To get good results we all know it’s the work up front that delivers. Sometimes years, sometimes weeks or months, and oftentimes because life moves so darn fast it’s a super concentrated six hours.
Here’s what happened yesterday at every day dress:
Saturday morning wake up, drink coffee, decide what to serve for dinner at seven for eight. All good friends, all part of what’s turned into our yearly wine tasting trip. Two times to California, last trip to Italy, and up next France September 2014. Make a list, hit the gym, make and serve breakfast for six, we now have two Costa Rica exchange students in the house, and off to the market by 1 pm. Plan a French Bistro style menu: Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic, Moroccan Couscous, Salad with Warm Goat Cheese, Chocolate Orange Mousse. Actually wanted to do and bought the ingredients for Cheese Straws and Rosemary Cashews for hors d’oeuvres but never got there so fine wine was the only precursor. All recipes adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris.
Bring the groceries home and don’t leave the kitchen except to set the dining room table until 6:55 pm. At 6:55 pm run upstairs, take off the apron and throw it on the floor and slip on black one shouldered knit sweater with the skinny blue jeans that were worn all day, and the day before that. Light the candles, open the wine, guests arrive, and we all talk travel plans for our upcoming trip. Ed and Liz, Pat and Jennifer, we missed you guys, we look forward to more dinners like this with you when in France.
Decided on sunflowers for the table and cut them short and stuck them in three blue and white pots, anchored with believe it or not wine corks. Last minute decision, didn’t have any floral form or tape. We’ll be staying in the French countryside so wanted to set the mood. Was really getting into the wine theme as I hung actual grape-vine leaves that were preserved and dipped in copper, silver and gold on the chandelier and used them at the last-minute to serve as napkin rings. Picked those up in December at the fun and delicious winery Gundlach Bundshu in Sonoma CA. If you like them here’s the link: Grape Leaf.
When it’s prep work like this, it’s not really work at all.
One Shouldered Sweater with Cuff | looks great, feels good, easy to work in
3 Comments
Sounds amazing, looks delicious, and you look beautiful! Love that top 🙂
Thank you, Laura. Stay warm, hope you are well.
How do I get in on the Annual Wine Trip??? Jonathan and I are way more fun then my Mom & Dad!!! Dinner looks fantastic!