Happy Birthday, Anna!

In May of last year, my brother married Anna.  Anna has become such a wonderful friend to me, and I'm so grateful we get to share all of life's special moments as family.  Today Anna celebrates her 26th birthday.  Happy Birthday to a sister-in-law I love!



Anna and me with our sweet cousin, Molly



Friendship Bread

I've always loved banana bread.  In college, my dear friend and roommate of three years, Jessica, would return from weekend trips home with banana bread, made fresh by her mother, Ms. Gavin.  It was absolutely delicious.  Every time I've had it since graduating from college, it takes me back to sitting at the kitchen table in our loft with my cherished friends and a slice of banana bread. 

On Sunday, I decided I would try making it for the first time, so I needed a trustworthy recipe.  One of my grandmother's closest friends was Mrs. Martha Guinn, and I have a cookbook with many of her recipes in it.  Mrs. Martha, my grandmother, and their friend, Mrs. Cora Gene Miller, were the best of friends and taught me a lot about the kind of friend and cook I would like to be!  They truly embodied Southern hospitality and grace.

Here is Mrs. Martha's recipe for banana bread.
Ingredients: 

1 1/2 Cups of Sugar

2 Eggs

Stick of Butter

2 Cups of Flour

2 Large Bananas (1 Cup when Mashed)

1/4 Cup Buttermilk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt, 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder, 3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
(mixed with flour)

The Mixer makes it easier!



The Recipe



Just Out of the Oven!

  I hope you'll try it and share it with friends!

Wonderful Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend!  My parents came to Jackson on Friday and sadly had to leave just a few minutes ago.  Yesterday, my mom and I had a delicious lunch at Babalu with my mother-in-law.  Mississippi Magazine rated Babalu's guacamole as the #1 appetizer in Mississippi, and we agree!  After lunch, I introduced my mom to our new niece, Olive.  I think it was love at first sight.

Last night, we had a fabulous dinner at Local 463 in Madison with my brother and his wife, Jon David and Brenda.  There is nothing better than good food and great company!

Here is a picture of my parents at my front door before dinner:

I'm trying my very best to convince them to get a place in Jackson and stay here at least half the time!  They are the best parents a girl could ever ask for.  Thank you, Mom and Dad, for all you do for us.  I miss you already!

Happy Birthday, Brooke!

Yesterday was a special day!  My dear friend, Brooke, celebrated her 26th birthday.   Last night, we had a wonderful dinner at Julep in her honor!  Here are a few of my favorite pictures with Brooke:


~Brooke and Me~

~the day we were sworn in~

   

~Betty, Police Officer, and Wicked Witch~

 

~Me, Emmylou, Kelly, and Brooke~



Brooke and I met in law school, and I'm so happy we have both ended up in Jackson.  Brooke, welcome to the year of 26!  It's going to be a good one!

Pork Chops and New Lamps

Last night, David and I tried something new for dinner - Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce and Sauteed Mushrooms.  Even though my Mom says I've had pork chops, I can't remember ever having them!  The recipe came from Gina's Skinny Recipes:  http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/06/pork-chops-with-dijon-herb-sauce-525-ww.html  It's definitely one we'll have again.




Chopped Parsley and Onions



Be sure to salt and pepper the pork chops.

For the side, we sauteed mushrooms, using a recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/.  All you need is butter, a package of Ranch dressing mix, and 1 pound of fresh, chopped mushrooms.  First, you melt the butter on low heat:

Then you add the ranch dressing mix:

Then the chopped mushrooms:

Saute for about 25 minutes, tossing often.  The dinner was fabulous!

The Finished Product

The mushrooms would make an excellent topping for chicken or steak and would be great served with rice.  My first pork chop experience was a good one!

Also, I just received in the mail today two new lamps from one of my favorite stores, Ballard Designs.  I'm so excited about these I had to share them:

Ballard Designs had all lighting 15% off, and I think they were a great deal for the quality!  Most things don't stay in the same place for long at my house.  Right now, they're in our living room, but I'm sure they would look great on bedside tables.



Hope you've had a happy Monday!

60th Birthday Surprise

This month, both of David's parents are celebrating their 60th birthdays, so we decided to have a party!  David has two sisters and a brother.  Last night, the siblings and their spouses hosted a surprise birthday party in their honor at Lula's, a new restaurant in downtown Clinton, Mississippi, which is open for lunch 7 days a week:  http://lulascafeclinton.com/

Everyone had a great time surprising them.  David's younger sister, Elizabeth, is moving to Maryland today, so she told her parents she would like to have dinner and take some pictures in downtown Clinton before she left.  We stopped in front of Lula's, took a picture, and then lured them in!  Their closest friends and family were waiting in the dark.  Everyone yelled "Surprise" followed by singing happy birthday.  Here are a few pictures from the special night:
 

The Ellis Family



Mr. Rusty with his daughters and granddaughter on the left and daughter-in-laws on the right!

 

Ms. Mary Frances and David



Jennifer, Mr. Rusty, and Elizabeth

The party was complete with some personal touches.  Elizabeth sneakily collected tons of pictures of the two of them to hang everywhere.  Jennifer, David's older sister, made a peach cake for my mother-in-law and a chocolate cake for my father-in-law.  Lula's did the rest of the food, and everything was delicious.

We enjoyed celebrating parents whose generosity and kindness is such a blessing in our lives.





Pickwick

David and I spent the weekend at Pickwick Lake with my family and friends.  We travelled to Pickwick with our dear friends, Kelly and Kyle McLeod...

There, we met David and Anna (my older brother and his wife)...

My younger brother, Ben...

And my wonderful parents!...

We ditched the pretty dresses and ties shown in some of the pictures above, and spent the majority of our time on the water.  Kelly, Kyle, David Carroll, Anna, David Ellis, Huck, and I all stayed at our cabin:

(This picture was taken in October, one of the most beautiful times of the year in Pickwick.) 

My favorite parts of the weekend were cruising around on the boat for hours, eating delicious food, cheering on the water skiers and those jumping off the Yellow Creek waterfall, and playing cards on the sun porch.   Pickwick is truly a charming place full of charming people.  There is nothing better than a weekend there with cherished family and friends.

The Help

Last night, I went to see The Help with some dear friends in the crowded theater in Madison, MS, where the movie debuted just a few weeks ago.  I'm so thankful my mom recommended the book to me.  It quickly became one of my very favorites.  The author, Kathryn Stockett, is from Jackson, and the book is set in Jackson.  Stockett eloquently portrays a difficult time in Southern history and gives articulate voices to women of that time.  It's pretty amazing that The Help was her first novel.

Stockett came to Oxford when I was in law school for a book signing at Square Books.  My mom drove to Oxford, and we went together.  The crowd was small, and we were able to meet her and Octavia Spencer, the actress who played Minnie.  It's a wonderful memory with my mom that I'll always cherish.

Because I was truly sad when the book ended, I was thrilled when I found out a movie was in the works.  Many times seeing a movie after reading the book is a disappointment.  Not this time.  The movie was fabulous.  I cried out loud, laughed out loud, and once again felt like I had known the characters forever.  The acting was absolutely incredible.  I would highly recommend reading the book and watching the movie to anyone.  It's especially interesting if you're familiar with Jackson, because there are several scenes from the Jackson area.  I hope you'll take the time to see it!

A New Addition

Yesterday a little dream came true for me!  I got a china cabinet!  When David and I were engaged, I discovered I have a passion for china....I know it sounds crazy, but I think my dream job would be owning a store that exclusively sells china.  When I was a little girl, I remember my grandmother taking me in her dining room to show me her table, decorated with beautiful china, gorgeous napkins, and creative centerpieces.  Now my mom does the same thing!  I think I may be following in their footsteps because I have so much fun switching out my china and decorating our table for guests. 

I've always loved china cabinets with a mixture of different types of china, pitchers, glasses, and serving pieces.  I'm thrilled to now have one to display our china and other knick knacks.  I spent a large part of my day yesterday trying out different arrangements for the hutch:

I'm still experimenting, and I'm open to suggestions on how to help this china cabinet reach its full potential!

Girls Can Make Burgers Too

Tonight David and I had a delicious dinner!  I tried two new recipes from http://www.allrecipes.com/ and wanted to share them.  First, I prepared Honey Roasted New Potatoes.

See http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Roasted-Red-Potatoes/Detail.aspx.  The potatoes take a little longer than suggested.  Next time, I plan on leaving them in for about 45-60 minutes.

Then, I made Feta-Stuffed Burgers.  I've always left making burgers up to David, so this was my first time to actually prepare them.  Now I know why boys always make them - they're so easy!  Because of my lack of experience, I made them a little too small, so I decided to call them sliders!  I grilled them on my grill pan, which I absolutely love and have used a thousand times since we got married.

Here's the recipe:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/feta-stuffed-hamburgers/detail.aspx.  They would be great with jalapenos if you like a little spice. 

Bon Appetit!

Two Years of Huck

Yesterday was Huck's 2nd birthday!  I remember the day David and I travelled to Moss Point, Mississippi, to pick him up.  He is a country boy through and through.  When we got there, all of his brothers and sisters had moved to their new homes except two - Tess and Rolo.  Tess was the feisty little runt of the litter with pale yellow hair, and Rolo was a hefty bully with dark brown hair.  Huck was the obvious choice :)  He was so sweet and laid in my lap all the way back to Jackson.  I was smitten from Day One.  Here are a few pictures from that day:

Huck has been a wonderful dog with a kind and gentle personality, and I love coming home after a long day of work to our rambunctious and cheerful lab.  However, I must admit he's had some "Marley moments."  His tail is like a weapon turning things over as he barges through the house like a bull in a china shop.  While we are working, he spends his time in the backyard and the garage.  We've learned to leave nothing of value within his reach.  Here are a few things Huck's destroyed - my law school yearbooks, a shelf, a cooler, golf club head covers, David's hunting boots, a few board games (Scrabble and Cranium), David's sunglasses, lights on a trailer....the list goes on and on.  We're hoping now that he's 2 - that's 14 in dog years, he'll become more mature and respectful of personal property.  In the meantime, we'll love him anyway.

For his birthday, we got Huck one of his favorite things, a big new bone!  Happy birthday, Huck!