We Won!

Thanks to Beau, all three of us leave the College of Charleston basketball game with t-shirts tonight! Might I mention that no one in our section EVER catches anything and then tonight... We're happy as you can tell!

My Meme's obituary.

Eloise Earl

Obituary Eloise Earl MT. PLEASANT - Eloise Kirven Bryant Earl age 89, of Mt. Pleasant, SC, met her Savior after a brief illness on February 26, 2013. Mrs. Earl was a woman of delicate beauty and essential goodness. She was grateful for the life God had given her, despite its hardships and imperfections. Though preceded in death by two husbands, James Arthur Bryant, Jr., to whom she was married for forty-five years, and James C. Earl, to whom she was married for eighteen years, Mrs. Earl anticipated each new phase of her life with courage and energy. She was a true Southern lady: reserved without being cold, opinionated but not intolerant, and humorous without resorting to indecency. Her life began in Dovesville, SC on May 31, 1923, the daughter of Emmie and Joshua Pollard Kirven. Mrs. Earl was a faithful member of East Cooper Baptist Church, having served there for 29 years. She avidly attended social events and engaged with people both at home and abroad during her travels. She and James Earl enjoyed going to gem and mineral shows around the country. She was an enthusiastic gardener and bragged on the size and color of her tomatoes. Her cooking skills could rival that of any Southern chef. The kitchen was her domain and her passion was to provide food for family, friends and neighbors. Mrs. Earl lived a full life, leaving her love and legacy through her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is survived by James "Pee Wee" L. Bryant (Pat) of McClellanville, SC, Carolyn B. Thomas of Mount Pleasant, SC, Hal "Kenny" K. Bryant (Beth) of Marion, SC, Lynda B. Crozier of Awendaw, SC, and Donna Bryant Evans of Mt. Pleasant, SC. Stepchildren include Ronnie Earl, Jimmy Earl, Hope Cattles, Shawn Earl, Joyce Whalen, and David Earl. Mrs. Earl cherished her eleven grandchildren and several great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Her remaining years were blessed by the presence of her friend and companion Mr. Dick Smith. She loved her dog "Sambo" and will be laid to rest with his remains. Services will be held March 1, 2013 at J. HENRY STUHR, INC., MOUNT PLEASANT CHAPEL, 1494 Mathis Ferry Road in Mount Pleasant at 3:00 p.m. Internment will be next to her husband, James A. Bryant, Jr. at Mt. Pleasant Memorial Gardens following the service. Memorials may be sent to East Cooper Baptist Church, 316 Egypt Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464, toward the Kingdom Impact Program.

Posts without Words

I posted yesterday without saying ANYTHING. Sorry about that.

 

The picture with the little dog is Roz, Donna’s new friend. We’re watching Roz while Donna is taking care of Meme. And as you can see, Roz has taken a liking to Beau in a bad way. She follows him around like he’s the one who rescued her (although Donna did).

 

The other picture is of our dinner last night. Please bare with the food pics. I am not a professional photographer, nor do I have a good camera (using the old phone) and I don’t know how to arrange food on a plate so that it photographs well. I just put it on there so it’s accessible with a fork. J

 

Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Cipollini Onions served over rice with roasted cauliflower and asparagus. It was really flavorful and hearty. Very good.

 

“I like simple food, made with the best ingredients available, cooked with care and as quickly as possible to taste as fresh as possible.”

~ Nika Hazelton

 

Basil

We're at Basil enjoying each other!

Thankful Thursday - Take 62

1218. Co-workers bringing in food to share.

1219. Beau and I hanging out with his mom and my dad this weekend.

1220. Seeing Dave and Robyn. Always great to see them!

 

1221. No longer being sick

1222. Mercy

1223. Laying on the couch with Argie

1224. Rest

1225. Spending so much time with Beau over the weekend

 

1226. Both of us received an A on our mid-term!

1227. Good health

1228. Education

1229. Opportunity

1230. Clean water

 

1231. Very fun Valentine’s gift from Beau!

 

Mercy

This morning on the way to work I was listening to a song that was talking about God’s mercies and how they’re sometimes hidden. Or rather we sometimes fail to see them.

 

How many times have I been so angry and frustrated at traffic on the highway only to realize that had I been a few minutes sooner on the road I could have been hit by that truck. God’s mercy.

 

Grace is a big word. One I don’t claim to understand fully. But mercy is a new word to me. Obviously, I’ve heard it before. I’ve heard it many times, but what’s new to me is the depth it’s reaching. Mercy. What does it mean?

 

Mercy:

1. compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power

2. a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion

3. compassionate treatment of those in distress

 

Compassion. Blessing.

 

Sometimes it feels so undeserved.

 

Back to Work

I’m back to work today. Bittersweet. Happy to not be sick of course, but never thrilled to be sitting here rather than at home with those I love.

 

Work and responsibilities really do get in the way of doing the things we love the most. Although, I guess we probably wouldn’t cherish those times of being with friends and family quite as much if we weren’t away from them as well.

 

“The most depressing thing ever said about vegetables is that they are good for one.”  ~ Nika Hazelton

 

Beau and I had the pleasure of having dinner with Robyn and Dave Fallaw on Friday night at a new restaurant downtown called Stars. Kind of a corny name I know, but the food is really good.

 

Beau and I arrived early for drinks. Not much there regarding that. I mean, it’s physically there, plenty of it, don’t get me wrong. But the flavors didn’t meld well together and they were just blah. But the food, yes please.

 

Appetizers: Oysters Rockefeller & Wild Mushroom Crostini

 

Entrée:

Robyn and Beau: Lobster and grits with bacon and broccoli. I wish we had taken a picture of that dish. It was something to gawk at for sure. A whole lobster sitting a top a bowl of grits. The whole thing! They removed the tail meat, grilled it and then put it back in the shell. Wow!

 

Dave: Whole North Carolina Trout served with greens

 

Kathryn: NY Strip with fried potatoes and crème fraiche and Brussels sprouts with feta and lemon. I can only speak to my dish of course, but it was delicious. Everything was perfectly seasoned, cooked perfectly and wonderful sitting on my tongue. I told Beau that I could have eaten an entire bowl of just the Brussels sprouts. They took apart the sprouts leaf by leaf and made them nice and crispy. J

 

Dessert: We all split their Pluff Mud dessert. To be honest, it was okay. Definitely chocolaty, which they promised, but just a mousse. Nothing special.

Interesting Bag of Nuts

I received a sample of these nuts in the mail last week, Bobbysue’s Nuts! Nice little play on words, huh?

 

They’re quite tasty. The interesting part, however, is that a portion of every nut dollar goes towards building a shelter for homeless animals. It’s always nice to know that they money we spend on something is going towards more than just someone’s pocket.

 

Love of a Pet

I'm (Kathryn) sick today with I won't tell you what. But Argie is concerned. He's following me around and laying on me as I sleep on the couch. Love that little guy!

Here's to eating less, but eating better

”To lengthen they life, lessen thy meals.”  ~ Benjamin Franklin

 

I guess I would have to agree with that statement, although hesitant to admit it. The only thing that could reconcile that would be that with lesser meals, you make greater ones! Meals with fantastic ingredients, time and love put into the process and a slow and steady bite-by-bite with a loved one. To make the cooking of a meal an enjoyable process from start to finish would completely satisfy the fact that I would have less of them. J

 

Enjoy one our faves!

 

Rigatoni with Spicy Calabrese Style Pork Ragu

 

1 medium onion, quartered

1 carrot, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 celery stalk, cut into 1 inch pieces

4 garlic cloves

2 tsp oregano leaves

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

½ c chopped parsley, divided

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes

¼ c olive oil

1 lb hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 lb ground pork

Kosher salt, pepper

1 T tomato paste

1 lb messi rigatoni or penne rigate

¾ c grated parmesan

 

Pulse onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and ¼ c parsley in food processor until finely chopped; transfer to small bowl and set aside. Puree tomatoes with juices in processor; set aside.

 

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; add sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add round pork, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

 

Increase heat to medium high. Add reserved vegetable mixture to drippings in pot, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until golden, 8-10 minutes.

 

Stir tomato paste and 1 c water in a small bowl; add to pot. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 6-8 minutes.

 

Add reserved meat and tomato puree and 1 c water. bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, adding more water as needed to keep meat nearly submerged, until meat is tender, about 4 hours.

 

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 c pasta cooking liquid.

 

Add pasta and ½ c pasta cooking liquid to sauce; stir to coat. Stir in ¾ c parmesan and remaining ¼ c parsley. Increase heat to medium and continue stirring, adding more pasta water as needed, until sauce coasts pasta.

 

Chinese New Year

Beau and celebrated Chinese New Year on Saturday, the year of the snake. It's traditional for the new year to make dumplings... So we did! They didn't look exactly like I remember them in China but they tasted as good! I served up a homemade dipping sauce and some vegetable fried rice due to Beau's request. Donna brought egg rolls which were delicious and we watched one of my favorite movies that takes place in China- The Inn of the Sixth Happiness starring Ingrid Bergman. Great night and hopefully one that will be repeated annually!

Jasmine Porch Cont.

More pictures from our adventure at The Sanctuary! What a fantastic and memorable day!

A Kimbrell man's wrap job

This was my brother's wrapping job on the Valentine's gift he gave his girlfriend. is that Christmas paper?

Thankful Thursday - Take 61

1200. Celebration Days – I know it’s a man-made day, probably to get you to buy more stuff, but it’s still fun. Cards and chocolates and “I love yous”

 

1201. Venison from my brother

1202. Escapes from my work building for lunch

1203. Cards – love getting them, love sending them

1204. Pre-made meals – this semester has proven a bit of challenge with balancing school and work and other things. So I’m very thankful for the pre-made meals I made with some spare time and put in the freezer for a time such as this.

1205. I finally got my Hubee D’s fix. If you haven’t tried it, you should!

 

1206. Conversations that make me think and ponder.

1207. Walks in the park with Beau and Argos

1208. Beau opens my garage door for me when I get home so I don’t have to get out of the car J

1209. Eating dinner together

1210. Kindness from others

 

1211. Living for greater purpose than ourselves

1212. Inspiration from places you wouldn’t necessarily expect

1213. Grace and understanding from others

1214. Clean bill of health

1215. Successful mid-term exam completed!

 

1216. 7 more exams left to go until we’re finished. And then after that? I will NEVER take another exam. Kathryn is finished with her schooling!

1217. Lunch with the hubster today. I’m so blessed to be able to see him during the day.

 

Jasmine Porch

For Christmas, Beau and I face Donna am outing that she wanted, brunch at the Jasmine Porch at The Sanctuary on Kiawah. Donna asked that Angie and Joe Zealberg join us. We had a great time laughing and talking and eating. We left with bellies full!

Items on the buffet:
Quail
Pulled pork over semolina gnocchi
She crab bisque
Charcuterie table with meats, cheeses, crackers, pates and mustards
Cheddar waffles with fried chicken cutlery and bacon maple syrup
Cheddar biscuit with brisket gravy
Tile fish with black eyed peas
Shrimp and grits
Raw oyster bar
Sushi
Beignets with caramelized apples and tahitian vanilla bean ice cream
Multitude of petite fours
Bottomless mimosas and bloody marys

Larry's Birthday

Today is Larry's birthday. He's a man I work with. He was kind enough to bring in his own birthday cake to share with everyone! Red velvet! Yum! I could only eat half...so far. :)

Spaghetti alla Bolognese

Beau and I have found our fave. I have a tendency to make something, it’s delicious and then I don’t make it again. Not because it wasn’t good, but because I’m always looking for something else interesting to make. But this is a keeper for sure.

 

Spaghetti alla Bolognese
Makes 6 servings

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 celery stalk, finely minced
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup hearty red wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
• pinch of sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1. In a large sauté pan or cast-iron skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery, season with some salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add in the ground beef (I sprinkle it in with my hands) and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate the vegetables into the meat, breaking up any clumps. Season with more salt and pepper and cook until the beef has browned and is no longer pink. Drain off any fat. Add in the milk and wine and let the mixture bubble away until the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently. Don't worry if it looks soupy at first, it will boil down in about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes and oregano. Allow the mixture to simmer on medium-low to low until it's nice and thick, at least 20 minutes. 
2. Remove from the heat; add the nutmeg and Parmesan and stir well. Toss with hot, cooked spaghetti and serve.

“Give them great meals of beef and iron and steel, they will eat like wolves and fight like devils.”   ~ Shakespeare (King Henry V)

 

Recipe - Beef Stroganoff (Venison)

Beef Stroganoff

 

4 T unsalted butter

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 lb white mushrooms, sliced

Slat and pepper

2 T Cognac

1 c chicken stock

½ c crème fraiche

1 T Dijon

1 ¼ lbs beef tenderloin, sliced ¼ inch thick and cut into 2x1/2 inch thick strips (I used Venison, thanks to Chris Kimbrell.)

 

In each of 2 large skillets, melt 1 ½ T of butter. Add onion to one skillet and mushrooms to other. Season both with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until onion is soft and mushrooms are browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, add Cognac to mushrooms, cook over high heat until evaporated, about 10 seconds. Add mushrooms to onion and wipe out skillet. Add stock to mushrooms and boil until nearly evaporated, 5 minutes. Stir in crème fraiche and mustard and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes; keep warm.

 

In empty skillet, melt remaining 1 T butter in oil. Season meat with salt and pepper and add to hot skillet. Cook over high heat, turning once, until lightly browned in spots but still rare, about 2 minutes. Scrape meat and any juices into mushroom sauce and simmer just until heated through, 1 minute. Serve right away with rice pilaf.

 

*I added a touch of half and half to make a little more sauce and it was equally as delicious.

 

RICE PILAF

Melt 2 T butter in saucepan. Add 1 small minced onion and a teaspoon of salt and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until soft, 8 minutes. Add 1 c basmati rice and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add 2 T dry white wine and boil until evaporated. Add 1 ½ c water and bring to boil. cover cook over low heat until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Fluff the rice, cover and let stand 5 minutes.

 

Round Two

This was our second year at the Commodore's ball thanks to some friends and their kind invitation. We had a great time yet again with friends, good food and a great band that inspired some serious dancing! What a night! Redo? Hopefully next year :)

Venison Strogaoff

Thanks to Mr Chris Kimbrell, my dear brother, Beau and I enjoyed a delicious helping if Venison Stroganoff for dinner tonight!

Andrew's 34 Birthday

Tonight we celebrated Andrew's 34th birthday  We started at Juanita Greenbergs in Mt P. with a few margaritas and fun stories. We talked about the Simpson possibly leaving Charleston for Rock Hill and all the great times we have had growing up. They are excited about possibly living on a lake and all the opportunities that lay in store for them up there. We made a little fun of Morgan and his potential move to Australia and Ben and his potential move to Alaska. We will miss them to be sure but careers and wants pull us away from the Holy City but agreed that the appeal would hopefully bring us back here in the future. After the wives left for home Andrew, Mom, and I went bowling where I must admit I showed them what the game was all about at the new and improved bowling alley in Mt. P Spartians. We all took a cab home and I am recounting the night presently. It was a great time.

A Thank You

Look what I got at work today! A nice man Rosa and I work with bright us both flowers and chocolates to say thank you for the work we do for him. Definitely not expected but so appreciated!

Great week in the big apple

Great but tiring trip to NYC this week. Left the house Tuesday AM at 415 to catch my flight to Charlotte to meet up with Joe. We then caught the next leg to LGA. Worked in my new office until 6 PM and the hit the gym in the basement of the building. While I was down there saw the old leader of US Primary Care and was a little star struck. The showered up and headed to dinner at Osteria Laguna on 42nd right outside of HQ. Almost chipped a tooth on the frutti de mare so can't really recommend but did enjoy the dinner with parts of the team. Joe and I then headed up to 52nd to the double tree where I stayed and stopped in for a drink at Whiskey at the W. I was bushed so after a manhattan in manhattan I headed to bed. Took the downtown train to GCS and when I got out the doors on 42nd I looked left and right and figured I had a 50/50 chance of picking the right way to HQ. I went right and chose right. I should be in Vegas with Josh. Then spent the day with Renee, Marcia, Heather, and Geri our US medical folks. Caught a cab to LGA and was back in chuck town in no time. Then had to go to systems engineering class. Boo. Fun and productive couple days. The pics are the chipped tooth special and the cool bar.

It's Official

Beau finally has an office/desk in Manhattan! We’re so excited for him. And as we speak, he’s there most likely putting out a lovely picture of his wife on the desk. ;)

Argos Gets A Bath!

Beau is the official washer of our little guy. And I would never want to take that away from either one of them ;) Isn't he adorable when wet?