Yes, I love birthdays.

Happy Birthday, Dad! 😀

Know what I love most about family birthday parties?  Well—I mean—aside from the food, of course.  I love the quiet excitement before the party actually even starts.  The table being set just so.  A candle or two being lit for a warm ambiance.  That first car that pulls into the driveway and the sounds of voices that are about to fill an empty, silent house.

This is what I love most about family birthdays.

Of course, in addition to all of that, it sure felt good to fire up the oven tonight.  This past week has left me craving a complete, full day of non-stop cooking.

Today: craving satisfied.

portabella mushrooms cooked in a balsamic reduction sauce

Everyone took part in making something.  I stood watch over the veggies and dad focused his attention on the meats.  Honestly, we all felt kind of bad having dad cook on his birthday, but he didn’t seem to really mind.  It would have felt just plain wrong to have someone else cooking the steaks and burgers, when we all know full and well that dad is the grill master in the family.

(p.s. I’m still using up the last of my garden cress…this stuff lasts and lasts, and I’ve been using it on everything from sandwiches to soups to hummus to burgers.  Quite delicious. )

Nicole @ Loving Simple Moments

Meanwhile, my mom was busy cooking the main dessert, which is her own top-secret homemade apple pie.  I’m not even a pie person, and yet I find myself falling in love with this pie time and time again.

The crust is what gets me.  Its tender and flaky, but not overly so (i.e., it doesn’t crumble into dust on your plate!)  And it avoids being dense and boring like some of those beautiful (but sadly poor-tasting) store bought pies can be.  It is, in one word, perfect.  Absolutely perfect.

I guess we all know who the star of the show was tonight. 😉

Yes.  I love birthdays.

I love the excitement, the laughing, the silliness, the games and the elaborate stories.  The feeling of warmth, of home, of happiness.  I love the cooking, the variety of foods and most of all, the sharing.  I love that it’s more than okay to spend 2 hrs at the dinner table.

I love how relaxed and unraveled the dinner table seems, after everyone has finished eating.  Crumbs.  Empty plates and half empty glasses.  That quiet, comforting feeling of being fully content with life.

Yes.  I love birthdays.

Happy Birthday, Dad!  We love you! 😀

QUESTION: What is your most memorable birthday?

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over a bowl of oats

This morning, there were two things on the brain.

First, breakfast. 

I don’t normally like to eat and read all at the same time, but I did just that today. 

Well.  That is, if you count studying the t-stops to Beth Israel Hospital in Boston as “reading.”

Part of the dietetic internship involves traveling to various places and listening to different lecturers and speakers.  Today, Beth Israel Hospital in Boston was having a day-long lecture on the topic of Obesity (and how to best manage it,) self esteem issues in the adolescent, and more. 

This all brings me to the second thing on my brain: making my way through Boston.  A solo journey.  Normally, this kind of thing is deemed as fun and exciting, and it really doesn’t bother me in the slightest.  If I get lost, I get lost.  What’s the worst that could happen, really?  I end up in Canada?   That’s okay.  I like Canada.

(FYI, this is not my own picture.  And Boston is not currently seeing this much sunlight. 😉 )

(source)

Even though I’m not afraid of getting lost, I do hate, hate, hate showing up late to any sort of event or conference.  It’s one of my own personal little pet peeves.  And so, with a time schedule looming over me, I felt slightly anxious and nervous.

That was when my dad asked me with a smile, “Sarah, it’s not a big deal.  What are they going to do if you show up a little late?  Yell at you?”  I thought about this, realizing how silly I was for worrying about things that were completely out of my control (what if the T is running late???  What if I get a flat tire and can’t make it on time?  What…)

I thank my dad for always having the ability to just shrug something off, because that is exactly what I decided to do from that point on.  And then I just enjoyed the trip into Boston.  Reading during a 30 minute ride on the subway.  People watching.  Feeling deliciously independent as I walked into the lecture hall of Beth Israel Hospital (completely on time, I might add.)  Soaking up all the little bits of information like a sponge.  Walking home with a tall soy gingerbread latte from Starbucks.

Delicious.

Lesson Learned: Relax.  Breath.  And realize that it’s okay to not always have control over everything.  This is what makes life interesting. 😀

Question: How do you handle life’s little stresses?   

Hiking and Cookouts…

4th of July weekends are never complete without…

Time Spent Outdoors

The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and the mountain was calling our names. 😉 

The views on top were absolutely beautiful, making the hike well worth all the effort. 😉  We were trying to figure out how many times we’ve hiked this one up.  I remember climbing up it with the family since I was 4 years old (although I’m pretty sure my dad carried me up at least half-way at that point 😉 ).  I didn’t always enjoy hiking when I was small, but looking back, I’m so glad we did.  So many great memories and now I absolutely love it!!!  You can’t beet getting outside and active on a gorgeous day. 😀

The mountain has a road to the top too, so I decided to try and hitchhike my way down.  Haha…kidding!  Considering how “busy” the road was, I might have still been there at this very moment.  😉

Backyard Cookouts

I quickly threw together this pork chop marinade from weber’s great grilling website.  It was so easy to put together.  I simply threw the marinade into a bag, added in the pork chops, and let it sit for 20 minutes.  Just enough time for the coals on the weber to heat right up to the correct temperature.  The outside of the pork chops got all crispy, and the marinade was so very flavorful.  You can barely taste the brown sugar, but it did offer nice crispy edges and markings.  I was a little afraid the lemon juice was going to make it sour, you know?  But it came out nicely balanced with the soysauce, sugar, and olive oil.  Loved it, and I’ll be keeping it on record for the next time we grill up some chops.

Dad did an awesome grilling job, by the way… 😀

The brussell sprouts were perfecto too!  I drizzled about 1.5 pounds of sprouts with1 T. olive oil and sprinkled them with salt and pepper.  I tossed them and threw ’em into a sprayed baking pan, cooking in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

The outer “burnt” edges are the best part. 😀

There were also some grilled taters.  I sprayed a doubled sheet of foil, threw on 4 chopped potatoes, and drizzled 1 T. olive oil.  Then I liberally sprinkled on garlic powder, cajun, and paprika.  Throw the enclosed packet on the grill, and cook until tender and it starts to brown and gets crispy on the edges.

Easy Peazy!  😀

All together to make a very delightful meal…

Watermelon

Because, honestly, what 4th of July celebration is complete without it? 😀

It was a very enjoyable weekend.  I fit in lots of outdoor activities, spent some great quality time with the family, and enjoyed some very good food too.  I hope you all have really enjoyed this past weekend as well! 😀

Breakfast in a Jar

I realized today that the end of something great doesn’t have to be a huge disapointment. 😉

Take a Breakfast in a Jar for example.  To think that I’m normally disapointed when my almond butter reaches the bottom.  Not any more.  This might actually be something I look forward to. 😉

There were globs of almond butter on the sides and bottom of the jar…perfect for holding my morning bowl of oats!  Inside the jar, I added:

• 3/4 c. oats
• 1 large, very ripe banana (plus some slices to add on top too!)
• 1 T. crushed flax
• handful of raisins 

Oohey Goohey Goodness Gracious!!!  Everything sort of just melted together into almond butter heaven. 😀

So that was my lovely start to the day. 😀

And then I was off to work in the cafetaria for my food service class requirement.  After chatting with John for a while, to cover some of the many questions I had, I went on to watch–and helped when I could–the staff.  They were super friendly and put up with my awkward, clumsy, “I don’t really know what I’m doing but I’m trying” moments. 😉  haha…They were also super fast and knew exactly what the customers wanted before they even reached the counter. 

And I was pleasantly surprised to see some healthy options on the menu too.  There were fruit cups galore, oatmeal with “add your own” toppings, single servings of kashi cereal with lowfat milk available, whole wheat toast with peanut butter (and bananas available for those of us who love pb and bananas together 😉 ), etc.  It was nice to see that the employees and patient visitors had some healthy foods available to choose from. 😀

I was out by 12:30, home by 1 o’clock, and just started feeling hungry.  Guess that breakfast wasn’t simply tasty…it was super filling as well! 😀

I heated up some leftover chicken stew from yesterday along with a slice of homemade bread on the side.

…And a huge bowl of watermelon for dessert.

I kept toying with the idea of going to whole foods all afternoon.  But then I finally decided that since its so early in the week, the lettuce probably wouldn’t last over the weekend anyways, so I may as well wait and go later in the week.  Besides, the SUN actually dared to peak through the clouds this afternoon!!!  Talk about exciting.  It’s been a good 5-6 days since I last saw it, so I needed to run outside and enjoy it!! 😀

I ate this vanilla chobani with heart to heart before heading out for a run…

…Then I threw on my running sneaks, and headed out for another 4-mile run.  I never, ever do two long runs in a row.  Ever.  It’s sort of part of my unsigned contract to myself. 😉  But today, I just couldn’t resist.  My legs felt sore but I also felt good at the same time.  So I kept running and turned what was meant to be a short run into my longer run.  Dodging puddles, dodging cars (!!!), pumping up hills…so happy to be running! 😀

I also was 100% heartburn free on this run.  That’s one problem I seem to bump into a lot, and I’ve had a hard time knowing when its going to show up or what foods seem to bother it worst (there doesn’t seem to be a pattern at all.)  But today I popped 2 Pepto Bismol tablets, and all was well.  Obviously I can’t be doing that before every run, but I was so happy to see that it helped.  Has anyone else had issues with this??

When I came back from my sweaty run, I gobbled down some more watermelon. 

Dinner was served much later then normal tonight, since everyone had plans that ran past our usual dinner time.  But when it finally was time to eat, everything came together quickly.  The haddock was prepared my favorite way, along with a side of rice and roasted green beans.  I stole this idea from Veganomicon, and it came out absolutely wonderful.  The beans developed a nutty, roasted flavor, and earned rave reviews from everyone.  Best of all (for me anyways! 😀 ), it was easy to put together…

1. Wash and snip off ends of green beans.
2. Throw in a sprayed baking pan or cookie sheet.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil (I added 1 T. olive oil, since there were going to be 3 servings…tsp of olive oil per person)
4. Throw in 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until of desired crispness/firmness.

For dessert, dad broke open his Caffe Mocha Truffles that Nicole had bought him on Father’s Day.  He was nice enough to share…:D  They were so rich and chocolatey with a hint of coffee.  Mmm…

Mom and I headed out for a 3-mile walk while dad stayed behind to work on this wood pile.  Crazy, right??  The ice storm we had this past winter knocked down a ton of trees, which means my dad has been keeping busy with chopping it all up.  I think we’ll have firewood for a good, long time. 😉

I’m still a little hungry, so I’m hoping this snack will fill me up.  I mixed in a T. of crushed flax with yogurt and topped it off with kashi heart to heart and raisins. 😀 

Tomorrow I’ll be spending the day with the RD, and I can hardly wait.  She focuses mostly on outpatient counseling, which is something that really interests me as a career choice.  Speaking of which, I should probably prepare my lunch for tomorrow as well, since I don’t know how long I’ll be there for. 

Hope you’re all doing well…tomorrow’s HUMPDAY by the way!! 😀  Woohoo!!

Exercise: 4-mile afternoon run + 3-mile after dinner walk with mom…I saw a hint of blue skies on both outings.  Maybe there’s still hope that this rainy spell will eventually end! 😉 😀

***As an aside, I’ve been trying to convince my brother to do a guest post on here.  I think it might be interesting, considering he’s vegetarian and very active (he ran the Boston marathon this past year and continues running/biking pretty regularly.)  Would you guys be interested in a “day in the life” of Matthew?  Maybe if he feels wanted, he’ll post one up…;) 😀 haha…

Don’t Forget To Laugh…;)

Ever since seeing the breakfast cookie on Alison’s blog, I knew I needed to try it.  😀

I made this overnight cookie by combining:

• 3/4 c. oats
• 1 T. peanut butter
• 1/2 mashed banana
• 1 T. walnuts
• Chocolate Amazing Grass packet
• about 2 T. milk

Then I mixed it all together into a thick “batter”, and spread it all out on a plate and refrigerated it overnight with waxed paper pushed tightly on top.  In the morning I sprinkled the cookie with the other 1/2 banana and a sprinklin’ of coconut. 😀

I loved the taste of it…subtly sweet, but not too sweet either.  Just right for a hearty, satisfying breakfast.  And it was so much fun to eat too.  I’ll be making more of these in the future, for sure. 😀

On the side I had 2 egg whites that were leftover from a recipe that mom had made, where she needed only the yolks.  I combined the whites with some salsa and black beans to make a nice, protein-filled, spicy side dish.  Yum!!

I grabbed a cup of coffee with a splash of soymilk on my way out the door to the hospital for a day with the food service manager.  This was starbucks coffee, and I just couldn’t pass that up. 😉  In my house, it’s mostly reserved for the weekends, with maxwell house used during the week (which I could give or take depending on my mood.) 

Food Service is still covering the procurement function which is interesting but a little on the slow-paced side.  The manager is super nice, but I just don’t have the interest in business.  I know its all good to know, and I really appreciate how much time he’s putting in for me.  But I can’t wait till we get more into food safety and even getting some cafeteria and serving experience.  I like to be a hands-on girl whenever possible because I learn sooo much more that way. 😀

I was there for a measly 2 hours this morning due to a function that the manager was responsible for putting together.  I skipped on out of the hospital, happy to have the next couple of days off along with some really fun plans for the weekend. 😀  I also ate this pear and granola bar on my ride home.  The early morning breakfast demanded a snack to hold me over for lunch!!

The weather is so strange lately.  I can never tell if it’s rainy or sunny outside, because it seems to change every 10 minutes!  After having a battle of the mind, I decided to take my chances of running into a storm and went out for a 3-mile run.  I have to say…it was a tough run today!!  The humidity is really high, and my legs felt sore and tight.  And my breathing?  Way off!  I kept reminding myself: “Don’t panic, keep running.”  I tell myself that to make sure I don’t let my brain go off on the crazy idea that I can’t run the whole way back.  Just gotta keep on truckin’ through those types of runs! 😀

And I did make it…and of course felt great afterwards when I was all nice and showered and ready for lunch. 😉

Speaking of lunch…I went with a nice big salad because that’s what I was craving.  In the mix:

• mesculin greens
• carrot
• red peppers
• tomatoes
• 1/2 c. black beans
• sprinkling of balsamic vinegar and a tsp of olive oil

On the side I had 1/2 a grapefruit and lots of blueberries along with kashi crackers and a onion flavored laughing cow wedge.  This meal was so satisfying, crunchy, delicious! 😀

This is Part #1: Don’t Forget To Laugh…;)

That was my huge mess, made after I attempted to make a coffee shake/smoothie.  It sounded so tasty at the time, and I wanted to make sure I got some crunchy ice chunks in there.  So I kept throwing icecubes in.  Then I realized that a big frosted block was starting to form, so I decided I had probably added enough.  Shut the blender off, and with one quick turn of the wrist, dumped the shake into my cup…err…onto the countertop.  The massive ice chunk was too big to fit in the width of the glass, which made for a huge mess!!

I told myself to just laugh because sighing or groaning would do no good.  I then preceded to talk myself into believing that a second cup of coffee for the day wasn’t needed anyways…I had plenty of energy, with no need for more caffeine!!

So I cleaned out the blender and pulled out one of these for inspiration for a new smoothie attempt.

Here enters in the GREEN MONSTER.  In the mix:

• Amazing Grass packet
• 1 c. soymilk
• 1/2 banana
• 3 c. spinach
• about a cup’s worth of ice (minus any ice block formation! 😉 )

The verdict?  YUM!  This berry flavor is absolutely delicious, bringing it right up there with the chocolate flavor.  Yum!  I’ll be buying this flavore of Amazing Grass again…:D

The sun peaked out long enough this afternoon to inspire me to go for a 2-mile walk.  I even spotted some blue skies, which was such a beautiful sight after all this rainy weather!!

4 o’clock rolled around and I felt downright starving!!  I knew we’d be having a later supper to celebrate Father’s Day, with Nicole and Nathan coming over too, so I heated up a whole wheat sourdough slice with a blob of peanut butter.  Delish! 😀

Part #2: Don’t Forget To Laugh…;)

I finished dicing up the potatoes, added the oils and spices, and handed them off to my dad to get them placed on the grill.  One little slip is all it takes to get from a neat little foil packet to this…

Diced potatoes everywhere!!  I think they’ll be turning up in random spots for days…haha.  I didn’t realize there was a big pile right outside the front door, and as I stepped out in a hurry to bring dad a plate for the grilled corn, I nearly slipped as I dodged potato slices on each step.  I started laughing which caused mom to laugh, and dad..well…he no longer seemed to feel so bad about dropping the potatoes and managed a snicker or two himself.  Laughter is oftentimes the best medicine. 😉

Nicole and Nate finally arrived around 6:15.  Nicole brought me this Kashi Fiery Fiesta pilaf that she had spotted at the grocery store.  Does she know me super well or what? 😉  I can’t wait to try it out.  Thanks Nicole! 😀

My stomach was feeling a lil’ off for dinner tonight, so I decided to keep food simple.  My dad made a rib eye steak for himself and Nate, a veggie burger for Matthew, and Mom, Nicole, and I had turkey burgers.  I plopped mine right on top of my super-sized bed of greens.  I also carved off the corn from my corn on the cob, and topped it all with ketchup. 😀  It was mighty tasty! 

On to the Father’s Day Gifts!!

My gift is going to have to wait till Sunday to present itself…you’ll see why over the weekend. 😀

We all sat around in the living room to enjoy some good ol’ family-time conversation.  I love it when we all get the chance to get together…:D

And then we went outside to enjoy dad’s father’s day gift, by sitting out near the fire.  I sipped on some chamomile tea with a tea bag that read, “Enjoy the Experience.”  Loved the tea, loved the phrase. 😀

Everyone enjoyed the cream puffs we had made for dessert, but my stomach was still doing some somersaults, so I’m saving mine for tomorrow.   By 9 o’clock, I started feeling a little hungry though, and went for a strawberry chobani with barbara’s shredded oats on top for a little snack.  I’m lovin’ these chobani yogurts.  They’re so rich and creamy, and delightfully thick.  Mmm…

Can you believe we’ve already made it to the weekend???  😀  Hope you all have some fun plans and can enjoy some time off, along with some good ol’ relaxation too!! 😀

Exercise: 3-mile run before lunch which was tough but very worth it. 😀  I also went for a 2-mile walk to enjoy the short clearing of the weather to reveal a bit of sun and a spotting of blue skies. 😀

 

****Oh, and as a side note, for anyone interested, I was researching to see if I could find a good authentic recipe for Poutines.  But all that popped up was french fries and beef gravy and cheese curds (like what Holly had mentioned!)  So I asked my dad about it, and come to find out, this style of Poutines are an Acadian heritage food (my family stemming from New Brunswick.)  If you want to find out more about poutines, type in Acadian along with it, and you’ll find a totally different food then if you simply type in poutine.  Those fried, beef covered cheese curds are something totally different (but also French…;) )

Sunday Highlights…:)

Recapturing the Sunday Highlights…

Don’t you just love lazy Sundays with no plans to do, or places to go?  I was more then happy to relax before my very busy day tomorrow.  I’ll be up by 6 o’clock sharp, and off to volunteer in the kitchen at the hospital.  I’m not sure how long I’ll be there for, so I plan on packing a lunch to bring, along with eating a nice and hearty breakfast. 😀 

On to the Sunday highlights…

The Hug Mug…

…delicious and cozy as ever! 😀  It was 60 degrees out, and even though I normally go for the iced coffees, this one just seemed so perfect.  It was made with 1 c. hot coffee and 1/2 c. soymilk.  So perfectly creamy. 😀

Grilled Chicken Sausages…

…with sauteed peppers and onions with lots of ketchup and whole wheat rolls.  Mmm…this is one of my favorite summer-time treats. 😀

Picking Flowers…

…this picture makes me smile… 😀

…and this one too…:D

Being Outside After a Heavy Rainfall…

Going out with Dad to help pick out his Father’s Day Gift…

…which is going to get some great use this summer. 😉

Hodge-Podge Dinners…

…complete with yogurt & flax with a bowl of puffins for crunch, carrots & dill hummus, and pineapple & grapefruit segments.  I love sampling. 😀

There was also a trip to the icecream barn, complete with sprinkles on grasshopper icecream, two separate 3-mile walks–one in the rain, one in the sun :D, and watching an old movie at night.  Such a nice, relaxin’ day.  I feel refreshed and ready for a busy week ahead of me.  Hope you all had a really enjoyable weekend as well! 😀

Mountain Running

Today was not quite as productive as I had wanted it to be, but that’s okay because it was such a fun day! 😀  I did, however, finish up on my volunteer paperwork which is good.  Tomorrow my main focus will be on filling out internship applications and finishing up some homework for my summer class. 

Anyways, on to today.  After church, dad and I decided it would be fun to go “mountain running.”  It was around 10:30’ish…too early for lunch, but I knew I’d need some energy for the run.  Not to mention my growling stomach…

So I settled on the two loaf heels of the last of the tj’s bread, topped with some pb and blueberries…

…and an iced coffee (1 c. coffee to 1/2 c. soy…my favorite mix! 😀 ).

I can’t believe I forgot my camera on the way up.  All we had brought was a couple nalgenes full of water, and it didn’t cross my mind to bring the camera to catch some of the georgeous views along the way.  But this is a picture of the same trail that we took, just to give you an idea of how pretty it was.  I felt as if I were starring in Lord of the Rings as we ran through sections that looked like an enchanted forrest.  😀

It was mostly steeper then this, which is why our “mountain run” turned into a “mountain speed walk” for some of the time.  My thighs were burning at times.  But I felt so good.  The temperature was perfect, and dad and I stopped for the occasional water break.  We plan on doing it again soon…but next time we’ll stick to the less steep climb for better running. 🙂

Pizza was the perfect lunch and finale to the hard climb.  I was starving and had a nice big salad with olives and olive oil + balsamic vinegar drizzled on top.  I also had a couple slices of this homemade pizza which tasted exceptionally tasty (amazing how a good, sweaty workout enhances your taste buds, isn’t it? 😉 )

Dad and I later went for short 2-mile walk after dinner to stretch out a little in hopes of preventing any soreness. 

Tomorrow?  I won’t be allowing procastination. 😉  Hopefully I can get it all done before the volunteer orientation so I won’t have to worry about it afterwards.  I’m definitely more of a morning person. 😀

 Exercise: “mountain run/hike” + 2-mile after dinner walk…both were super enjoyable and fun!

A Day With Dad

Nicole and I were up early after our slumber party last night.  I woke up feeling really groggy, as if I could sleep at least several more hours.  I think I was mildly dehydrated and the first thing I did after getting up (well..besides first playing hide n seek with High St. and Stitch) was guzzle a tall glass of water. 

Then Nicole and I had some Kashi Honey Oat waffles.  This is by far my favorite flavor.  And I was so excited that despite Nate being allergic to nuts, they still have peanut butter in the house!  I’m such an addict, I can’t imagine a day without it. haha…

I topped mine with two big globfuls of the pb and a bunch of strawberries and banana.  Mmm…

…and I also added some yogurt.  Another necessary food item I can barely go a day without.  Greek or not, I love ’em all. 😉

I ended up not going to church today and had Nicole drive me home instead.  I felt super tired and just wanted to relax at home for an hour or so.  My parents were at church, Matthew was working; it was just me at home taking in the quietness of the early morning.  Sometimes it’s a much needed experience. 😀

I was happy to see some chilled coffee in the fridge too.  Perfect with 1/2 c. soy as usual, along with what was originally a huge bowl of watermelon.  🙂

Oatmeal for lunch?  Sure, why not?  I was absolutey craving my regular bowl of oats that I didn’t have this morning.  So I made the usual apple ‘n’ oats that I’ve been making for the past several mornings.  Delicious as always.  And super filling.  I don’t know what it is about this mix, but it keeps me full longer then any other food can.  Maybe it’s that extra bit of oats I’ve been adding? 

Aside from the taste and ‘filling power’ that oatmeal gives me, I also get a whole lot of energy too.  Which was great for this afternoon. 

Dad and I decided to take a bike ride to an icecream barn that’s 7.8 very hilly miles round trip.  It was absolutely georgeous outside, and the views were beautiful.  There’s this one opening during a flat spot that makes me feel as if I’m biking through Canada.  The first bike-ride of the season, and I’m excited for many more…:D

The ice cream was great too.  I love “working” for my food in the form of walking or biking to get it.  The icecream here was great too. I  ordered a small on a sugar cone and was happy to find that I could choose two different flavors (it doesn’t take much to excite me…:D )  On top I had grasshopper which was like a mint cookies n’ cream.  I always choose something minty when I go out since we never have it at home.  It’s not  flavor we can all agree upon, but I absolutely love it.  However, that wasn’t the best flavor.  The bottom scoop won the flavor contest because what can beat oatmeal raisin???  It was so good, with big chunks of juicy raisins and oatmeal cookies.  I loved how chewy and sweet ‘n’ cinnamony it was.  Mmm…

My dad and I took a break at this opening to guzzle a bit of water.

And then I noticed there was an old wagon in the back and felt as if I had instantly shown up in Virgina.  😀 

Supper was terrific tonight.  Dad and I hadn’t really planned anything in particular, but kind of just had a conversation like…
“what are you in the mood for?” 
“Hmm..I don’t know.” 
“Well, this corn looks good.” 
“Mmm…yeah, it does.  Ohhh…look they have sirloin steak.”
“Ohh…let’s get some.”

And when we came home we just sort of through spices together and it all came together to give us a meal we’ll be talking about for days. haha…

Backing up, the farm down the street is now selling their own pork, chicken, beef, etc.  Imagine my excitement…I’ve begun reading Omnivore’s Dilemna but even before that, I’ve been super concerned with where I’m getting it from.  Here, the chickens are literally free roaming on the top of a grassy hill overlooking a pond.  The pigs are happily eating in a shaded corner of the farm with a little red barn that they’re free to enter and leave as they please.  This is exactly how God intended animals to live.  And I love that I’m supporting a local farm as well. 

So, anyways, the meal was put together in a flash.  I prepped the potatoes first by first spraying some doubled up foil with nonstick spray.  Then I diced some potatoes, threw them on and topped it with:

• T. EVOO
• garlic powder
• cajun powder
• salt & pepper

They came out tasting absolutely delicious and crispy from the grill.  We cooked them for about 15 minutes, give or take a few.

And the corn was pre-soaked, then placed directly on the grill for a nice and smoky flavor.  I loved it this way!

The Grill Master himself…:D

Look at those grill marks…mmm…

All together, along with some sauteed peppers and vidalia onions as well.

Now I’m relaxing, watching Yes Man, and hoping that you’re enjoying the weekend too! 😀

Have a happy Memorial Day tomorrow!