Partied in Morocco, woke up with a tattoo

We walked five blocks north Saturday night and disappeared into a Moroccan themed party that encouraged us to taste the elegance of saffron and to send bright wishes into the sky.

When you’re toasting lasting friendship, we’ve found it’s best to lean in. Our Gourmet Club gets a together a couple of times a year to celebrate and sip, to educate and eat. As we’ve written about before, two host couples choose a theme, assign recipes, prepare the main dish and host the party.

For the Moroccan themed evening, our hosts served a slow roasted lamb prepared on La Caja China, an impulse purchase made during the Gourmet Club’s early years that has served its members well.

We dipped pita bread into appetizers of warm goat cheese with honey and toasted pistachio nuts, and enjoyed a delicious roasted vegetable salad. With saffron infused couscous and a spinach salad, the meal looked both healthy and colorful. We topped it off with thick cuts of carrot cake, and promptly ended that illusion.

I settled in to digest, and offered my right ankle to Emily, who hand drew a pretty henna tattoo souvenir on it.

As night fell across a perfect summer sky, we watched bright-colored sky lanterns carry wishes away. We wished for health and continued friendship, for happy memories and peace. We toasted sunshine and summer.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. M’a ssalama (with peace).

Our Gourmet Club has been celebrating friendship and food for more than a dozen years.
Our Gourmet Club has been celebrating friendship and food for more than a dozen years.
Warm goat cheese with honey and pistachios
Warm goat cheese with honey and pistachios, hummus, olives and pita bread made an impressive appetizer table.
It doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Stella, the red lab, is a patient observer and Casa Blanca fan.
Here’s looking at you kid. Stella, the red lab, is a patient observer and Casa Blanca fan. She’s watching the ceremonial lamb carving. La Caja China evenings are her favorites.
Table for 12 please?
Of all the gin joints in all the world, we set our table for 12 up in this one. 
The roasted vegetable salad looked beautiful and tasted delicious.
The roasted vegetable salad looked beautiful and tasted delicious.
Tim turned out to be an impressive tattoo artist. Who knew?
Tim turned out to be an impressive tattoo artist. Who knew?
We watched as Tim sent off colorful floating sky lanterns.
We watched as Tim sent off colorful floating sky lanterns.
A slow rise and then...
A slow rise and then…
the floating candle carries wishes into the summer sky.
…the floating candle carries wishes into the summer sky.

6 thoughts on “Partied in Morocco, woke up with a tattoo

  1. I just love reading all your post’s, you & your family have so much fun. Love all your adventures. Keep them coming.

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