Four weddings (and hopefully no funerals)

Last year, my "little sis" Allie asked me if I would officiate her wedding. Awwww. Of course I did! I love to talk, how could I pass up this opportunity?

Well, then her sister Katie asked if I'd officiate her wedding. Sure!

And then Katie's friend Lisa asked if I'd officiate her wedding. Why not!

And then, Allie's husband's cousin wondered if I'd officiate her wedding. Definitely!

It started off as a fluke, but I have to say, I get so much joy out of officiating weddings. Katie's wedding was this past weekend, in Rockport MA, and it was beautiful. Charlotte was the flower girl, which was hysterical because, well, that child marches (or doesn't, as it turned out) to the beat of her own drummer.

Below, a selection of photos:

 Pre-wedding. This is the only picture I have of the headband, which she (very clearly) refused to wear.
 

Charlotte and Allie walking down the aisle. This was just before Allie tried putting her down to walk. That didn't work, either; she processed in Allie's arms.

Post-ceremony, playing in the chairs.

 Party dress. At this point, she wanted nothing to do with anyone except me.

Blushing bride, cranky flower girl, officiant. 

It is SO HARD to be this girl. Sometimes she just can't take the difficulty.

On homemade 'gourmet' food

Sometimes, restaurants elevate simple dishes to higher planes than are typically achieved at home. Sandwiches, to me, are included in this list of foods. Mostly the sandwiches I make look like this:

1 slice bread, lettuce (optional), 2 slices cheese, 3 slices lunch meat, butter, 1 slice bread.





Definitely not gourmet. Cheap, but not particularly appetizing. Sometimes these sandwiches are made better by heating, either in the toaster or in a skillet. Those are usually pretty tasty. Still, it's no wonder I rarely have sandwiches!

Recently, I embarked upon a quest to improve my sandwiches. It started with building a better quesadilla. Using a Burger's Smokehouse Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast (seriously, one of the best Christmas gifts ever) as a base, I added some brie and spinach. The spinach was a lame attempt to add a vegetable, but it worked out well. My friend gifted us some raspberry jalapeno jelly, which made a really delectable foil to the smoky/salty flavors. Those were some damn fine quesadillas.

A week later, I had some bread that needed using, and a sudden urge to have a grilled cheese. So, fighting the urge to simply slap some sharp American cheese between two slices of white Italian, I re-created the quesadilla as a sandwich.

Tell me that doesn't look more gourmet than my usual sandwich. I owe a shout-out to my mother, who taught me how to achieve the perfect golden brown color on grilled cheese sandwiches. Thanks, mom! And yes, that is the dog's hairy face in the lower left. I'm not the only one who thought it smelled good.

For me, I think the secret to a pseudo-gourmet meal, one that makes me feel like I'm eating takeout, is to include condiments that I wouldn't usually use on a sandwich. Sprouts, for example, or that raspberry jalapeno jelly.  This year I'm going to try to actually consume some of the pickles and jams I make, instead of just admiring them on the shelf. Adding them to simple meals seems like the only way I'll achieve this goal.

But I need help - what other easy changes can I make so that my usual meals seem a little more UNusual?

Inspired!

After 2.5 years of sleeping in a crate, Gus is finally trustworthy enough to sleep on a big boy bed in the living room. My joy at reclaiming a 3'x4' area of my dining room was tempered only slightly by a sense of melancholy that he's all growed up. Which means I'm old. A tear.

Anyways, folding up and stashing the crate under a chair-and-a-half in front of the wood stove has completely inspired me to de-clutter and decorate. We've been in the house 5 years now, and it's still got a bit of that "I just moved in and don't have the money or energy to actually surround myself with meaningful, beautiful things." Enough. This weekend is the village garage sale. I've started collecting stuff to sell. I'm brainstorming projects using things that we already have. I framed a few things from my travels and I'm super excited to actually get them up on the walls!

Expect a few before-and-after photos, and maybe some during. There's big things in the works, kids!