Well, here I am! Late to this party, as I got home last night. First things being first, we cleared out the dog crate, food and treats by packing them up and walking them over to different neighbors who knew Luna. (She had a lot of friends in the neighborhood.) Delivering news like this is hard, but right this minute I think the hardest is having such a quiet house. Packing up her favorite toys choked me up, but it's done. Working my way backwards and starting with OKC, I regret we didn't get to meet David or Sally, but I'm anticipating there will be another opportunity. Having the extra time allowed us to blow on so I could visit my mother. We drove 4,603 miles in three weeks, so you might say it was a whirlwind (tornadic in places), and we were ready to get home. Meeting Donna and her friend Debbie was fun. We met for breakfast in Albuquerque and I really enjoyed it. It's so nice to have the CF in common, and there were no awkward moments in the conversation. In fact, I'm finding it's so easy to talk to the CF in person, it's kind of hard to leave! I enjoyed every moment, and hope that with Donna, David and Sally, we have an opportunity to meet again. I feel pretty certain we'll see Karen (and Tom) somewhere at some point! (I think it must be easy to form a certain bond with the first people you meet.) I've tried for five GT's, and have managed two so far...The best thing is my New Year's resolution of meeting some of you is up and running! I'm loving it and at this point have TWO GT's under my belt and COUNTING. Thank you for your generosity in wanting to meet; it's so nice to feel a part of the CF in real life. I'll upload a few pictures when I can...

Yeah, I've heard the cooking of Scandanavia is pretty good. I did some investigating two years ago when I got invited to a scandanavian pot luck! I brought blue cheese spread on rye krisp, and potato-beet salad, yum! Those nectarines sound divine. My mom used to make us grilled peaches for dessert when I was a kid, sounds similar. I could even add a sprinkle of cardamom, which I love. Or make this recipe for cardamom cookies that I have and have never tried. Grilled nectarines in a little glass dish with a cardamom cookie on the side, sounds very elegant. I was toying with making the peach-raspberry pie that I love, but that seemed too rich. I love to make it though, I throw together a bag of frozen raspberries, a bag of frozen peaches, a glop of brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon, dot with butter and then use a pre-made crust. "Homeade pie" that always gets me raves at potlucks, all in about 10 min. to prepare. Those mushrooms sound awesome Lars, thanks! It will give me a chance to use up some of the basil I froze last summer.

Something I like with wine is a spread I make with equal parts gorgonzola and marscapone cheese, with added toasted walnuts or hazelnuts. This is fantastic spread on crusty whole grain sourdough bread, and with many kinds of wine. Is also nice to add sliced pears. I also like smoky eggplant dip which is made by roasting an eggplant and then peeling it and putting it in the food processor with a small jar of roasted red peppers. That goes good on bread too, and with wine. You can doll it up with whatever other italian condiments you like, but it is good plain too. I also have served Chase's homeade boursin to raves. Since I have an herb garden it is a fun summer thing to serve with bread and wine. Home Made Boursin with Herbs 1 lb Farmers cheese or 1/2 lb cottage cheese & 1/2 lb Ricotta 8 ounces cream cheese 1/2 cup butter,softened 4 large garlic cloves,minced 2 medium shallots,minced 1/2 cup fresh parsley,chopped finely and packed tight 1/2 cup chopped fresh thyme OR 2/3 cup fresh dill chopped finely 1/3 cup chives,chopped finely 1 tsp pepper,freshly ground 1/4 tsp cayenne Blend the cheeses and butter, add the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Store in small crocks or ramekins in the fridge until well chilled.

I can't see the pictures here at work, I've got to remember to check them tonight at home. The dinner sounds delicious and I'm sure will look every bit as good as it sounds. Congratulations on a job well done. So SWMBO was suitably surprised and good for the daughter, to allow that the soup wasn't totally "icky", LOL. Annie