Friday, May 29, 2009
All because of black beans
My son wanted my spoon with some black beans in it tonight, so he said, "Mom! Mamamamamama." He said mom for the first time!!! I cried right there at the first table by the door to the patio at Neomonde. A feast of black bean salad, chickpeas, humus, and pita had moved my child to say my name for the first time. It was the sweetest sound.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Prone to claims
Day 2 in Charleston started out with a call to the grandparents to check the Jude status. He, of
course, was having quite the time and wasn't missing us in the slightest.
We headed out to a local bakery and sandwich place for breakfast that was on the way to the Fort Sumter tour we were taking that morning. Finding the local place no longer open for breakfast, we ate at a Starbucks- so much for trying to buy local. Our tour set sail at 9:30 from Liberty Square, beginning with w 35 minute boat ride to the island where Fort Sumter is located. The boat ride has a prerecorded narrator pointing out sights along the way. You are given one hour at the Fort to explore and then another 35 minute boat ride to return.
The fort, originally built to protect the harbor, eventually became the home to the very first shots of the Civil War and its first casualty. The causality came not during
the 34 hours of bombardment by angry Charlsetonian seccessors, but rather during a 100 canon salute, which was part of the Union's negotiated surrender. We really enjoyed the trip out to the fort and 
seeing unexploded canon fire in its walls, but the highlight for me was seeing two dolphins on the boat ride back.
After Fort Sumter we walked from the parking garage by the aquarium into downtown and had lunch at the Blossom Cafe. We started with the special appetizer of the day, a pork spring roll served with a small garnish salad and two dipping sauces. Jon ordered the Blossom Club, a roast beef sandwich with bacon, cheese, and red pepper remoulade. I settled on the lamb sausage pizza with sun dried tomatoes and carolina goat cheese. Jon said the sandwich was, "exactly what he wanted," and he left the restaurant inspired to make sandwiches. Rightly priced, casual, and delicious, the Blossom Cafe hit the spot. It was one of the only meals in Charleston that was not butter based.
We spent the afternoon combing the market and shops in downtown, then headed back to the room for a nap until dinner.
To be fair, Jestine's deserves its own blog post. Named for a woman who worked for one family most of her life and lived to be 112 years old, Jestine's serves up the best low country, authentic, homecookin' that we tasted. Folks start lining up outside before the main dining hour, but service is fast and the line moves quickly considering there are only about 15 tables in the place. Every
table starts with pickled cucumber that are perfect palate cleansers. The popular thing to order next is a basket of corn bread, which comes with a sidekick of butter pads soaking in honey. I had he blueplate special, crabcake with macaroni and cheese and the broccoli casserole. Jon had the signature fried chicken that is coated in pecans and served with a horseradish dipping sauce. He chose green beans and red rice on the side. While the red rice wasn't anything special, the rest of the sides were good, yet were very overpowered by how delicious the main dishes were. We took a piece of chocolate cola cake to go. Jestine's was worth waiting in line for.
We took our cola cake to waterfront park to rest up for our Fried Green Ghost Tour of the College of Charleston. April, owner operator of fried green tours was our tour guide. She led us through what is now an Embassy Suites but was formerly the Citadel (a photo is located on this page) and the College of Charleston telling tales of people with half heads and stories to tell. We were "kicking up bones" all around Charleston, which also happens to be the home of one of the first female serial killers and the first woman to be hanged in South Carolina. Lavinia Fisher's story is much like that of Sweeny Todd, in that her husband was in on the murders and the two preyed on those who were innocently looking for a warm meal and place to stay. The tour ended at the King George Inn where we heard our tour guide's only first hand encounter. At the time of the tour, I wasn't scared or even really creeped out, but when you're lying awake in a strange hotel and the room is really quiet and you've just come back after a ghost walk; things are a little more creepy. We loved seeing the C of C campus, and a slight drizzle and Spanish moss hanging from the trees added to the ambiance. The tour we went on is the only haunted walk north of Market Street.
course, was having quite the time and wasn't missing us in the slightest.We headed out to a local bakery and sandwich place for breakfast that was on the way to the Fort Sumter tour we were taking that morning. Finding the local place no longer open for breakfast, we ate at a Starbucks- so much for trying to buy local. Our tour set sail at 9:30 from Liberty Square, beginning with w 35 minute boat ride to the island where Fort Sumter is located. The boat ride has a prerecorded narrator pointing out sights along the way. You are given one hour at the Fort to explore and then another 35 minute boat ride to return.
The fort, originally built to protect the harbor, eventually became the home to the very first shots of the Civil War and its first casualty. The causality came not during
the 34 hours of bombardment by angry Charlsetonian seccessors, but rather during a 100 canon salute, which was part of the Union's negotiated surrender. We really enjoyed the trip out to the fort and 
seeing unexploded canon fire in its walls, but the highlight for me was seeing two dolphins on the boat ride back.After Fort Sumter we walked from the parking garage by the aquarium into downtown and had lunch at the Blossom Cafe. We started with the special appetizer of the day, a pork spring roll served with a small garnish salad and two dipping sauces. Jon ordered the Blossom Club, a roast beef sandwich with bacon, cheese, and red pepper remoulade. I settled on the lamb sausage pizza with sun dried tomatoes and carolina goat cheese. Jon said the sandwich was, "exactly what he wanted," and he left the restaurant inspired to make sandwiches. Rightly priced, casual, and delicious, the Blossom Cafe hit the spot. It was one of the only meals in Charleston that was not butter based.
We spent the afternoon combing the market and shops in downtown, then headed back to the room for a nap until dinner.
To be fair, Jestine's deserves its own blog post. Named for a woman who worked for one family most of her life and lived to be 112 years old, Jestine's serves up the best low country, authentic, homecookin' that we tasted. Folks start lining up outside before the main dining hour, but service is fast and the line moves quickly considering there are only about 15 tables in the place. Every
table starts with pickled cucumber that are perfect palate cleansers. The popular thing to order next is a basket of corn bread, which comes with a sidekick of butter pads soaking in honey. I had he blueplate special, crabcake with macaroni and cheese and the broccoli casserole. Jon had the signature fried chicken that is coated in pecans and served with a horseradish dipping sauce. He chose green beans and red rice on the side. While the red rice wasn't anything special, the rest of the sides were good, yet were very overpowered by how delicious the main dishes were. We took a piece of chocolate cola cake to go. Jestine's was worth waiting in line for.We took our cola cake to waterfront park to rest up for our Fried Green Ghost Tour of the College of Charleston. April, owner operator of fried green tours was our tour guide. She led us through what is now an Embassy Suites but was formerly the Citadel (a photo is located on this page) and the College of Charleston telling tales of people with half heads and stories to tell. We were "kicking up bones" all around Charleston, which also happens to be the home of one of the first female serial killers and the first woman to be hanged in South Carolina. Lavinia Fisher's story is much like that of Sweeny Todd, in that her husband was in on the murders and the two preyed on those who were innocently looking for a warm meal and place to stay. The tour ended at the King George Inn where we heard our tour guide's only first hand encounter. At the time of the tour, I wasn't scared or even really creeped out, but when you're lying awake in a strange hotel and the room is really quiet and you've just come back after a ghost walk; things are a little more creepy. We loved seeing the C of C campus, and a slight drizzle and Spanish moss hanging from the trees added to the ambiance. The tour we went on is the only haunted walk north of Market Street.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Fat Liver and Boney Gumbo
Charleston Day 1: After briefing mama and papa B. on all the ends and outs of Jude-care, Jon and I left home on our fifth anniversary Friday for trip to Charleston, SC. It's our first trip without the baby and our first night away from him. I left home relieved of the many responsibilities of caring for a 10-month old yet worried about how much I was going to miss all those little hugs.
We arrived in North Charleston at our hotel in the afternoon and rested a bit before heading down I-26 into town. We started out the evening with a carriage ride from Palmetto Carriage Works, "
The Big Red Barn" off Market Street. Let me tell you, folks, if you want to get into vacation-mode, take a carriage ride. We waited in the barn for our tour to start where there were a couple of fancy chickens, a baby donkey and its mama, and draft horses and mules. We set out with Ed as our guide and Traveler and Butterfinger pulling us along the streets of the low country. Something about the clip clop of the horses' hooves and Ed's dry, relaxed storytelling that just created an ambiance of relaxation. To keep carriage rides from becoming tangled on Charleston's crowded streets, the city tells each carriage on which tour route they may go. We went on tour route #2, seeing commercial, residential, historical, and spiritual landmarks.
What remains of this city from prior to the Civil War is nothing short of miraculous. The city has seen bombardment for more than 500 days, 5 major fires, hurricanes (most notably Hugo in '89), and an estimated 7.3 magnitude earthquake.
We had dinner at Hank's seafood. A bit on the more expensive side, Hank's specializes in seafood and low country presentation. We started with She Crab Soup, a cheesy and buttery bowl that seemed to set the tone for all of the meals we would consume over the weekend. We also tried the cold smoked slamon on toast with a cucumber salad appetized. It was light compared to the soup and was a good transition from the hot soup and hot weather into the cool of the resturant. I had the Seafood a la Wando, which was a sampler of seafood in a saffron sauce accompanied by a fried grit cake--again, rich and buttery. Jon had the roasted grouper that came recommended by everyone in the place. The grouper is served over risotto. Jon said it was fantastic, but like we found with everything this weekend, became a bit rich by the end.
How do you follow up a meal that features butter? Easy, a praline from a candy shop on Market Street. Sugar, held together with butter with some pecans thrown in for texture. I nibbled on it after dinner, but didn't finish it until 4 p.m. the next afternoon. It made my teeth hurt. Our real dessert was a piece of pecan (pea-can) pie from The Pie Man, Toby Simmons. He was at the outdoor pops concert cutting still warm pies. OH MY! Delicious! (His site is down or I would link it).
After dinner we headed back to North Charleston and saw the new "Star Trek." We enjoyed the movie, and we enjoyed seeing a movie in a theater for the first time since Jude was born. Speaking of the little man, Jude is having a fantastic time with his grandparents. He ate Jello for the first time today and appeared to have experienced some type of nirvana as a result.
We arrived in North Charleston at our hotel in the afternoon and rested a bit before heading down I-26 into town. We started out the evening with a carriage ride from Palmetto Carriage Works, "
The Big Red Barn" off Market Street. Let me tell you, folks, if you want to get into vacation-mode, take a carriage ride. We waited in the barn for our tour to start where there were a couple of fancy chickens, a baby donkey and its mama, and draft horses and mules. We set out with Ed as our guide and Traveler and Butterfinger pulling us along the streets of the low country. Something about the clip clop of the horses' hooves and Ed's dry, relaxed storytelling that just created an ambiance of relaxation. To keep carriage rides from becoming tangled on Charleston's crowded streets, the city tells each carriage on which tour route they may go. We went on tour route #2, seeing commercial, residential, historical, and spiritual landmarks.What remains of this city from prior to the Civil War is nothing short of miraculous. The city has seen bombardment for more than 500 days, 5 major fires, hurricanes (most notably Hugo in '89), and an estimated 7.3 magnitude earthquake.
We had dinner at Hank's seafood. A bit on the more expensive side, Hank's specializes in seafood and low country presentation. We started with She Crab Soup, a cheesy and buttery bowl that seemed to set the tone for all of the meals we would consume over the weekend. We also tried the cold smoked slamon on toast with a cucumber salad appetized. It was light compared to the soup and was a good transition from the hot soup and hot weather into the cool of the resturant. I had the Seafood a la Wando, which was a sampler of seafood in a saffron sauce accompanied by a fried grit cake--again, rich and buttery. Jon had the roasted grouper that came recommended by everyone in the place. The grouper is served over risotto. Jon said it was fantastic, but like we found with everything this weekend, became a bit rich by the end.
How do you follow up a meal that features butter? Easy, a praline from a candy shop on Market Street. Sugar, held together with butter with some pecans thrown in for texture. I nibbled on it after dinner, but didn't finish it until 4 p.m. the next afternoon. It made my teeth hurt. Our real dessert was a piece of pecan (pea-can) pie from The Pie Man, Toby Simmons. He was at the outdoor pops concert cutting still warm pies. OH MY! Delicious! (His site is down or I would link it).
After dinner we headed back to North Charleston and saw the new "Star Trek." We enjoyed the movie, and we enjoyed seeing a movie in a theater for the first time since Jude was born. Speaking of the little man, Jude is having a fantastic time with his grandparents. He ate Jello for the first time today and appeared to have experienced some type of nirvana as a result.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
My First Mother's Day
Mother's Day began at 12:09 a.m. when Jon and I finally got in bed after a Grandma's Genius show. Jon had a card for me and a card from Jude. In the morning, Jon handled all the baby and doggie duties and made breakfast for me, huevos rancheros, bacon, and tortillas. Que rico!
We dropped off Jude with Chris and Ashley after his nap and had lunch out, did some shopping, sat in the sun, and had some ice cream. After picking Jude up, we went home for naps and then out to dinner and to buy groceries. It was such a wonderful day with time for myself, time with my son, and time with my husband.
I shed some tears today, remembering everything that happened when Jude was born. And then I shed some more thinking about all that he can do. I know it's cliche, but I feel like the luckiest mom (and wife) in the world.
I have lots of pics and a video to share, so I'll get on with it! This week, Jude, Jon, and I watched a demo at the Farmer's Market by CJ and Carla from "Top Chef." They were kind enough to take a picture with us. The top pic is from today, one of Chris with his ride, and our Rachel Ray dinner from a few nights ago. (Honey-lime salmon and black bean, corn and spinach salad). Click to enlarge.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Greyhounds and Grandma's G IV
Jude is seen here dancing to Grandma's Genius at the Greyhound Friends Cinco de Mayo Open House. In the picture, he is trying to see around the rails of a fence where Jon and Chris were playing. This was the fourth Greyhound Friends Open House for Grandma's Genius, and they promised to have a CD by their fall event.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Update May '09
In this month of our 5th anniversary, I thought I would list a few recent events:
- Jude is starting to stand without holding on to anything for a few seconds at a time.
- Jude has "talked" more in the past two days than ever and shows no signs of stopping.
- Clara has serious allergies, which we only recently discovered and she is much more spry these days. She is on a new diet and steroids.
- Jude feeds Lucy from his highchair.
- Jon and I will be leaving Jude in the care of his grandparents this month--our first night away since Jude was born. Big step for everyone!
- We are STILL trying to sell our house.
- Jude will be moving from the "Bugs" to the "Birds" at the Little Gym.
- Jon is almost finished with the semester, so he won't have to drive to UNC-G twice a week.
- We are marking 10 years since we graduated from high school this year.
- I received my very first Mother's Day card today from Brian and Deborah; I cried. So sweet. I feel so lucky to be celebrating Mother's Day this year.
That's all the news for now. Feliz Cinco de mayo, which is NOT Mexican Independence Day.
- Jude is starting to stand without holding on to anything for a few seconds at a time.
- Jude has "talked" more in the past two days than ever and shows no signs of stopping.
- Clara has serious allergies, which we only recently discovered and she is much more spry these days. She is on a new diet and steroids.
- Jude feeds Lucy from his highchair.
- Jon and I will be leaving Jude in the care of his grandparents this month--our first night away since Jude was born. Big step for everyone!
- We are STILL trying to sell our house.
- Jude will be moving from the "Bugs" to the "Birds" at the Little Gym.
- Jon is almost finished with the semester, so he won't have to drive to UNC-G twice a week.
- We are marking 10 years since we graduated from high school this year.
- I received my very first Mother's Day card today from Brian and Deborah; I cried. So sweet. I feel so lucky to be celebrating Mother's Day this year.
That's all the news for now. Feliz Cinco de mayo, which is NOT Mexican Independence Day.
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