June 10, 2011 · 1:01 am

Oldsmar Taphouse 5K

Earlier in the week, Andy called me and said that he was planning a date night for us on Friday and he needed Courtney’s phone number.  Hummm…I love surprise date night!   He had been searching online for local 5k races this summer when he stumbled across this one for this Friday.  It was their third annual race.  I was so excited; not only because I love to run races but because Andy wanted to run it with me.  So he registered us and along with 2,000 other people we took to the street at 7pm.  It was 95 degrees and although we ran on the water, most of the second mile was directly in the sun.  I am happy to report that Andy crushed my time by a full minute and a half…so proud of him.  :O)  Afterwards, we joined the party for snacks, beer, and then headed to Zen for dinner.  This was a wonderful surprise date night.

 

 

 

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June 9, 2011 · 12:29 pm

Wk 49 – Bourbon Street Chicken

I stole this recipe off of Kelly’s Pinterest page and it has quickly become one of Andy’s favorite chicken dishes.  According to him, this dish is worthy of plate licking… 🙂

Bourbon Street Chicken

2 lb of boneless chicken cut into bite size pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove crushed

1/4 teaspoon ginger

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 cup of apple juice

1/3 cup of light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 cup of water

1/3 cup of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Your choice of rice, we like yellow.

 

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.  Remove chicken.

Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well blended and dissolved.

Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.

Serve over hot rice.

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June 2, 2011 · 8:46 pm

Wk 48 – Starbucks Iced Lemon Poundcake

I asked Andy what kind of cake he would like me to make him, and his response was Lemon Cake with Icing, you know just like the one at Starbucks:  cool, moist, and delicious!  So, I cruised through a few food blogs and came across this recipe from www.picky-palate.com.  He loved it!  He says, “I don’t think I have actually ever had a favortie cake…but this might be it!”  This was a great find…thanks Jenny.  🙂

Starbuck’s Iced Lemon Pound Cake Copycat Recipe

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box of instant  Lemon pudding mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

8 ounces sour cream

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Icing

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

5-6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray pan generously with cooking spray.

2. Place all cake ingredients in no particular order into stand or electric mixer, beating until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour batter into pan and spreading evenly. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

3. To prepare icing, place powdered sugar into a large bowl. Drizzle in lemon juice stirring until smooth and thick. Should be a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cakes and let set for 20 minutes for a firm icing. Otherwise slice while still wet if desired.

Note: You can make this same recipe into cupcakes, small loaves and even a layered cake. Adjust baking time accordingly.

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June 1, 2011 · 1:50 am

Honor’s Night 2011

Tonight was Honor’s Night for the Lower Division.  Everyday we see the children and most of the time they seem so big to us…but tonight I was completely surprised when I saw them all together with the other children and they were so little.  Now, I know that he is little…I mean he is five after all; but the children just looked so small!  My heart-strings squeezed.

Each class walked in starting with Pre-K and ending with the 5th grade.  They walked around the gymnasium and took their seats with their class.   Andy and I got there a little early so we were able to get an aisle seat.  When Davy walked by, he saw us and started jumping.  So cute.

First, they introduced Ms. Depew’s class and then they brought up Ms. Fruit’s class.  They lined them up in two rows, of course Davy was in the back.  They announced the class and before they could walk off of the stage Davy jumps up from the back row and starts waving as hard as he could at us.  I was so proud of him.  I waved back as quick as I could and then they ushered them off of the stage.  He was the only one to wave.  I love him so he makes my heart swell….

 

 

 

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May 28, 2011 · 1:14 pm

Memorial Day Weekend 2011 – Chimney Rock

Davy just finished his last day of school and with a long weekend ahead of us, we decided to pack up and spend the weekend in North Carolina.  Davy loves the mountains so much and we had the time, so this gift was for him.  After we had our celebratory lunch, we went home and packed the car, and we were off.  The ride up was easy and we pulled in around 11pm.  Here’s sweet Matty sleeping on the way up.

When we woke up on Saturday morning, we decided to head over to Asheville and do a little exploring.  We stopped at the BP for a cup of coffee and a sausage biscuit and then headed out.  We figured by the time we got there it would be the perfect time for brunch.  Asheville has so many independent places to eat at, but we had such a great meal at Tupelo Honey the last time we decided to take mom there so she could see it for herself.

As we pulled into Asheville, we saw a sign for the Asheville Farmers Market!  In the spirit of being spontaneous, we decided to go and check it out.  I love Farmer’s Markets.  There were several different hangers all filled with produce, plants, meats, jams, jellies, honey, etc.  We were not disappointed and ended up having a honey taste test.  Yum!  We bought Blueberry Honey, pure Wildflower Honey, Sourwood Honey, and some Hotter than Hell Chow Chow.

We were officially starving so off to Tupelo Honey.  It was actually a good thing that we stopped because they didn’t open until after 9.  We had a half hour wait, so the boys played across the street.

Once you sit down at the table, they bring out biscuits, jelly, and honey.  Here are the boys eating theirs.  For brunch I had a sweet potato pecan pancake, mom had a grilled chicken sandwich, and Andy had fried chicken with biscuits and red-eye gravy.

We decided today that we would check out Chimney Rock; so we headed southeast out of Asheville and about 25 miles later we were there.  Chimney Rock is located in Chimney Rock State Park and is apart of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.  The rock is at and elevation of 2, 280 and you can see out up to 75 miles.  When climbing up to Chimney Rock it is roughly 400 stairs.  We parked at the bottom, took a bus to the entrance and then began our climb.  Davy and I went ahead first, Andy carried Matty, and mom followed in the rear.

Here’s Davy and I half way up to Chimney Rock.

Now, when you get to Chimney Rock lookout, of course there is a trail to go even higher and we weren’t going to give up there.  We had to go to the top to check it out!  Exclamation Point is at an elevation of 2,480 ft and is the pinnacle of the park, and essentially we just hiked 3/4’s of mile straight up.  We were so proud of Davy and Matty.  Davy didn’t complain one time, in fact he loved it, and little Matty wanted to hike it too…he’s just a little slow.  Here we are at the top.  :O)

After we hiked back down to the entrance of the trail, we met up with mom and decided to hike on over to Hickory Nut Falls.  It was also 3/4 of a mile to get there; meaning that we ended up hiking 3 miles today.  This waterfall is one of the highest falls east of the Mississippi.

By the time we got back to the bus we were hot and tired….but we were so glad that we went the extra distance.  The views and the waterfall were beautiful.  At the Chimney Rock lookout we spotted Lake Lure and decided to drive over and get a better look at it.  There was a really cute little village, a beautiful resort, and a beach on the lake.  This beach reminded me of one that you would see in a movie.  It was very clean, crowded, lots of things to do, and with a gorgeous backdrop.  Matty fell asleep in the car, Davy took one look at the water slides, and we had to stop for him.  :O)

One of the neatest things that they had here on the beach was a water balloon firing station.  You could purchase the balloons at the check-in desk, the kids would fill them up with water, and then they would launch them at each other.  Davy loved this!

After we left the lake, we headed back towards Asheville.  All of us were starving so we stopped at their local Mellow Mushroom for some pizza.  Yum Yum!!!  The weather was beautiful so we ate outside.  Today was a great adventurous day!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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May 27, 2011 · 2:18 am

The Last Day of Pre-K

It’s Davy’s last day as a Pre-Ker….  Sniff Sniff….

As always, on the last day of school at Berkeley they have what is called Farmers Day, otherwise known as a field day.  The students are always divided into one of two teams: blue or white.  Davy was on the white team.  We dropped him off at normal time and then returned at 10:15 for the end of the year classroom party.  The kids were so excited.  They made a few crafts and of course ate some candy.  At 11am the party ended and so did their school year.  The last day of school is the only half day that the children get all year.  He told his friends to have a nice summer, gave Ms. Fruit a giant hug and a thank you, waved goodbye from the classroom door, and we were off.

Congratulations to my big guy…he is now a Kindergartener!!!!

Davy with his girlfriend Annabelle and his friend Sophia.

Davy with Ms. Fruit.

On the first day of school I got a great picture of Davy with his friend Ryan and I  was hoping to get a picture of them on  last day of school as well…  You can see that they had no interest in posing for me…  :O)

Davy waving goodbye to Pre-K.

We stopped at TGIFriday’s for a celebratory lunch.  Davy is eating an ice cream Oreo sandwich…Yum!

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May 26, 2011 · 8:37 pm

Wk 47 – Kale-Chorizo Frittata

Andy loves to eat breakfast and to help him out a little in the mornings I picked this recipe so that I could prepare it in advance, slice it up, and have it ready to go.  All he has to do is pop it in the microwave to heat it up.  He loves frittatas, kale and chorizo so I figured I couldn’t go wrong…  🙂

Kale-Chorizo Frittata

  • 3 Tbs EVOO
  • 1/2 lb chorizo, cut into small dice
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
  • kosher salt and pepper freshly ground
  • 1/2 lb kale, trimmed, cooked until tender in salted water, squeezed dry, and coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon pimenton (Spanish paprika)

Heat 1 Tbs of the olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof anodized aluminum or nonstick skillet over medium heat (I used a cast iron skillet).  Add the chorizo and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the chorizo is browned and the onions are tender.  Let the mixture cool slightly (it can be arm when added to the eggs, but no piping hot).

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, flour (don’t worry if the flour forms small lumps), 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and several grinds of pepper.  Combine the chorizo, onions, prepared kale, and pimenton with the egg mixture, folding them in gently.

Wipe out the skillet, pour in the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil, and return the pan to medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the egg mixture, spreading everything evenly.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the eggs are set about 1 inch in from the sides of the pan, 8 – 12 minutes.  Uncover the pan and transfer the frittata to the oven.  Bake until the top is puffed and completely set, another 15 to 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and run a rubber spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen the frittata.  Slip it out of the pan and onto a cutting board.  Let the frittata cook for at least 10 minutes before cutting.  Sever warm or at room temperature.

(We loved the flavor of this dish!)

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May 19, 2011 · 8:07 pm

Wk 46 – Fried Okra

Fried Okra

  • Peanut Oil for frying
  • 2 pounds fresh okra, stem ends removed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal
  • 4 teaspoons seasoned salt
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

In a large dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 2.5 inches.  Heat oil until a candy or frying thermometer registers 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine okra and buttermilk; let stand for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, seasoned salt, and cornstarch.

Working in batches, drain okra, and dredge in flour mixture.  Using a spider skimmer or long-handled slotted spoon, lower okra into hot oil; fry for about 4 minutes or until golden brown.

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May 12, 2011 · 1:52 am

Wk 45 – Peach Poundcake

The tagline for this recipe, found on page 106 of Everyday Feasts, is “A refreshing fruit-filled twist on a classic recipe” and I couldn’t agree more.  Fruit is grown here year round and if you just ask around I am certain that most anyone who cooks can direct you to a local farmers market.  One of our personal favorites is Parksdale, over in Plant City.  It is well known throughout Central Florida and has even been featured in Food Network Magazine for its Famous Strawberry Shortcake.  The prices are cheap and you never know what you are going to stumble across.  Last summer I bought and entire basket of Georgia peaches (about 25) for 6.99 and towards the end of strawberry season you can pick up a full flat for near the same price, maybe higher or maybe even lower.  So what do you do with all of this fruit???…you make pound cake!  You’ll see from the pictures below that this recipe is versatile enough to use any fruit of your liking….Bon Appétit!

Peach Pound Cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 cups eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups chopped peaches

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan generously with butter and sprinkle with sugar, shaking out the excess.  Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the flour mixture gradually, beating constantly until blended.  Fold the peaches into the batter, spoon into the prepared Bundt pan.  Bake for 60-70 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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May 6, 2011 · 1:37 am

Teddy Bear Picnic

Once a year, the children do something special for “mom’s” and in Pre-K it is the Teddy Bear Picnic.  Since this was my first time, I had no idea what to expect…but the children just amazed me with how much they prepared and planned for us.

When we arrived at the school, they had us enter from the back.  Outside they had set up our name badges, necklaces that the children had made for us, as well as some of the artwork that they had completed over the year.  When it was time to go inside, we were all given a gift bag full of goodies that the kids had made.  Inside the goodie bag was a thermal tote, an alphabet bear book, homemade stationary, and 2 teddy bear pens.

The children performed several songs and then to end the production each child approached a microphone and said why they loved their mom.  It was the sweetest thing!  There were not very many that were the same, and when Davy approached the microphone he said, “I love my mommy because she takes me to North Carolina”.  Oh!  Be still my melting heart!  Love him so.

Afterwards, the children were lined up outside with a partner and had a picnic basket all prepared for us.  We found our number and shared our picnic with Miles and his mom Angela.  It was a beautiful morning and I had a wonderful time.

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