Sweet and fresh mangoes and mint are the perfect contrast to the deep richness of cloves in this tasty salad by Bal Arneson.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4
Ingredients
Dressing
1/4 cup mango juice
1/4 cup flaxseed oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
pinch of clove powder
pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
Salad
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup ripe mango chunks
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Directions
Dressing
1.Whisk the ingredients together in the bottom of a salad bowl.
Salad
1.Add ingredients to dressing bowl and toss well. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
This is sooooo good
You have to try this one. The yogurt almost tastes like whipping cream. It's well worth the wait. We made this with the same yogurt that we feed Oakley - it's Astro Original - Balkin Style Yogurt. Yummy.
So simple and yet so good! Yogurt, honey and almonds are all you need to make this delicious treat.
Firm Yogurt with Honey and Almonds
Ingredients
3 cups plain yogurt (2% MF)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Directions
1.Place a strainer over a deep bowl. Line the strainer with 3 layers of cheesecloth (or 1 large coffee filter or 3 layers of extra-strength paper towel). Pour the yogurt into the strainer. Cover, refrigerate and let drain for 5 hours or overnight. Serve drizzled with honey and sprinkled with almonds.
5 Stars
So simple and yet so good! Yogurt, honey and almonds are all you need to make this delicious treat.
Firm Yogurt with Honey and Almonds
Ingredients
3 cups plain yogurt (2% MF)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Directions
1.Place a strainer over a deep bowl. Line the strainer with 3 layers of cheesecloth (or 1 large coffee filter or 3 layers of extra-strength paper towel). Pour the yogurt into the strainer. Cover, refrigerate and let drain for 5 hours or overnight. Serve drizzled with honey and sprinkled with almonds.
5 Stars
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Ricardo's Moussaka
I was a little worried that I wouldn't be posting a recipe this week for the simple reason that I have been sick. I was sick with the flu for almost 5 days - as a matter of fact, I'm still not feeling 100% yet. Thankfully Ralph offered to cook supper tonight and said he would try this recipe for me. I saw Ricardo cook this on tv and it looked simple enough. The key is having everything ready in advance as there is alot of preparation needed. We cooked mashed garlic potatoes as a compliment to this.
This delicious dish layers meat, tomatoes, and eggplant all covered in a creamy white bechamel sauce.
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
Moussaka
1 large eggplant, cut into 1-cm (1/2-inch slices)
2/3 cup olive oil
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground ginger
1/2 cup white wine
1 can diced tomatoes (14oz)
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
Yogurt Béchamel
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup plain yogurt (4% MF or lighter)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 egg yolk
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Directions
Moussaka
1.In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the eggplant, several slices at a time, using 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside on a plate.
2.In the same skillet in the remaining oil, brown the meat and onion with the garlic and spices, breaking the meat up with a fork or wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine. Bring to a boil and reduce until nearly all the wine has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and parsley. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add 60 ml (1/4 cup) of breadcrumbs, stirring well to combine. Adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
Yogurt Béchamel
1.In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Dust with the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the yogurt and bring to a boil while stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, egg and nutmeg. Adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
2.With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Assembly
1.With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
2.Butter a baking dish about 18 x 28-cm (7 x 11-inch) in size or able to hold about 2 litres (8 cups). Sprinkle 30 ml (2 tablespoons) breadcrumbs on the bottom. Lay half of the eggplant slices on the bottom. Top with the meat mixture. Cover with the remaining eggplant slices. Spread the béchamel over the eggplant. Sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake until the béchamel turns gold-coloured, about 30 minutes.
Sunday, 23 January 2011
The Best Egg's ever
I made these for us for Christmas - I have made them twice since that day as they are so good.
Ingredients: (Serves two) - Oven Temperature 350F
4 Eggs (room temperature)
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cup grated cheese (hard cheese - similar to gruyere)
Butter
Cream Fraiche
Separate the egg yolks from the white. Place the egg yolks (whole) in a flat bowl with cold water. In a mixer add egg whites and pinch of salt and whip till stiff peaks form. Fold in 1 cup of grated cheese.
Butter a ramkin or small oven proof dish to hold two egg's per person (two dishes) and add the whipped egg white and cheese mixture. Smooth top and with the back of a tblspn place an indentation where the egg yolk will be. With a tblsp gently pick up 1 yolk and drain the water and add to the egg white mixture. Repeat with all yolks. Add 1/2 tsp Cream Fraiche on top of each egg yolk and sprinkly with remaining grated cheese.
Bake in over for 16 minutes.
4 Stars
Ingredients: (Serves two) - Oven Temperature 350F
4 Eggs (room temperature)
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cup grated cheese (hard cheese - similar to gruyere)
Butter
Cream Fraiche
Separate the egg yolks from the white. Place the egg yolks (whole) in a flat bowl with cold water. In a mixer add egg whites and pinch of salt and whip till stiff peaks form. Fold in 1 cup of grated cheese.
Butter a ramkin or small oven proof dish to hold two egg's per person (two dishes) and add the whipped egg white and cheese mixture. Smooth top and with the back of a tblspn place an indentation where the egg yolk will be. With a tblsp gently pick up 1 yolk and drain the water and add to the egg white mixture. Repeat with all yolks. Add 1/2 tsp Cream Fraiche on top of each egg yolk and sprinkly with remaining grated cheese.
Bake in over for 16 minutes.
4 Stars
Sunday-Best Garlic Roast Beef
Ingredients:
Beef:
8 large garlic cloves unpeeled
1 Top Sirloin roast with some top fat intact (4 lbs)
Garlic-Salt Rub:
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
Garlic Paste:
12 large garlic cloves, peeled, cut in half lengthwise
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
Pepper to taste
Jus:
1 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1. For the beef: Toast the unpeeled garlic cloves in a small skillet over medium high heat tossing frequently, until the cloves are spotty brown, about 8 minutes. Set the garlic aside and when cool enought to handle, peel the cloves and cut them into 1/4 inch slivers.
2. Using a paring knife, make 1 inch deep slits all over the roast and insert the toasted garlic into the slits.
3. For the Galic-Salt rub: Mix the minced garlic, thyme and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the roast. Place the roast on a large plate and refridgerate uncovered for at least 4 hrs or preferably overnight.
4. For the garlic paste: Heat the halved garlic cloves, thyme, bay leaves, salt and oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until the bubbles start to rise to the surface. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the garlic is soft, about 30 minutes. Cool completely and then strain the mixture reserving the oil. Discard the herbs and transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Mash the garlic with 1 tblsp of the garlic oil until a past forms. Cover and refridgerate the paste until ready to use it. Cover and reserve the garlic oil.
5. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, place a nonstick roasting pan or broiler pan bottom on the oven rack and heat the oven to 450 F. Using paper towels, wipe the garlic-salt rub off the beef, then rub the beef with 2 tblsp of the reserved garlic oil and season it with the pepper. Transfer the meat, fat side down the preheated pan and roast turning as needed until the meat is browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 300F. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Turn the roast, fat side up and using a spatula cost the top of the roast with the garlic paste. Return the meat to the oven and roast it until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees (for medium). Transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent it with foil for let rest for 2 minutes.
7. Jus - drain the fat from the roasting pan and place the pan over high heat. Add the broths and bring them to a boil scraping the browned bits from the pan bottom. Simmer, stiring occasionally until the liquid has reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Add any accumulated juice from the roast and cook for 1 minute. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Slice the roast crosswise against the grain into 1/4 inch slices and serve with juice.
Side note: I added potatoes (cut into 1/4's and roasted them in the juice from the roast (plus I added a little olive oil on top of them). They nicely pick up the garlic flavour.
3 stars (out of 4)
Beef:
8 large garlic cloves unpeeled
1 Top Sirloin roast with some top fat intact (4 lbs)
Garlic-Salt Rub:
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
Garlic Paste:
12 large garlic cloves, peeled, cut in half lengthwise
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
Pepper to taste
Jus:
1 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1. For the beef: Toast the unpeeled garlic cloves in a small skillet over medium high heat tossing frequently, until the cloves are spotty brown, about 8 minutes. Set the garlic aside and when cool enought to handle, peel the cloves and cut them into 1/4 inch slivers.
2. Using a paring knife, make 1 inch deep slits all over the roast and insert the toasted garlic into the slits.
3. For the Galic-Salt rub: Mix the minced garlic, thyme and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the roast. Place the roast on a large plate and refridgerate uncovered for at least 4 hrs or preferably overnight.
4. For the garlic paste: Heat the halved garlic cloves, thyme, bay leaves, salt and oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until the bubbles start to rise to the surface. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the garlic is soft, about 30 minutes. Cool completely and then strain the mixture reserving the oil. Discard the herbs and transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Mash the garlic with 1 tblsp of the garlic oil until a past forms. Cover and refridgerate the paste until ready to use it. Cover and reserve the garlic oil.
5. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, place a nonstick roasting pan or broiler pan bottom on the oven rack and heat the oven to 450 F. Using paper towels, wipe the garlic-salt rub off the beef, then rub the beef with 2 tblsp of the reserved garlic oil and season it with the pepper. Transfer the meat, fat side down the preheated pan and roast turning as needed until the meat is browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 300F. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Turn the roast, fat side up and using a spatula cost the top of the roast with the garlic paste. Return the meat to the oven and roast it until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees (for medium). Transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent it with foil for let rest for 2 minutes.
7. Jus - drain the fat from the roasting pan and place the pan over high heat. Add the broths and bring them to a boil scraping the browned bits from the pan bottom. Simmer, stiring occasionally until the liquid has reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Add any accumulated juice from the roast and cook for 1 minute. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Slice the roast crosswise against the grain into 1/4 inch slices and serve with juice.
Side note: I added potatoes (cut into 1/4's and roasted them in the juice from the roast (plus I added a little olive oil on top of them). They nicely pick up the garlic flavour.
3 stars (out of 4)
Buttery Blondies with Chocolate Fudge Cups
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour - all purpose
1 tsp baking powder
1 pkg PC Mini Fudge Melts
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9 inch square metal baking pan with Canola Cooking Oil.
2. Into large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder, measure out 1/2 cup of fudge cups and set aside. Stir remaining baking cups into flour mixture.
3. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until butter is creamy and light in colour. One at a time add eggs beating well and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and press down lightly with floured hands to make a smooth even layer.
4. Bake in center of oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, top with reserved chocolate fudge cups. Return to oven and bake another 15-18 minutes until golden brown and skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for 15-20 minutes in this pan before cutting and serving.
Makes 25 servings.
Per serving - 170 calories
Fat 8 gram
Sodium 70 meg
Carbs - 21 gram
Fibre - 1 gram
Sugar - 1 gram
1 1/2 cup flour - all purpose
1 tsp baking powder
1 pkg PC Mini Fudge Melts
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9 inch square metal baking pan with Canola Cooking Oil.
2. Into large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder, measure out 1/2 cup of fudge cups and set aside. Stir remaining baking cups into flour mixture.
3. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until butter is creamy and light in colour. One at a time add eggs beating well and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and press down lightly with floured hands to make a smooth even layer.
4. Bake in center of oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, top with reserved chocolate fudge cups. Return to oven and bake another 15-18 minutes until golden brown and skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for 15-20 minutes in this pan before cutting and serving.
Makes 25 servings.
Per serving - 170 calories
Fat 8 gram
Sodium 70 meg
Carbs - 21 gram
Fibre - 1 gram
Sugar - 1 gram
Paula Deen - Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
This was a real hit - I modified the recipe slightly by adding cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. If you don't like these ingredients, just skip them.
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 eggs beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
4 tblsp (1/2 stick) butter cut into pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pkg sliced mushroom (brown or white) (optional)
1 pkg cherry tomatoes cut in half (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 13x9 inch baking dish.
2. Boil the macaroni in a 2 qrt saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. While macaroni is cooking - pan fry the mushrooms until juice starts to form in pan. Remove from heat. Drain Macaroni. Return the drained macaroni to the saucepan and add 2 cups of the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese melts, add the eggs, sour cream, cheddar soup, mushrooms, butter, salt, milk, mustard and pepper. Stir well.
3. Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top and add the tomatoes randomly placed and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on top (I added more than 1/2 cup as I thought it would be better with a heavier layer).
Bake for 40 minutes until browned and bubbly.
Serves 12
Note - this dish can be prepared earlier in the day or the day before and refridgerated unbaked, covered, until needed. Allow to come to room temperature before baking.
4 stars
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 eggs beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
4 tblsp (1/2 stick) butter cut into pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pkg sliced mushroom (brown or white) (optional)
1 pkg cherry tomatoes cut in half (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 13x9 inch baking dish.
2. Boil the macaroni in a 2 qrt saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. While macaroni is cooking - pan fry the mushrooms until juice starts to form in pan. Remove from heat. Drain Macaroni. Return the drained macaroni to the saucepan and add 2 cups of the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese melts, add the eggs, sour cream, cheddar soup, mushrooms, butter, salt, milk, mustard and pepper. Stir well.
3. Pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top and add the tomatoes randomly placed and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on top (I added more than 1/2 cup as I thought it would be better with a heavier layer).
Bake for 40 minutes until browned and bubbly.
Serves 12
Note - this dish can be prepared earlier in the day or the day before and refridgerated unbaked, covered, until needed. Allow to come to room temperature before baking.
4 stars
Jamie Oliver - Steak with 2 Sauces
This was so delicious... worth the work to pull this off.
For the steak:
4 x 1/2 lb top sirloin or rib-eye steaks (approx 1 inch thick)
Olive oil
A sprig of Fresh Rosemary
1 clove garlic, halved
For the peanut sauce:
1/4 lb roasted peanuts in the shell (shelled, skils removed)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin seeds
A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaved picked
1 smoked chipotle chile, crumbled (or 1 tsp smoked paprika)
3 cloves garlic - peeled and thinly sliced
Scant 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
A slug of rum
Juice of 1 lime
1-2 fresh green chiles, stalks removed, seeds left in
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Mexican salsa verde:
A small bunch of fresh cilantro
A small bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
1 clove garlic, peeled
1-02 fresh red or green chiles, seeded
4 large scallions, trimmed
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
juice of 1-2 limes
Bring steaks to room temperature.
Peanut sauce:
Put a dry frying pan on medium heat and toast the nuts and sesame seeds for a few minutes, until lightly browned. Add the oregano, cumin, thyme, chipotle and garlic and cook for another minute or so. Tip into a blender and add the extra virgin olive oil, rum, lime juice, fresh chilies, salt and pepper and just over 3/4 cup of water. Blend unti shiny and smooth. Taste and adjust with more sale, chilie or lime juice if needed. Set aside.
Salsa:
Chop Cilantro leaves, mint leaves, garlic, chiles, scallions and tomatoes until very fine. Sprinkle a generous pinch of salt and pepper and then add most of the lime juice and good lug of extra virgin olive oil (do this all on the cutting board). Mix together, taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, lime juice or chile if needed. Scrape it up with knife and put into a bowl and it's ready to go.
Steak:
Get a frying pan or grill pan and heat it till it is screaming hot and season both sides of your steak with salt, pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil. Add the steaks to the pan (do not put oil in the pan - it's on the steak already). Turn every minutes and cook to your liking. A 1/2 lb steak, about 1 inch thick wants about 2 minutes each side for medium rare and 3 minutes each side for medium. As it cooks, hit the meat with a sprig of rosemary and run it with the cut side of the garlic to add extra flavour.
When the steaks are cooked to your liking, move them to a plate to rest for a few minutes. Cut them ito 1/2 in thick slices, spread the peanut sauce all over the serving platter or divide between plates, gently add the steak on top and finish with a few dollops of salsa. You may scatter with a few remaining cilantro leaves.
4 Stars
For the steak:
4 x 1/2 lb top sirloin or rib-eye steaks (approx 1 inch thick)
Olive oil
A sprig of Fresh Rosemary
1 clove garlic, halved
For the peanut sauce:
1/4 lb roasted peanuts in the shell (shelled, skils removed)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin seeds
A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaved picked
1 smoked chipotle chile, crumbled (or 1 tsp smoked paprika)
3 cloves garlic - peeled and thinly sliced
Scant 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
A slug of rum
Juice of 1 lime
1-2 fresh green chiles, stalks removed, seeds left in
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Mexican salsa verde:
A small bunch of fresh cilantro
A small bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
1 clove garlic, peeled
1-02 fresh red or green chiles, seeded
4 large scallions, trimmed
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
juice of 1-2 limes
Bring steaks to room temperature.
Peanut sauce:
Put a dry frying pan on medium heat and toast the nuts and sesame seeds for a few minutes, until lightly browned. Add the oregano, cumin, thyme, chipotle and garlic and cook for another minute or so. Tip into a blender and add the extra virgin olive oil, rum, lime juice, fresh chilies, salt and pepper and just over 3/4 cup of water. Blend unti shiny and smooth. Taste and adjust with more sale, chilie or lime juice if needed. Set aside.
Salsa:
Chop Cilantro leaves, mint leaves, garlic, chiles, scallions and tomatoes until very fine. Sprinkle a generous pinch of salt and pepper and then add most of the lime juice and good lug of extra virgin olive oil (do this all on the cutting board). Mix together, taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, lime juice or chile if needed. Scrape it up with knife and put into a bowl and it's ready to go.
Steak:
Get a frying pan or grill pan and heat it till it is screaming hot and season both sides of your steak with salt, pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil. Add the steaks to the pan (do not put oil in the pan - it's on the steak already). Turn every minutes and cook to your liking. A 1/2 lb steak, about 1 inch thick wants about 2 minutes each side for medium rare and 3 minutes each side for medium. As it cooks, hit the meat with a sprig of rosemary and run it with the cut side of the garlic to add extra flavour.
When the steaks are cooked to your liking, move them to a plate to rest for a few minutes. Cut them ito 1/2 in thick slices, spread the peanut sauce all over the serving platter or divide between plates, gently add the steak on top and finish with a few dollops of salsa. You may scatter with a few remaining cilantro leaves.
4 Stars
My New Year's Resolution
I have decided to expand my culinary skills. This year, I plan to cook a different recipe each week. Lucky Ralph and I'll be experimenting on him.
So far, (not counting the time we were away), I have made Paula Deen's Mac and Cheese - I'll post the recipe and from America's Test Kitchen I made a Sunday Best Garlic Roast Beef. As well, I made some Chocolate Fudge brownies and Steak with 2 Sauces which also tasted delicious. All four recipes will be posted on my blog. Follow along with me this year as I share the fun learning new food tricks.
So far, (not counting the time we were away), I have made Paula Deen's Mac and Cheese - I'll post the recipe and from America's Test Kitchen I made a Sunday Best Garlic Roast Beef. As well, I made some Chocolate Fudge brownies and Steak with 2 Sauces which also tasted delicious. All four recipes will be posted on my blog. Follow along with me this year as I share the fun learning new food tricks.
We're home
Well the vacation is over, but hey, that's ok. We had a fantastic time full of lots of memories. We're counting the day's until our next one. I think it's only about 70 days and the girls are off to Hilton Head for a week with Claudia golfing. It should be fun.
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Homeward bound
We were all up early this morning and enjoyed a breakfast all together. By 7:00 Grace and John headed north to Wainsboro and we headed to Starbucks. Ralph spent about an hour working and I puttered around with my email and blog.
We then drove to Augusta and did a little exploring. An interesting city - lot's of very big homes. We tried to see the golf course, but it was very protected from outside eyes.
Went then headed north with a stop in Charlotte and then drove directly to Morgantown. The weather was pretty good until we hit West Virginia. It rained all the way from there and then got foggy for the last 30 minutes. We tried to find a hotel in Bridgeport but there was no vacancy so we kept driving.
Tomorrow we hope to stop in Grove City and do some exploring/shopping.
Dinner with Liz
We enjoyed a nice relaxing evening with Liz. She has a wonderful home where she lives and has made it nice and comfortable. We're so happy we were able to spend time with her. Milledgeville is nothing like I expected it to be. It's the biggest town/place that we have seen since we left Savannah and looks like it would be a fun area to explore. We saw the University where she works and it is beautiful! We hope to go by and take some pictures today as we leave. We went to a nice Italian restaurant for dinner - Sylvia's and the food was abundant and amazing.
The Boy's morning out
Ralph and John couldn't say enough about their time golfing at Savannah Harbour. They had a blast! The course was very dormant which is because of the weather, but the green's were sprayed green and actually in pretty good shape. The service was excellent. It's a shame that they had some rain, but otherwise it was an amazing time.
As girls we were shopping. You can see how badly they are hit by the economy. There really wasn't too many clothing stores left with suitable clothes for woman our age. It was mostly clothes that young girls would wear, very short tops, tight pants etc. We did get to enjoy some time at Paula Dean's however which was fun!!
Sunday, 16 January 2011
A baby manatee
I know it took me a while but here is a video of the baby manatee that came to the point at our resort. It was so sweat. You really have to see these to appreciate them... We're still talking about our swim with them. I think that this will remain high on our list of things that we enjoyed!!
Savannah
What a beautiful day! It was warm today and we enjoyed a nice walk around Savannah. Ralph and John are golfing tomorrow at Savannah Harbiyr while Grace and I go shopping! It was a nice relaxing day. Tomorrow after shopping/golf we will go to visit Liz for dinner and plan to stay in Milledgeville. From there we will slowly work our way home.
A final look
Yesterday while golfing we discovered an Osprey nest with babies - it was too high in the tree's to get on picture but we were so amazed to see this. We were surprised that we hadn't noticed it when we were golfing the other days.
Sad to leave
Well it's Saturday and we really don't want to leave. The staff has been so nice here. They all know us and treat us with such special care. We usually start by the fire and enjoy a tea/coffee before breakfast. At this time we update our blog and read our email. Then we enjoy a nice breakfast and work our way to the golf course. We know everything about the staff. Their family life, how long they have worked here etc. The resort has just been sold for 4.2 million (approx) which just blow's us away. We met Sean one of the consultants who has been involved with the sale and we share idea's on things to include. We'd certainly come back, but they want to know how to encourage more people to come. We played a nice round of golf and then packed up and headed for Savannah. We arrived here around 7:45 pm. We had a nice dinner at Corleon's which was an Italian restuarant that we could walk to from our hotel. We're in the Historic area which is intersting. We'll see more tomorrow.
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Friday
We woke up to the sun shining. It was going to be a beautiful day. The temperature was 24.7F but we knew it wouldn’t last for long. Our tee time was pushed out because of frost on course, but we were still able to get out around 9:30. It warmed up nicely through the day. Golf was fun! We sure have spent a lot of time laughing. We’re pretty well all by ourselves on the course, so no pressure which is nice. After golf, we walked to the point and were greeted by a baby manatee who would swimming close by. These mammals are so cute!! We could spend hours watching them. They are very curious, but also very “stupid”. They know no fear and sometimes this gets them into trouble. The mother was swimming around as well, but a bit too far to take pictures.
We got dressed and drove to Tampa for dinner at Bern’s steakhouse. How fun to see this restaurant hrough someone else’s eyes. It really is a dining experience. The food was amazing. We started off with Steak Tartar and Oysters Beniet’s followed by French Onion Soup and salad. Dinner was Chateau- Briand which was cooked to perfection. Our meal included a tour of the wine cellars and the kitchen. Afterwards we enjoyed a coffee and desert upstairs. We got back to the Plantation just after midnight. It sure was a full day but we all enjoyed ourselves.
We got dressed and drove to Tampa for dinner at Bern’s steakhouse. How fun to see this restaurant hrough someone else’s eyes. It really is a dining experience. The food was amazing. We started off with Steak Tartar and Oysters Beniet’s followed by French Onion Soup and salad. Dinner was Chateau- Briand which was cooked to perfection. Our meal included a tour of the wine cellars and the kitchen. Afterwards we enjoyed a coffee and desert upstairs. We got back to the Plantation just after midnight. It sure was a full day but we all enjoyed ourselves.
Friday, 14 January 2011
Baby it's cold outside
Wow, the weather has turned cold. We had a late start yesterday due to the frost. We think it will be the same for today. We have to be off the course today by 4:00 at the latest because we're having dinner at Bern's and will need showers and drive the 1.5 hours to get there. Well worth the drive though. We all had a nice game yesterday. It's so funny, we tired when we get inside and it's primarily because of the weather and fresh air. Once dinner is done, we don't usually stay up much later. I guess we're getting older. The food at the resort is very good. Last night was Prime Rib night and it was amazing. 12 oz of the most tender Prime Rib...I hope we don't gain too much weight...
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Another great day
We woke up to frost. Brrrr, it was cold out. Golf was delayed because of this, but we weren't on a time schedule so we didn't mind. The course isn't busy and we can play at our own pace. It wasn't our best day as we couldn't warm up so we took a few extra strokes. Did you know that Florida is the only state without snow right now?? Even Hawaii has snow in the mountains.
In the afternoon we went to Homossas Wildlife park where we took a nice nature walk. It was really interesting.
We enjoyed a fun evening at a very eclectric restaurant called Neon Leon's where they serve Cajun food and have Sydecko Music - Lawrence would really enjoy this place. We at all types of traditional food including Alligator, Hushpuppiers, Jambalaya, Etoufite, Gumbo... Yummy!! It was good.
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