A Dinner al Fresco for our Okinawan Neighbors

Do you remember when I shared on here in June about missing our flight in Hong Kong, being stuck in the airport for two nights, and then because of it, meeting an Okinawan couple who live in the same neighborhood? Proof that good can come out of every. single. situation! We've become fast friends with them, as well as their whole family and close friends, and just shake our heads in wonder at how wild it is that we're given an inside look at this culture though such warm, fun, hilarious locals. They've had us over for incredible sushi + soba and we got to host them this time on our back deck for a simple al fresco dinner. It was such a fun, late night with lots of talking, laughing, translating, laughing hysterically at translating, and vino.

We had wine and Goat Cheese & Apple Crostini Drizzled in Warm Honey for an appetizer.
I recently threw this together with what I had in the fridge and now I can't stop making it! All you have to do is toast a sliced baguette in the oven that's rubbed in olive oil, salt and garlic, and then top it with a slice of apple, goat cheese crumble and a drizzle of warm honey. So simple and the flavors are amazing together.

We served dinner family-style so everyone could eat as much as they wanted. 

We had roasted Caprese Capellini {2+ lbs & 2 platters!}

My Lemon Rosemary Shrimp grilled over charcoals with roasted garlic cloves

And... Grilled Pear & Papaya Salad {in the first photo} and garlic bread. Sometimes I like to lightly grill fruit on our charcoal bbq... it adds a yummy, savory flavor.

Cooking a full meal for 10 people took all afternoon, but I loved it. I realize more and more the blessing of letting your creativity flow through cooking something beautiful & delicious for others. That's my favorite part about it. I get to be creative with a sense of freedom & imagination improvising with fresh ingredients, and it becomes a gift for those there to eat.

 We really wanted them to experience some America so... we had milk & cookies for dessert. Yes! It was hilarious watching them so confused at first, tentatively trying it, and then literally shrieking at how delicious it was. We cracked up. WHO can resist warm chocolate chip cookies and milk!!? I cut the cookies in strips to dip more easily and used different size mason jars and glass mugs for the milk. So simple, but can't go wrong with it!

We're so thankful for our Okinawan neighbors and that they had a good time. They asked us midway through dinner if they could all move in.  Hahah, we told them that probbbably wouldn't be great for our marriage.