Cooking for a Crowd

Last night was I cooked up a thank you/good bye dinner for my DC hosts before moving on to San Francisco. As I mentioned in the previous post Meals Make Memories the menu was inspired by meals I had in the past two months after returning to the States from London.

Guests:
My sister and brother-in-law Marlene and Mandeep
My brother Matthew and his fiancee Rachel
Rachel's Mom Ann
Matt and Rachel's roommate Tyeliah and her friend Jody
Downstairs neighbor Richard

Here's what I served and the locations with links to posts on my blog which they commemorated

Jerk salmon, catfish, prawns and portobello mushrooms - Jamaica
Spoon corn bread - Maryland
Asian coleslaw - Teaism influenced
Steamed baby artichokes - Virginia
Strawberries with fresh maple/vanilla whipped cream - Virginia & Maine

Marlene also brought mouth-watering pastries that we shared.

What a meal!

Living the Leisure Life in Maine

I took the train from Connecticut to Maine via Boston and back again over the weekend. Living in the UK helped me appreciate how fantastic train travel can be for seeing the countryside. For the entire trip up the East Coast I gazed out the window at the beautiful New England landscape - coastline, boats, birds and even a wolf. The one unexpected component of the trip was the train from Boston to Portland, Maine was actually a bus. But a luxury bus so that was OK.

Sharon, Dee-Dee and Jamie showed me a good time and continuously attempted to entice me to move up to Maine. It was tempting, at least for the summer but I've been to Maine in the winter and that's another story.

The entire coastline is beautiful. We had a picnic lunch on the beach Saturday and then took a stroll out to a lighthouse that was lost in the fog. There we met a fantastic retired professor, Bill Thomson who had written a book about the history Maine lighthouses Lobster. He was so pleased that Sharon and I studied photography in school and encouraged us to follow our dream and to use our network to make it happen. That's what he had done to be able to write and publish his books and become the authority on lighthouses.

We also got girlie and had our nails done at a salon. I went all out and had a French manicure and even had little flowers painted on to one nail on each hand. You can kind of make it out in the photo.

Saturday night we Barbecued with neighbors. Each of us out-did each other with our dishes. Scallops wrapped in bacon, baked garlic, spinach salad with candied pecans, skewered veg, shrimp and chicken and then Dee-Dee's amazing cookie fruit torte. We migrated over to Jim and Kevin's house for marshmallow roasting around the fire pit. Here's Jamie with his wacky hat toasting up some mallows for us.

Sunday Sharon and I walked along a nature trail overlooking the coastline and of course I somehow got poison ivy from our one excursion into the deeper woods to see a pet cemetery. We capped off the weekend with Lobster dinner at a shack out on the water. So scrum-dely-icious.

It would be so amazing to purchase a barn/farm/house for my retreat center dream. Maine is filled with them and many are for sale.

Inspirational Strong Women

Reconnecting with your friends face to face is always a treat. I had the fantastic opportunity to spend the weekend in Maine with my friends Sharon and Dee-Dee. We've been friends for years now and no matter how long it is between visits we reconnect so easily. It is wonderful to be around people who know you so well and have your best interest at heart.

I was blown away by how strong they both are in their lives. They know what works for them and what doesn't, have wonderful senses of humor and always time to listen. It reminded me of how important my long-term friendships are for my state of well-being. The same can be said for my friends Karen and Lori in Connecticut. I'm inspired by how all of these women strive for a life-work balance.

Heading Further North

Heading up to Maine to see my friends Sharon and Dee-Dee for the weekend. Another stop on my East Coast whistle stop tour.

I Left My Heart in San Francisco...

...and now I'm going to find my heart.

After much soul searching and following my heart I've realized that San Francisco is where I belong. That was where I lived before these three years of adventures through Houston, Connecticut, London and DC. It is where I have been the happiest and now I am going to move back.

So, June 28 open up those golden gates, California here I come! Over the next month I am going to continue my welcome back to America Whistle Stop Tour of the East Coast. Next week in Connecticut and Maine, later in the month in Philly. Then... off to San Francisco via Virgin Atlantic airlines first class. I figured it would be appropriate to have a UK airline take me home.