Living Large

We threw stabs at eating healthy this week for Sunday dinner. Perhaps the Mediterranean diet is the answer to our ever-struggling waistlines. Each of us had a story of over-indulgence to bring to the table and therefore we did at least eschew butter for this meal and attempted to bring on the healthy.

We started planning on Saturday when we attended a wine tasting event at Esquin in Seattle. Nancy and I spend every summer on a quest for the perfect dry Rośe. It's a very fun quest! For our dinner of Lemon-Oregano Grilled Chicken, Sundried tomato and feta orzo and Greek Salad though, Nancy picked up two incredible whites. A Marchetti Verdicchio Classico and a Marchetti Verdicchio Superiore.

Both wines were perfect with the meal and before the meal.

David is slowly getting settled into his newly remodeled home and his personality is really beginning to surface in his art and belongings. He has a great eye for lines and textures. I couldn't help but snap this shot of one of his pieces of blown glass and a new bench that he'd recently acquired.

Chris came armed with his guitar and a special song to commemorate my recent transition from house sitting in paradise back to "real life". Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out....
He serenaded me with words of woe while Nancy and David finished up the orzo in the kitchen.

I always say our Sunday dinners are a group effort. Dining together is communal and if one person were always in charge the joy would diminish quickly. It's so nice to just be responsible for one component of the gathering... music is a component.

Helena brought this wonderful salad to the table.

Horiyatiki Salad or Greek Village salad makes its way to our dinner table often. It's hard to beat the flavors and textures of cucumber, sweet peppers, kalamata olives, feta & tomatoes. Normally there's red onion in the mix but we have one no-raw-onion diner and who wants to exclude someone special from enjoying a part of the meal? It's a wonderful salad with or without those onions.

I would show you pictures of the chicken laying atop its bed of dreamy orzo and sun-dried tomatoes. But as I've said before.. some foods just don't photograph well.

I'll show you a plate with all of the components of dinner...but don't say I didn't warn you!

Maybe I haven't mentioned how I feel about looking/photograhing food on a blue plate. Blue plates should be reserved for diner specials. There is nothing special about trying to make food look appetizing on a blue plate. That said: David has blue plates. It's his favorite color! So, when our Sunday dinners are held at David's house.. the photos will reflect that fact.

Hey, dinner was great! It just didn't translate into pictures all that well.

And that wine! Did I mention that wine? It was wonderful! Get down to Esquin and pick some up!