{Weekend Recap} Viking Cooking School

This past weekend Michael and I cashed in on a Christmas present from his parents and attended a couple's cooking class at the Viking Cooking School in Mississippi. I guess you can technically term the weekend a "Babymoon Getaway," because we left Maylin in the care of my in-laws and traversed into a different state for an overnight stay all by ourselves. In a hotel. It was glorious.

We left bright and early Saturday morning and landed at our destination {after a Starbuck and Target stop... I mean, what vacay is complete without those?} mid-afternoon. Since we were both famished, having consumed nothing but grande cups of caffeine, we immediately checked into the hotel and went in search of food. 

We stumbled upon this darling, eclectic little bistro in walking distance from our hotel with the most intriguing menu. I wish we stayed longer than overnight because I could have eaten at this place for every meal and been perfectly happy. I wanted to try everything!

I eventually settled on a fried green tomato BLT and a side salad with the lemony house dressing. Michael decided on the Bourbon and Coke fried chicken sliders with homemade French fries.

Not wanting to ruin our appetite for the meal at Viking later that evening, we both cleaned our plates. 

We couldn't help it.

After lunch, we walked around the downtown area, taking in the sights and sounds of the local festival that happened to be taking place that weekend. We visited a quaint bookshop with an art gallery on the second floor and a little Southern gift shop. It was the perfect way to pass the time before our 5:00 PM class.

We were met at the school by a spunky chef who introduced herself as our instructor for the evening. There were eight people taking the class, including Michael and me, so we spent the first few minutes gathered around the long table introducing ourselves and splitting into "teams" of four to cook the meal.

Michael and I chose the Date Night class because we thought it would be fun to cook a meal we'd probably order if we were to go out for an anniversary. It was really neat to learn the proper way to prepare dishes like filet mignon and raspberry tart. You can see the full menu below.

One of the best parts about the class is that you get to keep the recipes and instructions for each dish you make that night.  I vowed to recreate this for our anniversary one year... maybe not this year since our Hartlie baby will be less than a month old and I'm just not setting my expectations that high... but eventually. Maybe next year. Or for Michael's birthday.

I'm an avid Food Network fan and I cook pretty often. While I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, I feel I am pretty familiar with some kitchen tips and tricks just because I've watched Giada, Ina, and Bobby model them on t.v. It was especially neat to see a chef in real life use and teach the same skills I've seen on many Food Network shows.  It made me feel more confident about putting those skills into practice.

After cooking the meal, we sat at the long table and ate what we prepared. It was the most satisfying and rewarding part of the evening. And everything actually tasted good! Better than good, even. Really, really, scrumptiously delicious. Michael single-handedly grilled the filet mignon for our team, and they were perfect. I was so proud of him! I'm envisioning many a steak this summer on the Big Green Egg.

Aside from the steak, my favorite component of the main course was the Spring Pea Pesto that was served atop the salmon. Salmon isn't necessarily my favorite, but oh my goodness, I could've eaten the entire piece as long as I had that pesto. Unfortunately, the pesto on my plate ran out before the salmon did, probably because the salmon-pesto ratio on my fork heavily favored the pesto, so I only ate half of my fish. 

BUT. As much as I loved everything else, the absolute crowning dish of the night was the rustic raspberry tart with almond filling and sweetened whipped cream. I'm not even usually a dessert person since my tastebuds lean more towards the savory, but my mouth is watering right now just remembering it's goodness! The flaky crust, warm soft raspberries, creamy filling, and slightly sweetened fluff from the cream. I truly don't think I've ever had a better dessert. I bought a tart pan from the Viking shop just so I can recreate it whenever I want. Which will probably be frequently. At least, I dearly hope so. There can be no such thing as too much of this tart in my life.

The next morning our internal alarm clocks beeped at 6:30 AM, so we helped ourselves to cups of coffee from the in-room Keurig and snuggled in bed.

It was pretty nice to lounge without waiting for the baby to get up.

At about 7:30 we trekked upstairs to the fourth floor breakfast room and ate outside on the terrace overlooking downtown. It was so peaceful and pretty, since we were the only people eating outside {why??} until right before we finished our meal.

I of course had to snap a picture of the breakfast view. Nothing but concrete and buildings, but they can be pretty in their own right with a little help from early morning sunlight.

And the Episcopalian church right next door would've been gorgeous at any time of the day. 

After breakfast we showered and then went back to bed until getting ready for lunch around 10:30. This never, never happens in our home, but it was so enjoyable! If any shops would've been open that Sunday morning we probably would've explored instead, but I'm not complaining a bit with how the morning turned out!

We snapped our first hotel selfie right before stepping out for lunch. Hello there, 36 week baby bump.

It was a wonderful trip overall, and the perfect amount of time to be away from our Maylin. We were both ready for hugs and kisses when we got back. We really enjoyed ourselves, enough that we'd like to go back and take another class. Perhaps next time we'll stay a Friday, Saturday, Sunday so we can eat at that downtown bistro an extra time. And maybe to see a bit more of the town, too.

{Lifestyle} Maylin's Nursery Tour

There have been changes galore around our house over the past month. Remember that nesting I was talking about? That's part of the reason. Besides tying up a few odds and ends around the house {we've lived in our home a year and I juuuuust got decor hung in the living room} one major project has been converting the upstairs guest room to a "big girl room" for Maylin to move into eventually. Eventually. She's still my only child and she's still my baby so let's not rush things here, but if I'm honest with myself I know this room must be ready sooner than later. Michael broke down the big double bed and moved it to storage, and I've spent a good portion of the last two weeks cleaning closets, moving items from one place to another, and clearing space for the toddler that will soon move in. It's pretty much ready for a permanent resident, whenever I decide to make that switch. I'll have a more detailed post of the Teepee Room in the future, but today I wanted to focus on etching Maylin's nursery into the stone of my blog. 

I've spent many, many, many hours over the past 12 months in this little room, and I've come to love it as much as I love my favorite book, almost as much as I love my old teddy bear. It holds such dear memories of Maylin's first year. Most of the time when I think back to special mama-daughter moments we've had, they've taken place right here in the upstairs corner room with the east window. We've wept together, clung to each other, giggled and played, met milestones, changed many a poopy diaper, taken quite a few naps, read stories, squeezed bears, babbled, toddled, smiled, snuggled, and  prayed. It was in this room that we struggled through our breastfeeding journey, flourished in it, and eventually ended it. It was in this room we both learned to love Good Night Moon. I sat outside the door of this room listening to Maylin cry until I couldn't stand it any longer {Babywise be damned}, gathered her into my arms in the pitch black of night, and rocked her with her warm, soft little face nuzzled against my neck.  I watched as the quiet purple of evening crept across the room while she took her bedtime milk; I watched as the pink of the eastern sun peeked it's way through the gauzy curtains; I prayed that she'd sleep safely and soundly at night and that her disposition would be cheery and easy with the coming day. I cannot separate this room from the deepest, most special moments of our mama-daughter relationship.

Don't mind the coffee cup that appears randomly, it was very early in the AM when these were taken.

With Hartlie Baby quickly on the way {less than a month!}, and with the big girl room ready for occupation, I've been thinking of the changes that will take place in my beloved nursery. Maylin's things will be removed from walls, taken off shelves, relocated to new places. I'm fine with this, I really am, but before the outer shell of this nursery changes irrevocably, I wanted to capture its magic. I want to keep it tucked away so I can remember it forever the way that it is, a treasury of moments between Maylin and me. So, one morning last week I straightened it up {it doesn't look this neat all the time, believe me!}, grabbed my camera, threw open the curtains, and snapped away. 

Most of the features of this room will stay the same:: the crib, the glider, the bookshelf, the dresser. Only very "small" changes will be taking place. Hartlie will have new wall decor, her own personal relics will line the shelves, the bookcase will showcase her personal property. I am looking forward to making new mama-daughter memories with her in this room, knowing in my heart that it's value will only increase with the addition of another baby daughter living within its walls. There will be twice as many smiles, twice as many tears, just as many all-nighters and dawns. New stories will be read, new bears will be squeezed, new games will be played. It is not the removal of one set of memories for another, but rather the addition of special moments to the repertoire I already have. In my mind it's difficult to fathom so much more good happening in this room, but in my heart I know it's true.

I wasn't aware I had so much to say about a bedroom, of all things, so forgive my long-winded sappiness. I blame it all on 9 month pregnancy hormones. And the fact that I am now referring to my daughter's age in years rather than months. I blame it on that, too. Or I could just wrap all the blame into one word:: Motherhood.

The last few pictures will be thrown up quickly- not to diminish their importance, but to save myself from the lump in my throat and to release you from any further loss of precious time.  

Nursery, you've been good to Maylin and me. Deeply, deeply, good. I am confident you will not disappoint with our Hartlie Baby. 

Finally, I simply had to capture the occupant in her element. Morning sleepy eyes with a bottle in her hand. Be still my heart.

{Recap} A Few of My Favorite

...Moments from the past few weeks {okay, month, but really, who's counting?}.

This month has been really crazy busy for our little family. In all honesty, I can't really put a finger on what's been keeping me so tied up, but I've rarely had an afternoon to sit down and blog. On the days I'm not running somewhere with a to-do list in my hand or an event to attend, I'm cleaning/rearranging/decluttering/scrubbing my house. Because, you know, of nesting. I can't hardly stand the thought of sitting to blog when there is a floor to be mopped {again}, baby laundry to be folded, or crumbs to be vacuumed. This is all while Maylin is napping, of course, because the child has begun to walk and she is everywhere and into everything all the time. On the days I'm not frenetically nesting and Maylin is napping, I'm taking a nap as well because sometimes exhaustion from being 30+ weeks pregnant takes precedence. It just does.

Anyway....

Favorite moments from the past month commencing now.

Maylin's first Easter Egg hunt sponsered by our church on Good Friday::

Hunting Easter eggs in general at my and Michael's parents' homes::

I should have just titled this post, "A Thousand Pictures of Maylin Doing Pretty Much the Same Thing." Sorry about that. Motherhood. {I'm sorry Maylin, that your mama is obnoxious with the picture-taking; and I'm sorry furture children that you won't have half the pictures taken of you as Maylin has had. It's a win/win, or maybe a win/lose, for everybody.} Moving right along.

Play Date at the Park::

Our first official play date, and it was so fun. Look at these little cuties!

Family Crawfish Boil::

Maylin is to the point in her life that she toddles more often than she crawls. Unless she wants to scurry somewhere super fast. I am okay with this because it has been my fervent prayer since the day that little blue plus sign showed up on the pregnancy test that Maylin will be a proficient enough walker by the time Baby Sister is born that I don't have to carry two babies at once around the house. She has roughly 4 more weeks to become "proficient." We can do this.

In summary, the month of April was spent with lots of family, plenty of time outside, baskets full of Easter eggs, and arms full of bunny hugs. Not a bad way to spend the first full month of Spring. I'll take it any day.

{Miss Maylin} 12 Months Old

This is my last monthly update on my Maylin baby. So many things have changed since I began these monthly updates on my old blog. They've been so fun to do, and I'm glad I have a record of the first year of Maylin's life. It's unbelievable how much a baby grows and develops, both physically and mentally, in the course of its first life. I truly couldn't fathom the way Maylin is now when she was snuggled up to me at one week old. I'm not too terribly sad that these updates are ending, because let's be honest, getting her to take posed photos during the past few months has been more than a little frustrating. In fact, it's been downright impossible. I much prefer that thrill of getting a perfect candid these days. And by perfect I mean not blurry. If she happens to be looking in the direction of the camera lense then that's bonus. I take what I can get.

Miss Maylin, at 12 months old you::

~ have two bottom teeth, no top teeth yet, that we brush during bathtime. You can hold your own toothbrush and gnaw on it to get all those germies out. Brushing your teeth is one of your favorite things to do.

~ love to brush your hair. Or rather, love to have me brush your hair. You've recently grown hair on the back of your head that is just long enough to get a little crazy after naptimes. In order to coax it back down, we brush. I think it's calming to you because you'll allow me to brush it for several minutes while you're sitting still. Which is a rarity nowadays. Also, you've started "brushing" the hair of your animals when you play.

~ love to read books. You will bring me a book to read and crawl in my lap. You love pointing to the pictures in the book and saying "ba!" {your all-time favorite expression}, and you also are very adept at turning the pages. I've even found you looking through books all by yourself during play time.

~ are not walking yet, although you walk like a pro behind your walker, or when someone is holding your hands, or when you're pushing your activity table across the floor. You've taken one step with one foot on several occasions, but you have yet to make forward progress with two feet. I'm predicting within the next month we'll have a perfectly able little walker on our hands.

~ are great at standing. When I put you on the ground you lock your knees to land on your feet instead of sitting on your bottom. Then you stand in that spot for a good while until you decide you're ready to move, which you then do by crawling. Sometimes Gollum style {you can watch that movie when you're older to get the reference}, sometimes in the regular fashion.

~ can point to your belly button, mouth, and eyes when asked. You can also point out these features on your babies and animals. We're currently working on pointing to your feet, ears, and nose.

~ can make the sound of a puppy when asked. Pretty sure you picked this up from big brother {aka frenemy} Deuce. I never consistently tried to teach you this sound, you kind of just started doing it one day. Of course, the sound you make is not the traditional "ruff ruff," but rather an open-mouthed "hah, hah, hah, hah" to simulate a panting dog. This is what makes me believe you picked this up all on your own from big brother. I know I would have taught you to say "ruff ruff." It wouldn't have occured to me to teach you a panting noise.

~ have quite the relationship with objects. Whether it be a stuffed animal, a baby doll, a plastic figurine. You choose one by pointing in the morning when I get you out of your crib, and you're liable to hold on to it the entire day. 

~ can hug said object when prompted "Can you give the puppy some loving?"

~ can find and point to/crawl to your baby, puppy, bear, blanket, book, Daniel Tiger, passy, bottle, Deuce, rocking horse, light, Daddy, and Mama.

~ recognize the phrases: {1} Are you ready to get down? {2} Change a diaper {3} Are you ready for a nap? {4} Do you want a bottle? {5} Where is..... {6} No, No ma'am, Don't... {7} Are you done? 

~ still aren't saying any recognizable words, although you can shake your head no and point to whatever you want. Which accounts for about 80% of your communication needs.

~ wear size 3 diapers.

~ wear size 9-12 months clothes, some 6 month dresses you can still wear as a top. You can also still wear 6 month onesies because they fit your torso. Your legs do not fit in 6 month pjs or leggings anymore.

~ weigh 19 pounds!!!! Woo Hoo!!! 

~ nap two times daily, for about an hour and a half in the morning and afternoon. 

~ sleep from 6:30-7:00 PM to 7:30 AM. And your daddy and I love you for it.

~ eat three solid meals a day, plus drink four 6-8 oz bottles of organic whole milk.

~ stayed overnight at your Emme and Papa's house twice. Both times you slept great with little to no fussing.

Oh Maylin. I have loved your first year. I can't wait to see how much you grow and change over the next twelve months. It will be just as astounding, I'm sure. I love you, my Maylin girl.