Memorial Day FOOD!

I was in Augusta for the weekend. I still have not replaced my camera so this is not very interesting!

Brad and I took it easy and went out for Mexican on Friday. I always get in late so nothing big here. : ) Saturday we ran some errands (including looking for a house for him) and then planned a last-minute cookout. It rained but we had a great time with Melanie/Eric, Jay/guest, Trey/Michele, Steve/Michelle, and Dozier/Susanna. Sunday we headed out to Clarks Hill. It was raining (again) but we managed to sneak in a quick boat ride before another barbeque. Trey/Michele couldn't make it but Mike/Blake did!

Here are some recipes for the food we enjoyed!

Beer Dip
16 oz melted cream cheese
4 oz shredded sharp cheddar
1 package of powdered ranch dressing
Chopped green onions/scallions
Beer to taste (this is a great way to alter the flavor!)

Mix the first four ingredients together well. Add beer until fairly soupy for desired taste and texture. Chill thoroughly and serve with Wheat Thins.


Grape Dish
1-2 lbs red seedless grapes
1 pint sour cream (even fat free tastes great here!)
Dark brown sugar

Cut the grapes in half lengthwise and spread in 9x13 pan. (Do not use metal as the acid will ruin your pan.) Spoon the sour cream on top and distribute evenly. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar. Chill until the brown sugar has melted into the sour cream and serve.


Mushroom Rice
1 can beef consomme
1 can water
1 cube beef bouillon
1 cup rice
1 stick margarine
1 can small mushroom pieces, drained
Salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and parsley to taste

Crumble bouillon cube in water to melt. Mix all ingredients together in casserole dish and cook - covered - for about an hour in a 350 degree oven until moist and fluffy.

Sayonara

Well, it is that time of year when we must bid adieu to our nightly entertainment for a few months. For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed my shows and look forward to their return. Here's a three-word review on each finale:



Simpsons: Happy 20th Anniversary!

Desperate Housewives: Susan or Catherine?

Brothers & Sisters: Will Robert stay?

24: Olivia is screwed.

The Hills: Kristen replaces Lauren?!?

American Idol: Long live Adam!

New Adventures of Old Christine: Left at the altar??

LOST: Only one left. : (

CSI: Love Laurence's addition.

Grey's Anatomy: Dead or not??





I am looking foward to So You Think You Can Dance, Big Brother and Braves baseball for the summer months though. Plus, many books!!!

Celebrity sightings!

While in the hotel on Saturday, I saw Iron Chef Mario Batali. Apparently, he is a big golfer. Could you imagine cooking for him? No thanks!

And today, while at lunch at Ladles, we saw Dan Marino! He is out here constantly with his family but this is my first sighting. Pretty cool!

Weekend

Brad was in town this weekend. Yay! We went to Athens for dinner on Friday. What a yummy, casual place close to my house. Nice!

On Saturday, I had to work but it wasn't too bad. I stopped by Rosebank Farms on the way home for dinner ingredients. Crab cakes, shrimp, new potatoes, arugula, cilantro, sugar snap peas, corn, etc. We went to Folly and walked in the surf for a few hours. I didn't want to risk sand in my ear so we got some exercise instead. It was perfect weather! And we wore lots of sunscreen!!!

On the mend

I had my Mohs surgery last Thursday. They got all the cancer in the first pass which was a relief! However, the repair work was rather extensive. If he had just sewn up the hole like he would have if it were on my arm, it would have left a big notch in my ear. So, he extended the hole on each corner and basically made a big H out of it. Then, he sewed two long lines up, following the contour of my ear. It took him almost an hour to complete and around 30 stitches! I tried to find pictures online but they were kinda gross, so you will just have to imagine it. : )

I don't have to tell you how painful that was once the Lidocaine wore off. And, I have to keep a bandage on my entire ear, which is not easy. I get the stitches out Friday and I can not wait. The pain is better but the bandage is very awkward.

Got the Blues?

If you are ever near Thomson, GA for Mother's Day weekend, I highly recommend checking out the Blind Willie Blues Festival! This year was its 16th and it keeps getting better. I was in town to visit the family and went out on Saturday to check out the tunes. It was warm but lots of good food and old friends!

I got sand in my camera while at the beach last weekend so it is not working right now. Not happy! However, I won a $100 gift certificate at our Manager's Outing at Mingo Point on Monday. How appropriate!! The Manager's Outing was nice - BBQ and oysters out by the Kiawah River along with cornhole and ladder golf! Here are some camera phone pictures...

April's getting married!

April's bachelorette party was in town this weekend. It was so much fun to hang out with the girls!! Here we are Coast. Yummy!!!

WEAR SUNSCREEN!!!

And now for your daily PSA: Wear sunscreen at all times!

I have had a scaly place on my ear for about a month now. I finally got it biopsied and, yep, it is squamous cell carcinoma. So, I am going back to my dermatologist next week to get Mohs Surgery done. This procedure is extremely efficient because they study each layer of skin they take off immediately. That way, by the time you are done, you are cancer-free and do not have to return for further tests/procedures. So, I am hoping that he will only have to take a few shavings before he sees no abnormalalities. Cross your fingers!

Ok, now I am off my soapbox!!