Yellow Branch Falls, Oconee County, SC

Me

Anthony

Ivan

A Snake

Specialty Biscuits: Butter Maple Cranberry

This morning when we got up, Anthony asked if I could make biscuits. I used a basic biscuit recipe. At the last minute, I drizzled maple syrup over the batter. I also sprinkled a small handful of dried cranberries over the maple syrup before mixing the batter a final time. I threw in the add-ins in an attempt to make our biscuits special, "unboring," or to give them a little twist. My sweet biscuit idea played out flawlessly. I enjoyed the taste of success!

Gourmet Pizza: "From Scratch" Curry Sauce + Specialty Cheeses

They say "necessity is the mother of invention." I love being creative so I think things just get more fun in the kitchen when a few key ingredients are missing. Last night, my plan was to make a pizza for dinner. Since there was no tomato sauce in the cabinets, and since there were no fresh tomatoes in our refrigerator, I knew we were in for a treat. I thought about making a black sauce out of black beans or making a yellow curry sauce. Because I had been wanting to try making a pizza with a curry sauce for some time, I decided to do that. I'll just have to come back to my black sauce idea. Maybe I could make it from black beans and squid ink! My curry pizza sauce turned out "out of this world." I'll definitely have to "write home" about it. Want the recipe?

Shari's "From Scratch" Curry Pizza Sauce

1 1/2 TB Oil

1 Chopped Fresh Onion

1 Cup Water

2 1/2 TB Ketchup

1 1/2 TB Ginger Paste

1 1/2 TB Minced Garlic in Oil

1 Tsp Red Chili Powder

1 Tsp Garam Masala

1 Tsp  Tumeric

1 Tsp Cumin Powder

Shari's Delicious Pizza Crust Du Jour

1 Cup Warm Water

2 Tsp Bread Machine Yeast

1 TB Granulated Sugar

3 Cups Bread Flour

1 Tsp Sea Salt

Shari' Pizza Toppings Du Jour: Specialty Cheeses

2-3 Slices Gouda Chopped

2-3 Slices Sharp Cheddar Chopped

1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

The Shopping Spree

Recently, on a sunny afternoon, I went downtown on a random clothing shopping spree. I didn't even try anything on to see if it fit. I just pulled anything from the racks, that I liked and could use, and bought it all! I had so much fun. I had seen some of the items that I purchased on previous shopping trips, but had not bought them.

First, I found what I had set out to buy, workout clothes for Judo class that evening. I also found a lot of ladies ready to wear which I added to my shopping cart. Next, I got some things for baby Shastya, who was enjoying the shopping spree from the front seat of the shopping cart. Shastya was smiling at all the store associates and clients, and taking in all the beautiful colors, patterns, and textures of the clothing for sale. She loved feeling each of the different items as I would add them to the cart. Further, I discovered some dri-fit polo shirts which Anthony likes. I thought it wouldn't be fair to not get some things for Anthony although he wasn't there, and I couldn't be sure the items would fit him. Into the cart the dri-fit polos went. Many name brands ended up in my cart including: Puma, Nike, Champion, Danskin, Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy, and Duck Head.

The outcome of all my amazing shopping came to a monumental . . . "GASP . . . I know, what was I doing going on a shopping spree while my husband is working on getting a PhD?" The grand total of my order . . . came to a whopping . . . $10.00! I had happened into the downtown Central, SC thrift shop during a phenomenal sale! One of the shop associates had clued me in upon my arrival. The sale was anything you could stuff into a brown bag for $10, and I've always been good at packing. 

Well, I wore one of my new athletic outfits to Judo that evening. I did miss supper, and have to leave Judo early because I got a headache. But that night, I did a fashion show for a happy husband, after a happy shopping trip!

 

 

  

The Highlands, North Carolina

We had a lot of fun in the mountains and at the Chattooga River in North Carolina. Classic mountain roads meant lots of winding and a little car sickness for me. Between scenic overlooks, trails, and water, we stumbled upon quite a "happening place." I had never heard of Highlands, NC, but apparently it's something. It looked like everyone had decided to go to downtown Highlands for Memorial Day weekend! Oh my. Downtown Highlands was maybe similar to a Pendler's Village in PA, or a Camden, Maine type vacation hangout. There were upscale mountain cottages, shops, food, art, classy churches, and real estate! Anthony got a map and a small book of the area at one shop. We got some ice cream at another shop, and sat in the window overlooking the street. Shastya enjoyed watching all the passersby while we sat there, and all the passersby enjoyed watching baby Shastya. Back in the woods, we had fun hitting a bunch of hiking trails on foot. Then, in our car on the way down the mountain, we ran over a copperhead. We were glad we saw the snake on the road and not on a walk. We had a good time in Highlands, NC, and we do believe we have discovered a gold mine of waterfalls and trails that will need some revisiting.