Since it was chilly outside, and sprinkling on and off, we decided to eat inside and not have traditional hot dogs, burgers and potato salad – the weather wasn’t right for it!  My mom joined us for the day – THANKS FOR COMING OVER MOM!   Hope you had fun!

She brought me beautiful flowers from her garden and arranged them in a vase I had.  They smell amazing!

so pretty!
so pretty!

It’s weird, I hate whole tomatoes, but I love tomatoey things – pasta sauce, pizza sauce – but now I love chopped tomatoes – its the tomato seeds that I hate!

so good!  there is just enough leftover for Hannah to take the rest for her lunch tomorrow
so good! there is just enough leftover for Hannah to take the rest for her lunch tomorrow

And I made bread to go with the bruschetta:

I tried to make it into a bagette shape, but it didn't work out too well!
I tried to make it into a bagette shape, but it didn't work out too well!

It tasted delicious though!

I seriously slice into this less than 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven!
I seriously slice into this less than 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven!

Hannah decided to make a fruit salad – I forgot a bought a whole pinapple last week for .99 cents that needed to be cut up.  She LOVES fresh pineapple!

so refreshing - thanks Han!
so refreshing - thanks Han!

The applewood smoked pork turned out so juicy!  We cooked it on a cast iron skillet, on a rack, so the fat runs into the pan and there are no flare-ups.   This pork is so good even Hannah ate a slice!

that's sliced bacon on top!
that's sliced bacon on top!
all sliced ready for the table
all sliced ready for the table

I made twiced baked potatoes on the side.  Seriously, I cannot cook for just 3 or 4 people – I don’t know where my brain was when I made this many!  Well, I do tend to make more baked potatoes than needed in case they are bad after baking, but still!

cheezy goodness!
cheezy goodness!

When Tony and I were at Sam’s earlier today, I totally intended to buy Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, because its one of my mom’s favorites.  Turns out I grabbed the wrong bottle!  It was good, but not AS good.

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my plate - slice of pork, mom's tortellini salad, 1/2 twice baked potato, fruit salad, garden salad with Annie's dressing
my plate - slice of pork, mom's tortellini salad, 1/2 twice baked potato, fruit salad, garden salad with Annie's dressing

I cleaned my plate!  After dinner my mom brought out a “board game” to play.  It was hysterical!  I can’t elaborate because she is taking it on vacation for my family’s lake trip this summer, all I can say is that we were laughing really hard.  But it involves this:

a tiny piano!!
a tiny piano!!

What board games do you play with your family?  Our favorites are probably Pictionary, Scrabble (okay, that’s only me and no one in my house will play me anymore!), and Cranium. 

Off to finish cleaning the kitchen – can I just say every weekend should be a 3 day weekend?!  See you tomorrow!