Thinking Out Loud Thursday - October 24, 2019

Happy Thursday friends!  Here with this week's edition of Thinking Out Loud Thursday.  I'm thinking out loud about some little things recently that have put a smile on my face, so buckle up because I'm all over the place today.

Last weekend Eric and I decided to pop over to Kansas City to attend a Halloween party we were invited to.  We knew it would be a quick trip because Eric had to work on Friday and Sunday, but we had 36 hours off together and wanted to make the most of it! And it was well worth it.

When we're in the KC area, we love to try new BBQ places.  This trip, at the suggestion of our friend Linda, we dropped in Jazzy B's.  Her sources had suggested we give it a try and they definitely knew what they were talking about!  The owner, Brandon Simpson, was working and made our experience even better by sharing his description of the menu items and making suggestions on things we should try.

Guys - it was mouth-watering, finger-licking delicious!  This little restaurant, located in Lee's Summit, would be easy to drive right by.  Trust me - pull in and try their food.  And don't forget to order an appetizer and plenty of sides!

Before we left for our speedy trip to KC, I got a package in the mail that definitely put a smile on my face.  My friend, which also happens to be my sorority sister, makes jewelry and I had ordered one of her rings.  She's so talented!  Just look at it ~

You can check out her creations on her Facebook page at TouchedByGina. I have my eye on a cool necklace that I'm hoping Eric gets me for my birthday.  I just love wearing unique jewelry and it's a bonus that I also happen to know and love the creator!  If you're in the market for a one-of-a-kind gift, make sure to check out her page.

One last thing I'm thinking out loud about today - last night Ian and Kayla came over for dinner and I just love the way the tablescape turned out.  I picked up some new salad plates at Home Goods and they were perfect for the fall look I was trying to achieve.  They were magnificent with the felt pumpkins I'd picked up in the dollar bin at Target.   Don't you just love it when a look you have in your brain actually turns out!

Now's it is your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

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Weekending - March 16, 2018

Happy first day of Spring!  It's not really feeling a lot like spring around here.  Currently it's cloudy and 35 degrees.  But what's making me smile today is reflecting on how much fun happened this past weekend I really hate to say goodbye to it.  For St. Patrick's Day Eric and I headed to Kansas City to spend it with our friends.  I was at a Board Retreat and Eric had to work on Friday so we didn't share a ride there.  Eric hopped on Amtrak in St. Louis and rode the train to Lee's Summit.  I drove from the retreat and arrived just in time to scoop him up when he stepped off the train.

Festivities began early on Saturday morning.  Kevin was whipping up his famous French toast and we didn't want to miss a moment of that goodness.  The Irish coffee was flowing as people started arriving and by the atmosphere you could just tell it was going to be a fun day.

We played games, watched basketball and ate (and ate, and ate, and ate!).  There was so much great food!  It was just the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! 

One of the games we played as a group was Codenames.  Here's the official description, "Codenames is a social word game with a simple premise and challenging game play. Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their codenames. The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the table. Their teammates try to guess words of their color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin. The game works very well with 4 players if you prefer to guess without help. Or you can add more players if you prefer lively discussion. There is also a cooperative variant where a single team tries to achieve the highest score they can by playing against the game itself."  Great game for a group of people!  Click HERE to purchase one of your own.

Eric and I also learned a new game - DragonStone Mine.  This one can be played with 2-4 players.  The rules are easy and can be played with children as young as 5.  A typical game can take around 30 minutes so it would be a great game to play with the kids before going to bed. 

Sunday morning we rallied around pretty early and was at Q39 to taste their BBQ by 11:30 am.  The place was beginning to fill up, but we were seated right away.  For starters we picked their seasoned onion straws.  The mound of goodness arrived at our table quickly and we all agreed it was fabulous!

Linda and I both ordered the burnt ends and brisket combo plate.  Eric choose a four meat platter.  Our burnt ends were average - I like my burnt ends "burnt".  The ones served to me were well cooked and super tender, but did not have that nice crispy outside.  The winner in my opinion was the ribs.  OMG - they were fabulous!  

We would definitely go back to Q39.  The service was wonderful and the atmosphere was great.  Next time I would order something different.  I spied some pulled pork sliders that looked pretty awesome.  

It was a good thing we got there when we did, because as we were leaving the line to the place was out the door.  Even if you have to wait in line to get a table, the food was worth it!

After filling our bellies, we decided to relax by taking in a movie.  The one we picked to see was Gringo.  Bad decision.  It just wasn't a good movie.  Not funny at all!  Did anyone else see it?  What did you think?

Eric and I left Kansas City late in the afternoon to travel back home.  We stopped in and visited my parents for a bit on the way.  Great way to cap off a wonderful weekend!

Weekending - March 2, 2018

Happy Tuesday!  I think I might actually get my weekending post done before Thursday this week.  We were so ready for a couple days off - the weekend was a great thing!  And we got to welcome in March with great weather for a couple days!

Friday night Eric and I decided to track down a theater that was still showing Phantom Thread.  I had wanted to watch this movie since seeing the previews.  We ventured to one of the two theaters still showing it in the St. Louis area for a Friday night date.  Plus it took my total count of seeing the Best Picture nominated films to 7.

I liked it.  Eric hated it.  There were four ladies sitting behind us - three hated it and one liked it.  I almost asked the one that liked it to have drinks with me so we could discuss the twists!

An added bonus to going to the theater that we did was the Williams Sonoma store next door.  Ever since our crepe class at Fezziwig's last weekend I had been on the hunt for a crepe pan.  Kayla had made me aware of one on sale at none other than Williams Sonoma.  Sooooo, I'm now the proud owner of a crepe pan and turning utensil.  It's on sale for $19.99 if you're in the marketing for one yourself.  It didn't stay in the box for long.  I used it Sunday night and it worked great.

Saturday morning was a peaceful one.  I got up early and threw in a load of clothes.  While that was happening I made myself a cup of hot tea and crawled back in bed to read a magazine.  Multi-tasking at it's best!

In the afternoon, Eric and I headed to the St. Louis Art Museum to catch the Art in Bloom exhibit.  So many beautiful arrangements.  Let me share just a few ~

Then we headed to Cooper's Hawk Winery for dinner with Kayla and Ian.  We get a free wine tasting per month with our wine membership and we rarely miss the opportunity to taste what they are pouring.  Dinner was great, as always!

Sunday after church we did are usual - went to Peel for lunch.  We tried their spicy chips and was pretty darn impressed!  Those paired with a plate of pork sliders with mac and cheese on the side was a perfect mid-day meal.

Eric had to hurry off to work and I managed to do some cooking for the week as the red carpet was rolling in the background.  As the Oscars began, I cozied up on the couch and was there for the rest of the night.  I thought Jimmy Kimmel did a great job and most of the ladies looked spectacular! 

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start.  Is it sad that I'm already looking forward to next weekend?!?

Very Late Weekending Post

It's Wednesday evening and I'm just getting around to filling you in on my trip to Kansas City last weekend.  Shame on me!  Even though it's late, I couldn't let this fabulous weekend go unblogged.

Friday I left work mid-afternoon to high tail it my friend Linda's house in Lee's Summit.  We had reservations Friday evening at a speak easy, The W, and I didn't want to be late.   Our group of six arrived at 6-1/2 3rd Street (address is very Harry Potterish) and were buzzed in after verifying our secret password.

The hand crafted drinks were nothing short of fabulous.  Several of the libations were "smoked" under a bell jar.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of that, but you'll just have to visit in person to see that action.

We exited The W out the back door and headed to our next stop for dinner.  Third Street Social is located just down the street and was the perfect walking distance.  We were famished and everything on the menu looked so good we decided to just order a bunch of stuff and share.  What a great idea that turned out to be!!

Saturday morning we were all able to sleep in a bit and one by one gathered in the kitchen as people woke up.  Linda made two fabulous quiches to start our day.  I really need to share these recipes with you!

I had put together goody bags for everyone.  Oh, and I learned a new word last week for these little treats - surcee (an unexpected gift).  I love the word and I love giving unexpected gifts!!  Pretty sure everyone loved their surcee too!

When we were all ready to face the day, we headed to The Exit Room.  We had an hour to find the lost treasure of the famous dead adventurer and archeologist, Clive Plitger.  Before you ask -  No, we didn't get out.  We would probably still be in there if the dude behind the camera hadn't given us 843743847 clues.  It was my first experience at an escape room and, I'll be honest, it was a lot different than I thought it would be.  I thought you would get a clue that would lead you to another clue and they would go in order.  In reality, this room had many clues in no certain order at all.  Have you done one of these things before?  What did you think?

We were all in need of a snack, so we popped in The Whistle Stop for some lunch and then on to an ice cream store  for dessert.

A bridal party caught our eye and we might have stalked them for a bit while they took pictures.

Saturday was a hot one in Kansas City -- like heat index of 112 degrees hot.  Our next adventure was an outdoor food event.  The Foodie Chick Event planners had been smart in moving their outdoor event starting time from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm to help alleviate being outside in the hottest part of the day.  But folks, it was HOT!  We had barely stepped out of the car and were dripping with sweat.  Everyone was game for sticking it out though (one of the MANY reasons I love this group of girls).

We tried food samples, wine and beer from many area establishments.  If the weather had been a bit cooler, I'm sure were would have tried many more but it was just too hot to eat or drink a lot.  After a couple hours, we were ready for some air conditioning so we headed to a movie theater to see The Big Sick.

If The Big Sick isn't on your list of movies to see, I highly recommend you add it!  This movie was great.  Here's the Critics Consensus from Rotten Tomatoes and I couldn't agree with it more, "Funny, heartfelt, and intelligent, The Big Sick uses its appealing leads and cross-cultural themes to prove the standard romcom formula still has some fresh angles left to explore."

Sunday was a laid back day.  We went out for breakfast, played cards, and enjoyed each others company.

The group started breaking up in the afternoon, but I wasn't really ready to head home yet.  Linda and I decided to go see another movie, Girls Trip.  This movie had us in stitches from beginning to end.  However, if you are easily offended at cursing or some nudity it is definitely not a movie for you!  It earned every bit of it's R-rating.



I began my four-hour drive home around 7:00 pm. I got home after my bedtime and have been playing catch up ever since.  Nothing like getting the most out of the weekend!  Hence, why it's Wednesday night and I'm just now getting my weekending post done.  No regrets though!  It was a wonderful weekend and I'm already excited for our next girls weekend we are planning in February!

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - July 20, 2017

Hey there!  Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Glad you stopped by -- feel free to link up below and share what you are thinking out loud about today.

First let me just say that I'm so sad I didn't publish a weekending post on Monday (or Tuesday or Wednesday).  Eric and I had a great anniversary weekend and enjoyed going out for dinner a couple of times and seeing All Shook Up at the Muny.  It was definitely a blog-worthy weekend - just ran out of time to put in down in writing!

Some of the highlights were getting these beautiful roses for our anniversary.  Thanks Eric!!

It was so fun running into a friend I haven't seen in a long time at the Muny!  It was great seeing you Gail!

Now on to what I'm thinking out loud about today ~ the evening we experienced at Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant this week.  Do you have a Cooper's Hawk near you?  We have been wine club members for almost a year and love it!  Ian and Kayla are members also and it's fun to meet them at the restaurant to experience our monthly wine tasting that's included in our membership.  This week was the first time we participated in one of the monthly themed dinners and that's what I'm thinking out loud about today.

Cooper's Hawk offers themed dinners once a month with a set menu and wine paired with each course.  We had tried to go to the dinner in June, but it was sold out by the time we requested reservations.  So we immediately made reservations for July's Sip of Summer dinner and waited patiently for the date to arrive.

As the group of guests filtered into the private dining room, we were served a glass of red sangria and given our table assignments.  The chef described our first course and the evening began ~

The Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta was paired with a Riesling.  The bruschetta was magnificent!  The bread crunchy, the tomatoes fresh and the balsamic glaze was the perfect finish.

Next we moved to the second course - Zesty Summer Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho.  I have to admit, even though I knew the gazpacho was cold, every time I brought the spoon to my mouth I felt the need to blow on it.  Do you enjoy gazpacho in the summer?

This course was paired with your choice of Chardonnay or Rose.  My pick:

By this point of the evening we had made friends with everyone at our table and realized we actually knew some of the same people.  Small world!

The main course was "Fall Off The Bone" BBQ Ribs and Grilled Artisanal Sausage, accompanied by Mexican Street Corn, Smashed Potato Salad, and Summer Slaw.  Yes, those ribs were as good as they look and definitely fell off the bone!

The pairing for this course was Cooper Hawk's Cabernet Zinfandel - one of my favorites.

In between courses, the group of guests played a little game.  We had to put in order the top 5 most popular vacation spots in the USA.  I honestly don't know what the correct answers were, but the hostess did say no one got them all correct.

I, however, was the best guesser and won!!  Needless to say, I was thrilled to take home the prize bottle of wine.

Even though we were stuffed, when the Farmer's Market Peach and Berry Lemon Pound Cake was placed in front of us, we HAD to try it!

It was paired with Ice Wine.  Ice Wine is a bit on the sweet side for me, but did go nicely with the pound cake and makes a great dessert wine.

The evening was truly delightful and if there's a Cooper's Hawk near you I would highly recommend giving one of these dinners a try.

If you are in the St. Louis area and stop by the Cooper's Hawk at 1146 Town and Country Crossing Drive, ask for our favorite server Karly.  She's wonderful and will make your experience at Cooper's Hawk even better!

By the way, I'm not being compensated for this post.  Just wanted to share our experience in case you would like to try something like this too.  :)

Now it's your turn.  What are you thinking out loud about today?

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