Start of Summer

It's Memorial Day weekend, the official start of summer. It has certainly felt like summer the past couple of days. I think I saw 91 degrees on the car thermometer today. I'm so grateful for a long weekend, I really need a short work week.

Today, Nate and I drove to Kent Island to satisfy our cravings for Maryland crabs. We ate at the Crab Deck, and enjoyed a tasty dozen of steamed crabs. The Crab Deck is a casual, open air restaurant that sits along the bay. They have an extensive menu, even if you don't want crabs you are sure to find something. They also have a nice selection of frozen and summertime drinks:).

Ready for our anniversary celebration: Crabs...

Yum!

Last night we enjoyed a cookout at our friends' house and tomorrow we'll be at a family cookout. In honor of cookouts a few very quick and easy recipes.

Chocolate Trifle
- Bake one chocolate cake according to directions
-1 large box chocolate pudding
- 2 cups milk
- 1 large container cool whip
- chocolate chips
Mix chocolate pudding and 2 cups of milk, put in refrigerator for a few minutes.
Layer the following into a large (preferably clear bowl): Cake, cut into small pieces Top with pudding then cool whip. Repeat. Add some chocolate chips to the top and you're done!

Strawberry Angel Trifle
-1 angel food cake store bought or prepared according to box
-8 ounces cream cheese
-1 large pkg. instant vanilla pudding
-2 cups milk
-Sliced strawberries, also add blueberries if you want to be patriotic
-1 large cool whip
Mix cream cheese, vanilla pudding, and 2 cups milk.
Layer the following in large bowl (preferably clear): Angel Food cake cut into small pieces, vanilla pudding mixture, cool whip, and strawberries Repeat. Top with strawberries.

Tiger Dip
-12 ounces cream cheese
-1/2 cup sour cream
-1/2 cup HOT salsa
-chili powder
-chopped lettuce
-diced tomato
-sliced jalapeno peppers
-shredded Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese
-tortilla chips
Mix together cream cheese, sour cream and chili powder. Fold in salsa. Spread mixture on a large plate and top with cheese, then vegetables, sprinkle a little chili powder on top and serve with tortilla chips.

Avocado Feta Salsa (double for large group):
-2 plum tomatoes diced
- 1 avocado, diced
-1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1 clove carlic minced
- 1 Tbsp parsley
-1 Tbsp oregano
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
-4 oz feta cheese
-tortilla chips
Mix all ingredients except the chips. Chill and serve with chips.

4 Years

I can't believe it's been 4 years since Nate and I tied the knot at Liberty Mountain. What a perfect day we had that created such fond memories which will last a lifetime. It's been a wonderful 4 years filled with lots of love, special moments, fun trips, good times with family and friends, and of course what could be more exciting than our baby boy who will arrive in less than 2 months! Due to the state of my belly, I won't be attempting to put on my beautiful wedding dress this year as I've done each year in the past. I guess I'll have to settle for my veil and of course watching the video. As we looked back at our wedding pics the other night, we couldn't believe how young we looked. What are we going to think after 40 years?

Happy Anniversary Nathan, may we have many more!

A few pics from our special day....

All of these pics are scanned except for the honeymoon shots, sorry for the poor quality.

From our honeymoon in Turks and Caicos.

32 Weeks

32 weeks! I'm starting to feel relatively large, quite tired and always hot! I also have difficulty sleeping, but other than these few minor issues everything continues to go well. We are over half way through our 6 session baby class series. Tonight, we toured the labor and delivery area of the hospital and learned about c-sections, this was all a bit scary. The hospital facilities are as nice as can be expected and if all the nurses are as knowledgeable as our teacher I think we'll be well cared for. By now, our little guy should weigh about 4 pounds and is about 16.5 inches long. Over the next 7 weeks, he will fatten up and gain 1/3 to 1/2 of his total birth weight. He now has fingernails, toenails, and real hair. A friend of mine recently gave birth to twins at 32 weeks, it's hard to imagine having the baby right now, I'm just not ready yet. Fortunately, my friend has an adorable baby boy and baby girl who are both happy and healthy at home:)

We received two baby gifts yesterday. A high chair and pac n play were waiting on our porch when we got home. Thanks so much, we can't wait to use these items! As we accumulate more gear, it becomes more real that our little boy will soon be here. I still haven't finished decorating the nursery but maybe over the weekend I'll be able to do a few things and then post pics.

Big Momma 32 weeks

Blue Parrot Bistro- Restaurant Review

I haven't posted a restaurant review for a while, since we ate at one of my favorite places in Gettysburg last night it's time for a review. The Blue Parrot is a bar/restaurant in downtown Gettysburg, and is a great choice for lunch or dinner. It's a small restaurant, therefore during tourist season you should make a reservation on Fridays and Saturdays. The tables are somewhat close together, so it's not a place to dine if you are looking for privacy, but it's certainly quaint and the historic building adds to the ambiance. It's my understanding the Parrot tries to use local produce and breads when available.

The lunch menu includes sandwiches, salads, a daily quiche, soups (the crab and french onion are both delish), lasagna, an open faced omelette, a panani special and my favorite the turkey quesadilla. Also, if you are looking for a light lunch, the humus, which is served with fresh veggies and pita chips is very good.

The dinner menu has daily appetizer and main course specials, in addition to the appetizers, soups, burgers, light entrees, and full dinners offered all the time. I've had several of the appetizers in the past, and my favorite is definitely the steamed clams, the white wine garlic sauce is probably the best I've had. While you only get a dozen, they are quite a treat. Last night after my clam appetizer, I had the salmon. The salmon is complemented nicely by the sesame seed coating and the ginger lime sauce. The salmon is served with garlic mashed potatoes and a side salad (I recommend the raspberry vinaigrette dressing). Nate loves the prime rib at the Parrot, he raves about it every time he gets it. Our friend also had that prime rib last night and enjoyed it very much . Beware, if you order the prime rib the portion is huge. I don't really eat red meat but I do try bits of Nate's steaks. The prime rib at the Parrot is full of flavor, very tasty! My favorite entree at the Parrot was always the tuna, but I haven't seen it on the menu for a while, maybe they don't serve it anymore? The Parrot offers a decent election of beers and has a smaller wine list. I believe they are one of the few bars in Gettysburg that serves 3 olives vodka, always a plus in my book (when I can drink). For dessert, Nate has a hard time leaving without having the tiramisu. I'm not a huge fan of tiramisu but it is quite tasty at the Parrot and doesn't overwhelm you with the taste of liquor or coffee. For drinks, lunch or dinner the Parrot is one of my local favorites:)

Frangipani Wins!

Frangipani Resort, the resort that Nate and I stayed at in Anguilla in March, won an award for being the best kept secret boutique hotel, as chosen by Travel Reports with Hugh Downs. Check out the video on YouTube. I'm wishing that I was sitting on one of their chairs right now looking out at Meads Bay.

More of my Favorites

Bulbs originally planted with love in Wells Tannery by Nate's Grandma, now growing in Fairfield:)

So many irises. Plant given to my by the guys at Village Florist, Hagerstown, MD. The same guys who used all of the irises below a little over four years ago to create our wedding flowers:)

Started with a bucket of irises
Created beautiful bouquets

and centerpieces

Horton's go Homegrown

Today, Nate and I finished up some things in the yard. We planted 2 gardens, our lower garden has tomatoes, peppers, onions, potatoes, lettuce and spinach. We have one row left to plant, just need to figure out what to plant. Our upper garden is for vine plants and has watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumbers and squash. Now, we'll just hope everything grows. Just as a fyi, if you love strawberries like me you might want to visit your local farm because it seems the berries are ready a little early this year:). We purchased some yesterday from Trayers Farm and Greenhouse in Mercersburg, PA. Today, we had fresh strawberry pie, here is the recipe I use.

Lower Garden

Hopefully our fence keeps the critters out, so that our plants have a chance to grow!

Vine plants patch

Sophie watched while we worked. Isn't she pretty?


Some pics while our landscaping still looks pretty after fresh mulch.

I'm loving how this landscaping in front of our deck is coming along.

Coral bells