Inspired

This week I have been inspired by several different things. First, last weekend I went to a BBQ where I brought this watermelon side dish. Everyone thought it was awesome and seriously it was so easy. It took my creative brain and about 15 minutes and we were good to go. Try it the next time you have to bring something. This was an all adult affair so I am not sure if kids are cool with green in their watermelon ...but it's worth a shot.

One medium seedless watermelon..scooped into balls either with a melon baller or a 2 Tsp measuring spoon...which is about the only use I have for this crazy size spoon.

About 2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves (currently growing on my deck!)

Juice of half fresh lime (depending upon the size of your melon you may want more)

Toss gently, refrigerate or serve immediately!

Alright, the inspiration for this comes from Big Al. Al turned us all onto Blogging recipes last week and I thought...what a great way to share. This one got such rave reviews by my friends that I thought you might like it.

The second inspiration of the week came on Tuesday night. A large Mac & Cheese producing customer of ours...we wont say who they are....blue boxes...were in town and we wanted to wine and dine them, showing just what a fabulous company we are......please let us make your seasoning blends??!! Anyway, our executive staff put together a wine and food tasting/paring. The food was created and designed around our Flavor Forecast. Our chefs and food insight folks get together with about 15 well known chefs around the country, including some of those that you see on the food network to come up with what the next great flavor pairings will be. Orange and wood smoke. Hummmm can you say BBQ sauce? wait...on a mini BBQ chicken slider with provolone cheese. Yum! Alright now train my mind how to pair an awesome big and bold Syrah from California with that and man....I was in heaven. It made such a difference. Pair acidic iwth acidic, sweet with sweet, smoky with smoky....How to pair things completely changed how the two tasted together. By the end of the night I said to myself. "I love this stuff!" Awesome food and how it is all put together and then the wine paired up so beautifully. What a dream to go around doing this type of thing for a living. What would I have to do to do this for a living?...um other than have a degree in wine making and 10 years experience in the food industry.....check. Well, motivation to leave my current job for one...anhh...let's take some baby steps first. So, baby step one. Meet up with all my foodie friends and start learning, tasting, pairing, and teaching. Once a month a girlfriend and I are planning said experience. There is already one group that does something similiar to this but to this point I have not yet been included. We are just not that close of friends, however, I hope to be able to incorporate myself into the group if mine fails miserably! Stay tuned.

God Bless America....a week late but...we shouldn't need a day!

This last weekend was filled with so many activities that Monday was here before I knew it, and then the work week, and now it is Friday and I am just getting to posting. We had a last minute BBQ on Friday, posted an Evite as many friends had nothing going on. Above is a shot of the most handsome host. How I love this guy! It is amazing how we come to the East Coast to advance my career and he is doing so awesome with his! Darrell just got rave reviews for managing his staff of 5 and the fact that he has passed every project against the city council that he has presented to them. He is so meticulous with financial details and presenting his reasoning! How can they say no. Sure genius! Love this guy! Anyway, "The Fourth" was a hit. We live on "the hill" so the view of the fireworks downtown are great from our deck. We had about 15 people over. A few showers but none-the-less people were fed and happy. I told the story of the Fish celebration and see that photos have been posted......thanks Sarah and all. I do miss the awesome personal show that comes with being a Missouri relative! Next year we should seriously consider coming out...although I still have scars from my last visit to the chiggers!!!!

Well...either way I love you guys and we will have to see the little ones sooner or later, whatever excuse we want to give the husband! Thanks so much for Natalie posting her love of the Star Spangled Banner. Written at Fort McHenry, I might add. Just about 3 miles away. Any time you want to come visit the home of the actual making of the flag (D and I have actually been there) or Fort McHenry, where it was written, just holler! Some serious great American History here on the East Coast. Next year, if we don't come to Missouri, I am considering going to D.C. where you can watch the fireworks to a full symphony orchestra overlooking the Washington Monument Fireworks Spectacular! You can't love freedom more than that!!!!

Miss you all- Cheers!- Steph

Stealing from Amanda

Alright, so I understand that the game is probably that I am supposed to be tagged before I lay out the three things about me but I just thought it was such a great way to tell about yourself, at least for that moment in time. So here it goes:

Three Joys

*Cooking (shocker!)

*Taking Fall Hikes with my wonderful husband and dog

*Snuggling my cat

Three Fears

*Heights

*Going fast (either in a ride, water skis, downhill skiing, etc.)

*Motorcycles

Three Goals

*Manage a product development lab

*Reach a 50 year wedding anniversary

*Complete another marathon under 4 hours and be able to walk the next day!

Current Three Obsessions

*Softball- In particular, avoiding making a fool of myself.
*Farmer's Markets on the weekends

*Not working over an extra 4 hours a week....not an easy one for me.

Three Surprising Facts

*I don't like Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Icing or Chocolate Ice Cream.

*I am completely uncoordinated and go through several injuries a week.

*I have to be reminded to drink water.

Three people I tag....I'll skip this one since I wasn't really tagged in the first place.

So that is me this week. I thought I might share this cute picture of Diana. Most of you haven't seen her since we adopted her two years ago. She is in love with Darrell!

Cheers!

Steph

I knew that!!

Alright, so it's back to work, play, and entertaining. How I get myself wrapped up into doing so many things, I don't know. Or do I and just didn't know it? Currently I am playing on three softball teams. One on Monday night, one on Tuesday and the other floats between Tuesday through Thursday. One team is really good, which is challenging and intimidating. One is so-so. And the third is "just for fun" and we are really pretty bad, although we have a winning record, meaning the other teams are even worse. Darrell refuses to play with this team as his competitive nature finds it completely frustrating. D and I only play on the Monday team together. We are both average players. Anyway, where am I going with all of this?
For work I set a personal goal to determine what makes me tick. I picked up this book- Now Discover Your Strengths. It is a great book to determine what it is that makes you who you are. Rather than focus on fixing your weaknesses, take a look at your strengths and make them work for you in the future. Ok so it requires you take an on-line survey. Once I saw my results, it was completely obvious. Achiever, Arranger, Focus, Analytical, and Significance. Ah...ya. Hello. Why did I need a book to tell me that!...anyway. I thought it was interesting that sometimes you need someone, even a book, to tell you things that you really already know. Just like Jen and her Whinny the Pooh survey. Ya I am totally Rabbit.
Well. Must go. Hope everyone is good and not getting too uncomfortable in this heat and water. Will catch up on everyone's sites soon and sorry to have missed last week's post.
Love you all.

Paris in the springtime....is COLD!!!

Paris in the springtime....is COLD!!!

Well we made it home safe and sound. Not without a few stomach and headaches on the flight home. A 23 hour long journey from the time we got up until the time we went to bed....way too much work for the last day of one's vacation. It was a lot of fun. Having never been to Europe and not being able to speak a word of French was interesting....Darrell speaks it well enough to get by. I thought what might be the best way to describe our trip is to go through a list of highlights that I wrote down as the week went along. Enjoy. A few photo's above..I would post more but they seem to be coming out fuzzy.

Eric Cartman Grafiti on the subway wall

Acordian playing on the metro

The Eiffel Tower at night and twinkling at dusk

Eating Chocolate Creps at the Eiffel Tower at night

600 + Steps up the Eiffel Tower during the day

Seeing men scaling the outside of the Eiffel Tower

Seeing the water lily garden of Monet at the Musée de l'Orangeries des Tuileries

Ordering a Salad Nicoise and getting a ham and cheese sandwhich..with an egg on it

Spilling half the shaker of pepper (white pepper...I hate white pepper) on my first meal

Buying a $5 umbrella to walk in Paris in the rain

Seeing the Church of Notre Dame and it's awesome stained glass. No wonder it took over 100 years to build.

The open grocery market with fruits, vegetables, fish, and cheese

Sitting in chairs lounging in the Place de la Concord

Riding bikes up the The Champs Elysées

Turning a 10 minute bike ride into a three neighborhood 45 minute bike workout

Shopping in Les Halles

Searching for an Irish Bar because the French don't believe in TV in their "bars"

Magners on Ice?

Seeing Napoleon's Tomb

Deciding not to actually go through the Luve and then realizing later that it was FREE!

Starbucks in the Luve??? Now I have seen everything!

Waffles with powdered sugar at Roland Garros

Seeing John McEnroe play tennis in senior's doubles with a Sweed! Darrell couldn't decide who to cheer for.

"Little Chef" made of chocolate..if you have seen the movie, you know what I mean.

Luxembourg Garden...Incredible.

Dinner with the Scottish and Lunch with the Ausie's

The view of the city from Sacre Coeur Basilica at night

Walking the hilly streets around the Moulin Rouge in high heals

Harry's New York Bar

Red Geraniums EVERYWHERE...in windows, in gardens and at Roland Garros.

Flower stores were just awesome and everywhere. Not a dead flower to be found..my favorite thing about Paris.

Bridge Club...seriously this place was packed on Friday night with people playing cards.

Three old English women commenting on Rafa Nadal picking his underwear (a nervous habit of his)..man we couldn't stop from laughing.

Two awesome days of tennis. One in the rain and the other with some sun.

Four hours of tennis..at least..in two different Irish Pubs...routing with the locals.


Coming home to three creatures who couldn't wait to see us! It feels great to be loved even when the vacation of love is over.

Gearing up for Paris

Well it surely has been a while since I have posted. Sorry for the delay. I was off to Michigan for a long weekend for my Aunt's funeral. Strait into three days of softball and a night of bowling for charity. Finally the long weekend to get ready to go off to Paris. Checking itinerary, hotels, exchanged rates and watching the French Open that started this weekend. The funeral went fine. I was glad that I was there for Mom. There are some good things that come from a funeral 5 months later, you don't do nearly as much sobbing and crying as it has pretty much already set in. Above is a picture of all of us. My grandmother (little on in front in flowers) is awesome. She had us all pretty crazy! I can see where we get our controlling "always on top of it" nature. Go figure.

This week it is going to be short...sorry about that. Darrell is wonderful...hummm I think I said that last time. Last week we celebrated our 15 year "togetherness" anniversary. Friday we leave for Paris. I don't even know where to go first while there. Top of the list is a trip to their open farmers market. Cheese, bread, and a glass of wine! Too bad I don't know a lick of French. This is going to be fun, either way. Darrell knows the sites and the language so I am going to take a vacation and not worry about any of it! If possible I will try to post while there. Love you all. Stay tuned for some great stories.