How do you say Teeeexas?
Texas. Okay, I can’t help it, every time I say Texas, in my head I am imagining William Shatner and how he says it in the movie Miss Congeniality. Texaaaas. Well, now that I have that out of my system, a quick recap on my trip to that gigantic state a few weeks ago. A contingent of grad students, professional staff, and faculty from my institution flew out to San Antonio to attend a conference. It was the first time that I had been to San Antonio (at least that I remember) and it was a lovely four days in another part of the South.
So, first I should mention that it was a great conference, and all of the sessions that our group members presented were well attended and seemed to be really well received (honestly, you can think you rocked at a presentation, but if the participants didn’t learn anything from it…. What is the point? But I digress.) The point is, I think we represented all of our offices and out institution very well. Now onto my review of San Antonio, which is what I know you all really care about, not about how great our sessions were!
We had a ridiculously early flight that morning and it had connections, so we were all pretty tired when we arrived, but it didn’t stop us from trying to use our time to sightsee before the conference kicked off that evening. I guess I was a tad taken aback at how very small the San Antonio airport is, it felt as if there was no room to move. And the security line! Sheesh, when we went to leave it was backed all the way into the ticketing area! They need to a bit of remodeling and expansion, that is for sure. However, that being said… they did have the most organized taxi pick up area I have ever seen all my years of traveling, and in case you haven’t picked up on this by now, I travel a fair bit. The only place I can recall having as good a set up was Victoria Station, a train station in London, England!
We stayed at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, which is right downtown and on the Riverwalk and connected to the convention center. It was an okay hotel, I have definitely stayed in worse, but I have also stayed in better. To be honest, I expect a bit more from Hyatt’s and this one just didn’t live up to expectations. First, I find it a bit annoying that some Hyatt’s recognize their Gold Passport Members and others don’t. Even something as simple as immediately knowing your name and saying welcome back to the Hyatt goes along way. One of the perks of membership is that you should be able to have a late checkout without a problem. I was highly annoyed that they would not grant my half-hour late checkout request so that I could attend one last session before having to move all my stuff out the room. There was also this VERY annoying cooing that was happening in the room. Seriously, my conference buddy roommate, Jane, and I just couldn’t pinpoint where the heck it was coming from. We ruled out an actual pigeon because it was so constant, we were thinking pipes, but who knows. It was just hard to sleep with it happening. Add to that the fuzzy TV channels and not good selection of restaurants/ shops in the hotel and it just wasn’t all that I hoped it would be.
The Alamo was very cool to see, I was just exhausted by the time we got there. Early airline flights, time changes, late lunch… I may have been a little cranky. Anyway, it was still cool to see. Yes, it is in the middle of downtown, not out in the middle of nowhere, but I had been prepared for that. I guess I was literally expecting all these tall skyscrapers to be dwarfing it, and literally right along the same wall as the mission image we all know so well. But really, it was a larger piece of land than I imaged, situated in a little square, with some midsized building surrounding the square. It was very pretty to see, but sad at the same time, to remember all that dies there. Plus, when I was a kid I thought Davey Crockett was so cool, it was sad to see where he died (Who has the Disney Davey Crockett song stuck in their head still- that’d be me!)
Apparently it is impossible to get a picture without people in front of it.
Okay, enough for one day. Check in a few days from now for the continuing review of my time in San Antonio!
Greetings from the Land of the Midnight Sun
Sorry for the lack of posts lately… I was in Texas, I was interviewing grad students for assistinatships and now I am in Alaska. Lets just say there is a lot of future blog topics coming when I get home. Here are a few pictures so far….
http://www.talkeetnaroadhouse.com/
This is me in front of the Talkeenta Roadhouse, where my Aunt Sandy, Uncle Gary and I stopped for some yummy homemade desserts. Highly reccomend the bread pudding!
That little dark blob right there is a moose. Now, you can’t get to close because they are very aggressive. Now there is a back story to why I am so excited about this moose. Years ago, Gail and I went to New England for spring break and we were determined to see a moose and spent all week looking…. no luck and it had been a running joke ever since to actually see a moose. So when I actually saw moose yesterday on the road in Alaska, my Aunt and Uncle turned the car around so I could stare in awe for a few moments. I didn’t have my zoom lens with me, so this is the only photo you get…. but there you go Gail. I saw a moose!
Zucchini Chips
I tried another recipe off of Pinterest! Look at me actually making use of Pinterest and not just pinning it all. I found a yummy recipe for zucchini chips and made a few modifications. They are delicious and so easy to make, I have had them twice this week already!
Ingredients
- Zucchini
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Basil
- Margarine spray
- Aluminum foil
Steps
1) Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, spray with a nonstick butter spray
2) Slice zucchini thinly and place on foil
3) Spritz each slice with a little butter spray.
4) Cook zucchini in hot oven for about three minutes, remove tray from oven
5) Put a pinch of each cheese on each slice
6) Sprinkle basil over slices
7) Put back in oven under broiler
8) Cook until cheese is melted and gets little crispy
Try it sometime! Great as a snack or as a side dish.
Wednesday Wedding Tips: The Bouquet Dance
Today’s tip on weddings is a new love I have when it comes to traditions! The bouquet dance!
As a single gal, I usually get annoyed when the bride does the bouquet toss. I just don’t feel it is necessary to be put on display for being single, so when my friends started doing this boquet dance at their weddings I thought it was brilliant! And not just because it meant I didn’t have to be sent to the dance floor, but because it is such a sweet way to honor other people and involve more guests at the wedding.
The bouquet dance is when all the married couples are invited onto the floor to have a slow dance. Then they are slowly eliminated from the dance. First the DJ will ask anyone who has been married less than a day to leave the floor (ie: the bride and groom). Then they will go up a variety of years. One year, five years, ten years, twenty years and so on. The couple that has been married the longest gets the bouquet! It is such a great concept and (hopefully) can give the bride and groom something to look forward to and strive for.
If you are planning a wedding I suggest giving it a try!
Translation Tuesday: House Wine of the South
Sometimes you can tell that I am not a native Southerner. This becomes very noticeable when it comes the favorite drink in this region… sweet tea.
Sweet tea is also known as the house wine of the south and is by far the most consumed nonalcoholic beverage across the region. It is tea, loaded up with sugar when it is made, and served ice cold in a cold glass. You can always tell a Yankee in a restaurant because they will order an iced tea and when it comes they automatically add a sugar packet to the drink because they assume it in unsweetened. Nope, unsweetened tea is Yankee tea around here. It is also funny because they have the funniest look on their faces after they take a sip. Sort of a ‘what the hell is this?’
So, if you venture down here be sure to try out the house wine, and know that when you order tea, unless you are specific about sweet or unsweet, you are getting sweet. Now I just wish I actually liked any type of tea so I could partake!
California Stinkin’
I grew up in a food family… we like to eat and we eat well. Part of this goes to the fact that I grew up in a restaurant… my Dad has been running restaurants since before I was born. As a result, I was taught from an early age what is good food service and not good food service, what is good food and mediocre food and so on. In short, I have high expectations when it comes to eating out.
Last night, we all went out to celebrate Rach’s 30th birthday and we were starting the evening with a group dinner at California Dreaming, which is a restaurant chain that can be found throughout the southeast. Normally, I love California Dreaming. I have loved the location, the food and the service. In fact, I have been eating there for years. However, last night’s dining experience was so horrible and miserable, I don’t know if I will ever go back.
While the company that we had for dinner was lovely, the food and service were miserable and unacceptable. First, it took the server about ten minutes to get around to taking our drink orders. Then another 10 to 15 minutes for her to even come take our orders. Really, it felt like we were repeatedly being ignored. It was the same thing when trying to get a different salad dressing for the salad or trying to get a refill on a drink for any of us at the table.
The worst part was the fact that they forgot my order. Yep, eleven other people at the table got their order, but she forgot mine. Seriously. To add to it, the server didn’t even notice when she was bringing the food out. I had to wait another five minutes and then someone had to flag a different person down and ask them to find it. Finally, another ten minutes later they finally brought my food out and it was awful. The chicken was completely over cooked and had no good flavor. Also, the mashed potatoes were cold! It looked like they had plated the potatoes and had it under the heating lamp while waiting for the chicken to cook. The result: the mashed potatoes looked glazed over and were lukewarm. When I mentioned that they were cold the server ARGUED with me about it. She never once apologized about it.
A person who I assume was an assistant manager was actually the one to bring my food out when it came and he did apologize that they and missed the order and took the meal off my bill, which was nice and I appreciate. I really just can’t get over the bad service though, she argued with me, was inattentive and just rude. And I completely recognize that it was a Saturday night over Valentine’s weekend and they were busy…. But she did not have that many tables. Another part about growing up in a restaurant, you notice things when you go into one… like how busy they are, how many servers they have on the floor and how many tables they have in their section. She didn’t have that many and we were her only large party, there wasn’t any good reason for her bad service.
So, based on this dreadful experience I will be taking California Dreaming off of my list of places to go eat for a very long time.
Adventures in Babysitting…. sick day!
Sick day! But not a sick day for me, I am out at my Dad’s and home with MG. She was sent home from school yesterday with a fever and sore throat. Molly (Dad’s fiancée) is at a conference in Orlando, Dad took work off yesterday to stay with her and I took off today to stay with her. I mean, it is a bit easier for me to take off, I rearranged some meetings… I don’t have to run a restaurant like my Dad does! Thus, I am on sick kid patrol for the day. I just talked to the work and apparently a construction crew invaded my office to work on some things, so maybe it is a good thing I am not there!
So MG and I are hanging out in the living room watching lots of TV and doing a whole lot of nothing. She is feeling much better (she was home yesterday too, she’ll be back in school tomorrow) and I am realizing that there is NOTHING on TV during the day that I will watch and she will like. So, since she is opting to hang in the living room with me, she has been stuck with the Today Show, MSNBC, House Hunters International and now a super old episode of Desperate Housewives. I am sorry, I just can’t do the Wizards of Waverly Place! We’ve done all of her homework though, played with Curtis the cat and had a healthy lunch. I just hope I don’t get whatever she has! Being home with a sick kid has given me the worst craving for Snappy Tomato Pizza though. When I was home sick as a kid I remember that my Mom would order that for lunch and we would watch the old games how Hollywood squares. Man, I would love a hoagie from Snappy right now!
Hum, Boy Meets World is on… I loved that as a kid, maybe MG will like. Adventures in sick kid babysitting continue!
Wednesday Wedding Tips: Bridal Bouquets, a Pet Peeve
So, this is definitely not a wedding tip. It is much more of a wedding pet peeve… the wedding bouquet. Specifically, color in the wedding bouquet. I dislike, no, better yet have a ridiculously strong aversion to, all white bridal bouquets. Okay, I hate all white bridal bouquets.
I know, I know… it is traditional and yes the flowers are pretty. But I just think it wastes money on something that blends into the dress. And let’s be honest, the dress is the center of the show (after the fact that two people are getting married, that is clearly the first thing). Yes, you could say that you don’t want any item to detract from the dress (which costs a pretty penny) but why have something blend in? And flowers are SO expensive, I mean those cost a bit of money and don’t last all that long. Unless of course, you spend the money to have them preserved and then put on display in your house. But if you do white flowers, they are still going to turning a yellow/brown before they are preserved.
So, for a number of reasons, I think that brides should have some color in their bridal bouquets. That is not to say that some white flowers can’t be in there, but there should be more color than white. I think it is pretty when a bride walks down the aisle and there is a little pop of color to go along with that white dress.
Just my pet peeve at weddings. And all of my friends know it J
Translation Tuesday: Kudzu
Kudzu. I have been obsessed with the stuff since I was a kid and we would see it on the long drive from the Fort down to the South. Have you seen this stuff? If you ever visit here you probably have, see this photo….
Kudzu is an invasive plant species that made its way to the US in the 1800s from Asia. I have always been told that people brought it over to help with ground erosion, but it clearly didn’t work…. It has just taken over. I kid you not, it just takes things over. It is a pretty looking green vine, with big leaves…. And it grows at an abnormally fast rate and covers anything in its path. Low bushes, trees, guard rails, billboards, even houses. Yes, I have seen houses covered in kudzu. It would easily take over roads if crews didn’t keep it cut back.
When collected in the right way I understand that it can be used for many things…. Including a very lovely paper. Granted, if it doesn’t get collected, it still grows like crazy and covers it all.
Plus, it is just fun to say… KuddZooooooo (I imagine doing that on repeat for eight hours like I did when I was a kid got old, sorry Dad).
Easy Peanut Butter Pie!
There are few food combinations I love as much as I love chocolate and peanut butter. Seriously, my whole office, all my good friends, many in my family are all well aware of my obsession with the combination. There is a place near where I used to work at Country Club College that really got me hooked, they make the most fabulous peanut butter cake EVER. Four layers of chocolate cake with chocolate chips, layered and surrounded by a thick peanut butter cream cheese frosting, coated in chocolate ganache. It is heaven on a dessert plate. I love it so much that Rach recreated it for my 30th birthday party… fabulous.
As a result of this cake, I am always on the lookout for new peanut butter and chocolate recipes. In fact, that was the first thing that I looked up when I gave in and joined Pinterest last month. If anyone looks at my food board, they will notice an abnormal amount if chocolate and peanut butter recipes. Through all of this searching, I came across a recipe at http://allrecipes.com that I made a few additions to. It made two pies and my office was loving it for days!
Ingredients
- 1 package cream cheese (8oz). I use whipped cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner sugar
- A little more than 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup milk (I use organic, 1%)
- 2 packages frozen whipped topping, thawed (that is 16 oz)
- 2 prepared oreo cracker crusts (9 inches)
Love the mix and that amazing mixer!
Steps
- Beat together cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar.
- Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth.
- Fold in whipped topping (do not over mix)!!!
- Spoon into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells
- Cover and freeze until firm.
Almost there!
I actually had a bit of the mix left over, it was great to eat on some ginger snaps.
Serve the pie with chocolate sauce! So yummy!
We all spent a lot of time in the office kitchen when I brought this in!
Wednesday Wedding Tips….
…. I have nada this week. I have a list of potential topics and the one tonight was going to be on MOB’s (mother’s of the bride) but I fear I’d actually piss off some people that I love, so I am going to stay away from that topic for a while. Well, I am going to stay away from the topic until I can temper the thoughts. So tune in next week for my take on planning a wedding topic!!
Translation Tuesday: Seersucker
We are in a bit of a heat wave for January, even in the South. Seventy degrees in January is unusual, even for us. But this heat wave has me counting down to spring and the fun outside that will come with that. This of course, makes me think of Cup, as mentioned in an earlier blog. This of course, makes me think of the fashion that will be there, which leads me to the Translation Tuesday of the day…. SEER SUCKER!
There is not a material out there that is more class ically Southern in my mind than seer sucker. It is a lightweight cotton fabric that is worn all the time in the South. It is perfect when it is so hot out, because it is actually lightweight and very breathable, which you want when it is hot as heck out and the humidity is driving you crazy. The fabric super soft, but a bit bumpy in texture. It is usually striped or checkered, and often in white and blue… but other colors are used as well. It looks great as pants, a skirt, a blazer, bow ties, a dress… really, it works for a lot of different clothes…. Totally doable in a full suit!
Story goes that it became very popular in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century and has grown from there. It was the material used in World War II for some women servicing in various roles in the military and they have a Seersucker day in the US Congress each June. So, seersucker, check it out… looks great with a pair of Sperry Top-Siders, but I guess that is a topic for another day!
What You Learn Living in the South
So, I got this email the other day as a forward. “Things learned living in the South.” Some I have heard of before, some I have not. My comments are listed in italics! It was at least good for a laugh!
THINGS LEARNED LIVING IN THE SOUTH…
- A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road. (Yes, but I have not really run into this as a repeated problem).
- There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 of them live in the South. (Yes, expect a blog entry on this in the future).
- There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 of them live in the South, plus a couple no one’s seen before. (Yes)
- If it grows, it’ll stick ya. If it crawls, it’ll bite cha. (Yes)
- Onced and Twiced are words. (Eh. I have not noticed this)
- It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy! (Yes, see my previous entry here).
- Jawl-P? Means Did y’all go to the bathroom? (Never heard of it)
- People actually grow, eat, and like okra. (Yes, yes, and yes. I will hopefully blog about this next fall, in honor of the local okra strut fest).
- Fixinto is one word. It means I’m fixing to do that. (Yes, see previous entry here)
- There is no such thing as lunch. There is only dinner and then there is supper. (Eh, people do use lunch, but dinner is common to. I foresee a blog on this topic. I think supper is more prevalent)
- Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you’re two. We do like a little tea with our sugar. It is referred to as the Wine of the South. (House wine of the South to be specific. A topic for another day!)
- Backwards and forwards means I know everything about you. (Yes)
- The word jeet is actually a phrase meaning, ‘Did you eat?’ (Never heard of this.)
- You don’t have to wear a watch, because it doesn’t matter what time it is, you work until you’re done or it’s too dark to see. (Pretty much)
- You don’t PUSH buttons, you MASH em. (I think this is a very regional concept in certain sections of the South. They don’t use it a ton where I am, but they do in the next state over).
- Ya’ll is singular; All ya’ll is plural. (Yes)
- You measure distance in minutes. (Yes)
- You switch from heat to A/C in the same day. (Yes)
- All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect, or animal. (Yes, and I will be writing about it in the future. Personally I am a fan of the Okra Strut and the AppleFest, not so much of the Chitlins festival).
- You know what a DAWG is. (Unfortunately.)
- You carry jumper cables in your car – for your OWN car. (Hum)
- You only own five spices: salt, pepper, mustard, Tabasco and ketchup. (These are all in my pantry, but I do use a lot more)
- The local papers cover national and international news on half a page, but require 6 pages for football, and motor sports, and gossip. (Pretty much, another topic for another day)
- You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday. (I don’t, but I know many who do)
- You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit a bit warm. (It is a given)
- You know what a hissy fit is. (Yes, but I don’t think it is confined to the South)
- Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite pastime known as goin Wal-Martin’ or off to Wally World (A favorite, no. Pretty much hate it. But I do call it Wally World)
- You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good beef stew or chili weather. (SO TRUE)
- Fried catfish is the other white meat. (Eh. I have not noticed this)
Thanks to my Grandma Pat for sending this along, I got a good laugh out of it! If you live down here have you heard of any of these? What is accurate to you?
Yummy Zucchini Boats!
I made the best side dish the other night. So, I got suckered into this Pinterest thing earlier this month. I haven’t entirely figured out how it works, but I have been enjoying finding different recipes, one being these lovely zucchini boats.
Ingredients:
- A couple of zucchini (organic is best)
- Olive oil
- Crushed garlic, salt and pepper
- Dry or fresh basil
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Mozzarella cheese
- Fine bread crumbs
Steps
1) Wash and dry zucchini and tomatoes, slice length ways
2) Scoop a bit of the center out of each zucchini so that the other items can sit in the zucchini
3) Mark a few notches on the back of each zucchini so that it won’t roll around in the pan
4) Mix olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper together… brush over zucchini
5) Place sliced tomatoes in scooped out zucchini, arrange bread crumbs in area between tomatoes
6) Place in a dish with tall sides, bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
7) Remove from oven and cover veggies with mozzarella and a little olive oil. Put under broiler for a few minutes.
Serve as a side dish, it is great! I am going to add a bit more garlic next time, but I really enjoyed these. Super easy and look, I actually made something off of Pinterest!
Wednesday Wedding Tips: The Anniversary
I found myself in an unusual predicament a few weeks ago… I didn’t know the proper answer to an etiquette question. ME, the girl who had Emily Post forced into her brain on repeat beginning at age four, didn’t have a proper answer. It was a definitely a moment that left me pondering. So, being the good little on again/ off again grad student that I am (I am wavering in my doctoral thoughts, but that is another topic) I did a little research.
To back up, this all started earlier in the month with a conversation with the Bestie. She asked me if I had remembered to call TT and her husband to wish them a happy wedding anniversary. I responded in the negative, why would I wish someone a happy anniversary unless it was MY anniversary with someone? This of course caused me concern, did I forget a lesson from all of my etiquette training? Had I inadvertently been rude to good friends whose wedding I was a part of?! I should be clear, I talked to TT about it before hand… inquiring if knew what she would be getting him or what their plans were. I followed up after the fact to see how it had gone, but I never wished them happy anniversary. In fact, I intentionally didn’t wish them one because I thought it would be weird… I mean, it is not my anniversary.
So, I went in search of an answer. I checked Emily Post online and looked into old Emily Post books I have. I looked in all my wedding planning books, I looked in anything I had that would mention etiquette including some old business communication books from undergrad. I even called my Mother, who I never like to ask for advice, and she had the same answer all the other resources had… NOTHING. I could find no mention anywhere of what a friend should do in regard to an anniversary. I found ideas for anniversary celebrations, traditional and modern gifts for the couple to give one another and so on. So, I am assuming since I couldn’t find ANY mention of it, that I didn’t miss something in my etiquette lessons. Also, I just find it a little odd to wish other people a happy anniversary (unless it is big and they are having a party for it, like 20 years or something)! So my tip for the day… don’t stress too much about wedding anniversaries, unless it is yours!
convertedsoutherner 