Summer is busy. Vacations, barbecues, birthdays, weddings, rodeos and swimming holes take up a lot of time! Not that I'm complaining, because I LOVE summer, but family dinner has been a bit of a phantom in the last few months and I've really missed it.
I got done with the gym a bit early yesterday and didn't have anything else on the agenda so I decided to call Ted. Best decision of the day! He said they were around and I made my way over. Not only did I get to see Ted and Johnnie (Happy Birthday Johnnie, I hope you have a great day and I can't wait to hear how lunch was!!!), but Morgan, Chelsey and Copper dog were also enjoying a cocktail in the kitchen when I arrived.
Ted poured me a mango & hooch and we all headed out to the deck to enjoy the shortening days of summer. In true family tradition, there was plenty to talk about. Morgan and Chelsey got a new place that sounds perfect. Moving day is the 9th and hopefully they will be hosting a family dinner shortly thereafter. Johnnie is planning a yard sale this Sunday, so if you are in Greenlake, go find some treasures. We had a bee buzzing around the table and Ted shared a story about a curious wasp that flew into his shorts on a camping trip. And then, thankfully, flew back out without causing any damage other than a minute of straight fear.
So after some catching up, we decided it was time for the food. Ted had put the smoker to work over the week and we reaped the benefits. My plate filled with green salad, brown rice, smoked pulled pork with barbecue sauce, smoked salmon and cheesy bread. YUM. And to compliment the meal, we opened a bottle of sparkling rose. Summer!
The food was awesome and the conversations continued as we chowed down. The sun moved from behind a tree and gave us just enough warmth to finish the meal. As the plates were cleared, the blankets (and requisite hooch towel) came out and we all wrapped up. There's something to say for being out on the deck, it just feels right. And we all know that come October (like my wishful thinking) it may be a little too wet to enjoy the fresh air.
Johnnie made a peach pie with the farmers peaches, so we continued on the eating path with a slice and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She said the crust was too 'Mother Earth' i.e. whole wheat, but none of us seemed to mind as we finished off the baked treat.
By the time I got home last night, I was feeling like I hit the jackpot. Impromptu family dinner kicked ass compared to whatever I would have thrown together after the gym. I guess one good thing about the impending change of season is that hopefully our weekly meals will pick back up!
PS: my camera decided to stay in Alaska, so no pictures for now.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Back with a bang
After a month off, we had a big gang on Wednesday for Family Dinner. Being that it was sunny and solstice, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to have dinner on the deck. And since there were THIRTEEN of us, it worked out perfectly.
Mark, Jess, Charlie, Lucas, Jessie, Bruno (who was celebrating his first month on earth!), Chelsey, Morgan, Melaine, Jason, Ted, Johnnie, Matt and I all enjoyed a great dinner. Barbecued pork ribs, smoked salmon, green salad, tomato marinade, crusty bread and broccoli diablo au gratin, lots or red and white wine, ginger-mango hooch liqueur and Trader Joe's cookies for dessert made for a great meal. There were more conversations going on than could ever be recorded. Turns out if we don't all see each other for a month, the chatting could go on forever.
Happy Summer!
Mark, Jess, Charlie, Lucas, Jessie, Bruno (who was celebrating his first month on earth!), Chelsey, Morgan, Melaine, Jason, Ted, Johnnie, Matt and I all enjoyed a great dinner. Barbecued pork ribs, smoked salmon, green salad, tomato marinade, crusty bread and broccoli diablo au gratin, lots or red and white wine, ginger-mango hooch liqueur and Trader Joe's cookies for dessert made for a great meal. There were more conversations going on than could ever be recorded. Turns out if we don't all see each other for a month, the chatting could go on forever.
Happy Summer!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Let me start by apologizing for this late post. But honestly, I didn't want to write it. Dinner was great, the group was fabulous, but it was the end of an era and I was having a hard time making it official. Last Wednesday was our last weekly meal with Grandpa Pres in the mix - he left us for the sunnier skies of Wenatchee over the weekend!
So as he settles into his new digs, I'm settling into the fact that I don't get to talk shop with him each week. It was great having him here and I got to spend a lot more time with him than I otherwise would have. AND! He's the reason Wednesday Dinners got started, so thank you for spending some time on the coast Grandpa and I hope you are loving your new spot!
Now what you have all been waiting for, the recap of last week's family dinner. Since it was Grandpa's last meal (until he decides to come visit us), it was quite a big affair. I arrived around 6pm to Ted at the stove, Johnnie at the island and Grandpa and Eddie at the nook on either side of a huge plate of smoked salmon collars. YEEEEEEEEEES!
Being the gentlemen they are, Eddie offered up his seat by the apps and Ted made me the drink of the night - watermelon hooch and limeade. After the tragic events of the day, I was happy to have a retreat that included family, food and COCKTAILS. We shared how our days had all been affected by the shootings and Johnnie and Eddie shared a story about Scott 'Hollywood' Scurlock, the bank robber who hid out in the neighborhood over Thanksgiving 1996.
So as we got the nervous energy of the day out with the first drink, more people filtered in - Chelsey, Jessie, Mark, Charlie, Ted's friend and his two buddies (totally drawing a blank on names right now), Todd and his wife. Thirteen plus a dog, that's about as big as it can get in a turn-of-the-century house.
But I'm getting ahead of myself with group dynamics. I only briefly mentioned the salmon collars, when in fact, they deserve a lot of attention. I think I ate three. That's slightly embarrassing to admit to my millions of readers, but they are so damn good! Totally worth my hands smelling like fish for days, Omega-3 overload. Eek! I just looked up the nutrition facts, probably shouldn't have done that. I'd still have eaten three had I looked at the facts beforehand. Every fatty, delicious bite I could dig out from between the cartilage was like hitting the jackpot at the slots. DING DING DING DING DING and the lights start flashing and I'm rich!
Ok, moving on. We crammed as many plates as could fit around the table and filled what space was left with green salad, artisan bread, tomato marinade (of course!), brown rice, wine, hot sauce and a whole lot of Copper River Salmon. Ted had clued me in early Wednesday that when he filleted the fish, it was the most beautiful one he'd ever seen. And he did it justice. Brined for a few hours and then put on the Tragger for a short time, the salmon was hands down the best salmon I've eaten. I was sitting next to Grandpa and he agreed. And then we both ate more than we should have.
With such a big group, there were lots of conversations going on, many of which I didn't catch. But one thing is for sure, people were happy to be sharing the fabulous meal with each other. One of the things I've learned in the last 9 months at family dinner is that if people want to be at dinner, they are bound to have a good time. The policy always was that if you could make it, great. If not, we'll see you when you can. And I think this mentality created the perfect environment for great meals time after time.
As a few of us started clearing plates, Ted's friend (doh! the name still isn't coming) pulled out a deck of cards and entertained the bunch. That was a first for fam din and enjoyed all around. And it was the perfect distraction that allowed us to dish up dessert.
Jessie made a banana cream pie and we had apple and strawberry rhubarb from PCC. A little sliver of each with a dollop of vanilla ice cream went to everyone interested and the crowd continued to enjoy.
It's been decided that the tradition Grandpa started when he moved to Seattle last fall will continue because we all like each other! I don't think we will be meeting every week, and the venue may change, but either way, this group loves drinking, eating and talking and an event that's been so enjoyable couldn't just stop happening. I'm hoping we get an occasional appearance from Grandpa, too, because we learned this food/family-centrc behavior from him!
So as he settles into his new digs, I'm settling into the fact that I don't get to talk shop with him each week. It was great having him here and I got to spend a lot more time with him than I otherwise would have. AND! He's the reason Wednesday Dinners got started, so thank you for spending some time on the coast Grandpa and I hope you are loving your new spot!
Now what you have all been waiting for, the recap of last week's family dinner. Since it was Grandpa's last meal (until he decides to come visit us), it was quite a big affair. I arrived around 6pm to Ted at the stove, Johnnie at the island and Grandpa and Eddie at the nook on either side of a huge plate of smoked salmon collars. YEEEEEEEEEES!
Being the gentlemen they are, Eddie offered up his seat by the apps and Ted made me the drink of the night - watermelon hooch and limeade. After the tragic events of the day, I was happy to have a retreat that included family, food and COCKTAILS. We shared how our days had all been affected by the shootings and Johnnie and Eddie shared a story about Scott 'Hollywood' Scurlock, the bank robber who hid out in the neighborhood over Thanksgiving 1996.
So as we got the nervous energy of the day out with the first drink, more people filtered in - Chelsey, Jessie, Mark, Charlie, Ted's friend and his two buddies (totally drawing a blank on names right now), Todd and his wife. Thirteen plus a dog, that's about as big as it can get in a turn-of-the-century house.
But I'm getting ahead of myself with group dynamics. I only briefly mentioned the salmon collars, when in fact, they deserve a lot of attention. I think I ate three. That's slightly embarrassing to admit to my millions of readers, but they are so damn good! Totally worth my hands smelling like fish for days, Omega-3 overload. Eek! I just looked up the nutrition facts, probably shouldn't have done that. I'd still have eaten three had I looked at the facts beforehand. Every fatty, delicious bite I could dig out from between the cartilage was like hitting the jackpot at the slots. DING DING DING DING DING and the lights start flashing and I'm rich!
Ok, moving on. We crammed as many plates as could fit around the table and filled what space was left with green salad, artisan bread, tomato marinade (of course!), brown rice, wine, hot sauce and a whole lot of Copper River Salmon. Ted had clued me in early Wednesday that when he filleted the fish, it was the most beautiful one he'd ever seen. And he did it justice. Brined for a few hours and then put on the Tragger for a short time, the salmon was hands down the best salmon I've eaten. I was sitting next to Grandpa and he agreed. And then we both ate more than we should have.
With such a big group, there were lots of conversations going on, many of which I didn't catch. But one thing is for sure, people were happy to be sharing the fabulous meal with each other. One of the things I've learned in the last 9 months at family dinner is that if people want to be at dinner, they are bound to have a good time. The policy always was that if you could make it, great. If not, we'll see you when you can. And I think this mentality created the perfect environment for great meals time after time.
As a few of us started clearing plates, Ted's friend (doh! the name still isn't coming) pulled out a deck of cards and entertained the bunch. That was a first for fam din and enjoyed all around. And it was the perfect distraction that allowed us to dish up dessert.
Jessie made a banana cream pie and we had apple and strawberry rhubarb from PCC. A little sliver of each with a dollop of vanilla ice cream went to everyone interested and the crowd continued to enjoy.
It's been decided that the tradition Grandpa started when he moved to Seattle last fall will continue because we all like each other! I don't think we will be meeting every week, and the venue may change, but either way, this group loves drinking, eating and talking and an event that's been so enjoyable couldn't just stop happening. I'm hoping we get an occasional appearance from Grandpa, too, because we learned this food/family-centrc behavior from him!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Eat my words
Wednesday was our second to last Family Dinner with Grandpa in the house and when Ted asked what he wanted, he said chicken. In my head I said UGHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOO I hate chicken. Even though I've had amazing chicken cooked by uncle Ted, my first reaction to the word chicken is ALWAYS blech what a waste of time. Chicken shmicken.
Of course, I said nothing aloud because a free meal is a free meal and Ted has never disappointed at family dinner. But internally, I was thinking, 'chicken, really? WTF!?!'. So When I got to the house on Wednesday, I was excited to see what else we were having with dinner. the first smell to hit me was the sweet, tangy aroma that could only be German Potato Salad and sure enough, this great recipe was cooking away on the stovetop.
Morgan and Ted were sitting at the nook and Grandpa and Eddie were out on the deck. I noticed a big tray covered with foil and got the faint smokey scent of something having been on the smoker. It smelled good as my stomach growled in anticipation of dinner. Hitting the gym before hand is good, but makes the waiting tough sometimes! To curb my appetite, Ted made me a cocktail. Always good on an empty stomach. Hooch + mango + lime = delish.
Grandpa and Eddie migrated in from the deck, because while it is warmer now, it's still not WARM at 6pm yet. Behind them came Jessie, Mark and Charlie, and that rounded out our group for the night. As the resident salad tosser, when Ted got out the big yellow bowl and bottle of dressing, I knew we were close to show time. Everyone migrated to the table and I caught Ted slicing up the chicken. As much as I don't like to admit when I've made a quick judgement, that chicken smelled and looked about as good as a chicken can smell and look. Golden, crispy skin over the perfect pink tint of smoked perfection. UGH! Chicken! I think I'm going to like it!
As people settled and plates filled, we settled into some nice conversations. There is lots of bike racing, camping, marathon training and general outdoor love going on for the group right now. And of course, we talked about food. Particularly oh the chicken was absolutely perfectly cooked. Even the white meat was flavorful and moist, for lack of a better word. you know what I dislike more that (most) chicken, the word moist. ANYWAYS, I have to give it up to Grandpa, good call on the chicken. It was the B-O-M-B. We also had the german potato salad, a green salad and baguette. Oh! As if the chicken needed any more flavor, Ted made barbecue sauce, too!
If you've ever had barbecue at a Bratrude house, you know that we are a bit specific when it comes to the all important barbecue sauce. No bottle of pre-made will do with this group. It's homemade or nothing. And we've all come to our own recipe from Grandma Corinne's basic recipe. On Wednesday, Ted added a hint of vanilla. Tasty!
Now, usually at this point there's a little time for clearing dinner and plating dessert, but when Jessie walked in with a beautiful strawberry rhubarb pie, we knew there would be no dilly dallying. Grandpa made sure we got pictures of the dessert before slicing in and you will be drooling as soon as I post those. Topped with a little vanilla ice cream, we were all convinced that a big piece was necessary. So good. So worth the uncomfortable expansion of my stomach.
We've got one more family dinner with Grandpa in the hood and I hear there's rumor of salmon. Now salmon is something that I get VERY excited about. But I have to eat my words because that was the best damn chicken I've ever had and now I know that I'd request it too.
Of course, I said nothing aloud because a free meal is a free meal and Ted has never disappointed at family dinner. But internally, I was thinking, 'chicken, really? WTF!?!'. So When I got to the house on Wednesday, I was excited to see what else we were having with dinner. the first smell to hit me was the sweet, tangy aroma that could only be German Potato Salad and sure enough, this great recipe was cooking away on the stovetop.
Morgan and Ted were sitting at the nook and Grandpa and Eddie were out on the deck. I noticed a big tray covered with foil and got the faint smokey scent of something having been on the smoker. It smelled good as my stomach growled in anticipation of dinner. Hitting the gym before hand is good, but makes the waiting tough sometimes! To curb my appetite, Ted made me a cocktail. Always good on an empty stomach. Hooch + mango + lime = delish.
Grandpa and Eddie migrated in from the deck, because while it is warmer now, it's still not WARM at 6pm yet. Behind them came Jessie, Mark and Charlie, and that rounded out our group for the night. As the resident salad tosser, when Ted got out the big yellow bowl and bottle of dressing, I knew we were close to show time. Everyone migrated to the table and I caught Ted slicing up the chicken. As much as I don't like to admit when I've made a quick judgement, that chicken smelled and looked about as good as a chicken can smell and look. Golden, crispy skin over the perfect pink tint of smoked perfection. UGH! Chicken! I think I'm going to like it!
As people settled and plates filled, we settled into some nice conversations. There is lots of bike racing, camping, marathon training and general outdoor love going on for the group right now. And of course, we talked about food. Particularly oh the chicken was absolutely perfectly cooked. Even the white meat was flavorful and moist, for lack of a better word. you know what I dislike more that (most) chicken, the word moist. ANYWAYS, I have to give it up to Grandpa, good call on the chicken. It was the B-O-M-B. We also had the german potato salad, a green salad and baguette. Oh! As if the chicken needed any more flavor, Ted made barbecue sauce, too!
If you've ever had barbecue at a Bratrude house, you know that we are a bit specific when it comes to the all important barbecue sauce. No bottle of pre-made will do with this group. It's homemade or nothing. And we've all come to our own recipe from Grandma Corinne's basic recipe. On Wednesday, Ted added a hint of vanilla. Tasty!
Now, usually at this point there's a little time for clearing dinner and plating dessert, but when Jessie walked in with a beautiful strawberry rhubarb pie, we knew there would be no dilly dallying. Grandpa made sure we got pictures of the dessert before slicing in and you will be drooling as soon as I post those. Topped with a little vanilla ice cream, we were all convinced that a big piece was necessary. So good. So worth the uncomfortable expansion of my stomach.
We've got one more family dinner with Grandpa in the hood and I hear there's rumor of salmon. Now salmon is something that I get VERY excited about. But I have to eat my words because that was the best damn chicken I've ever had and now I know that I'd request it too.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The core of the inner circle
Spring has officially hit Seattle. When I arrived at the house, all was quiet so I made my way to the front deck. Grandpa and Ted were sitting outside, enjoying the weather! This is big news, people. We can start using the deck again!!!
Family dinner wouldn't be complete without dessert and Jessie brought another great one. We still haven't had a duplicate after seven or eight months. Amazing! She made oatmeal cookie bars with lemon cream filling. Topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, it was tasty! We also sampled Ted's latest batches of kombucha and ginger liqueur. They were delectable. If you haven't tried kombucha before, it can be pretty bad, and I think Ted's latest recipe proves he has figured something out.
Johnnie joined The Core around 9pm, after a long training at work. Ted set her up with a beer and a bowl of soup and soon she was relaxing after a challenging day. It's nice to know that all it takes is a beverage, a little food and some family to make things better.
It was a super small crowd this week, especially considering we had a pretty big one last week. We had happy hour on the deck - hooch limeade for me, white wine for Jessie - and then moved inside for dinner. Our little foursome was Grandpa, Ted, Jessie and me. We even ate in the kitchen nook, a first for family dinner.
It was decided that this was the first dinner Charlie dog missed. She greeted Jessie by throwing up when she got home from work. Ted decided it was because Charlie was so excited for family dinner. Whatever the cause, Jessie made Charile some rice and left her and Mark - who is in the depths of thesis writing - home to rest and write, hopefully. Good luck Mark, the offer for editing still stands.
Dinner, of course, was delicious. We had super meaty split pea soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and a big, leafy salad. There was a lot of job talk this go-round, since I am in my first week and Seattle Children's. It's interesting the difference in mentality between generations about careers. Jessie and I are of the same thought that staying at a job for 20+ years is basically unrealistic. we both agree that to make any financial strides, staying put is not likely the best strategy.
We also talked about being content with work vs settling. The latter part of the 20s is a really interesting time. There's been so much transition, but (hopefully) by now, we have a sense of what the future looks like. AHHH grown-up talk!!!!!!
We also talked a lot about transportation last night. There are some pretty serious commuter perks at my new gig and my commute now is a 25 minute walk!!! Sionara 3/4 bus! While you did provide great bar talk, I spent way too much time with you these last few years. We were talking about percentages of walk/bus/bike vs car commute and here's an interesting article about commuting in Seattle and Portland.
Here are a few interesting stats if you are too busy to click the link:
"in Seattle, about 21 percent of workers got to their jobs on transit from 2006 through 2010. But in Portland, the figure is just 12 percent...Portland has more bike commuters than Seattle—which comes as no surprise, given Portland’s robust biking infrastructure and flatter terrain. But Seattle has more walkers than Portland; on net, the two cities have nearly identical rates of muscle-powered commuting. Similarly, the two cities have very similar rates of carpooling. The only substantial commuting difference boils down to this: Seattle has more transit riders, and fewer drive-alone commuters, than Portland."But seriously, you should just click the link, there are pretty graphs.
Family dinner wouldn't be complete without dessert and Jessie brought another great one. We still haven't had a duplicate after seven or eight months. Amazing! She made oatmeal cookie bars with lemon cream filling. Topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, it was tasty! We also sampled Ted's latest batches of kombucha and ginger liqueur. They were delectable. If you haven't tried kombucha before, it can be pretty bad, and I think Ted's latest recipe proves he has figured something out.
Johnnie joined The Core around 9pm, after a long training at work. Ted set her up with a beer and a bowl of soup and soon she was relaxing after a challenging day. It's nice to know that all it takes is a beverage, a little food and some family to make things better.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
chick pics
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Eddie is the ultimate hipster
Not only was he sporting Ray-bans and a flannel, but he brought a sixer of flat top, steel can Churchkey Pilsner to the party. Complete with it's own opener, the packaging is great and the beer tastes good! As Eddie cracked open a can, I learned about the different types of beer cans Ted and Eddie experienced back in the day. At the same time, Ted mixed me a Ginger Lemonade Hooch cocktail. I was double fisted within the first 10 minutes! They really know how to hook a girl up.
I got to spend an hour or so with the guys - Grandpa, Ted and Eddie - before anyone else showed up. They were kind enough to listen to me vent about the oddness that is being a short-timer. Tomorrow is my last day of work at the diabetes study before I move on to a brain research gig and this last week has been a challenging one for me. If you know me at all, you know that I hate wasting time and that's what the last few days feel like, but I guess that's how it goes. So, thanks guys for giving me cocktails and letting me bitch!
Ok, back to the good stuff. People trickled in around 6:30pm - Jessie, Mark and Charlie arrived first. Shortly thereafter Morgan and Chelsey made their way into the kitchen. Ted pulled FOUR brined and smoked chickens off the grill and side dishes made their way to the table. Nate, his girlfriend (Ahh! I'm spacing your name!!!!) and Moto had perfect timing, knocking on the door just as we were settling into our chairs.
So what started as a small foursome turned into a full table of finger-licking good chicken, tomato marinade, pasta salad, brown rice, wine, 10 people and two happy dogs. Jessie informed us that it is ok to eat chicken with your fingers, according to a friend of her's who has and extensive knowledge of etiquette. Not that anyone was concerned about breaking rules, but it's nice to know where we stand.
After dinner, Mark presented us with his Thesis: One of each cookie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream HAHAHHAHA Mark is finishing up his grad school thesis, so the slip of the tongue made everyone laugh. At least we know he is thinking about it! Jessie made the cookies - GF oatmeal peanut butter, some with chocolate, some without. Charlie did a test run of them last night, coming to Jessie with crumbs on her mouth and a guilty look that only a lab can make. We all agreed with Charlie that the cookies were great. Grandpa gave the thumbs up.
Topics discussed included electric cars and motorcycles, craigslist, pinterest, travel and food, bike racing, segmented sleep, phone apps that monitor sleep patterns, horse racing and betting strategies, camping, Suncadia, The Brick (of course), Obama's support of gay marriage and Dan Savage's response, hooch, the Lake City Elks Lodge, Dog Fiction, and on and on. We were a chatty bunch. OOh! That reminds me! The term 'chatty Cathy' came up and Grandpa asked if anyone knew the origins. Let me google..."Chatty Cathy is a doll manufactured by the Mattel toy company from 1959 to 1965. The doll was first released in stores and appeared in television commercials beginning in 1960. Chatty Cathy celebrated her 50th birthday in 2010." Well, now we know.
Isn't it incredible what we learn at Family Dinner? I feel smarter by the sip. I took a couple photos, will post them soon.
I got to spend an hour or so with the guys - Grandpa, Ted and Eddie - before anyone else showed up. They were kind enough to listen to me vent about the oddness that is being a short-timer. Tomorrow is my last day of work at the diabetes study before I move on to a brain research gig and this last week has been a challenging one for me. If you know me at all, you know that I hate wasting time and that's what the last few days feel like, but I guess that's how it goes. So, thanks guys for giving me cocktails and letting me bitch!
Ok, back to the good stuff. People trickled in around 6:30pm - Jessie, Mark and Charlie arrived first. Shortly thereafter Morgan and Chelsey made their way into the kitchen. Ted pulled FOUR brined and smoked chickens off the grill and side dishes made their way to the table. Nate, his girlfriend (Ahh! I'm spacing your name!!!!) and Moto had perfect timing, knocking on the door just as we were settling into our chairs.
So what started as a small foursome turned into a full table of finger-licking good chicken, tomato marinade, pasta salad, brown rice, wine, 10 people and two happy dogs. Jessie informed us that it is ok to eat chicken with your fingers, according to a friend of her's who has and extensive knowledge of etiquette. Not that anyone was concerned about breaking rules, but it's nice to know where we stand.
After dinner, Mark presented us with his Thesis: One of each cookie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream HAHAHHAHA Mark is finishing up his grad school thesis, so the slip of the tongue made everyone laugh. At least we know he is thinking about it! Jessie made the cookies - GF oatmeal peanut butter, some with chocolate, some without. Charlie did a test run of them last night, coming to Jessie with crumbs on her mouth and a guilty look that only a lab can make. We all agreed with Charlie that the cookies were great. Grandpa gave the thumbs up.
Topics discussed included electric cars and motorcycles, craigslist, pinterest, travel and food, bike racing, segmented sleep, phone apps that monitor sleep patterns, horse racing and betting strategies, camping, Suncadia, The Brick (of course), Obama's support of gay marriage and Dan Savage's response, hooch, the Lake City Elks Lodge, Dog Fiction, and on and on. We were a chatty bunch. OOh! That reminds me! The term 'chatty Cathy' came up and Grandpa asked if anyone knew the origins. Let me google..."Chatty Cathy is a doll manufactured by the Mattel toy company from 1959 to 1965. The doll was first released in stores and appeared in television commercials beginning in 1960. Chatty Cathy celebrated her 50th birthday in 2010." Well, now we know.
Isn't it incredible what we learn at Family Dinner? I feel smarter by the sip. I took a couple photos, will post them soon.
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