Catching Up, Quick Takes Style

Linking up with Jen for another set of Quick Takes, since my scores of adoring fans only two readers (shout out to Jenny and my husband) have been after me to post.  Here are seven snippets of what's been going on around these parts.

1.  We went down to Memphis for P's high school reunion. 

Rita Mae loves a road trip.

The weekend was a ton of fun.  We went to the football game on Friday night, where RM had a great time watching her beloved "Purple Thing" (even though the team lost on a heartbreaking last-second field goal).  On Saturday we watched Paul's youngest brother play soccer and then went down to the Audubon Center in Holly Springs, Mississippi.  We watched them band and release hummingbirds, and Rita Mae got to have one held on her hand.  So neat!

On Saturday night we left the girls with their Grandmother and Granddaddy and went to Beale Street for more the reunion festivities.  It was great to see some old friends, meet some of his classmates I've heard stories about, and have an evening out on the town.

2.  Paul had a birthday.

The cake is a simple white cake topped with homemade applesauce.  There was supposed to be another layer of cake and some frosting, with the applesauce just as a filling, but I ran out of eggs.  Whoops. 

3.  I made bouef en croute for said birthday.

You'll just have to take my word for it.  The pictures of the interior of that golden bundle of deliciousness didn't turn out.

When I asked what he wanted for his birthday dinner, Paul (jokingly, maybe?) said Beef Wellington.  Our larder/grocery budget is light on foie gras, so I didn't fully meet his challenge, but I got pretty darn close.  Seared fillet mignon topped with mushrooms sauteed in sherry and wrapped in puff pastry?  Yes, please.  It was staggeringly easy to make, especially for how impressive the end result was.  I more-or-less followed this recipe.

4.  We went up to Notre Dame for a weekend.  Our first stop when we hit South Bend is always Rocco's for a tomato and basil pizza.

On Saturday morning we hit the Farmers Market before we went over to campus.  On the way, we saw the most amazing rainbow.

 Then we made our way to campus.

MM found her first trip to the Grotto overwhelming.

I think Trumpets in the Dome might have been RM's favorite thing all weekend.

5.  RM went to the game with Daddy while MM and I watched it on television in LaFortune.

"Look!  It's the Football Boys!"

 

On Sunday, we went to Mass in Alumni (where our children were The Worst) and then brunch in South (where our children continued to be The Worst, but at least it wasn't interrupting Mass this time).

Who knows what's going on with the light in this shot.

On our way out, we had to take the obligatory tourists-standing-in-the-street ND Avenue picture.

The girls were pretty much over it by this point.

We also got to spend some time with Uncle Patrick, which was so nice.

It was exhausting, but a good time was had by all. 

6.  Last Sunday was Michaelmas.  I made Archangels on Horseback.

The recipe couldn't be simpler:  wrap bacon around scallops and stick under the broiler for 10 minutes.  Yum.

7.  I have most of a new kitchen sink. 

Baby is an excellent plumber's assistant.

I say "most of," because the nut that holds the under-counter soap dispenser together managed to roll down that pipe you can see above, through the hole in the cabinet, and into the depths behind the dishwasher.  RM couldn't manage to retrieve it (and no one with better reasoning skills had a small enough hand even to try).

She made a valiant effort.

Look for posts on our adventures in baby feeding and kangaroo petting, coming up soon(ish).  For now, everyone is awake again...

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