Early VDay Date

Last Saturday, Jason and I enjoyed a rare treat...an all-day date.  Occasionally we get the chance to spare a couple of hours together over dinner, or while Connor is visiting his Mimi, Pops, or Aunt MB, we can sneak some time to catch up on our favorite shows or go to a movie.  Most usually, though, we need babysitters for things like cleaning house, working basketball games, or meetings at school, all of which have to be done, but do not involve any alone time for Jason and me.  It is indeed rare to have an entire day to spend together, especially a romantic day. 

A day at home would have been spent cleaning or doing other necessary chores, so Jason arranged for us to spend a day in the Nashville/Franklin area.

We began the morning at home with Connor.  He slept in (which, if you know our story, our child is an EARLY riser) until 7:30 and was in high spirits.  We ate breakfast and lounged, and Jason took Connor out to play in the miniscule snow we received Friday night.

By 11 we had dropped Connor off with Mimi and Pops, and we were off.

Our first stop was Puckett's, our favorite lunch spot in Franklin. We ended up sharing a table (b/c it was so crowded) with a couple from Washington (state).  They were so kind, and we talked about everything from kids to sports to marriage.  It was a nice treat to meet this sweet couple.

We then walked around downtown Franklin, window-shopped, and went to my favorite store there, Philanthropy (I love this store most because not only do they have adorable,unique wares, they tithe from their profits, and just overall seem to be a very giving business.  The employees are SO kind and the atmosphere is wonderful.)  Jason's mom had gotten me a gift card (which I had already spent half of online) and I was eager to spend the rest.  I settled on an adorable patchwork-style dress, which I can't wait to wear once warmer weather returns.  Thanks, Veronica for the gift card, and Jason for letting me shop on our date.  It was especially fun shopping with someone else's money.  :)

"the" gift card dress  :)

Jason really does know how to plan a fantastic date...he always makes each holiday/anniversary/date special, even if it is just a date at home with takeout.  I remind myself often to remember how blessed I am.

While in Franklin, we went ahead and bought dessert.  We both love cupcakes, so we stopped by Ivey Cake.  We much preferred our cupcakes to the dessert options at the restaurant, so we were glad to save a bit of money and still have a great dessert.

my cupcake -- called "I Do"

Our last stop in Franklin was at Ann Taylor LOFT, where I had to return something bought with a gift card (Thanks, Aunt MB!).  While there, I checked out the sale rack and scored a long-sleeved cream colored shirt ($9) and a belt ($7), and still have $37 left on my gift card for later.  :)

My $9 shirt (photo from loft.com)

$7 Loft belt

We drove back into Nashville, walked around downtown a bit in the freezing weather, and then headed to Watermark, where Jason had made reservations for us.

I, ever the cheapskate, got cheap appetizers instead of an entree, but I have never been more glad I did. (Another cheapo tip: we both drank water.)  My food was amazing.  I had the scallop appetizer, which was served on a bed of shredded Granny Smith apples and some kind of white asparagus, and it was fruity and light and delicious. 

My other appetizer, which the waiter brought as my entree was a grit souffle with bacon, tomatoes, and goat cheese, and it was even better than I expected.  I must learn how to make a grit souffle...it is imperative after I devoured every bite of that dish that I know how to make something at least similar myself.  I will be Googling recipes soon.

Jason had the tilefish, which he loved.

After dinner, we headed back home.  We were home by 10, and I curled up in bed while Jason headed downstairs to watch the UK game he had DVRd.  Back to our "regular" lives, but with memories of a fantastic day spent with only each other, with good food, and good deals.  Jason even opened my car door.  [Sigh.]

I Love Chicago

The above is true and simple.  I love that town.  You might say that Chicago is full of crime, the winters are terrible, and maybe you hate the Cubs (although my husband is a devoted fan, despite their struggles), but none of that deters me.  Let me tell you what I love about Chicago.  I love Millennium Park, Lincoln Park Zoo, Grant Park, Sprinkles, Giordano's Pizza, State Street shopping, and especially Pacific Garden Mission.  While, no, I am not planning to move there, one of the events I look most forward to every summer is the week my family and young folks from the OCYE spend working at Pacific Garden Mission.

If you are not familiar with PGM, it is a homeless shelter, although the Mission encompasses so much more than simply providing a night's sleep for down on their luck men and women.  PGM does provide just that, as well as delicious meals, but they also share the gospel before each meal, as well as provide Bible programs for the men and women who choose to stay for a longer period of time.  There are various other ministries within PGM, and you can read all about them here.

We first started volunteering at PGM nine years ago, back when the building looked like this:

In 2007, PGM was able to move into their new, much larger building.  Our first visit to the new building was astounding.  The kitchen and dining area were several times larger then at the old mission, and the accommodations meant PGM could help even more people. This is the mission today:

Our job usually consists of setting up and cleaning up from breakfast and lunch, sweeping/mopping floors, organinzing the stock room, cutting vegetables or meat for dinner, serving soup and sandwiches, and the occasional bed-making and bathroom cleaning.  It may seem like everyday, mundane work, but it is one of the biggest blessings of my life each year.  Obviously, I am reminded of my blessings, how fortunate I am to how a home, clothing, and food. 

However, what I didn't realize is that each year I would be blessed most by the people with whom we work in the kitchen.  Some of these men, the chefs and other workers, are familiar faces each year.  Men like Chef Turnbull, who has worked at PGM since before we started coming, who remembers our names every single year without missing a beat, and who hugs us all on the last day.

Then there are the men we meet who work in the kitchen as part of their participation in the Bible program.  These men are making strides to completely change their lives for the better.  PGM offers them a place to stay, an intense study of God's word, as well as resources to futher their education or other training for future job opportunities.  From these men I have learned more about love, sacrifice, and overcoming obstacles than I ever knew was possible.  I know for certain that while we are supposed to serve to be a blessing to others, they are the true blessings to us.

We do also have some downtime while in town. One of the most common themes of my blog (and my life) is my love of good food.  Chicago is a great place to find fabulous food.  See for yourself.  :)

The first order of business each year when we arrive at the hotel is to order Giordano's pizza.  It is heaven in a cardboard box!

My second favorite Chicago food spot is definitely Sprinkles.  Best. Cupcakes. Ever.

Ready to devour some cupcakes!

Amazing.

My favorite meal of the whole trip was this one: Voodoo Shrimp from House of Blues.  The sauce is spicy but the rosemary cornbread is sweet.

You should have known we made more than one trip to Sprinkles.  :)

Wednesday is the one day of the week that we do not work at the mission; we use the time to peruse the city.  Our first stop of the day was the (free) Lincoln Park Zoo.

The afternoon was spent at the Field Museum, and right before dinner we headed to Millennium Park.  This particular park is one of my favorite spots.  The fountains are such fun, and I love to people watch, so it's a joy to watch the children splashing and jumping. 

At the Field Museum with Sue the dinosaur

He has big feet, but not quite dino-sized.

And Connor's favorite party of the trip?

"meeting" Woody at Water Tower Place

It was an amazing week...see why I love Chicago? 

Vacation Food

For my last post about our trip to Alaska, I decided to compile all the photos of one of my favorite parts of vacation (and life in general), food.  If you know me, you know I not only love to cook, find new recipes and ideas, but I especially love to enjoy a good bite (actually, it's almost always multiple bites).

Below you will find some of my favorite dishes from our vacation.  Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I did consuming them.  :)

vegetable spring roll appetizer

flourless chocolate cake



yummy shrimp with asparagus and saffron rice



Bananas Foster

calamari

cream puff swans with chocolate sauce

seafood salad

lobster and prawns (one of my favorite meals of the trip)

Baked Alaska

chicken inside a yummy puff pastry

vanilla creme brulee (second favorite dessert of the trip)



crab legs



And finally, my favorite dessert of the trip...chocolate hazelnut souffle with a vanilla cream sauce.  Heavenly!

For those of you who see me out and about this summer, the above food are why my pants are a little snug...well worth it, though!  :)