Grilled French Toast with Stone Fruits and Pineapple

Good,  

God, I know, this picture is atrocious! That's what happens when you are running around putting on Fathers Day brunch and you ask your husband to take a picture with his Iphone. Sorry. Please, take my word for it, this french toast rocked the brunch hard - it was so awesome, and grilling it made it so cool and charred and man like. (Insert fake growl sound here, and that stupid claw hand thing...you know, like, Rawwwrrr and you paw with your right hand. [No, just me, well]).

Therapy. Real quick, a lot has happened, and its going very well, but I have been diagnosed with Perfectionist OCD. A hard thing to hear for sure because there are a lot of negative stereotypes about people with OCD, and there are so many ways in which OCD presents itself, but nonetheless, that's my diagnosis. The day I was diagnosed I came home and at the dinner table told him that Dr. Diana had diagnosed me with OCD, and without skipping a beat, he just looked at me and said "Ya Think". So, he's not surprised, and everyone else I have told seems to think that perfectionist OCD is a spot on diagnosis for me. So, from here, I learn how to control it - or better yet, not let it control me - and then we'll figure out why I have it. I can hanker a guess, but I don't want to jump to conclusions here, I'll wait for the doctor to do that.

So, for the grilled french toast I used this recipe from the ever popular Sandra Lee (yes, that was sarcasm you heard in my voice) Grilled French Toast I didn't use Grand Marnier, I added cardamom and vanilla to the egg mixture, and instead of strawberries we grilled peaches, plums and pineapple. So good, I highly recommend that you try grilled french toast - it was really awesome.

PS. If you have not tried a Zumba class, get your ass to a gym, it is so much fun. I can't wait to go again tonight with my little sister, its the most fun in a workout class you'll ever have.

Rating = Damn Good

 

Back - so much to discuss!

The trip was in a word, awesome. It's been a couple years since we went on a wine trip, and if I ever needed a glass of wine in my life, it's now. 

We flew into Seattle and were greeted with just the most amazing weather. Thanks to a heft does of Xanax before the flight (I hate flying) I pretty much slept the whole way and arrived in Seattle ready to take it all on. We meandered through the streets, and spent a relaxing afternoon taking in the local sights along the water. Nighttime brought a great happy hour at a bar called Alibi, then an amazing dinner and a carafe of wine at The Pink Door, we had a roof top table, outside, so great. The next day as we walked to Pike's Place the smell of warm butter beckoned us into a little bakery where we shared the lightest flakiest raspberry croissant - note, this is almost half of operation champagne and croissant (not there yet) but close, right? Sort of? Friends we haven't seen in years joined us for breakfast, then we walked through the sculpture park (is it just me, but I don't get or like sculptures or sculpture parks, like the fact that there was just a big & symbol as a sculpture - just that - why does one need that in ones life). I digress.

After the sculpture park, we made our way to Pike's Place Market to see some fish tossing. Good thing I've got bony elbows, they were a most useful tool as I jabbed and forced my way through the crowds - it was like the whole world woke up and decided to go to the market that day. Crazy, but amazing. We hit a fruit stand to make a goodie bag for the trip to Yakima and headed out of Seattle for the start of some serious wine tasting. We spent the next 4 days tasting our way through Yakima, Prosser, Walla Walla and Woodinville. The ride from Seattle to Yakima (and int he reverse direction) is an amazing sight, as the lush green hills and snow capped mountains give way to more arid, farm lands, the scenery changes before your eyes, its hard to describe, but amazing to experience.

We met some really amazing people while we were there, including two female wine makers, Dawn and Mary of DaMa wines in Walla Walla, we had such a great time at their tasting room that they invited us over for dinner the same night. We spent the night eating great food, drinking their fabulous wine (including some 10 year old wines out of their basement), and making a fire pit out of spent wine barrels and sipping wine by fire light - this was the highlight of our trip. We had private tours and tastings and got to meet the winemaker Pepperbridge, Grammercy Cellars, Foundry Vineyards, and Chateau St.Michelle. We really could not have asked for a better more relaxing trip. This trip meant so much to both of us, as a celebration of the 1 year anniversary of opening Chris' Architectural Studio. I want this trip, over and over and over again. I can't wait for our next journey.

PS. Back to all the therapy bullshit later. Its going well, and I have a lot to discuss in regards to that, but not today...tomorrow maybe.

Across the country, glass in hand

I'm spending the next 8 days wine tasting....NOTE: the woman in the picture is not me...yet.

See you on the other side of this adventure.

Be Well. CHEERS!