Last Day...

Today is my last day here in Asheville.  Tomorrow I fly out bright and early.  Greg has taken Cynthia to Knoxville to fly out to Colorado for the first half of the photo-shoots for her upcoming book.  It is strangely quiet in the house today.  Even Azalea, usually full of energy and always up for telling a story, is more quiet than usual.  We swept the leaves off the Star Deck and I took the picture above of the scenery and mountains beyond.

For lunch, I made slow-cooked beef and fried polenta.  When I say slow, I mean 18 hours kind of slow.  The house was filled with the aroma of roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, and a London broil stewing away in a duck stock.  The meat was fall-apart tender and laced with the bittersweet taste of the brown sugar, chilies, and coffee rub.  Suni was going CRAZY!

I've fallen out of the habit of leaving my signature send-off; I usually bake a cake.  However, in an attempt to revamp old traditions and to give Azalea a job in the kitchen as my helper, we baked a Madagascar vanilla cake with a creme anglaise.  The cake itself isn't too terribly sweet.  I sometimes like the option of being able add just the amount of sweetness you want with a sauce poured on top rather than frosting.  It turned out perfectly rich and decadent.

I'm going to miss my family.  I'm not sure when I'll get to see them next.  The only date on the horizon that's confirmed is Tucson.  It seems like such a long time away.