimp, dipped into a blended cocktail sauce, so that the horseradish was a velvety spice, rather than chunks of heat.

next course was a delicious pureed asparagus soup with crab.

after that came a gorgeously-plated deconstructed caprese salad, with pipettes of the perfect amount of balsamic and olive oil.

between the starter courses and the main was an adorable palate cleanser - sweet cherry granita, shaped into a lipstick mold.

the main course was a melt-in-your-mouth chateaubriand with truffle butter, roasted mushrooms, a mushroom sauce, and red potatoes.

everything had been perfect up to this point, and then chef mimi brought out the dessert course: fruit with citrus mascarpone cream, a churro in bittersweet chocolate sauce, and the teeniest, cutest little root beer float.

we had just the best, most relaxing, enjoyable time, and can't wait until we can host them next month.

yesterday, after my emotional purge, marc and i took a long walk by the lake. it was gorgeous outside, and water always gives me peace.  we live just up the hill from the lake, and it's so nice to walk the sidewalk along it, watching the skiers and sailboats.

about two miles down the road, there is a wonderful greenhouse that brings me a lot of happiness. summer is nearly over, and the blooming annuals have been replaced with pumpkins and mums and hardier perennials. makes me ready to power wash the porch, toss the fading flowers from the pots, and start assembling these amazing heirloom pumpkins.

after wandering the greenhouse, we headed back home, stopping for a few minutes at our neighborhood beach to watch the water. the summer has been so hot and dry that all the boats and slips have already been removed because the water level is so low. that made it feel like we are much closer to fall than we actually are.

 

it was such a good weekend, and now we officially head into the fall months, which are always my favorite. i'm looking forward to more lake walks, and will likely start heading into south minneapolis periodically for walks around our old stomping grounds and the lakes there, which is literally my favorite thing to do during the gorgeous autumn days.

here's to cooler weather, beautiful blue skies and autumn colored leaves, and enjoying every moment of it.

Comments

[Lisa Andruszkow]

Oh my that dinner looks divine!!!
Love the photos from the greenhouse and the beach.

[Nolwenn PETITBOIS]

I hope this fills your happiness bucket for crappier days <3

[Francine]

That meal looks sublime! Sounds like you had a really good weekend.

[Gina Maloney]

I Love LOVE love this... Thank you for sharing yesterday but Also for taking the time to recognize the happiness and love you have in this beautiful place. I love the pictures and the food. OMG. Minneapolis is one of my favorite cities in the US.

[Carmelita]

Wow! Amazing dinner! What a wonderful treat! all those flavors exploding for you!
And the walk sounds amazing! Really great photos! I can't wait to start getting pumpkins around the house!