Having a Monday off, followed by the short workweek can only be a good thing in my book. Labor Day has always been a good time because it falls at a time of year when the weather is perfect for a get together with family and/or friends. While my family was getting together some 1300 miles to the North, The Wife and I had a few friends over to splash around in the pool with the dogs and enjoy some good eats.
Jim, Jackie, and little Elizabeth are welcome at our house all of the time . . . they are bowling buddies after all and you just can’t break that kind of bond. The fact that they brought me some beer (and one that I have never tried before) only moves them closer to getting their own key. Many thanks to them for making it possible to enjoy some Hop Ottin’ IPA from Anderson Valley Brewing Company by the pool today! Official review will be coming at some point.
Good eatin'
I don’t dare try to recreate my grandfather’s grilled chicken just yet, so The Wife put together a great spread of vegetarian options that worked really well for an outdoor dining experience. She made a quinoa and veggie salad the night before as well as some really darn good veggie burgers for me to put on the grill (I am sure she will give up the recipes for anyone interested). I got off easy by throwing together some broccoli for the grill with coconut oil, roasted garlic, and lemon juice as an additional side. Jim and Jackie brought some really awesome chicken sausage from Petty’s to perfectly round out the plate. Dessert was my lemon-lime tart/pie (sorry Matt and Sally) and a new coffee custard pie concoction that turned out pretty well for the first time. It seems that between the two of us we can put on a good show for guests.
Pie fixes everything
After all was done (to make Rob proud) I drank a Guinness while watching golf and almost immediately fell asleep in the chair after the last drop was gone from the glass. Actually getting a lot of work done on the house this weekend made the nap seem more deserved in my mind. All in all it was a very good weekend.
I know I wasn’t the only one drinking beer today . . . especially since I know my family got together! So what were all of you drinking on Labor Day this year?
as usual i was doing the “mak” with some delirium nocturnum along with jamesons gold reserve, jamesons 12 year old, bushmills 16 year old three wood and bushmills 400th anniversary, as well as tons of meat (sorry, i’m a carnivore)!
That sounds like a pretty awesome day to me. Combine some good Irish Whiskey and a lot of grilled meat and I would be needing a nap in the early afternoon to prepare myself for a push into the evening! It sounds very much like the beer, bourbon, and bbq festivals that they have in certain cities around the country.