We Let the Good Times Roll!

Started the morning with Beignets. Powdered sugar everywhere!

Jambalaya and corn bread for dinner. Although there isn't a picture, S decorated the chandelier,

 it was dripping with Mardi Gras beads.

Niece J and S waiting for me to take the picture already and get the King Cake cut! 

I bought the cake at Scott's Pastry in Middleton. 

It was totally worth the thirty minute drive to get it. YUM!

J and B. She loved the beads and her uncle.

Christmas Brunch

Dining Room Tree, all decked in German glass ornaments

The party favor, pineapple, with tags from No Fuss Fabulous.

Music Room

Living Room, ready for guests, complete with a roaring fire. One guest said that my house summed me up in a good way. I guess that's better than in a bad way!

Some of the food... twelve ladies came to enjoy the day... all stay at home moms from school. We started at 9 am and the last guest left just before 2. I guess that makes it a success! I think this may become a tradition.

The salad my mom always made.

Cooking Class, part 3

Another student has joined our little class. They were good learners and excited to take home a meal for the evening. Including dessert, caramel apple cupcakes.

The meal was Chicken Dijon Brown Betty, cranberries and salad with poppy seed dressing.

Their families really liked it. Next week will be chicken pot pie.

This Little Preppy went to Market

I road tripped to Baraboo on Tuesday to The Meat Market. It's a meat eaters dream.

Pork, chicken, beef, oh my! I came home with thinly sliced beef for Philly Cheesesteaks. I made breaded steak, a nod to my mom. Bought a beautiful chuck roast for the shredded beef enchiladas for cooking class. A cooler was filled, and the eatings been grand!

Right now the breakfast sausage is in a skillet, and breakfast burritos will be our breakfast.

If you are in the area, check it out http://www.themeatmarket.net/.

Fromagination

Fromagination is the most beautiful store I have ever seen, anywhere.

The merchandise is lovely and the display's amazing. The store is right on the Wisconsin's beautiful Capital Square.

I bought a great wedge of Chalet Baby Swiss, my favorite Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Wisconsin's Upland Cheese Company. S loves triple creme, so a good size wedge of Delice de Bourgogne came home for him. The cheesemonger asked me if I liked blue cheese, which I do, then she gave me a taste of Rogue Creamery's Rogue River Blue. This cheese is wrapped in Cognac soaked grape leaves and is amazing. It is also the most expensive cheese I've ever tasted or bought, at $50 a pound. I bought a very small sliver of it. And I don't plan to share!

Debt - Paid in Full

You know the kind of person you never want to be left alone with at a party?

Well... I left a friend of mine alone with such a person.

She told me I owed her.

Jackie... here is your payment, cheesecake with raspeberry sauce. Enjoy!

For the recipe (and trust me, you want to make it) scope out it here.

Bella Vita is a great blog, and always leaves me inspired.

Door County Weekend

We started our trip with a stop at THE Farm. Kisses to S from the kids.
J feeding the goats.

S loved the cats.

Yummy chocolate shake from the Door Co. Ice Cream Factory.

Movie under the stars. The Zookeeper at The Skyway.

The funniest part of the whole evening was running into a family from school.

It is a small world.

Blankets, Wheat Thins and curd.

The biggest catch so far this year. J was so happy and proud!

The Door County Fair Demolition Derby.

I think the Lilly pants were the right choice, don't you?

All I could think was Marisa Tomei, in My Cousin Vinny, saying "Oh yeah, you blend."

Excitement abounds.
There were even a few women in thie co-ed showdown.

This little guy slept through almost all of it.

The boys really enjoyed it.

Tarpon Springs - OPA!

I had been to Tarpon Springs thirty years ago (that statement makes me feel old!) and I knew I had to take the kids there. First on the agenda -lunch.
and dessert! Oh the problems picking just one.

We picked out sponges and saw the big fish trophies.

And the owner is an adorable man who gave words of advice to my boys, saying "Take care of your mother, because she will take care of you her entire life." His own mother is 93, and he said he always worries that when he calls her, he will get bad news. I told him, given that I recently lost my own mother, I would give anything to be able to call my mom.

The boats filled with sponges.

The town is sort of a tourist trap, but the sponge docks are interesting, given that we don't have anything like it in Wisconsin. And, of course, the baklava makes it all worth while.

Lunch in Atlanta

I planned the trip so we would land in Atlanta at lunch time. I had to eat at Buckhead Diner. We ate here several years ago, and I had the best steak I have ever eaten.
These are to die for- potato chips with bleu cheese. I would have licked the plate, if no one was around.

My lunch, another perfect steak. I didn't have room for the white chocolate banana pudding, but I've had it before, and you should definitely try it.

The lunch was wonderful, and we saw a movie star to boot - from my all time favorite movie, The Godfather. Robert Duvall was sitting in the next booth.

Madison Farmers Market

Tulips in front of Capitol in Madison. The Farmers Market is every Saturday, around the beautiful Capitol, and is something that can't be missed. There is a waiting list to be a seller, and the bounty is endless.
We have done extensive research, and have concluded that Farmer John has the best cheese curds. We proved the point by eating two bags in two days.

J is my market buddy. He is finding the Queen Bee, and then we enjoyed some honey.

This is my favorite flower seller. The roses smell amazing.

We also researched who makes the best beef sticks and jerky. D & G won hands down.

Until next week...

Derby Party 2011

The silver mint julep cups were fabulous! They frosted up perfectly.
Red roses, fried chicken, pimento cheese, ham and biscuits, and Kern's Derby Pie shipped in from Kentucky. Notice the tablecloth from Pomegranate, Inc. Love it!

Roasted fresh asparagus. It looked beautiful on the antique platter.

No one picked the winning horse, so all money was donated to the school.