We enjoyed a nice al fresco dinner on the deck. Mrs. P made homemade guacamole and delicata squash and Andouille sausage pizza fried sage, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmigiano reggiano cheeses. It all went great with an excellent Syrah. The flowers and vines are looking good 
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Très chic, the fur buddy is adorable and I’ve picked up an idea for a garden pizza. Youvare very fortunate to be able to grow hibiscus!
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Thank you for the recommendation!
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Memorial Day food. Grilled Jalapeño & cheddar sausages on a toasted French sandwich roll with whole grain mustard, pickle relish and onion. Potato salad, bbq beans and a margarita.
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Steak night redux. Wagyu filet of beef with chive butter and garden greens: grilled asparagus and spinach gratin.
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I’m going to try that recipe!
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Thanksgiving in May - Turkey meatballs (with sage and fennel seeds), sautéed green beans, quinoa and a roasted garlic / thyme / olive oil / vinegar / mustard / honey vinaigrette. Served with crispy shallots and cranberries
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Thank you very much!
The pizza was inspired by the below recipe, although Mrs. P added Andouille sausage, and used a pre-made Stone Fire crust.
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Steak, spiced & roasted butternut squash, gai lan, and fresh corn polenta.
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King oyster mushrooms, truffled pea purée
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thanks, that wasn’t mine, it was from the Wiki page. but chana pie sounds delish!
Beautiful! I love the ornaments in your garden.
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Thank you! Does Mr. P cook, too? Retirement project?
Thank you!
You’re welcome! Unfortunately, Mr. P doesn’t cook yet. I’m very fortunate to be married to a very talented cook 
I’d probably eat the shrimp salad separately, but otherwise it sounds oddly delicious
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First cookout of the season (appropriately). Prawns, tuna, mussels, mushrooms, eggplant. And salad. Basil is from the garden! As you can see, it’s still micro-basil.
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Recap of the last couple of days:
Coworker-turned-good friend turned 21 the other day, so I invited him over for his first ever martini. I suggested one with olive brine since he never had gin and likes olives. He soldiered through it but not his thing. Oh well, still has time to develop a taste for gin. I then made him his first ever Black Russian which he loved. Win some, lose some. Dinner was Chicken Parm.
Had Memorial Day off. Weather was beautiful though not beach weather. BF and I went down later in the afternoon to avoid traffic. Ended up just walking one of the paths since the wind was extreme.
Back to the house to have some drinks on the patio. We didn’t go crazy this year but added a few plants. There may have been a cigar as well.
Snacked on Buffalo Chicken Wontons from Trader Joe’s. One of the best things I’ve purchased from there and it was really an after-thought. Not much Buffalo flavor but cheesy and a nice, warming spice. Air-fried for five minutes on each side at 350.
Dinner was burgers. Because what else? And my green olive-heavy macaroni salad.
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Maybe the olive brine wasn’t his thing? If I were to introduce someone to their first gin martini I might choose a mellow gin & a twist. I almost never want olives or olive brine in my gin martinis. Those are reserved for vodka martinis where it doesn’t matter if they overwhelm the liquor.
OTOH, if he loved the Black Russian maybe he’s more of a sweetie. I know I def preferred sweet, fruitier drinks in my late teens.
I recently added chopped grilled (green) olives to my pasta salad. I will never leave them out again. They add a nice, briny & meaty texture 
Gorgeous patio!
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Yeah that was probably a bad call on my part and I’m usually so good with cocktails. He’s drank before but not usually straight liquor so I was trying to ease up on that component by cutting it with some brine.
I don’t usually do vodka martinis except as a last resort.
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