Grilled Vegetable and Shrimp Skewers

I am finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to our yard. Prior to us purchasing our home it had been empty for a year, so needless to say, the garden was and has been in complete disarray. Where does one begin!? I have an exceptionally limited knowledge of gardening and have found the whole task of landscaping daunting. No, let me rephrase that, I found it mind numbingly overwhelming.

Fortunately for me and Barnaby, my mother and step-father are master gardeners. This last weekend they loaded their Euro Van with shrubs and plants, left their Sunset-magazine-perfect home and headed north to Seattle to help us . We arrived home from work on Friday greeted by the two of them wielding all sorts of garden tools and implements. I knew what I was in for and I knew I had to keep up - Mom and Greg are serious forces to be reckoned with in the garden.

Saturday morning I  donned the grubby jeans and the protective eye wear, and trimmed hedges like a burly man. Barnaby, on the other hand, steered clear of the gardening whirlwind and whipped up meal after meal for us. That evening, fresh and clean from our showers, we sat in our beautiful backyard and sipped chilled Rosé while Barnaby barbecued.

Along with his famous Caesar Salad he grilled up yogurt-marinated vegetable and shrimp skewers and served them with a Moroccan-style cumin yogurt sauce. That - and a handful of Tylenol for the sore muscles - fixed me right up for another days worth of gardening!