Summer At The South Carolina Botanical Gardens

Anthony, Shastya, and I had a beautiful sunny summer evening at the South Carolina Botanical Gardens. It seemed everything was in full bloom. We just walked, talked, took pictures, took new paths, and enjoyed the peaceful evening.

Fresh Basil & Tomato Pizza

This is a Sbarro inspired pizza. When I was recently in PA, at the Montgomery Mall, I got a slice of pizza for lunch. The pizza was amazing and incredibly fresh tasting. It had a layer of fresh basil and tomato instead of sauce, then large slices of fresh mozzarella on top. As soon as I ate it, I knew I wanted to try making something similar sometime . . .

Shout out to Barb Fisher, who brought me fresh tomatoes, basil, and oregano from her garden the other day! I knew right away what I was going to make with them. And so today, Saturday lunch, I got my fresh ingredients out of the fridge after putting my dough to spinning in the bread machine.

After compiling my dough, fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, droplets of olive oil, and finally frozen shredded mozzarella, I sprinkled my favorite Italian five spice on top! I do not know if Italian five spice is original to me, but I do know that it is much different from Chinese five spice. My Italian five spice includes garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano. This time, I used fresh oregano!

The first thing out of my mouth when I tried my fresh basil and tomato pizza was, "Oh wow." Another pizza success in the bag. Anthony really liked the pizza too.

Ginger Mahi Mahi with Vegetables and Rice

I created this Asian flavored entree last night for supper. I half sauteed/ half poached two Mahi Mahi thawed filets, asparagus, and mushrooms in minced ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and water. I put this stir-fry over rice. My rice I cooked in some curry sauce I had made the other day. The meal was outstanding!

 Ginger Mahi Mahi

2 Mahi Mahi Filets Thawed

1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Asparagus

1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Mushrooms

1 1/2 TB Fresh Minced Ginger in Water

2 TB Sesame Oil

2 TB Soy Sauce

1 Cup Water

Salt & Pepper

Junior TSA Officer

By her second trip to the airport, baby Shastya was such a pro traveler that they gave her an honorary TSA badge!

Shastya Goes To The Airport

Baby Shastya's first trip to the airport could not have gone better! My Mom had bought us direct flights from GSP to Philly. At GSP, Shasyta thought she was in heaven playing with all the stuffed animal toys at one of the newsstands. She got to hold Disney's Minnie Mouse, a chipmunk, Ty beanie babies, and some little Wild Republic snap bracelet snakes. She also got to hug a Hello Kitty.  She liked the mini snakes the best because they were just the right size for her to easily grasp, and because they were pink and sparkly.

Shastya Goes To The Montgomery Mall!

About a week ago, my Mom, my sister, some of my nieces, Shastya, and I went to the Montgomery Mall, in North Wales, PA. We hit a lot of Fourth of July sales at Gymboree, JCPenny's, and Macy's! Shastya came home with many gorgeous adorable clothes! Gramma was spoiling her little South Carolinian granddaughter that she doesn't get to see very often. I hadn't been back to the Montgomery Mall in years. We frequently shopped that mall when I was just a kid. I was so impressed with the condition of the mall. Some malls do not age well. On our recent visit to PA, the Montgomery Mall seemed cutting edge.

 

Shastya Goes To New Hope, PA

While we were in Pennsylvania, we went on an antique train ride through New Hope. We went with my sister's family and my parents. My sister had thought of the idea! Shastya enjoyed playing on a mini carousel with her cousins on the train station platform while we waited to board the train. On the train we listened to some history of the area along the way. I really enjoyed the family time. We ate at a nice restaurant after. There, little cousin Rosamonde stuck some banana in her ear. We tried not to laugh.