Sorry! It's been a while

So a lot has happened since my last post.  Mr. Graeme is growing up so fast! The new year started off with a couple exciting moments for Graeme.  On January 2nd, we gave him his first hair trim as it was getting a bit long over his ears and later that day, he crawled for the very first time!

These days, he's a crawling king.  We decided to get a little gate so we don't have him underfoot in the kitchen.  I think he really likes that the floor in the kitchen is cool, slippery (compared to the carpet) and when he drops things on it, he can make a lot of noise.

We can't seem to feed him enough and all signs point to a growth spurt.  Our big boy is getting even bigger! He's begun pulling himself up in his crib and elsewhere so it was time to lower the mattress.  It sounds cliche but time goes by so fast.  In about 1 month he'll be 1!

He has specific books he likes right now and books he just can't abide.  Every day, he reaches for  his books and we read:

• The Little Blue Truck
• Marvin the Ape
• Doggies by Sandra Boynton
• Night Night Little Pookie
• Each Peach Pear Plum 

Doggies and the Little Blue Truck are his top favorites.

Graeme greeting me on my birthday!

Oh delicious sweet potatoes and apples

Cheese!

It's getting harder to get picture of G without that little hand grabbing at me

Could he possibly be cuter?  I don't think so.

"Big Grandma" is giving G a ride!

 Now for some non Graeme updates.  Nick and I went to a fantastic dinner on Valentines day.  It was 16 courses of gastronomic adventure at the Mist Project!  The idea behind it is that they will create a menu and open a restaurant for a short time in different cities.  The menu includes many types of food preparation but showcases a genre called molecular gastronomy.

Molecular gastronomy takes food preparation down to a scientific level focusing on what happens in food preparation physically and chemically.  The chef, Gavin Baker, said, "We use non-traditional ingredients in the kitchen: carrageenan to emulsify and gel things, and calcium hydroxide to fossilize.”  A few of my favorite courses were small bites of crispy pork belly, cooked to perfection, miniature popcorn with powdered bacon, and a cold barley "gelato". 

There was a dish of short ribs cooked Sous Vide for 100 hours topped with potato mouse and a chorizo gremolata which was the ultimate comfort food. 

 

Another favorite was a scallop topped with mushroom foam, minced thyme, shallots, and pancetta. 

 

The largest dish called "Campfire" served up new york strip steaks, celery root, baked beans, and edible charcoal.  With this dish, they drew some rendered fat across the 500 degree granite stone then some pine needles across that just to impart the aroma and then the steaks went on top of that.  It smelled and tasted divine!

 

It's hard to find the right words to describe what a fantastic dinner this was!  It is by far the most exciting dining experience I've ever had.  I wish everyone I know who appreciates food like I do could experience this.

Well, that's it for tonight.  We've been sick round these parts and I need sleep.  I promise to try to post more regularly.