Catawba, Part 3

Saturday's lunch at the Tower was an offering of salads put together by the guests. 

There was a tasty and healthy spin on taco salad that was prepared using cannellini for a source of protein. It captured the familiar "taco" flavor without use of the usual, msg-laden, seasoning standbys. The salad was loaded with good quality greens--a nice change from the usual ho-hum of head lettuce and bland tomatoes. 

The other salad was a combination of fresh mixed greens, strawberries, and almonds. The berries were fresh, too, and they combined with the almonds in that delightful way that makes you think of mid-summer picnics and cookouts in the park. There was grilled chicken, tomatoes, and hardier veggies like cut green beans. When this was all combined, the salad was topped with mild, creamy goat cheese. For someone like me, who's not usually big on salad, the goat cheese added a hearty, textural dimension that took the meal beyond the normal salad doldrums  and into a happy place. As if this all weren't enough, a fine homemade dressing blending mustard, oil, and poppy seed got drizzled over-top of all the other goodies. It was a great salad. And it was a great meal, shared with friends, hanging-out in the comfortable surroundings of Sunnyside.  

Then it was someone's birthday and the guests sang and clapped while the man blew out his candles. They cut the large sheet cake into sections. Julie handed out cake and passed the party hats. Pete poured the coffee. 

We talked-away the remainder of the morning, discussing our plans. We decided to embark on various afternoon activities as well as different places to have dinner. This evening was dedicated to being a date night--each couple going off on their own to explore the surrounding areas of Catawba, Port Clinton, and Put-In Bay.