Island Flashback

Last night, Ryan's aunt Cher and uncle Tony came over for dinner. It was their first time visiting our house, so of course some serious housecleaning was on the agenda beforehand. I was on grocery duty, which is a dangerous proposition when we're on a deadline because I tend to enter a fugue state when grocery shopping - there's something deliciously hypnotizing about the unending bounty of the local Pick 'N Save. I think I must have spent a past life in a Soviet bread line. Anyhoo, after strolling the aisles for 2 or 3 hours, I made it back home with fixins for an island-inspired dinner.

After giving Tony and Cher the nickel tour, we started our evening with some ice cold sangria, black bean nachos, and mango salsa. Moving on to dinner, we had a tossed salad, Belizean chicken (made with the famous spice mix we brought back from Caye Ambergris), and red beans and rice. Cher and Tony brought dessert, a tasty cheesecake. To complete the island theme, we had a stray cat begging for food underneath the table (that'd be George, although she was much less scrawny than her Belizean counterparts).

We had a great time catching up with Tony and Cher, hearing about their summer and their upcoming fall plans (including a road trip to Colorado and New Mexico in October)! One of my favorite things about visiting with Ryan's family is hearing stories about him as a child. Next time you see him, ask him about his first ever childhood camping trip...