A Couple Days In The Life Of...

Today I'm gonna be random.  Who me?  I'm just gonna be pulling stuff (pictures) out of nowhere to show you my world.  You will be confused and surprisingly want more, more, more.  See how I live in my head?  It's fun in here.

I had a party last night and here was my Menu:

Chiles Rellenos Bake
Roasted Veggies
Parmesan Crusts with My Bangin' Salad
Rosemary Shortbread
Fresh Fruit Tartlets
Chocolate Brownie Bites with Ganache

I absolutely needed to have friends ring my doorbell, sit on my couch, share a bottle (or six) of wine, eat some delicious food and laugh.  We succeeded in all of that.

Before that though, I had to prepare--my fridge.  I was so proud of my fridge and all it could do that I had to take a picture.  It was so FULL (rare) and happy.  You need to see.  Let's pretend we're on Cribs.

Told you it was random. My stairs were vacuumed AND my fridge was full.  I must tell the world! It makes me feel like Superwoman.

Also yesterday, I went on a field trip to the zoo, zoo, zoo (how about you, you, you...)  with a heckofalotta 1st graders.  It was a perfect day in Portland--not so much.  It's been raining...forever.  I think we're stuck in November.  Torrential downpours, y'all, and a lot of them.  Very wet out here.  So we just layered up, got out the umbrellas (even though my sister basically called me a wimp, cuz Oregonians don't use umbrellas--Hello!!  I lived in Arizona 18 years and Texas for six! So I just ignored her) got on the rain boots and went to see the tigers.  I love me some tigers, lions and cheetahs, even though they would eat me. 

I sorta have a love hate relationship with the zoo.  I love animals to pieces, but dang I hate seeing elephants pacing in a cage the size of my living room.  That sucks.  And I wonder if lions just hate Oregon.  They are totally supposed to be in Africa.  Big difference. 

Anyhoo...we had the good time despite the threat of rain and the desire for toes and fingers to warm up all the live long day.  We were chilly willy.  So when we went to eat our sacked lunches with our little group of chaperoned kidlets, we tried to find some place warm-ish.  We ate with the elephants.  No lie. Not the most ideal setting (smell-wise), but it was indoors, and we just pretended we were watching Animal Planet. My favorite part of the day was when one of the moms --> Kim <-- pulled out a cutting board and cut up some Chipotle cheese.  It.was.awesome.  Right there next to the elephants.  As I munched on my peanut butter and honey sandwich I swooned over how awesome she was (and discussed some day inventing wine in a Capri-Sun-like pouch, and making a gazillion dollars) and told her she was blog-worthy.  I had to take a pic and tell you all about it.  You just don't see this every day.  I will work field trip chaperone days around this lady from here on out!

Please notice the elephant in the background.

Now, to end this blog post and continue the randomness up until the very last letter, here's a picture of our Eucalyptus tree we had to cut down last weekend cuz it's supposed to be in Australia, not my backyard. Like the lions at the zoo, that's a big difference. Ice is hard on trees. But I'm proud of my father-in-law and Hubbs for taking it down all manly-like without taking the house out, or the neighbor's fence. 

Dad in the Eucalyptus.

Eucalyptus down.

And...the cutest little man ever-ah--