Ditto Day! More roast beef (this time in a sandwich), more hiking in Elm Creek Park Reserve (so glorious yesterday, I whipped right back up there today), more warm sun/cool breezes (aka prrrfect September weather), all good, all good.

Tomorrow night, dinner at Doug Anderson's (formerly of Bakery on Grand and A Rebours) brand spankin' new digs, Nick and Eddie's, on Loring Park. With Debbie & Stu the Wine Genuis, and Ana & Rudy, should be our usual groovy time. Can't wait! Stay tuned for the tasty details!

And with that shockingly brief note, I bid you all a good night.

What's not to love about a September day like today? Cool, clear air, warm sun, it's out of control! John and I were going to head over to Lucia's for one of our fabulous Saturday brunch dates, but after the Cocktail Jewelry party on Thursday night, with all the treats and wine, and with a big Stu-Debbie-Rudy-Ana dinner coming up on Monday night, I thought I should perhaps go for a long hike instead of a big brunch. And you know what? On a day as gorgeous as today, a hike is just as nice as a brunch. I enjoyed myself thoroughly, losing myself in lovely Elm Creek Park Reserve. Dappled sun, autumn wild flowers, pheasants, fat bumble bees, and a nice cool breeze. I turned my iPod off and just listened to the sound of my feet crunching in the dry grass. An hour and half flew by in what seemed 15 minutes, amazing.

On my way home I swung by Byerly's and picked up a beef chuck roast. Nothing fancy, just a typical pot roast, seared and then slow-braised alongside potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic. When it's fall-apart done (around 6:00?), I'll let it rest while I crank up the heat on the potatoes to brown them a bit and turn all those yummy pan juices into some kind of fabulous sauce. One of my very, very favorite cool-weather meals, can't wait.

I achieved a mini-escape yesterday with a hike through lovely Elm Creek Park Reserve, one of the many nature-in-the-city havens known 'round these parts as the Three Rivers Park District (formerly Hennepin Parks). We Minnesotans are blessed indeed with an incredible system of well-maintained parks, picnic grounds, beaches, hiking trails, and bike paths, many of them interconnected via the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway and regional bike trail pathways. Free parking, peace and quiet, wildflowers, birdsong...and when you're done with solitude and near the picnic areas, some of the best food- and people-watching in town. I witnessed some serious barbecue action yesterday - lots of delicious smoke, cold beers, and tables groaning with homemade salads and desserts. And a volleyball game starring every body type, from shirtless guys with rock-hard abs to a very tan, 300-pound woman in a teeny-tiny bikini. Minnesota RAWKS!

From my walk, I headed straight to the movie theater to see Waitress, a movie I've been dying to see before it left the theaters. Loved. It. Loved it. My kind of movie. Unbelievable food scenes (pies, glorious, gorgeous pies, savory and sweet and everything in between), just unbelievable. And a great story and characters and style. Loved it. Sigh.

And then my date with myself was over, and I headed back home, for a little time at the pool with John, and then the Brown family. Easy, easy dinner - grilled chicken in tortillas with avocado, roasted tomatoes and onions, cheese, sour cream...all the good stuff. And potatoes on the grill made spicy by a few shakes of ancho chili powder. And that's it. (No pie, darn, I sure had/have a hankering for pie...perhaps today...) Dinner on the deck, a little more swimming for the kids, then the Browns moseyed on home and the Levys declared bedtime. Another summer's Saturday, gone in the blink of a squinting eye...