Oops

I thought it was impossible to kill rosemary.

{ Stupid root rot. }

Well, I stand corrected.

Rapid Recap

The month of May came with much to celebrate!  After we got home from Disney, Spencer and I spent our first anniversary by returning to the Mansion on Peachtree { love. love. love! }.  We dug our wedding cake out of the freezer, with a backup recreation on standby just in case.  And I was super-excited for an excuse to use my cake breaker.

{ The real cake is on the left.  And the dingle-hopper looking thing on the table?  It's a cake breaker! }

Then we celebrated Mother's Day with my family.  For the occasion, I attempted a Rose Cake inspired by I Am Baker.  { If you ever make it yourself, be sure to make a double batch of buttercream.  I only made one to start with, and then had to make another and match the pink all over again.  I can hear mom with the "I told you so" right... about... now.  I should've known better. }

{ Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. }

And Maude graduated from UGA!  I was so proud.  Like all the cool kids, she painted her mortarboard.  It made her much easier to spot on the field.  Plus, she had two tassels.  Blue for Education, and then red and gray because she's one smart cookie.

{ derp derp }

{ Thanks for the crooked picture, Jimmy Boy. }

Like any good fourth generation Bulldog, I had to find my name.

{ Look, Mom!  That's me! }

Then last week, Spencer was recognized for 10 years of service at the CFA Home Office.  The luncheon was beautiful, and it was fun to be the proud wife.

{ This photo is the reason I cut three inches off my hair on Thursday.  Why didn't anyone tell me it had gotten so bad! }

And in the midst of all this, we cleared out the condo and officially became landlords.   It's been so nice to focus on our house for a change!

It's been a busy few weeks, but good ones.  Here's to a fabulous June!

Simple Sides: Grilled Zucchini

I have a husband who, if left to himself, would live on chicken fingers and pepperoni pizza.  And he did, for quite some time. { Upon reading this just now, Spencer adds, "Hey!  I eat peanut butter, too!"  I rest my case. }

Until we started dating, very few vegetables were even in his vocabulary.  Least of all zucchini.  { As my cousin Dave used to say, "that's you-keeny, not my-keeny!" } But I snuck in some grilled zucchini recently and he actually liked it.  It was easy to make and definitely qualifies as a vegetable, so I liked it, too.

Next time you're grilling steaks, burgers, chicken or anything along those lines... give these a try!

Grilled Zucchini

You'll need:

• Zucchini (one medium sized per person, depending on how many other sides you're serving)
• Italian Salad Dressing (I use the Kraft Roasted Red Pepper variety, but any will work)

• First, slice off the stem end of each zucchini.
• Cut each one in half lengthwise, then into three or four triangular logs per half (depending on the diameter of your vegetable, you'll get 6-8 logs out of each).  You just want to make sure that they're not so thin that they'll fall through your grill grates.
• Pour a little of the salad dressing into the bottom of a rectangular baking dish, just enough to thinly coat.
• Layer the zucchini logs in your dish, alternating with salad dressing, and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

• Place zucchini on the grill, perpendicular to the grates, and cook over medium-high heat.  Turn every 3-4 minutes as nice grill marks begin to appear.  You'll rotate each piece a total of three times to have markings on each side (including the green one).

Quick, summer-y... and good for you, too.  Enjoy!

You Pick 'Em

I love where my parents live.  There's just room to breathe.  If it wasn't so far from the office and from civilization... we might just live out that way.

One of the perks: Deer Creek Farms is nearby.  Not only can you stop by for some of the freshest, most delicious produce around... you can actually pick your own!

Today's crop... strawberries.  The smaller, the sweeter!

The growing season has been unusually short because of all the cold we had this winter, but these were some of the best berries I've ever eaten.  Blackberries will be ripe and ready to pick toward the end of the month, so if you're in Macon, Forsyth or the vicinity... stop by Deer Creek!  Last year's blackberries were unreal, and I'm sure this year's will be just as good.  { And if you don't have time to pick, they have them pre-picked, too. }

Now, there are some things I don't like about middle Georgia.  Like these little boogers, for example.

{ Guess he wanted a strawberry, too. }

Cicadas.  And not just your garden variety summer cicada, either.  Meet Brood XIX.  These dudes lay in hiding for 13 years and make one heck of a racket to let you know they're back. { When these bugs last saw the light of day, *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys were big.  And I still had braces. }

Their welcome wagon sounds nothing like a cricket chirp.  We're talking all day, every day, I-think-it's-a-burglar-alarm-down-the-road wailing.  When we first heard it on Easter Sunday, Dad and Spencer drove around the neighborhood trying to figure out who's alarm was going off.  People were calling 911 because they thought it was a tornado siren.  It's supposed to last through most of the summer.

Maybe you get used to it.  But I haven't.  At least they hush at night!

Keys to the (Magic) Kingdom

Growing up in Florida kind of made me a Disney fanatic.  Having resident passes as a kid, we went all. the. time.  Some of my favorite childhood memories are there.  And I've always been intrigued by how they put everything together so seamlessly.  { Or how they manage to tame giant ants. }

{ On the "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids!" playground at Disney's MGM Studios when I was maybe 8 }

But did you know that there is a part of Walt Disney World that 95% of guests will never see?  And that some people think only exists in Disney legends?  Well, I can vouch that the the Utilidors { or "the tunnels", as most Cast Members call them } are definitely real.  Definitely underneath the park, not underground { this is Florida, folks.  Underground = underwater }.  And definitely cool.

As part our recent trip, we went on the "Keys to the Kingdom" Tour.  It started at 9:00, with a requested arrival time of 8:45.  Being the punctual { okay, OCD } person that I am, I did some investigating beforehand.  The park doesn't open until 9:00, so I was all concerned about finding this little Tour Garden where we were supposed to meet our guide.  And as usual, I had no reason to worry.  In true Disney fashion, everything was seamless.  There's a gate for early access, just for tours and appointments {at places like the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique }.  And the cool part was, we were virtually the only people in the park because it wasn't open yet.  It was a great chance for fun photos without the crowds.  If you're ever making appointments for the kiddos or choosing a tour time for yourself, I would definitely recommend those before the park opens.

{ Contrary to popular belief, this is Roy O. Disney, Walt's older brother }

And the tour itself was just so neat!  We had eleven people in our group, and we spent the day learning about all kinds of Disney "magic".  Little things, like how the tree outside the Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square has 13 lanterns hanging from it, one for each colony.  And how the address at the Hall of Presidents is 1787, the year the Constitution was ratified.

{ It's all in the details. }

Then there were the hidden Mickeys located throughout the park.  There's an entire book dedicated to it, so we were only shown a few by comparison.  But it's still fun to feel like you're in the know!  Most were placed there by Imagineers as a way to sign their work, but there's one in the Haunted Mansion that was started by Cast Members.  Apparently when an Imagineer stops by they'll undo it... but as soon as they leave the Cast Members will put it back.  Pretty cool!

We took a private ride on the Jungle Cruise.  There's a hidden Mickey in there, and even an homage to disco, but given my recent experience with Tai these guys were my favorite.  : )

Speaking of the Haunted Mansion... I think we saw someone we know. { Or is it knew? }

{ Sorry, Maude.  Couldn't resist. }

Of course you can't take pictures of the infamous tunnels, but honestly they're not that much to look at.  They were designed by Admiral Joe Fowler, and since he was in the Navy... they feel a whole lot like a color-coded submarine.  Each area is painted differently so that you know what's above you.  There are all sorts of secrets under there... things that shape your experience up above.  But things I won't spoil for you. : )

If you're at all interested in what goes into a Disney Park experience, I would highly recommend the Keys to the Kingdom tour.  It was well worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Just A Sneak Peek

Yesterday, it was the Magic Kingdom...

Today, the world! { Well, more like Epcot. Or Hollywood Studios. }