Good Food + Fun People = Happy Holidays!

We invited a few of the ortho gang over for a holiday gathering last night. On the menu: chicken-bacon nuggets, baked spinach-and-artichoke dip, pork tenderloin sandwiches with mango chutney and Dijon mustard, vegetables and dip, cheese crisps, homemade peanut butter cups, wedding cookies and spritz cookies. Our friend Melissa brought apple cider, which was totally wiped out, and our friend Jessica brought chocolate and peanut butter bars, which were scrumptious.

P.S. At a time when it seems like husbands everywhere are not representing the species very well, I must brag on mine. Whenever we're having people over for dinner, Matthew always calls on his way home from work to see if I need him to pick up anything. And I usually do, so I really appreciate the call. Plus, yesterday, he chopped veggies, assembled the sandwiches, took out the trash and recycling, and fixed drinks. What a catch, huh?

Christmas Card Woes

Sad realization: Matthew and I haven't had a single decent photograph made of us together all year. Not one. We either look goofy, sleepy, disheveled, blotchy, blurry, or, well, too much like our actual selves. So what, pray tell, are we supposed to put on a Christmas card? I love all the fun designs for the photo cards, but it looks like they are not going to happen this year. Guess I better plan ahead for 2010.

In the meantime, here's a flashback to our first photo card. I think we set the bar too high with this one. I mean, how can you beat snow?

The Keys to Successful Holiday Baking

1. A LOT of butter.


2. Child labor (the kids next door).

We've Decked Our Halls

30-24

Sometimes Santa delivers early.

(thanks for the photo, uncle ken!)

Making Al Gore Proud, Even If Kiffin Isn't

Aren't you glad that when three prized University of Tennessee football players decided to commit armed robbery outside a Knoxville convenience store they thoughtfully considered their carbon footprint during the deed? I know I am.

From the article:

"The victims stated that a black male then exited from the passenger side of the Prius, wearing a black hoodie, walked around to the front passenger door of their car, opened it, and stated, ‘give us everything you've got,' " DeBusk said.

Halloween 2009

After a dreary last week, Halloween weekend turned out to be lovely (exempting, of course, a certain horrific display of athletic ability in Jacksonville). We carved our pumpkin on Saturday, and Matthew is responsible for the carving because he has the hands of a highly skilled surgeon! Plus, I don't like to touch the gross pumpkin innards.

Did you know Matthew was so creative?

He sometimes lets me cut a few of the easy parts.

Did your jack-o'-lantern have ears? Ours did. Again, Matthew's doings.

Cute, huh?

We had around 60 trick-or-treaters, and ran out of candy around 8:30. Here's Matthew wanting to hand out candy through our mail slot! He couldn't wait for Livi, the daughter of our lifegroup leader, to knock on the door. I think he thought he'd scare her a bit by dropping it out of the slot, but she just thought it was raining candy and started grabbing it all up.

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween. Who can believe it's already November?

Spooky Soup Supper Take Two

An uncooperative gall bladder may have ruined last year's Spooky Soup Supper and Pumpkin Shine, but we bravely decided to try again this year. We've had so much rain I was afraid we'd have to cancel yet again. It rained Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday turned out sunny and 70 degrees. And now it's flash flooding again with a chance of five more inches between now and Saturday morning, but I digress...

UPDATE: We had 5.49 inches as of 10:30 last night and it continued to rain all night. It's officially the wettest Shreveport October since they started keeping records in the 1870s.


We invited all the ortho residents (even the Florida fan) and their families, and sent out skeleton invitations--perfectly suited for these bone docs. For the template, click here.

Frankly, I didn't work as hard on this year's favors. Last year's were pretty labor intensive and, because we didn't have the party, I wound up handing out candy-filled coffins for Thanksgiving. Not very appropriate, unless you consider how thankful you are NOT to be in a coffin. Anyway, this year I made ghost suckers and tombstone treat bags. For tombstone templates, click here. Matthew had the idea to add "I ate the soup" on the ones that say "I told you I was sick."

Matthew was also very helpful in making mini cupcake ghosts for dessert. You can see he has a way with icing!

We used the pie safe as our desserts area. In addition to the mini cupcake ghosts we had chocolate covered pretzels. And some were in the shape of boney fingers. Some of our guests brought goodies too. Our friend Jessica brought cake balls, which were delicious!

Back in the summer, I interviewed Charleston event planner Mitchell Crosby. He shared with me this tidbit about the Duchess of Windsor:

"It is said that one of her policies was that she and the Duke owed it to the guests to be charming and fresh. Hence, they would each have a 'dressing drink' and a fifteen-minute lay down to calm themselves prior to dressing."

Can I be honest? When guests knock on my door, I am probably no where near fresh and very likely not as charming as I should be. And I can guarantee you I didn't have a fifteen-minute lay down! I haven't quite figured out the timing of having everything perfect the moment guests arrive. I do have fun despite my frantic pace the last few hours before the party. Here's what my kitchen looked like literally one hour before guests were to arrive.

Somehow, though, it all came together! Of course, I don't have a picture to show you because I was too busy charming my guests, like Avery, who wore her candy corn shirt. It was the perfect attire for our party!

I'm glad we have a kitchen large enough for everyone to gather in, even if we do just have to stand around the bar.

Samer, Tanner and Cooper geared up to watch the World Series game. (Those aren't Samer's children!)

After everyone ate, it was time to head down to the Pumpkin Shine. Some of the guys stayed to watch the game while the rest of us walked to the park down the street. Hundreds of pumpkins line the trail of the park. I think anyone can enter a pumpkin, but a lot of them are from school kids. Some of the pumpkins are traditionally carved...

while other pumpkins are much more elaborate. I think this one was called Arty the Elephant.

This one was based on the movie "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."

This was an intricately carved dragon pumpkin.

A pumpkin owl.

And finally, here's an after-party shot. But that's why we have a dishwasher!

For Your Reading Pleasure ...

Might we recommend The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. I'd been hearing about this book for a while and, with the movie coming out next month, I decided to buy it. It tells the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless black teen in Memphis who gets adopted by a rich white family. By way of Michael's story, the book also explores the evolution of football's left tackle position into one of the highest-paid positions on the field. Part football strategy, part social commentary, part heartwarming success story, The Blind Side is a really good read (even if you don't know what left tackle is!). Matthew and I have been fighting over the book all week--when one of us would put it down, the other would grab it and claim reading rights for the next hour or so. We both recommend it.

Common Sense, where have you gone?

Like the Romeros, of Ville Platte, Louisiana, I, too, am "unaware of the exact legal requirements for transferring custody of minor children." But I am fairly certain it does not involve a cockatoo and $175.

A Big Announcement

We now have a functioning in-door icemaker. Hallelujah. Goodbye ice trays.

The Revel

Shreveport loves its festivals and October features the Red River Revel, an arts festival that spans two weekends. It brings artists from around the country as well as musical groups to our Festival Plaza right beside the Red River. Two years ago we heard Emmylou Harris here. Somehow we missed the 2008 event, but we went last weekend. Of course, it was hard exposing ourselves to the throngs of LSU fans right after a tough loss, and it seems every musical artist had to ask from the stage, "Does anybody know the score of the game?" Ugh. Yes, I'm afraid I do.

We decided to drown our sorrows in fair food. And a slice of muffaletta pizza will make you forget, at least temporarily, about poor punt coverage and ridiculous unsportsmanlike conduct calls. I mean, this is a good slice of pizza--layers of salami and ham and provolone and yummy olive mix and more. Seriously. It's worth a trip to visit us. Last Saturday's headlining band was Saving Abel and tonight country artist Pat Green plays. I'm hoping to get to hear him because I interviewed him for a local magazine.

Looks like I'll need another slice tonight to help me feel better after our 45-19 loss to UT.

Despite the rainy weather, there was a pretty good crowd for Saving Abel. They played a song that this crowd really seemed to identify with--it's called "New Tattoo."

The Good Life

Last week (the 12th through the 19th) Matthew and I left Shreveport behind and jetted to an island vacation. Usually our vacation time is spent visiting family. Matthew has very limited time off and since we're so far away we really treasure those weeks at home. But we also wanted to take a real vacation--one that involved a beach, fresh seafood, and a cool breeze. We decided to go back to the Isle of Palms, where we honeymooned. We spent a week enjoying the beach and exploring Charleston and the surrounding area. It was an absolutely perfect week to visit for many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that we could wear our UGA t-shirts, hats, and flip flops with pride after beating those pesky Gamecocks (seriously, that game was crazy). And, though it must have been raining everywhere else in the world, the weather was unbelievable.

One morning we woke up incredibly early so we could watch the sunrise. I am not a morning person, but I'm glad we did it.

If you want to find the best shells on the beach, might I suggest bringing Matthew along as your travel companion. I don't know how he spots them, but he always finds the most unusual shells. Not the ordinary clam/cockle shells I always find. He finds beautiful conch shells and sand dollars and lettered olive shells.

Throughout our stay, we ate. And ate. And ate. Matthew, a well-documented ribs fan, received a Sticky Fingers gift card for his birthday (thanks, Mom and Dad) so we, of course, ate there.

And we ate at The Wreck. We first learned of this place on our honeymoon and it looked so sketchy from the outside that we nearly didn't eat here. But we're glad we did. Now, it's one of our favorites. We ate there twice this trip. They have super fresh seafood. And, obviously, a great atmosphere. Really, there is a great view of Shem Creek and the sunset on the other side of the building.

We also stopped by Pitt's Pharmacy in Mount Pleasant for milkshakes. We love Mount Pleasant, specifically the incredible historic homes along the water. Okay, so where else did we eat? Sea Biscuit Cafe, Slightly North of Broad, Magnolia's, Poogan's Porch, Sugar Bakeshop, Dixie Supply Cafe & Bakery, Hominy Grill, Wild Olive, Poe's, and Domino's (pizza for watching the game, of course).

We usually went on the beach in the mornings and/or late afternoons and, when we weren't on the beach, we went exploring. One day we went to Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island. Edgar Allen Poe was stationed here, and now there's a restaurant nearby named after him. They serve gigantic hamburgers, which really hit the spot after a long day of sightseeing.

Now, we all know I can't resist sticking my face in one of these cutout picture thingamajigs. It's a sickness. I can't explain it. Here I am at Cypress Gardens. (Matthew never wants to participate.)

We took a boat tour through the swamp at Cypress Gardens. It was very relaxing. Then we decided to walk the trails and, no exaggeration, I was nearly carried away by a flock of mosquitoes. (Mosquitoes always like me best.) Not to be deterred, we paid an exorbitantly high price for some bug spray in the gift shop and forged ahead with our walk.

There are gators in that swamp!

On Wednesday, we spent the day in Charleston. I am a devout lover of tours. Boat tours, ghost tours, bus tours, history tours, carriage tours. I love them all. This time we took a culinary tour of Charleston. Our knowledgeable guide, Georgia (that was really her name, and she was from Hawkinsville, GA), taught us all about Charleston's cuisine, and we sampled grits, pralines, sweet tea, gourmet chocolates, collard greens, barbecue and more. That afternoon we went by the MoonPie General Store in honor of dad. Neither one of us bought a MoonPie, but Matthew bought an RC Cola and I had a Cheerwine (both in glass bottles).

Another day we went on an eco-tour. This was something Matthew really wanted to do, and I really enjoyed it too. Our guide Bobby taught us all about the tides, the vegetation and wildlife, the history of the barrier islands and more. We saw dolphins and crabs and a bald eagle.

At one point, Bobby pulled up a crab trap and taught us about, well, crabs.

For part of the tour, they take you to a barrier island, owned by the state of South Carolina, called Capers Island Preserve. It's gorgeous.

They call the front of the island the boneyard beach because of the fallen trees (from the beach erosion). We spent about an hour or so walking around the island. Our guide said we could take a few shells--but only a few--so we did. Again, Matthew found the best ones.

We also went to Middleton Place Plantation, which boasts the country's oldest landscaped gardens. It really is amazing. Look at this oak tree!

We spent an entire afternoon wandering the grounds and taking in the beautiful views of the Ashley River.

One afternoon, after a milkshake at Pitt's Pharmacy, we were driving around Mount Pleasant and found this little park where the Old Pitt Street Bridge used to be. It's a great place for a walk and perfect for watching a sunset. On our last night there, we had dinner at The Wreck and then went to the park to watch the sunset behind the Charleston skyline.

We spent some time in Charleston Saturday morning before our flight. When I wrote my travel story on the city for Southern Accents I met the executive director of the Historic Charleston Foundation who told me about this perfect spot for a photo in front of the famed Battery. I insisted on a photo of us here, but we unfortunately look a little bit like giants. There wasn't anyone to take a photo for us so we used the timer and set it on a bench. It's not the best perspective, but hey, we're both in it and you can see more than our heads! (Yes, I am wearing my Bulldog pin.)

One last interesting tidbit: Our flight was late leaving Charleston and we consequently missed our connection in Atlanta. But we were booked on the next flight out and wound up in FIRST CLASS, BABY! We've never flown first class before and were very excited. I know. We don't get out much.

Our trip was amazing, but now it's back to the real world.