summergiving.

a lovely thing happened last night. i created a new holiday. a summer feast. call it summergiving, or thanksummer or fresh summer festival. call it what you will. but it was amazing. i concocted both the idea, and the menu, one night last week when i couldn't fall asleep. and thus a feast of friendship was born. i invited my steamboat family over-- lauren, torre, schmeltz and tj. without brett, nick or john here this summer, my den-mama-job is half the size, but not half the work. tj unfortunately wasn't able to join us- but lauren, torre and schmeltz came over and together we enjoyed every moment. schmeltz brought two really tasty wines, and the menu was as follows:
course 1. artichoke dip and tortilla chips.
course 2. denver-made 'summer herb' pasta with eliza-made pesto, chicken, and local shitake mushrooms. accompanied by a salad of spinach, strawberries, avocado, goat cheese, walnuts and a dressing of sea salt, agave, balsamic, and olive oil.
course 3. homemade creamy peach-blueberry pie. topped with a generous glob of freshly whipped cream.
shared with a few of favorite people. outside. on a lovely july evening. it was like went to heaven. without dying. after we feasted, we sat on the couches and smiled.
we coined a new word:
foodsmirk.
it's a little bit like grinface, and a lot like a food coma, paired with the extreme contentment that comes with awesome food and wonderful friends.