Woefully behind on blog posting

OK, so I've been publicly shamed for not blogging, so here goes.

It's been a whirlwind since Thanksgiving - the parents came to visit for the long weekend and it was a blast. The first night they were in town we went to this little divey Mexican restaurant I love (the typical plate-o-greasy-food kinda place).

For Thanksgiving we decided not to cook, but go out to eat, and had a fabulous 4-course meal at Elements, a beautiful restaurant tucked in the midst of a resort. A couple of friends from Oakland happened to be traveling through Arizona that week and they joined us for dinner - it was great to see them and for them to meet the rents!

I wish they still had the menu posted, but I can give you an idea of the dinner:

To start: Vanilla Violet Collins cocktail (first things first!): Violet-infused Sapphire gin (yes, it's as amazing as it sounds), vanilla bean (you could see the bean in the drink!), collins mix, topped with a fresh orchid. I was concerned it would either be too sweet or too earthy (given the flower-infused business) but it was absolutely perfect (and it didn't surprise me that the drink won awards at some competition, can't remember what).

First course: Fig and Blue Cheese Tart - amazing and savory; the tart was buttery and flaky, the fig and blue cheese were mellow, and the whole thing was topped with caramelized onions.

Second course: Butternut Squash soup (I'm sure it had a more appetizing name) - the presentation was awesome: They bring out this large bowl in the middle of which is only a crouton and some creme fraiche accompanied by a small carafe filled with the piping hot soup. They place the bowl down, then they pour the soup over the crouton/creme fraiche in front of you. It was delicious!

Third course: Traditional Thanksgiving: It was a heaping mound of starchy deliciousness. The turkey was amazingly moist and drenched in a delicious gravy. The potatoes were perfectly mashed and the stuffing was delish. There was a little smidgen of cranberries (perfect amount since a little cranberry goes a long way for me). I would have licked my plate if I could have.

Final course: Cinnamon bread pudding. I usually don't go for the bread pudding but it was calling me and it was worth it. Others got the Pear Tatin with fresh vanilla ice cream and I was a little jealous but still happy with mine. Yumm.

The next day, we took a day trip up to Sedona to see the famous red rocks and have a yummy lunch at Copper Pot Cafe. Some pics:





The last night they were here I hosted a little soiree with some law school friends so they could meet the 'rents and vice versa. My parents helped me decorate for Xmas (a first for me, usually I have no interest in that) and they spent some mad ducats at Costco on huge vats of alcohol (gin, vodka, wine, whiskey (for egg nog of course). Perfect for studying, right? Ha.

It was a lot of fun but of course I got no studying while they were here - so as soon as they left the studying began. I'll be buried until one week from now, at approximately this time, when I finish my last final. Wish me luck!