The Waiting

Waiting to leave… going to visit my child. Sometime anticipation can be a tricky thing, if the feeling is fought it may distraught us, if enjoyed and embraced it can enthrall us.

The Food

I thought I would share one of the new recipes I tried while being the “hostess” …. this actually turned out to be delicious and easy!

Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

For the Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste
Whisk all above in a large bowl, add 4 cups diced seedless watermelon and ¼ cup very thinly sliced red onion.  Coat the fruit and onions with the vinaigrette.
Divide mixed salad greens onto plates, layer on the fruit, and drizzle with dressing from bowl.  Top with some crumbled goat cheese.
Makes about 5 servings.

The Hosting

Normally we have a social life comparable to hermits, but this past week I found myself hosting one event and attending two others.
There is something about creating food, a mood, and an environment for guests that coaches our creativity. For my evening it was the elements of the dinner, having it  mesh into the evening of garden tables and art projects.  As a host I just wanted to focus on welcoming friends to a comfortable place. In the past I may have got caught up in the details, but age has led me to keep it real, and keep it me ...and host too can enjoy the event!

 As a guest I found myself taking notice of the details that my hosts had created and that created a gratitude and appreciation…. and a realization I should party more!

The Muse

My usual is to take classes that I created something, but this week it was a class on creativity. I had no expectations (which always works out to my benefit) and was so touched by the evening and information.

The class: Rediscovering the Muse Within

The place: Craft Akron
http://www.craftakron.com/

The teacher: Deborah Phelps Miller

It was an introduction to the nine Greek muses…. none of which I had been formally introduced to prior to this evening... but now know they may have danced in my mind a time or two! We explored what each  brings as an offering of enlightment to the world and how we can use them to awaken our own creativity.

The Abandoned

I have always had a “thing” for abandoned houses. Perhaps it began when I was a little girl and my Grandmother would take me back to the family farm, years abandoned and dilapidated. Since those days I have wandered in the houses without doors and windows to keep me out, in cities and in far forgotten places. There are wonderful discovers to be made in abandoned houses, like natural peeling wallpaper that exposes early 1900 stencils…. and not so wonderful things …I will let you use your own imagination. There are things that tell stories, some touching, some tragic all narrated in my mind.

The Locals

I don’t know how a woman could live within an hour of Cleveland’s West Side Market and not discover it for 50 years? But boy did we discover it this weekend! It was an overload to the senses, the sights, the smell, and the conversations absorbed me.
My favorite had to be the Artisan Bread and yes, this was truly art. The family business of Michelle’s Bakery took dough to a whole new level.

Right now I could open a soup kitchen with all I bought…but the good part…the bags were full of fruits, veggies, or homemade goodness from my new wonderful local friends.