Girls Night Out

Fabulous night out at Number 9 in Lambertville last night. My friend Kathleen puts together an annual girls dinner this time of year. Much merriment ensued - I'm sure to the annoyance of all the other diners - and we had no problem laying all the wine to waste from Doug's wonderful cellar. (If earth is about to be hit by a giant meteor, I'm heading to Doug and Kathleen's wine cellar with a corkscrew and Reidel wine glass.) Thanks Doug! Great hooch! And thanks Kathleen for putting it all together...I, for one, am honored to be counted among your friends.

I loved my beet salad starter and pork chop main, but every time I got a whiff of the short ribs from Joanne's plate, I was sorry I had not made that my choice. I've got to get that beet salad recipe. The beets were sweet and creamy without the bite of over-vinegaring and the dressing was a perfect compliment.

I was kicking myself on the drive down to Lambertville because I raced out of the house without my camera. We were all mighty fine looking and it should have been captured for posterity, or at least this blog.

I was happy we had such a lively political discussion without bloodshed. I especially appreciated Pat T's input about the Clintons - first hand knowledge is enlightening. Ladies, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we all decided the election would be between Romney and Clinton. I can hardly wait to see if we called right... Stay Tuned.

Oh, the brownie recipe. I almost forgot. You can find it here. The recipe makes a very intense gooey, chewy brownie that is only about 1/2 inch high. One clarification - for the 2 squares of chocolate called for in the recipe, I use one 4 oz. bar of best quality unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate which makes for more gooeyness (is that even a word?). You could use as little as 2 oz. - but why would you? I also add two optional items - 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder and a large handful of walnuts. These brownies are seriously addictive and should not be given to small children or anyone with a weak heart. :o)

And could someone clear up my memory about our conversation at the end of the evening...something about a pajama party, Caleb, pot and a "comfortable" blond?