Dinner, Palm Sunday

The DH (darling husband) got a surprise email from an old high school friend who he last saw nearly 12 years ago. Being the gregarious, outgoing fellow he is - he invited this old friend, his wife, and their 2 young children for dinner. My only restriction, the wife doesn't like Mexican cuisine.
Menu for the evening to follow - capped off by (thanks to the spring-signifying drop in price of a half-flat (6 pints) of strawberries) mounds of sliced strawberries tossed with a little turbinado sugar and grated lemon peel on brown sugar shortcakes and whipped cream. (Just a little dollop the DH whipped by hand. Did you know it's faster to whip cream by hand than with a mixer?)

It was a very nice evening, catching up all those years. The back and forth stories (we have been through an unbelievable amount together in the last 12 years!) that everyone has told to others so many times. The awkward moment where DH annouces how he despises Disneyland. (that always manages to offend someone here in SoCal) Our bonding moment occurring near the end. Alice was sitting near their son, Brandon, watching Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang - and we noticed they were holding hands. I commented to her about it and she replied, "Because I yuv Him!"


Grilled Chicken, Red Onion, & Mint Kebabs
Greek Salad
Flatbread (from Trader Joe's) brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt, warmed in the oven
Gigantic deep purple grapes
Strawberry Shortcakes with Brown Sugar Biscuits (this is the recipe I referred to, but modified quite a bit. Omitted white chocolate stuff, mint from the strawberries, no white sugar - only 2T of turbinado. Made the shortcakes as is.)
a white wine