Gone... and Forgotten

I'll be the first to admit that a mere few weeks ago, I was in the middle of an unusually strong case of the "summer-entertaining-burn-out" blues. I've been 'there' before, though, and as such, am quite familiar with the antidote: the discovery of some exciting new recipes, with their ingredients perfectly matched to our local grocery stores' sales. The coming together of two things so fortuitous is guaranteed to wipe out my "over-entertained" doldrums.

But I couldn't start with just any new recipe... goodness knows (am I the only one who says that?) that at any given moment, there are a bajillion recipes out there calling my name.

I decided I was fresh for a revamp of how I think about (and serve, for that matter) appetizers when having friends over for dinner. So often I am stuck in the crackers and yummy cheese or baked dip world that I can't see easy, fresh alternatives. Leave it to (guess who!) my mom to right my ship.

My mom has (in my opinion) mastered the art of incorporating new and unusual recipes with her steady stream of trusty go-tos (even though they are goodies, don't you dare call them "oldies"!). I, on the other hand, go hog-wild in one direction or the other.

But this time, armed with this slightly sweet and secretly savory Pear Soup, I couldn't have gone wrong either way. This new friend and I got acquainted the night before our dinner party (make-ahead dishes = my best friend), and well, let's just say I almost had to make a second batch (good thing the pears were only $0.58/lb.). And then, when I thought it couldn't get any better, out popped the Blue Cheese Bruschetta accompaniment.

And in an instant, my "summer-entertaining-burn-out" blues were gone... and long-since forgotten.