No Clean-Up Required

Price and I rarely eat out. Our monthly restaurant budget is slim, which has really made me appreciate the dining-out experience. Well, sorry mint.com, The Edwards have blown it this month. In the past four days we have eaten out four times at four fabulous Memphis restaurants which I would like to take a moment to feature.

(1) The Beauty Shop

This restaurant is one of the most unique in Memphis. Housed in an old 1960s style beauty shop, diners have the option of being seated in refurbished hair-drying chairs. The restaurant's decor is "retro-chic", with beauty shop memorabilia sprinkled throughout. My parents took us to brunch at the Beauty Shop for our anniversary. It was fantastic. The cuisine is a mixture of down-home cookin' with global elements. On our past visit, Price ordered the fried chicken and waffles and I chose the fish tacos. Both dishes were fantastic. It was hard to decide with so many great things on the menu. I guess we will just have to go back :)

(2) Cafe 1912

For our anniversary dinner, Price treated me to Cafe 1912. This cute little French restaurant is right down the street from us, and I have been wanting to try it out for awhile. It was fantastic. I loved the casual atmosphere and the upscale, but not too fussy, food. The bread gets an A+ (a big criteria to consider, in my book). Another highlight, they serve chicken wine (properly referred to as La Vieille Ferme, but who can pronounce that?) Note-to-self, do not call chicken wine by it's nickname at a nice restaurant... you will get a confused look from the slightly snooty waiter. I ordered a salad of tomatoes, arugula, and mozzarella which was served with a basil pesto dressing and the goat cheese ravioli. The ravioli was tasty, but the salad was the deal breaker. Price chose the burger with Maytag blue cheese, bacon, and roasted garlic aïoli, served with pommes frites. The pommes frites (I ate HALF... hey... anniversary only comes once a year) were thin, crispy, and delicious. We loved the fact that we left full and happy for under $40.

(3) The Trolley Stop Market

This restaurant probably should get a post of its own. The Trolley Stop Market on Madison is a new addition to the city, specifically to the growing local food scene. The market is owned by Keith and Jill Forrester, local farmers and owners of Whitton Farms (my favorite booth at the Memphis Farmer's Market). The Trolley Stop is a huge space which houses a food counter, plentiful seating, and room for a variety of farmers and local artisans to sell their products. We ate here with some friends on Tuesday (taco night) and had a blast. The space is extremely accomodating to large groups, always a plus! The food is made with primarily local ingredients. The restaurant posts their lunch specials on their Facebook page each day. The dinner specials are as follows:
Monday- Vegan night
Tuesday- Taco night
Wednesday- burgers and wings
Thursday- (not sure)
Friday- (not sure)
Saturday- Italian night
In addition to the nightly specials, there is always pizza. And it is good pizza. You can build your own with a number of fresh ingredients, or buy a slice from the case. I chose the Margherita Pizza (pictured below).
The crust was perfect. Thin and crunchy, but not too crunchy. The tomatoes and basil tasted as if they came straight from the garden (they probably did), and the huge chunks of mozzarella were divine. The slice was HUGE and only cost $3.50. We have declared Trolley Stop "our new place." We will be returning soon... very soon.

(4) Central BBQ

If you are from Memphis, you know about Central. I will keep this one short. I don't love BBQ, but this is my pick in Memphis. We went last night with a group of friends, and in an effort to be healthy, I ordered the portabello mushroom BBQ sandwich. Wow. So good. If you want a break from eating pig, I suggest you try this.

We will be eating at home tonight, and probably every night until August. It was fun while it lasted.

The Day-ul-tuh

I don't know how he feels about this, but after an incredibly thoughtful 24 hour anniversary adventure my sweet hubby has forever established himself as the trip planner of our family. I am a hard one to surprise because I am extremely nosy, but he managed to really stump me on this one. I knew we were going somewhere that only required a few hours in the car, but other than that it was all a mystery. As we left Memphis, Price finally told me that we would be spending our weekend exploring the heart of Mississippi.

We began our adventure in Clarksdale. I have been wanting to dine at Morgan Freeman's restaurant Madidi for years now, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I had Australian Seabass with a black bean salsa, and Price had good ole fried quail with collards and sweet potatoes. Madidi sure knows how to dress up good Southern food. If only Mr. Freeman had been dining with us...

After Madidi, we walked down the street to the Ground Zero blues club, also owned by Mr. Freeman. The club was hosting Clarksdale's first annual "The Most Southern Weekend on Earth" which featured a number of different blues artists. It was a really cool venue. Wish we could have seen the band. I think all of Clarksdale must have made it out for this one. Sadly, the Shack Up Inn (an old farm turned hotel pictured below) was booked for the weekend, but we are totally going to stay there next time.

The next morning we explored a sleepy Cleveland, Mississippi. We were asked in the local Hallmark (the only store opened at 10) if we were with the Teach for America group. Yes, but no. Apparently, the Mississippi Delta corps is attending their institute in Cleveland. The locals seem to really be enjoying the influx of young
folk.

The highlight of the trip, for me, was our visit to the McCarty studio in Marigold. As a lover of art and a lover of the South, I have a huge appreciation for these beautiful pottery pieces. I have been wanting to make the trip for a while now to see the studio, but wasn't really counting on Price being the one to initiate this! He is just full of surprises. He even acted interested when I was contemplating which of two nearly identical flower vases had the prettiest glaze. As much as I enjoyed looking at the pottery, I think we both loved the tour through Lee and Pup McCarty's gardens the most.


We were fortunate enough to be shown the gardens (which are soon to be featured in the Smithsonian magazine) by Lee McCarty himself. He was a precious little man, who clearly has a passion for art and quite a green thumb. Price and I picked out a beautiful pitcher and a vase, both of which I will always cherish with fond memories of the trip.

We had a fantastic lunch at The Gallery in Marigold, also owned by the McCarty's. Not only did I love how every plate, cup, salt and pepper shaker, was McCarty, but the food was delicious. You have two choices, the cold plate or the hot plate. I got cold, Price got hot. Mine consisted of vegetable soup, chicken salad, a tomato casserole, green beans, and cornbread. Yum.

After our fun in Marigold we messed around in Clarksdale a little longer, picked up some tamales on the tamale trail, and headed back home.

(Price and his tamales)
To make the trip even more perfect than it already was, Price kindly pulled over in Nesbitt and picked some blueberries with me at my favorite blueberry farm. I think I might turn into a blueberry if I don't stop.

I feel so lucky to have married this precious boy a year ago, and can't wait for many more fun adventures together.

Cal-i-forn-ia Girls...

I had some post ideas in mind; however, Hank has limited my ability to blog because he destroyed the cord that I use to upload pictures to my computer. This is only one of his many chewing mishaps this week... my Rainbow sandals, our blinds in the kitchen, 2 wine corks, a pen... etc. Alas, I'm going to try to rise above it and pull from some pictures I already have on my computer.

Last month, my mom and I hopped off the plane at LAX to visit my sweet sister who is working in the city for the summer. It was so much fun to get away for a long weekend and spend time with two of my very favorite people. Here are photos of some of my favorite things we did while in LA.

Sightseeing tour. This was outside of Michael Jackson's house on the one year anniversary of his death. The white medical glove in the tree was a nice touch.
George Clooney's house.
Mourners at Michael Jackson's star outside of the Kodak Theater.
Santa Monica Farmer's Market. I love MFM, but this one is like no other farmer's market. The produce in California is UNBELIEVABLE. We bought some delicious dates, berries, and orange flavored almonds. Yum.
The original Farmer's Market of LA. No longer is a farmer's market, but a shopping area with lots of food stands. We loved the Anthropologie at this location (we visited three in the city :) )
Our hotel (the Beverly Hilton), and the gorgeous flowers in the lobby. The fresh flowers and cooler temps are enough to make me want to move to CA.
My favorite view on Rodeo Drive.

I need a picture for Yogurtland (we ate there two out of the four nights in the city). I am obsessed with the concept of a build-your-own-yogurt place. I try to do this at TCBY by asking for multiple flavors and a variety of toppings in one cup... but I am pretty sure they hate me. We need a Yogurtland. If you are in a city with one of these trendy yogurt joints, take advantage.

This was such a fun girls trip. I'm so thankful I spent this precious time with my mom and sister.

Red White and Buckets of Blueberries

You might find this surprising, but one of my favorite activities is picking things... not my cuticles or scabs... but fruit and flowers etc. At Furman, Price and I made a point to pick apples at Sky Top Orchard near Ashville every fall. For the past three or four summers, I have taken great delight in picking blueberries at a farm in nearby Nesbit, Mississippi.

Nesbit Blueberry Plantation is about a twenty minute drive from Memphis. It is just as it should be, a small farm house and a pond with acres of blueberry bushes. You arrive, grab your bucket, tie it around your waist for easy pickin' if you are so inclined, and hit the fields. You have two options, pick your own gallon for $11 (a STEAL considering you pay around $3 for a tiny half cup in the store) or you can purchase pre-picked berries for $16. I enjoy the process of picking my own and tasting them as I go. It is definitely best to go in the morning before it gets too hot. I always bring a friend along and it always ends up being a sweet time of conversation and catching-up. Thanks, K Ray, for coming along this year! Of course, with a gallon of blueberries at home you gotta get your recipes out and start cooking before they go bad. I froze half of mine this year, but still was able to make blueberry muffins, 2 cobblers, and eat blueberries on my cereal every day for a week. The season for blueberries is short. I think we have about a week left, so head out to the field if you get a chance and call me if you want a buddy!


If you are looking for a FAB blueberry muffin recipe, try this one. A little time-consuming but SO worth it. I packaged them up and gave them as 4th of July treats to friends and family.

America's Test Kitchen Best Blueberry Muffins

Lemon Sugar Topping

* 1/3 cup sugar
* Zest from one lemon (about 1 ½ teaspoons)

Muffins

* 2 cups fresh blueberries
* 1 1/8 cups sugar, plus one teaspoon
* 2 ½ cups AP flour
* 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon table salt
* 2 large eggs
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
* ¼ cup vegetable oil
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Stir the sugar and zest together until combined; set aside.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick spray. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with a spoon several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool to room temperature, 10-15 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds (remember, 80 strokes). Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. The batter will be very lumpy with spots of dry flour; do not overmix!

Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound, pushing it below the surface. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.

Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, about 17-19 minutes, rotating muffin tin (front to back) halfway through cooking time. Cool muffins in tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 more minutes before serving.

Our New Addition

Meet Hank Edwards.


This sweet little fellow came into our lives on Saturday. Price and I had been talking about getting a dog. Ok... I had been begging for him to get me a dog. We even went and looked at a few puppies for adoption at the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning. Price said no, and I pouted all the way home. He went to "play basketball with his brother" later that morning and came home with my new best friend, Hank. I was so surprised by this precious early anniversary present. We have had so much fun with Hank over the past 48 hours.

About Hank:

breed: As Price's dad said, he's a Heinz 57... a little bit of everything... but we are thinking mostly Fox Terrier / Jack Russell

age: About one year old. We are declaring July 11th (our anniversary) his birthday

Likes: Chasing squirrels, cuddling, monkey grass, his perch on top of the couch

Dislikes: Water, being photographed, watermelons (he kept barking at the one we had sitting on the table)

(He is a little camera shy)

(Hank's perch)


We absolutely love this little guy. He is perfect. Rarely barks and housetrained (we think) which is a BIG plus. Come and meet him!

My Sixth Sense

I saw one of my kids at church on Easter Sunday. Ok, I saw half of my school at church on Easter Sunday, but this particular kid was sitting about three rows behind me. I don't think he saw me, but I spotted him the minute I walked in. It's like I have a radar for 4-6 year olds now. On Monday, I casually mentioned I saw him in church. The conversation was as follows:

Mrs. E: "Saw you in church this Sunday."

Kid: "Nuh Uh, I didn't see you."

Mrs. E: "Well, I was sitting three rows in front of you and I have eyes in the back of my head."

Kid: "Oh my gosh!!!! I SAW THEM!!!!"

SERIOUSLY.

THEY. ARE. SO. GULLIBLE.

Dessert Series Part I- Cake Mix Cookies

I haven't been cooking much lately. But don't worry, I have resolved to nip this lazy streak in the bud and make my husband some good food once I finish this massive midterm paper that is due in 36 hours. I have, however, discovered quite a few cheap and easy dessert recipes that I would like to share. In the manner of the Pioneer Woman, I am heretofore beginning a dessert series on my blog. Who doesn't love a good dessert?

Cake Mix Cookies

(I was unable to take a picture of the cookies I made because they were consumed too quickly, this picture belongs to Annie's Eats)

For the cookies:
- 1 box of cake mix (whatever flavor your heart desires)
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup oil

Combine ingredients. Shape dough into uniform 1 in. balls (you can give or take a little depending on what size you want your cookies.) Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees about 15 minutes.

For the icing:
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature (1/2 stick)
- 1/2 block of cream cheese
- 1/2 box powdered sugar (about 2-3 cups... I guestimated here)
- 2 big globs of marshmallow whip, if desired (probably about 4 Tbsp. total)

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar until icing reaches desired consistency. You will want this icing to be pretty thick and fluffy. Add marshmallow whip at the end, if desired.

To assemble:
Wait until cookies have completely cooled. Ice 1/2 of the cookies with desired amount of icing. Place an un-iced cookie on the top to make your cookie sandwiches.

These are great little treats that come together super quickly. I threw together a batch of lemon and a batch of chocolate (using 2 boxes of cake mix but only one batch of icing) and they were gobbled up. You can keep them simple or get fancy with them...

Let's play dress-up:
- Strawberry cake mix with pastel colored sprinkles rolled around the edges of sandwich (like picture) for Easter
- Lemon cake mix with lemon zest added to the dough and the icing
- Chocolate cake mix with a dot of peppermint extract or peppermint liquor + green food coloring in the icing
- Carrot cake mix with orange zest added to icing and crushed pecans rolled around sides
- German chocolate cake mix with coconut added to frosting
- Red velvet cake mix, cut into hearts after assembly (thank you, Bakerella)