Delightful!

Soiree #2 went down on July 2nd on a quite lovely evening in Manhattan, Kansas. My party hosts and I determined that location, location, location makes a big difference. Although we had a fabulous time at Soiree #1, the number of guests totaled around a half dozen. Soiree #2 totaled around 1 1/2 dozen. I do believe the Manhattan spot made it much more convenient for people to stop on by and join us for a bit of relaxing and eating. I do love this middle of nowhere farmstead, but it is not really convenient for anybody to just stop by.

We had a regular feast. I must admit that I failed to take any picture because I was so excited about eating that I completely forgot to record the moment. A quick recap of our dining delights: All things homemade...

• Some amazing vegetable crudites and roasted red pepper dip
• Cream cheese/feta cheese dip and crackers
• Salmon burgers
• Hemp/Tofu burgers
• Fresh multigrain buns
• Grilled new potatoes
• Grilled summer squash
• Fresh from the 92 year old neighbor tomatoes
• Corn, blueberry, cucumber salad
• Potato salad
• Fresh greens salad
• Bread & Butter pickles
• Amazing macadamia nut/white chocolate chip cookies
• Ice cream with fresh fruit on top (combine berries galore, pour some balsamic vinegar on top, let sit for at least 20 minutes, and enjoy an amazing creation)

I must add that party host, Wendi, used to be a caterer at one time. She has amazing skill and makes everything look so beautiful. It's so fun hosting with her and Dave, the master griller/storyteller.

Today, I took a trip to KC with Dave and Wendi to visit the City Market. I always love that place and although I was bummed that Shatto dairy was not there, I got some other goodies. We also proceeded to dine at Bluebird Bistro, a definite favorite of mine in KC! The drive home also included a stop at Wheatfields in Lawrence for tea and bread time.

Wow. Life is kinda exhausting when you're having such a great time. I think tomorrow I'll get up and run that Rocket Run 5K in Abilene to work off all the dining I've been partaking in. To bed for now.