Memorial Day 2015

Happy Memorial Day! 

I have watched numerous videos this weekend reminding me what this holiday is about. I'm so thankful that my fiancé came home, but many did not. I can't even imagine their sacrifice. My heart breaks for their families. Let's remember them. 

The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Ronald Reagan video

Now, for some patriotic outfit inspiration . . . 

welcome white season

Loren Hope color play

Independence Day prep

waking up in red, white, and blue

patriotic walk to the lake

red and blue

A Toast to the Veterans: Red, White, and Sweet

What's that you say….two posts in one day? Kathryn has so graciously allowed me (Lindsay) to guest post on her blog tonight. 

Tom and I had the pleasure of being invited to Lake Gaston this past weekend by some particularly lovely family friends. This would be our-let's call it-2nd Annual trip up to the Lake for Memorial Day weekend. How could we resist? Especially when the weekend included a concert at Rosemont Vineyard & Winery Saturday night.

Good food, good friends, good fun. What's not to love? We tasted several Red, White, and Sweet varieties of vino and indulged in some good ol' Southern cuisine while listening to the Virginia Beach based Kevin MaC Band. What's a picnic without chicken salad, pimento cheese and crackers, and get this--loaded baked potato salad!? 

Just to the left of this adorable house with the awesome balcony was a little pond and some neat looking barns. Look closely and you may notice the canoe and four wheeler. Looks like tons of fun!

Here's by far the coolest looking of many of the surrounding barns.

Tom and I snuck away to explore the vineyard. Here's a shot with our favorite wine of the evening, The Traminette 2013--"A crisp, dry white wine with linalool and a touch of spiciness and citrus undertones."

From Ring of Fire, Wagon Wheel, I'll Fly Away, and even Chicken Fried (per request of my friend's adorable first grade cousin) to songs like Rambling Man and Take it to the Limit we surely enjoyed the band. I especially enjoyed their addition to the Eagles song, Take it to the Limit. Hum the song in your head and then sing this: "To the man in the blue shirt and the woman in the orange pants, we sang another verse so you could dance." Clever!

As Kevin MaC reminded us…this isn't just a national barbecue eating holiday--but a time to show our appreciation to all of the men and women in the armed services. Happy Memorial Day to all!

http://rosemontofvirginia.com/our-wines/

Memorial Day weekend cooking

I should have taken more pictures (always), but here are a few from our cooking and eating adventures this past weekend.  B and I were both raised by good cooks, and we try to eat well.  

I prepared some food for us ahead of time and planned as short of a grocery list as possible for when we got there.  We stopped by the store a couple of times, though.  It's not a vacation if you plan too much, right?  And we wanted to try and spend time with everyone else who was at the beach.  

B took some cold things in his special cooler.  

Monday morning, I ate a leisurely breakfast outside while B was out fishing (after leaving at 5:30 ... ha, ha).  I cooked Martha Stewart's pancakes and topped them with strawberries.  When B texted me that he was back to the dock, I started making eggs, bacon, and grits for him because I knew he would be hungry when he got back.

B caught Spanish Mackerel, which his dad grilled on Tuesday night.  They were great!  I helped clean the fish, believe it or not.  

We cooked tacos one night, which is something we need to do more.  They were very quick, easy, and good.  Mexican food almost always turns out well at home.

I made up some of this sauce before we went to the beach.  I cut a few slits in two split chicken breasts and spooned the sauce over the chicken before cooking.  B grilled the chicken over coals and put more sauce on the other side when he flipped it.  

The sauce was very spicy when I tasted it alone, but it was delicious after cooking!  We will definitely be making this again!  B has picked up his dad's grilling skills.  We couldn't recruit any family or friends to eat this with us, but they certainly missed out.  We covered our plates and ate it again the next day; it may have been even better left over, or maybe that was because I was so hungry after cleaning.

You can check out some of my favorite recipes on my Pinterest page.  

Memorial Day weekend flying

Isn't Memorial Day weekend the best?  One of the best things about our country is our freedom, and we have selfless servicemen and women who protects that freedom.  I can't even imagine the sacrifice it is to serve in the armed forces.  I am so thankful that people would do that for all of us!  

I spent this Memorial Day weekend at the beach with B.  He headed to the coast before I got off work on Friday to take some ties to a store in time for the holiday weekend.  B mentioned getting my dad to fly me to meet him, and before I even asked, my dad told me he was already going by Ocracoke and could take me to AB.  

When we got to the airport, I wandered around for a few minutes waiting on another passenger and checking out my uncle's airplane, and I saw this cat by my uncle's plane.  If you follow me on twitter, you know I want a cat.  This is even more reason for me to spend time at the airport this summer!  I came for the airplanes and stayed for the cat.

I asked my dad if he wanted a picture in front of his airplane.  He said no but took mine.  

What a way to start the holiday weekend!  

No, I didn't fly that thing by myself.  I forgot my booster seat.

NC is pretty.

If you look reeeeally closely in this one, you may spot Dowdy-Ficklen stadium.  Go pirates!

I see some water!  Despite some winds earlier in the day, the weather was absolutely perfect for flying. Not much beats landing right next to the beach in Ocracoke.  

B picked me up at MRH, and we headed to AB.   

What did you do over the long weekend?  Did you go out of town?  Travel by car, plane, boat, train? 

I hope you had a great weekend and took time to thank God for our military.