Happy Valentine's, Sisterhood!

Due to a personal tragedy in the life of one of the sisterhood, we have not met together since early December. Last night, though, we had a wonderful Valentine dinner while we caught up on each others' lives.

There was a yummy chocolate fondue with all sorts of dipping goodies!

We never know what turns can happen in our lives from moment to moment. When those difficult times come, it is good to have friends who care.....

Past and Future Meal

Andra served Sun-Dried Tomato Capered Chicken served over a bed of fettuccini at our August Sisterhood meeting. It was mucho delicioso! I had forgotten all about it until I was cleaning up some of my photography folders today. Now I am planning on preparing it for mi espouso y me for a dinner this week. I won't have quite the elegant summer table that Andra set, but maybe something fallish instead :-)

My friend also made a perfect shortbread cookie pie, and we nibbled it with a rich vanilla ice cream topped with a scoop of fresh peaches! Boy, wouldn't I love some of that now, on this chilly November day.........

Back to 'Normal' Life

The snow is mostly gone, the flood waters continue to recede........ and the Sisterhood met once again last evening. Lots of sharing and laughter, and this colorful and most delicious meal.

Chicken Lasagna.....

.....and this wonderful lemon tart

Help one another is part of the religion of our Sisterhood. ~Louisa May Alcott

Laughter.... Good for You!

Once again the Sisterhood met last evening........ at my place this month. I am getting comfortable with this group of women, and enjoying laughing with them, as well as hearing about their joys and struggles in life. One is head over heels in love, one currently has major health problems, and another is in the middle of moving, following a divorce. Then there is ME! Whatever that means.

Last night we had Chicken Picatta, followed by .....

Brownie Shortbread! To die for!!!

Laugh Often,
Dream big,
Reach for the stars!

A Lesson in Chocolate

Our second meeting of the Sisterhood took place last night.

Andra served another delicious harvest-time dish.... some sort of vegetable/rice curry!

Then she proceeded to give a a lesson on the production of fine chocolate. She just was in the Bay area, and visited the Scharffen Berger factory in Berkeley, CA. where she acquired this new knowledge!


Here you can see the cocoa seeds that come from the cocoa tree. Andra explained the entire process to make various kinds of chocolate, including chocolate with the nibs in it. I am not able to recount all she said, but it was very interesting!
The company also works with the chocolate to get it to snap just right, too! I must say, this chocolate did have a fine feel and sound to its snap!

The chocolate was incredibly rich and smooth! And what an awesome picture was stamped on each piece! We also learned how to eat chocolate the right way. First you enjoy the snapping off of the bite you will savor. Then smell the chocolate. Place it on your tongue and proceed to push the chocolate into the roof of your mouth, where it will melt into perfected creaminess! Savor the flavor and experience! Much like wine tasting!

And what chilly fall evening doesn't welcome a steamy mug of cocoa with smelted marshmallows?!?!

Forget love! I'd rather fall in chocolate!

Middle-Aged Girls

As the day wound into evening, a small intimate group of women from different walks in life met together for the first time for a Sisterhood group. It is new territory for all of us, so what we do will probably be redefined as we meet once a month over the years ahead (hopefully). For now we will be discussing a book that we will be reading ahead of time, as well as just sharing where we are in our journey in life. There is time for the humorous as well as the more serious aspects of our daily lives. The time centers, of course, around tasty meals! We had a most delicious salad this time.....
.....along with hot brocolli/swiss cheese soup and savory herb muffins!

And the song, from beginning to end, I found in the heart of a friend. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow