Sunday Dinner

The long-anticipated day finally arrived on which I did not have to plan, cook, or clean-up a holiday meal. Somewhere happiness must be defined by this set of circumstances.

When we arrived at Jeff's parents' house at noon, we were greeted with a table set with cheerful red and white plates and a vase of Easter flowers compliments of Ingrid's sister, Geli. The counter was already laid out with veggies, chips, and dips to be snacked upon while Allen (a.k.a. the grill master) coaxed along five of the biggest steaks I've ever seen. And, of course, a glass of wine was proffered almost upon walking through the door. (No wonder I like eating there!) Though, Allen did comment that someone might have to call the food police since we were drinking white wine with beef, but alas rules are made to be broken.

After grazing on the counter goodies, we sat down to a lovely dinner of juicy steaks with mashed sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, broccoli with cheese sauce, rolls, and Georgia caviar. The final dish was prepared especially for me and included black-eyed peas, three colors of finely-diced bell peppers, diced red onion, corn kernels, tomatoes, and green chilies. It was a wonderful salad - fresh, colorful, and tasty. The bell peppers and onions gave it a light crunch that contrasted nicely with the softer peas, corn, and tomatoes. The green chilies gave it just enough bite to make it interesting. Luckily for me, the recipe made a huge bowl, and I got to bring some home for lunch tomorrow!

Following all the goodness of this large meal, we had a beautiful lemon-raspberry cake which consisted of two layers of pound cake enveloped in a whipped lemon frosting. Raspberry filling separated the cake layers and adorned a channel around the top of the pastry which had a few fresh raspberries and candy ribbons in the center. It was light and fruity, bringing the meal to a lovely end.

Of course, since we were all so stuffed, we had to hang out and talk for awhile while my son (to whom I can no longer refer as 6'2" and shaggy since he had his hair cut off yesterday) serenaded the family with his guitar. All in all, the food was delicious, the music was good, the conversation was entertaining, and it was a day well-spent in the warm embrace of family.