Spring is Here - Plus Food and Family

We sure are glad that spring is here…although we do have 3 mornings in a row coming up where temperatures are predicted to come in at freezing or just below freezing.  Of course the best news for us is that this coming Monday we will mark the prescribed two weeks after receiving our second Covid-19 vaccine dose.  Semi-freedom and just in time for spring!

So, everything around us in East Tennessee is turning green and many flowering plants and trees are in bloom!

We love redbud trees!  They are so bright and cheery and they are scattered everywhere around our area.  These examples are right across the street from us and right behind our house. 

The eastern redbud is a large shrub or small tree that is native to eastern North America.  They can be found from southern Michigan to central Mexico, east to New Jersey and as far west as California.  The redbud is the state tree of Oklahoma.

I’ve never tried them, but the flowers can be eaten fresh or fried.  In some parts of southern Appalachia, green twigs from these trees are used as seasoning for wild game such a venison.  Due to this use, the redbud is sometimes referred to as the spicewood tree.

Laurie really loves her flowering quince bush… It is so bright and colorful when it’s in bloom.  In the instance of this variety of quince, it is a cultivar that blooms but without the unwanted fruits.  They are also smaller than the fruited variety…topping out at about 4 feet.  Our quince usually blooms twice a year…spring and late fall.  Many refer to this bush as a Japonica…

This early blooming Pieris Japonica “Mountain Fire” drove our local bee population into a frenzy!  They buzzed anyone that came near…they ‘owned’ these flowers…  Following this profuse floral display, these bushes then produce fiery red growth, tempering the white flowers but nonetheless still eye catching.  These shrubs are great for planting around foundations and they are a great companion for azaleas.  

Laurie was out in the yard when a neighbor came by walking his dogs, a cute pair of West Highland White terriers.  Sherry, who lives next door, was chatting with Laurie…accompanied with her dog and Laurie’s friend, Fiona.   Both humans and dogs had a chance to visit in this Covid-19 environment, and my wife got her dog fix!

And now for some food…take out or prepared as has been our practice about 3 times a week during the pandemic.

In this case, we went to Kentucky Fried Chicken and decided to try their version of the spicy fried chicken sandwich.  We had already sampled fried chicken sandwiches from Chick-Fil-a, Freddy’s, Hardee’s and Popeye’s.  We both agreed that KFC’s version was almost as good as Popeye’s…with both of them edging out Chick-Fil-a.  The others aren’t in the same league.

Time for breakfast!  In this case, we had some leftover Chicken Florentine.  I heated it in a frying pan, added some shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the mix and then topped it with a couple of easy over eggs.  Very satisfying!

In this case, I had some leftover Mac n Cheese (Kraft Deluxe) that we’d amped up with some quality hot dogs from Fresh Market as well as more cheese…sharp cheddar to be exact.  Of course I had to top it with my over easy eggs.  I did add Tabasco… This was an excellent breakfast!

You win some and you lose some…especially when trying out prepared foods.  This Boston Market Country Fried Beefsteak with signature home-style mashed potatoes and country-style gravy was a complete loser.  Well, after adding some butter to the potatoes, they were ok.  The whole thing looks unappetizing and the ‘beefsteak’ lacked flavor and it was tough too.  A horrible piece of meat…if that’s what it was…

On the other hand, this frozen Edward’s Key Lime Pie that we’d picked up at our Food Lion Store was really quite tasty…almost as good as the one that the store’s bakery produces from time to time.  We’d serve this pie to guests…

…and now onto some family time!

We haven’t seen our son and his family since Thanksgiving in 2019!  We’re really looking forward to a summer trip and spending time with them soon. 

Dad, David II and mom, Amy, recently hit the road with our youngest grandson, Emmett Lee.  The search is on for this high school junior’s college destination!  I can’t imagine it, but for at least one full year, David and Amy will have two sons in college at the same time… Time flies and so do the dollars… David III, our oldest grandson is currently a sophomore at New York University. 

The family was focused on Texas this time.  First there was a stop at the University of Texas at Austin.  That was followed up by a stop at Rice University in Houston.  Only time and admissions screening will tell where Emmett goes to college…but he is getting to see a lot of options in the meantime.  There weren't any photos of Emmett at Rice without a mask...good boy!

That’s all for now… Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Stay Safe and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave