Harry Potter, pillows-of-intense-flavor gnocchi, the crack of dawn playdate

The last installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was just perfect. David Yates did a magnificent job directing his share of the films, and this was a superb finale. We really enjoyed every minute, and I am truly sorry that there are no more HP adventures to anticipate. Have you eaten at Palena? It is one of my favorite restaurants in D.C., and last night's meal was another memorable treat. Our waiter looked like a slim, youthful Chris Robinson and seemed a tad agitated. Nonetheless, our food was just so good and that trumped the oddball. I had the most amazingly light, intensely flavored gnocchi. Just a simple Yukon Gold gnocchi with fresh pesto, tomatoes and pine nuts, I savored every bite. The men had the Palena burger and said it was as good as ever, and the aioli for the fries is out of this world. I would die for the recipe. I enjoyed a Sicilian Grillo, a minerally white that's easy-going but interesting.

Fast forward to this morning, and my migraine is still stalking me but we made it to our 8am playdate at a recently renovated park in Chevy Chase, D.C. It was great- nice and shaded, good to see old friends, great toys. Both boys crashed when we finally got home- I guess two hours of running and climbing is what it takes.

Tonight will be pizza night I believe though we have no mozzarella so will have to remedy that in some way. And I might pull the trigger and finish up my cherry jams and chutneys before the cherries lose their luster.

Hope you are having a good weekend. My red nails still shock me every time I glance at them, but in a good way I think.