slack saturday

Yep. That's my feet, still in my slippers. And yes, it's almost 3:30 on a Saturday. Sometimes you've just got to do it. Hope you're having a nice weekend!

back porch oysters

You would think that growing up on the water that I would love seafood. Well I don't, or well I'm learning to.. slowly. As a child, while my family picked at their steamed crabs, tuna fish (from a can) would be my dinner. I know, I know.. that sounds awful!
Four years ago my friend, Dia, convinced me to try a back-porch oyster. Oysters were pretty foreign to me at that point. They looked slimy & right away I knew the texture would bother me. But oh how I loved that first back porch oyster & have been craving them ever since. Roasted, raw, rockefeller, fried.. none compare to the back porch style.
Tonight, Terry made up some using the leftovers from our friend Mike's birthday gathering last night. What a treat! There's a law restricting harvesting oysters from January 1 to September 30 this year. (These oysters were actually from the new year's eve party we went to & have been in a creek since)
For back porch style, you gotta have Saltines (or any cracker), Sriracha (hot chili sauce), and garlic cloves in melted butter

Roast 'em up on a grill

Shuck 'em into the garlic butter

Fork one or two out onto a cracker, grabbing a garlic clove & add the hot sauce. As you can see, I love my hot sauce. And voila! A delicious back porch oyster.

Oh & by the way, I now join in on the family fun of eating steamed crabs. ;)

70 degrees, a moonrise, & a reunion

Friday was a much-needed day with partly cloudy skies and temps in the 70s, so I spent most of the day outside. Of course, my favorite place was calling me. Erica, Doug, & Lilli showed up at Bethel beach, too. How wonderful it was! Just before we left, Lilli asked me to take some pictures of her, which she had fun posing for.
They invited Terry & I over for dinner. We sat outside, enjoying their new dock, grilling food, & watching the full moonrise. The day was perfect!


On Saturday, we went to my friend, Meredith's. Mer & her husband, Chris, welcomed a baby boy Jack to their family last month. My friend since childhood, Nikki, & her family were visiting for the weekend. This was my first time meeting Jack & Nikki's 5 month old son, Eli. Rhonda & her family came, as well. It was quite a fun reunion! We all ate Chris's delicious food on the porch, catching up with each other.. it had been too long. Oh how I loved holding those adorable baby boys.

sights from my walk

the Lef Dovers

After spending a fabulous day with my mom & sister, Saturday night I headed to the County Grill, a restaurant/bar that specializes in BBQ & delicious beers. Being a hoppy girl, this beer had to be ordered.

Terry & I picked up my friend Myra on the way. We met up with a few more friends there. The Lef Dovers were the reason we all made the hour trek south. And I'm so glad we did.. What fun! Covers of Phish, the Doors, Jerry Garcia Band, Pink Floyd, and their original stuff kept me wanting more & dancing in my confined space.

You can see their list of beers on the wall behind the band. What to choose, what to choose.

Somehow, those four guys, their instruments and equipment fit nicely into a small place & made some good music. They'll be playing at a restaurant in Mathews next month. Dia (owner of Southwind) came & heard them that night, so hopefully she'll book them, too.

an inch of snow

I woke up around 3:30 this morning thirsty, but then remembered that it could be snowing. I rushed to the door & sure enough it was & it had been for awhile! Everything was white & so beautiful that I stayed up for a little while to watch it fall. This morning, it looks like we got about an inch. Knowing it was going to melt pretty quickly, I went out to snap some pictures before it did.

a local CSA is born!

Terry gave me some great news this weekend. A local small farm that sells veggies & eggs at the farmer's market & from their home is changing to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). We've been supporting Julia & Brian for a few years & have watched their gardens grow. Now we will be a part of their CSA.
This is how it works. The farmer sells "shares" of the harvest before the crops are planted. In this case, a share will be a basket of vegetables a week for 22 weeks. The farmer decides what constitutes a "share", which is also influenced by the harvest. This will be an assortment of whatever vegetables are in season, ideally 7-9 different vegetables & be picked fresh.
We have a garden now, but I'm looking forward to our weekly basket full of different kinds of veggies. Some of their 2011 list include asian vegetables, okra, all kinds of peas & beans, watermelon, swiss chard, peppers, arugula, & zucchini just to name a few. This adds even more excitement to the coming warmer months!

for Josey

Last year, I mentioned in a post about being excited about a new sewing project that was on my mind for awhile. Finally, it's come to life.

My friend, Erica, is due with her third child in March, a daughter who will be named Josephine (Josey).

One free day recently, my gift to Josey was made in a few short hours.. a wall hanging. What a fantastic feeling to imagine something for so long & finally make it happen! Now I feel hooked. All kinds of ideas are swirling around. What else can be created? Stay tuned to see. ;)