Boeuf Bourguignon

I felt inspired on Saturday and decided to make boeuf bourguignon. We had some friends over for dinner so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give this recipe a try. Knowing this recipe takes a while because it has so many steps, we started at noon. The beef gets browned in hot oil and fat, but my lack of splatter screen was problematic, as the popping of hot oil causes injury. So Mike and I were forced to take the necessary precautions and look a little silly. We donned some goggles, elbow length cleaning gloves, towels for neck protection and long tongs and proceeded to brown the meat. Unfortunately, I did not escape unscathed. I have a small burn on my neck and several on my hand and arm.
When we took the stew out of the oven however, it was all worth it. It smelled divine and tasted phenomenal! Almost enough for us to burst into song. Mike made his favorite rosemary and parmesan crusted potatoes to go along with it. Our friends seemed to enjoy it so we're 2 for 2 on dinner parties.

Yesterday, after Mike's flag football game, we decided to find a state park to go for a hike in. Turns out there's a state forest reserve about 15 mins away from us so we headed out and set off on our hike. What was supposed to be a pleasant hike turned into a rigorous climb up loose rock. We did not make it to the top, but rested in the shade of the trees and listened to the wind rustling the trees. There were some decent views of the valley, unfortunately they didn't seem to come out on camera. Today, we're back to grayness and a 6% chance of snow. Fingers crossed fall sticks around a little bit longer. I don't think we are ready for winter yet!