Oh yeaaaaahhhh!!

I was planning to go to a prenatal yoga class tonight, but my computer and I got in a fight and I just wasn’t in the mood come 5:30. So instead Matt and I went on a gorgeous evening walk down our favorite street. It was just as relaxing!

Pre-walk snack – yogurt, strawberry jam and granola

When we got home, we put dinner into the oven. I couldn’t wait to have a big tofu roast!

Twin Oaks Tofu and potatoes went in (coated in EVOO and herbs and salt) at 400* for about 45 minutes

And potatoes and zucchini went in second round with about 20 minutes to go

Topped with greek yogurt and ketchup, this dinner was the best thing I’ve eaten all week!! I had no trouble calling this dinner delicious.

That is until Ellen showed up with this gorgeous dozen of mini cupcakes from our local sweet shop, Sweet Haus!

The three of us did a taste test of all the flavors. This was great buttercream! My favs were the strawberry, pistachio (which surprised me!) and Oreo : )

And now I’m off to enjoy the baby cupcake happy kicks! I actually made a video of my stomach moving around last night – crazy movements! It’s a little too personal to blog since I’m lying in bed in my PJs, but I’ll do one that’s more public-appropriate in time!

Happy Wedding Day to Matt + Abby!!

I have known Matt since I was young. We were in all of the same classes throughout high school and are great friends who also happen to love to argue (Duke v. Carolina!) We were voted “Most Likely To Succeed” together in high school, and all of our classmates have joked for years that political Matt Compton would be president someday. He isn’t far off because he actually works in the White House!

I’ve known Abby since she and Matt started dating years ago and these two are truly the perfect match. She is sweet as can be and works in Washington for Share Our Strength.

After the gorgeous ceremony (I honored the “please no photography” request), we headed to the Carolina Inn for a lovely reception.

Beginning with a snazzy first dance

We sampled a few passed apps, such as this fried green tomato + pimento cheese!

Cocktails –

A mix of pineapple + grenadine + lime for me and the babe

Matt’s mom, Marcia, is a loyal KERF reader : ) I brought her some Cville Cluster granola, which she loves!

We were starving by the time dinner was served and the food tasted amazing!

Southern style with a twist – cheddar ham biscuits, crawfish hushpuppies, goat cheese + artichoke balls and lamb.

Plus the main stations of prime rib, shrimp + grits and antipasto

Lots of dancing followed!

Until it was time to rumble the cupcake mountain!

Matt and I actually went to high school with the owner of The Cupcake Shoppe in Raleigh who did the ‘cakes for tonight!

And these ‘cakes were AWESOME!

Matt and I tried a vanilla and a chocolate. The buttercream was fabulous and the cake part moist and sweet. I especially loved the fondant hat! This wedding cake lover was very happy!

Matt let me hold his champagne during the toasts so I’d feel cool : )

I loved all the North Carolina themes at the wedding, including party favors of Krispy Kreme and Cheerwine!

We didn’t dance the night away, as Matt has been up since 4 in the morning and was ready to head back on the earlier side, but we had a great time and wish Matt and Abby the best!

After a couple of episodes of Portlandia and a bit of relaxation, we found ourselves recharged enough to venture back out into the world.

We did a few laps on the downtown mall before settling in for dinner. Had to work back our appetites!

Back in October, at our first visit to Commonwealth, Larbs made the following comment:

And then earlier this year, on our third visit, she planned tonight’s dinner:

So Commonwealth was where we went!

We have very similar taste, so I knew she’d like it. I hoped she’d love it! The girl loves tasting food even more than I do!

We started with cocktails on the rooftop deck

And then headed downstairs for dinner a while later

We were tucked in a cozy, dark corner. Great for us, bad for photos!

On this visit to Commonwealth, I had a dish with coconut rice and have been thinking about it ever since! It was like rice pudding it was so perfectly coconutted. So when I saw the same rice on the menu tonight, I had to get whatever came with it. Luckily it was a dish that sounded great!

Trout with Spiced Cashews and Coconut Rice

This was absolutely incredible. From the rice, of course, to the blackened bits of spicy nuts to the succulent trout. Best CW entrée to date!

Matt had gourmet-fried chicken with plantains.

You’ll have to check Larbs’s blog to see what she had, but her redfish was awesome as well. I’d say she liked them, as the dishes she and her Matt shared got high marks:

Dessert was…interesting. Being a table full of foodies, we must have debated what to do for 15 whole minutes. The boys were “up for whatever” and Larbs and I, always striving to make the perfect decision, were trying to get them to vote between the Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart and ice cream at Chaps. Finally it was decided we would get the PB&Chocolate dish and those who still wanted ice cream after (Matt A!) would be accompanied to Chaps. So complicated!

When the dessert arrived, we were surprised by the fruity sauce on the bottom. And we didn’t see any traces of peanut butter. Not only did we debate bite after bite if there actually was peanut butter involved, but we also though the whole dessert just tasted kind of odd. Larbs was just SURE it was not the right one.

Finally, after the dish was gone, we asked the server how the peanut butter was incorporated to settle the debate. And he told us we had consumed the Amaretto Chocolate Torte! No wonder it tasted off – I don’t like amaretto! [If you do, you would have loved this.]

We were totally fine with the misunderstanding, but our server ended up bringing us the Peanut Butter Tart anyways – and of course we had to give it a try as well. It was awesome! Huge props to Commonwealth for their generosity!

Can’t wait for our next visit. As much as I think Larbs would like to return, next time she has already requested Zocalo and the Relleno Pepper!

Our final night! Sad!

It began with cocktail hour at sunset

After fresh showers

Snacks included wheat thins and cheese, plus some munch sesame sticks mom brought from home.

We walked to dinner after some conversation

Karen, your swing misses you!!

Dress loose = nothing to show. Dress tight =

We went to Mojo’s for dinner, which is the former Ebb + Flo’s that we loved for an inexpensive seafood dinner. Sadly, the ownership and therefore the menu has changed and everything is 50% more expensive

We tried the sweet potato fries to start

And guess who ate a SALAD for dinner!! I’m feeling much more like my old self! The salad was greens with a few veggies and olives

Larbs and I shared the blackened catfish over grits, so I topped my salad with my portion.

This ended up tasting wonderful!! Loved the good ole Southern grits.

Back at home, we played a family game of Rummikub. Every played this game? It’s one of my very favorites!! We’ve been playing for years and years.

Dad won.

Cake x3 nights in a row. I don’t want to say I’m caked out…but I kind of am. But I’m sure a week from now I’ll be wishing I had a slice! This was one of the best cakes ever [from Carolina Cake Company in Durham]. This plate looks huge, but it was a small desert plate – we made the cake stretch 3 nights perfectly!

It was a great day for a beach walk!

The weather was great, and the sun shining. Here’s where the coastal waters mix on the tip of NC!

We did some relaxing

Which required shade in order to read on my Kindle app!

And then went on an hour walk

We saw birds, dolphins and this poor jellyfish.

And we would like to ask the scientists of the group if this is a snake skeleton or some kind of rough seaweed!?!? The pieces were hard – like bones. Mom didn’t believe it was a snake and picked it up, but I think it was!

When we came back, we had cocktail hour on the balcony.

I munched on a few cheese + crackers due to my appetite

And then we headed to the Bald Head Island Club again for dinner and were excited to find a nacho bar! March madness was in full swing.

As soon as we walked into the grill/bar room, Steve, our friend who works there, brought me a club soda and cranberry. He knows my favorite drink!

For dinner I ordered the fish tacos, which came with a black bean cake

Sadly these were not my favorite. They were missing a layer of flavor in some way or another. I ate half and shared with dad. Larbs shared some of her shrimp + grits with me.

We sat at the bar so we could watch the Duke game and quickly departed during halftime to go home for dessert and finish the game in the cozy suite. Sadly the game was NOT GOOD!

Mom just opened her presents – she received a bee-theme gift bag from me because her name is Buzz! She went by Buzz as a child, and Matt calls her Buzz. She hopes to be Grandma Buzz soon! I got her bee soap, a purse with a bee on it, a bee rattle, and a bee burp cloth to keep at her house!

Then we enjoyed cake, round II! Tasted just as good  : )

Excited for night #2 in my awesome cozy bed!

Boy is it gorgeous here! But also a bit chilly. Not the 80* I left in the mountains with the marsh breezes.

We found Larbs on an earlier ferry and in time for dinner!

Birthday girl

Note that this was before I ate dinner : )

We went to the Bald Head Island Club for dinner and ate in the bar

Round of cocktails – cran soda for me

For dinner I had the Shrimp Quesadillas, which have been on my mind since Larbs blogged about them a month ago.

They were everything and more! I distributed one around the table and ate the other three, along with some of mom’s salad for some greens

One of the reasons we went to the grill though was because it was all-you-can-eat pasta night. Dad too full advantage of the offer and had two huuuuge bowls!

But the party really began when we returned to our room for mom’s buttercream dream

Unfortunately, NC was so hot today that the buttercream melted off in the car during our ride!!! The first question Larbs and I asked was “well is it still there or a sugar puddle!?” When dad said it was still ther e- just on the bottom – we knew things would be OK.

Cause we girls just love vanilla.

We all agreed this cake was wedding cake quality, which is the top prize to be awarded!

Now in pajamas, we’re excited to get cozy in bed.

Sweet dreams!

I’ve had a really great day!!! We got SO MUCH accomplished – from a nursery facelift, to lots of cleaning, to a front porch curb appeal mini-makeover [with plants and junk removed], to Lowes for a super-fun purchase, to an awesome al fresco dinner! It was go, go, go, but in a really good way. I’m beat!!

Afternoon snacks:

After dropping off the groceries, I ran to Sara’s to say hello and pick up some mail. When I returned, I found this romantic table set for two!

Matt grilled BBQ chicken and zucchini and served ‘em with a hot buttered Virginia roll

Bone Suckin’ Sauce was the base for this BBQ flavor. Matt marinated the chicken (briefly) then grilled it and reduced the sauce into a thick syrup for optimal flavor.

Veggies at 2 meals today – and no evening nausea (and no meds!) I think today must be a turning point. [KNOCKONWOOD]

We listened to Norah Jones on Pandora by a lavender candle that Sara gave me! I may have worn two fleeces, but it was great to eat outdoors as the sun set!

While at Lowes today, I was suckered into supporting the Girl Scouts. I like to buy a box each year for each of us to make a scout happy for a sale. She likes mint, he likes PB. I’ll probably stick these in the freezer and eat them one-by-one for months! Not healthy, but nostalgic.

I have boatloads of reading to do in my freshly washed sheets tonight. And I can’t stop peeking into the nursery to check out our new art!!

Hope you all have great starts to your week tomorrow!

There’s always a party going on here! This afternoon/evening, Gram hosted about 40 of her friends to welcome us to Towson.

The table was set with appetizers and the bar was fully stocked

Club Soda + cherries for me

I had tastes of everything, but didn’t have too much since we were headed to dinner afterwards

Pop was there in spirit

Upon my request for crabcakes, we headed to the Peppermill for dinner

Rolls got us thinking about what to order

And I had more club soda, but the Manhattans sitting next to me kept my nose happy with wafts of wonderful bourbon.

I didn’t need to crack open the menu – I ordered what I always get!

Starter salad, which comes with the entrée

And two broiled crabcakes!

Plus a side of applesauce as the “vegetable”

The Peppermint Peppermill is famous for its desserts, all made in house. Mom, Larbs and I shared a bread pudding and a banana crème pie. I couldn’t fit too much – these were huuuuge!

This afternoon I put my feet up in this king size bed and instantly fell asleep. I absolutely cannot wait to climb back in!!

Matt and I had a glorious romantic walk on the beach this afternoon – about an hour and a half of toes in the sand!!

A fleece was still necessary, but the toes came out to play.

We walked under the setting sun and straight to a rockin’ party going on back at the hotel!

A bunch of owners and some of the Dillon staff gathered on one of the old balconies in the historic part of the hotel. The atmosphere – chilly like the Florida panhandle was the warmest spring break we could afford – and lots of solo cups and beer brought the party to frat level. ‘Twas very fun though!! Hilarious bunch!

After a few hours of partying (a had the best mixed drink – 2 parts hydrogen, 1 part oxygen!), we headed back to change for our farewell dinner.

There was salad and soup, a pasta bar

And two kinds of sliders: pork and kobe beef

And of course a dessert table!

Matt and I weren’t very hungry for some reason. Must have been that Great Harvest bread we had at lunch! I also didn’t take my morning sickness medicine and felt fine all day until dinnertime when foods just started seeming gaggy again. So weird how it comes on. I wasn’t really nauseous and didn’t have trouble eating, but some foods I just didn’t want to swallow. Chewing would have been fine – it was the swallowing that was off. That’s the best way I can describe it!

Anyways, Matt and I shared two plates – mixed pastas and sliders + salad

I’m just not much of a pasta person, but the sliders were great!! How did I turn into a meat person!?

Karen and I shared a dessert plate – the cheesecake was great; the tarts OK.

We had a band tonight, but most people were more into talking than dancing.

I’m sad for convention to be over, but we just got the word that next year it’s in Tucson! Please tell me Tucson is warm in February! We are hoping that if things turn out OK, we’ll bring the baby with us and the three of us can alternate babysitting. There are lots of kids here this weekend and a few babies, so it’s a family friendly conference. A vacation to look forward to too!

I’m off to read in bed for a bit. I left Matt at the party drinkin’ beer with Jerry, Karl and Matt F!

After a few hours of working on bakery stuff indoors during what felt like a hurricane, Matt and I finally decided to borrow umbrellas from the concierge and walk downtown. The wind was so bad (I hear 40+ mph!) that my umbrella flipped inside out! We eventually did something hilarious together: we got manicures! My nails were in horrible shape and Matt decided to go for a hand massage himself.

On our walk home, we stumbled upon an old timey candy store!! The kind of bins and bins of candy selections – a Willy Wonka dream.

Seeing as I am reminiscing all-things-childhood these days, I had to stop in and bought a few nibbles of my favorite childhood candies: sour patch kids, gummi bears, toasted marshmallow Jelly Belly and raspberries! The Reese’s was Matt’s! It has been years since I’ve had a fun mixed bag of candy like this – and it tasted even better than I remember! My palate is so weird these days!

We dressed up for dinner and went to the hotel bar to enjoy a cocktail before the evening:

Manhattan for Matt, Grey Goose for Karen and a Lemon Drop for me!

Lemon Drop meaning a lemonade mixture (lemon juice and simple syrup) in a martini glass. Tastes just as good as the alcoholic version!

Dinner and the awards ceremony tonight was held in the famous Crown Ballroom – check out the crown lights!

We had a seated dinner of salads

Rolls

Table poured wine (I had a few sips, but I had to tell the server to stop filling the glass at my seat or Matt would end up too tipsy!)

I often request the vegetarian dish at big catered events like this for meat quality purposes and because there are often more veggies involved in the veg dish (often, not always!) Tonight’s was roasted cauliflower over mashed potatoes. Is “Protein-free” a new diet!? I kid. But some beans would have been nice.

It tasted great, but Matt’s beef was actually really good, so we traded 1/3 for 1/3.

Dessert was FAB!! A rich chocolate column with raspberry and whipped cream!

And I’m 3 for 3 on decaf coffee with meals today! Fancy.

The evening concluded with the exciting awards event. Stores across the country are recognized for sales volume, sales growth and the coveted Phenomenal Bread Awards. And one special store wins the honor of Strong & Exciting Bakery of the year.

First year stores send in a loaf each month that gets blindly taste-tested with all the others among the GH staff (who are about as sophisticated in bread quality tasting as it gets!)

Since we decided to open a bakery 3 years ago and signed our franchise agreement, Matt told a few of the staff that he was shooting high for the Phenomenal Bread Award his first year, which has never been done.

But Matt has a very special talent for baking, and we became the first first-year store to ever win the Young Bakery Phenomenal Bread Award!!

It was his dream come true ; )

But like the sign says, the crew deserves most of the credit! A huge congrats to Sponge + Dough guys Nathan and Alex, Baker John and the outstanding Kneading Crew for their great work making these phenomenal loaves!!!