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Felicia Suzanne's Kitchen Table, Memphis

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Felicia's kitchen wall...I love that hat up there
and I'm sad I didn't ask her who that soccer
picture was...I'll have to tell ya'll if I find out

I can't believe I took so many photos....here we all are for
Benton's 37th birthday...with Chef Felicia

One of our entrees that we loved....

Alexis is always decked out....

Yet another photo...:)












Friday, November 18, 2011

Happy Birfday Benton!  Alexis did a great job of planning Benton's birthday by getting the chef's table at Felicia Suzanne's.  We all enjoyed seeing Felicia Willett (Jonesboro) again and catching up about one of the infamous times Jackie and LB dined at her bar alone...I have no idea where the rest of us were but I believe they were cut off...I'll leave the rest to your imagination...

Ok so we had a WONDERFUL waiter that took great care of us.  Benton did all the wine ordering and I believe there were multiple bottles of red being poured throughout the evening.  If you notice that Alexis had champagne...she said it's cause it helps with her head in the morning! I love it.

Ok...so Felicia's menu is one of my all time favorites.  For this special occasion dinner, I ordered the Pepper Crusted Wild Salmon with sweet corn etouffee and tomato jam.  I did it again, I licked the plate clean.  I mean seriously!  It was so darn good, I was finished first of the birthday dinner guests.  Kara had the special that boasted Redfish with an arugula salad that she liked but couldn't finish.  I should have finished hers!

Dessert featured a chocolate birthday cake for Benton and Kara had the peppermint ice cream dessert.  She was trying to buy some of the ice cream as we were leaving but ended up empty handed, she cracks me up!  The coffee was great, hot and strong, just the way I like it.

You'll love Felicia's attentive waitstaff, excellent and creative food and I love the modern but easy atmosphere in the restaurant.  In the kitchen, it was like eating at home with a paid waitstaff.  I did check out the ladies room, as always, and found it in perfect shape with lots of Aveda products and the waist can by the door.  Make a reservation and bring your appetite and you'll find that Felicia's delivers wonderful, southern food and hospitality.  You won't be disappointed!

Felicia Suzanne's, 80 Monroe, Memphis, 901-523-0877 www.feliciasuzanne.com

Cyber Monday

Monday, November 28, 2011

Monday, November 28, 2011

I think I've gotten 50 emails since midnight trying to sell me all kinds of things....when I got this email and read the fine print I thought it was totally worth sharing with everyone.  Take a look at what Patagonia sent me this morning:

Title: Don't Buy This Jacket

Don't Buy This Jacket: Take the Pledge



Today is Cyber Monday. It will likely be the biggest online shopping day ever. Cyber Monday was created by the National Retail Federation in 2005 to focus media and public attention on online shopping. But Cyber Monday, and the culture of consumption it reflects, puts the economy of natural systems that support all life firmly in the red. We're now using the resources of one-and-a-half planets on our one and only planet.
Because Patagonia wants to be in business for a good long time – and leave a world inhabitable for our kids – we want to do the opposite of every other business today. We ask you to buy less and to reflect before you spend a dime on this jacket or anything else.
Environmental bankruptcy, as with corporate bankruptcy, can happen very slowly, then all of a sudden. This is what we face unless we slow down, then reverse the damage. We're running short on fresh water, topsoil, fisheries, wetlands – all our planet's natural systems and resources that support business, and life, including our own.
The environmental cost of everything we make is astonishing. Consider the R2® Jacket shown, one of our best sellers. To make it required 135 liters of water, enough to meet the daily needs (three glasses a day) of 45 people. Its journey from its origin as 60% recycled polyester to our Reno warehouse generated nearly 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, 24 times the weight of the finished product. This jacket left behind, on its way to Reno, two-thirds its weight in waste.
And this is a 60% recycled polyester jacket, knit and sewn to a high standard; it is exceptionally durable, so you won't have to replace it as often. And when it comes to the end of its useful life we'll take it back to recycle into a product of equal value. But, as is true of all the things we can make and you can buy, this jacket comes with an environmental cost higher than its price.
There is much to be done and plenty for us all to do. Don't buy what you don't need. Think twice before you buy anything. Go topatagonia.com/CommonThreads, take the Common Threads Initiative pledge and join us in the fifth “R,” to reimagine a world where we take only what nature can replace.
Common Threads Initiative
REDUCE
WE make useful gear 
that lasts a long time
YOU don't buy what 
you don't need
REPAIR
WE help you repair 
your Patagonia gear
YOU pledge to fix 
what's broken
REUSE
WE help find a home 
for Patagonia gear 
you no longer need
YOU sell or pass it on*
RECYCLE
WE will take back your Patagonia gear that 
is worn out
YOU pledge to 
keep your stuff out 
of the landfill 
and incinerator
REIMAGINE
TOGETHER we reimagine 
a world where we take 
only what nature 
can replace

Puppies for adoption, Birdeye, Arkansas

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Chuckman, about 12 weeks, a lab mix...he's the longest of the
brothers, long like a basset hound

Matchie...aka Munchkin...the tallest and lankiest
of the brothers...both are totally trainable and excellent
listeners....they love to snuggle with each other...and
steal each others toys....
Saturday, November 26, 2011

Chuckman and Matchie:

Well it's about time I blogged again about all the stray dogs around here!  lol!  These are the two of the latest strays....here is Chuckman and Matchie, brothers that are about 12 weeks old, totally vetted and great listeners. They are leash  trained and are being trained to shake and roll over by our 10 year old.  The strays are a family project as well as a neighborhood project.  Spaying and neutering are excellent investments in your community in helping unwanted litters, males roaming and fighting as well as helping with testicular cancer, uterine infections and breast cancer.  If you have a forever home for one of these precious 3 month olds, just let me know!  Happy Holidays Ya'll!  Oh, and pets are never a good gift idea.  Chloe dressed them in Christmas garb because she's ready for the holidays! :)

Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago

On the walls of the symphony hall are the names of the
members of this world-renowned orchestra...this is Wendy

A view from my seat



Saturday, November 19, 2011

Gosh, I'd say it's been a year and a half since I've been in Chicagoland to see my BFF from 4th grade, Wendy Koons Meir.  She let me invite myself to come up to Cook County, see her play with the CSO, shop the outlets and other stores, eat many fabulous meals and look up all her old friends/boyfriends on my facebook.  We had a great weekend of laughs remembering old times in  Oklahoma City.  Eran was a good man putting up with all our activities...we had a blast.  Here's some photos from the CSO weekend.

The CSO featured Stephane Deneve, conductor, Leonidas Kavakos, violin performing two pieces from Sergei Prokofiev, a Russian composer.  Suite from The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33a and Violin concerto No.2 in G Minor, Op. 63.  After intermission we heard The Spider's Feast, Op. 17 by Albert Roussel and Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloe by Maurice Ravel.

 I'm adding pics from her fabulous block in River Forest, it's one block over from Oak Park where all the Frank Lloyd Wright homes are.  Her block is next to fabulous stores and restaurants.  It's so fun to have Whole Foods two blocks away.  Eran and I ran 4 miles on Sunday and we had a good pace going, I'd say a 10 minute mile and on Monday, I ran in the middle of school traffic.  THERE ARE NO Buses in River Forest.  Kids walk and bike to school and I witnessed two walking school buses (that I want to get started here) and a dad monitoring a cycling bus to school.  I loved it!  And it was 38 degrees and kids walked...hmm....we are in such a comfort zone in East Arkansas with a high rate of childhood obesity.  I didn't see one child overweight there, not one come to think of it.  :)
Wendy introduced me to this usher....all
of the staff at the CSO are welcoming and great!

Ok...I had to add this photo from May 2009 at the CSO when
Sting was their musical guest...it was a fabulous concert,
I loved every minute of it!  We were seated behind the stage!
River Forest, IL has lots of sidewalks and low
traffic...a great neighborhood!

The Publican, Chicago

I ordered up the Bloody Mary with Tito's vodka featuring
publican mix, house-made celery bitters & a choice of a beer.
Wendy ordered the Brouwerij Hof Ten Cormaal (Tildonk, Belgium)
Winter II...Sorry about the lighting bouncing off that delicious Mary

I loved the lighting.....

Our waitress recommended that we order the Publican Bacon $7
that is maple syrup-braised....it was so stinking good, and
yes, I did try it, just a piece.  It was worth the $7....

Wendy wanted to get the Pecan Sticky Buns $4....they were
moist and crunchy in the middle...the girls (and us big girls)
totally loved them...nuts and all


Very modest on the outside and super neat on the inside!
Sunday, November 20, 2011

Wendy was super pumped about taking me to this restaurant for brunch near downtown Chicago.  We took Maytal and Ayelet with us and they did wonderfully, especially since we had a booth with a little door on it.  We were first served coffee, water and juice.  Our waitress got us started with Wendy's order of Pecan Sticky Buns $4 and a Waffle $7 to split for Maytal and Ayelet, with no green tomato jam but syrup on the side.  It was out of the kitchen in a hurry, which was nice with our young patrons.  They ate that waffle up in a flash.  It had a unique, airy lightness to it that would have been great with the green tomato jam but the warm maple syrup was a great sweet addition.

For our entrees, Wendy ordered the Soft-Scrambled Eggs and Bone Marrow served with shallots, capers, parsley and toast $12.  I knew she'd order something crazy like that....she did have to send it back because she couldn't get bone marrow out of the bone because it was overcooked.  She got a second try at her order and it was cooked perfectly.  I ordered the Pork Belly Bibimbap fried egg, jasmine rice, garlic, ginger and kimchi $13.  Our waitress recommended it because the chef was Korean.  Kimchi is Korean inspired pickled vegetables usually cabbage, radish, onions, carrots, ginger and garlic.  It added a unique element with the pork belly and rice.  I didn't care for the pork as much, mainly because I had a bite of that gigantic Publican Bacon.

The girls did wonderfully at the restaurant.  Our coffee and waters were refilled constantly during our meal.  Overall, we were both impressed with the Publican.  Oh and they have the most unique joining restrooms.  One sink for boys and girls and low lit stalls mixing boys and girls.  Very unique.  You'll like the service at the Publican and the organic choices on the menu.  I thought it was interesting that their menus were printed on the back of old menus hence, saving paper.  Here's an excerpt from their website:


From the team that created Blackbird and avec restaurants, The Publican is a new beer-focused restaurant located at 845 W. Fulton in Chicago. Executive Chef Paul Kahan and Chef de Cuisine Brian Huston crafted an eclectic menu inspired by simple farmhouse fare in a space evocative of a European beer hall. Designed by James Beard Award-Winner Thomas Schlesser, The Publican features the same simple lines and strong design elements that made the architect’s long-time partnership with Design Project Manager/Partner Donnie Madia so successful. A partnership between Executive Chef Paul Kahan, Donnie Madia, Terry Alexander and Eduard Seitan, The Publican anchors the burgeoning Fulton Market District.
Featuring pork and fish/seafood preparations, the menu is best described by Kahan and Huston as “pristine product, simply prepared,” an approach to food Kahan has long espoused in all of his kitchens. The Publican boasts the simplest cuisine of all three properties, each dish stripped of adornment and containing only essential ingredients. The menu is presented in sections: Fish, Meat and Vegetables, each laid out from lightest to heaviest fare.
Pristinely fresh oysters, hand-selected for the restaurant from purveyors with whom the culinary team has formed partnerships over the past year, anchor the fish portion of the menu. From classic Belgian-style mussels to seafood stew to wood-roasted whole fish, the seafood is simple and straightforward yet eclectic in presentation.
Meat dishes center upon pork, all certified organic and sourced from Dyersville, Iowa. Anchored by a wide selection of housemade terrines and charcuteries, the menu changes daily to reflect the seasonal availability of products. Other hearty dishes, again, presented simply and stripped of adornment, include such seasonal items as black and white sausage, steak tartare, pork shoulder and pot-au-feu. Kahan and Huston plan to make the wood-roasted chicken a signature, “… with the best frites in town,” boasts Kahan.

The Publican, 837 W. Fulton, Chicago, IL60607, 312-733-9555 Check out this wonderful website: www.thepublicanrestaurant.com

From the team that created Blackbird and avec restaurants, The Publican is a new beer-focused restaurant located at 845 W. Fulton in Chicago. Executive Chef Paul Kahan and Chef de Cuisine Brian Huston crafted an eclectic menu inspired by simple farmhouse fare in a space evocative of a European beer hall. Designed by James Beard Award-Winner Thomas Schlesser, The Publican features the same simple lines and strong design elements that made the architect’s long-time partnership with Design Project Manager/Partner Donnie Madia so successful. A partnership between Executive Chef Paul Kahan, Donnie Madia, Terry Alexander and Eduard Seitan, The Publican anchors the burgeoning Fulton Market District.
Featuring pork and fish/seafood preparations, the menu is best described by Kahan and Huston as “pristine product, simply prepared,” an approach to food Kahan has long espoused in all of his kitchens. The Publican boasts the simplest cuisine of all three properties, each dish stripped of adornment and containing only essential ingredients. The menu is presented in sections: Fish, Meat and Vegetables, each laid out from lightest to heaviest fare.
Pristinely fresh oysters, hand-selected for the restaurant from purveyors with whom the culinary team has formed partnerships over the past year, anchor the fish portion of the menu. From classic Belgian-style mussels to seafood stew to wood-roasted whole fish, the seafood is simple and straightforward yet eclectic in presentation.
Meat dishes center upon pork, all certified organic and sourced from Dyersville, Iowa. Anchored by a wide selection of housemade terrines and charcuteries, the menu changes daily to reflect the seasonal availability of products. Other hearty dishes, again, presented simply and stripped of adornment, include such seasonal items as black and white sausage, steak tartare, pork shoulder and pot-au-feu. Kahan and Huston plan to make the wood-roasted chicken a signature, “… with the best frites in town,” boasts Kahan.
A selection of vegetables rounds out the menu, including such seasonal items as daily aïoli, roasted broccoli, pine nuts and Italian buratta and cauliflower sformato with Marcona almond romesco.

Garden Update....

Can anyone help me with my 2 year old asparagus?
They've fanned out and I've never mowed over them,
I'd love to get some feedback.....

Baby spinach I planted in late September

I cannot tell ya'll how many green tomatoes we have, there
are a ton!

I'm so proud of my romaine....
Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Now to the garden update.  I took these pics recently just before this week's record 11 inches of rain...I'll have to put some more on here when we're back from Oklahoma City.  I'd love anyone to chime in on young asparagus.  I'm anxious to harvest some in a few years when their stalks are bigger.  Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll!

Jimmy and Beth's Wedding, Birdeye

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

What a beautiful bride!  With flower girl, Stella

Benton and Alexis
Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Hats off to Martin and Kara who graciously opened their home for a family wedding.  Jimmy and Beth, members of our BBC cycling club, asked to get married in their historic home and Martin and Kara said yes, of course!  There was a TON of planning, cleaning, electricity put in, tents, signs, a fabulous caterer, a wonderful cake, a legendary band and many more things that made the wedding unprecedented.  It was a wedding on my top 5 list and I'd say 2nd to LB and Jessica Vaught's wedding in 1998.  Now that is saying something!  Everything was planned to a "t" and it was wonderful.  I took lots of photos and Chloe took a video until my battery died.  Here are some pictures!  For the record:  Caterer was Fabulous Foods, Helen McClain, band was the Memphis Soul Revue, and I'm not sure who did the cake or flowers but I'm telling you it was the bomb.com!  Here are the photos....:)  I can also add that I had a top 5 list that later grew to a top 10....I'm putting that out there for the usual suspects....:)

Aww....


Those flowers were amazing..this is Kara's
dining room....the food was so delicious
Beth, Kara, Alexis, Me and Lashun...the night is just beginning...

There were about 200 guests invited to the outdoor wedding


Alexis and I always catch up where we leave off...


Oh and there was a Kids Marathon that morning....
Jackie, Stan and Martin all ran the 1/2 (Jackie got a
trophy in his age group.....wow!)



Beth, her sister and her friends from home and Ole Miss!!
What's the name of that song, "Hoddy Toddy?"
Stella, Chloe and Whit on the 2nd level

Look at Chloe's pink boots...:)

Outside before the wedding with Whit and Michael Huff, JR

My community leader Kim Brown with new FIANCE David...
Can't wait for the details of their wedding....:)

Chloe's camera had another focus problem but here we
are on the dance floor...fun, fun!!

Happy Fall!

This is one of the Speckled Sussex Hens

Oh the girls just love the yard...eating bugs and grass...
this is a Silver Laced Wyandotte

Chloe taking a pounding from Whit and Stella in her HOT DOG
costume...it was a great party!

After the scavenger hunt...

Biscuit had a matching Hot Dog outfit....

Chloe's camera had a focus problem when we all went out
for dinner for Beth's Girls Night Out dinner at McEwan's...
it was a fun and delicious dinner!

This Ginkgo tree lays tree nuts...you
can actually see them under the trunk of the tree

If I could move this Gingko tree out about
25 feet from Chloe's playroom I would...
it's beautiful nonetheless...


I am going to guess here but I believe this
is one of Larry's Trident Maple Trees....sorry
I didn't get a photo of it earlier...it is outstanding
in the fall!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011

WOW!  If only Winnie Bob and JH could see the fall colors this year...and their great grandchildren!  Winnie Bob and JH were married 45 years when he passed in 1990...she hired Larry Lowman to help her in her yard and planted these beautiful Ginkgo trees back in 1991 I'd say.  We know we have a female and a male Ginkgo tree...I also learned that the Ginkgo tree nuts that one of the trees sheds are used in China for weddings and other celebrations.  Hmm...maybe I should prepare some of them and blog about it! :)

I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful, although too large, yard.  We have daffodils from February to April, neat surprise Lilly's in the summer and fall, beautiful trees all year round!  I added some photos of the chickens that have been "free range" chickens since summer and I think they are laying somewhere in the yard since I don't have any eggs and some photos of Whit's scavenger hunt birthday party.  Happy Fall Ya'll!