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austin – day 3

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the final day of our austin trip arrived way too quickly for me.  we just have so much fun when we’re all together that time truly does feel like it’s flying by.  nonetheless, the packing began early in the morning so that we could head out for one last meal before the planes started whisking us all home.

since some of the crew was on a time crunch, we walked across the street for brunch at hillside farmacy.  this darling spot was already packed with locals, so we sipped on espresso and iced coffee as we waited for our tables.

this neighborhood restaurant serves up brunch, lunch, dinner, and happy hour to its hungry (and thirsty) austin patrons seven days a week.  it’s always a clear sign when folks are waiting outside the door that it’s gotta be good.

since we were a larger group, the host split us between two tables.  kari got things going on the right foot by quickly ordering us a beaker of mimosas.  yes, folks, there’s now an even cooler way to serve up everyone’s favorite adult brunch beverage.  it’s not a champagne glass, it isn’t a carafe, it isn’t a pitcher.  no, ladies and gentlemen, it’s a beaker of mimosas.

along with those pictures, this gem from the internet comes to mind.

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oh, and then this one that kari sent me a while back.  i’ve not a clue to whom the credit should go, so to the original creator, thank you!  nothing makes me happier than cute, clueless golden retrievers acting like they hold human jobs.

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our table ordered in decent time, but the amount of time it took to get our food was not reasonable at all.  erin, shawn, ali, and mike were finished with their meals, checks paid, before we got anything.  we had some words with the waitress, and eventually we were served.  i don’t know if she forgot to enter our orders, but regardless, the service pretty much ruined our one, and maybe only, experience at hillside farmacy.  our food was pretty decent, but i don’t think it made up for the fact that poor kyle and kari had to take their brunches to-go…in the uber…with their luggage…to the airport.  what an unfortunate way to end the weekend!

those of us who remained dropped our luggage off with the kind concierge at the hampton inn (christian and sara were staying there for one more night in austin, so we sweetly took advantage) and then we hoofed it over to south congress.  we lingered in and out of thrift shops and candy stores, not so much to souvenir shop but more so to stay out of the heat.  i know the texas summer wasn’t there just yet, but that doesn’t exactly mean it was cool that first weekend of may.

happy but tired from the whirlwind weekend, a few of us ended up at amy’s ice creams for a treat.  you can bet i was very ready for something cold after the sun bore down on us while we waited in line.  i usually take a while to make up my mind, but i was quick to order a cup of strawberry ice cream with chocolate chunks.  that sweet fruit hit the spot, and i was very glad with my choice as i slurped up the last few bites.  i can only imagine how business booms here in the hot summer months.

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as they say, all good things must come to an end, so travel group by travel group peeled off to catch flights home.  it seemed too soon when it was time for clark, phillp, and i to go, so i reluctantly hugged my cousins, feeling a bit sad to be leaving them already.  hadn’t we just arrived?  it felt like the first annual cousin trip had come and gone in the blink of an eye.  good thing 2016 isn’t too far away, right?  sure!  i mean, in all seriousness, it will probably be here before we know it.

austin – day 2

kdavis Leave a comment

the austin adventure continued bright and early saturday.  no rest for these young travelers, no siree!  with only a short 36 hours left on this trip, we needed to make the most of it, and we did just that.  erin, shawn, kyle, kari, and i made our way over to la barbecue for what would end up being maybe the best barbecue i’ve ever had in my life.  we had wanted to go to franklin barbecue, as it is probably austin’s best-known bbq joint, but waking up at 6 a.m…..on a saturday….on vacation didn’t sound like the most appealing idea.  plus, our uncle craig had already given us the inside scoop that he thought la barbecue was better than franklin’s (ooooh, quite a statement to make), so we took his advice.

only around since 2012, la barbecue has created quite a following for itself at the somewhat sketchy corner of east 1st street and brushy.  this dirt yard hosts picnic tables under tents and umbrellas to shade you as you eat.  the smoker is right there also, and you order, as you would expect, from a friendly cashier at a food truck.  there wasn’t much of a crowd just yet, but as more folks started showing up, we decided we’d go ahead and create the line.  we weren’t first, no, we left that to a group of younger twentysomethings that were drinking water out of previously full vodka bottles. rrriiiight.  we got there about 9:30 and held down the fort as the rest of the crew arrived around 11 to hold some table space for us.  when you’re traveling with 13, you’ve gotta be on top of it!

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the texas morning was warming up nicely, so as we waited, we gladly took part in the free keg of beer that was being served up to the thirsty la barbecue patrons.  just give ’em a tip and enjoy!

kyle, shawn, & kari.

kyle, shawn, & kari.

there was no sense in having everyone get in line individually and order, so shawn, kyle, kari, and erin took the lead to order for the whole bunch.  what did we end up with, you ask?  almost a pound of everything!  yes, let’s see what we had here.  a quart of the potato salad, a quart of spicy cole slaw, a quart of beans, three links of spicy sausage, one frito pie, a pound of pulled pork, a few pork ribs, a pound of fatty brisket, a pound of regular brisket, and a handful of white bread because, you know, no barbecue meal is complete without good ‘ole white bread.

the meatz.

the meatz.

when we were ordering, we were so kindly given a sample of the brisket.  the gentleman pulled out a brand new parchment, and as he unwrapped it, a charred slab of meat peeked out between the folds.  he cut off a few hunks for us to sample, and we all looked at each other with that thought “oh man, we’ve never had good brisket until this moment.”  kyle took his bite and closed his eyes.  he was quiet for a solid 15-20 seconds, and finally when we he finished, he opened his eyes with a smile and said something to the effect of, “i could die right now and not be unhappy.”  that, ladies and gentlemen, is what should happen when people eat food.

as we grabbed utensils and waters, the girls got place settings put out, and we passed the trays among everyone, one tray down one side and the other down the the opposite.  they don’t have plates here, so you’ll either be eating directly off the tray or off a piece of brown parchment paper.  hey, whatever works!

the next hour or so was full of “mm’s” and “ooh’s” as we all got a taste of this austin staple.  i can’t speak for the other end of the table (i mean, it’s a little tough to get reviews from 13 people all at once), but on our end, there were different takes on all we had eaten.  we’ll start with the sides.  the potato salad, from what i remember, was quite good, while the spicy coleslaw may have been a touch too spicy.  i am, though, a spice wimp as many of you know, so if you, i don’t know, grew up in texas eating spicy food all your life, you’d probably be embarrassed for me.  whatevs!  now, let’s talk about the beans, and, just beans in general.  i feel like beans get a bad rap around town because of their, ahem, after effect, but you know what?  i’ll just say it, though:  i like beans!  i like refried beans on my tacos, i like black beans in my chipotle rice bowls, i like great northern beans in my chicken dinner, and i like baked beans in the summertime alongside some good barbecue.  there, i’ve come out with it!  and these baked beans at la barbecue were yummy.  i liked them so much i wanted to ask for another helping but didn’t get the chance before the leftovers were chucked in the garbage.  well, another time then, baked beans, another time.  the summer season has just begun!

now let’s talk about the important stuff, the barbecue.  the spicy sausage, as you can guess, wasn’t really up my alley.  it actually looked quite red when you cut into it, and i gladly let phillip eat the other half of my hunk.  i really liked the pulled pork and could not get enough of the pork ribs.  what we all agreed on, though, was that the brisket truly was to die for.  kyle and i had excellent brisket up in salt lake city, but this stuff wasn’t just out of this world; it’s like it was in another galaxy completely.  to this day (a mere 14 days after having been there), i have dreams with slabs of brisket dancing around me, hunks of it jumping into my mouth as i savor each bite.  hm, did this just get weird?

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austin – day 1

kdavis Leave a comment

as most of you know by now, the andrich family is a big ‘family’ family.  we had the time of our lives when everyone came to atlanta for kari and kyle’s wedding last october, and since none of our parents are turning 60 this year, we figured we’d begin a new tradition in an annual cousin trip.  yep, just like that we instituted the first of these new get-togethers over in austin, texas.  most of us had never been, and with it being pretty much halfway between georgia and california, it seemed like a pretty solid destination.

thirteen of us total made the trip, and that number included phillip.  oooh, our first time traveling together!  and so soon!  yes, yes, we’ve only been together a couple of months, but when you know, you know.  so, it was a very early five a.m. when we woke up, packed our suitcases, and made our way to hartsfield-jackson international airport.  after getting our boarding passes, we shuffled through security with hundreds of other sleepy travelers.  although it was a busy morning there already, it was quiet, so we tried not to be too disruptive as we waited for our plane.

since we’d checked our bags, we relaxed at the gate and coolly walked on that md90 towards the end of the line.  we were on the left of the plane in the two-seat row, a nice cozy setup for a quick two-hour flight westward.  we of course took a few pictures, but none of them had both of us looking our best at the same time, so phillip craftily composed this cropped mashup of the two of us.  hehe.

such a happy couple!

such a happy couple!

it seemed like we had just finished our breakfast smoothies when we touched down in the lonestar state.  with an early flight came an early arrival, and we practically had the whole day ahead of us.  we deplaned and snatched our suitcases from carousel five.  the taxi line was short, so we quickly hopped in a cab with a driver who looked exactly like quint from the movie jaws.  he had a little bit of an oddball demeanor that made for an entertaining ride to san bernard street.  we grabbed the luggage, thanked the driver for his advice, and joined kyle and kari in chinquapin, our massive and funky abode for the next 48 hours.  when you’ve got a baker’s dozen to accommodate, your selection pool is narrowed down pretty quickly.  we got a speedy tour of the common space and then took a stroll up the block to the nearby liquor store j&j spirits.

me, doing about what you would expect me to be doing.

me, doing about what you would expect me to be doing.

okay, yes, it wasn’t even noon yet, but we needed to stock up the fridge for all the cousins who would soon be in town!  the cashier was kind as we perused this quaint shop for the necessities:  seagram’s, fireball, white wine, red wine.  yep, that oughta do it…at least for a rew hours.  kyle and phillip used their big muscles to lift those heavy bags, and it was back to the house we went.

look at our hunks!

look at our hunks!

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the one sushi + – atlanta, ga

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we’ve been kicking nrw back into high gear now that the busy month of april has come and gone.  last week we enjoyed a lovely and relaxing dinner at varasano’s pizzeria in south buckhead, and this week we took it to the neighborhood of brookhaven for a little sushi.  i’ve been madly craving it for a little while now, and even though i wasn’t sure who else would be on board, the one sushi + would be the host for our sweet party of eight.

since their name is a little longer, i am going to affectionately refer to the one sushi + as ‘tosp’ throughout the rest of this post.  sound good?  i thought so, too!  okay, so tosp is kind of hidden here on caldwell road, just off dresden.  there’s always a new restaurant popping up in this little strip of boutiques and eateries, so it shouldn’t surprise me that i hadn’t yet heard of them.  and as it would turn out, tosp used to be a coffee shop way back when.  with a reservation at 7:30 p.m. sharp, i walked in to meet bank, liz, nathan, alison, eric, claire, and phillip at our large table.

i don’t typically think of sushi restaurants as “cozy,” which is how tosp describes itself, and upon walking in, the word “urban” is what came to mind instead.  there are these sizable sheet metal light installations that hang above the dining space and the concrete floor.  the huge window walls let the natural light come in, a good thing because otherwise it would be very dark and sensual in here.  again, cozy definitely isn’t the right characterization, if you ask me, but i was totally digging the dense modern vibe i was getting.

the place settings are clean and crisp.  i love the white plates and bowls because it gets to show off the colors of the super fresh ingredients of their menu.  a good simple contrast to the busy artwork on the walls.

we’d made it halfway through the week, so we all agreed on some adult beverages in addition to our water glasses.  most of the fellas got sopporos and most of the ladies got cocktails.  phillip went with the sake, which he loved, and i also very much enjoyed the novellum chardonnay from france.  mm.

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san francisco – day 2

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thursday morning honestly arrived a little too early for my liking.  although brian’s bed is extremely comfortable, a few more hours of shuteye really would have done wonders.  well, there’s no room for whiners on this vacation, so we were up and at it by 7:30 a.m.  an early day indeed!

brian was going to take the later bus to work so that we’d have a little morning time together.  our first destination of the day was cafe st. jorge for a little caffeine and munchies.  this place was all kinds of adorable, and i’m sure i embarrassed brian with all my question asking and picture taking.  hey, there comes a time when one must be a shameless blogger, and that time for me is now.  this type of coffee shop is right up my alley, and if i lived here, i bet it’s where i would go to write and read.

brian went for a large black coffee and i had a small cafe au lait.  it was a solid au lait, a good thing since it is my favorite coffee beverage.

my cousin is such a stud!

my cousin is such a stud!

for eats i had the banana bread.  i didn’t want anything too filling since i was planning to eat practically all day long.  i wish it had been a little more moist, but the flavors and density you come to expect from banana bread were definitely there.

'naner bread.

‘naner bread.

brian went with his usual in the small granola bowl.  it was the cutest and most homey bowl i’d ever seen in my life, and i’m lucky he let me have a couple bites.  the yogurt wasn’t overly sweet, and the homemade granola was stupid good.  the fruit was fresh, and everything together in a single spoonful made for a very tasty breakfast.

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we grabbed lids for our coffees and began our morning hike.  brian had warned me about the hills, but, yeah, i quickly felt out of shape, and i run half-marathons for goodness’ sakes!  slowly my layers were stripped as we continued upward towards the heavens.  all that was running through my head was miley cyrus’ hit “the climb.”  remember folks, it’s about the journey, not the destination.

brian promised me the effort would be worthwhile, and after we were atop the city, i realized he was absolutely right.  the view from this high up is just gorgeous, a sweeping scene of san francisco and all its neighborhoods.  the breeze was cooling, and the ultimate feeling of relaxation set in as we took in everything.  ah, thank goodness for vacation days!

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smokebelly bbq – atlanta, ga

kdavis 5 Comments

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last weekend was relaxing and beautiful down here in georgia, and i spent as much time of that perfect spring saturday outside as i could.  phillip came over to the condo where i was happily chatting with my neighbors chris and suzy and their sweet little pup shorty.  the trees in our courtyard were providing the perfect amount of shade, and the slight breeze kept us cool.  we cracked open some bud lights and caught up on the latest.  it’s wild how much you don’t see your neighbors when the colder months are here.  i felt like i hadn’t visited with those two in months!

as the early evening crept in, i could feel my stomach rumbling.  we weren’t in the mood to cook, so phillip and i were trying to figure out where we should go for dinner.  we knew we wanted to dine alfresco since it was such a gorgeous night, and with that must-have, chris and suzy were quick to recommend smokebelly bbq just down the street off east andrews.  i’d gotten their flyers and coupons in the mail after their grand opening but hadn’t yet given it a visit.  suzy was armed with several suggestions, and since i never turn down good bbq, we knew just where we’d be going.  her fingers were crossed that we would like it just as much as she did; considering she’d been back several times after first going with chris, it sounded like a pretty good bet.

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the pinewood tippling room – decatur, ga

kdavis 2 Comments

after finishing the publix half marathon and full marathon a couple sundays ago, you can bet we runners were ravenous.  we met up with everyone in the neighborhood of decatur at the pinewood tippling room, unexpectedly coming across the perfect restaurant review opportunity.

known by the locals as the pinewood, this spot is a cozy neighborhood bar serving up “extraordinary cocktails and reinterpreted regional fare.”  their space is clean without much fuss, and although they equally support what they call the high-class and “home-spun,” i felt a touch out of place in my running tights and sneakers.  the other customers were dressed to the nines, it seemed, after maybe just having left church service with their family and friends.  perhaps if i were coming on a different day i would have felt a little more comfortable.  maybe that’s why they seated us way in the back…?  nah, i don’t think so.  i think it had more to do with the fact that we were a party of 12 and that was where they had room.  i should have positioned myself on the other side of the table so that i could really take in the ambiance, for i was stuck facing a white-washed brick wall.  oh well!  good thing atmosphere is only one element of a restaurant, right?  sure!

although i probably needed a couple gallons of water to rehydrate my body, i didn’t wait a moment to order a mimosa.  something refreshing and crisp sounded like the perfect ticket, and these glasses were a great balance of orange juice and champagne.  cheers!

mimosas for everyone!

mimosas for everyone!

the pinewood closes at 2:30 p.m. on sundays, so we all had to somewhat hastily make our selections.  with a decently sized brunch menu, though, i don’t think it was hard for many of us.

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salt lake city – day 2

kdavis 1 Comment

okay, my loyal readers.  i know you have been awaiting the dramatic conclusion to our trip in salt lake city a couple weekends ago.  i very much apologize for the delay; i have been a busy bee, per the usual!  if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, i gladly give you salt lake city – day 2.

saturday morning arrived, sunny and beautiful just like friday.  it was our final full day in salt lake city, so to not waste any time, we put on our walking shoes, grabbed our light jackets, and strolled over to bruges waffles and frites for some breakfast.  bruges had been recommended by both my coworker drew and the concierge geoff, and considering their suggestions are almost always a hit, we knew we’d be in for a treat.

i was extra excited for this restaurant because when i think of waffles in the morning, i cannot help but play that scene from shrek in my mind.  gotta love donkey!

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salt lake city – day 1

kdavis 1 Comment

we woke friday morning to a sliver of sunlight sneaking in through the curtains.  we were in luck with beautiful weather that weekend, a great thing considering there was snow back home in atlanta.  sorry, folks!

we freshened up in the suite and rode the elevator down to the lobby.  we had some ideas of where to go and what to do, but we swung by the front desk for a little direction.  we ended up chatting with geoff for about twenty minutes as he gave us the inside scoop of salt lake.  he even helped us out with a local city map!

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after taking up plenty of his time, geoff wished us well as we started out into the morning, heading east on 600 south and then hanging a left onto main.  our destination was apple spice cafe and bakery for some sustenance, and after pushing through the revolving doors and riding the escalator to the second floor, there we were.  the restaurant was completely empty, but seeing as how it’s located in the wells fargo business building, i guess that makes sense that time of day.

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we were warmly greeted by the cashier as we browsed the menu.  but, shoot!  we had just missed breakfast by about ten minutes.  whoops!  i guess we’ll be eating an early lunch then!  we stared down the menu a few minutes more, for we’d both been looking forward to a hot plate of eggs and a mug of coffee.  oh well.  part of being spontaneous is about being flexible, so we just rolled with it.

kyle had the soup and sandwich pairing.  the tomato basil soup was fresh and perfectly warmed when it was served.  he gladly dipped into it the half ham sandwich, a pretzel roll topped with cured ham, havarti cheese, greenleaf lettuce, and their signature sauce.  it was a solid meal, not too filling but not too light.

tomato basil soup.
ham & harvarti sandwich.

i also went with a combination meal because it’s not often a half sandwich/half salad plate steers me wrong.  per the cashier’s recommendation, i tried the pomegranate salad.  at first it sounded a little too summery, but seeing as how it was nearly 50 degrees and gorgeous outside, it actually seemed quite appropriate.  the half size serving was very generous and very flavorful.  the poppyseed dressing was light and slightly tangy, complementing the pomegranate seeds, roasted turkey, and candied pecans nicely.  i scarfed it down quickly.

pomegranate salad.

pomegranate salad.

next up was the blt santa fe.  i love blt’s, and with sprouts, avocado, and bbq ranch, it looked like it could be a winner.  unfortunately, it didn’t wow me like i thought it would.  i liked each ingredient on there, but altogether it wasn’t my favorite.

blt santa fe.

blt santa fe.

as we munched away our meals, we basked in the bright blue skies and welcoming temperature.  the sun warmed by back as we dined on their patio, a pleasant start to what would be a truly great day.

the kessie girl.

the kessie girl.

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greensboro, nc – day 3

kdavis 1 Comment

well, my final day in greensboro arrived early sunday morning.  i thought all the crazy fun had already passed, but what little did i know!  we had planned to go out for brunch, but seeing as how there was freezing rain steadily building up all around the house and our cars, we went nowhere fast.  good thing mary had stocked up on bread and eggs, because a homemade breakfast is just what the doctor ordered.

first things first on a lazy and relaxing sunday?  mimosas!  well, i take that back.  we didn’t have any orange juice, so we made ourselves some berry bellinis.  step one was to make a little berry puree to complement the champagne.  mary whipped out her blender and got a little raspberry-strawberry concoction going.  it’s silly how simple it was!

step two is to over pour the champagne so that it goes all over the cutting board and chopping block, wasting about a fourth of the bottle.  whatever!  we never said we were perfect, just a few friends trying to have a good time, and that isn’t too hard with champs and sweets.

i think at about eleven o’clock we finally started cooking actual food.  first up, sausages!  mary had a moment of inspiration and let me in on her sausage-cooking secret:  use a panini skillet of some kind, the ones with the ridges.  you can place those little sausage links right in between so they don’t roll all over the place.  your links will be perfectly browned and juicy, a great side to any breakfast dish.

wait, though.  what was our breakfast dish of choice that sunday?  eggs benedict!  this mary lady just does it all – homemade strawberry puree, eggs benedict.  man, was i spoiled this weekend or what?  mary got out her pioneer woman cookbook and turned to page 16 to find the eggs benedict recipe.  this particular recipe, to quote mary, is not particularly “figure friendly.”  i mean, there are two sticks of butter in the sauce alone.  good thing i’m not on a diet!  before we get there, though, let’s take a look at the adventure that was poaching the eggs.

i’m sure there’s some exact science to poaching an egg, but we kind of just went on memory and instinct for ours.  after the water came to a slight bubble, mike used a wooden spoon to get some good circulation going.  mary plopped that first egg into the water and, oh!  look at that!  that’s not what a poached egg should look like!  it looked like some weird mess caught up in an f5 tornado!

sooooooo, with that disaster, we dumped the water and started from scratch.  this time we brought the water to a very low boil, didn’t stir as quickly, and gently slipped the egg right into the water without causing too much of a commotion.  the white of the egg delicately fell in on itself, creating a little envelope for that yolk to cook perfectly.  ah, quite the success!

mary served them up on soft toast with generous spoonfuls of the hollandaise.  the sweetest breakfast ever served!  the egg was rich and helped cut out the overly sour lemon in the sauce.  now, the hollandaise calls for the juice of two lemons, but the lemons we were using were a bit larger, so i think we probably didn’t account for that.  i also thought the sauce was a touch too runny, but that’s just my opinion.  regardless, i sopped up all the yolk and sauce with my toast and didn’t leave a morsel on the plate.  a great adventure with a great result!

just when we thought all the handiwork was done for the weekend, another surprise came our way.  we couldn’t get a truck to tow the mazda to the dealership for its bum tire, so mike, the hero that he is, put the spare on my little hatchback.  you never know what life will throw at you, but when you’re given lemons, you’ve got to make lemonade!  never stop learning, folks.  never stop learning.  🙂

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we pretty much spent the entire day in the kitchen, drinking and eating our way through the afternoon.  we had a hoot of a time reliving the weekend’s already wild happenings as the radio played.  all of a sudden, “king of wishful thinking” by go west came on and mary squealed, nearly scaring mike and i off our chairs.  “i love this song!  i just cannot control my body when i hear it!”  after listening and dancing to it, we pulled up the video online.  i think we love it now even more, but i’ll let you be the judge!

aaahhh, the early evening was suddenly upon us, so mary and i switched to wine for the rest of the night.  she’s a white wine lover and i’ve come to love red.  good thing she had plenty bottles of both!

more vino!

more vino!

even though we’d had a late brunch, our stomachs were starting to growl.  well, just what would we have for dinner?  mary had started a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker that morning, so after some serious thinking, we decided pulled pork sandwiches, mac’n’cheese, and brussel sprouts would be a great idea.  am i, right?  yep!

since the pork was already cooking, the brussel sprouts were up next.  i’m warning you now.  i took many unnecessary photos of pretty much the same thing over and over again.  i mean, i had enjoyed almost that whole bottle of red by myself at that point.  give a girl a break!  😉

mary had some red onion she needed to use up, so we figured we’d throw ’em in with the sprouts.  mary armed herself with her onion glasses, looking like a regular pro.  just check out those perfectly chopped chunks!

next we got the pan sizzling and browned the bacon (because bacon makes everything better) and softened the onions.  the kitchen started to smell divine, as i am sure you can imagine.

mary gave the brussel sprouts a rough chop and tossed ’em in with the bacon and onions.  it’s such a shame brussel sprouts get such a bad rap.  they just needed to be served with fatty bacon all this time!

dinner 1

here is what brussel sprouts look like after you add salt…

after salt

…and here is how they look when you throw in some pepper…

after pepper

…and then after you add garlic powder…

after garlic powder

…and then when they’re all ready!

dinner 8

we finally had everything ready, so we dug in and spent the rest of the night watching old home videos that mary’s dad mark had filmed at the 1996 olympics in atlanta.  ah, we were so young!

om nom nom.

om nom nom.

eventually we rinsed our plates, filled the dishwasher, and headed to our beds.  i cannot express enough thanks to mary and mike for a fantastic weekend, and my heart swells just thinking about how much i love these dear friends of mine.  without any plans written down, we let the days take us where they would, which was, as i had hoped it would be, a lot of fun.