Orange Park Endodontics

Oh yeah... I'd say this is pretty important too.

Check it out: www.orangeparkendo.com.

July

I think I am finally getting settled enough to give you the retrospective of the last month. It has been wild and crazy, exciting and intense. I am finally hitting my own rhythm, and I absolutely love the days I haul my chair, a book and a bottle of water down to the beach. There is a lot to be said for that little piece of peace. Let me begin from the beginning...

The week before we left NC the Super Moon was in full bloom. One night we rode out to Jordan Lake a state park not far from our apartment. We parked the truck and got in the back with folding chairs like good rednecks. One truck stopped to see if we were catching anything, but they quickly realized we weren't fishing. I didn't know it then, but it was a beautiful foreshadowing of nights to come.

His parents arrived first for graduation festivities. We really were sitting pretty as far as the move. There was little to be done, so we were able to enjoy each other. We ate some nice meals and enjoyed Chapel Hill. That Friday evening we celebrated Tom's accomplishment with the Endodontics department. The faculty and staff has a surplus of amazing and appreciative things to say about my Tom Brown. It was a special night. Mostly it was special because everyone thought - at one point - that he was going to propose. Each resident got up and said something. He began to talk about getting me while he was here and the next step. Even he realized it sounded like a proposal and cut his chatting short. My heart was definitely jumping out of my chest, but I was able to laugh about it. Here is my Doctor Master Thomas Allen Brown, Jr.

The next day my parents arrived. It was so good to see them. I didn't know at 30 when things are wild that you sometimes still just want your Mama. It was so good to hug them. Tom and I were thrilled that everyone seemed like old friends. The meeting of the parents wasn't strenuous at all. I am sure that having bigger fish to fry (the move) kept me decently distracted. At one point in Florida, Tom and I sat back and watched the moms and dads chat at the lunch table. It was effortless, and we were grateful. I don't think we could have asked for anything more.

Tuesday was the physical transportation of our stuff and your physical beings and my psyche to Florida. It was truly a horrible drive. We were in pouring rain almost the entire time. When we stopped for lunch, I decided to break out ahead of them. We were trying to make it in time for new mattresses to be delivered. About an hour outside of FL, the rain finally stopped, and blue sky emerged. I white-knuckled the steering wheel for nearly 7 hours but was so relieved to finally settle back in my seat and use the cruise control. I owe my parents a thousand thanks you for their help with that drive. It was a less-than-ideal scenario for the trip.

Movers came the next morning to pull all of this out of the truck...

It was an absolute mess for a few days. I hit a wall at one point and just couldn't deal with it anymore. Mama and Mary were wonderfully helpful, but I had to walk away from the nonstop work. One morning Daddy, Mama and I walked down to the beach to see the sunrise. That first week there were lots of evening walks on the beach. It was wonderful. We'd get out after dinner and walk maybe a mile or less with his parents.

Slowly the boxes cleared, and things began looking more like a home.

We got a new side table and coffee table from Cottage by the Sea. They were refinished by a local artist, and we both really liked them instantly. We're quite pleased with these.

Mom and I had a blast in Bed Bath and Beyond with bedding. That usually isn't my scene, but I was in the zone. Once those rooms are complete, I'll share pictures. For now, I am trying my hand a refinishing a bedside table. If that works, I will do the headboard to match. We also need new bedside tables in our bedroom. Hopefully that happens sooner rather than later, but for now we are on a budget.

In the meantime, we have greatly enjoyed our outdoor space. Tom purchased a grill the first day we were here, and we are already using it right and left. His Mama was too kind and treated us to lots of little odds and ends to round out our home. One of those treats was the 9-foot umbrella on our  patio. It is great and provides some much needed shade when the sun is beating down. You can also see the glorious hibiscus plants we have. Yellow and pink bushes line both sides of the house in the backyard. We have beautiful bottle brush trees on either side of our driveway and some other really great foliage.

Tom has already taken to maintaining the backyard as well as adding to it. He has our hanging plants on pretty hangers along with bird feeders and Cranmommie's wind chimes all adding to the ambiance. I will be sure to post more pictures of his handiwork.

We were treated to a rainbow one afternoon. This is the view looking towards the east off of our bedroom balcony.

This is the same view from our balcony of the July full moon. It was beautiful. The night after this was taken we walked down to the beach to see the moonrise. It came over the horizon in a glorious deep orange color. Its light briefly spilled over the ocean. We maybe got to see if for 5 to 10 minutes before it dipped back behind a cloud as it mades its ascent.

I've had a blast going through old boxes of stuff that my parents brought. This picture from Emily's 25th birthday party wasn't in those boxes, but it made me grin from ear to ear. 

One Friday morning I borrowed Tom's bike and rode down to Lillie's Coffee Bar up in Atlantic Beach. I forgot a cruiser bike would make for a slow ride, but it was enjoyable. (Tom reminded me the purpose of a cruiser is to cruise. Hmm.) I settled into a nice spot and journaled while I sipped on a hot coffee and nibbled on a delicious croissant. I hope when I have my own bike we frequently ride to Lillie's. It was a nice 35-minute ride and great happy place to enjoy. When I got there, I instantly thought of my Mama. It wasn't even 8:30 a.m., and the eclairs were ready in the dessert case. I had to smile.

Tom has twice now gone to the hunting camp he has joined in order to work on the camper he'll stay in. On one of those mornings, I got up and made a special batch of coffee from beans Mom and Dad sent from their trip to Dallas. This is a Mexican Chocolate blend from Addison Coffee Roasters. They bought it at Central Market. I am definitely feeling a bit jealous of their quick trip over Mom's birthday. Anyway, I poured my special coffee (that was just perfect by the way) in a travel mug and took an early morning walk on the beach. There were fishermen out and lots of ladies walking their dogs. It was insanely humid. I felt like I was wearing a wet blanket, but the scenery was stunning.

Here and there I've had the time to do some things that make my heart feel warm and fuzzy. This little fruit serving was for our breakfast one morning. We agreed the mango was especially delicious.

I made two batches of scones one afternoon. One was for us and his parents, and the other he took into the office. I really enjoyed myself that afternoon. I love using our kitchen. I am going to be very spoiled by this wonderful space we have. To have moved in sight-unseen, we couldn't have asked for more. Other than being on the corner of a very busy street, this place would otherwise be a perfect forever spot.

This past Sunday we were finally settled enough to have friends over for dinner. Kris, Steph and Austin came along with Kandi, Matthew and Bruce. Two little boys under the age of two made for a hysterical and wonderful evening. They were everywhere. I feel badly that their mamas may not have been able to relax, but T and I loved having them over. We were most looking forward to showing Austin T's fish tank. Austin is a lover of sharks, so of course he took an instant liking to the tank. I had to apologize to the fish the next morning for all the excitement outside their home, but no one seemed to protest.

Here are two pictures from preparing for dinner. In the move, I rediscovered a great apron from Andie. I had to laugh as I slipped it on to do a few last minute dishes before everyone arrived. It made me miss my friends even more and wish they were closer to join us for dinner.

Here is T with his 4 racks of ribs. They were delicious, and we had way too many. There was a definite learning curve there. Our refrigerator is bulging this week, but we are learning to freeze for later.

In all, things are going really well. I feel like I am hitting my groove. I teach for the first time tonight at the new studio. Next week I will have more clients. I am really happy to not be working a ton. I know it is bizarre, but I'm getting to enjoy (hold on to your hats) mopping and vacuuming. I have detested these particular chores in the past, but with the time to do them, I've found a lot of happiness just keeping our pretty new home in working order.

 I am so grateful for this place and for the man I am blessed to share it with. We are looking forward to lots of guests - both those who come for dinner and those who come for several nights. I certainly walked through a rough transition initially, but I am happy to be on the other side of it. I know we have many, many good times ahead of us.

A Good Saturday

Yesterday (when I finally got sleepy head out of the bed), we drove over to the farmer's market again and spent way too much money. We only have two more Saturdays before graduation and the move weekend. I hope he is ok with repeating this adventure.

Afterwards we drove over to the storage unit. I am feeling much better about this after seeing it. We made SO many trips over there last year to drop off junk; I was starting to think it might take hours to load it into the moving truck. In reality, I think it will be fairly simple. There might be a couple of cumbersome pieces (the dish cabinet and the Golden Tee), but everything else will be a-ok. I even think we could do it without my poor Daddy.

When we got home, we took a nap, packed a good bit, found a new place to try to rent (east of 3rd!!) and eventually made our way out to the grill.

** To be fair to sleepy head, we stayed out the night before until 2:30am. While he is better at this than me, I was quite proud we (read: I) still have it in us. No one was hurting too badly the next morning, but we were aware of the fun that had been had. **

Here is our pretty loot from the farmer's market:

They are nearly LSU flowers! (Cranmommie, Butter and Gussie sent me an LSU bouquet the morning I pledged Kappa. These made me remember that and smile.)

We left with sirloin steak, 2 ears of corn, 3 tomatoes, half dozen eggs, fresh mozzarella, blueberries, strawberries, mixed salad greens and our pretty flowers. Even if we did spend a lot on a little I like the idea of supporting local farmers and knowing how fresh it all is. Yum yum yum.

Tonight - A Second Thought

I'll go for twice tonight.

When I have the time and patience, I really enjoy hand washing Grandma's Franciscan Ivy pattern china.

I know she took great pride in her dishes. When I actually pull out the serving pieces to use for dinner (in addition to our plates), I always smile.

Tonight after dinner Tom went back to studying. Instead of attacking the mess, I took some time to sit, sip my drink, write a little bit. Then, only when I was ready, I cleaned the kitchen. It was such a simple thing, but I actually enjoyed the process. As I washed our knives and the Franciscan by hand, I took the time to manually scrub all the while appreciating the dishes and missing my Grandma.

It's been a good night.

Tonight

The remnants of a tropical storm
Old 97s Hitchhike to Rhome (I forgot how much I like this album.)
A sweet little hummingbird flitting around the fuschia (He thinks this plant is so pretty, and it is.)
Ina Garten's Tuna and Avocado Salad
Tyler Florences' Roasted Corn on the Cob
A gin and tonic
A studying boy
A happy girl
Even amid the boxes, I'm soaking it all in.

May Jax Beach Trip

The Thursday before Mother's Day we headed south to do some scoping. (Tom, having no need to scope, was pacifying me, and I'm grateful.)

It was a little less than 8 hours, and somehow the time in the truck flew by us. We spent forever traversing the Carolinas, but once we hit Georgia the trip picked up speed. After crossing the FL border, Jax Beach was only 45 minutes ahead. Wow.

We stopped that night to pick up dinner on the way to Kris and Steph's where we had a cocktail and enjoyed their back patio. To have only been to Jax Beach twice now, I am growing more and more excited about time spent in that very spot. They are so welcoming and enjoy having everyone around. Granted I like my hermit time, but I know we will spend some lovely, relaxing times seated around the table on their back deck enjoying a dram of something tasty and the night air.

Friday was a big day. I took a Gyrotonic class at a studio where I might like to teach. I sort of wanted to scope the place out and sort of wanted to indulge myself. It was really, really wonderful. I forget what a luxury it is to be the student sometimes. When I left, I inquired about other Gyrotonic classes they offered and said I'd really like to join the class when I arrive in July.

Afterwards we took a quick trip to Bell's to search out a Mothers Day gift for Mary. Tom took a conference call in the car while I walked over to the Panera across the way. (I love that Carrboro has made me so willing to walk more.) His morning was quite busy. When he finished his call, he picked me up from Panera and drove me to the Starbucks down at Jax Beach. He then spent 2 hours with the accountant. I eventually took a walk around the little shopping center. (This nook also houses Roy's which he has spoken very highly of.) I also finally crossed 3rd street to put my feet in the sand.

There were so many sea shells! When I was a little girl, Cranmommie and I always picked up seashells in the mornings when we were at the beach. I can still see Mrs. Orey's coffee mugs and taste the coffee milk that Grandma and Papa would make me before we went looking. Cranmommie and I never had THIS many shells to peruse. This is the finished product after (finally) cleaning them off this weekend.

But back to our trip...

When he finally (finally) surfaced, we drove down to the pier to park. We were going to walk to Lillie's, but I had my directions all wrong. Casa Marina was much closer, so we climbed the stairs up to the upstairs penthouse bar and patio.

Here is our view from lunch...

I feel certain we will frequent this spot. It definitely felt like we were on vacation. Is this too good to be true? To live somewhere where the tempo and pace of life is so much more relaxed and steady? I hope I can embrace the slower speed and let go of my often frenzied need for activities and scheduled events.

We tried to do some house hunting, but it wasn't meant to be. I won't bore you with the details, because it was pretty exhausting. As of today, we have a place we've applied to rent. Our fingers are crossed that it all works, and we should know something today or tomorrow. If we do not get this place, the agreement is that we will continue to look for something three blocks back from the beach until June 5. After that if we still have nothing, we will rent something farther away from the beach. 

On Saturday, Mary and Tom joined us. We had a really wonderful time with them. Mary helped with the house hunting, and we did some shopping and eating.

On Sunday, the four of us went to meet Dr. Nipper, from whom Tom is purchasing Orange Park Endodontics. He was super. I probably thought he was so super, because he looks eerily like Daddy. (I mean bald spot, glasses, mustache, clothes - DAD!) They had a good meeting, and we all left so proud of Tom and feeling very good about the business venture.

Afterwards we drove back to Kris and Steph's where they had cooked out for Mothers Day. We got to see more friends and family and had a great time watching the TPC Sawgrass wrap up on the outdoor tv. It was pretty neat to see the gorgeous sunset behind the commentators and then look up beyond the tv to see the same incredible sunset. We were all admiring view.

The next day was for me the most exciting part of the trip. I received an email after breakfast that morning inviting me to speak with the owner of the Pilates studio. She and I connected over the telephone later that morning and had a very positive conversation. While I do not have a job per se, it was just what I needed. We have plans to meet on July 17th, and I feel like there is something in Jax Beach that I have done all for myself. We've exchanged a few emails since then including my resume and references. I am really hopeful that this grows into a job - if it is meant to be the right one.

All in all we had a great weekend. We did some exploring for my sake, a lot of driving around, and began finding some little nooks that are sure to be favorites with time. It had a rocky start with the housing questions that were left hanging in the air, but by the end we'd walked the beach together. We shared the sound of the ocean under the moon and in the bright midday light. I am really looking forward to all the memories we have to make in the years to come.

Farmers Market Loot

This past weekend I made a journey to the Durham Farmers Market with a lovely client. We took the windy country roads from Carrboro to Durham and enjoyed the trees and the sunshine along the way.

The market itself was wonderful. There were lots of vendors, food trucks all lined up, some sort of race that morning and an entire section of the market devoted to craft vendors. It was great. It would be hard not to return each Saturday we have left here.

Afterwards, Cay and I went to Scratch Bakery. I'd been wanting to try it out. We shared a slice of buttermilk pie and sat in the sunshine. She shared several recipes with me. When I make them, I'll have to be sure to document the fun.

It was really a wonderful morning. We finally headed back home after noon. I felt very lucky to share a nice morning with such a wonderful lady. Below is my loot...

Fresh flowers, grapefruit marmalade, yellow cauliflower, strawberries.

Eggs, zucchini, cucumber and more yellow cauliflower.

All the Little Ways

I think it is safe to say we have a lot of fun "taking care" of each other. I personally find a lot of joy in doing things with him in mind.

Take for instance dinner on Thursday night. Because I work late on Monday and Wednesday, he manages dinner on those nights. Tuesday/Thursday are mine. I had the best time in the grocery store this go round. I asked if I prepped if he would grill, and he agreed.

First we started with a Lime Basil Gin Martini. He did this for me. I'd been craving lime anything to signify summer time, and we have basil growing like crazy on our porch. (Farmer Brown to the rescue.) We both agreed it was a great drink. Sadly for him the gin was a little too much like lighter fluid. He said next time he'll make his with vodka.

Fresh off the grill came shrimp and zucchini. The zucchini is a Pioneer Woman recipe that I have fallen madly in love with. I hope he likes them, because I request them frequently. It is nothing more than salt, pepper, a lot of lemon zest and some olive oil. They sit for a while before you grill them. They are just delicious, and they've been a hit before when we've made them for friends.

The shrimp joined some heirloom tomatoes and an avocado-basil-buttermilk dressing to make this.

I'm not sure that the picture really does it justice. If I ever serve this to friends, I should take the dressing out of the blender and pipe it on the plate, so it doesn't looks like such blobs of greenness. We'd made this before, and while he didn't remember it, I was looking forward to making it again. This one is a keeper!

Since we are still trying to get housing nailed down... for our move... that happens in 37 days... groan!!!

Since we are still trying to get housing nailed down, we were in talks that evening for the second night in a row with a gentleman trying to rent his place. It is a great spot 2 blocks off the beach. It is farther north than he wants to be (due to commute time), but it is really a great spot.

Well I was ahead of myself. (This is not yet a no, nor it is a go.) I decided to celebrate a little. At least in my mind this meant maybe something could turnover where we want to rent. Maybe, just maybe, we will get to live where we think would be perfect. We'll see.

Anyway, I decided to celebrate a little bit. I bought tiny Marshall's biscuits and mascerated some strawberries and blueberries. Adding a little whipped cream made us a couple of sassy little strawberry shortcakes.

Once again, this was another tasty treat. Although we both agreed, we could have really used some extra whipped cream. :)

This was just another night of fun, of being together, of being in the kitchen and of sharing life. It was a moment in time, and the moment was great.

The Mississippi Simplicity

Tonight when I left the movie theatre, I had a text that told me what an incredible moon was in the sky. The front doors of the theatre opened, and the perfect glowing orb hung just right in the night.

I took the long way home. Well, I took the long way back to our apartment. There were 8 turns between the two parking lots. The back roads wind and twist like good Mississippi roads, like roads from home.

As I drove, I tried to soak in the glory of the moon. It floated in the darkness and danced between, behind and among the trees. I suddenly felt the familiarity of home. Real home. The place I grew up. I felt the twisting roads and the aged trees. I felt the magical nights full of promise and youthful hope.

On the 6th turn into the drive, the moon escaped the view through my dirty windshield.

But suddenly there was something much sweeter. Darkness. There were no street lights, no light pollution. I cursed the oncoming cars and how they ruined the moment, my moment. I loved the darkness and the stunning moon and how they both elicit fond feelings of home and my childhood.

I am grateful for the night and all the magic of the moon and the darkness. I long for nights spent in a muggy Southern summer in a field where you can hear the crickets. I miss the times we sat on a pier basking in the moonlight. I miss the way it shone down on the water. I miss how different it felt to be more secluded, to have such little interruption from street lamps, to have a wide open field to share with just a few friends.

I am surprised to feel so wistful about big open outdoor spaces and muggy nights and empty fields and cricket songs. Over the past few years an evening outside has morphed into a dining patio with wine or cocktails and street lights and lots of people and some sort of music piped in.

Mississippi is woven deep in my fabric. The simplicity of it came calling tonight. It stirred in me and sent a longing chill up my spine.

I do treasure the simplicity. Perhaps it will be present soon in the sound of crashing waves and the feeling of sand between my toes and the moon lingering low over the ocean.

Quizzes

Tom reminds me of Cranmommie a lot.

Most specifically I have never felt such genuine, unconditional love. When she passed away, I thought I'd never feel that sort of love again.

How incredibly blessed am I to feel that sort of love from Tom?

One night, he had another striking Cranmommie moment when he asked me to on the spot identify the person singing over our speakers.

I was immediately drawn back to Cranmommie's car. I can see the cassette player. The radio was on. She had a neat little organizer under the radio. We were parked outside her apartment off Highland Road. It wasn't the only time she quizzed me about who was singing, but this one stuck out. It was important that I could make the distinctions between George Strait, Alan Jackson and Randy Travis, of course. Good music was to be studied and appreciated and absorbed.

Funny. I think Tom Brown would say he feels just the same.

How incredibly blessed am I? To have my future echo my past. Blessed.

An Apple a Day

I always feel better when I am eating my fruits and veggies. An apple is another way I try to consciously shove another fruit serving into my day. (Let's be honest. Sometimes it is the only fruit serving of the day.)

This is me proving that I ate my daily apple. We shook on the challenge hoping it might have better sticking power. I think I've skipped a few since then.

Duke Gardens

This picture was captured at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the Duke Campus. We decided to go after I finished work one Saturday. It was beautiful. While it wasn't the same experience as visiting the Biltmore, it was still a great way to spend the afternoon. Tom took his camera and certainly has more images than this. Maybe those will surface soon.

This is such a wonderful place to take a book and a blanket. We saw lots of people with picnics and one field full of co-eds throwing balls and hanging out.

For being such a good sport, I took him to Fullsteam afterwards. (Truth is I don't think he minded the gardens. He has a way of appreciating many different things even when they aren't his "thing".) Here we bumped into Emmy's brother and sister-in-law. It was great to see familiar faces. We sat and had a couple of beers and ate dinner together from a food truck. It was such a great way to get out and enjoy where we are while we are here.

Left All Alone

Last week Tom went to Hawaii. Without me.

Seen here:

To be honest this picture made me terribly happy. I woke up to it on his second day there. I had to smile.

I would say I had to busy myself, but there was plenty going on here.

I went out the Secret Bar with clients after work on Monday. I made a flying trip to Charlotte for a doctor appointment, ran a 10-mile race and spent two days with my Tri It for Life friends.

I did find sometime to get myself a hat. After turning 30 suddenly my fine lines don't seem so fine, and I think I can honestly say I have a decent sunspot on my right cheek. So I invested in something I will love wearing at the beach and by the pool. This is a selfie. I can't believe I know what that is much less took one.

My last night alone I finally broke down and made myself dinner. The tuna medallions were on sale at Teeter, so I seared tuna with his Adobo seasonings. I admit I did a good job. My favorite salad these days is half an avocado, cherry tomatoes and black olives with a bit of balsamic dressing. So good!

I also had the last Strawberry Abita in the fridge.

It was a nice week being my crazy self and spending too much time on projects and little things. I knew I would miss him, but I had no idea how very much. It was nice to see the difference between the ways things are and the way things were. Life is so much better when we are together.

In celebration of his return, I grabbed some daffodils at Trader Joe's today. I swear I've been skipping just knowing we would be home together tonight.

Baby Goodies Galore

Some of the latest and greatest...

Shrimp Remoulade-Stuffed Creole Tomatoes

I don't have a professional camera, but you get the jist of it.

Let me tell you they were delicious! The cool of the tomato juxtaposed by the sharp spice of the remoulade was amazing. 

This came out of my most recent Louisiana Cookin'. The recipe is here.

Loved this Quote

Cooper River Bridge Run

Despite the fact that we had some sort of stomach illness the week before the race, we had a great time in Charleston.

** Let it be known that more important than race week was Tom's thesis defense. ** God love him. It was the day after we got so sick. I missed it to lie in bed like a wet paper towel. I'm so proud of him though and am still sorry I missed being there to support my Love.

Anyway, two of the Florida folks raced with us. I intentionally took it easy as I was still having a hard time eating. I didn't set a record, but I once again loved the weekend.

Here we are at lunch after the race at Amen Street.

Not too shabby if I may say so myself.

We had dinner at High Cotton that evening. Everyone agreed it was a top notch meal. I was still picking at food, but luckily my appetite returned in full force for brunch the next morning at Husk.

I mean, let's face it. A trip to Charleston is a trip about eating. Maybe it is about drinking too. But really it is about eating.

At Husk that morning we shared biscuits and gravy for the table. Tom remembered someone ordering them last year. It was a good thing he did. They were delicious.

Now in North Carolina there is this pesky thing called Blue Laws. If you head to brunch on Sunday before noon, you will miss the chance to have a Mimosa or Bloody Mary. So I asked the waiter if we could drink. Hallelujah we were in luck!

I ordered a "Summah, Dhania" after having a sip of Tom's. The menu describes it with this: 

"Slow it down and stretch it out. Jalapeno macerated tequila, Aperol, cilantro simple syrup, fire roasted orange juice."

Seen here:

Basically, it was divine. With it I had a roasted quail a top stoneground grits, kale and two fried eggs. Heaven, I tell you. Heaven.

All in all the weekend was full of pedicab rides and libations and friends. Already looking forward to next year!

Happy Friday

Top four reasons it is a happy Friday.

1. Eight mile run! (Even though I forgot to eat breakfast - huge mistake - the run was great! I love training.)

2. It is Easter as evidence by my Target run this morning.

3. I am learning how to style my hair when I want wear it wavy. I started using Ouidad products about 6 months ago, and now I am following some of the tips from their videos. I had no idea how much curl my hair actually has.

4. I made these socks at least 2 years ago, but I never finished them. (For non-knitters or non-crocheters, this is when you sew in the long pieces of yarn at the beginning, end or at color changes in a pattern.) This is the first time I've worn them. I think they are super cute!

5. Oh and #5 is a bonus. Tom gets to leave school early today, and he's picking me up a Skinny Vanilla Latte. What an addiction! Life is good.

We Were Wild Once

I saw this yesterday on facebook from college peers. It is hard not to love a quote like this!

I go back...

Lots of different senses can draw us back in time. Some colognes remind us of old boyfriends. Oil of Olay will always be my Cranmommie. Tuesday's Gone will forever be the last song at a high school dance. A cold Bud Light is a hot afternoon on Lake St. John.

Now, there is nothing at all special about Allegro Marinade, but I've had a good college friend on my mind. She was (and probably still is) a regular southern Martha Stewart. She was good in the kitchen and enjoyed being there. More than once she would put chicken or thin pork chops down in Allegro. Now there is nothing special about Allegro, but today it is satisfying my memories today. Having no other Allegro experience, the look of the bottle, the tangy smell and its salty taste are reserved strictly for my Daniel Avenue friend.

I've been thinking about her lots lately and have missed being in their apartment. She treated us to more than one meal and had many more crafts than this simple marinade. She is responsible for sharing her mother's margarita recipe - which is where I learned a splash of beer cuts the sweetness and makes the margarita perfect.

The pork chops are in an Allegro bath in the fridge, and my mind is back in college in a two bedroom apartment. I'm in a small kitchen with three fun girlfriends, all sorority sisters and all a piece of my past. I'm not in touch with them like I should be or wish I was, but they are part of the fabric of my SMU experience. While I am looking forward to supper in North Carolina tonight, my heart and mind are back on campus in Dallas.

~ This post was written over a year ago and for one reason or another never was posted. Here's to sharing it after all! ~

Boots with the fur

Well not quite... But oh my gosh! I got the pattern from Ravelry. The yarn is Simply Soft by Caron, and the buttons came from a highly successful trip to the Hillsborough Yarn Shop. Oh my gosh! I may have - let's just admit it - I did squeal with delight as the buttons were being sewn on!

I wish the pictures did them justice.

Aunt Cissy's Cakes

Forgive me. I started eating before I remembered to take a picture!

This year for the first time as an adult I made a Valentine treat from my past. I was worried that it wouldn't be the same, but I was happily wrong.

The tradition began when I was three years old. Aunt Cissy would have been over to make deep pink strawberry cakes for my class party.

However, the story actually begins a good while before February 1986. My Grandma and Aunt Cissy (twins - identical - also called "Tuffy" and "Cissy") hail from Jena, Louisiana. My dad remembers delicacies like squirrel gravy when he was a little boy and using an out house when he went to visit family. Let's just say their home was a bit secluded.

I don't have all the details, so I will need my Mama to fill in some blanks. Basically one of my great great aunts bought a heart-shaped baking pan for her husband whose birthday was near Valentine's day. It was a big purchase, a bit frivolous for them, and as you can see luxury wasn't exactly something they were accustomed to enjoying.

Anyway, Aunt Cissy and I made these cakes, in these very cake pans, from 1986 until I had my last class party in 6th grade. A few year ago I was given the cookbook and the pans. I'm not sure why I had not chosen to make them. Maybe I was avoiding the calorie intake. Maybe the memories of being a little girl helping from the countertop felt a bit too fresh. But this year was the year.

I loved reading through her notes. She adapted a recipe in the Natchez Homemaker's Extension Club Cookbook from 1976. The cake was incredibly easy to make, and it tasted just right. I will need to work on the icing. That wasn't spot on, but the cake was exactly as it lived in my memory.

I don't know if my class remembers this tradition, but in honor of sharing (and the recipe makes two hearts), I sent one cake to Tom's resident room in the Endo department. It was a hit, and I have to admit I was thrilled! Besides, the cake didn't last a full 48 hours at our home before the last morsel was demolished.

We are both looking forward to celebrating and sharing the cakes with friends every February in the future.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Mardi Gras

It is hard to watch Facebook during Mardi Gras. All the good food, all the friends, all the booze, all the party. It makes a girl jealous.

I woke up on Fat Tuesday in pursuit of my own fun. We are too poor to order and ship King Cake's, but I hope that will change eventually. I had to bring Louisiana to us.

I pulled out my Holly Clegg cookbook and dug around for crawfish anything. My latest edition of Louisiana Cookin' was all about mudbugs. I haven't handled life well, since they rubbed the little critters in my face. (Did I mention I've been feeling jealous?)

Well with a little work and one tiny hiccup, we dined on Crawfish Creole on Tuesday night.

A little roux.

A little trinity.

A little Crawfish Creole.

My disappointment was a big one, but it didn't really impact the dish. I thought I was buying crawfish from south Louisiana. Alas, it was a Gulf Coast company, but crawfish meat was from China. CHINA?! I was upset, but we survived. I can't wait to get back towards the coast where the seafood is fresh and from someone with a terrific accent.