Road Trip

We're headed on a road trip! Shreveport to Memphis... Memphis to Nashville... Nashville to Gatlinburg... Gatlinburg to Alexander City, AL... and back home.  We will have spent about 28 hours in the car by the end of the week. Will post pictures when we return! 

Fords and Flags

Two weekends ago the Tolivers invited us to join them at their new house for a little Memorial Day gathering. Two friends from Dallas met us there and we all had a great time visiting, having diving contests in the pool, grilling out, and making such delicious treats at chocolate sorbet and cherry-vodka limeade. On Sunday, we drove around and saw the dealership where J works, the cute little downtown square, and the beautiful land where J's parents live. S & J's new house is adorable and they have already done a great job unpacking and making it super welcoming. We liked it so much, in fact, that we have taken to calling it our "vacation home" and plan to visit as much as possible! Thanks Tolivers!!

S & J welcoming us to their home

Sally and me by the pool

Their street... Fords and flags!
Sally, Sarah, and Allison in the fantastic pool

Special of the Week

Remember my bounty of food from the farmers market? I forgot to mention that I also took a trip back to Blueberry Hill Farm in Haughton with Sarah and we picked blackberries and blueberries galore! I made a berry crisp last night when we grilled out with my in-laws and worked in the rest of the fresh-from-the-farm items in my meal plan for the week.

The bounty

Sarah picking blackberries

Berries drying on the counter

Here's the lineup for the week:

Monday
Guacamole & chips
Hamburgers* on whole wheat buns
Farmers Market Potato Salad

Tuesday
Grilled rosemary shrimp scampi
Garlicky roma beans
Grilled corn on the cob

Wednesday
Spinach salad with blueberries, blue cheese, and walnuts
Grilled chicken with blackberry sauce

Thursday
Tomato Chickpea Curry
Indian-Spiced Okra (same recipe I made a couple of weeks ago... my new go-to for fresh okra)
Whole wheat cous cous

Friday
Honey-Mint Grilled Chicken
Sauteed spinach with garlic
Carrot Orzo

*I make my hamburgers the way my mom taught me: with chopped onion, grated cheese, a beaten egg, breadcrumbs, Worchestershire sauce, OJ, and a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. I used the grass-fed lean beef from the farmers market and they were delicious!

Shreveport Farmers Market

Three years ago when we moved to Shreveport in mid-June, I spent some time figuring my way around and finding what I called my "happy places" - spots that I could go that would make me happy to live here, that are special and unique to this place. In fact I think that this method of finding happy places is the reason I tend to adapt well to new cities in general. Happy spots are the reason that I begin to feel that "this city is home" - whether it's Atlanta, Winston-Salem, DC, Florence, Dallas, or Shreveport!

Betty Virginia Park was one of the obvious spots since our rental house backed up to it, and I soon discovered Sunshine Health Foods, where you can buy grains and dried fruit in bulk. Counter Culture's Humphrey yogurt (tangy frozen yogurt with granola, fresh fruit and honey... yum) was another happy spot. Then there was the library and the locally-owned shops in Uptown Center- King Hardware, Sprout & Co, and Tower Book Shop.

I had only recently discovered the Dallas farmers market before we moved, and when I found out that Shreveport had a weekly market, I took myself down there right away. It became my immediate happy spot - all of the cute farmers, the fresh bread baker, the plethora of jellies and jams, and the recommendations of how to cook a particular vegetable.

Well, this morning the farmers market opened up for the summer again (wow - is it really my FOURTH summer living here!?) and of course I planned to head down there. Last summer I discovered the vendor that sold grass-fed organic beef, and I noticed that her more popular cuts would be sold out by the time I got there at 10am... I started going earlier and earlier, and with this week's meal plan in mind, I knew I needed to get there pretty early to get the best stuff. I couldn't believe how crowded it was when I arrived at 7:30am - no place to park and a line 20 people deep at the beignet stand.

Sarah met me there as I was selecting my all-natural, locally grown chicken breasts and we circled the market together. I ended up with corn, red potatoes, roma beans, okra, garlic, local honey, cherry almond granola, chicken breasts and grass-fed organic ground beef. I sampled the homemade gouda cheese but was running low on cash... maybe next time. I did stop for a basket of the beignets on the way out - delicious. See you next week, farmers market!

Not much elbow room at 7:30 a.m.

Samples of homemade cheeses

My bounty!

That Crazy Nut

That's how we refer to the main source of entertainment (other than Rock Band) and frustration (other than the ironing) in our house.

On the grill... his favorite spot

Otis was named after Otis Redding, whose music we both enjoy, and it just fits him perfectly! He's also known as Honey Bear, Honey Butter Bear, Buster Brown, Otis Magotis, Otes Magotes, and Senor Majotes.

Honey Bear

His formal portrait (you can call him Senor)

We trained him not to bark at us since it is ear-splitting so instead he makes these odd sounds that almost sound like he's talking. He can usually be found with a sock or an empty water bottle in his mouth, and feels free to jump on the beds and sofas if we're on them. In the mornings after David's left for work, he "talks" until I invite him up on the bed into David's spot. Then he just lays around until way after I've showered and dressed.

Lazy!
Gotta get into a comfortable position

Ok - maybe it's gross to let your dog into your bed... but he's pretty clean...
and how could you resist this sweet face?

We have a little love seat in front of our TV, and he is convinced that his "spot" is sitting on the cushion next to me. So if David is sitting there, Otis will come and stare at him and make his crazy sounds until David scoots down to the floor and Otis hops right up.

Spoiled little nut!