Milestones

Big boy's getting bigger...

...and just because he's so darn cute.

My Kind of Survey

1. How do you like your eggs?
All ways. A treat is fried over easy but usually I just scramble (no cheese) or hard-boil for the sake of convenience.

2. How do you take your coffee/tea?
Just starting in on coffee, only when I'm really cold. I like it like dessert--with lots of milk and sugar added...caramel-colored. For tea, it's with a squeeze of lemon and a teaspoon of honey.

3. Favorite breakfast food:
Nothing beats pancakes except more pancakes. With real butter and maple syrup.

4. Peanut butter: Smooth or crunchy?
Either.

5. What kind of dressing on your salad?
Traditional mustard vinaigrette or a close variation.

6. Coke or Pepsi?
Ew. Neither. Water, milk or juice. Sweet tea once in a blue moon.

7. You’re feeling lazy, what do you make?
Skippy's natural peanut butter and all-fruit spread on whole wheat.

8. You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order?
Gondoliers--loaded with veggies and feta.

9. You feel like cooking. What do you make?
Chicken Marsala is my favorite.

10. Do any foods bring back good memories?
Unfrosted marble cake--sitting on Grammy's porch in the summer evening
McDonald's fudge sundae w/ nuts--trips to McDonald's with Grandpa M.
Dunkin Donuts jelly-filled donuts--trips to Dunkin Donuts with Grandpa M. (he really liked to go get his coffee)
In-season peaches and blueberries (fresh or baked into something)--summers in Old Saybrook
Lemon Italian ice--Chalker beach
Toasted marshmallows--summer nights in Madison with Gram
Crackers and soft cheeses with Merlot--appetizers with Grandpa H.
Iced coffee--summer days at Grammy and Grandpa's house

11. Do any foods bring back bad memories?
Well, I was in England once and someone served me potatoes and peas that were doused in rock salt and some kind of mint glaze. Not a bad memory but definitely a bad dinner. Ditto for all the rutabagas my mom made me eat as a child.

12. Do any foods remind you of someone?
Grammy's noodle soup
Mom's breads (specifically zucchini, cranberry orange and pineapple nut)
Mom's lime jello salad (actually lots of Mom's recipes, but she has kindly passed them all to me and I make them so frequently that they're mine now too)
Bread and butter: Grammy and Grandpa
Gram's "invisible" salad dressing
Bloody Marys: Gram and Grandpa
I have a new appreciation for stuffing and gravy during the holidays, but it's a taste I aquired only after Gram, the champ, passed away.

13. Is there a food you refuse to eat?
Haggis, liver, tongue, etc., turnips and brussel sprouts

14. What was your favorite food as a child?
Fried shrimp, especially from The Fish Tail

15. Is there a food that you hated as a child but now like?
Most veggies, beans, bean sprouts, avacados, watermelon, mushrooms, I would probably LOVE my mom's kale soup if she would ever make it for me again!

16. Is there a food that you liked as a child but now hate?
Kool-aid, Pop-tarts, Keebler soft batch chocolate chip cookies, hot dogs, Kraft macaroni and cheese, sugary cereals, breakfast sausage, all those processed foods aimed at kids

17. Favorite fruit and vegetable:
Berries (any kind) and Asparagus

18. Favorite junk food:
Those store-bought cinnamon rolls smothered in white icing, or anything similar.

19. Favorite between meal snack:
shredded mini wheats (any brand, but especially Kashi)

20. Do you have any weird food habits?
Not really weird, but I MUST finish dinner with something sweet. It kills me during Lent.

21. You’re on a diet. What food(s) do you fill up on?
Kashi breakfast cereals

22. You’re off your diet. Now what would you like?
Chocolate chip cookies or any homemade baked good for that matter, Easter candy, any dish made with heavy cream

23. How spicy do you order Indian/Thai?
Not very. I like the sweet flavors like coconut and golden raisins mixed with the savory spices.

24. Can I get you a drink?
Margarita on the rocks

25. Red or White Wine?
switched to white recently

26. Favorite dessert?
Oh, there's no way...let's see, fudge cake with chocolate ganache, strawberry shortcake (the real kind, on a sweetened biscuit with real whipped cream), caramel cake, brownie sundae, blueberry cobbler with ice cream, any kind of homemade fruit pie but especially apple, pumpkin, peach and cherry, the list could go on and on but I think I touched on the high points!

27. The perfect nightcap?
Don't have one b/c I don't usually indulge. I prefer to drink with a meal.

Sapelo Island

It's Springing...

...and I hope it's sprung by the time I get back...

Snowdrops...the only kind I like.

The early daffodils are gone, here are my late ones.

Phlox...first it sleeps, then it creeps, then it leaps. This year it's creeping.

The first brave dogwood bloom of the year.

Buds at dusk.

Happy Spring!

That's Affirmative

Conversation with Ben has been a little maddening lately...

Ben: Does it have ice in it?

Me: Yes, it does.

Ben: It does?

Me: Yes.

Ben: It has ice in it?

Me: Yes, Ben IT DOES!

Ben: It does have ice in it?

Me: WHY LORD WHY?????

Belated Birthday Wishes

Well, I completely fail at life when it comes to blogging lately. What can I say, I've been *really* busy! Especially busy keeping Patrick happy as he turned SIX YEARS OLD last week. They sure do grow up fast...sigh...

Anyway, Patrick's birthday was a week-long affair, as usual. I don't know how my kids manage this every time, but we usually end up having multiple birthday celebrations...like, even more than normal people do. Luke was working on Wednesday, his actual birthday, so we went out to eat at Olive Garden Tuesday night at Patrick's request. And we can now cross the Olive Garden off the list of places I can eat. Wow. I'm sticking to whole foods right now so I ordered portabello ravioli, which the waitress assured me were made fresh in-house. Yeah. Riiiiiight. If they were freshly made, it was in the lowest-grade fat possible and with a pound or ten of salt added. My stomach was literally screaming at me after five pieces. Anyway, the next day--on his actual birthday--Ben and I took giant colorful frosted with sprinkles doughnuts to school to eat with his class...but not before Ben decided to pull the fire alarm and evacuate the whole school. Except no one could leave the building because there had been a massive hydrochloric acid spill in a nearby plant and officials were afraid that citizens would inhale the fumes and die. Which left everyone in a quandry...burn inside or asphixiate outside? Which would you do? But after all that drama (happy birthday Patrick!), we ate the doughnuts and then the boys went out to eat with Ma and Pa for another birthday celebration.

Then on Friday, Patrick had all of his birthday wishes fullfilled and went to spend the night with Uncle Adam in Chattanooga. Adam and Kendall spoiled him rotten, and he of course loved every minute of it. On Sunday we went up there for one last birthday party and spent the day playing around town...pictures below...

Apparently the thing to do in Chattanooga this time of year is slide down the levee by the river on cardboard boxes. Laugh if you want, but it was SO MUCH FUN. Who knew? Loved it. Anyway, Patrick had a great six or seven birthdays, and he looooved the kid-sized turnout gear that we got him, so that was good. And this post is now miles longs, so I'm done. Not even gonna spell-check. Bye!

New post.

Soon. I promise. But the camera battery is dead and I can't upload pictures until I get a charge.

ThisisforyouSandikaythanksbye.