Our Herb Garden

Spring has Sprung!  In addition to our garden (coming soon!), we decided to take on a much expanded herb garden this year.  Of course a herb garden can't just be a simple as planting a few herbs in pots, we had to make it a bit more fun and decorative!  We picked five herbs that we will make the most use of - Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Mint, and Parsley.  Some cheap terra cotta pots were turned into decorative pieces for our sun room with a little paint (and wine!).  It isn't too often that we tackle such crafty projects, but we are quite pleased with how they turned out -- the perfect addition to our already colorful sunroom.  

By the way, we LOVE the chalkboard craft paint we used for a small patch for labeling each pot - a perfect final touch!

Chicken Fajita Night

#FNMag @FoodNetwork It's Mexican dinner night with Chicken Fajitas on the menu.  While we have made these before using easy seasoning packs, this recipe comes from the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine and was just as easy, but tastier and quite a bit healthier.  A simple mix of red onion, green peppers, garlic, lime, and chicken -- along with the staple spices of this dish -- come together in less than 30 minutes.  We topped ours with some sour cream and prepared a quick side of rice and beans.  This will be our new go-to recipe when looking for fajitas.  It beats the seasoning pack any day! 

Savannah-Day 3

@VisitSavannah  It's our final day in Savannah for our mini-vacation.  While the weather was less than cooperative up until early afternoon, we made the best of it!  Between the persistent rain showers, we ducked in and out of the squares and took a tour of First African Baptist Church.  Truly an amazing experience! 

Perfectly prepared scones at the Tea Room

We had reservations at The Savannah Tea Room for high afternoon tea -- a first time experience for Bill and our first trip to this spot in Savannah.  Our multi course meal included pastries, finger sandwiches, quiche, and desserts.  We were not disappointed at any stage of the culinary journey.  The tea was spectacular and quite satisfying on a cool rainy day. 

We rounded out our trip with some more sightseeing (the rain had finally ended!) and a quick re-visit to Papillote for another round of macarons.  With a long journey ahead of us, we departed Savannah and headed home.  What a great trip and 30th birthday celebration.  We now need to find our next excuse to get back to the city :=)

Savannah-Day 2

Middle Eastern Pressed Sandwich

@VisitSavannah @Leopolds_IC @SavannahBeeCo  It's Mark's big day and day 2 in Savannah!  While the weather was a little less than cooperative, we weren't going to let a little rain (OK, quite a bit of rain, actually) stop us from some great eats and visiting the sights of Savannah!  After a brief trolley tour to orient ourselves to the city, we decided to take refuge from the rain at Soho Southern Cafe.  What an incredibly unique spot!  It's art gallery meets restaurant and the food is every bit as delightful and unique as the spot itself.  Mark's Modern Grilled Cheese and Bill's Middle Eastern Pressed Sandwich, both paired with tomato basil bisque were the perfect way to escape the elements and recharge.  This place was truly a unique dining spot -- from the mismatched chairs and tables to the art lining the walls.  We will certainly be back!

As the weather cleared, we headed back out to explore the city.  Some shopping along River Street led us to the Savannah Bee Company.  While we have shared more than our fair share of wine tastings, a honey tasting was a new experience.  From tupelo honey to orange blossom honey, who knew there was so much diversity in honey!  A sampler of a few of our favorites is following us home.

Modern Grilled Cheese 

As the rain decided to return (and happy hour approached) , we sought refuge at Jen's and Friends.  Who could resist a spot that boasts 300 martinis and 200 beers, along with happy hour specials.  Pictured below is one of Mark's adventurous and unique martinis -- a Rice Krispie martini that tasted just how it sounded.  With a few drinks in hand to go, which by the way is one of the coolest things about Savannah, we headed to Broughton Street for a bit of shopping.

Before heading back to our B&B, we made a quick detour to Leopold's Ice Cream, a Savannah institution for a couple of late afternoon treats.  All made on site ice cream in small batches, this was the perfect way to round out the afternoon.

Honey tasting at Savannah Bee Co

While, we didn't capture any photos of dinner at The Olde Pink House, we had an absolutely exquisite dinner there to celebrate Mark's 30th birthday.  A true fine dining experience with outstanding service, great wine, and a perfectly prepared multi-course meal, we could not have picked a better place to celebrate.  Dining by candlelight in this 18th century mansion was a surreal experience for two history nerds!  From Bill's filet mignon and Mark's vidalia onion and sweet potato ravioli, to our desert drink course, everything was perfect! 

That's right - a Rice Krispie martini!!

Savannah-Day 1

@VisitSavannah @PapilloteSAV @Lady_and_Sons  It's Day 1 of our mini-vacation and Mark's 30th birthday celebration in Savannah, GA!   We left Winston early this morning and arrived in time for a late afternoon lunch. 

We researched and found this highly recommended French 'take out' spot in the historic district - Papillote.  The restaurant lived up to the hype!  Our lunch started with 3 amazing macarons!  Perfectly prepared and airy, we had a hard time not going back for a second round!  For lunch, Bill had the Catalan Pizzette and Mark selected The Happy Pig (both pictured below).  The dishes were prepared perfectly and simply yummy!  The staff was also incredibly friendly -- a great find and a great start to our trip.

After checking into our B&B, we headed out to Tybee Island to try and soak up some sun.  Unfortunately, the temps dropped and the winds picked up, but we still relished in a quick return to the ocean and beach.  What trip to Tybee would be complete without a quick stop at well-known Crab Shack.  While we passed on food and decided only to take in the sights and a quick drink, it was a first for Mark and a 'must do' experience. 

For Mark's pre-birthday meal, we couldn't pass up one of our favorite cook's spot -- yes, Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons.  While we know this is the must-go -to touristy place in Savannah, neither of us had been in the past.  We both elected for the buffet of southern favorites.  Mark, a GA native, commented that they were every bit as good as his Nannie's.  (That is high praise by the way!) While we both ate far more than we needed to and I am sure both ingested at least a stick of butter each, we truly enjoyed our meal.  The service was also very attentive.

A great start to our trip -- tomorrow is Mark's birthday so sure to be many more adventures in store!

Our perfectly prepared dishes from Papillote

Mark at the entrance to The Crab Shack "Where the elite eat in their bare feet"

A mix of the quintessential Southern tastes from The Lady and Sons

St Patty's Dinner

@FoodNetwork #FNMag #StPatricksDay  We almost forgot to add our St Patty's Day dinner to our blog!  After a week long trip to Georgia for Mark, Bill decided to prepare to this as a surprise for him after his long drive back home.  The menu comes from a feature menu in the March 2013 issue of Food Network Magazine.

To start (and to add that green spirit) there was Watercress Soup with Whiskey Cream.  While this was a great, light, and flavorful soup, the watercress was not easy to come by in Winston.  Lowes - no; HT - no; Whole Foods - no; Trader Joe's - no; Fresh Market - yes, at long last!  (And, yes, I did go to all of those stores in that order before almost giving up.)  Watercress was a new ingredient for us -- a very peppery green that actually cooks nicely into this soup.  The topping, however, was the real treat.  Basically Jameson Irish whiskey and heavy whipping cream.  And, yes, you can taste the booze.

For the main course, it was Beef Potpies with Cheddar-Stout Crust.  While we have never heard of this as an Irish staple, it was a nice departure from the traditional Irish pub favs.  The filling is basically a braised beef stew.  The homemade crust makes the dish -- a combination of Irish cheddar (which was far easier to find than watercress, might I add) and stout beer.  The flavor of the cheddar really comes through nicely.

And, what Irish meal would be complete without a nice tall frosted glass of Guinness Stout.