I love caramel...

...Maybe you do, too.

But when I tasted HMG's creme brulee dessert with sea salt crust I started thinking that I shouldn't be liking caramel, I should be worshiping it. This is just one of many amazing things I have eaten at the Harvest Moon Grille and I know your experience at this restaurant will be just as satisfying.

The thing is, food is complex. And the real flavors are somewhat elusive. You think you know what a grit taste like, and then you have one that was milled only hours before and you're like, "whoa...." Yes, that's really the only thing you can say cause it's so dang good.

Now, speaking of misunderstanding, take wine for instance. "Red or white?" they ask you. As though choosing it was like pointing to a color wheel at a decorator store.

"What am I eating?" Is always my reply. Because wine is meant to be paired with food and it only works if the flavors compliment and enhance eachother. It's like a footman in a Cinderella story. He dresses nice, but he's only really useful when he's helping the lovely princess into her carriage.

So here's why I'm yapping about caramel (man, I want to run down there and order it again!) On May 29th, we will have the opportunity to visit the culinary expertise of chef Cassie Parsons of the Harvest Moone Grille as she selects wines and some delicious bites for our May event. We're excited about this new venue with free parking for the first two hours and a historic and gracious environment.

I hope you are thinking about attending. Worship or not, food is meant to be explored and doing it with friends and wine is just plain smart.

READ THE DETAILS BELOW AND RSVP TODAY!

The Majesty Beyond The Trial

Over the holidays my husband Ron and I visited the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming with family out west. Okay, so lets just say that if you don't like cold, this is not the place to be! Sure, the sun was shining, brightly in fact. But minus 2 degrees is about 70 less that I like.Majesty or not, wearing two coats, thermals, and boots make for a confined tourist.

But there is more to the story, as always. More because if you want to see the Tetons in December you have no choice but to bundle up like a yeti. It's part of the deal. And once I turned to view their famous silhouette, craggy and scarred by time, I realized that sometimes the most amazing things require you to perform a few rituals first so that you are fully prepared to receive their gifts. 

I can still hear the sound of of the crunching, frozen snow as we traipsed across the field seeking the perfect spot for photos. I had my husband's hand firmly in mine (albeit through 2 layers, but I knew he was there). I could see my breath fogging in front of me and then vanishing into the bluish haze like an apparition. And standing firmly on either side of us as we made our way down the path were the strong and colorful trees whose lacy, green needles framed our view.

Our theme this year is courage. -- We will highlight it's meaning at each event. And perhaps give you the nudge you need to find it.  It takes courage to go through a few rituals to earn the right to the glory. It takes courage to get out of your discomfort zone and push through the layers to see the light. (yes, I meant discomfort because I knew if you were comfortable you wouldn't be so scared.) It takes courage to know that after every other shoe has fallen, you can still put your shoes back on and get to the other side.

Last night at vivace, for our kickoff event, we found a starting point for courage. Joined by a group of women dedicated more so that I've seen in our meetings to date, gathered to connect in a genuine and helpful way. I believe it is an accurate cross section of how we all feel. Stripped to our thinnest, we now know that we cannot wear a mask to the party. And if we're going to see the majesty of our potential, we may have to bundle up. What I hope you will see in Networking, Women and Wine is the hand, clasped tightly around yours, ready to join you in the quest to see the majesty beyond the trial!