Dinner at 8

I'm feeling very content this morning. F.Y.S and Jewels were over last night for a leisurely evening of conversation, food, Ruby Junes (of course) and then a rousing game of Skip-bo.
Appetizer: goat cheese, water crackers and almonds
Dinner: Asian Ginger Chicken and asparagus tarts

I wish this were a better picture, sorry. Don't judge it by the way it looks because I only remembered to take a picture after we ate and this tart was crazy good!

Dessert: strawberry pie and a delicious dark chocolate, ganache, raspberry cake Jewels made.


Oh, man, had I known she was bringing that dessert I would have scratched everything else and just sat down with a fork and the cake.

We talked, a lot, about different things and it felt so good to get caught up with them. Eventually, F.Y.S. started the chicken on the grill while Jewels and I put the tarts together. I have to tell you how nice it felt to be able to hand a rolling pin to someone and have her know what to do with it. Seriously, I think that's cool to have a fellow baker around because most of my friends are cooks, not bakers. We know there's a difference.

Regarding Skip-bo: I'm curious if other families play games the way we do. For as long as I can remember the house rules have been - there are no rules. If you can 'cheat' and get away with it then it's ok. We know we all cheat, it's expected that someone will cheat and part of the fun is trying to catch them. My siblings, my kids, shoot, my parents played this way. Rules are merely guidelines to keep the game moving forward, but if you can get away with it then cheat til your heart's content. Having said that, poor Jewels is not a good cheater yet. She laughs or looks at you or looks guilty so she never gets away with it. At one point she and F.Y.S. were engaged in a debate over a move he was trying to do while I was shuffling the cards and slipping Skip-bos into my pile. I started laughing real hard, Jewels wondered what was so funny and F.Y.S. said, "she's laughing because she cheated and she's getting away with it." Yes. I. Did! Ok, there is one rule, if you don't get caught you don't have to 'fess up.

Regarding Jewels: Jewels and F.Y.S. have been dating for 5 years. She is going to school for the one thing, but her dream is to open a bakery of her own. Personally, I think she ought to blow off the schooling and just get to baking because the schooling is only getting in the way of my heaven. *grins* Oh, and she knits socks. Come on......she is too cool.