We love babies and beer

Although we love spending all our time with Addison, it is tough not having many chances for date-nights or the like. Thankfully, we have started to get to know some neighbors and friends who have children who are babysitting age. So thankfully we found a great babysitter for last Saturday and were able to check out the Rocket City Brewfest.

It's pretty amazing how the craft beer scene is exploding around here. Thanks to major changes in the Alabama liquor laws recently, we've benefitted by getting some great new breweries and a really fun culture all about craft beer. The brewfest was no exception.

Perhaps the most well organized brewfest we've ever been to, we were both very impressed at how smoothly the festival ran. There were over 70 different breweries represented, and over 250 beers, lots of food and tons of people, yet the lines weren't too long. And unlike other festivals we've been to, no one ever ran out of beer; in fact, it was mind-boggling how much beer there really was to choose from. Oh, did I mention that they were smart enough to offer free water and encourage people to stay hydrated? Very impressive.

Happy Mother's Day!

And while we were out having adult fun, Addison had a blast with her babysitter. Yay! Of course, she seems to love an audience these days, so I'm not that surprised. Her new favorite game is to turn on the clock radio in our bedroom, and then crank up the volume as loud as possible. When I try to turn it down to a reasonable level, she quickly turns it up again, then resumes dancing. It's pretty adorable - which almost makes up for the assault on my eardrums. And if she's into loud music now, what are we in for when she's a teenager? I'm scared to even contemplate it.

Overall we had a great weekend, not to mention that Mother's Day was great. Derek cooked up some delicious homemade biscuits and gravy for breakfast, and amazing steaks and greens for dinner. Although he works to his own recipe, I will attempt to recreate it below. It's definitely a southern specialty, adjusted slightly for our west coast taste buds.

Note that this recipe uses turnip greens, although you can use any type of greens you prefer. Just be aware that some greens will take longer to become tender. Beet greens and collard greens will take longer, whereas mustard greens may not take quite as long.

Dancing with Daddy

Southern Style Turnip Greens
1 bunch of fresh or 1 package of pre-washed and chopped turnip greens
4 slices of bacon, sliced into 1/2" pieces
1/2 onion, chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic
2 cups chicken broth

1. If using fresh greens, be sure to rinse at least 3 times. If using packaged, rinse once to be sure silt and sand is removed. Then de-stem and chop.

2. Sauté bacon and onion in a Dutch oven until bacon is cooked. Add garlic and stir in for about a minute.

3. Add greens and chicken stock. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer for approximately 45 minutes. Taste test for desired tenderness.

4. To serve, strain greens through slotted spoon and serve in small bowl (so pot-liquor doesn't run all over plate). Enjoy!

Rooting for the Lakers with a friend

April whirlwind

Last night I saw my first firefly of the summer. Yes, it's only the first of May, but with temperatures in the upper 80s it really feels like summer. I guess it's been warmer for months now, so I shouldn't be that surprised.

And with so much going on, the time has been flying by. Let me try to catch up on the last few weeks... Easter was beautiful and great. Addison went to her first Easter egg hunt, and even managed to find one egg before losing interest. Derek was so proud that the egg was yellow and purple (Laker colors). For dinner we had a ham with mashed potatoes and collard greens. Yum!

The rest of April was busy getting things done around the house and working hard on the yard. Slowly the monkey grass is making way for flowers and more attractive plants. Of course, there's no way I can tackle all the monkey grass this year, but at least there's a bit more to look at when we eat out on the patio.

Enjoying some ice cream at Panoply

Easter started the month, and a vacation closed out April for me. It was my first trip away from Addison, and I spent 3 nights in Mexico at a friends' wedding while Derek and Addison stayed home and played together. I had a blast seeing all sorts of friends and spending a great time with my sister, and came home to find that Derek and Addison had fun too! Of course I'm sure it helped that my in-laws came for a visit at the same time. Addison just loves an audience.

Looking forward, the pace stays pretty fierce as we prepare for a whirlwind trip to California for Memorial Day. Hopefully we'll all be able to find moments of peace and rest before then.

Below you can find a recipe for a delicious broccoli beef stir fry we had recently. It's based off a recipe from the Food Network that we tweaked slightly and really loved the results. Enjoy!

Broccoli Beef Stir-fry

Friends!

1 Lb beef chunks
2 cups broccoli, chopped into medium sized pieces
2 Tbsp cornstarch
5 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
5 Tbsp sesame oil
1.25 cups chicken broth (or 1 cube bullion and warm water)
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced carrots (slice in the shape you prefer for stir fry)
1/2 onion sliced

1.  Whisk 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp oil in a large bowl. Toss meat to cover and let sit for at least 20 minutes.

2. Whisk remaining 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and chicken broth in a separate bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Add veggies and cook. Add meat at the end so as not to overcook. 

4. About 1 minute after meat is added, pour in chicken stock mixture. Let cook until meat is done and sauce is thickened.

5. Serve over rice. Enjoy!