Playing catch up (aka the longest post I have ever written)

Wow has it really been 3 weeks since I last blogged?  My mom actually called to "make sure everything was ok" because I hadn't posted in a while!  The Gills have been very busy between work and trying to enjoy every minute of the summer.  So I will try to catch everyone up on the last few weeks. Be warned it's a long post with a ton of pictures!!

On the home front -

Our new sofas arrived!  I absolutely love them!  Of course, I'm super paranoid of getting anything on them now.  Lulu, the cat, also decided it seemed like a perfect scratching post so the bottom is currently wrapped in aluminum foil and we have a water pistol on the counter.  Very attractive, let me tell you.  She seems to be learning her lesson so hopefully the foil will come off soon.  We are also in pillow overload. The 2 sofas came with 8 pillows!  I ordered one pair in a fun floral print, but none of the other fabric choices jumped out at me, so I ordered the rest in the sofa fabric and plan to cover them.

For the next new addition to the house - I've mentioned my hunt for a bookcase before.  We found one at an antique store in Memphis, but it wasn't for sale - so we made our own.  Or should I say Cameron & Lance made it, and I painted it.  The building required a couple Lowes trips - one because Lilly decided to chew on one of the rosette trim pieces.

 working hard

The guys added molding around the top & bottom and rosette blocks in all four corners.

Here's the before - my college Walmart special was crammed full of random stuff, cookbooks, textbooks, and a SOME of my vet school notebooks.  Yes, 2 years after graduation I still have them on display.  Part of the agreement for the new bookcase was that they must be moved to the attic.  Cameron originally said chunk them, but I cannot bring myself to throw away all that hard work so the compromise was a box in the attic.

 After a sorting through the disaster, here's the new bookcase. We still have a box of books in the attic to add and, of course, some decorative stuff.  But this is sooo much better.

The weekend before last, we had an awesome beach trip with two of our favorite Auburn couples - Josh & Adrienne and Erin & Ryan.  They are our "round 2" Auburn friends.  Cameron and I were in Auburn for a total of 9-10 years.  We both had our undergrad friends, who all graduated and moved away so we made new friends - round two.  Some we met through vet school, some we met outside of school.  Josh and I worked together at a vet clinic in Auburn.  We started hanging out with he and his girlfriend, Adrienne (his now wife) and soon became inseparable.  We cooked "family" dinner together many nights of the week.  Erin was a fellow vet student.  We met on day one and clicked instantly.  I could not have made it through vet school without this girl.  Cameron and her husband, Ryan bonded over being vet school hubbies.  We introduced the two couples and the rest is history.  We are trying to do an annual beach trip to get all of us together at the same time.  With us in Mobile, Josh & Adrienne in Atlanta, and Erin & Ryan in Huntsville, its not an easy task, but so far so good.

On to the trip - the reunion started Friday night.  I was the last to arrive since I had to work a full day.  I showed up to a shrimp boil for dinner and the catching up began!  Isn't it amazing how there are some friends who you can go months apart, but once reunited, its like you never left each other?  We finally called it a night when Adrienne started falling asleep on the couch, but insisted she was still listening.

Saturday it was a little overcast but the sun made multiple appearances.  We hung out on Robinson Island, an island in Perdido Bay,

 Ryan's model pose

 The boys getting hit on by a cougar.  She claimed she really liked the boat....

The little mermaid

 Yes, that is a manatee mailbox - with a baby holding an American flag - and of course, Erin.

 We took a boat ride over to Pirates Cove for the best cheeseburgers, onion rings, and bushwackers.  Pirates Cove is a dive of a bar/restaurant that is very popular with the boaters in the Gulf shores/Orange Beach area.  Don't expect the food to come fast and you might have a few furry friends beg for a taste, but it is a true beach bum experience.  No summer is complete for the Gills without at least one visit.  Cameron has been going since he was a child.

 

After getting chased off the island by a little rainstorm, we headed to the condo to get ready for our night out.  It started with dinner at Tacky Jacks

then off to the legendary Florabama.  We had a few drinks, danced to some country music, and generally enjoyed being all together again.  We realized we can't quite stay out as late as we used to and headed home only to see people twice our age just arriving!  Ouch!

For those who have never been to the Florabama - If you notice all the things hanging above our head - yes, those are the bras of previous Florabama visitors

Sunday morning we laid out on the beach.  I wish I could say it was beautiful & peaceful, but I'd be lying.  With all the stormy weather we've have had in the gulf lately, the seaweed was everywhere!  In the water and on the beach.  Plus there was a yellow flag waving meaning the water was rough.  We attempted to brave the waves with our little cooler float but you can only take it so long!

Sadly, Erin & Ryan had to head home Sunday afternoon.  After a delicious dinner Sunday night courtesy of Adrienne,

the remaining four of us decided to head to Adventure Island, aka "baby casino" (because really, arcade games are just like slot machines for kids, right?).  (sorry for the phone pics, I forgot the camera!)

We played arcade games for a while, including Cameron's favorite - Deal or No Deal.

 Cameron & A were much more successful than Josh & I

 At some point, we learned A had never raced go-carts before!  So of course we had to do it.  By this point it was close to midnight and most of the kiddos had gone home, so we were the only 4 on the track.  The teenagers running the track let us a play around a bit.  We may have bumped each other just a little - hey, rubbin's racin'!  We ended the night at Waffle House just like the Auburn days.

 no clue what that face is about...

Monday morning, Cameron & Josh went fishing.  The plan was for Adrienne and I to meet them at the boat launch and have another boat day.  Unfortunately, the boat decided to start acting up again :( so we headed out to the beach again.  The water was a little calmer, but still crazy full of seaweed.  We just enjoyed lounging on the beach.  The boys made a run to the store for ice and showed up with wine and plastic glasses.  What good husbands!

After a little pool time, we decided it was time for some oysters and headed to Papa Roccos for happy hour.

 
Then, we decided to stop by the condo where Josh's parents were staying.  Don & Kathy are our tailgate parents.  They showed up to Auburn with their RV for nearly every game.  On the way home we spotted a new daiquiri shop so of course we had to stop.  Decent, but no fat tuesdays!

We cooked dinner, then Josh's sister, Sarah, came over for a couple rounds of battleshots.  Basically its like combining the game of battleship with beer pong.

 It was boys against girls.  At some point Cameron texted a picture of their board to our friend, Harry, back in Mobile.  He, of course, forwarded it on to us.  And we repeated the same for round 2.  Cheating, maybe.  I like to call it using the information that was made available to us.  Don't worry, we fessed up at the end.

Tuesday, it was time to head home :(  It really was a great trip with some great friends!  Definitely have to do it again next year!


Back in Mobile, I was able to catch up with my roommate from Auburn over dinner.  She currently lives in Birmingham, but was in Fairhope for work so it was a perfect opportunity to get together.  It was so good catching up with Kitty after way too long!

After a short workweek, we headed back to the beach last weekend.  Yes, I would spend every moment at the beach if I could.  We are so lucky to be able get there as quickly as we can.  Anyway, our friend, Harry had his family's place on the lagoon for the weekend so he invited a group of us to come down.  I wasn't able to join in the fun until Saturday afternoon because I had to work.  I expected to show up to a crazy bunch.  Instead it was rainy and everyone was napping after a morning on the beach!  We really are getting old!  Cameron and I sat out on the dock for a while - he fished, I just enjoyed the peace and quiet.

cute little crab

We headed to Wintzells for dinner then on to baby casino again.  Now I like the place, don't get me wrong, but two weekends in a row was a little much.  Another round of putt-putt, where we saw an unexpected guest

and of course more arcade games where the boys racked up and I actually won Deal or No Deal.

 Harry contemplating his prize.

Sunday, we laid around on the dock and played in the much calmer lagoon water.  No seaweed, but swarms of jellies!  Not the stinging kind.  As usual, the boys ended up throwing them at each other, and then Cameron turned a noodle into a "jelly gun."  I guess boys never really grow up! :)  (sorry for the fuzzy pics, apparently my lens was smudged!)

We headed back to Mobile that afternoon for family dinner at Dottie's house (Cameron's mom).   Good end to another good weekend.

So that about sums up what we've been up to (I think). If you actually made it to the end - I'm impressed! 
Now that things have calmed down (for a couple weeks at least) it's time to get back to my routine.  Let's just say my exercise habits have been slim to none lately, and it was very obvious on my run Thursday...

Foodie Friday

I really should change the name to Foodie Saturday, since that's often when I post these, but it just doesn't have the same ring to it.  Oh well, on to the food!

Last Sunday night, we tried out a recipe for Rosemary Salt-Crusted Venison with Cherry Cabernet Sauce.  About the only thing we ever do with the deer backstraps is fry them.  While they are delicious, I would like to find another way to fix them.  I found this recipe searching on the internet.  It was originally featured in Cooking Light.  Overall, the sauce was good.  Two problems though - I used too much salt on the "salt crust," and we overcooked the venison.  We even pulled it at a lower temperature than the recipe called for, but it still bypassed the perfect "medium."  This was our first time cooking with juniper berries.  Definitely an interesting flavor and I look forward to cooking with them again.  I would try this recipe again and try to correct the problems, but next time I make backstrap, I want to use a recipe my friend Mary has been raving about.

This recipe for Italian chicken came from Taste of Home magazine.  I got a subscription to the magazine really cheap so I tried it out.  I chose not to renew it however, because it encouraged my recipe hoarding tendencies!  You pan fry the chicken tenders, then make a sauce to go over it.  It's good and reminded me a little of chicken cacciatore but much easier.  We decided this one was a keeper.

On Wednesday night, Cameron grilled some boneless skinless chicken thighs (our grilling chicken of choice) and I made caprese salad to go with it using fresh vegetables from our garden.  Yep, are garden has actually produced some food!  It's a little out of hand in fact.

I didn't quite realize how much the plants would grow.  I cut back the cucumber (for the 2nd time) before I took this picture.  It was just overtaking everything.  Next year I will be better about my space planning - the plants start so tiny, it looks like there is a ton of room!  And we have basil coming out of our ears!

After harvesting the tomatoes and 1 bell pepper that have ripened so far...

I put together the salad.  I just layered the tomatoes, basil, & mozzarella then drizzled balsamic vinegar over the top.  Next time, I will cook the vinegar down into more of a sauce

Last night we made a marinade for grilled chicken from Southern Living including rosemary (from the garden), Dijon mustard, honey, and garlic.  Pretty good and simple.  Then I made these Zucchini-Corn Fritters from Food Network Magazine.  So good!  But does it count when your vegetables are fried??

Cooking with Cameron on Friday nights is one of my favorite things we do.  We cook a lot together during the week. but on Friday night we always turn on the music, have a glass of wine or a beer, and really enjoy cooking together.  It's the start of a weekend and we plan to enjoy every minute!

Spice jars

Everytime I look for a spice in my cabinet, I get frustrated.  I buy all different brands, so therefore all the jars are different sizes.  The tiny ones always seem to hide, then I end up buying more, only to discover it was there the whole time.  I feel like I pull half of them out to find one.  Enter Pinterest with a solution! 

I saw on Pinterest where someone had cleaned out baby food jars and spray painted the lids with chalkboard paint.  I have a shallow drawer next to my stove that is the perfect size for those little jars.  I don't have a child, so baby food jars are I not something I buy.  I hated to waste all that food so I went looking on Ebay.  Who knew that you can buy clean, empty baby food jars sans label and everything??

I used this paint:




And I opted for a liquid chalk paint pen instead of traditional chalk.  The paint pen doesn't rub off as easily.  They say you have to use a wet cloth to remove it.  So far no smudging!  I bought mine through Amazon.  I'm sure you can find them at craft stores, but since I have free shipping through Amazon Prime, sometimes it's just easier than running all over town!


I'm really happy with how my spice jars turned out!  No more searching!

No Snapper For Us

We tried yet again to catch some red snapper this weekend, but our plans were ruined by the weather for a second time.  We left out of Dauphin Island Saturday morning in what looked like beautiful weather, but as soon as we got away from the island, we could see dark storm clouds on the horizon.  It was a weird feeling to look to the East and see sunshine & blue skies, but look to the West and see dark, ominous clouds.  Cameron & Poe checked the radar and it looked like the storm was moving North so we decided to stay close to the land and fish off the rigs while we waited for the storm to pass.  We waited and waited.  It never rained on us, but it got windy and choppy, so we were all hesitant to head off shore.  So no red snapper for us, yet again!

We caught quite a few fish, but no keepers.  A tiny cobia, a big redfish (too big to be tasty anymore), and tons of baby sharks.  We all still had a good time out on the water, even if it wasn't quite what we had hoped for!

Foodie Friday

Alright so there are 2 weeks of recipes in today's post.

Last Sunday night I had planned a quick & easy dinner - Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken & Conecuh sausage.  I thought I had a jar of alfredo sauce in the pantry, but discovered I was wrong once we started cooking.  A quick search on Food Network found Emeril's alfredo recipe and I actually had all the ingredients to make it.  Overall it was good - reminded us of some of the cajun pasta recipes we have made.  Doubtful that it will replace the good ol' jarred sauce.  I definitely prefer the creaminess of the sauce out of the jar.

I made another apricot glazed pork chop recipe - what is it about fruit & pork?  This one came from Better Homes & Gardens and included onions and Dijon mustard to give it a little kick.  Definitely a hit.

I have been loving these corn/avocado summer salads lately.  I think I have at least a half dozen variations pinned on Pinterest!  I made this one last weekend to go with Cameron's smoked butt.  Yum!

 Last night, I tried out a recipe from Pinterest - Cheesy Rice Bake.  It was originally for chicken, but I decided to switch out the chicken for ground deer meat (always looking for ways to use it up!).  Another adjustment I made was to add taco seasoning when browning the meat.  I feel like it would have been way too bland without it!  Completely forgot to take a picture of it - honestly it looks much like any casserole with cheese on top! :)  Overall, it was good, but not good enough to be a keeper.  We are starting to get pretty picky around here about what constitutes a "keeper!"

That's it for now.  Happy cooking!

Double Weekend

That's what I felt like we had this week.  It was amazing!  First, we had our normal weekend of Saturday & Sunday, we went back to work Monday, then both Cameron & I took off Tuesday as well as July 4th.  Definitely a nice break. 

 Our first weekend started off Friday night with a little birthday celebration for our nephew, Daniel's 5th birthday.

The rest of weekend #1 included the start of some DIY work around the house, cooking out, and a little board game action.  We started with Scene It 80's edition.  Harry and I dominated with very little help from me.  Let's be honest - I remember more of the 90s than 80s.  Then we played a little Balderdash - perfecting the art of "BS"

And we got in a quick trip to the beach in the scorching heat!

And if you notice the inclusion of some water pictures...

Yep, we replaced the underwater camera - with a Panasonic Lumix TS20.  In fact, I think I like this one better.  The indoor pictures look better than my old Fuji.  Certainly nothing like our Nikon D40, but it's perfect for what I wanted.  Cheap, durable, & waterproof.  This camera got the best reviews in the budget category - so far I love it!  And every Auburn fan likes a little orange!
 

Weekend #2 was a little more laid back.  I finished up painting one of our upstairs bedrooms...

BEFORE

AFTER

The green color was there when we moved in.  Not horrible, but a little "muddy" and I never loved it.  Especially with the lime green bedding I had.  So I decided to repaint.  The striped fabric in the after picture is what the pillows & curtains will be made out of.  Eventually.

And Cameron got in a fishing trip in his new kayak!  Trust me, it was not the first trip, but the first with some pictures courtesy of Lance.

Independence Day was very stormy down here, but the rain cleared up in time for fireworks.  We met a group of friends at Ed's Seafood Shed on the Causeway for dinner on the back deck.  From our view, we could see the Mobile city firework show over the water, as well as Daphne & Fairhope's shows (albeit small) on the other side of the bay.  Perfect spot with great food & great company!

 I hope that everyone had a wonderful Fourth celebrating our wonderful country and took a little time to think of those who protect our freedom!