Mmmmmmmmm good!

Paul was going to a coaching clinic. So, I traveled to Rolling Fork on Saturday morning to spend the night with my mommy and daddy. Mom and I went to Lake Village, Ark., to Paul Michael's. And, man, did I spend some money! Bad stuff happens when I go there. At least it's once a year.

Daddy took us out to The Onward Store for steak and seafood. It's a convenience store in the town where Teddy Roosevelt didn't shoot the bear on a hunt. Really good food and I got to see Waye, Katie, Don and Harlie Beth -- My step-cousins whom I claim. :)

Then, Mama and I made Congo Bars. My Mimi always made them and we got out her wooden recipe box and started making them only to find out that we were out of milk. A flying trip to Dollar General at 8 at night and with milk in hand, we finished them.

They were delicious.

Recipe Box

Missing ingredient

It only calls for a pound of brown sugar

They smell delicious

Best served with cold milk!



Great News!

One of my former professors at MSU and her husband have been trying to adopt a an international child and today they finally got great news that their journey is almost complete. Check out their blog. http://newbrownchild.blogspot.com/

An Oldie, But a Goodie

Several weeks ago, Paul found his Ethel Senior Football photo among the photos left from longtime EHS basketball Coach Ira Jones' office. Coach Jones meant a lot to Paul and was his 7-8th grade football coach. This was the only football photo Coach Jones had in his office. He said they were his "special bunch." Paul's a coach because of Coach Jones. This was one of the most successful football teams EHS ever had. FYI -- Paul is #75.

Ringing in the New Year in a Sea of Maroon & a BIG WIN!

After breakfast, we headed over to the stadium, where we attended the alumni tailgate and attempted to watch the Dawg Walk. However, after standing there for what seemed like an hour, we found out that they were just going to drive the buses into the stadium for safety reasons.

Cow Bells rang loudly everywhere we went!

One of the buses with players entering the stadium.

We didn't know what to expect about our tickets or going to a professional stadium. We had tickets in the Touchdown Club Area for the Jacksonville Jaguars. One section up from the field. There was a bathroom attendant in the women's bathroom handing out paper towels after you washed your hands.

 The lobby area.

VICTORY for the BULLDOGS!

What a great Christmas gift for me and Paul! :)

Local joints to eat @....

Paul and I are addicted to the Travel Channel's Man Vs. Food. So with that in mind we wanted to eat at some local places in Jacksonville.

We dined at Sand Dollar Restaurant on the St. John's River and the food was excellent. I had stuffed butterflied shrimp with crab meat in a white wine sauce with a side of veggies. Paul had the grouper with crab stuffing. It was FABULOUS!

New Year's Eve we met up with some friends at Clark's Fish Camp. It was decorated so neat. I wish I had more photos of the preserved animals and all the lights. The atmosphere is great.
I had stuffed Flounder and Paul had Maui Maui and a side of shrimp. Food was good. The atmosphere was better.

Paul ordered a wild game appetizer of rabbit sausage and it was DISGUSTING! Others ordered Gator Sausage, Calamari and Ostrich. We recommend the Ostrich.

New Year's Day we ate breakfast at the Metro Diner. Paul had the pound cake french toast with a side of bacon and I had the Mom's 3 egg omelet with feta, chicken, asparagus and topped with hollandaise sauce. It came with whole wheat toast. It was a cute small building that was bustling with activity. They serve breakfast and lunch. It was featured on the Food Channel's Diners and Dives.

Hope you enjoyed this edition of Coach and Wife Vs. Food. :)

I'll show you the Fountain of Youth.....

We spent two half days at St. Augustine on a Trolley Tour.

Day 1 was spent at the Oldest Wooden School House, Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum (pretty interesting oddities), and we had a late lunch there. I can't leave out the Fountain of Youth where we saw a cannon firing.

 School house

 The "magic" water.

Today the foutain is more of a well. They had a replica of what it once looked like. The water had a lot of minerals and it was NASTY! And I still have gray hair!

Day two was spent touring the Old Jail and the St. Augustine Heritage Museum and we rode the trolley around to 22 spots. Lots of History there. We want to go back and visit and do more of the museums and such another time. 

Our Christmas Present to one another.....Bowl game tickets.

We just knew that the Bulldogs were going to the Peach Bowl in ATL but all of the sudden that changed and MSU was chosen to play in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. It took a little convincing but finally Paul said he would go and we got some awesome tickets to the game via Ebay!

We left on Wednesday before the game and on the way down Paul tells me there is an outlet mall in St. Augstine, Fla. nearby. It had an Under Armour store and he wanted to go.

I said isn't that the Oldest City in the U.S.? Isn't that where the Fountain of Youth is at? A short Google search on my phone and I found out about all the sites in St. Augustine.

Christmas Outings

This year wasn't our typical Christmas gatherings. It usually goes like this sometime before Christmas Eve we got Memphis to see my Mimi, Christine, Angela and Michael, Christmas Eve lunch at my Grandma and Grandpa's house, communion service at Rolling Fork United Methodist Church, appetizers with the parents and sister and brother-in-law and then Christmas morning @ parents house followed by a Newman lunch gathering in Valley Park. Then, we head home for Christmas dinner and presents with Paul's Mom and Dad.

Well, we missed Valley Park because they did it a week early and that meant Mama and I had to cook lunch. Really she did most of it and Lisa and Brian went to Hollandale. OH and I was told the wrong date about going to Memphis so that threw a kink into some plans too.

Lucky for us my mom is a super cook!

I did a really bad job with photos this year so this is all I have from Christmas.

 Dressing, Swiss Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potatoes, Butter Beans and Orange Salad.

 Can't forget the Cranberry Sauce and Homemade Bread. There, of course was turkey and chicken and dumplings.

 Grant lacing up his new hunting boots. We wer down a twin at Grandma's because Glyn was sick. He and Glynda didn't get to come. We missed them.

My dad and Robbie.