Happy Anniversary

Dave and I took advantage of Gamma Linda and Aunt Niki and snuck out to celebrate our anniversary at Marcel's.  It is a highly rated Zagat restaurant and certainly lived up to the hype.  The restaurant clearly caters to a professional, high power clientele, but with Congress on recess, we were able to dine there without reservations (thank goodness!).

We chose a four course meal (eight courses between the two of us) with the last course being dessert (for Dave) and cheese (for me), which we shared.  

    

I opted for a fresh heirloom tomato salad with fresh parmesan, garlic chips and balsamic reduction.  

Dave choose the sea scallops over a thin slice of corn bread, sprinkled with corn and green onion and drizzled with a buerre blanc and chili oil.  I loved my heirloom tomato salad, but this dish tasted great!

My second course entailed a skin crusted rainbow trout with capers and lemon butter sauce over a bed of potato puree.  Dave tried the skin first to assure me it did not taste overly fishy.  We were both amazed at how crispy (not one scale) and chip like it tasted.  It added a delightful texture to the fish.

Dave's second course involved shrimp, lobster, and crab with edible flowers and mushrooms.  While my trout tasted wonderful, this dish had an array of flavors that complimented each other amazingly.

My third course, and favorite dish of the night, was the angus beef tenderloin served with sauteed onions, garlic chips, fresh herbs over a bed pureed potatoes on red wine au jus tasted magnificient.  They did not even ask my how to cook they steak - sign of a great restaurant because they served it to me cooked absolutely perfect.  It would be a crime to cook this meat to medium, medium-well or well done.  Bravo chef!  Oh, Dave like this too!!

Dave opted for the house speciality for his third course - the Bouden Blanc.  Like a terrine shaped into a sausage filled with duck, turkey, chicken, pork and other ingredients to make this soft yet tasty dish.  It was served with a celery root and parsley puree I think in a bed of sauce.  Very good, although not as great as the tenderloin.

In chatting with our serve, we discussed how we were celebrating our anniversary after just moving back to the area.  We appreciate the personal touch on the cheese plate and dessert plate.  We had three kinds of cheese from a goat cheese, brie like cheese and strong, pungent shepard's milk cheese.  The first two were our favorite.

Finally, four dessert we shared a chocolate raspberry souffle (nicely high and puffy) with a pistachio ice cream and creme anglaise.  Delicious!!

They brought us each a glass of port with some macaroons for a final evening treat.

Happy Anniversary to us!!

I have not written about food in a while, so here is a token entry.  Dave knows I love bruschetta, so he was not surprised by this little concoction.  We invited Mr. Rory and Mrs. Diane over for dinner.   I wanted to make an appetizer, but hadn't found the time to grocery shop.  I remembered several beautiful tomatoes from my cousin's garden calling out to me on the counter along with some wonderfully lush fresh basil from the neighbor's in the refrigerator.  It only made sense to make this dish!!  

Bruschetta Ingredients

Tomatoes

Garlic

Fresh Basil

Fresh Oregano

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Chop tomatoes, garlic, basil and oregano.  Mix together with a higher tomato and basil ratio to garlic and oregano.  Add extra virgin olive oil until you like the texture.  

Bruschetta Bases

Baby Portabella Mushrooms - wiped down and stems pulled out

Puff Pastry - thawed and shaped

I used some pre-made puff pastry cut out with a round dough cutter and prebaked it.  I added the cheese and baked until it melted.  Upon coming out of the oven, I added the bruschetta mixture and served it.  

The open face bruschetta bites on buff pastry have a small ball of fresh mozzarella melted underneath the tomato mixture.  The sandwich style puff pastry bites I baked after using an egg wash on top and sliced in half when they came out of the oven.  I spooned in the bruschetta mixture and served.  

I brushed the top of the baby bella mushrooms with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper before roasting for 15 minutes.  After roasting, I flipped them over and placed some fresh mozzarella in the hole left from the stem.  I roasted until the cheese melted.  I topped with the bruschetta mixture after pulling them out of the oven.   

Mr. Rory and Mrs. Diane kept the girls entertained while we made dinner.  They loved it - inflatable sword fight!!

Fun with Friends

We did our best to get play dates in with friends before we left.  Garet, Charlie, Kaitlyn, Logan and Madelyn make great playmates!

Aren't Logan and Madelyn super cute!!

Happy Birthday Charlie!

Charlie celebrated her birthday at the zoo.  Kaitlyn and Madelyn loved it!

Big ole bunny!

Madelyn was a little shy of the bunny.  She opted not to pet it.  

Garet making silly faces for us.  

Check out Kaitlyn's cool zebra hat.  

Kaitlyn asked to take him to our new house.  I don't know that he'd fit in our car.  

One last get together before we moved.  We had a blast with Garet, Charlie, Logan, Mrs. Tina and Mr. Bavy!

Kaitlyn and Madelyn snuggling after lots of playing!

Kaitlyn's Gymnastic Olympics

 The gym where Kaitlyn takes gymnastics sponsored an 'Olympic Day' for the gymnasts.  Kaitlyn really wanted to participate so we signed her up.  It is a great way to kick off the 2012 London Olympics.

Kaitlyn with daddy and mommy pre-Olympics.

Kaitlyn is sitting patiently in the middle waiting for her turn.  

 Kaitlyn on the trampoline.  

 Kaitlyn about to start the floor routine.

Madelyn and daddy watching Kaitlyn.  

 Mrs. Donna with Madelyn.  She and Mr. Wayne came to cheer Kaitlyn on at her Olympics.  

 Cheese!

 Madelyn wanted to join the fun and started bouncing all over.  This photo is mid-bounce.  

 Kaitlyn getting ready for the balance beam routine.  

 Kaitlyn getting her medal. 

Summer Celebrations

It's been a busy, fun and crazy summer, so here are some pictures of our summer celebrations...

Independence day hugs

Madelyn getting her first big girl hair cut - so cute!

Kaitlyn showing off her rainbow painted finger nails

Kaitlyn and Madelyn using chop sticks to eat dinner on mommy's birthday.  

Kaitlyn and Madelyn waiting for daddy to get home on his birthday.  We had an ice cream cake waiting for him.  

Madelyn sitting with her daddy at his birthday dinner.  She and her sister are such charmers!