Finally, Spring has arrived! We welcomed the month on the first with a feast! Prime rib with mashed potatoes and squash AND camarones borrachos (drunken shrimp).
 |
| Let meat rest at room temp before cooking |
 |
| Install herb garden |
 |
| Coat in butter, herb and seasoning blend |
 |
| Cook at 500F for 20 minutes, turn oven down to 350 and cook until desired temperature |
 |
And enjoy!
And for the shrimp... Toast onion, garlic, tomato, guajillo and arbol chiles, add beer and simmer. Blend together for sauce, return to pan, simmer and reduce. Add shrimp and cook through.
We checked out a new bar/restaurant that opened near our home called Area 51. It was their first weekend being open but we enjoyed the food, service and atmosphere.
Continuing the cooking, I tried my hand at baking bread from scratch. I'm no where near ready for a sourdough but the whole wheat and white loaves turned out pretty well!
|
On May 4th, Tato and I met up with my parents for a very belated birthday lunch for my Dad. We met at a restaurant about halfway between our homes called Timothy O'Tooles. Good food and drinks and a nice time spent together.
On the 8th, we celebrated our friend Matt's birthday and treated him to a nice dinner at one of our favorite Italian restaurants called Il Cervo. Great views and great food!
Mother's Day was spent at Tita's house, enjoying the warm weather and breaking in a new patio set and lots of desserts.  |
| This is an airport souvenir palm tree we brought home from Florida for Tita in 2022. It started as a 5 inch twig with 2 leaves. She is the plant whisperer. |
 |
| Camila & Ruby |
 |
| From Camila |
 |
| Sancocho, beans, rice and ribs |
 |
| All of the cakes |
 |
| Patio weather! |
May 18th was a highlight of the year. Together with our Maid and Man of Honor, his girlfriend and her mom, and the staff at Club Charlies, we hosted our first wedding related event. Titled "The Wedding Games", our friends and family from both sides joined in on a competitive rendition of Kate & Tato themed Jeopardy. Six teams strategically assigned for even chances of winning had to follow official Jeopardy rules while Tato and I acted as judges if any conflicts arose. We got to watch as our closest circles came together as one and it was truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed. I cannot thank and praise Colin, Liz, Mera and everyone else who made this event possible enough for their incredible work. Liz orchestrated the most beautiful snack spread including smoked salmon and cheese curds, the cooks at Charlies made incredible fruit & veggie tray displays, complete with animals made from the fruit. Stefanique rocked the bar, even with the copious amounts of old fashioneds that were ordered. Mera, with some help from her mom, made dozens of uniquely individual floral arrangements to go around all the tables and the bar, and kept score during the Jeopardy game which was quite the feat. Colin was the host with the most flexing his trivia hosting skills and channeling his inner Alex Trebek to curate and emcee my absolute most favorite Jeopardy game I've ever seen. His categories, clues and delivery were flawless and so much fun. A variety of our friends and family came out from all over to our special place, where our love story began, and celebrated our love with us. It was a truly incredible day and I am so thankful and loved by everyone who made it as magical as it was.
 |
| Where we first met |
'
 |
| Tato, Tyler, Zack, Kayla & Austin |
 |
| Anita, Esme, Tita, Martha & Austin |
 |
| Jon, Kathy, Luis, Jessica & Alex |
 |
| Lano, Mini, Valeria, Michael, Zack, Kayla & David |
 |
| Bert, Tyler, Charlie, Neni & Fito |
 |
| Nate, Alyssa, Jeannie, Ruby, Ramon & Max |
 |
| Tita & Tato |
 |
| Tato & Kathy |
 |
| Bert & Charlie |
 |
| Austin, Tato, Kate & Tyler |
 |
| Man of Honor Colin, Mera & Kate |
 |
| Our officiant, Dr. Bert |
 |
| Kathy, Kate, Tato, Alyssa, Nate & Martha |
 |
| The mamas and their babies |
 |
| Austin, Martha, Tato, Kate & Tyler |
 |
| The end |
Next up, celebrating our friend Lauren for her birthday. Myself and Melissa took her to a semi-new restaurant in Milwaukee called Room Service. The interior was stunning, the food and drink presentation breathtaking, and the company was wonderful. I will note, I didn't like any one dish more than the other and believe that nothing stood out as extraordinary. Most things were quite tasty, but nothing that was a star.
 |
| Crab rangoon |
 |
| Birthday girl Lauren & Melissa |
 |
| Fried Chicken |
 |
| Dumplings |
 |
| Salmon rice crisps |
 |
| Tom yum |
 |
| Beef in crispy shells |
 |
| Birthday girl Lauren and me |
May ended with another highlight of the year, a day full of many emotions but mostly love and joy, the wedding celebration of Alyssa and Nate. Alyssa has been my "framily" since I was born. We have spent countless summers together at the lake, family gatherings and parties, we have shared in our milestones, challenges and growth. I am elated for the happy couple and the rest of their forever. The elegant, simple details that highlighted their wedding were pure perfection. The weather was stellar, the venue was comfortable and the celebration was heartfelt and fun. Congratulations to the newly weds!
 |
| The Kinser Family |
 |
| Rachel, Hayley & Kate |
 |
| Kate, Alyssa, Nate & Tato |
 |
| Kate, Nate, Alyssa, Martha & Kathy |
 |
| The mamas and their babies |
And, per usual, some other cooking adventures from May
 |
| Deviled egg flights |
 |
| Everything bagel, bacon ranch, hot & spicy and herbed deviled eggs |
 |
| Orange glazed ham |
 |
| How it started |
 |
| Prepped |
 |
| & juiced! Clementine, apple, orange & blood orange juices |
'
It was a very special month! Fabulous food presentations Kate &Tato!
ReplyDelete