On Wednesday. Warm Stilton and mushroom galette – so delicious! – and cream cheese w fresh-made cranberry sauce, crackers, and apple:

A favorite monthly activity for a few years was Thursday @ Merrilyn’s with Phyllis until … Phyl moved to Montana 5 years ago. Phyl arrived last Thursday to visit friends and family. This afternoon, Merrilyn came to my house for a visit – longtime friends catching up!

But first, an update. Kathy and I arrived in Sacramento late Sunday evening, we’d been traveling for 24 hours. It took a couple of days to adjust to California time.

By chance, our appetizers were both bell-pepper oriented this time. Mine was a cucumber/dill/cream cheese dip. Merrilyn made caramelized peppers with capers and Gorgonzola on crostini.

Everything in Merrilyn’s yard is popping with blooms.

It’s so good to be home!!

Charred onion dip with potato chips and 3 variations of Savory thumbprint cookies: Asiago fig, Pesto, Pecan pepper jelly.

Sticky baked chicken wings and Gorgonzola grape pine nut crostini:

and the last bottle of wine from Yellowstone Winery in Billings MT.

Savory and sweet this time. Chicken drummets and Walnut cranberry pie:

Brie-stuffed mushrooms and Crostini with prosciutto, mushrooms and blue cheese:

And, hurray, Bob joined us this time.

Another delicious get together. Salmon taquitos (that didn’t turn out picture-perfect) with avocado crema and a layered pesto torta. And a very good bottle of wine from Yellowstone Cellars in Billings MT.

This picture is titled “Darn it Bob” – who should have been here so we didn’t have to take this selfie:

Italian sausage & fontina toasts and baked brie with cranberries and pecans.

A few minutes after cutting into the brie, the warm cheese made a pretty “lava flow”:

Oh joy. I have missed quite a few Th@Ms so today was quite special. Old favorites: Artichoke dip and Shrimp black bean avocado salsa. And wine.