clams & lobster

We've been craving seafood since we first arrived in the northeast, and it seems sort of sacrilegious that it's taken us almost a week to finally take the plunge and have some. But Aidan isn't too adventurous in that realm yet, so we've pretty much been forced to stick to the basics (as well as make him EZ Mac in the hotel microwave more than a time or two). It's pretty shameful, actually.

But Ty finally reached his limit tonight on the amount of time he could continue to go without having a lobster roll, so he made a take-out run on a quest for an open restaurant on the 4th of July that serves a decent, authentic lobster roll.

I navigated from the hotel room with my cell phone and laptop (googling for lobster rolls), and low and behold, together, we found a damn good place. So good in fact, Guy Fieri of Food Network fame (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives) recently visited and did a show -- Bob's Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine.

Holy crap, was it good.

Our dinner tonight: a lobster roll for Ty (hopefully that'll shut him up on the subject for a while), fried clam strips for me, and clam fritters for the both of us.

We -- Ty, me, and Guy Fieri -- chose well.

independence day in new england

Even though we spent this year in the cradle of American history, we decided to skip the patriotic festivities in Boston, opting instead for some slower-paced (and less populated) celebrations in New Hampshire and Maine.

We enjoyed an afternoon with [new] friends at a BBQ in South Berwick, Maine (a picturesque town settled in 1631), surrounded by thick [Maine] accents trying to teach Aidan how to properly say "lobstah", and hot dogs served on rolls, rather than buns (also how Fenway Franks are served, correct?). Ty and I joked about how different it was to the smoked brisket and ribs-filled events we're used to on the 4th of July in Texas, but we appreciated the hospitality very much -- it was great to meet new people.

We ended the day by stopping near the border at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on the Maine/New Hampshire border, where a fireworks display lit up the sky over the water. There's something about being on a military base, surrounded by those who voluntarily serve our country, that makes celebrating American independence that much more special.

God bless America -- both the North and the South. :)

give a veteran a piece of the high life

I'm sure most of us will be picking up some cold beer between now and September 30th. Please consider buying Miller High Life and saving your caps in order to support they're current campaign of supporting veterans.

For every High Life cap or tab you drop off at select retailers or mail in, Miller will donate 10-cents toward High Life Experiences for returning vets. Up to a million dollars will go toward paying soldiers' way into sports events, concerts, outdoor adventures and more.

a different kind of petting zoo

We stumbled across this Marine Conservation Society Petting Tank by the docks in Portsmouth, NH today -- a fun way to spend some time on a Saturday in July.

a friday morning tradition

For the past several years, Aidan and I have stopped at Shipley Do-nuts in Houston on our way to school on Friday mornings. It's a little tradition that he looked forward to, helping to kick off the weekend and make Friday sort of special.

He's been really curious since we arrived in the Northeast about the Dunkin' Donuts signs he keeps seeing everywhere (and when I say everywhere, I mean every couple of miles -- doughnuts galore).

We used to have DD in Texas when I was growing up, but Shipley's overtook the doughnut market in the Lone Star State and Dunkin' Donuts locations are now few and far between.

So this morning we continued the Friday morning doughnut tradition and popped into Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast. It was packed, and the man behind the counter kind of gave Ty and I the business about being so clueless with our order (clearly we annoyed him ... we weren't regulars who could whip out our order). But once we sat down and ate, Aidan settled right into the familiar routine.

Dunkin Donuts doesn't sell jalapeno kolaches (or any kolaches for that matter) like Shipley's does, but the "everything" bagel I ordered was yummy -- all it needed was jalapenos. And I figured I can take a baggy of them with me next time we go.

roadtrip, day 6

We made it.

I'll do some exploring in the next few days and blog about the area (the first of many entries, I'm sure), but my initial impressions are positive.

The town of Hampton where we'll be living is most definitely a popular tourist stop during the summer months (which we already knew). It was full of activity today as we passed through on our way to Portsmouth, NH, a town about 10 miles north where we'll be staying until the house is ready.

We drove by the house we've rented, and it looks exactly like the pictures we've seen of it. I'm looking forward to making it our own, complete with our stuff, our furniture, our pictures, and our family. I'm hoping it will help immensely, as far as providing that feeling of being more settled in and "at home."

The area is picturesque -- there are just no two ways about it. The houses are amazing. Many have the dates when they were built proudly displayed on plaques on the exterior. It's pretty breathtaking looking at homes that were originally built in the 1700s.

These old homes line narrow streets, and most fly American flags, just like you'd expect to see. Big hydrangea bushes are growing everywhere, completing the totally New England look of the area.

The temps are perfect (50s at night, high 70s during the day), and it's a festive time of year to arrive to the area.

So, let the exploring begin.

roadtrip, day 5

Today was crazy-exhausting.

We had great intentions, but things didn't fall into place exactly how we had hoped they would.

We woke up in Pennsylvania and decided that we had plenty of time for some fun. Our plan was to drive to Brooklyn and take Aidan to Coney Island. He was thrilled about the prospect (one of his favorite Wonder Pets episodes involves rescuing a baby squirrel off a Coney Island roller coaster).

Unfortunately, we completely underestimated the amount of people who would have the same "great idea" we did -- it was packed with thousands of people. We drove around for about an hour looking for a parking place anywhere in the vicinity, but in the end, had to give up without so much as a nibble of a Nathan's famous hotdog or taste of saltwater taffy.

And bless is his little heart ... Aidan was such a trooper about the whole thing, despite the fact that we kept passing ferris wheels, roller coasters, hot dog stands, balloons and the beach. Talk about torture for a four-year-old. But we've promised to make it up to him, and he seems o.k. with the agreement.

But our New York City [mis]adventure had only just begun. According to our trusty Garmin GPS, we should have arrived in Stamford, CT by 3:15; however, at almost 5:00 pm, we were still sitting in some of the worst traffic I've ever experienced (which is saying a lot coming from a Houston girl). It was especially baffling, considering it was mid-day on a Tuesday.

So in the end, we spent most of the day in traffic in New York City while Aidan watched Thomas & Friends DVDs in the backseat. Again, he was awesome.

Tomorrow is our last day on the road, as we finally arrive in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, our house won't be ready until July 6, so we'll still be sleeping in a hotel until then. But at least the drive will be over.

Finally, I wrote the other night about missing the fireflies ... last night they came out to play again, and I was able to snap a picture of Aidan with them. So if you look real carefully, you can see the speck of light to the left of Aidan's head in the picture. Those little flashing buggers are hard to take a pic of! :)

roadtrip, day 4

Today's highlight -- visiting the Gettysburg Battlefield.

I can't imagine any tourist walking this hallowed ground is ever able to prevent his or her mind from wandering, as well as wondering, at the 50,000 young men who occupied the same sacred ground, spilling their blood and giving their lives in such a violent conflict. The peace and beauty of the area today makes it almost impossible to fathom the original carnage of the area -- the emotion it inspires is incredible.

We left Virginia after breakfast and crossed back and forth across the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania until reaching Gettysburg. After spending a few hours in the historic area, we ended up in Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania, for the night. We just ordered Chinese and are planning to kick back for the evening at the hotel.

It looks like we've got about two days of driving left before we reach New Hampshire. I'm so glad we made this drive together as a family. Seeing America in the way we have is pretty cool.

roadtrip, day 3

I'm sort of cheating and writing my day 3 update on day 4, but last night I was just too beat to do anything except fall into bed and sleep.

Which was actually kind of a bummer, because Ty and Aidan informed me that when they were outside walking the dogs, thousands of lightning bugs came out to visit once the sun started to set (apparently disturbed by the frolicking pooches). I wish I'd snapped a picture of it, but I was sawing logs in room 218 of the Best Western in Lexington, Virginia -- home of the Virginia Military Institute and Washington & Lee University, as well as birthplace of Sam Houston.

Yesterday took us across the remainder of the Tennessee portion of our trip, and then through Virginia. I especially enjoyed the Black Hills and passing through Blacksburg, home of Virginia Tech. It's a scenic drive, no doubt.

Tomorrow we head up to Pennsylvania, officially taking us out of the South. The adventure continues ....

roadtrip, day 2

Made it to Knoxville.

And to prove it, I just saw a grown man at a restaurant wearing a University of Tennessee t-shirt and jorts.

We're thinking of re-evaluating our travel plans some. Driving eight hours a day is productive, but around hour six or so, the car ride really starts to wear on Aidan. So we're talking about slowing down some tomorrow and doing something touristy -- maybe taking in a water park (going against my rule of never visiting one -- they're big ol' toilets, if you ask me -- but Aidan would love it) in the Black Hills of Virginia, or driving into D.C. We haven't really decided yet. It just feels right, so I think we'll do some investigating.

Today's drive through Dixie was pretty -- more of Mississippi, then Alabama, Georgia, and finally Tennessee. We're definitely in the heart of SEC country, which is kind of ironic, considering my beloved Texas A&M almost pulled the trigger a few weeks ago and joined in on the fun that is college football in the southeast. But I won't digress onto that tangent, as it still burns my blood to a boil thinking about how we passed up the opportunity. It would've been a fun (and beautiful) place to visit in the fall.

So tomorrow looks to be Virginia and Maryland. We'll see where we end up and what we do. As I said, I'm feeling a bit impulsive.

our journey has begun

I haven't blogged in a while. We've been swamped getting ready for our move, and to be honest, it was very difficult to leave "home" -- much more so than I imagined it would be. And writing about it was a reality I just didn't want to face.

We're now officially on the road ... yours truly, Aidan, Ty, Daisy and Pepper (2 adults, a four-year-old, and two dogs) -- quite the crew.

And as I type, I find myself in a hotel room in Laurel, Mississippi, feeling sort of lost, if the truth be told.

Aidan is watching a new Tom & Jerry DVD with his dad, having the time of his life ... after taking a dip in the teeny, tiny (but clean) Roadway Inn pool. He seems pretty much oblivious to the monumental changes going on around him, which makes me happy. It also helps keep me from getting too emotional about temporarily leaving the life I'm familiar with and those whom I love -- knowing that I have to be strong for him gives me a purpose during this period of limbo.

We traveled through three states today (Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi), and I'm exhausted. But I'm relieved that the most difficult day (crossing the border out of Texas and saying goodbye to the familiar license plates and state flags as they became fewer and fewer in number) is behind us and new adventures await.

Tomorrow night we're scheduled to land in Knoxville, Tennessee.

panaderia treats

Today's dose of Sunday morning breakfast centered around tacos (of course) for Ty. He's been away for a while and had a hankering for the good stuff.

I was craving something sweet, so while he made a run to the local taqueria, I visited a popular (and incredibly delicious) local Mexican bakery (panaderia) -- La Colmena (on north Gessner, for you local folks), to pick up an assortment of pan dulce (sweet bread), cuernos de azucar (sugar horns), and empanadas.

I grabbed a few sprinkle cookies for Aidan too ... it was so much fun browsing the shelves of fresh pastries and sweet treats. And it made a fun spread that was the perfect accompaniment to the spicy tacos.

campechana de mariscos

Had a great summer time dinner tonight of Campechana de Mariscos
(recipe from Goode Co. Seafood).

We made some plain ol' cheese nachos to nibble on while cooking ... perfectly delish.


CAMPECHANA DE MARISCOS SAUCE:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chile sauce
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped serrano pepper
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup Clamato juice

VEGETABLES:
1/2 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup white onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

SEAFOOD MIX:
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/2 cup poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and diced
1/2 pound shrimp, boiled and peeled
1/2 pound Texas Blue lump crab meat

Mix sauce ingredients well and set aside.
Mix vegetables and combine with sauce mixture. Delicately fold in the seafood mix.
Serve with corn tortilla chips. Garnish each with a fresh fresh lime wedge or finely chopped fresh jalapenos on the side.

Makes 8 to 10 appetizer-sized servings.

simply stated

From Art & Artifact -- a cheery greeting for guests.

I believe I must have it.

he's smiling because he's coming home

Ty was promoted this past week and is preparing for his new unit in Boston.

And currently, he's somewhere around Abilene, Texas on his way home to us -- a great start to summer.

Proud as peaches.

cochinita pibil, tacos al pastor and coffee

I've blogged before about my idea of breakfast in Heaven -- fresh, authentic, Mexican tacos. This morning's take-out choice from Jarro Cafe in Houston was cochinita pibil (traditional slow-roasted Mexican pork marinated in citrus and achiote paste) and tacos al pastor (marinated pork cooked on a rotisserie with fresh pineapple).

But here's my embarrassing secret ... I adore them with a cup of coffee that would make most people roll their eyes and shake a finger at me -- freshly-ground beans (preferably from Ruta Maya Coffee House in Austin), about 1/3 a coffee mug of heavy cream, and several heaping teaspoons of Demerara sugar -- kind of my own personal Texas café au lait. I don't drink it often, but when I do, I savor every sip.

Goodness.

a prayer for an unknown soldier

I saw a soldier kneeling down,
for this was the first quiet place he had found.
He had traveled through jungles, rivers and mud.
His hands were scarred and toil-warned.

He folded his hands and looked to the sky...
I saw his tears, as they welled in his eyes.
He spoke to God, and this is what he said.
God Bless my men, who now lie dead;
I know not what You have in mind,
but when You judge, please be kind....
when they come before You, they will be poorly dressed
but will walk proudly, for they have done their best.

Their boots will be muddy and their clothes all torn...
but these clothes they have so proudly worn.
Their hearts will be still and cold inside,
for they have fought their best and did so with pride.

So please take care of them as they pass Your way...
the price of freedom they've already paid.

Amen.

--Author Unknown