A Boring Day--That Turned Out Nicely

Today's high temperature was:  74 degrees

Today's humidity was:   55%

Cloudy, with a nice breeze--gully washer at 6:00

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Well--apparently I am famous.  I watch the Detroit NBC station, channel 4.  I follow their weather guy on Face Book.  Every now and then he posts and asks what the weather is like at our house.  Since most people that reply, live in or around Detroit, I decided to comment today--living north and west about 60 miles from the city.  I posted at 4:00, "Half-way between Brighton and Howell, it is 74, cloudy, but with a nice breeze,"  One of my FB friends said that he used my report when he gave the weather report for the area.  "Judy, half-way between Brighton and Howell, says it is.................."  and to think---I missed it!!!

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I must have taken too much Melatonin last night, because I woke up this morning feeling really groggy and out of it.  I didn't do much--it rained off and on all day.  Then---and the reason I missed the six o'clock news is:  Karen called me and wanted to know if I wanted to go to supper with them.  

"SURE!!!"

My oldest grand daughter, Helene, is home from Phoenix.  She is in transition--moving from Arizona to Los Angeles, to start her post graduate work in college.  She is going for....I don't remember, nor do I understand, something in Biology that has to do with research.  She has no apartment as yet, so basically she is homeless, so she is home here for the month.  YAY!!!  Karen, Madeleine and Helene had been out to visit my sister on The Farm and they stopped on the way back to pick me up.

Susan had let them take their choice which quilt that our great grandmother (their great great grandmother) had made--Susan has about a dozen quilts.  She also gave Helene an old candle stick--which she thought would fit well in her suitcase.

So--they dropped Maddie off at Ballet practice and came and got me and we went into Brighton to The Wooden Spoon restaurant.  It is the same restaurant they took me too for Mother's Day.  Weird place in my opinion, but catering to the 25-45 crowd--very trendy.

Nice patio to eat supper on, unfortunately, it was pouring when we got there.

They even have a small grocery type store

They use mostly local products purchased from farmers and local bakers, etc.

The wooden spoon

The place people keep local for dinner

Starters
Charred sea scallops $15
Baby kale, oven roasted tomatoes, maque choux, shrimp red pepper aioli
Primavera flatbread $10
Grilled seasonal vegetables, black garlic pesto, three cheese blend, truffle salt
Thai steamed mussels $11
Pei mussels, Thai coconut curry broth
Market platter $14
A selection of meats and cheeses from our market

Duck lettuce wraps $13
Bibb lettuce, nauc cham, spicy peanut sauce
Heirloom tomato & Roquefort (gf) $12
Local heirloom tomatoes, Roquefort cheese, basil,
lemon infused olive oil

Salads
Black & bleu (gf) $16
Grilled flat iron over artisan lettuce, balsamic onions, roasted peppers, gorgonzola & polenta croutons tossed with balsamic vinaigrette

Asian salmon $16
Fire grilled salmon over baby spinach, toasted almonds, carrots, edamame, pickled ginger & orange segments tossed with sesame dressing & topped with crispy rice noodles

Cherry festival (gf) $14
Artisan lettuce, dried cherries and cranberries, cashews, local goat cheese & hand shredded chicken tossed with apple cider vinaigrette & topped with julienned granny smith apple

Farmer’s market (gf) $13
Boston bibb lettuce, seasonal berries, spiced walnuts, red onion, smith’s bacon & fresh mozzarella tossed with raspberry vinaigrette

Sandwiches

Served with all that & a bag of chips

Mother of blt’s $14
Thick cut smith’s peppered bacon, bibb lettuce, local tomatoes & mayo
finished with a fried egg on toasted farm bread

bahn mi $13
smoked ham, hoisin ground pork, pickled vegetables, cucumbers,
mayonnaise & herbs on a baguette

californication $11
roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, avocado, sun dried tomato
Vinaigrette tossed arugula on multi-grain roll

Vegan hummus wrap $11
Hummus, sweet peppers, cucumbers, hoop house tomatoes, red onion,
artisan lettuce & house vinaigrette wrapped in a flour tortilla

Entrees

Served with a choice of salad or soup of the day

Substitute classic Caesar ($1.5) or signature mushroom brie ($1)

Coffee coriander Charred sirloin $26 lobster mac & cheese, blistered local beans, charro sauce

Shellfish cioppino $25
Shrimp, calamari, clams, mussels, linguini, cioppino broth

Short rib molÉ $24
Green chili cheddar soft polenta, smoked tomato salsa, red molÉ

Duck tagine(gf) $25
Harissa seared duck breast, roasted cauliflower saffron infused rice, dried apricots, almonds

Seared striped bass (gf) $23
Daikon slaw, edamame puree, kimchi nage, asian blessing

japonica rice crusted tuna (gf) $24

red quinoa tabouleh, sunchoke puree, pea shoots, preserved lemon relish
all natural breast of chicken (gf) $20

Herbed risotto, wilted local swiss chard, natural sauce
Ravioli della roma $19

Asparagus mascarpone stuffed raviolis, roasted roma tomato basil coulis,
wilted spinach, fresh mozzarella croquette, onion jam

Signature mac & cheese $18
Grafton aged white cheddar, grilled chicken, smith’s bacon, spinach,
imported cavatappi
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I have no clue what half this stuff is!!! Of course, most is Gluten Free--ah yes.  I asked our waiter if the water was Gluten Free and he assured me it was, LOL.

I pondered on how people my age have lived this long eating gluten, red meat, fat, bacon, eggs.  Chewing lead paint off our baby crib rails and living in homes insulated with asbestos!! Well--you know how it is nowadays--you either have to have a lactose allergy, or gluten allergy or something to be trendy! 

He brought us a bowl of Crayfish Bisque--it had a few slices of roasted red pepper in it--YUCK--Karen made me taste it.  I do not like cream soups and it smelled way too fishy to me.

Then the waiter brought us some strange, ground wheat crackers with a spread of red peppers and something else, to put on them. The spread wasn't too bad, but those Gluten Free crackers? Tasteless!!!

I wanted to order the Californication Salad (just so I could say the name), but I hate avocados, so I got the Cherry Festival salad, (it sounded pretty tame),  Karen got the bahn mi (what in the heck is hoisin ground pork?)sandwich and Helene had the Mother of all BLT's-(which I would have ordered but) it comes with a fried egg on top?  The prices are ridiculous, in my opinion, but then....I didn't have to pay, so.....

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Karen, Helene and me.

Then Karen took a picture of Helen and me with our waiter

It is my grand son Stephen, Karen's 4th child :-)

Then Maddie joined us and our waiter took a picture of us

My Orthopaedic surgeon is part owner of the restaurant and Stephen has worked for him for the last two summers.  He brought us a clear, sort of Oriental Asian soup to cleanse our palates when we were finished eating.  It was the best part of the meal, in my opinion!!  

Well--I had a wonderful time and am still "high" from it and probably won't get too sleep very easily.  I get so bored and lonely and I wish these kind of spur-of-the-moment happenings would occur more often.  

I love being with my family!!!  

They just made my day!!!