Chau Ram Falls Revisited

Yesterday evening, we went on another hike at Chau Ram Falls. We took a trail that was new to us. There was much to see. We saw the river, many beautiful flowers, and I saw lots of poison ivy along the trail. Gladly, we did not manage to bring any poison ivy home with us, though I did have a slight brush with it. 

I walked over a small black and gray diamondy patterned snake, and I let Anthony know. He held back with the baby until the snake passed. We also walked into more spider webs than usual. Anthony said the spiders especially like to design webs in the evenings. He used a small branch to swipe the webs away from the trail. 

Mini Knots & Pizza

I made my pizza dough earlier in the afternoon than usual. The dough had extra time to rise, and I had extra dough when it was done rising. I decided to make knots to go with our pizza. Once I began rolling out the dough for knots, it became evident that I did not have very much extra dough. I then made mini knots for the first time.  I served the knots with tomato sauce for dipping. The mini knots and pizza turned out to be delightful. Anthony particularly liked the pizza. He said it tasted very Mediterranean. I agreed, and said that it was classic, margherita. (I might add that I made cheese pizza despite the fact that Anthony insists that he always likes toppings, and that he's not a fan of just cheese pizza.)

Musings At Clemson Experimental Forest

Last night, Anthony, Shastya, and I took a trail that was new to us in the Clemson Experimental Forest. We really enjoyed it, and it is now one of our new favorite trails. We saw many beautiful flowers, trees, babbling streams, and a tranquil lake along the way. 

At one point, against the backdrop of a pale blue sky, a canopy of delicate trees covered two paths elevated on either side of a clearing which had a flowing stream in it. The waters were peacefully winding their way down towards the lake. The layout, structure, and flow of the setting reminded me of a conservatory in Longwood Gardens, PA. 

Part of the lake was covered with lily pads, reminding Anthony and I of Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Our lake in Clemson was lacking the gorgeous pink lotus blossoms that all the tourists were incessantly photographing in China. 

On the way back, we saw a beaver effortlessly swimming along the shoreline. Baby Shastya took a nap during some of our adventures, but she loved looking up at all the tree tops and sky when she was awake.

Woodland Babe

Daddy does not like big flowery headpieces for baby Shastya. Since they are all the rage nowadays, I just had to at least see what she looked like in one. She looked so dear.

Shari Garland's Yogurt Chana

A friend recently posted on Facebook about a dish made with chickpeas. I decided to make something similar. I was going to put potatoes in it too, but I forgot. We really enjoyed the dish I came up with, and Anthony and I both got seconds!

Shari Garland's Yogurt Chana:

1 TB Olive Oil

2 Tsp. Amchur Powder

2 Tsp. Rasam Powder

1 1/2 TB Ginger Paste

1 Onion

1 Garlic Bulb

2 Small Tomatoes

3 Cups Chickpeas in Water

1 1/2 Cups Greek Yogurt

2 Tsp. Salt

1. Saute spices in olive oil.

2. Add vegetables. Cook until done.

3. Remove pan from heat. Add yogurt. Add salt.

Easter Package From Mom/Gramma!

I went to check the mail the week after Easter. Surprise, surprise, there was an Easter package! Of course I'm sure my Mom had sent it on time because she's pretty punctual like that, but we had just not been to check the mail lately.

I loved the Easter books my Mom sent for Shastya, and the cute outfits! My Mom also sent me some Cajun recipe cards she had picked up in New Orleans when my family had recently been there for a grocery convention. I'm super excited about trying out some of the fun recipes, such as jambalaya. Thanks Mom!

Family Adventures At Chau Ram Falls, Westmintser, SC

I now have a new favorite park in South Carolina, Chau Ram Falls. Right in Oconee County, this park has it all: great hiking trails, waterfalls, flowers, swings, picnic areas, and a gazebo! We enjoyed the park on a bright sunshiny day! There were not too many people there, and not too few. Everyone that I saw was having a blast.