Day 321: A Cool Baby Shower, Cookbooks at Powell’s & My Gluten-Free Dinner Party

Sunday, August 3

This morning I got up and prepared a lovely Capresi salad with fresh, red Roma tomatoes, fresh basil from our garden at work, and wet, organic mozzarella drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and high quality balsamic vinegar.  I wrapped up the small baby gifts I got that went into one adorable gift bag.

Then, I showered and got dressed.  I drove out to the SE to friend Vonda’s house for our friend Karen’s baby shower.  You never know how baby showers are going to be.  I hoped that it wouldn’t be smug with lame baby games.  This was actually one of the best parties I had been to in a long time.

First, it was a brunch.  Vonda’s home is completely gorgeous!  I had a cup of Yogi lemon-ginger tea and sat next to Karen to get caught up.  She was a beautiful pregnant woman.  The other guests arrived and we all talked girl stuff.  Not just baby stuff, which we did chat about – and it was fun, engaging conversation, not the smug mommy-baby conversations some types of women befall to.  No, this was different!

We played a couple of games, but they weren’t lame.  We did a name game which was actually functioned to help Karen come up with a baby girl’s name.  We came up with some great ideas that she was actually excited about.  Then, we went around the brunch table, drinking bellini’s and mimosas, talking about the most mischievous thing we did as a child.  It was pretty hilarious, actually.  I told the story of how my older sister and I colored the bricks around the fireplace at our house in Pennsylvania. 

For brunch we had an amazing gluten-free egg fritata topped with fresh basil, my caprese salad, delicious summer baby potatoes (white and purple) in olive oil with herbs, which was fantastic, and then fresh strawberries and cherries.  It was really yummy. 

Karen opened presents, which was really great.  She got all kinds of good stuff.  I gave her a bunch of Burt’s Baby Bee products – like diaper cream, talc, buttermilk bath powder, baby lotion and a lullaby CD.  I really had a lovely time! 

I was going to go up to Yoga Union following the shower, but didn’t feel up to it.  Instead, I went to Powell’s and picked up two great cook books.  For forever and a day I had wanted this great soup book my friend Lota has.  I haven’t ever been able to find it.  But, today, I found an awesome soup cook book called The International Soup Book by Susan R. Friedland, editor.

There are plenty of recipes in this book that are gluten-free; and those that aren’t I can explore different gluten-free flour options.

Then, I got the book the Farm to Table cookbook: The Art of Eating Locally by north westerner Ivy Manning.   It’s a beautiful book with a chock full of recipes and hints, like meet the producer or an heirloom tomato primer, all organized by season.  Love it.

While at Powell’s, I ran into a kind of new friend, poet/artist/musician Jonathan, who I had met a few months ago at the Tea Zone.  Jonathan, because of our conversation, was diagnosed gluten intolerant.  I gave him some advice about eating a mindful, balanced diet.  We chatted for a bit and agreed to meet up soon at the Tea Zone to catch up.  I really like his spirit and feel grateful to have a new male friend!

I met Kerry at the Park Blocks.  It was our intention to play bocce.  But the courts were totally filled up and so we just sat on a bench and people watched.

I drove home to clean up and get ready for my dinner guests, the Dashmores.  I vacuumed, emptied the dishwasher, cleaned the downstairs bathroom, then began setting the table.  I put beautiful orange and purple tulips in a vase and placed it on the table with my crystal grape cluster table decorations.  I chilled the wine, pulled out and polished glasses and welcomed them after six.  We sat in the living room and noshed on the gluten free baguette I pulled fresh out of the oven, served with the triple cream Camembert, the Irish hard cheese and the herb goat cheese, sprinkled with dried berries on the cutting boards.  We sipped on the Italian Soave, a light, crisp white wine with good acidity. 

 

 

Next, we sat around the table and I served a mixed greens salad with the heirloom grape tomatoes which added jeweled colors of yellow, green, purple, red and orange, topped with pumpkin seeds and a creamy dill dressing.  I pulled out the focaccia pizzas that I had brushed olive oil all over with my basting brush, then sprinkled some sea salt and added on wet buffalo mozzarella.  When I pulled the pizzas out of the oven I topped with fresh basil from our garden at work. 

 

 

 

I semi-chilled the Barbera D’Alba, as Italian reds need to be served slightly cool.  It was all delicious.  I was very pleased with this gluten-free option!  The pizza was the best I’ve had since having been diagnosed with Celiac disease.

Then, Capri jumped up at the chair at the other head of the table because she clearly needed to feel like one of us.

Next, we ate Tobleron and dark chocolate with Argyle Blanc de Blanc bubbly.  We laughed and talked about high school, which prompted me to pull out my yearbook.  It was a fun evening.  Reminded me that I want to entertain more often.  I love to cook for others, and now armed with my new fabulous cookbooks, I was going to plan more intimate dinners in at my place.  My dining room looked absolutely lovely.  I was very happy, indeed.

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