July 25th - Marnie, Paul and Brent

I had a blast tonight. The guest's were Marnie, Paul and Brent. Marnie is one of Mike's former students at GSU, and I had never met her or Paul before. They are so much fun, and I look forward to hanging out with them again in the future. Brent had the night off from babysitting, so he stuck around as well and amused us with his distinct way of telling stories. I loved Marnie's response to one: "No, you're not ignorant - you just don't know!" She's so very nice!

The dinner menu consisted of artichokes stuffed with brown rice; balsamic-glazed pork tenderloin; and butternut squash soufflé. I really do enjoy cooking pork tenderloin in general, but this particular method was a stand-out. It's really easy - first sear it in a heavy skillet (I used a cast iron one - they tend to work best for searing purposes). Then take it out and add a little balsamic vinegar and some brown sugar. Mix it to make a glaze - add the meat back and swirl it around to coat it. Then roast the meat in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. It comes out really juicy with a wonderful taste - try it at home some time... super super easy! Finally, dessert was one of Paul's favorites as a child (he used his mom's recipe), pineapple upside down cake. It was delicious!

The beverage of the evening was a Chardonnay. I forgot to take a picture of the original bottle I bought, but it was an Australian wine under the Mt. Jagged label. That bottle seemed to go quickly, and then we opened the one that Marnie and Paul brought - sorry, but I can't remember the label! It was a very large bottle though, and we finished that one off as well. I think dinner was finished at that point, so we decided to play a board game, Fact or Crap, and a third bottle was opened - this one a Riesling that was a gift from Charlie and Elizabeth earlier in the month (thanks again, y'all!). Finally, and I'm not sure how this happened, some Bud Light again appeared (I blame Brent). Marnie emerged victorious in the game as the best identifier of facts and crap, and then they left because poor Paul had to be at work early in the morning.

Special thanks to some wonderful new friends (and Brent too) for a fun night, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon. Also, thanks to Marnie and Paul for the beautiful flower bouquet!