Then along came Barb. Instantly, I loved Barb. She was warm and nurturing and smoothed out all of Keith's rough edges. Basically, she was a bit of everything Keith was not...and a lot of everything he needed. (Although, as in all good relationships, I'm sure the converse could be said, as well.)
Over their years together, Keith and Barb have become good friends of ours, albeit friends that typically seem to be gifting us in one way or another. They have generously purchased a yearly Costco membership for our family, gifted us a brand new foodsaver, and aided in the completion of several home projects (whether through the lending of tools or labor). And while Will and I are not particularly good at accepting charity, we have grown to appreciate their abundant generosity as the demonstration of their gift-giving love language.
Barb and Keith are living my dream, with a beautiful second home in my favorite beachside town - Capitola, California. Will and I have visited Capitola nearly every summer since being married 13 years ago. Breathing in the salty ocean air while combing the beach for shells to the soundtrack of waves tickling the shore is literally my happy place.
Enter Keith and Barb. When Will came home from work one afternoon in early October and mentioned something along the lines of, "Keith and Barb would like to offer us their home in Capitola for your birthday," it took me all of 3.2 seconds to respond with a resounding "Yes!" After all, what is there to be more thankful for than an impromptu family vacation to your very favorite location? I was all in!
So, after celebrating an early Thanksgiving dinner with my sister's family, complete with my very favorites - potato casserole and a family dance party - we were free to celebrate me. That is, we could begin our stay at Keith and Barb's just as soon as we vacuum sealed the leftover turkey breast we had bought at Costco (using the membership purchased for us by Barb and Keith) with the foodsaver (also gifted to us by Barb and Keith). Hang on...I'm beginning to see a pattern here...
Barb and Keith's home away from home could not have been more welcoming. They literally had every amenity our little family of five could possibly need, down to a very thoughtful make-your-own sundae bar, with all the fixings. That first night, the kids were in heaven and went to bed snuggled in their sleeping bags, three beds in a row, with full hearts and bellies.
Although it rained two of our three day stay, Capitola and its salty ocean air was exactly the nurturing that my soul, teetering on the cusp of a new decade, needed. And when the weather kept us tucked inside, the kiddos enjoyed Jenga, Disney Jr., and curling up with a stack of library books.
I began with my favorite, flakey pie crust (using a combination of butter and shortening) as a base, before filling the shell with a generous helping of fudgy, made-from-scratch brownies. Once the brownie layer had baked and cooled, I slathered the top with a gooey blanket of peanut butter ganache. Next, a layer of vanilla pudding (reminiscent of Marianne's vanilla ice cream) served as a canvas for homemade peanut butter nuggets and a slathering of chocolate ganache. Finally, a piping of peanut butter buttercream was the cherry on top (not literally...although that would be delicious).