fifth!

Had the fifth annual wine + cheese party this weekend! So much fun, as usual! I am listing the menu here for my own record:

cheese:
irish white cheddar
gouda
goat cheese
mozzarella
parmagiano reggiano
curds
manchego (my new favorite cheese)
brie
cheesecake (cream cheese, ricotta, goat) with red peppers, chives, oregano, thyme

meats
panchetta
salami

fruits/veggies
yellow peppers
basil
tomatos
grapes
clementines

sweets
truffles
cups with coconut or raspberries & ganache
lime custard tarts with raspberries
chocolate coins

And, of course, wine. 30 bottles were empty in the morning, and we had 10 left over. WOW!

I paired down on the food a little bit which left me with less leftovers (a GOOD thing) and let me spend a little bit more $$ on the party. I think I maybe spent the usual amount, so that's good. Extravagant, but a nice holiday treat for friends. And seeing it's really the only party I have all year, my pocketbook can handle it.

ahhhhhh!

what a weekend this was. altho i was all by myself for most of the time i managed to enjoy my own company the entire two days.

let's see...the 10 mile run was awesome - did it at around 9 min/mile pace and for the last three miles did sprints...man, i havn't had that kind of adrenaline rush in a long time. the weather on satuday was nice too. the only damper on the weekend was that i had to be at my apartment from 11am - 3:30pm while a guy was there refinishing our sinks and countertops. but i can't really complain about that because...new sinks and counters! a very nice thing to have done. plus, i spent time on the couch with all the windown and doors open, enjoying a pleasant breeze, and reading. went to a masquerade party that night; the people who lived there, while having a very mid-90's taste in decor, had a life-sized plastic horse that Ch and I enjoyed having our way with.

on sunday, i headed out to the beach, and spent four glorious hours reading. the weater wasn't what you would call perfect - breezy, but it was warm enough to be in the bikini most of the time. and i got even more reading done. i left when a noisy group decided to plop themselves feet from where i was sitting (even though the rest of the beach was basically empty) and took myself out for coffee. yum. and more reading!

finished the day off with a run, a long shower, a load of laundry, and watched The Godfather for the first time...Good movie! Now I know why everyone likes it. Have the second godfather movie waiting to be watched, and the third one will be mailed out to me tomorrow.

hmmm, it's rainy today, which makes my time at the beach yesterday that much better.