Cake + Cocktails

It was Jen's (26th) birthday this past Thursday, and as you can tell from the above photo, it was a good ol' hoot of a time. We went to The Rail, a little cocktail bar made out of a converted railway station. Every hour or so, a slow train coasts by just five feet away from the windows.

I'm not quite sure what's happening in the photo, but maybe Jen and Catie and Bethany are playing some pretend war and Jen is the scout? Or maybe she's looking for the waitress because she's broken a martini glass? Both situations are very possible.

This is Jen's birthday cake--a polenta cake topped with honey baked figs and rosemary. We spent the other night concocting this little beauty, and if I had my druthers, this would be the cake I'd serve at every function I ever attend. It's that good.

So, this is hard to explain, but I bought Jen two cast iron skillets (one pictured above) and a pair of earrings for her birthday. Now, wait, I know what you're asking yourself... "What kind of guy buys his girlfriend kitchenware?" I'm aware of the implications. Once, my father bought my mother a bread-maker, and she just cocked an eyebrow and he knew his folly. But, if you are a reader of this fine blog, you might have noticed that we're fond of sustainable food over here in Bloomington. And so, too, of sustainable products. These Lodge Skillets are domestically made and do not contain any of the suspect chemicals found in other treated pans. What's more, they'll last a whole lifetime, gathering the flavors of our meals together along the way. With any hope, it's a symbol of this life we're creating together and will continue to create for a lifetime.

Finally, we're trying out two new activities of late. On the way back from picking up our CSA at Musgrave Orchards on Saturday, we dropped into Worm's Way to talk to the people there about indoor lighting for kitchen herbs. They hooked us up with the 2ft fluorescent light, which we adhered to a shelf in Jen's apartment. We've got rosemary, lavender, bee balm, and dill (though the dill is dying and looks like the wet belly hair of a golden retriever). Also, I've taken to making bread. This is a classic New England Anadama bread made with our CSA molasses. It's damn good.

Hope all's well with you,

Keith