I miss her already...

Megan set off on her first mission trip to Alabama this morning, and I miss her already. Before she left, I snapped a few pics of her,

including one of her saying goodbye to Danny

and one of her saying goodbye to Harley.

I am so proud of her for signing up for this trip. She knows few people and is going to a strange city, but she's committed to helping those in need. Megan has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met, and I love her so much, I missed her as soon as I dropped her off. I can't wait until she gets back!

A very productive 4th of July "weekend"

This weekend, even though the rains continue in Tallahassee, we had a great time. On the 4th, we spent most of the day watching The Revolution on H2 (the History Channel's additional programming channel) and relaxing. This was the first 4th that George didn't have to work as the fireworks he usually works were cancelled due to the continuous monsoon we've been experiencing. So, we had a great 4th dinner at Longhorn, and then went to see Monsters University at the theater.  Loved it!

Friday was a work day for me, so no fun. Again it rained that night, so the kids and I had a family reading night. On Saturday, we got a long enough reprieve from the rain for me to mow the yard in the morning. the kids packed their stuff and headed off to visit Gran-ma and Papa Creamer for a night of fun. Danny got to hone his baking skills by making homemade snicker doodles.

Meanwhile, I had a night on my own (George was working), and I had plans at the Aprons Cooking School at Publix. The class for the evening was A Vegetarian's Journey Through India. A hands-on class full of tasks for everyone, I spent a lot of my time making naan

and enjoying the preparation of a huge Indian spread.

I had a great time, but I'm glad George is signed up for the next one. I missed him.
This morning, the kids said goodbye to their grandparents

and headed to church. In the service, Megan's mission group was recognized before they head out tomorrow.

She's so excited, and as nervous as I am to let her go for the week by herself, I'm excited for her too. When we got home, we took her to lunch, and then packed all of her stuff for the trip. I am really going to miss her. 

In all, it was a very productive "weekend," and I hope you all enjoyed the 4th holiday too!

Easy Cinnamon French Toast

Have you ever tried to make cinnamon French toast, but when you make the batter, the cinnamon doesn't disburse throughout the batter, but gathers at the top in clumps? Well, the French toast I made this morning is an easy way to make cinnamon French toast perfectly every time. Here's the recipe:

Easy Cinnamon French Toast

 

1 loaf Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread*

4 eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla (I use homemade)

pinch of salt

Unwrap the bread and remove the ends. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and salt. Heat a non-stick skillet to Medium, and when hot, spray with non-stick cooking spray (or you can coat the pan with butter before each batch of bread). Dip each slice of bread in the batter so it soaks into each side but still remains firm. Place in the hot pan and let cook until the underside turns golden brown. Flip over, and let the other side brown. Repeat until all slices are used. Serve with syrup and fruit, or you can serve them Danny-style, with powdered sugar and whipped cream. However you serve it, the cinnamon flavor is delicious.

*Our Publix often has a BOGO sale on their small Pepperidge Farm breads, and when they do, I always buy a few. They freeze beautifully because they're already double wrapped in plastic. When you want to thaw it for French toast the next morning, just take it out of the freezer at bedtime and leave it on the counter overnight.

A new adventure

Last week, the kids embarked on a new adventure, the public library!

Now before you judge, let me explain. While we went to the library a handful of times when Megan and Zachary were very young, we had not been since as the school media centers and our own voluminous home library more than accomodated their reading needs. After a short discussion about what the library is and what purpose it serves in the community, George took Megan and Danny to two different branches on Friday. They got their own cards and everything!  I am hoping this is the beginning of a new reading adventure for this summer and beyond.  

Father's Day Weekend

Father's Day is always a special day for me, but this year it is even more special because George is not working this weekend. We began his Father's Day weekend with a date night at our local Publix Aprons cooking school. This was a special event night with guest chef Kevin Gillespie,

an Atlanta, Georgia-based chef who was a contestant on season 6 of Bravo's Top Chef and one of our favorites of all Top Chef contestants. It was a night of good wine and wonderful dishes, with a little humor and a bit of culinary education. We started by get him to sign our copy of his latest cookbook, Fire in my Belly,

and then it was on with the show.

Dinner's first course was a marinated turnip salad with oranges and goat cheese.

This raw starter salad was surprising in its combination of flavors, including curry and horseradish, but so delicious. The next course was Crispy Green Beans with Salsa Brava.

Oh...my...goodness. He then moved on to Stuffed Rutgers Tomatoes with Savannah Red Rice and Creamed Shrimp

and last but not least a dessert of Peach Melba Foster Jubilee,

a combination of the flavors of Peach Melba, Bananas Foster, and Cherries Jubilee. George and I were absolutely devouring each of the courses as they were delivered, as well as enjoying the different wines poured with each course, and the conversation with new friends we met there was a bonus. It was such a special evening, and I can't even describe the happiness that I felt in giving George this experience, as well as getting him to eat all of the veggies prepared!

The next day (Saturday) began with a beautiful morning walk with Harley, then brunch at Cracker Barrel. When I am super hungry for breakfast, nothing beats the Sunrise Sampler. We then spent much of the afternoon at the pool, relaxing and drinking margaritas. After a special Italian feast for dinner, we headed to the movies to see Man of Steele.

This newest Superman story is a wonderful pseudo-remake of the 1980's films starring Christopher Reeve, but this version is a bit more realistic and human. It stars one of my faves, Henry Cavill (who played Charles Brandon,

1st Duke of Suffolk in The Tudors) as Cal/Clark Kent/Superman

and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.

The movie was totally enjoyable, and we all had a blast watching it.

The final day of the weekend, Sunday, has been a most relaxing Father's Day. After church, I made George these Darn Good Ham and Cheese Sliders, which are now tied with Croque Monsieur as his favorite sandwich, and Zachary served ice cream that he had bought for the occasion.  We relaxed for a few hours, saw Mom and Dad Creamer when they stopped by, and then we took him out for a nice steak dinner. One of the highlights was his gift from Danny, a matching t-shirt pair for them from the National Law Enforcement Memorial that had George's favorite quote on it.

Topping off the night will be the season premiere of True Blood. George said it was an "awesome" Father's Day. We hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day weekend, filled with much love and happiness!