Creeping Phlox

There is a semi-annual tradition of the Smith cousins having their photo taken in front of Maw-maw's creeping phlox. These are the copies I had available to share. Once upon a time I was the tall one! 

1997 | 2001

  

2004 | 2011

2012 | 2014 

(both are photo shopped! 2012 = Bryan was the only one there so Lesley & I are chopped in. 2014 = Bryan & I were there, Andrew & Lesley were added)

Easter

Another Easter spent at home (thankfully) with lovely weather, lots of family, and loads of home-cooking! 

The Ukrainian Eggs I made in high school. I gave one to Grandmaw and one to Maw-maw. I love all of the bright colors!

Judy, Grandmaw, Mike, and Mom

 Bryan and I were at Maw-maw's for lunch but unfortunately Lesley and Andrew both had to work. Luckily Aunt Jo's photo shopping skills are advanced! She took a picture of the Maggards from winter (that is snow falling in front of them) and lined them up with us for our annual "in front of the creeping phlox" picture!

Cheesesteaks & Cocktails

A few weeks back Sara, Zack, and I dined at Liberty Cheesesteaks on Freret Street. The super tiny shop does not have much seating available, but lucky for us it was a nice evening and we were able to dine outside. This was my first time having a "true" cheesesteak... no slight to Liberty, but maybe they're just not my thing. It was fine; nothing I need to eat again in my life. If I were to go back I would probably try their "Chick Steak" (chicken instead of beef). 

After stuffing ourselves with Philadelphia's most famous sandwich we strolled down Freret to Cure for some fancy cocktails. We continued to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and sat on their back patio. There is only a small window of time in the Big Easy where the weather is perfect for outdoor living before the humidity and heat become unbearable and conditioned air is the only way to go! No amount of whiskey on the rocks can stifle the heat come May - October!

Urban Lumberjack

Zack's birthday was a few weeks back and to celebrate, a bunch of folks at work decided to pay homage by wearing plaid/flannel. Our "urban lumberjack" seemed very pleased and amused when he saw us all donning his favorite style of shirt. 

One of the ladies in the kitchen made these cute flannel shirt cookies for him as well. 

Though the picture does not do a good job of showing everyone's shirts, there was quite the colorful collection of patterns! 

Of course Zack made the ironic decision to NOT wear flannel/plaid that day! (This was a surprise we had been discussing for weeks!) I believe his comment was "Is this what I look like? Y'all look like a bunch of rednecks!" Hahaha!!

Lemons

I've been doing a lot of work with lemons recently in my culinary adventures. The roommates did a big kitchen clean the other week and since then I have felt inspired to do a little cooking/baking in the afternoons.

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies | Lemon Pudding Fruit Tarts

The cookies were a pinterest find and turned out to be really easy to make, despite my not having the proper equipment (as it turns out a floured bottle of wine can double as a rolling pin and a jigger can serve as a cookie cutter). If I were to make these again I would punch up the lemon flavor a bit and add a tiny bit more salt. Find the recipe here. 

The fruit tarts were a "necessity is the mother of invention" sort of scenario. I made my maiden trip to Costco the other day and got a little happy in the produce section. (I am not sure what I thought I was going to do with a dozen kiwis, a quart of blackberries, and a couple pounds of mango?) So I made a little graham cracker crust, covered that with some lemon pudding (the "cook and serve" kind: fancy!) then went to town slicing fruit for a decorative topping! 

Coworker pals have been getting lots of treats recently!

Saturday Adventure

Steps to a successful Saturday Funday:

1) Take care of chores first: Got oil changed in car. Check

2) Make yourself look nice: Fresh manicure and pedicure. Check

3) Gather friends: Scooped up Sara and Zack. Check

4) Eat good food: Made the drive north to Manchac for fried catfish at Middendorf's. Check

5) Enjoy the sights: Witnessed a gorgeous sunset on the drive back to New Orleans. Check

6) Make memories: We sang out hearts out to All-4-One, Amy Winehouse, and R. Kelly in the car. Check

7) Play: Putt-putt masters we are not (though Sara was damn close!) but we had fun making our way through the 18-hole course. Check

  7) Document friendship: The three best friends. Check

8) Enjoy a night cap: We finished up our Saturday Funday with a beverage at Twelve Mile Limit in Midcity. I tried to play it risky and ordered a whiskey drink that had hot sauce in it. Luckily for me Sara was willing to switch me after I realized that the hot sauce was going to cause my mouth and throat to feel like it was on fire. Check