One Last Summer Hurrah

I headed to Raleigh last week to pack in some quality time with my family before summer ends.  Bethany is still on maternity leave and we filled our days with food, fun, and family.  

Our addiction to Jubala remains and we spent our first morning feasting on lattes and waffles. Bethany ordered the latte of the day, coconut cream.  I immediately regretted my skinny vanilla iced and returned twice more to correct the error. 

Bethany has a standing girl's night each week.  Having seen my copious cheese platters on Instagram, I was volunteered to put together a little spread for the girls.  I happily obliged. 

Bethany is a food truck connoisseur.  She knows the best ones in the triangle area and discovered that The Humble Pig would be close by one day.  We couldn't pass up such a convenient opportunity. Truthfully, I had been craving BBQ for over a week and this certainly satisfied that craving. 

She ordered the BBQ Fries and BBQ Tacos.  They were equally delicious.  I now know why this is a favorite of hers.

Please forgive the food pictures, but Bethany and I enjoy trying out new spots when we are together. We popped in Driftwood, a fairly new restaurant in Lafayette Village, one afternoon.  We had some killer guacamole, wings, and chocolate bourbon pecan pie. 

Saturday we went to Raleigh Racquet Club, where they are members, and let Lee swim for a few hours.  He hasn't really been since Graham was born and he had so much fun with his Dad. 

Saturday afternoon, Jack and I hung out on the back porch while Gidget poked, prodded, and begged Jack to play with her.  He was unconvinced.

I made bruschetta and kale chips to accompany the pork tenderloin we were having for dinner.

Sunday was spent at church, but first, a quick trip to Jubala.  

Bethany and I ended our week at North Hills watching Trainwreck.  Rob watched the kids so we could have a girl's afternoon.  The movie was hilarious and as always, I was sad to kiss these kids goodbye.  I am back in Wilmington, detoxing, dieting, and attempting some beach time before I return to school for my ninth year teaching.

Weekend Relaxation w/ The Sawyers

My aunt and uncle come to Wilmington at least twice a year.  You may remember the major kitchen renovation they helped me complete last summer.  While my uncle has another set of projects for the fall, we did something truly amazing this visit, nothing.  We visited with one another and relaxed for once. 

They arrived Friday afternoon.  I had made a pitcher of southsides that we enjoyed before dinner. My aunt is a lover of gin and I knew she would particularly enjoy my new favorite cocktail.  For dinner, we started with bruschetta.  I also picked up a bottle of Butter.  If you haven't tried Butter, grab a bottle next time you come across one.  It is a delicious chardonnay and under $20. 

I had gone to Mott's Seafood earlier in the day and picked up three halibut filets.  I used this Ina Garten recipe. and served it alongside my favorite summer succotash.  

Having imbibed a little too much wine the night before, we set off for a mid-morning brunch at The Basics.  To be honest, I was disappointed with my food.  I have been a few other times and have had fonder memories.  My potatoes lacked flavor and the crabcake benedict was a little too fishy. However, the atmosphere is fun and I am sure I will give it another go at some point.

After running some errands, including a trip to my favorite local wine shop, Red Bank Wines, we set off for home.  We had found some figs at The Fresh Market and Glenn whipped up some tasty snacks. 

Rosé has made quite the comeback the last few years.  I started drinking rosé, with consistency, last summer.  It is the perfect summer wine. Astounishingly, in America, it has flown under the radar until now.  The main mis-conception of rosés is that they are sweet.  This isn't the case at all.  Just like any wines, some can be, but the majority of rosés are not. I  have tried many this summer and the ones I love the most seem to come from Provence.  If you haven't tried rosé yet, grab a bottle before the summer is over.  

After having properly filled ourselves with snacks and wine, we took to the porch to wait for Andrea's arrival. 

Saturday evening we went to Glenn's favorite restaurant, Indochine.  I have blogged about the greatness of Indochine and each time I go I am always impressed.  This photograph was taken in the garden, not the worst place to relax while waiting on a table. 

Sunday morning we woke up and feasted on succotash frittata, cheddar biscuits, and mimosas. 

We headed to Southport for the afternoon.  It was great visiting, as always.