A great reason for a big dinner

I had a busy Saturday after leaving work. I had to make it to the grocery store to get the fixings. Jessica's brother, David, was in town and he was coming to dinner at our house. Jessica and I had something important to ask him, so I wanted to make sure I prepared something nice. The weather was sunny cooperative and the natural light in the dining room made the room feel much larger, but still cozy like home. Jessica had made an incredible strawberry crisp with fresh strawberries from Ciolino's. They always have great specials, but they've truly been on a tear the last few weeks. With her having prepared dessert, I had free reign in the kitchen. Although I did still need an extra set of hands I could rely on. I had worked with an existing recipe for a shrimp bruschetta pasta and it turned out great. It was very straightforward - fresh shrimp (that Jessica peeled and deveined for me) sauteed with just a little bit of oil, angel hair pasta, garlic, cherry tomatoes, basil, and a dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. On the side, I made caprese asparagus: roasted asparagus topped with freshly grated mozzarella, topped with roasted tomatoes (roast in same pan for easy clean up), and basil. Drizzled a glaze (simple reduction of balsamic vinegar and honey) over top and it easily stole the show at dinner. I also made Jessica's favorite watermelon salad, with a little twist: fresh watermelon and blackberries, a juiced lime, and topped with basil. It usually gets fresh mint in there, but in my haste in the kitchen, I accidentally added basil instead of the mint. Thankfully, it didn't ruin the dish! Anyways, over dinner, while I held JD, Jessica asked Dave if he'd be willing to be the little man's godfather and he agreed! If we would've had wine glasses, we would have clanked them together in celebration!