my birthday and mother's day

Today is my birthday, and the husband and I went to the beach and sat in our chairs and watched the sun set. One of my favorite things to do. Seaweed had washed up on the beach, and the little bird was inspecting to see what it could get.

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and Aunt Sue and I went over to mama and daddy's to have lunch. We took these flowers to mama that we got at the farmer's market.

Here is the parents' doggy, Mouseman. He is a huge baby.

Here's Mother's day lunch. Shrimp with homemade sauce and Cesar salad using the romaine lettuce I got at the farmer's market. Fresh lettuce is so good. And fresh bread from the seafood market. Yummy. I could eat this every day.

I made my grandmother's chocolate cake recipe for my birthday cake and took it over to the parents for us to eat...and we did. And I, of course, ate the most! I put a double batch of icing on it! It's fun to make your own cake because you can do what you want!

Anniversary 2012

Hello Friends! I wish I could bring you all along on my eating trips. Maybe I wouldn't eat so much since I would be talking so much! May 12th is our anniversary! Monday the 14th is my birthday, so we always combine the occasion. The husband asked me what I would like as a gift, and I told him I didn't have anything in mind for a gift but would love to go out to eat at my favorite restaurant. The Global Grill. So we went Friday night. Our next-door neighbor is the chef/owner of the restaurant. He and his wife do a great job of running it. It sure is a lot of work. He has been to cook at the James Beard House in NYC twice, along with other local chefs. We've eaten here several times, but we don't tell him when we are coming in because we don't want him to feel like he has to cater to us or send anything to our table. But he's so nice that when he saw us come in and be seated, he started sending over tapas. We also ordered a couple of tapas. Then we ordered entrees. We were so stuffed by the end of the meal, we had to decline the dessert he wanted to send out to us. I have to say it's nice to have nice neighbors, and it's a plus that he's a chef! This is the heirloom tomato vegetable salad with chef's vinegar dressing. It came in a mason jar and then is dumped onto the plate. Nice presentation and so fresh and good.

One of the specials was bacon wrapped Florida lobster tail with a gouda cheese sauce. So good.

My absolute favorite tapa. New Orleans style BBQ shrimp.

This is grilled group with crawfish etouffee on a cheddar/thyme biscuit. Yummy.

My favorite entree. Fillet of beef stuffed with blue cheese.

New York strip with lump crab meat and andouille sausage with a crab sauce of some kind. It was WONDERFUL. This might be my new favorite.

first grade report card

I just went for a walk and took a picture of these pretties today. It's a beautiful day outside.

I was going through some things and found a bunch of my old report cards. The teachers would write a progress report on the first grade report cards. I remember being so scared when I started school. I would not go to the bathroom, I remember that. I went to kindergarten and I do not remember being scared there, but I was with my church friends that I had known all my five years and I guess the class was pretty small. Here is what my progress report said in the first grade: "Sandra has become a more self-confident individual because she's experienced success in her school work. I'm happy to note this and am sure she'll continue this fine work. 10-17-69. "Sandra needs to practice on speaking more distinctly and to express her thoughts in complete sentences. We've attempted to get the students to do this for 12 weeks, but Sandra needs more reinforcement in this area. Her interest in and concern for people and events in her daily world needs to be broadened. We're trying to help her become more aware of others outside her immediate family and circle of friends, but Sandra isn't motivated easily in this area. She can improve her writing by merely making the effort to form the letters correctly and take time to do this. Let's encourage her to improve in the areas mentioned above, and I'm sure we will be able to see more progress. 11/22/69." I think I was shy. I remember if I saw my brother, who was a year ahead of me in school, in the lunchroom, I would go over to him. It's just wanting to be around familiar people. My handwriting never improved. I still do not take the time to write pretty. I made a D in handwriting. At least I made all A's in conduct!

always about the food

I know I post about food a lot. I love to eat, and I love to eat good food. I don't mean healthy food, even though that is good, too. When I think of entertainment or vacation, I think of where I'm going to eat. A lot of times I plan where I want to go on a day trip or vacation depending on what restaurants I want to try. I'm blessed to live along the Gulf Coast with so many good places for fresh seafood. One of my dream vacations would be to go on a BBQ tour of the South. I'd go from here to Georgia to South Carolina to North Carolina to Tennessee to Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana to Mississippi to Alabama. I'd try it all. Anyway, Aunt Sue and I went to Bone Fish Grill last week. We had been given $50 gift card for making a wedding cake for a couple we go to church with. We work for food (I mean gift cards to restaurants.) We got the bang bang shrimp that we've heard so much about. It so very good. And the portion size was just right for two people to share. I would go back just to get this! They also have bang bang tacos. I'd get those, too, if I go back.

Aunt Sue got the fish and chips. She said they were okay. I think the batter was not as crispy or tasty as she would have liked. I tasted the french fries, and they were not good.

I got the grilled grouper with butter lemon sauce. It was not as good as I would have liked. I think grouper is best deep fried or pan fried. My favorite fish is snapper, so maybe I just don't like a thick-fleshed fish that's grilled.

Overall, we liked the bang bang shrimp and would go back for that and maybe try something different, like the bang bang tacos. It's only open at night, so that kind of limits us. We like to go out to eat at lunch.

peanut butter brownie cupcakes

I was in a baking mood today. I had pinned this recipe onto my Pinterest board. I recently bought a cupcake carrier, so I decided to put it to use. I baked these peanut butter brownie cupcakes, and they are headed to the husband's office. Aunt Sue and her husband tried a couple, said they were good. I had one, too. Peanut butter icing is not so much my thing...but the brownie cupcake was pretty good.

I should be getting something in the mail the end of this week that will help me fill up this cupcake holder many times. It's a cupcake recipe book. The husband's place of work will hopefully get something different once a month...if I don't procrastinate.

market flowers

Aunt Sue and I went to the small farmer's market in Pensacola this morning. I got some fresh eggs. I do not remember ever eating fresh eggs. I hope I like these. I like the different colors of them. I got some bibb lettuce and some zucchini. I'll be going back. We saw these pretty flowers there, too. Then we went by the seafood market for shrimp. I went ahead and had them steamed with spices at the market. I had our phone and TV and Internet all bundled together this week. I am saving $90. So the afternoon was spent watching the service person fix all the wiring for that.

cutting board

My old cutting board mat things were worn out and cracking. I had them for more than 10 years. I was in the store and found this cutting board that is not flat, but angled with an edge that catches water or juices. One side is flat and the other side has raised sharp things that old whatever you put on there from slipping. This is the board on the side showing the sharp things.

Here is a prime rib roast before it was cut. The sharp things helped hold it in place.

I baked a cake and Aunt Sue decorated it. We took it to lunch after church services. Wish I had some of that right now.