7 Quick Takes

Linking up with Jen for 7 Quick Takes and the 7 posts in 7 days challenge. Do you see that 777?

1. Taking a toddler who peaks around the division in the confessional essentially makes kneeling behind the screen useless. 

2. The other day Ryan was playing nicely in the kitchen, and I took that time to relax on the couch with my copy of Verily. Five seconds passed, and I realized that it had become eerily quiet. I sneezed a giant sneeze right. "Ryan!!" 

Bye bye, Cayenne and crushed red pepper. I sneezed on and off for the rest of the day. It was good, "Bless you!" practice for the culprit. 

3. My friend Lauren was being a fun mom again and taking Carson blueberry picking which means that I got to hitch a ride on that bandwagon and seem like a super fun mom to Ryan. Blueberries are Ryan's absolute favorite right now so an hour surrounded by endless blueberries was quite the delight. When we got home, I baked a blueberry pie. Normally, I use a Betty Crocker pie crust, but Lauren have given rave reviews for her fellow Oklahoman lady's pie crust recipe. I will never make another pie crust again. Oh my goodness, it is flaky beyond belief! Again, maybe it was magnified by the taste buds that are in the family way like my strawberry chia seed jam, but, try it. You won't be sorry.

4. Pie was basically all that I was up to making yesterday because on Wednesday night we ate the most fabulous dinner ever. My in-law's family friend's parents invited us over for dinner at their house. We knew they gardened and were Italian, but we were not prepared for the massive three well-kept gardens, grapes hanging from an overhead trellis, fig trees (they should not survive in Northern Indiana, but this family has the magic touch!) and just so much generosity. They order two semi-trucks of grapes from Napa Valley and make 28 fifty gallon barrels of wine each year! It was their granddaughter's birthday so there were many grandkids there, and Ryan forgot he had parents.

5. So dinner. Actually appetizers. Well when we first arrived we were greeted by wine, and plates of cheese, cured meats, crackers, a goat cheese dip, olives and zucchini fritters. I found out after I had been chowing down thinking that it was the best salami I had ever eaten that they make their own salami and coppa! Wow. Later we toured their basement and they just have tubs of salami and other cured meats preserved in fat along with barrels of wine. Hmm, I know where I would want to be in case of zombie apocalypse. Then! Then we had grilled homemade sausage that was out of this world and just the perfect amount of kick.

My only photo of the food. I want it all!

6. We heard, "Pasta is ready!" She had made spaghetti with huge meatballs. The meatballs were so moist. After we ate the pasta, the kids were restless so I was in the playroom trying to keep Ryan from breaking the crib, in which he was dangerously close to doing so. I heard the clinks of silverware hitting plates and figured dessert was on the table. Chris' coworker, who happens to be the daughter of these fantastic people, asked Ryan, "Ryan, do you like steak?" "What?! Are they eating steak out there?!" came from me. She responded with, "Bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin." Seriously. Floored. With the amazingly tender beef, we had potato croquettes, grilled zucchini (from the garden) and tomato salad (ditto). Chris kept rubbing my leg and giving me an alarmed look that screamed, "My stomach is going to burst!" After that we had the sweetest watermelon, their own homemade limoncello (okay, I didn't have any), and then caramel cake and Oreo ice cream cake. Yesterday, when Chris and I woke up, we were still full. I am so glad that the host politely declined that I bring anything because I would have been so incredibly embarrassed by my mediocre cooking. 

7. Happy Weekend! Sorry for writing about food in 5 of the 6 previous takes. I guess it was food takes today.