Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

They survived the first week of school. I survived the first week of school. I met all of Lily's teachers at back to school night and I am confident she's in caring, capable hands. Mike walked through Ted's schedule and feels the same. 

First year, last year.

Lil's first day outfit was on point. She's so much cooler than I was my freshman year, and yet I had the exact same pair of Vans. Scrunchies and ripped jeans were also the rage when I was that age.

Old is so often new again.

Peanut sort of doesn't know what to do with himself now that his person is gone for 9 hours a day. 

He watches the door...

stays close to me...

or by his brother's side when he can.

The rain has moved on as have the heat and humidity. They've left our world a little saturated, but also greener than is usually the case at the tail end of summer.

Bridge underwater.

The Badgers first game of the season ended in a victory.

In my neighbor's back yard where I can watch the game with a foot rest and a glass of wine and a clean bathroom nearby.

That when I tell Alexa to play Al Jarreau she always plays Bring Me Joy first because it brings me just that.

A kitchen dance party the night before school. 

Lily teaching her uncle to floss. Or trying to.

Dinner parties. I'm bringing them back. We entertain, but rarely set the table and light the candles and linger around the table.

I was mostly pleased with this menu.

Feeling inspiration to try new things.

This was the starter. I make eggplant parm in our regular repertoire, but this bruschetta version was a great way to start the meal because it was filing enough that it was the only ap I had to make and it held everyone over until dinner.

Tried this Smitten Kitchen pasta with fried zucchini because I'm having a love affair with them right now, but this is not my preferred preparation for sure.

The salad ready to serve. The guests said they liked it, but it wasn't my favorite. I think I can 100% say that I don't like capers. There was only a scant amount, and yet it was all I tasted.

Making old favorites too for our back to school dinner.

Detroit style pizza, which is thick and cheesy, and spicy, creamy jalapeno popper pizza. I got a new recipe for thin crust from Williams Sonoma. It was a keeper.

Mike usually makes the dough. He put himself through college managing a Pizza Hut so he's made a lot of dough. I took charge Sunday because he was washing and waxing my car. Since I've started making bread, I have a new reverence for the process of combining a few ordinary ingredients and waiting for them to turn into something so delicious. Mix, proof, kneed, roll: it's a little bit holy how it all works.

My husband went to pick something up at my in-laws and came home with a few cans of tomato sauce. Turns out that was exactly what I needed to make sauce for pizza night and unbeknownst to anyone, it saved me a trip to the store.

Fresh basil from the yard.

Karl Ove Knausgaard's Autumn is in route to me from the library.

The weekend ahead is free and clear. I'm in a come what may state of mind.