Family, Food + Fun

It's been a LONG week! First, David was in Miami for a bachelor party ~ now he is in Texas for three days (insert long lonely-hardworking-mommy sigh here), we attended our very first 1yo birthday party, I cooked an awesome meal from my new cookbook, and we had two fabulous visitors yesterday! Let's start from the beginning.

I Praise You, Single Mothers!
It is hard work when you're alone all day with two little ones. But, doing this day in and day out, really alone, is even harder! David was gone from Friday to Sunday soaking up the sun's magical rays while I was here, covered in drool, cooking for the boys, feeding the boys, cleaning up poop and food, putting them down, getting them up...... Where's MY 3 day vaca?! I do hate leaving the boys, even for a feeding. But, I really think I need some R+R. David did, however, meet us at Leighton's 1st birthday party Sunday! It was so sweet watching her shovel cake down her gullet and comb it through her hair! Here are some photos and video...

Proud mom + dad, Heather + Jason

Hunter + Baylor have their very first swing! We haven't been able to find a park with swings for babies/toddlers... FINALLY! I have been dying to put them in a swing. Honestly, I have! And they had sooo much fun! I loved it :)




Mmmmmm.......... Yummy-deliciousness!
Did I mention in my last post that I love my new cookbook?! I made the poached salmon dish that Sam Bealle made last week. I really liked it, but it was a bit too heavy for us. I think I will make this with trout like Sam because it was so much lighter! I also made the herbed spoonbread and blackberry cobbler! Mm, mm, mmmm! David plowed through them all and especially loved the cobbler. Please forgive my partially eaten plate! I, as always, forgot to take a picture of the dish. And I plated it so beautifully!

Blackberry cobbler in the making

And then there was cobbler!

Add a little vanilla bean ice cream and you're set!

I Love It When Family Comes To Visit!
My Aunt Lisa and cousin Sydney came over Wednesday to have a little visit ~ all the way from Anderson, SC! It was Syd's spring break and she said she wanted "to visit Sarah Ann and the boys"! How sweet is that? We had a really great day with them and the boys warmed up nicely! It seemed to fly by...




Update ~~~
There are 7 teeth between the two.
Both crawl like big boys and stand using what ever they can to pull themselves up.
Both took a few steps behind their walking toy this week!
They talk and laugh with one another constantly!
Separation anxiety is becoming a part of the norm.
Still napping 3 times a day (not sure if I'm happy about that or not!).
They love black beans, avocado, yogurt + oatmeal.
Using mom + dad as a junglegym ~ of course!

Here are some cute pics of Baylor + Hunter

hon,hon,hon... je m'apelle huntair.... (black bean soup mustache)

Happy St Patty's Day!

Day at the park

"I think I smell something."

Look at those teeth!

The messy business of teething buscuits

We have a couple of doctor appointments coming up so there will definitely be a few more updates in the near future.

XOXO

Love + A Really Good Pallet

I'm in love! And no, it's not with another man (or woman). It's with my new cookbook, The Blackberry Farm Cookbook.
The author, Sam Beall, was at Williams-Sonoma this week and I was fortunate enough to stop by and take part in his demonstration and book signing! He spoke to us about the dish he was preparing, which was amazing, but also about Blackberry Farm where he not only works, but grew up and still lives. This 9,000+ acre farm looks and sounds so pristine, naturally beautiful and unlike anywhere I've ever lived... I cannot wait to plan my first visit! All year long they have events ranging from food and wine tastings, to cooking classes, to photography classes, to 4th of July parties, etc.
Sorry, back to the book and demonstration! This cookbook is packed with amazing photos of the farm and it's restaurants, stories from the chefs and farmers, and of course seasonal recipes. At BB Farm they only use what is naturally grown on their farm and fished out of the rivers. I think this is what drew me to the book, and farm. I am becoming more and more of an advocate for the farm-to-table lifestyle. I love the thought of buying local, natural and handmade products/produce and am trying to incorporate this 'way of life' into our lives.
Sam brought ingredients from his farm and they tasted and looked so rich! He packed up the eggs, cornmeal, radishes, parsley, etc. The only thing he purchased in town was the trout, which is local for Atlanta. (In the cookbook, he uses salmon which he mentioned was the only thing they use that is not local for them in TN.) But, this dish was amazing with the trout. Could be a possibility for Easter... along with my angel food cake.

Here are a few (Iphone) pics from the night.



He prepared his Oil-Poached Salmon, or trout, with Radish Salad & Parsley Coulis along with an Herbed Spoonbread/cornbread (he said spoonbread is a southern name for cornbread). Can I be honest with you? I have never in my 28 years of being born and bred in the south heard of spoonbread!?! Have you? Maybe it's a regional-southern thing...


It was so light and heavenly! I could have had a few more tasting plates...


Having my book signed


I hope to make this trout/salmon dish this week along with a few other things such as: Lemon Cucumber Soup; Blackberry Cobbler; Heirloom Tomato Terrine. I may even try a few of the meat dishes for David ~ Peach Glazed Baby Back Ribs, Buttermilk-Brined Fried Chicken With Sage......... and this is just the Spring/early Summer section!!!