Happy Birthday to Hilary and Me!!

I have a birthday twin and she is also one of my closest friends!  Last night Rudy threw an awesome party for the two of us...complete with yummy cheeses, appetizers and tasty adult beverages.  I happily agreed to bring the cake - gluten free of course! After much internal debate I decided on an Orange Rosemary Pound Cake with Buttercream frosting :-)  Yum...

Orange zesting and rosemary snipping...

Hot out of the oven!

Yum....frosting...

YUMM... MORE frosting!!!

Tasty Lemon Drop Martini made by bartender Rudy :-)

Nice spread!

Birthday girl Hilary :-)

Yes, there is a twin to this photo!

Barb and I :)

Happy Birthday to us!!

My Last Providence Dinner Party!!

 I. Love. To. Cook.  Yep, I really do.  Over the last half year I have gotten into the habit of throwing a Thursday night dinner party for friends.  It forced me to make my apartment presentable at least once a week and gave me something to do that I loved instead of always wallowing in my unemployment.

This was my last Thursday night in Providence before moving across country and therefore, my last Providence dinner party (boo hiss).  On the menu was:

- Spinach, fresh pea and goat cheese salad
- Steamed asparagus with lemon zest and parmesan shavings
- Homemade gluten-free potato gnocchi
- Tomato gorgonzola sauce
- Toasted macadamia & almond nut meringue with a ginger pear chocolate sauce

Photos? You betcha!!  First up I made the dessert...

Meringue baking in the oven...yumm....

Chocolate sauce in the making

Up next was the homemade gluten-free gnocchi... arm strength needed!

Handrolling and imprinting the gnocchi

Gnocchi finally done... one+ hour it took!!  Boy do I love my friends! :-)

Speaking of friends they have started to arrived... Hilary :)

Colleen!

How does Rudy always manage to look so damn cool?!?

Mr. Earl!!

Why do I not have a picture of my 6th guest Mike!?! Ack.

Tomato gorgonzola sauce reducing.

My only group shot...not my best work!

Food!  Eat!  Yay!! :-)

Time for the meringue!  Yummy! :-)

Lovely evening... thank you friends :-)

Sketchy Grump Makes His Debut

My cousin Sarah sent me her beloved red merino sweater to turn into a buddy for her... I love special projects!  I had a lot of fun yesterday turning it into a grumpy mustached fella!

There is always a moment before I start cutting into the sweater that I sweat a little...

There's no going back now!!

Ready to get out the sewing machine...

By request Sarah wanted this bear to be incognito :-)

All hand sewing done and body seams finished, he is ready for stuffing...

All done!!

Whatcha lookin at fool??!?

Mother Nature...What A Lady!

Last week Rhode Island was hit with a huge storm ... strong winds, hail and rain.  It was very hot and humid that night and I was having a rough time falling asleep in my steamy apartment.  Finally around 2am I dozed off, only to be awoke a little later to the 40 mph winds that whiped through all the open windows and blew my fans to the floor.  That, along with the pounding hail scared the crap out of my cat and caused him to hide so well I couldn't find him till the next morning!

Early morning my wonderful next door neighbor to the house I'm still attempting to sell emailed to let me know I should stop by and take a look...

 Here there are large parts of the tree hanging over into the neighbors yard!  Look out below!!

Although the sight of my 100+ year old trees down around the yard scared me the house, besides some yard cleanup, ended up being fine! Let the pending sale continue :)

Just gotta say...Mother Nature, what a lady!!!