Townsend Tales

It's All About the Food!

2012-01-15T10:29:00.002-05:00

Sunday morning. Ah, food! Heart Attack food at it's best! We love brunch out but today it was just too cold to even think of leaving the houseso we decided to do it up ourselves. Kirby did his homemade biscuits, wehad thick applewood smoked bacon and TUPELO Honey (clickfor more information) - the best honey in the world. I grew up onhoney butter and biscuits but my honeybutter is mostly honey. Ihate that stuff that is butter with a hint of honey. The problem with myhoneybutter is that it never matches up with the biscuit. You eat anotherbicuit because you still have honeybutter left but then before the biscuit isgone, you run out of honeybutter so you mix up some more but now you run out ofbiscuit again and still have honeybutter left and so on and so on until youhave eaten way too much!

Kirby also had farm fresh eggs with his breakfast but I wanted to make sureI had room for lots and lots of biscuits so I passed on the eggs. (I havea friend at work who sells me her fresh eggs! What a world of differencefrom our old store-bought eggs!)

A heart attack in the making....I know, but we don't do it very often so Ithink it is OK. Ah, but that bacon was good!

How Do You Make the PERFECT Caesar Salad??

2012-01-09T19:30:00.000-05:00

Years and years ago, Kirby and I determined to make the best Caesar Salad....period. We experimented and experimented - it was fun - we got to eat our experiments. Finally we came up with what we thought was the very best mix of traditional ingredients. We have made it for years. We have shared it with anyone who wanted it. We try to eat it at least once every week or two. We LOVE it! It is full of garlic and we don't use croutons....too many carbs for the times we were on carb free diets!

You know how sometimes you just always make things the same way over and over and kind of wonder "if I left our such and such, would it still be OK?". Well, tonight I went to make our famous salad and, "Oh, my goodness, there is not another Anchovy Paste in the pantry!!!" What will I do?? I decided to make it anyway and we would see if we really and truly needed the anchovy paste. I mean, we have been making it this way for years...maybe we don't really even need the anchovy paste which turns people off, anyway.

You NEED the anchovy paste!! Trust me, it is a small but important part of the recipe! Don't leave it out and then wonder why the recipe wasn't that good! So, here it is! Our famous Caesar Salad! Enjoy! (You won't notice the anchovy when it is there - you will notice it NOT BEING there!)

1 head of Romaine lettuce, washed and dried - a spinner works best
1/3 Cup Olive oil
1 T. Lemon juice
1 T. Minced garlic
1 tsp. Anchovy paste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 - 1/2 C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Break the lettuce into small bite size pieces.
Mix the next 7 ingredients well in a bowl with a whip. I heaped everything so don't scrimp.
Pour the dressing over the lettuce and then toss the cheese in.

Serve immediately! And make sure everyone eats some - the garlic is great!

Sun Room

2012-01-07T15:38:00.000-05:00

Update on the Sun Room. Kirby has been working away on it each day. There is so much to do for such a small room it is amazing to me. But as you can see, the windows are trimed, the door is installed with hardware, the baseboards are in, the slider is out and the STOVE is in! Yea!

We managed to install a wood burning stove to ward of the freezing cold of winter during the warmest winter in recent history! Now who could have timed this better? I also got Kirby a heated jacket for Christmas. I guess I am responsible for the warm winter we are having. It is 70 outside right now at 3:30 PM.

The stove isn't really fully installed yet as it still doesn't go through the roof. It is a small one but for heaven's sake, we are in SOUTH Carolina, we shouldn't need much! And this year we don't really need any! It is just funny to me!

Click HERE to see the last picture of the sun room to compare.

Too Many Blogs

2012-01-06T19:48:00.002-05:00

Wow, I just realized that I haven't posted on this blog is quite a while. I have posted to my other BLOG - My View of Charleston and the Lowcountry. You can click on that and check it out. I have some nice wildlife pictures there.

Crock Pot Cheesy Potato and Broccoli Soup

2011-12-28T18:18:00.000-05:00

It is a cold winter day in Charleston - it is 50 degrees at supper time so what could be better than a hot bowl of homemade soup? My picture does not do this recipe justice! This is a great soup that Kirby didn't even add Tabasco to - which he usually does! I just found this today in my January issue of Southern Living - which is a great source of delicious recipes. I added just a little bit of leftover ham and after serving I added freshly grated pepper. It really is very easy and it uses the slow cooker which is wonderful!

2 T butter
½ C chopped onion
2 T flour
2 – 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
2 C peeled and diced red potatoes
1/2 tsp salt
3 C broccoli, chopped floret and thinly sliced stems
1 – 12 oz can evaporated milk
12 oz sharp white cheddar, grated (about 3 cups)

In a large skillet over med high heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook,stirring often, until tender and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir inflour and cook, stirring for 30 seconds longer. Gradually whisk in 1 can broth and stir until simmering and thickened.
Transfer onion mixture to slow cooker. Add remaining can broth and potatoes, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on high setting for 2 hours oruntil starting to simmer.
Stir in broccoli and evaporated milk. Cover and cook 30 minutes linger or until broccoli is tender.
Add cheese and stir until melted.

Christmas Morning - 2011

2011-12-27T20:40:00.002-05:00

I am not sure I need to write anything here! As is evidenced - we had a great time!

My Pictures in Puzzles

2011-12-26T20:41:00.001-05:00

I put all new pictures into my puzzles! Just follow the link below to try it!

Or, on the right under "More Great Sites" you can go to Our Pictures in Puzzles to try some more. It's fun!

Sun Room

2011-12-23T13:44:00.002-05:00

The floor tile and the wall behind the stove are installed. (The floor is still dirty. We can't walk on it yet) Kirby is working on window sills now. Isn't it cool that the floor looks like wood but is porcelain tile?

Any ideas on what to do with the windows? I am thinking maybe just nothing. I don't want to make the room even smaller with too much window treatment. Anyone have good ideas??

Yours Truely

2011-12-23T12:28:00.003-05:00

This picture of us was taken at my company holiday party. So, that's us!

Asparagus Roll-Ups

2011-12-18T10:26:00.002-05:00

Back in the early '80's when I was entertaining a lot and was a stay at home mom with time to do labor intensive dishes, I made these often. Then then things changed, I went back to work, I lived on a boat, and never had time to make wonderful appetizers like this for parties. I made them again yesterday! And they are as wonderful as I remembered. They were the hit of the party and I promised to post the recipe so it could be shared so here it goes with my notations.

15 slices white bread, crusts removed. (I used cheap sandwich white that is more square in shape)
2 containers of Boursin Garlic & Herb cheese spread or 8 oz of cream cheese
2 oz packaged bacon bits or 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (the 2 oz is estimated - just buy a small jar or package)
30 fresh small asparagus spears cooked until just crisp
1/4 C. butter, melted
3 T grated Parmesan cheese

Flatten the bread thoroughly with a rolling pin.
Spread the cheese over the bread (about 2 tsp each slice).
Place 2 spears of asparagus on each piece of bread with a spear protruding from each side. Sprinkle with a little of the bacon.
Roll the bread around the asparagus and place it seam side down on a backing sheet.
Brush each roll with the melted butter and sprinkle with the Parmesan. (at this point you can cover them with plastic or foil and put in the refrigerator until ready to cook).
Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Serve immediately and accept the praise!

Wine Time

2011-12-17T09:32:00.000-05:00

Last night we had Wine Time at my house. It is always so much fun to have a hen party and just laugh together.

This time because it is Christmas we did a gift exchange and it was a blast. No, I didn't not end up with the giant wine glass (that holds a whole bottle of wine). It was stolen from me!

Would you believe that Christie selected the gift that I brought? She must have just sensed that it was mine. She loved the scarf!

You can see and read about the original Wine Time almost 2 years ago by clicking HERE.

W I N E

2011-12-12T18:06:00.000-05:00

I just stumbled upon a great website - if you love wine and are passionate about it, check out Dr. Vino! Don't you just love the name of the blog? He knows a lot of "stuff" about wine!

About Dr. Vino

I talk, teach and write about wine. My first two wine books appeared in 2008: the first tells the backstory of the wine industry in France and America; the second is a practical guide chock full of wine recommendations. Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink (University of California Press) has been called “enlightening” by Publishers Weekly and A Year of Wine: Perfect Pairings, Great Buys, and What to Sip with Each Season (Simon & Schuster) has been described as “witty, lively, and loaded with common sense” by the Chicago Tribune.
This all started in my Ph.D. dissertation on the political economy of the wine industry in France and the United States. So yes, I am a real doctor—I don’t just play one on the web. On this site I make good value wine recommendations and also look at the world through the wine glass, bringing in diverse perspectives and lively reader contributions. My wine writing has also appeared in print in Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, the New York Times, Forbes.com and The Guardian among other places (see “in the media” for complete list). I also teach wine classes at NYU and formerly at the University of Chicago, taste over 1,000 wines a year, and give talks and tastings for individuals, groups and corporations (see “events“). Thanks for visiting and consider subscribing to the site feed. Cheers!
Tyler Colman

Sun Room

2011-12-11T13:34:00.001-05:00

The sun room is coming right along. The dry wall went up this week and is almost ready for the first coat of paint. All the necessary duct work is done with fan and vents and all that stuff. Today Kirby installed all the insulation in the attic. There are so many things he does that you really can't see.

You probably are asking some questions so I will answer them for you! The cut-out at the bottom is Jake's Doggie Door. We got an insulated one so this should be interesting. He will be able to come and go at will. How much do you want to bet that I still have to suggest to him that it is time to go outside. The area in the corner where there is no dry wall is where the wood burning stove will sit. There will be tile installed on the wall behind it.

Sun Room

2011-12-06T20:17:00.001-05:00

Just look at this! The windows are in and the siding is on! It looks fantastic doesn't it? I love the large picture windows even if they don't match the rest of the house. It is a Sun Room after all! And it looks more like the beach house I pretend it is!

The outside looks great but the inside is still lacking a little! It will all take a little time. No rush!

Craft Fair and Recital

2011-12-05T06:27:00.001-05:00

My neighbor, Susan, and I drove up to Ladson yesterday to check out the craft fair. First we turned too soon and ended up at the Flea Market. Remind me not to go there again. It is all the leftover junk that wouldn't sell at garage sales and Goodwill didn't want. Yukky and dirty. Maybe there was a better area that we missed but we quickly found out that we were in the wrong area and left to correct our bad mistake!

So, we arrived at the craft fair and I have to admit, it looked like everything was home made or at least little cottage industry type of things. It was interesting to see what people love crafting. Sort of like my beading. It doesn't matter if you are good at it or if someone else would like to pay for it. You just like making it so you make it, and make it until you don't know what to do with it all and then you get the bright idea to sell it! I don't think much of what we saw sells. :)

We saw a lot of big behinds too!

I did buy some dip flavor packets because they were good!

See, lots of stuff to buy. They just keep making it and making it!

But the best part was this recital that was going on outside. The children were precious trying to remember what to do. They would copy the one next to them who was copying the one next to her and so on, so they were all different. It was so cute!

Excuse the Mess

2011-12-03T10:24:00.001-05:00

Kirby needed a project. He needed a wood stove to stay warm. I am getting a new Sun Room with a wood burning stove! I know that "sun room" and "wood burning stove" don't go together but in our room they will! I don't want a "stove room" or "warm room" because for most of the year we won't be using the stove.

Today he and Mark are installing the windows. I think we have even selected the floor tile and AGREED on it! We are in love with the porcelain tiles that look just like wood. With a dog and visiting dogs, tile is what works for us but wood looks so nice! This is a good compromise.

So much fun watching it begin to look like a room, not a screened porch!

More Lou!

2011-11-30T19:01:00.001-05:00

Before Lou left to fly back to California we shared our pictures. I gave him mine and he gave me his. These two of Kirby and I were taken by him when we were at Magnolia Plantation.

These were taken the next day - Sunday - on our Mount Pleasant outing. We have quite a bit to see and do right here in good ole Mount Pleasant without even going to Charleston (just the other side of the bridge!) The picture above was taken on Isle of Palm gazing out to the ocean - wishing they were back out there on their sailboats having marvelous adventures. Hey, at least we all got to do it for a time...most people only ever dream about it.

The picture below is of the the new Shem Creek Park. Just look at the length of that boardwalk! And that is not all of it! It is fantastic the way it just goes on and on! And - dogs are allowed. I have to take Jake soon - he will love it!

Charleston Farmer's Market and Downtown With Lou

2011-11-27T18:58:00.001-05:00

Our next outting with Lou took us downtown. We began with breakfast at the Charleston's Cafe in Mount Pleasant and ate way too much. I have never had biscuits like theirs...it is sinful!

We were early to the Charleston Farmer's Market but by the time we finished it was really getting packed. Our day continued that way...we were lucky. In this picture - Lou is contributing to the local economy. We purchased farm fresh eggs which we had this morning and the yoke was gold, not pale yellow, and we also got some fresh beets which Kirby cooked up today and we had for dinner....what a treat! I wish I could eat eggs every day and eat eggs like that! We used to get them like that in Mexico years ago and we miss them! I think we need to raise some chickens!

(I just realized that this looks like two pictures with the white tent post splitting it - but it really is just one picture.)

The market was so colorful with the golden leaves.

Then we went on to the Market downtown. We found a few treasures to buy as Christmas gifts (I won't say what or for who) and then saw our first Santa of the season! He was having a very good time and certainly made me smile! I was very impressed with the way this newly remodeled area looks! Great job!

Next we made our way down to the Battery which is at the end of the peninsula. The day was warm and sunny with no wind....perfect!

The trees and the lawns of White Point Gardens were perfect also!

Guys always enjoy the guns that are there. It is just so hard to imagine that those big cannon could really hit the target. But I guess they were better than nothing! (Lou is taking my picture taking his picture in this picture)

And then they were ready to go. Enough.

Mac 'n Cheese

2011-11-26T18:32:00.001-05:00

Football in the south! Kirby fried another turkey for the guys in the neighborhood watching football so I made some Macaroni and Cheese for them. I got RAVE reviews so give it a try when you aren't worried about calories or heart attacks. It always wins the men over!

16 oz elbow macaroni
16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz small curd cottage cheese
16 oz sour cream
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C. melted butter
1 C. dry bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until done - about 10 minutes. Drain.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, dry mustard and salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and stir.
Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs and the melted butter and then sprinkle it over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until top is golden. Serve hot.

Outing with Lou

2011-11-26T06:13:00.001-05:00

Since Lou is visiting from California and has never been to Charleston, we took him to my favorite place, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Winter has set in already and there was very little color but we did find these winter blooming azaleas which were a nice splash of color in the brown background.

They were trying to decide if the tree was a cypress so they smelled it. The decision was No.

This is on the trail at the Swamp Gardens. They were fun even without the flowers and the wildlife - which was gone to somewhere!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T08:36:00.001-05:00

Ah, Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for Thanksgiving! We had such an awesome day!

Lou, is Kirby's best friend from California and he was here to celebrate Kirby's birthday with him and we talked him into staying for Thanksgiving. The day was spent at Christie and Michael's with grandsons Brendan and Casey. This was their first holiday in their new home and what a difference it makes to have an oversized kitchen with 2 of everything! 2 sinks (separate, not next to each other), 2 dishwashers and 2 ovens (again, separate). We all had plenty of room to work and clean up without bumping into each other. I am in love with that kitchen!

Here are Casey and Kirby watching football - of course!

See, the kitchen is so big there is room for everyone - even those who are not working!

Brendan did help out in the kitchen. He learned to peel potatoes and he also carved the turkey and cleaned the carcass after dinner.

Michael, our gracious host, was the first to fall asleep after dinner!

This is LOU! Thanks, Lou, for coming to visit. It is so, so good to see you after too many years! Just wish Vivian could have come with you!

Casey was busy with a school project most of the day but did hang with us some! (both Casey and Brendan are attending Clemson University here in South Carolina.)

My beautiful daughter and our hostess with the mostest, Christie. She is on the phone with her best friend forever, Devani. Christie and Devani have been friends since they were 3 years old so they are almost sisters.

That bird is looking fantastic!

Time for dinner! Christie sets such a beautiful table! The china was my mother's! It is so nice to see it still being used as I grew up with it.

The dogs wanted to join us at the table. That is Socks on the left (she blinked), Jake in the middle and Lacy on the right. They had a fantastic day too as they ran and played outside - the day was perfect!

Brendan did a great job on the turkey! Thanks for the help Brendan!

Nutty Coconut Carrot Cake

2011-11-22T20:42:00.001-05:00

This is an antique recipe. It came from Kirby's mother who would be about 90 right now if she was still with us. The recipe I have only lists the ingredients, oven temperature and cooking time. This time as I made it, I wrote down the method - as I believe it to be. So, following is what I came up with. If you think the method should be different, by all means feel free to change it. By the way - this cake is to die for; rich, moist, heavy and delicious! (I know my picture is a little funky but it was Kirby's birthday cake and had a red decorators frosting on it and I forgot to get a picture until the cake was almost gone!)

2 C. sugar
1 C. oil
3 eggs
8 oz can crushed pineapple (undrained)
2 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C. chopped walnuts
2 C. grated carrots
1 C. coconut
2 tsp. vanilla

With a mixer, cream the oil and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat for 2 more minutes. Add the pineapple and mix with a spoon.
In another bowl combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Add the chopped nuts.
Pour the flour mixture into the oil/sugar mixture and mix to combine making sure the flour is all mixed in.
Now add the coconut and the grated carrots.
Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

ICING

Now you need to top the cake with this frosting which had some instructions with it.

Combine 1/2 C. butter , 8 oz cream cheese, 1 tsp. vanilla and cream well. Gradually add 1 lb. powdered sugar, beating well. If too thick, add a small amount of milk.

Zucchini Soup

2011-11-19T20:32:00.001-05:00

While we were staying at Donna's villa in Punta Mita, Mexico, her housekeeper made us some wonderful soup. It reminded me of a recipe that I hadn't made in years. So, of course I came right home and made it - Zucchini Soup. We had daughter, Christie and her husband, Michael over and I added some quesadillas and spicy black beans to the menu. I think this was the first time we had ever had dinner just the four of us. It was kind of strange without at least one grandson there. But we had a good time anyway!

So, here is the recipe with some pictures -

3 T. Butter
4 zucchini, shredded in the food processor (about 4 cups)
1/2 small onion chopped
4 T minced fresh parsley
1 C. chicken broth
2 C. milk
1/2 C. whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Minced parsley for garnish

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the zucchini, onion and 2 tablespoons parsley.

Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini is tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend in the milk.

(At this point I transferred it to a larger pan) Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the milk is almost boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Transfer soup to a blender (I did it in batches) and puree until smooth. Return to pan. Add the cream and stir over medium heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.

Mexico 3

2011-11-17T19:25:00.001-05:00

Donna gathered us up in her golf cart and toured us all around the Four Seasons Resort in Punta de Mita, Mexico. The beauty of the resort is unparallelled. Everything is pristine and well planned out. If you look in the picture above at the houses set up on the hill you will see where Donna's home is. It is one of those up there - we never figured out exactly which one!!

The Girls taking the tour!

This the the view from the St. Regis Hotel which is the newest addition to the Four Seasons Resort....from the pool to the waterfalls to the ocean.

I don't think this picture needs any narration.

It really is kind of rude when someone just snaps a picture of you, isn't it? I am sorry, Donna, I caught you drinking!

Mexico 2

2011-11-16T19:16:00.001-05:00

Those pictures below were just a teaser. I am now going to start at the beginning and try to share some of our experiences with you. It was all like a magical dream!

Linda and I had arranged our flights so that we met at the airport at Dallas and then flew the rest of the way to Puerto Vallarta together. Here you are seeing two "mature" ladies who hadn't seen each other in 47 years. Thank you, Facebook!

Donna (in the white) and Sue on the left flew in from Denver together. Donna had a driver and her van waiting for us and we traveled the 45 minutes to her villa in the Four Seasons Resort at Punta de Mita. In this picture we are enlisting the help of Adela, her housekeeper/chef in drawing numbers for the gorgeous bedrooms.

This is the room I got! Isn't it gorgeous? And a large bathroom with a mega shower and walk in closet. I was in heaven!

Adela had nice Mexican snacks and some tasty Margaritas waiting for us which was perfect after such a long day of travel.

We all fell in love with the villa and the gorgeous views of the Pacific.

We enjoyed this awesome sunset and drank a glass of wine as we got to know each other again.

Mexico

2011-11-16T13:33:00.001-05:00

I just returned from an incredible visit to Puerto Vallarta and Punta de Mita, Mexico with 3 wonderful friends from my high school days. It was a dream vacation!

The beach at the Four Seasons Resort at Punta de Mita where we stayed at Donna's Villa.

Quatros Amigos Viejo - Four Old Friends. Donna, Sue, Suzie (me) and Linda

There's a Cold Wind Blowin'

2011-11-06T19:30:00.002-05:00

There was a cold wind blowing from Canada and it blew Connie and Ken right down to Charleston! Their last name is Finney but we always call them "Oz" because that is the name of their boat. We met Connie and Ken when we were in the Bahamas on our boat 5 years ago and just seem to always hold on to each other. When you find good people, you shouldn't let them go!

They are on their way down to Florida right now where their boat is waiting for them and they will head out to the Bahamas again. Darn. Wish we were going to! So, anyway, they stopped by for a couple of days (I seemed to have to work most of it) and we talked Connie into making us her famous Eggs Benedict! We were very lucky - it was fantastic! They even brought the real Canadian Bacon with them!

Here is wishing you smooth sailing!! Have some fun for us!

Christie's Birthday

2011-11-05T12:32:00.003-04:00

Christie had her birthday this week. Husband Michael was out of town on a business trip and her boys are both away at Clemson University. I invited her over for wine and appetizers. I didn't tell her that I also invited her best girlfriends over too! She was surprised! Hard to surprise someone - she almost didn't come but I told her in no uncertain terms that she HAD to come! We had a wonderful time - I got to be with "young" women - the make me feel a little bit younger!

But as you can see, being around younger women does NOT make me look younger!

All the women are from our neighborhood and they met because they all have big dogs - labs....some yellow, some black. So, with Jake, I fit right in (even if I am not quite their age!)

This is Pam, Barb, Christie and Kimberly.

Night of Witches

2011-11-01T15:33:00.002-04:00

I can't believe a year has gone by since LAST HALLOWEEN! Here we all are again but dressed as witches this year. I think there were 7 or 8 of us! It was so much fun! And the children were precious; especially the really little ones. So, here is my collection of fun pictures. Enjoy!

Jennifer, Me and daughter Christie
I had on so many layers of clothes I could hardly move! But I was NOT cold!


Very frightening!

Miss Nicole - getting bigger and prettier each year!

As you can see in the background, some of the parents got into the act also! I loved seeing them participating!

This is Owen and he was putting out our fire in the pit.

Now, isn't he a doll!

Party Chicken Bake

2011-10-29T18:44:00.003-04:00

This really is called "Mom's Gooey Chicken" and has been for 40 years. I found this recipe in a newspaper in the late 60's and have been making it since, but not so much as in the first 10-15 years because now we pay a little more attention to what we eat, not just how good it tastes! My kids make it and my grandchildren know and love it. It is a real "Family Recipe".

Because of the Cream of Mushroom Soup and the Cream Cheese in it, I don't make it so much any more but it is still something we all love, a comfort food, and I made it tonight for dinner with fluffy basmati rice and some fresh asparagus. So, if you are hungering for some good old fashioned comfort food - give this one a try. I used bone-in chicken breast just because we prefer our chicken with bones when possible as it is more flavorful but boneless works really well also. (and I took the skin off before cooking)

1 Envelope Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix
2 T. oil
4 Chicken Breast Halves (or boneless, skinless)
1 Can mushroom soup
1 4-oz pkg whipped cream cheese
1/3 C. Dry white wine

Combine 1/2 of the salad dressing and oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and brown slowly on both sides until golden.
Place chicken in a 13 x 7 in. baking dish.
Combine the soup, remaining salad dressing mix and cream cheese in a small bowl and blend well.
Stir in the wine and then spoon over the chicken.
(You may refrigerate at this point if wanted but add 30 minutes to cooking time when taken from refrigerator)
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Waldorf Salad with Cheese

2011-10-29T11:44:00.003-04:00

I know this doesn't look like your traditional Waldorf Salad but that is just because of the cheese on top. The cheese goes so well with the apples. This is the salad we had a couple of weeks ago when the family was over for brunch. It is just such a great winter salad when the fruits of summer have gone. Give it a try! Everyone always loves it!

2 C. apples, chopped
1/4 C. celery, chopped
1/4 C. walnuts, chopped
1/4 C. raisins
1/4 C. seedless green grapes, halved
1/4 C. mayonaise
1/4 C. heavy cream
1 T. honey
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Mix the mayonnaise, cream, honey and lemon juice well to blend. Pour it over the fruit mixture and stir gently. Top with the cheese.

New Look

2011-10-27T12:43:00.000-04:00

I decided to take the picture out so please don't go crazy looking for it! haha!

Tell me what you think of the new look - leave a comment!

New Look

2011-10-26T20:40:00.002-04:00

I love playing with my blog. So, it must have been time for a new look because I fooled around and this is what I got. I will change it if I decide I just don't like it. New picture was taken at Palmetto Isles Park in Mount Pleasant, SC last winter or early spring.

The Red Bucket

2011-10-26T19:50:00.001-04:00

Did anyone notice that the pictures I posted yesterday had been posted before? That is what happens when you get "older". You forget! Well, they were in a little different context so I will let it slide! You can check it out HERE - and have a good laugh at me!

So, why the red bucket? Just because. I had my camera at work yesterday to take pictures of all the VP's so I could frame them for our lobby. I was just sitting at my desk and this bucket of pens called out to me so I took it's picture. Pretty darn exciting, wouldn't you say! Hope you're having a good day!

12th Annual Vallarta Yacht Club Great Chili Cook-Off - Dec 3

2011-10-25T19:05:00.002-04:00

In 2000 Kirby and I were living in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. He had a business there and I was "retired". Our friend, Jim Ketler was a "Make it Happen" type of guy and I went to him and asked if we couldn't have a Chili Cook-Off. Well, the two of us got together with Dick Markie, Harbor Master of the Paradise Village Marina, and they both sort of just took off and made it happen. I was involved with it but they were the machine! It was a major success with money raised for the children who lived at the local dump. That was 11 years ago and the Chili Cook-Off is still going strong. Here is the link to the news story announcing this years event. CLICK HERE.

Here is our team. Suzie, Kirby, Dale, Kathleen and Luigi! We spent the night before making more chili than I have ever seen before. We put a whole bottle of Tequila in our pot and did a bit of sampling of everything that evening. The next morning we were up and ready to "wow" everyone with our special Ta Kill Ya Chili! We had a blast with the whole thing and were so pleased with the success. We had a bean count and the winner got a bottle of tequilla which you can see on the table on the far left. We actually won 3rd place and you can see that I still have our "trophy" in the picture at the top! It sits proudly on my bookcase!

Just for Fun

2011-10-20T07:39:00.003-04:00

Jake slept like this for quite some time. I kept thinking it must be hurting but I think he rather liked having something to rest his head on.

Sunday Brunch at Our House

2011-10-16T18:59:00.001-04:00

Cute, cute couple wouldn't you say?! That is my grandson, Casey and his sweetie, Callie. They were both home from Clemson this weekend so I invited everyone for Sunday Brunch. You know how I love Sunday Brunch. I served some sausage McMuffin and potatoes for the men and some salads for the women. The Spinach Salad is a favorite concoction of mine and the recipe follows. It is actually good for you. I made a Waldorf Salad too and will try to get that entered this week. We all had a really good time with some great discussion topics besides Clemson football!

Spinach Salad

2011-10-16T18:51:00.001-04:00

This is not a recipe that I went and found or have in a book. It is one that I put together so it is hard to get exact on it as I am mostly a "dump and hope" type of cook but here goes. It really is good! (this picture was taken before the dressing was added and the salad tossed.

6-8 oz spinach leaves, cleaned and dry. Remove the stems if they are large.
1/4 red onion, sliced thin in strips
1 can of mandarin oranges, drained. About 11 oz
1-2 T. Raw sunflower seeds
1 T dried cranberries
1/3 C. crumbled feta cheese

Toss with the following dressing:
1/3 C canola oil or another lite oil, not olive
1 T. raspberry vinegar
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
1/2 tsp sugar or sweetner

Cooking

2011-10-16T08:51:00.002-04:00

I love cooking. I wish I didn't have to work so that I could cook. Since I love it so much and do it whenever I can, I decided to include my recipes here rather than on another blog. So, get ready to gain weight with me! Below is the first one.

Spinach and Bacon Frittata

2011-10-16T08:43:00.000-04:00

Kirby and I love to go to Sunday Brunch but we have tightened our purse strings and bunch is not in the budget right now. I have decided that on most Sundays I will fix us something special. I went looking for a Spinach Frittata and found many, many variations. I took 2 or 3 different recipes and tweaked them just a little and came up with the following.

1 lb spinach leaves, cleaned and chopped
1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1/3 C. red bell pepper, chopped
8 large eggs
2 T. milk
1/3 C. Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 oz goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cook spinach in 1/4 cup of water in a covered saucepan until just wilted, a couple of minutes. Drain well and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and Parmesan cheese. Add the chopped red bell pepper and the chopped bacon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Saute onions in olive oil in an OVEN PROOF, stick-free skillet, until translucent, about 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add garlic and cook a minute further. Add the cooked spinach and mix in with onions and garlic.
Spread out spinach mixture evenly on bottom of skillet. Pour egg mixture carefully over spinach mixture. Use a spatula to lift up the spinach mixture along the sides of the pan to let egg mixture flow underneath it.
Sprinkle bits of the goat cheese over the top of the frittata mixture. When the mixture is about half set, put the whole pan in the oven. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the frittata is puffy and golden.
Remove from oven with oven mitts and allow to cool for several minutes. Enjoy!

Stingrays Hockey

2011-10-15T17:49:00.003-04:00

Can you believe that neither Kirby nor I had ever been to any kind of a hockey game before last night? And at our ages! Shame on us! It was a blast. I had arranged discount tickets for my company to see the Charleston Stingrays so we were surrounded by people from work and it really made it fun!

There was a lot of excitement and noise, people dressed in team shirts and lots and lots of beer all around us. We even got to see a good fight between two of the players. I think it must be expected because everyone including the refs just stood there and watched them.

I found it extremely difficult to follow the little puck around the ice especially taking pictures at the same time! But all in all it was great! We might even do it again! At least if it off the bucket list now!

San Diego Trip - Part 4

2011-10-12T17:33:00.000-04:00

What do you think of this little executive? He looks pretty confident sitting in his daddy's chair doesn't he? On Sunday we visited Ryan's new office. His company just keeps growing and Christie and I hadn't seen the new place. It had been a while since the boys were there too so they enjoyed seeing daddy's office.

I loved the large new conference room with glass on 2 sides. Very light and spacious! The whole facility was amazing. I would love working there!

And I got the boys to pose for me. That is Kevin on the left and Justin on the right.

This was their favorite part of the whole visit. The break room is full of snacks for the employees but the boys thought it was just for them!

And - I attempted a family picture before we left. I think it is impossible to get both boys looking at me and smiling all at the same time!

The final event of the day was a visit to the Pumpkin Patch.

And they have more than just pumpkins at this place. Kevin loved the spinning cups so much!

On this picture you really need to click it to enlarge it. All the men are there. Kevin in the blue shirt getting ready to go, Justin on his tummy just starting his decent and Ryan watching them both. It was hard to tear them away from this one!

And the final train ride. Ah, to be a child again!

San Diego Trip - Part 3

2011-10-10T18:18:00.000-04:00

And now, back to my trip to San Diego to visit my son and his family. On Saturday after the soccer game we headed to the local fall festival. It is just for the community where they live so it was small - but very well done. The boys loved the "Hay Ride". They didn't realize there was no hay for miles around. All they cared about were the cool horses and the wagon.

There was free food all over the place including free beer and wine but only in sample sizes - but you could just keep coming back for samples! There were German sausages, big hot pretzels, churls, kettle corn, and tastings of the chile and pies for the cook-offs. The Pie Eating Contest was a riot! Talk about pie in the face!! No hands allowed. I enjoyed watching that!

After all that activity we were ready for a nice glass of wine in the courtyard. Ryan put a fire in the outdoor fireplace and the kids brought out the building blocks. But these are no ordinary building blocks - these are the same blocks that my children played with when they were little.

Just look at these old pictures! Same old building blocks! Even Brendan and Casey (the older grandsons who are now in college) played with them when they were young. Notice the little car on the top of the building and then go back and find it in the basket. Same car.

And - this picture - well, I just loved it! Justin is one happy little boy!

Please Cuddle With Me!

2011-10-09T09:57:00.000-04:00

Jake has his two girlfriends visiting for the weekend. Lacy, on the left, only wants to cuddle - all the time! Jake, on the right, is pretty tired of her affections!

Here is Lacy cuddling with her sister, Socks, who is used to it and actually will let Lacy lay right on top of her if Lacy wants to. She tried it with Jake just after the last picture and Jake was outta there! You DON'T lay on him!!

San Diego Trip Part 2

2011-10-07T18:35:00.001-04:00

Saturday was Ryan's __?__ birthday. Happy Birthday, Ryan!

I got two family pictures while I was out there - I will post the other one later. Ryan, Lisa, Kevin and little Justin. Love them all so much - just wish we lived closer to each other. 2,500 miles is a very long way.

When there are children involved, and it doesn't matter whose birthday it is, it is very difficult to wait to open presents. So Ryan opened his gifts early in the day with a lot of help from the boys. You can see what he got from me. 52 episodes of "Speed Racer"!

After WE opened Ryan's gifts, Lisa and the boys set about making the birthday cake - German chocolate! Yum!

And then it was time for Kevin's soccer game

If you have never watched five year old's play soccer, you are really missing out! The mostly just follow each other around the field. I love it!

Christie gave Ryan the red "You are special today" plate and he enjoyed using it with the barbeque and all the trimmings that he had for his birthday dinner. And of course, since it was San Diego, we all ate outdoors!

San Diego Trip Part 1

2011-10-06T18:21:00.000-04:00

I am back from my great trip to San Diego to visit my son, Ryan and his family - wife, Lisa and boys Kevin and Justin. Kevin is five and a half and has recently started kindergarten. Justin is two and a half and is in his first pre-school. I am a very lucky mom and was able to talk my daughter, Christie, into traveling with me so that I could have some time with my 2 children at the same time. You know I prefer photos to anything else so here is the beginning of my photo journal of our long weekend together.

Ryan was able to somehow pull himself away from work and meet us at the airport. So, of course I snapped his picture and then turned around and got Christie! And thus began a weekend of over 400 pictures! (and no, I am not going to share them all!)

This is Justin who didn't really remember me but warmed up quite rapidly. Like his brother, he got my blue eyes! Yea!

And this is Kevin. He was at school when we arrived so we all went to pick him up together. This picture is his reaction when he realized that I was standing right near him and taking his pictures! This is what a 5 year old does!

And then it was back to his lesson.

This is a series of pictures and I just love it. Both boys were fresh from the bath all clean and sweet. We were out by the pool with no parents around and I was trying to get a picture of them. I never did succeed in getting something "perfect" but I think this series is perfect. Of course you probably won't enjoy it as much as I do as they are MY grandson's but I think it is pretty cute. After this series I did get them to sing "Happy Birthday" to their daddy whose birthday was the next day. I got that on video and it is rather classic!

Too Cute!!

Just an Update

2011-09-28T18:17:00.000-04:00

You know I can't post without a picture so here is a lovely sunrise picture for you. I took it from the parking lot at work early one morning. I am still bummed about my sprained ankle as it is robbing me of the precious fall days that we are having. I am working but that is all. Today I made a quick trip to the drug store next to work for a couple of items - that was my big outing. I am missing being out and about taking pictures and before I know it, it will be winter, the trees will be bare and everything will be brown. Brown makes me sad.

But, not to panic because on Friday I am flying to San Diego to visit my son and his family - the Little Grandson's as opposed to my Big Grandsons. Little ones are 2 1/2 and 5. Big ones are 19 and 20. And - Christie, mother of the Big ones, is going with me! We plan on have LOTS and lots of fun! But, I was panicking about all that airport walking so I called Delta and they said they would provide me with a wheelchair. Another new experience for me!

I was browsing a few local blogs today and realized that "From the Land of Palm Trees" Doug, had mentioned me in his blog! How nice of him - so I shall do the same. Check him out! Click here!

Once a Sailor

2011-09-24T15:16:00.001-04:00

After our vacation with our friends, Heather sent me a flash drive with all the pictures she had taken on our trip. I had shared all of mine with her before she left. One of her pictures from downtown Charleston really jumped out at me and it wasn't until today that I took the time and searched my database of pictures and found the one I wanted. It is amazing - boat people just always gravitate to "boat things", like anchors on walls.This is my picture taken May 16, 2010 -

This is Heather's picture taken August 26, 2011. Aren't we amazing?

Goodnight, Irene

2011-09-22T18:57:00.004-04:00

Because of Hurricane Irene the last part of our trip changed from our original plan. The hurricane was headed right for Mollie's home in Virginia Beach, VA. Mollie's home isn't just any ordinary home but a lovely boat on the bay. She needed to get home fast! So, we rearranged our plans and as soon as we finished with our tour at Maker's Mark we headed back to Charleston - but we could not make it that day. The plan was to find a place to spend the night and have Mollie back to Charleston and her vehicle by noon the next day. We did a quick online search and with a couple of phone calls we had THIS!!

We ended up arriving at the Cranmore Cottages at dusk after a dinner in Hendersonville, NC at one of our favorite pubs there - Hannah Flanagans! Now, granted, they charged us a lot more than they would have if we had made reservations before and weren't 5 people but just look at what we got on the spur of the moment!

This was just the cutest little place. Two bedrooms, two baths and poor Mollie had the sleep on the sofa again. (and then get up, ride 4 hours and then drive 8 to get home)

We didn't have time to enjoy the fireplace, the jacuzzi, the view or the just darned right comfy atmosphere.

But each one of us agreed we would go back in a flash! It was so cute and well done. You would have loved it!

Check them out at their website. They really are very reasonable. Cranmore Cottages We were in the Treehouse.

It didn't take us long to unload the wine and relax! Great spot - even if just for a quick stop!

Joan's Secret Garden

2011-09-21T10:37:00.000-04:00

I was reading a blog by my "Blog Friend", Joan Perry, titled Secret Garden and the picture just looked so familiar. It took me all of 15 seconds to locate my picture of the same garden. Joan has been my inspiration for my "My View of Charleston and the Lowcountry" Blog. Joan, aren't we amazing??

Maker's Mark

2011-09-20T16:01:00.002-04:00

Maker's Mark. It was the best of the best as far as tours go. I am sorry it is last because you are probably so tired of my Kentucky Bourbon Trail pictures and stories. But don't pass this one up. It was fantastic!

The trip just finding this place was amazing. We just kept trusting our GPS and finally, well, there we were. In the middle of far out nowhere Kentucky was the beautiful distillery. It made us think that maybe it got it's beginnings in the old Moonshine days??? Very out of the way place. But just look at the beauty. I don't have room and you don't have the patience to look at all my pictures so I have chosen some to depict each aspect.

The buildings were all painted dark brown with red shutters. It really was stunning. (Some of these pictures you just NEED to click on to see the large one. Much better.)

We got to see the workings of filling the bottles, putting the labels on, dipping them in the hot red wax and then boxing them up to go.

It is hard to see here but the labels are going on.

We loved watching these ladies dip the bottles in the wax. They didn't seem to mind at all that there were 25-30 people watching them work.

Here you can see the wax sealing the bottle. It is their trademark.

Just look at all the bourbon!

Each of the distilleries had lovely warehouses that smelled oh, so good!

The tasting room here was just the best. It was all the color of bourbon and the glasses sparkled in the bourbon colored light. How could you not love it?

This was very serious business!

CHEERS!

Fancy Food

2011-09-19T16:06:00.000-04:00

I have sprained my ankle so badly that I won't be out having any fun for a while. It happened early Saturday morning, it is now Monday afternoon and I still can't walk on it. But - I borrowed this really cool wheelchair from a friend and am having so much fun (?) with it. Whole new perspective!

I am on the planning committee for the holiday party for my company and last Friday we went down to the Marriott Hotel to sample some of the lovely foods we might decide to serve at the party. They were so simply presented that you KNOW I had to drag out my camera.

First we had a Tortilla Pinwheel, a Pork Quesadilla and a Spring Roll.

Next we had a Bacon Wrapped Scollop, Chicken Lollipop and a Mini Beef Wellington.

I loved these Mini Filet Tacos.

And of course the best was the last - fruit with Chocolate Fondue and a chocolate chip cookie thrown in for good measure.

No pictures of people because it was all kind of stuffy but shouldn't have been because the host even bought us each a glass of wine. But the food was all really, really good!

Now, do you want a picture of me in the wheelchair??

How to Enjoy the Beach

2011-09-18T20:07:00.001-04:00

I don't think this needs any comment from me. Enjoy.

We Didn't Finish Kentucy!

2011-09-17T05:41:00.004-04:00

We decided that the wine in Kentucky is right up there with the wine in North Carolina! As we continued our trip on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail we took a side trip to check out a vineyard and a winery. It was just gorgeous; everything about it was beautiful, from the trip through the country to find it, to the rows of grapes and the tasting room. But the wine was not repeatable.

The tastings were five dollars each but fortunately the nice wine glasses were included in that and Jim and Heather couldn't take theirs with them on the plane so guess who now has 4 new wine glasses! The best part about them is that they go in the dishwasher! That is always a good thing.

There were acres and acres of vinyards and the plants with grapes were covered in netting to protect from birds. Makes sense but not pretty pictures.

The grapes were gorgeous but the wine was not. Of course this crew had a wonderful time anyway!

Meet Charlie

2011-09-15T12:31:00.001-04:00

Well, Charlie has hatched and we now have our very own little dinosaur! He has a problem with his leg though and can't stand but we found him a prop so he should be just fine. He loves being at work with me as he gets lots of attention.

Charlie is Growing!

2011-09-14T12:36:00.002-04:00

By tomorrow Charlie should have busted out of his egg! Stay tuned!

Baby Dinosaur

2011-09-13T12:10:00.001-04:00

We are raising (hatching) a baby dinosaur! How exciting. I just wanted to share him with you.

His name is Charlie and I will tell you more about him in a day or two when his is totally hatched. Don't you just LOVE him?!

Another Perspective

2011-09-12T19:44:00.001-04:00

Heather is also writing about our trip on her blog so check it out. Just click on this link Catamaran Meerkat to go to her blog. She has a whole different perspective and that is SO FUN!

Four Roses

2011-09-12T19:37:00.001-04:00

What we were learning by this time in our tours of the bourbon distilleries in Kentucky was that in order to sample the bourbon, you had to go on a tour. Now, why would they force us to tour if all we want to do is drink and in what way did it benefit them to have us tour first? I still have not figured that out but tour we did!

Here we are arriving at the Four Roses Distillery We had already visited the gift shop which is located in Bardstown, not realizing that it was just the gift shop, the offices and the warehouses. So, on this day, we were going to tour the distillery - and then sample.

First to the gift shop as we awaited the tour. As usual we took pictures and looked at all the goodies that are for sale. And we didn't buy any because we had already been to the other Four Roses gift shop in town and spent our money and bought our goodies.

The girls and the guys! We really did have so much fun!

Silly guys! Kirby and Jim stored their stickers that were issued at each stop on the top of their hats. Cute!

And then it was OFF! on the tour. The distillery had shut down for the summer to clean and service all the equipment so we could look at everything but nothing was in operation.

Obviously it was a pretty loose tour! But really pretty buildings.

Kirby closely inspected all the equipment.

I took a lot of pictures are of the machinery and equipment. Please don't ask me what they do as I can't remember. But it was all very impressive!

More touring.

And finally we go to go to the tasting room. Wow, that took a long time! Was it worth it? Not really as Four Roses was the least of the bourbons. But it was fun looking at all that cool stuff!

Wild Turkey

2011-09-11T07:30:00.002-04:00

Our next stop on our Kenturky Bourbon Trail last month was the Wild Turkey Distillery. I believe the consensus of the group was that Wild Turkey was the best tasting room as it was small and personal. If I remember right the seven of us were the only people there and the tour guide was not only very informative and you could tell he loved his job, but he was cute!

The gift shop was small but we found some really cool things there - like a real turkey flying around the room!

Now, see, isn't he cute?

Just look how enthralled everyone looks. Really, they can't wait for him to serve the samples! Enough talk now!

There is Kirby, Heather, Jim, Ray and Mollie. Lucy was taking pictures also.

The two ladies in red that day - Lucy and Mollie

We asked at the distillery for a suggestion for lunch and were really, really pleased that we had. Talk of the Town was an old small house on the side of the highway that was packed with people. There was good reason for that too - the food was fantastic! We did not have a bad meal in Kentucky and we didn't find any grumpy people. What a special place. Too bad it gets cold and white in the winter.

This is one of our few group photos from our trip.

Back to Kentucky

2011-09-09T19:17:00.001-04:00

Day four found us at the Wild Turkey Distillery where there was a Bucking Bronco for all to ride.

Heather went first and the Thing was pretty calm for her - thank God!

You can't tell but that thing was about to throw Jim off!

The Thing was calm at first and then it got carried away with me!!

This is Heather's picture and I stole it from her because I like it. Thank you Heather for taking my silly picture!

Miss Mollie seemed to have the right amount of whatever it took to make the Thing happy.

Dental Care

2011-09-07T18:29:00.003-04:00

Are you tired of Kentucky pictures?? Well I still have some to share but thought I would give you a little break. And what makes a better break than a dog that makes you smile. Jake needed his teeth brushed so I told him to get busy and start brushing! He did a pretty go job until he broke the brush handle in half!

Bourbon and More Bourbon

2011-09-04T18:41:00.001-04:00

Did you know that the name Bourbon came from the name of the county in Kentucky where bourbon was first made? And no other country in the whole world is allowed to make BOURBON! The original bourbon was an accident! The man was making his usual corn whiskey - or moonshine- in the hills of Kentucky. He had the perfect oak barrels to age it in but this time before he could get the barrels filled, they all caught on fire! He was able to save them from total destruction and not being willing to throw out those expense oak barrels, he used them anyway - even though they were chard on the inside! The result is what you know know today as Bourbon! Pretty cool story, eh? All bourbon barrels today are chard on the inside before they are used. So, see, we did learn some useful (?) stuff on our vacation!

Here we are sitting inside a large oak barrel!

Lucy and Mollie - the ladies in red that day - heading out for some touring and tasting.

And the guys minding us and doing this little thing so we could take their picture! They were so good about it and took turns being the "Hear no, or the see no or the speak no" for the day.

They really go all out at these distilleries to sell you on THEIR special bourbon. But I do believe that the consensus was that the Woodford Reserve was the very best of the best bourbons and Wild Turkey was the most fun tasting room and Maker's Mark was the most interesting of all the distilleries.

Now you must bear with me and my artsy fartsy stuff. Loved the ceiling here!

This is an exhibit of the bourbon at different stages of aging.

And then we were off into the horse country of Kentucky and was it ever beautiful. Those horses have barns much, much nicer than my home. And - this picture of the horses - please enlarge it and see what I saw when I downloaded my pictures......all the horses are Horses As...s!

Out the window of the car! The country roads barely were wide enough for one car, let alone a car coming from the opposite direction! We couldn't stop for pictures very easily.

Bardstown and Beam

2011-09-03T19:29:00.001-04:00

Our first full day in Bardstown - Pure fun and adventure! We HAD to explore the cemetery right across the street from our little cottage.

Located on the same grounds as the cemetery is this really, really old school house and now I can't remember the dates. I thought I had a picture of the sign but I don't so maybe one of my good friends will leave a comment and give the dates. Please??

The roof was just all moss. (enlarge to enjoy) And no, I did not get a picture of a ghost! Unless that is what I see in the window! There were people out there with cameras trying to get pictures of ghosts. Mine was in the house we stayed in. Sweet.

I know this has been helped along with the dates, but it is still real and the dates are correct. Lt. John Fitch.

I sort of have an obsession with cemeteries I guess. I just love them. Isn't this picture lovely? With the vines growing all over the stones? Gotta love it!

And then it was on to Jim Beam - our first distillery! It was also the largest but it's tours weren't necessarily the best.

You would not believe the way the warehouses smelled! It was devine! And I don't even like bourbon. It was just a nice sweet smell and I loved it!! We all did!

Here is Heather at the Four Roses main offices. We thought it was going to be the distillery but we were fooled. But we did get to go to the gift shop! ( I collected a bourbon glass and a shot glass at each distillery)

Lunch was at the Old Talbott Tavern and Inn. The reviews weren't very good but it was in the right place at the right time so we decided to give it a try. It was good! Not wonderful but good and the place was full of history!

"Talbott Tavern is said to be the oldest western stagecoach stop in America as the westward expansion brought explorers from the east into Kentucky.

According to legend, figures straight from the history books sought lodging here during their travels; as a young boy Abraham Lincoln and his family stayed here, Gen. George Rogers Clark, Daniel Boone, and exiled French King Louis Phillipe and his entourage stayed here, even painting murals on the upstairs walls. There are noticeable bullet holes in the now faded paintings and Jesse James is said to be responsible for them."

In Case You Didn't Believe We Had FUN!!

2011-08-30T19:57:00.000-04:00

I am not sure how much commentary is required with today's posting. We are 7 people in quest of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We do know how to have fun and I think the following pictures will prove that! And all of this happened BEFORE we even ventured out for the bourbon! Can you identify all of the players?

Vacation - Day 2

2011-08-29T20:55:00.002-04:00

Kirby, Heather, Jim and Mollie

We were up early and eager to begin the second day of our trip from Charleston, SC to Bardstown, KY. Ray and Lucy were in their RV and took a different route than we did. First stop was breakfast at a quaint little place just down the road from our motel in Maggie Valley, NC.

The restaurant was cute, cute and had great food and a cheerful waitress. Here is Heather pretending she could play the piano.

We opted for the scenic route so took the Blue Ridge Parkway over to the highway that ran through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN. The Blue Ridge Parkway was better than we ever imagined! Gorgeous! Lots of tunnels and we even got Kirby to blow the horn.

This is the view from one of the many pull-out.

Do you remember the picture of us last fall at the Appalachian Trail in NC? I guess this is as close as we will ever get to it. Click here to go to that post.

This is the trail heading off. It was so inviting! Enlarge the picture to really enjoy it.

After hours and hours of driving through traffic in the tourist towns we finally arrived at our little house. We stayed in Bardstown as it was quite central to all the distilleries that we were going to tour. It was about a 9-10 day and to kill time we played games in the car just like kids and it really was fun. We played some word games, 20 Questions and Heather had Mad Libs on her phone so we played that too. Mad Libs made us laugh the most!

Jim and Heather

We met up with Ray and Lucy and all went off to The Old Stable Restaurant and Tavern. Everyone loved their food, the service was delightful and we got to tour the whole facility....large rooms full of interesting artifacts and gifts.

Lucy, Ray and Mollie

Heather and Kirby

This is the Kentucky Hot Brown that intrigued all of us! There was a piece of bread on the bottom, then a slice of ham and a slice of turkey topped with tomatoes and a cheese sauce and then bacon. Decadent! Most of the others that we saw on menus the rest of the week had no ham and used a white cheese.

Kirby at the Old Stable

The center of Bardstown

Vacation - Day One

2011-08-28T13:39:00.001-04:00

For our vacation this year, we were joined by Ray and Lucy from Texas in their motor home, Jim and Heather, who flew in from Ventura, CA and Mollie who drove from Virginia City, VA. All are friends from our sailing days. It was a fantastic reunion of friends who had been separated by time and miles.

We had decided to explore the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We only had a few bourbon lovers among us but we had 7 people who like adventure and new things.

We picked Jim and Heather up at the airport on Friday evening and went home for fresh peel and eat shrimp. We had to share the fresh seafood we get here in the south. On Saturday morning we headed out.Jim and Heather rode with Ray and Lucy and Mollie road with us. We stopped at a Denny's for a good breakfast before leaving the Charleston area and then went on to Maggie Valley in the Smokie Mountains. I had made us reservations at a small motel not too far from the RV park where Ray and Lucy were staying. The Abbey Inn turned out to be exactly what we love. Small, quaint, clean, inexpensive.

It had lovely views and the air was crisp and clean. We gathered ourselves up and went to J Arthurs Restaurant for a great dinner. I had one of the best Cobb Salads I have had in years.

Mollie, Heather and I had so much fun wandering the grounds of the motel and taking pictures.

This was the view across the road. Picturesque.

Kirby

Dinner Out

2011-08-19T13:53:00.000-04:00

If you have been reading my recent entries then you know that our good friends Lucy and Ray are visiting in their big motor home from Texas. We know them from Ventura, CA and then in Mexico when we were all there sailing and living the good life. What a fun week we have been having with them here visiting but it is going too fast. It didn't help anything that I had to work all but today of this week. So, with this moment to sit a the computer, I wanted to share our fun dinner in the RV Park near our home. They prepared way too much fantastic food and we ate too much but it sure was a good time!

Our Tour of Mount Pleasant

2011-08-16T20:22:00.001-04:00

As we toured Ray and Lucy around Mount Pleasant we got to see new places to us also. But we started our Sunday at a place Kirby and I are very familiar with - High Thyme restaurant on Sullivan's Island. The brunch just doesn't get much better than this. We went early and it was pleasant enough to sit outside.

We managed to time the Ben Sawyer Bridge just perfect for the large barge and had to wait. Lucy and I got out and wandered around taking pictures. This is a bridge on the Intracoastal Waterway and we made people wait for us a few times as we transited north and south on our sailboat a few years ago.

We made a stop at the Pitt Street park. I forced everyone to sit for a picture on the park bench!

We found a "new to us" marina at Hobcow Creek. This is the home of the oldest shipyard in South Carolina dating back to 1753! We talked to boaters and had a really good time being near sailboat for a short time. It just felt good! I need to post more pictures but I need sleep more!

Coltranes in Charleston

2011-08-15T06:23:00.000-04:00

We started our day with a carriage ride in downtown Charleston. We had the luck of the draw and our tour included the lovely Battery area with the largest, most gorgeous homes! Always a treat but with the information our driver had it was even better. But please don't quiz me! I always forget most of it!

This is our driver and our horse, Millhouse. We had a private carriage and a perfect day. It was hot but we went early and it was very "do-able".

The streets of Charleston never fail to impress me. Someone referred to Charleston recently as "the Paris of the United States"! I agree - only better!

If you walk up to these ladies making the sweetgrass baskets they won't let you take a picture - but if you are passing by in a carriage they don't even know. These baskets are so fantastic - and very expensive. The large on pictured here on the table is probably $300!

This is the old Exchange Building and the old dungeon is in the basement. They give tours and that is on our bucket list - just haven't gotten to it yet.

And on to a pub for lunch of course. This is the Blind Tiger - the oldest pub in Charleston.

One of my favorite places to spend time is Magnolia Cemetery which is Charleston's oldest cemetery. The trees are amazing as are the stories that the old monuments tell!

Texas Comes to South Carolina

2011-08-13T07:35:00.000-04:00

Our friends Ray and Lucy, from San Antonio, arrived yesterday for a holiday. We immediately began having fun and will continue for a couple more weeks!

No, Lucy and I did not plan our matching clothes but it sure is cute isn't it!

After dinner we made an appearance at The Cave so everyone could meet these wonderful people we have been talking about for so long.

History - Many, many years ago Kirby lived on his boat in Ventura, CA. Ray and Lucy arrived on the same dock with their boat and set up housekeeping. This was all way before Kirby and I met. They then all sailed down to Mexico and a couple of years later I arrived on the scene. (1997) Yea! We all sailed around Mexico together and played and had wonderful experiences. In 2001 Kirby and I left Mexico for the last time. Ray and Lucy stayed there on their boat but continued to operate their canvas company. Five years ago they sold their boat and moved to San Antonio and set up a catering company. They just retired with an RV and headed east.....and here they are. So, we go back a good long ways together and have never let go of each other! We visited them last summer on our road trip in July.

Butterfly Fish

2011-08-09T13:34:00.000-04:00

My boss has a fish in a fishbowl on his conference table in his office. "We" have had him for about 3 years now. He is a 'black' goldfish with bug eyes and his name is Rocky II. (Don't ask about Rocky I - I will begin to cry). So, anyway, Rocky II has a problem with his tail and fins so I was researching it on the internet and stumbled upon this blog called "CreativitytotheMax".

She said that if I want to get lots of hits on my blog that I should title my post - Butterfly Fish. So I did! We'll see if my hits go up!

Anniversary Celebration

2011-08-07T09:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. We headed out for breakfast at our favorite breakfast place only to find that they had closed down. The sign said that the owner had been transferred - strange. Now we will miss them and they weren't even there that long. But they did great eggs, bacon, biscuits and sausage gravy. Kirby was really upset. We didn't starve though as we found a new to us place...and it was no where as good. Too bad.

The day was spent "doing stuff" around the house and then we prepared for our evening on the town. I took this picture in front of Ray and Diane's house. They insisted on driving us down and buying us a glass of wine before our dinner. So off we went to Charleston Place.

It is really hard to get good pictures with a pocket camera in a dark room. Especially when I forget to turn the flash on. This was the 4th try. Sorry Diane, my fault! Then they delivered us to the door of Coast Seafood and Grill which was a good thing as by that time it was raining. And it rained all through our delicious dinner and then stopped right when we were ready to walk the city! The gods were certainly smiling on us!

We walked over to the Francis Marion Hotel for a wedding reception. Isn't the bride lovely? Great dress. The reception was in the lobby of the hotel and I was just beginning to enjoy myself and was headed to the bar when Kirby reminded me that we didn't know the bride or the groom and we hadn't been invited. I reluctantly departed. I do love wedding receptions and I think we could have had a really good time - I mean it was exactly 12 years ago that we had our wedding reception!

After the wedding we just wandered the streets, sad that I had missed such a great party! And just look at this party in the window! Kirby didn't want to go to that party either!

I thought this window was fun! It is all decorated in plastic grocery bags. Clever and cheap.

Fortunately for me we stumbled upon a wine room - O'Hara & Flynn on Meeting Street. We sat at the bar and had a lovely Shooting Star Zinfandel.

By then we were done but now had to get a taxi to take us home. We wandered to a hotel which we knew would be a good waiting place and Kirby called Yellow Cab. I had fifteen minutes to kill - so I took pictures - at night. Oh, well, not good pictures but I had fun!

Mountain Getaway - Asheville, NC - Our Favorite Pub

2011-08-06T15:52:00.001-04:00

We voted Jack of the Wood as our favorite pub in Asheville but there were many more that we didn't try. Guess we will just have to go back!

I think we were having fun here! Kirby is looking under the table for something and I can't remember what it was. And Jen is hiding part of her arm. Ah, that must be what Kirby was looking for - the rest of Jen's arm!

Phil is finally starting to smile - amazing what a few ales will do!

I volunteered to be the the driver going back to that lovely mountain house so I was a good girl and got a coke.

" And this is the way you do it!"

I loved this guys shirt!

This was the local brew that they sold at Jacks.

Mountain Getaway - Asheville, NC - LP's

2011-08-04T18:29:00.000-04:00

In our wanderings we happened upon this great LP store - well, great if you have an old LP player! Otherwise it is just fun for the memories and we loved the memories! I hope it will give you some too!

Mountain Getaway - Asheville, NC - Funnies

2011-08-03T18:49:00.000-04:00

I took all my pictures from Asheville and sort of grouped them in folders. This folder I titled "Funnies". Not sure exactly why but they are rather funny don't you think? But of course you could say that the tattoo is not funny, it is art and I would have to agree. It is really beautiful - but not permanently applied to one's arm! Click on it to see the detail. Really good!

I wonder if this is the place that art was created................?

In the display window on the street. I just had to take a picture. Now that is funny!

Not funny, not art....just an interesting window.

Mountain Getaway - Asheville, NC - The Guys

2011-08-02T19:31:00.001-04:00

Maybe I told a small fib. Maybe I am going to share all my pictures...little by little. But we had such a good time and some of the pictures are so fun. Like this one. They guys all stood there looking at the pay machine at the parking lot for so long that I thought there must be a problem. No problem...just guys trying to make a project out of paying!

Actually we didn't need to pay for a parking lot. We had purchased quarters for the meters the day before but we weren't sure of where to go. None of us had ever been to Asheville before and all the streets looked so fun. But the most important part was that we were looking for the Lexington Avenue Brewery which was on Lexington Ave....well, duh! And when we saw Lexington Ave., we just grabbed the first parking we could find. Later we saw lots of street parking but what the heck...we were having fun! And there was the brewery! Yes, the same one where the guy got ketchup spilled all over his shirt and some stupid old lady wanted to take a picture of his food!

Back to the parking lot...........end of a great day!

Mountain Getaway - Asheville, NC -The Bier Garden

2011-08-01T06:33:00.001-04:00

Asheville is just full of lovely places to drink and eat. This one really excelled at pretty!

Aren't these taps pretty? Can you find your favorite? I don't have just one favorite but I really like Sweetwater 420, Blue Moon and Stone Pale Ale and they have all three of those!

One really well done bar!

Mountain Getaway - Asheville, NC - Buildings

2011-07-31T07:47:00.000-04:00

I loved some of the older buildings in Asheville. This one I stood in awe of and took more than one pictures. It also brought back some great memories of shopping at the Five and Dime as a child. (You need to enlarge these to get the great detail that was put into these buildings.)

OK, this is not a "building" but someone did a pretty cool thing where a garage door used to be don't you think?

This rather reminded me of a building back in the dark recesses of my brain - Denver. Can someone help me out here?

This is the roofline of the above picture.

If you look closely you can see the guys hanging out across the street waiting for the gals. You have to enlarge this one to see it. So lovely!

Mountain Getaway - Asheville, NC - The Thirsty Monk

2011-07-30T06:42:00.000-04:00

The last posting was out of order because I wanted to inject some fun! I really just went around snapping pictures right and left. I won't make you look at all of them, only the ones that tell a story or that I like. Not sure which category this falls into. I like the building, I like the signs. The old 7-Up sign is cool. (Did you ever play 7-Up in school? If you did, you are old like me!! haha)

The Thirsty Monk was recommended by some young locals sitting at a bus stop. We didn't like it and left because we couldn't figure out how to get a beer. No one came to our table. There was no serving wench in sight and the ladies at the other table didn't have anything on their table either. Kirby did find the restroom though and it was a very interesting looking place. There was no shortage of places to eat or get a beer in Asheville!

Mountain Getaway - Asheville, NC

2011-07-29T18:45:00.001-04:00

We spent an afternoon in Asheville, NC and could spend a few more days there and not be finished. It will take me some time to share all the pictures. This one is a funny story and an embarrassment to me!

Let me begin at the beginning. We were sitting in the pub having an ale and awaiting our lunch. Someone says to me that I should get a picture of the great food being served behind me. I take a look and, yes, it is great looking and I politely ask if the gentleman would mind if I take a picture of his food. In a very resigned voice, he says it is OK. So I quickly snap my picture, thank the young man and sit back down, again with my back to him. At that point everyone at my table starts berating me for doing that! How could I? How rude after what just happened to him!

Well, now remember that not only did I have my back to him, I am a little hard of hearing. So, unbeknownst to me, just prior to my taking the picture, the waitress poured ketchup all over his shirt and OH, my goodness it is in the picture! I had no idea that had happened and felt terrible about it. I was voted down when I wanted to go apologize. He must have thought me a real sickie. But great looking food isn't it?

Mountain Getaway - The Dogs

2011-07-28T19:38:00.000-04:00

Dogs were welcome on our trip and that certainly made everyone happy!

Jake, as you probably know, is our dog that we rescued almost 3 years ago. He was in heaven up there!

And this is Jen and Phil's dog, Ozzie.

This sweetie is Tiffers, Marc's young dog.

Jake was not too thrilled about Tiff chewing on his bone, but he loves her so it was OK!

See, he could even sleep while she chewed on it! Actually, there is no way to tell if he was really asleep because he is good at closing his eyes when I take his picture so you really don't know for sure!!

They all got along so well and enjoyed the vacation as much as we did. The funny part was the spiral staircase that went to the lower level. Ozzie said, No way, I am not going on that thing! And so mommy carried him. Jake said, No way, I am not going on that thing and mommy could not carry him. I had to let him out the door, go up/down the spiral staircase and them call him to the other door. He would come running and by they last day he was beating me to the door. Now, Tiffers, she just ran up and down the spiral without a thought! Dogs are so fun!

Mountain Getaway - Henderson, NC - Bears!

2011-07-27T18:19:00.001-04:00

There was some sort of Bear thing going on in Hendersonville when we were there. They were all over the town. A local told me that a the end of the summer they would have an auction for them. I love this one! But check out the others that I got pictures of. I know I missed some of them. And enlarge them also so you can see the details. Such fun!

Mountain Getaway - Hendersonville

2011-07-26T18:26:00.000-04:00


Jennifer, Phil and Kirby

We spent a couple of lunches in Hendersonville, NC. Here we are at Hannah Flanagan's. The service was TERRIBLE the first day so we had lunch elsewhere. The next day the service was better so we stayed for lunch.

Jennifer

Jen and I spent some time in the local shops while the guys patiently waited for us. I loved the bag store and went back the next day and bought one that looks almost like the red-orange stripe one. Jen got the purple and black one. It was really hard to chose! I have some sort of a bag fetish and never have enough of them!

Phil and Kirby

Phil and Marc

This is the second day at Hannah Flanagan's. Great nachos and I didn't get a picture! But you can certainly tell that Marc was having a great time!

Jennifer and Phil

Mountain Getaway - The House

2011-07-25T18:33:00.000-04:00

Here you have it! The most beautiful mountain house in North Carolina! We fell in love and were so appreciative of the friend who gave us the key for a few days!

The kitchen was lovely with granite and 2 - that is two separate sinks. One to the right and one on the left. Two separate work areas. How thoughtful!

The graceful staircase lead up to the loft and 2 more bedrooms. The hallway that you can see from the living room goes to the Master Suite.

We spent a lot of time relaxing in the living room. The rule was - only classical music. I spent a lot of time looking DOWN on the trees from the windows! God's View!

We enjoyed all of our meals at this wonderful pine table in the dining room.

This is the Master Bedroom. It just doesn't get any better!

More of the Master Bedroom. It was very, very warm while we were there so we didn't try the fireplaces.

I loved sitting in the rocking chair on the Master Sun Porch and reading. This was one very special place!

My bathroom had a large soaking tub which I didn't use because - well, I just don't do tubs. But I loved the large shower with hand painted tiles.

This was Marc's room.


And Marc's bathroom

Can you believe that I totally forgot to get pictures of the downstairs. There was a full kitchen, a huge bedroom and bath with sitting area and beautiful bathroom and there was a Pool Room with regulation pool table! I love the pool table! I actually got some of the balls in the little pockets too!

OK, you will have to wait for the next installment to see more pictures! And - if you are interested in renting this gorgeous place, send me an email and I will get you in touch with the right person!

Mountain Getaway

2011-07-24T19:45:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the graciousness of a friend we had a 4 day mountain getaway this past week. The home we stayed in is located in the mountains of North Carolina - just about a 4 hour drive for us. The name of the "retreat" is Angel's Rest. As we headed up the steep gravel road this sign assured us we had the correct road.

You really can't tell how steep the road is in this picture but we were told not to slow down and definately don't stop as we would never get going again! But I think you can see how beautiful it was up there.

We arrived at the house which from the outside was very unassuming. We were very surprised when we entered this glorious home.

This picture was taken from the sun deck. I will add more pictures of the home and our fun as the week goes on. Now I need to get ready to re-enter the work world tomorrow. Just a few days gone and I have forgotten all about work!

We Have Tomatoes

2011-07-16T06:43:00.000-04:00

Kirby has done it again this year. We have dozens of tomatoes ripening right now. They are so good that it makes it hard the rest of the year to eat a tomato. I mean, who wants a production tomato after this!

Recipes

2011-07-14T21:01:00.000-04:00

I don't usually do this but I love this cooking website so much that I need to share it with you. I stumbled upon it a year or two ago and the recipes are REAL recipes. Things you really want to eat - not some silly fru-fru thing.

Here is the link and the the introduction that I have copied from the website.
http://simplyrecipes.com/

Take a look - you will want to cook all the time just so you can eat that scrumptious food!

About Simply Recipes

Hello and welcome to Simply Recipes
If you are unfamiliar with Simply Recipes, please allow me to take a moment to introduce you to the site. The first thing you should know is that Simply Recipes is a blog or a personal website, created and maintained by me, Elise Bauer. Unlike most of the large recipe sites that you might find on the Internet with tens of thousands of recipes, Simply Recipes is my personal website, with only a few hundred recipes, all tested by me, my family or my friends. We invite you to try the recipes, and if you would like, leave constructive feedback in the comments. Do you have a recipe binder or box of recipe index cards? Think of this site as our family sharing the recipes in our recipe binder with you. As we cook the recipes multiple times, we often think of improvements and update the recipes. So keep in mind that what you see here is a work in progress.

Mom and dad in their Carmichael kitchen
How we got started
A few years ago I started writing down the recipes I had grown up with and posting them to my website. I had just turned 40, and had spent most of my adult life working as a hectic Silicon Valley consultant with little time to cook, let alone learn how to cook beyond what I had learned growing up. I come from a big family - six kids - and thought what a terrific family project, to document our family recipes! Both my mother and father are excellent home cooks, mom by necessity to raise us all, and dad because he loves to eat well and enjoys the experimentation of trying out new recipes.

Well, the family recipe blog that started in 2003 has blossomed and taken on a life of its own. Simply Recipes now reaches over a hundred thousand visitors each day and was voted Best Food Blog Overall in the 2006 Food Blog Awards.

For the first seven years of Simply Recipes, almost all of the cooking was done in my parent's kitchen in Carmichael, California. As of April 2010, most of the cooking for the site has shifted down the street to my kitchen (also in Carmichael). Journalist, and twice James Beard nominated food blogger Hank Shaw has joined the staff part-time (that would be now a staff of one and a half) to help cook, invent, explore, experiment, instruct, and write. For a couple days a week Hank and I cook furiously, and have my parents over (and anyone else we can rope in) to test the creations.

Where we get the recipes
These days most of the recipes we post we are making up. If you look through the archives though you'll find many old family recipes, and recipes my family has over 30 years pulled from cookbooks, magazines, and newspaper clippings. If we have pulled a recipe from another source, we try to attribute that source where we can (sometimes it's hard when you only have a clipping.) The recipes shown here use mostly whole food ingredients and only occasionally a few things from cans or prepared foods. We believe in a varied, healthy diet, using real butter, real cream, eggs, lots of green vegetables, and protein from meat, fish, beans, and cheese.

2011-07-10T20:24:00.000-04:00

I am having way too much fun with this new tool, Be Funky!

2011-07-09T07:24:00.000-04:00

Click on the picture to see it larger - it is better that way.

What a fun little gadget this is. Give it a try with your photos. I love playing with it.

http://www.befunky.com/

4th of July on the 3rd

2011-07-07T19:54:00.001-04:00

Because the 4th fell on a Monday this year we decided to celebrate on the 3rd. We did the usual neighborhood thing with everyone out for a cookout and shared dishes. We just sat in the yard in the shade of the tree and had fun!

Derek and Marc

It has become a tradition to blow up a mailbox so on Friday Kirby went to Lowes and purchased a new mailbox for Arlene as it was her turn to sacrifice her mailbox (because a tree had fallen on it a couple of months ago and it was kind of messed up anyway.)

We were having such a good time we didn't realize it was almost dark and we hadn't blown up the mailbox yet. In these two pictures what you see is the mailbox after the FIRST blow-up! They then put it back together and did it again! Fun times in the Hood!

Here are Christie (my daughter) and Michael enjoying the nice weather and relaxing time!!

And Grandson, Casey, and his friend Callie.

Kirby and Jonathan. Jonathan was a perfect pyro-technician that night. He did great with his fireworks!

We didn't have any order at all. Chairs were here and chairs were there and then they moved around.

Here are Phil, Charles (a new neighbor) and Kirby. Ah and Jake too.

Socks and Lacy were in treat heaven with other people to offer goodies to them!

Man Cave Remodel

2011-07-03T07:13:00.001-04:00

Two and a half years ago, the guys built a bar in Phil's garage. It has gone through many transformations since then.

Marc on the left and Kirby on the right

The tile floor was added, various flat screen TV's, a wood burning fireplace and a large window AC unit. A large roll-up screen is used in place of the garage door when the weather is nice but the bugs are out. Yesterday the guys all worked to make some modifications to the bar itself. I think they just needed a project!

Painted Bunting

2011-07-02T19:25:00.000-04:00

Male Painted Bunting

I will apologize right now for the fact that these are not my pictures. (can you believe that??) But we had a visit from two Painted Buntings today and I spent my time looking at them and not running for the camera. The first one appeared on our bird bath and I immediately knew it was a male Painted Bunting. Having seen them only in books before I couldn't believe my luck! But I had to refer to my Peterson guide to determine for certain that the second bird was indeed the "wife". Her color was almost parakeet green. I hope they decide to settle here for a while and I get to see them again!!

Female Painted Bunting

This is what Wikipedia says - The male Painted Bunting is often described as the most beautiful bird in North America. Its beautiful colors, dark blue head, green back, red rump and underparts, make it easy to identify, but is very difficult to spot since it hides in foliage even when it is singing. The plumage of female and juvenile Painted Buntings is green and yellow-green, serving as camouflage.

Almost Ready

2011-07-02T06:26:00.000-04:00

This cute innocent little house really is home to a world of fireworks. Firecracker Bill's is an institution here in Mount Pleasant and we stopped to pick up a few boxes to contribute to the neighborhood explosion that we will have here on Sunday evening. Kirby took a head count and estimates we will have 30 - 40 friends and neighbors for the cookout and fun. Pictures will follow!

A Grandmother's Delight!

2011-06-30T18:55:00.000-04:00

You probably don't know that my number 2 grandson, Casey, is an intern with my company, Scientific Research Corporation. Casey has finished his 1st year at Clemson University. I absolutely delight in having him there near me each day and even though he is way at the other end of the building, I make a point of seeing him at least once each day. I mean, how lucky can a grandmother be?? This is so special and I can't waste any of it!

We go to lunch together every week or so and sometimes we invite others to join us - like Kirby! Today we met Kirby at our most favorite pub in the world, MADRA RUA. Madra Rua is in the Park Circle area of North Charleston and just the best pub ever....and we do pubs! They always have a great selection of brews on tap, their prices are fair, the decor and atmosphere are The Best and the food has NEVER failed me. Oh, and the service is always friendly and prompt. Can it get any better than that?? I don't think so!! We try to always drag our visitors here so if you have come to visit, you will recognize it and if you are coming...you will get to enjoy it with us if at all possible! It passed the test with Casey - he had the fish and chips and said it was perfect. I had the Reuben sandwich (and have the other half for tomorrow) and Kirby got the famous beef burger - theirs is the best!

More "Commuting"

2011-06-29T18:10:00.001-04:00

I had so much fun with yesterday's picture that I was shooting all kinds of pictures on the way to work today! Here are three for you.

This one is in our development/tract/compound as I am leaving. I love having that small pond/lake there to see each morning. There are alligators in there and sometimes I can see them.

This is a divided road and sometimes there are other cars with me, but not today. Today I had the road to myself.

But, I have to admit, we do have some construction going on right at the entrance to the freeway. And now you have seen it all! It is a nice place to live (especially if you leave for work before 7:00 AM like I do!)

Eat Your Heart Out, California!

2011-06-28T20:41:00.000-04:00

7:04 AM this morning on my commute to work. I-526 - sun shinning and no traffic! Just the way it is supposed to be!

All Day Brunch

2011-06-27T15:53:00.003-04:00

We were invited over to James and Denise's for Sunday Brunch. These are the folks that we have been doing brunch with for the past 6 months and it has become quite the tradition for us. This time Denise decided to have brunch at their home.

Their home was gorgeous! I loved the large dining room and huge table. You have to notice the crystals on the chandelier...some of them are colors. What fun!

Of course we had champagne! Don't you just love that flute? I wanted to put it in my purse but refrained!

Dana, Adam, James, their son, Jonathan, Kirby and Denise

Dana and Adam were visiting from upstate New York. I love meeting new people! I think that is what most people enjoy most about a bed and breakfast - the interesting people you meet. Anyway, we all enjoyed the She Crab Soup, Shrimp and Grits, Spinach Salad and for the finishing touch, Denise make Bananas Foster! Oh, was that ever good! It was all very fun, fun, fun!

Tomatoes and Basil, Oh, and Kirby!

2011-06-26T08:48:00.000-04:00

This year Kirby started his tomatoes from seed and now they are almost ready to harvest. He brought in a small "Early Girl" yesterday. Let summer begin!

That turquoise bucket has a hole down near the bottom that you probably can't see - and a tomato plant comes out of it. It was an experiment and it is working. That plant is loaded also. And see that white box in the background, next to the AC? - well that is the pump for the well that Kirby put in. Now we have the greenest lawn on the block and the water is free. Having a well here is pretty easy as the water table is so low. Quite the farmer, eh? Tomato plants from seed and well water! And all organic! Yea!

This picture was taken BEFORE the Early Girl came in the house.

These are little grape tomatoes. (how can tomatoes be called a "grape" anyway??)

And, did I tell you that he started basil from seed also? We eat basil salad all the time now!! That is the grape tomato behind the basil.

Riverdogs Game

2011-06-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Can you find Kirby in this picture? You might have to click on it and enlarge it. But he is easy to spot!

We have a minor league baseball team in Charleston (the Riverdogs) and it really has to be more fun than a major league game game. They work so hard to give us a good, good time. They have all kinds of silly things going on like a dog that runs out on the field to retrieve bats lying on the ground - and it was a beautiful yellow lab at that! There are races and a man dressed like a peanut selling Boiled Peanuts, which if you have never had a boiled peanut, well, you are lucky! But locals love them. I think you have to grow up with them!

Can you find Kirby here?

You may think I am rather silly to post pictures of all the people in the stands but you see, these are folks that I work with and their families. Each year I arrange a "Night at the Dogs" and we all sit together and have a great time. Somehow no one ever sits in their assigned seat and we move around and visit and, oh, "was there a game going on??"

Here is some of the silliness that goes on at the game. I am never sure what it is all about but they do try hard to entertain us between innings.