This month brought a full house! Every September,
my grandparents travel to Iowa for their summer visit. As they come all the way
from England and are only here 60 days, the time is chalk full of events and
other company. This year, we were also joined by my British Aunt and her Scottish
boyfriend. With so much people in town from so far away, it was definitely a
time to celebrate! So we turned “Scarlet September” into a red-themed Italian
Feast!
Cocktail: Kir Royale!
L’Antipasta:
Mixed Tapas Plate featuring procscuitto, capicola, chianti salami, aged parmesan, white cheddar, Maytag blue cheese, stuffed peppadews, fresh cherries, dried cranberry, and cashews.
L’Insalata – Traditional caprese
Here's those first three as they were really served - together...
Il Primo - Homemade pasta with red pepper tomato sauce!
Il Primo - Homemade pasta with red pepper tomato sauce!
Il Secondo – Grilled steak with red potato mash and grilled asparagus [I was planning on a red wine sauce but accidentally forgot!]
Il Dolce – Zabaglione with fresh berries
And of course...the whole meal went down well with plenty of Nick's homemade ♪ red, red wine ♪
Lastly, with Scarlet September rolling into to Orange October, I've found myself contemplating Fall and all her glory. Enjoy the related prose...
Masterpiece
Paintbrush
and palette in hand,
Autumn
quietly creeps through the black night
Into
the sleeping forest.
With
gentle fingers
She
dips her brush into the vibrant paint,
And
begins.
With
a tender sweep of the bristles
A
single leaf of a majestic Oak
Is
transformed into a collage
Of
Pumpkin Orange,
Ruby
Red,
Sunshine
Yellow.
Working
diligently,
She
passes from tree to tree
Giving
each one character and identity.
And
as the bright rays of light
Become
visible along the horizon
Autumn
bites her lip
Carefully
puts the finishing touches on a delicate leaf.
Stepping
back to examine her work,
Her
lips curl into a soft smile
And
Autumn nods her head in approval.
By Miriam Lind
