Garden Update

Just a quick little update on how my garden's doing. I've been very disappointed in terms of production this year, since my garden seems to be growing so slowly! But I guess when I really look around, even though I don't have the bounty that I expect, I do have a fair variety of vegetables, and they're all organic. That makes me happy, and that's better than nothing! I am very fortunate to have the space to grow some of my own food.

First garden bounty (minus all the grape tomatoes in my belly)

New HSHV Shelter

This evening I had the opportunity to go on an "insiders tour" of the new Humane Society of Huron Valley shelter. What fun! The shelter is scheduled to open at the end of September, but based on what I saw during the tour, I'm guessing it will be more like late October/early November. Either way, the shelter looks GREAT, and the additional 20,000 sq feet of space is much needed by both the animals and the staff. The layout is so much more logical than the current 80 year old shelter. Now I'll just have to brush up on my volunteer hours to tell the public about this new space!

Side view of new shelter entranceEventual dog walking spaceNew covered outdoor cages for dogs (there's ambient heat and light in the ceiling!)

A Little Hollywood in my Sunday Morning

What a weekend it has been! After a lovely BBQ and fun yesterday, I woke up today to meet Stephanie and her friend Sarah for something we've been looking forward to for a long time; a showing of Julie & Julia! We went for an early afternoon showtime (11:15 am to be exact) at Quality 16 in Ann Arbor, which turned out to be a better idea than even we imagined. You see, as Stephanie walked into the theater to buy tickets, she had the door held open for her by none other than Anthony Edwards! Yes, THAT Anthony Edwards. Dr. Mark Greene. Goose from Top Gun. Gilbert from Revenge of the Nerds. Mr. Edwards was also accompanied by none other than Rob Reiner, the director of Flipped, that's currently filming here in Ann Arbor (and hence, our access to celebrities).

Anthony Edwards and his wife (who we're pretty sure was with him at the theater)Rob Reiner, Director

We were more than a little shocked, and even approached "giggly girl" phase as we headed into our theater, only to have Mr.'s Edwards and Reiner follow shortly after! Apparently they've got a thing for Julia too. We couldn't believe our luck! Or the irony, especially since Nick & Carly had just driven me by the location where some of the scenes from Flipped were filmed the day before. We were a bit star struck, so we didn't approach the celebrities, nor were we fortunate enough to get a picture, but it certainly was fun to have a "star sighting."
But enough about celebrity, and more about Julia. Oh Julia, how I love thee. I thought Julie & Julia did a great job portraying some of the better parts of My Life in France, and Meryl Streep's performance was pretty dead on. The movie made me smile, laugh, cry, and everything in between. I would definately see it again, and probably will purchase the DVD when it comes out, because I enjoyed the movie just that much. I also thought that Amy Adams did a great job with the Julie Powell character, despite my dislike of it. Of course, after the movie, I had to run out and purchase my very own copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Stay tuned this winter for many things cooked in beurre blanc and authentic French Onion Soup!

Marketing, Brunching and BBQing

Yesterday was a good day. I awoke on my Saturday morning to a lovely storm. The rain didn't get me down however, as I had plans to head to the 90th Birthday celebration of the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market with Nick and Carly. Nothing could spoil that fun! Well, maybe not having my morning coffee. But Nick quickly fixed that with a stop to Bagel Fragel. Once we were bagel'd, coffee'd, and on our way, nothing could stop us. Walking to the market getting drenched was not really high on the list of "fun Saturday morning activities," but once we were actually at the market under the covered sections, it was busy and full of cheerful people. And veggies! The market really has been displaying it's bounty lately, and everything was on display from jams to fennel. It was very exciting. While I didn't manage to get myself any free gelato or cake, I was still happy just to be marketing with some great people.
After the market and a quick trip to Sparrow's, we decided brunch was in order. So we called up Brad to meet us, and headed over to The Bomber in Ypsilanti. Another exciting adventure, since I'd never been! In fact, none of us had ever been. I'd heard some great things and have always been meaning to check the Bomber out, but it just never seemed to happen. Alas, today was the day. Unfortunately, the "great" things I'd heard about the Bomber were definitely not in direct relationship to the atmosphere. I mean, I know most diner's are kind of dumpy, but this place gets two stars (if that) in the ambiance department. The walls covered in American war history was nice, but I could have done without the mismatched furniture and booths, in addition to what felt like dirty glassware. I think the very large gentleman who happened to break not one but TWO chairs during his meal would agree. Redecoration would be in order. Location aside though, the food was pretty good (including some of the better bacon I've had in a very long time). I went with some sort of Bomber special (french toast, egg, bacon), Brad got a breakfast burrito, Nick had the "cowboy," and Carly went with a combination of a greek omelet and the "nature" pancake. No major complaints as we brunched away.

Mmm, Bomber Brunch

After brunch, Brad headed to Adventures in Homebrewing in Taylor to get some Oberon ingredients, and I headed back home to start prepping the house...for a BBQ! Nick and Carly would be joining us in Milan later in the afternoon for a chance to hear about their Europe trip and play our typical Euchre and bocce. Obviously the rain ended up killing our bocce plans, but thankfully by the time Nick and Carly arrived around 5:30, the rain had cleared so that we could eat outside. And eat we did! I proclaim it a grand feast.

Potato SaladSunflower Sprout Strawberry SaladGreek Couscous SaladLemony Cayenne Green BeansLocal watermelonBurgers and dogs

Nick and Carly even spoiled us with homemade mayonaise in the potato salad, and of course, Carly's famous brownies for dessert. I forgot to take a picture, but she outdid herself with a double batch this time, and they were beyond divine. Paired with some local Calder dairy vanilla ice cream, we were living the high life.
We ended the evening by playing some games, but strangely enough, not our usual. Nick brought a new game called Ticket to Ride that Brad and I have since fallen in love with. The game involves building trains to score points, and even though the instructions for play seemed hella complicated at first, once we got the hang of it, we were hooked. After a few games we switched things up and taught Nick & Carly how to play Oh, Hell. I think Nick was less than enthuased at first (of course, because he wasn't winning), but after things turned around in his favor, I think he saw it's draw. Next time, we'll have to play Euchre though, as I've been missing a good round. Overall, it was a lovely evening with friends, and exactly the kind of day that reminds me just how lucky I am to live in such a great little city. I wouldn't change things for the world. :-)
P.S. Thanks to Carly for the lovely bouquet of market flowers! They make me smile.

Firecracker shrimp and grits

Tonight's kitchen adventure includes something I've been meaning to make since my work trip to Miami in May. I had a lovely dinner of shrimp and grits at Avalon, and wanted to share it with Brad. I started by marinating some shrimp in "firecracker" sauce, as I found here at The Pioneer Woman. After the shrimp marinated for a few hours, I skewered them and threw them on the grill. While waiting for the shrimp to cook, I boiled up about 4 cups of chicken stock to which I added 2 cups of white grits. I simmered that for about 15 minutes, and near the end, mixed in gobs of mozzarella, cheddar, a bit of parmesan, and sliced scallions. At this point the shrimp was already done, and it was all about plating.

Shrimps, get in my belly!

I also threw together a quick salad side dish, based on something I found from Aida last month in the Food Network magazine. Basically it was fresh sweet corn kernels, grape tomato slices, a small amount of red onion, and plenty of avocado mixed with a simple dressing of olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Simple Summer Salad

While the salad was a favorite of mine, it didn't particularly pair that well with the shrimp dish, which was a bit more hearty. Next time I'd serve the shrimp with a simple green or ceasar salad, and save the summer salad to eat alone with some black beans and good bread. I do love summer eats though!

"It is a good shrubbery"

I love Monty Python and the Holy Grail. So I giggled a lot this evening, as I was planting some shrubbery, thinking about the Knights who say "Ni." My yard has been looking pretty terrible as of late (weeds are most definitely out of control), so I've spent the last 3 nights weeding out all my garden beds, applying weed killer to stop new growth, planting mums and shrubberies, and probably soon, spreading layers and layers of mulch. While overwhelming weeding is certainly not my favorite thing to do, it does feel good to have a respectable home again!

A beautiful shrubberyBring me another shrubbery! And another!Mum's the word in my front yard

Over the river and through the woods,

To Grandmothers house we go! Brad and I just got back from a lovely little trip north to Oscoda, MI where my Gramma lives. We've been doing this trip annually to celebrate my niece Olivia's birthday, which just happens to be the same as Brad's, July 14th. Generally we do the trip the first weekend after July 14th, but this year it had to wait until the end of July due to some scheduling conflicts.We arrived up north fairly early Friday night, after a side trip to Izod at Birch Run so Brad could get a few new golf shirts and a hat. I think we arrived around 7 o'clock. We were greeted by my Dad, sister, and Gramma, who were eager to fill our bellies with hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. My dad does grill a mean burger, albeit, enormous. Then after dinner and a few beers, it was time for a quick walk on the beach!

Zawacki's walk the shorelineDad's tell animated storiesGrandma walks too!

Then after the walk, there was some talking, some photo sharing, and some general time-killing waiting for the young kids (and my Brother and his girlfriend, Janeen) to arrive. They finally showed up around 10 o'clock. So there was some quick indoor playtime, then the kids (and us) were off to bed for a good nights sleep in the up-north air. (There's a pretty distinct smell of "up-north" that I've remembered since I was a child. It's not pungent nor bad, just comforting, beachy and clean. I sleep so much better up north!)

Olivia plays with Grandma's deer

Saturday the kids were up early, about 7:30. So much for sleeping in! There was one of Dad's crazy breakfasts (thankfully not 10 lbs of butter this time), then sunscreen was applied and the kids were in the sand and later, in the lake by 9:30! Don't those crazy kids know the water doesn't get warm until later in the afternoon? Either way, it's so nice to be able to walk out the door and play until your heart is content.

Beachtime

Mid-morning playtime turned into late-morning naptime, and while the kids had some quiet time, my brother, Janeen, Brad and I headed out for another walk. In my brother's typical fashion, he was lucky enough to find some beach glass, and some fun stones too. Add those to Gramma's collection of treasure! Which my sister so beautifully captured with Olivia and Chase's hands. This picture makes me tear up with joy.

Treasure

Lunch was sprinkled in with celebrating Olivia's birthday with cake, and while I didn't have the time to bake her one myself, I think this Glen's stand-in did just the trick. Perfect size for our little group, and oh so cute!

Making wishes

The afternoon was then peppered with sunshine and a cool breeze, more beachtime, and a nap on my part before my brother started to cook dinner. We were treated to a feast of salmon, potatoes, veggies, Michigan salad, and a new delicious wine find: Fat Bastard Syrah. Even though we were full from dinner, we rushed right into smores and a campfire, ushered by my niece's desperate need to hear ghost stories before bed. Next year I'll certainly have to brush up on my storytelling skills! After an evening of fun, the kids were off to bed, the adults played a few rounds of Oh Hell, and then it was off to bed with the lot of us just after midnight.
Sunday morning we awoke to a still and sunny morning, where the lake looked "smoother than piss on a platter" as my late Papa used to say (at least according to a story I heard from my Dad)! We didn't have a boat, and none of the Frede's are really waterskiers, but apparently the conditions for that were perfection. Even so, the lazy group of kids still had a bit of sleep in their eyes as they finally woke up around 10 o'clock! They again had some quick beachtime, and Olivia begged me to take her out in the freezing lake to second sandbar FOUR seperate times, but we managed to squeeze it all in before they had to leave just after noon.

Swimming to second sandbarChase splashes on the beach

In the end, it was another lovely weekend visit with Gramma, and I was so happy to see that as she approaches her 80th Birthday this year, that she's the spitting image of health. I had heard from some relatives that she might have a bit of hearing problem these days, but as Brad so gracefully put it, "Gramma doesn't have a hearing problem, she has a listening problem," as you can't get a word in edgewise when she's yammering away. I wouldn't change it for the world.

Cute Up Your Jams, Cute em up

I'm in the homestretch with my jams. Now it's just a matter of putting the finishing touches on the jars, labeling them, and sending them off on their merry way. My list of recipients is getting long, so I actually don't think I will have made ENOUGH jam (next year should I make 100 jars instead of only 44!?). For now, I think things are looking pretty tip top. :-)

Ypsilanti Summer Festival

After several years of meaning to attend on my part, and sudden interest on Brad's part due to his brewing hobby this year, we checked out the Ypsilanti Summer Festival yesterday afternoon in Riverside Park with Rick and Kristal.

Entrance to the FestivalGetting stamped with hopsCheck out all those people and tents!

It was unbelievable how many people came out for the event, and furthermore, unbelievable what a perfect day it was! People around Michigan have been complaining left and right that we haven't had much of a summer (it's been uncommonly rainy and cool this year). You won't hear a peep out of me though. I can't stand the sweltering Michigan humidity! So this summer has been great for me.

A lovely afternoon by the river

Anyway, we brought a blanket, two chairs, and our cheery faces to Beerfest, and we ended up having a really great time. We managed to try an amazing amount of local Michigan brews, and I think both Brad and Rick really ended up with some great recipe ideas for what to try and brew next. Our collective group favorite hands-down, was a tiramisu stout from the Grand Rapids Brewing Company. Each of it's flavors was so distinct, and it made for a pretty awesome drinking experience. I think it also helps to go to a beer tasting event with several types of beer drinkers. Rick really enjoys IPAs and ESB's, Brad loves the Belgians and the darker beers, and Kristal and I liked anything summery or fruity. This way, we all got to try eachother's picks, but enjoyed full glasses of things we knew were our forte's. The complete list of things we tried looked a little something like this:

• Belgian Apricot Ale - B.O.B.'s Brewery, Grand Rapids
• Boffo Brown Ale & Rod's Double IPA, Dark Horse Brewing Co., Marshall
• Belgian Amber & Hideout Honey Brown, Hideout Brewing Co., Grand Rapids
• Siamese Dream Double IPA, LS Foreign Extra Stout & Sweet Cherry Porter, Liberty Street Brewing Co., Plymouth
• 555 IPA, Maillot Jaue Farmhouse Ale & Red Canoe Irish Red, The Livery, Benton Harbor
• Peach Fuzz, Round Barn Brewery, Baroda
• Tiramisu Stout, Clockwork Orange Belgian Wheat, Brew Berry Ale & River City Red, Grand Rapids Brewing Co., Grand Rapids
• Northwestern Gold, Copper Canyon Brewery, Southfield
• Summer Brew, Motor City Brewing Works, Detroit
• Singapore IPA, Saugatuck Brewing Co., Douglas
• Treasure Chest ESB, Kiss My Scottish Arse Scotch Ale & Pickle Tink Strawberry Wheat, Schmohz Brewing Co., Grand Rapids
• Coal Stoker's Blackberry Fruit Beer, Mt. Pleasant Brewing Co., Mt. Pleasant
• The Poet Oatmeal Stout, New Holland Brewing Co., Holland
• Norm's Raggedy Ass IPA & Postal Belgian Strong Ale, Big Rock Chop & Brewhouse, Birmingham
• Cherry Festive Ale & Beehive Honey Blond, Right Brain Brewery, Traverse City
• Ruby Lager, Woodward Avenue Brewers, Ferndale
  

After all that drinking, we were a little hungry. The festival had a food tent, and despite the tempting looking ribs and corn on the cob that Blue Tractor was serving, we managed to resist paying festival prices. Instead, we headed back to Casa Zawacki and cooked up some ribs of our own! Thanks to grillmaster Rick, we were enjoying our dinner in about an hour, and it was so much better than anything we could have gotten at the park. We found a killer of a sale at the local Milan market too at $1.99/lb for ribs, so we couldn't have done it for any cheaper!!

Ribmaster RickRubbing on some BBQMen like to grill stuff

We all thought it made for a pretty great day, and decided to make an annual tradition of Beerfest followed by ribs. I can't wait until next year!
P.S. Next year, we decided we needed pretzel necklaces like these folks. What a great idea. If we're smart enough, we'll even bring em in bulk to sell. We'd make a boatload of money to pay for our rib dinner!

Ice Cream and Cake is Great

The big reveal from last night, is that I baked Stephanie a birthday cake! Of course I had to make it crazy and special, so I went with chocolate owl cupcakes for the peeps, and a psychedelic mini-cake for Stephanie. I think it turned out pretty rad. But all that really mattered, was that she was surprised. :-)

Cake layers pre-bakeCake top decoratedCake sides decoratedNow check out the crazy insides!Don't forget about Hootie cakes