The Good Life

When it comes down to it, few things in life bring more joy and satisfaction than being with the ones we love and eating good food together.

I had to start this post off with a pic of the fruit tart I made for our friend Dan Mower and his family on Thursday. Dan was our realtor and helped us to find our home when we came to Corning. He recently returned home from several weeks in the NICU with his baby boy Noah. To celebrate Noah's return I made him and his family a meal including Moroccan Beef Tagine with sweet potatoes and raisins over cous cous and the fruit tart for dessert.

I love cooking for others and creating something not only pleasing to the palette but pleasing to the eye and soul. There is something about sharing a meal with others that translates into the feelings and words and love that we can't quite express. Perhaps it is the satisfying of that very basic, humble need that we all have, to be fed and nourished, comforted and sustained.

Ben and Sol and their daughter came to our home on Friday with the missionaries to eat dinner and to have a discussion in our home. We had ginger-soy pork tenderloin, pesto pasta salad with roasted bell peppers, fresh mozz, calamata olives and cherry tomatoes, and vanilla ice cream with fresh berries and whipping cream. Sol is from Chile and was just baptized into our church on Saturday. It was a beautiful day for Sol and her family.

He's back in the saddle again. . .Shay has been so busy with work and travel to Asia and India that he hasn't cooked for a long. . .long time. I really miss his great cooking and having a little break from the kitchen once in awhile. He made his luscious omelettes on Saturday morning for a late breakfast.


The omelettes were stuffed with asparagus, red peppers, pepper-jack cheese, and bacon. Topped with cilantro and served with rice and chili sauce. We ate breakfast outside on the deck and enjoyed the crisp air and bright sun after days of rainy weather.

Miss America. . .Addie poses before church in her new dress.

Shay and I together after church. . .we don't take enough photos together. . .we finally got a few.

I made fish tacos for lunch with lemon-butter broiled Tilapia and tomato/avocado/scallion salsa.

I adore olives. . .my mission to Spain endeared me to these precious pearls. I love serving a plate at the table with lots of family meals.
I roasted yellow and orange bell peppers to add into the fish tacos.
Sweet Adelaide

Addie and Grandma Ka

Elijah and Grandma Ka on the playset