Weekend Wrap-Up: Family Gluttony Edition

Because the family that drinks wine and eats oysters together stays together. Or something like that.

We started the weekend with Chris's parents, taking them to the Comus Inn and Sugarloaf Mountain Winery. Comus Inn was okay. It has a fantastic view of Sugarloaf Mountain but it sounds like their Sunday brunch menu is where the real action is. And we always love an afternoon at the Winery. This time of year they offer a really tasty mulled wine.

The Peanut isn't so much interested in Butternut Squash and Ginger soup or Cabernet Franc as he is quality time with doting grandparents:



And orange lollipops:



But we enjoyed the scenery:



On Sunday we enjoyed a mountain of a very different kind. A mountain of food.



My dad and Tessa had us over for a full-blown oyster feast, featuring local Chesapeake Bay oysters and Tessa's signature drink for the day -- Orange Crush:



No lollipops here. Just oysters.



Including the Peanut's very first raw oyster. Promptly followed by his second and third. I kid you not.



If I accomplish nothing else in my life, I raised a toddler that will eat a raw oyster. There are probably a million reasons why small children should not ingest raw seafood. Please don't tell me. For now let's bask in my glory.

Anyway, that was our weekend. So much fun with family, wine and food that I literally popped a filling out of my tooth when flossing last night. Wild times!

Friday bliss: Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese

The perfect lunch on a gloomy day. Just Trader Joe's Creamy Tomato Soup doctored up with herbes de provence and chevre. So rich I almost didn't miss the grilled cheese. Almost.

P52: Stranded

Not the most creative interpretation. Since we are in the midst of potty training a certain little Peanut (don't worry - that's the last you'll hear about it), Chris had an awesome idea that involved showing two tiny legs swinging from a great big potty. But I'm sorry, Internet. I just can't release a potty photo out in to the wild like that. And I know that a good portion of folks are breathing a huge sigh of relief, including my future teenager.



And a bonus shot from the same "shoot". He may be nekkid but I think this will require a little less therapy to get over.

Project 52: Language

I've been toying with the idea of doing a Project 52, taking a photo related to different theme each week. There are a few out there that you can follow - Paint the Moon has one, My 3 Boybarians has one. Those are fine but I realized that my  photography group essentially has the same concept going on, in the form of a "Picture of the Week" contest. So, I'm going to shoot for each of those POTW themes as my own version of a Project 52. I doubt I'll enter the contest each week but I do plan to photograph something in those categories and blog them. Lucky you!

This week's theme was language.  Neither of these images is stellar, I know. But what the hell? If I only posted stuff that was good, you wouldn't have anything to make fun of behind my back.

Friday bliss: Awesome weather

It's been awhile since I did one of these and I've started to miss it. It's kind of nice to come up with at least one simple thing a week I can look forward to and relish. In this case, Mother Nature did all the work. That's today's temperature at about 5 pm. On Tuesday it was 17.

I just recently decided not to join my mom on her annual Florida sojourn and was starting to wonder if I would survive. Perhaps I might.

Barbecue and Bacon Meatloaf

This picture sucks because it was only at the very last minute that I decided my meatloaf masterpiece required photographic documentation.  And my speedlight batteries were dead. However, it was taken at ISO 5000 (! What what, 7D?!), so yay for awesome low light shooting capabilities. Also, yay for awesome meatloaf with bacon, ugly and unphotogenic as it may be.


Barbecue and Bacon Meatloaf 

Adapted from "Not-So-Basic Meatloaf", based on what I had on hand.  I skipped the bay leaves and extra garlic altogether and I don't think they were missed at all.

Ingredients:

•  5 strips of bacon, diced
• 1/2 of a medium onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, grated
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 2 cups dry white bread (I used a baquette), diced
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pound ground turkey (I used dark meat - it's just what they had at MOM's)
• 1 pound lean beef
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, plus 1 tbsp for the top
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup parsley, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Cook bacon until just crisp in frying pan. Remove to paper towel-lined plate. 
3. Pour out almost all bacon grease and saute onion, carrot and garlic until onions are translucent and carrots are soft. Set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile, put bread in large bowl and cover with milk. Squish together to break up bread and get the milk mostly absorbed. 
5. Add vegetables, bacon and the rest of the ingredients (except the extra tablespoon of barbecue sauce).  Mix together. 
6. Form a loaf-ish shape on a foil-lined baking sheet, about 8"x5". Spread remaining barbecue sauce over top. Bake for about an hour, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.