Last Night's Dinner

I feel so grown up. I had a dinner party last night with 3 other couples. Our tiny house was a buzz.with 2 little boys and a great vibe. The house eventually got so warm we opened the patio window for the cold November breeze to cool us down. I had so much fun. The conversation was grown up as well. We spoke as if we knew anything about the world economy and a few good laughs of people who feel entitled to drive in the fast lane. The former was more heated which lead us to believe there are 3 things never to talk about at a dinner party. Religion, politics and driving in the fast lane.

Myself and another girl (not sure what to call us. I don't feel like a lady, so grandmotherly, and woman seems so formal. Maybe by using, most comfortably, girl I am not so grown up after all.) well, we're both pregnant with our second baby. My other 2 girlfriends I know would love to be expecting a newborn baby but their husbands are on the fence. Waiting for the perfect time that never comes around. I was lucky, we had a whoopsy. Now with one why not have 2!

So, dinner was amazing. My girlfriend made her healthy, delicious Thai salad with cabbage and carrots with noodles and sweet balsamic dressing, which I loved. She delivered it in a simple clear bowl so the colours of the salad complimented the rest of the spread. My expecting girlfriend's husband went to Global Cheese and must have spent a fortune on 4 different and delicious cheeses. I arrayed them nicely on a glass tray with my cheese knives I never use. We ate them with fresh bread that tasted homemade it was so good. The main meal and dessert I made. I decided on a really informal feast of ribs with homemade rib sauce and dry rubbed steak. I also made my own dry rub, it was goooood. One of my girlfriends is Celiac so I had to make a few adjustments with the rib sauce and dessert but it turned out for the better, especially the dessert. I made apple crumble but instead of the traditional oats, flour and butter I used nuts and it was spectacular. It was very healthy, not heavy feeling.

Since becoming a mom  I have become really food conscious. My husband teases that our kids are going to be food snobs but, I'm OK with that. So long as they value their bodies, and look at the food they eat without the word commodity. Yes, food is a necessity but it isn't disposable. My grandmother used to say, which my mother and I say now, waste not want not, which is a value I hold true today.

Overall, I think I'll do more grown up dinner parties from now on. The memories make it worth the effort and it's nice to have contributions to the meal that I didn't have to prepare myself.