Hiking, Nutella, & Margaritas

August 3

Oh my goodness.  That was an early morning.  Jake wakes up at 6am, so we got up at 6am.  Including Tricia.  I know!  There was a point, we were going hiking and the only way I was going in this heat, was to go early.  So we did.  We got up and ate breakfast and left the house and were on the trail by 7:30.  We hiked along a river (I think, but it was very small where we were), up into the woods, along an area where a tornado destroyed part of the forest, and back.  Julie thinks we hiked about 5 miles round trip.  It was a lovely hike (and no where near as hard as I thought it would be the way that Julie & Tricia were talking about hiking).  We saw 5 different kinds of moss, tons of different trees and flowers.  Since we were on the trail by 7:30am it was not as hot as it could have been, and as hot as it was when we finished.  A quick snack in the car and we went back to the house to shower (so beyond desperately needed).

Afterwards, we baked nutella cupcakes from Your Cup of Cake.  They were chocolate cupcakes baked with a nutella dollop in the center.  DELICIOUS! (pictures are later in this entry)  Then we ran errands.  The most important was to make a care package for Sam (Eliza’s husband) in Afghanistan.  We sent him tons of good stuff: a magazine, goldfish, jerky, coffee, and candy – you know all the important things in life.  We should have sent him a coloring book too, but hindsight is 20/20.  Oh well.  No biggie.  Then back to the house to quilt for the rest of the afternoon.

After Jake got home from work, we went out for dinner at Tomato Head.  It is a super cute restaurant that cooks “hippie meets gourmet” food according to Julie.  I had a pizza (the #10) with black beans, caramelized red onions, sautéed tofu, and spinach.  Tricia had a Tuscan chicken sandwich with pesto & sundried tomatoes.  Julie had the special with tofu.  Jake’s disappeared but was delicious.  It was a really good meal.  The portions were the right size (for once on this trip) and the food had really great flavors and combinations.  I liked it.  And it was the first dinner that we didn’t have food comas afterwards.  That sounds like a win to me.  

Then we made margaritas.  And not just any margaritas, but Raspberry Margaritas!  I found the recipe on Confections of a Foodie Bride.  It was easy and quick – but didn’t have enough tequila, so I added a few more ounces.  It was really good – no tequila after taste and felt really good in my head J.  Tricia finished her pillow while we were watching So You Think You Can Dance (my favorite summer show!!).  Her pillow is beyond adorable. Her fabric, is beyond words. 

It might not have been the best idea, but I quilted after that and Julie & Tricia did some more midnight yoga.  

August 4

We slept in until 9ish.  Unfortunately, Tricia had to leave and drive back to Little Rock and then Austin.  So she used the morning to get ready to go.  The ladies did yoga again.  Lunch in the house (no Jake), and then Tricia left us.  It was really awful – the abandonment that Julie & I felt.  J/K.  We survived, but we were sad.  We had errands to run again, returns & baby clothing purchases to make.  Then it was full steam ahead on my quilt, which had gotten much bigger and much more intense.  When Jake got home, he suggested sushi for dinner, and when have I ever said no to sushi.  We had 5 rolls between us, 4 interesting ones and a sweet potato.  They were so good!  The Out-of -Control & Spider Web rolls were my favorite.  This is the only meal I didn’t take a picture of and it is only a crime because the presentation was wonderful: the colors were bright and nicely arranged on the plate. 

 

When we got back, we …… OH WAIT!!  This is important!  I cannot believe I didn’t already include this!  FOR SHAME!  We drove to the sushi place in Jake’s truck – and I know, big deal, he has been driving you around in the truck every time we went out to eat, but WAIT, this was not the truck he won in an online competition, but the 1969 Chevy truck that he restored with his father when he was in high school that is so GORGEOUS it hurts your eyes to look at it.  Well not technically painful.  But it is an awesome truck.  I have a picture of Julie & Jake in the cab together, well 2 actually, but neither turned out like I wanted them to, so maybe with some fiddling I can make them work... later.

 

So, when we got back to the house we were in the basement (where they are planning on doing a ton of work ad building a rec. room, bedroom, bathroom, and closing in the laundry room.  Julie showed me how they were thinking about laying out the rec. room, and I might have butted in and told her that it was not the best plan, but that if they moved the TV it would work perfectly and give them more space.  They liked it!  WIN!  Another example of watching too much HGTV, but what I can do about it?  We had cupcakes & another margarita while we watched the results show of So You Think You Can Dance.  I called the girl elimination but was shocked by the boy elimination.  Then we quilted until 1am (which was an accident). 

PS – Tricia, I did NOT like sleeping without you last night.

August 5

Today is a big day!  The trip is on the move again!  Today, Julie & I are flying to Colorado Springs to visit Eliza, the General, & the Admiral (her babies!)  I woke up early (might be because I set my alarm and got out of bed an hour later) and started finishing my quilt.  I guess I should explain better.  I have been working on the patchwork up until this point.  I was working on a log cabin quilt, which uses strips that are patch-worked together to make a square.  Thus far every time I have said that I was quilting, I have been patch-working all the pieces together.  This morning I actually STARTED QUILTING.  First we laid out the muslin and batting.  Then we safety pined all the layers together so that when I went back and started quilting, the layers would both stay together and stay flat.  Then I quilted until lunch, when I realized I forgot about breakfast.  Quick lunch with Jake & Julie and then back to finish quilting.  We only had until 3 to work on it today and then I would have been screwed if we didn’t finish because there is no way a sewing machine would fit in my suitcase.  But, we finished!  I finished quilting and then Julie added the first half of the binding.  Then it was time to leave!  Which brings me to right now, sitting in the airport listening to the man next to me speaking Italian!

 

The King, Kupcakes, Quilting, & Chicken

my favorite donut -
white frosting with sprinkles

July 31
So we woke up really early on Sunday in order to get everything in that we wanted to do.  And by early, I mean I woke up around 7:30 and Tricia got up after that... for breakfast we went to Shipley's Donuts (a necessity even after all the fried food the night before).  Then we got tea and got on the road towards Tennessee and Julie!  However, Julie lives very far away from Little Rock and we did not have any intention on making it all the way without any stops.  So a few hours into our 8 hour drive, we made our first stop...

IN GRACELAND!!!!!!  I mean, it was 100% on the way and so we could not pass by it without some kind of deep regret.  So we stopped.  YAY!  We toured Elvis' mansion, cars, and planes.  There were 3 other exhibits we didn't see, but we didn't tell Julie we were stopping until we had already stopped, bought tickets, and felt bad about not telling her that we would be much later than she thought.  So Graceland!!!!

on the front porch

Elvis' living room

Tricia & the beautiful
70's kitchen

mirrored ceiling in the basement

the piano he played
the morning he died

 

Two hours later, we left.  And called Julie to say we were on our way!  It was 3.  So off we went, towards Nashville.  We decided not to stop and have a long visit in the Country Capital because it was already 7 when we arrived.  So we walked around downtown and went to dinner.  Then back on the road.  And back to our book, The Diary by Eileen Goudge.   This is important - I was driving, and I was very into this book.  I was invested in the characters and there was this huge curve ball that I did NOT expect in the slightest.  Because of my attention on the book, Tricia was perturbed with my driving, so we stopped and switched.  At some point the time zone changed during the drive also.  Anyway, just like in Little Rock, we arrived in the middle of the night.  Only this time, as we pulled into the driveway (a little slaphappy and delirious - but not from food) Julie came flying out of the house to greet us!  A very nice welcome!  We stayed up until 2am talking and touring the beautiful old house.

August 1

Because we were up so late the night before, Julie had to wake us up with coffee & tea at 10am, and that was pushing it to get us up.  We goofed around the house in our pj's until noon when Jake came home from work for lunch.  How wonderful is that?  I am jealous that they have the opportunity to eat lunch together everyday without working together.  It sounds like a wonderful pause in the day to unwind before finishing their work.  After lunch, we looked at pictures from the summer and Tricia took a quick nap.  Then off to the adventures of the day (errands).  

We went to 2 markets for fresh food for dinner.  Then we went to KupKatie's Kupcakes for, well, cupcakes!  We ordered Boston cream, chocolate chocolate chip, and choco-cherry with cherry buttercream.  They were DELISH!  We split them and had very happy bellies.  Then on to the fabric store.  One of the things I wanted to do with Julie, was learn how to quilt, and in order to do so, we needed fabric!  So an hour and a half later, we had a ton of fabric and a lot of work to do.  But we ignored it and went to the grocery store to get the rest of dinner.

When we got home, Jake had already made pizza dough and we got to getting all the ingredients ready to grill a pizza.  We sliced and roasted tomatoes & peaches.  Then grilled it.  Some things we learned: you need to spray the pan so that when you flip the dough onto the grill it comes off easier; also to flip the dough (before you add the toppings) slide it onto the pan and flip – otherwise you will rip the dough. 

I think it is important to note, that I did not help in any of the above because my job was to make the Coke floats – using Pinnacle’s Whipped Cream vodka.  (Matt & I were introduced to it around New Year’s, and we have loved it since).  Dinner and a few games of Settlers, and we killed the vodka.  They were a little concerned that it tasted so good and that the vodka was going down all too well.  But we had a great time and didn’t have any problems today.  Then there was midnight yoga. And somehow it was 2am and we went to bed – two nights in a row?

August 2

Again, we were awoken by Julie at 10.  And instead of screwing around, Julie taught us how to QUILT!!!! OMG – I love it!!!!  Julie taught us how to measure strips & cut them evenly and without loosing a finger. 

Then Jake came home for lunch, and we stopped and ate with him.  And then we were back to quilting the part I dreaded most, Julie taught us how to use the sewing machine.  Let me just tell you, Julie is a great/superb/AWESOME teacher because the sewing machine was super EASY!  I made it work over and over again!  (If you cannot tell, I am super proud of myself!!!)

 

what I was able to accomplish today!!

 Last night I mentioned that since we were in the south, we should eat fried chicken, and while I understand that it might have been easier to get and maybe better in Texas or Arkansas, this was when I thought to bring it up.  So we sent Jake to work this morning to ask about fried chicken and the best place to go.  When at lunch he came back empty-handed, we went to Facebook for an answer.  WIN!  So when Jake got home tonight, we went into Knoxville and to Chandler’s Bonesucking BBQ.  It was another night of delicious-but-not-good-for-you food.  We ate 2 (larger than life) chicken breasts, 2 legs (we ordered 4), mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese, green beans, fried okra, fried green tomatoes, 2 rolls, 2 cornbread, and gravy. Oh and sweet tea & Kool-aid.  Oh hello another food coma.  It was seriously good food, lots of fried, lots of flavor.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.   

Afterwards, we drove through the old part of Knoxville, past the U of Tenn., the site of the World Fair 1982 (I know), and back towards the house.  Jake hit the chicken coma hard and passed out in the recliner while I came here, Julie started working on a jewelry bag for me, and Tricia quilted her pillow.  Then there were a few rounds of Banagrams (a fabulous game unless you are playing against wordies – i.e. Julie, Tricia, & Jake), followed by bedtime for Jake and the ladies getting ready to go on a hike first thing tomorrow morning – getting up at 6 (we will see about that, J/K it was my idea to get up early and hike before the heat was unbearable), and bedtime yoga.