Of Weddings, Good Company and a Recipe for Good Measure

Today we ventured into the mountains for an unusual wedding. Midge and James are our neighbors who have their own style. They went for a wedding with a twist. They arrived at the primitive site a few days ago and prepared the place for their wedding. They dug a pit in which they roasted a pig. They built several tables and many benches from plywood and fallen trees. A friend who was helping them even built them a giant throne. For a touch of levity the boys wore 3D glasses. Midge had thought about wearing her signature boots under her wedding dress, but opted for white shoes with rhinestones instead.

Marin and Mia (James' girls) gathered wild flowers for decorations. How cute they are.

Here Ash (James' son) and his cousins enjoy the giant throne.

The weather had threatened a bit, even rained for a while, but mostly passed the wedding party by. As we drove out to the highway we saw that significant hail had fallen just a few hundred yards away. Perhaps it is a good sign of luck for the newly weds.

On an entirely different note, I'd like to mention my friend Mike. She is the mother of two kids that my kids race with. Her son Rhys is Ethan's age and Laurel is a year older than Ellie. Mike and I visit at bike races. We thought it would be fun to spend some time together so she drove up from Colorado Springs on Thursday and did crafts with Ellie and I. Laurel, a super athlete, broke her arm in two places during a ride with her father last week. That means that she will not be able to take place in Road Nationals, Triathlon Nationals and one other important sporting event. She is exhibiting and amazing attitude. We decided to bust out the Cricket machine and make her a lovely, highly embellished name banner. We worked on it as we chatted all afternoon. It was so much fun to make, too bad I forgot to photograph it before sending it home with Mike.

Mike and I talked recipes a lot. We are like two peas in a pod. Here's one recipe that she told me off of the top of her head. It was a hit"

Mike's Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Shrimp and Cheese

1 large jar of Roasted Red Peppers (you can also roast your own) drained
16 oz. Evaporated Milk (or cream, or even regular milk)
1 tea. Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Shrimp (grilled or sauteed with butter and lemon)(we had about 1/3rd pound per person)
Pasta cooked al dente
Blue Cheese or Feta Cheese
Turkey Bacon (cooked and crumbled, about 1-2 pieces per person)

Create the sauce by blending the drained roasted red peppers with the evaporated milk, olive oil and salt.

Cook the pasta.

Grill or saute the shrimp.

To construct the dish place the pasta on the plate. Top with the red pepper sauce, the shrimp, a bit of cheese and the turkey bacon on top.

And a video that Ellie thinks is brilliant:


Enjoy!