Family Dinners

There is nothing sweeter than little ones and moon pies

Nashville may be my home away from home, but I am very fortunate to have nested myself into some amazing families here in music city. This past weekend was particularly family-oriented, starting with a Halloween block party at the Burton's house to celebrate the season with my favorite little ones.

It was the perfect evening for trick-or-treating. The temperature was crisp, but comfortable and the stars were peaking out of every inch of the sky. Standing in the yard watching little Minnie mouses, pirates, ballerinas, artists, owls, peter pans, and super heroes running around brought me back to my childhood Halloween days circling Valley View Rd. And, as if I needed to book more buffet time this week, any sign of chill was warmed by homemade chilli and Bo and Pa's warmed wassail (a heated fruit tea that is legendary in the Burton family) capped off with incredible bakery-style pumpkin moon pies. (Sorry, Jillian Michaels. Tis the season!).

The adults found some treats too...

After praying and eating, the kids all barreled into a hayride and we took off into the night. It was pure comedy to see an army of 15 little pairs of feet speed toward each house, their faces illuminated by the porch lights and their blood sugar sky-rocketing at just the thought of the confections waiting behind each door. It was a magical way to start off the weekend.

And as if that wasn't heartwarming enough, last night Emma invited me over to her childhood home for Sunday dinner - the perfect cap to a lovely, long and relaxing weekend. As we arrived we were greeted by hugs and full-bodied merlot, salted crackers topped with delicious goat cheese and accented by kalamata olives. It was grounding just to be in a warm living room surrounded by family, with a glass of wine in hand and a piece of cheese on the pallet - everything about it felt like home.

You guys can just photo-shop me in, right? :)

Simply put, Emma's family rocks. Her parents, Jed and Nancy are so fun and welcoming and her sweet cousin Laura brought her delightfully Parisian friend Aimée, whose accent was just one of the many charming things about her. Over braised short ribs, homemade mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and a delicious side salad sprinkled with feta and a pop of peach we shared stories and even got a cooking lesson or two from the chefs themselves. And as if I hadn't pissed Jillian off enough this weekend, I might have indulged in one (and a half) salted caramel brownies, which naturally justified having another glass of wine to compliment.

I always have Carolina in my mind, but I am thankful for the families that have welcomed me in as their own, and make it a little easier to be away from home.