Nashville Trip!

I’ve wanted to go to Nashville for a long time. I was sure I would enjoy it because I love music and everyone I spoke to that ever went there loved it. While I don’t listen to a lot of contemporary country music, I was raised on a steady diet of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Conway Twitty, Dolly Parton, and all of the wonderful musicians like them, so I was excited to go to the place where so many of them thrived. As a bonus, my good friend James lives in Tennessee and I got the chance to see him as well. This trip was poised for success from the start!

I boarded my plane in Boston full of excitement! My mom and her boyfriend Greg, also came on the trip. We all get along and travel very well together.

The city looked especially charming as we took off that night.

By the time we got to our hotel, it was time for dinner. So we set off to explore a little and find some food. We walked down Broadway and settled on a place called Rippy’s.

I had nachos and a drink called a Revenge-a-rita, which was incredibly sweet.

Some folks got up and did some fancy dancing involving intricate arm movements.

We also popped into a place called Robert’s Western World, which we all loved. The Don Kelley Band was playing and they were fantastic! The guitar player was named Daniel Donato and he was excellent. Along with being extremely talented, he was a pleasure to watch. His facial expressions were so animated and he looked like he was surprised at what he was creating and seemed to be wondering, “Whose hands are these?!”

They were playing there for the next two nights so we stopped in to see them each time. They were all very engaging and contributed to an enthusiastic and fun atmosphere.

The next morning started with breakfast at the hotel, as all good mornings do.

Please notice how healthy I was trying to be with my yogurt and grapes. It didn’t last long. SO MUCH SOUTHERN FOOD TO COME! Fully fueled, we set off for a day full of activity. First up, Broadway!

I’ve always thought Elvis was handsome.

We walked along the main drag to see what it looked like in the day time. We wandered in and out of a few places. Even this early in the day, there was live music in many of the bars. It was great!

We hit off to the Ryman Auditorium, the mother church of country music.

It’s a beautiful place and is said to have wonderful acoustics.

It was so special to be in the same place where so many great musicians had performed countless shows. Anyone who enjoys music would appreciate the significance of the Ryman and the special place it has in the hearts of so many. There were a number of objects on display like posters and outfits.

I particularly liked the title of this book.

We went on the backstage tour, and learned a lot about the history of the place.

Sometimes you have to take a sneaky selfie in a famous dressing room when you’re not supposed to.

We went to Robert’s Western World for their Recession Special. It’s a fried bologna sandwich, a bag of chips, and a PBR all for $5! I loved it!

After that, we headed off to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

I could have spent so much more time here. I wish we had dedicated a separate day to it because there was so much to see and learn.

This was Elvis’s Cadillac. It was all gold inside and had a television in the back.

Hank Williams’ suit.

You can always tell which dresses were Dolly Parton’s because of the boobs!

We headed back to the hotel that evening and my friend James came to pick me up.

I hadn’t seen him in three years so we were in need of a good chat and proper catch up.

He took me to Peg Leg Porker, a place famous for their ribs. I enjoyed them, as well as their mac ‘n’ cheese and green beans.

After a brief encounter with some proselytizing folks, James and I hit the town!

We hit up a load of honky-tonks and a piano bar and I had my first drink of Tennessee Fire. It was a really great night.

The next morning we woke up eventually, feeling a little worse for wear. Mom and Greg had already taken off for the day and ended up going to a town called Franklin.

Since it was late enough after James and I surfaced, we decided to go straight for lunch. We wanted to go to the Loveless Cafe but the wait was about 90 minutes long so we headed down the road and found a restaurant a few miles away.

I tried Catfish for the first time and I loved it!

I also sampled fried okra for the first time. I found it to be kind of bland and slimy but not bad.

We met up with some of James’s friends for drinks.

The day wore on and soon it was dinner time.

We went to Edley’s Bar-B-Que, which was really trendy with nice decor and I loved the lights strung across the patio.

I had pork tacos and tried Frito Pie for the first time. I didn’t love it. It’s a bag of Fritos with beans and shredded meat and cheese. I expected it to be delicious since I like all the ingredients, but I’d have rather just have a plain bag of Fritos.

After dinner, the time came to say goodbye to James. I’ll miss him until I see him again but I feel sure I’ll see him sooner rather than later.

I met up with Mom and Greg and we trotted into town again because we had tickets to see the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman! Weee! I was so excited!

We saw Little Jimmy Dickens, which was a surprise and a treat. He’s very old (93!) and so little.

Ricky Skaggs

Charley Pride. My Mom was thrilled about this. She loves Charley Pride.

Bill Anderson

Charles Esten. Mom and I were excited to see him because we both watch the show “Nashville” and he plays Deacon Claybourne on it.

I was so happy to have seen the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman. It was a great show and it felt really special to be there.

The next day we went to the Johnny Cash museum. I became a really big fan of Johnny Cash the summer before I started high school. I got a bunch of his CDs that September for my birthday, just a few days before he died.

We went to the Loveless Cafe for a late lunch. There was a much more reasonable wait time of a 15 minutes.

We started with delicious biscuits and preserves.

Then I had fried chicken with mashed potatoes, caramel sweet potatoes, and gravy.

Once back in Nashville we stopped by the Bluebird Cafe. It wasn’t open yet but we wanted to have a look at it since it’s one of the famous sites.

Later on we hit up the Savannah Candy Kitchen.

I treated myself to a scoop of strawberry and a scoop of chocolate.

We went out and enjoyed music again that night and then we were off the next morning back to Boston. I would highly recommend Nashville. I’d love to go again! Good job if you made it to the end of this post. I know it was super long!

 

 

 

Guinness Jelly

Christmastime is fast approaching and I’m a big fan of handmade gifts. They may take some extra time but I enjoy making things and this way I can customize things so I know the recipient will love the gift.

My brother loves all kinds of beer so when I saw Potlicker Beer Jelly, I went on the hunt for a recipe to make my own. There were a few different ones out there but I chose this one because it seemed easy and I’m brand new to making jams. This was my first attempt and I’m really pleased with the results! I know my brother is going to love it and I think it will pair well with a number of dishes. It’s very sweet but I don’t know enough about preserving yet to feel confident altering the recipe, but in the future I might try to cut down on the sugar, if possible. But I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a unique and tasty gift!

Canadian Thanksgiving Part II

After a perfect Thanksgiving feast, Sam and I slept soundly and pulled ourselves out of bed the next morning for a hike up to Eagle’s Nest.

I wore my most serious hiking outfit…obviously.

My backpack is from ModCloth and I just love it.

Before we even climbed very high, the views were spectacular.

Look at that cute little bench to stop and take a rest on.

That’s some serious beaver evidence right there!

As we hiked we took in the seeping views as well as the pretty little details.

We kept referring to our cute little findings as “gnome homes”, even though they weren’t really.

The view at the top was stunning. It was a perfect day for hiking and viewing. The air was clear and the sun was shining, making it easy to see for miles.

I like this photo because if you look at it right, it looks like I’m just kneeling on the top of the rock! But I totally got some air. I promise.

With the hike accomplished we headed back to the cabin for a snack.

We sat on the back deck and sipped tea.

Samantha made this delicious brie wrapped in puff pastry with cranberries and maple syrup.

Look at that oozy, melty, flaky, cheesy thing!

We ate it with crunchy apples, water crackers, and buttery cranberry crisps.

We said farewell to the cabin and went home to Sam’s house that evening. The next day we chilled out at her house and we both did a bit of work on our laptops.

The following day we set off for Niagara Falls! I had never been before and I was so excited!

When we arrived in Niagara, we found parking and set out to find the falls. I was expecting the surrounding area to be more picturesque but it was all kind of flat and industrial.

We walked down an earthen path and could hear the rumble of the falls in the distance.

We passed some unusual trees on our way.

Talk about roots!

And a serious right angle.

The famous landmark seems to come out of nowhere. You’re just walking along and the roar of water gets louder until you emerge onto a well manicured and busy street. And there they are. The Falls!

They really are incredible. It’s amazing to see how much water rushes over the ledge by the second. Unfathomable.

There you can see the Maid of the Mist coming around the bend.

It was a very windy day and even gustier near the Falls. You get sprayed with mist further from the water than you’d expect.

We stopped for lunch at a place called The Falls and Firkin.

To start, we shared fried pickles with dill sauce. The tangy, crunchy, salty pickles paired deliciously with the cool, creamy dill dip.

I went for fish and chips

and Sam chose a beef sandwich with au jus.

After lunch, we drove to Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The butterfly conservatory was like a large greenhouse with netting on the insides for the creatures to cling to.

Now, brace yourselves for endless pictures of butterflies.

Honestly, I found the ones feeding on decaying fruit to be kind of gross.

There was even a little turtle in there.

And lots of cocoons where little butterflies were growing

This blue guy was very elusive and hard to capture in a photo. He just wouldn’t land!

It looks like a field of butterfly flowers!

And next up we have the moment where Sam became a Disney princess.

Look how excited she is!

I was really excited to go to butterfly conservatory but I’ll admit, when we went inside I was a little weirded out. I didn’t want the butterflies to land on me and I felt nervous when they swooped and dove around my head. Sam on the other hand was right at home.

I did hold Sam’s butterfly for the experience, but clearly I was freaking out internally because I don’t like insects.

We left the conservatory and strolled out into the botanical gardens.

There were a lot of beautiful roses

After wandering around for a long time, we left and went to a lookout along the road.

The foliage was perfect! I loved all of the colors and the water was way bluer than I expected.

The leaves are one of the reasons Autumn is my favorite season.

After this we drove to Sam’s godparents’ house to spend the night since they live near the airport and I was departing the following morning.

I couldn’t have asked for a better trip to Canada! Excellent food, beautiful sights, and wonderful company. I look forward to my next visit.

P.S. At the airport in Toronto, I saw Stanley Tucci the actor! Wahh! I’ve never really seen a celebrity before so it was exciting for me. I played it cool though and didn’t run up to him and ask for a picture or an autograph.

Canadian Thanksgiving

I was lucky enough to be invited back to Canada again this year for Canadian Thanksgiving! My dear friend Samantha and I met in Ireland when we were working on our Master’s degrees. Sam is a proud Canadian with a winning personality and a set of cooking skills that will knock your socks off. As per yoosh (usual), we had a blast together!

We spent the weekend in a cozy cottage on a big lake in Bancroft, Ontario. We Americans would most likely call it a cabin with its lovely logs and rustic features. I’m a big fan of cabins and all of the woodsy elements inside them.

Like this deer head above the amazing stone fireplace.

…or this honest to goodness duck phone that actually works.

The cabin is owned by Rick, who is a longtime friend of Sam’s parents and every year, Sam’s family spends Thanksgiving with him. I feel like part of the tradition now that I’ve spent two Thanksgivings in a row there.

Since food is the main event of Thanksgiving, as well as a main event in mine and Sam’s lives, we pulled out all the stops, kicking off our arrival with beer and chilli dogs.

I also tried a butter tart for the first time. Sam described it as a pecan pie without the pecans, and I have to say that’s pretty accurate but it may be a bit gooier and possibly more delicious. The tart on the left is a coconut cream tart and was also wonderful.

We took a wander down to the lake in hopes of walking off a few calories.

Before bed, we indulged in warm apple cider with butterscotch schnapps. It tasted exactly like a caramel apple!

Don’t you love the ancient crock pot? It belonged to Sam’s grandparents.

The next morning we all pitched in to make a hearty breakfast of Eggs Benedict. We used hashbrowns as the base instead of English muffins and Bearnaise instead of hollandaise. The results were bomb-dot-com.Just look at all that beauty!

Bellies full and buzzing with energy, Sam and I set off into the forest to see what we could gather for a Thanksgiving tablescape for the feast ahead.

I had my heart set on finding pine cones. But turns out there was an alarming lack of them in the old deciduous forest. Instead we discovered hard to photograph chipmunks

and weird mushrooms that let out puffs of smoke when you poked them.

We made it back to the cabin with our spoils; birch bark, moss, ferns, leaves, and one little pine cone. Luckily, Rick happened to have a few extra-large pine cones lying around the cabin so we got to work manipulating and arranging.

And this was the end result!

Not too shabby, right? Plus, we fashioned some napkin rings to go with it.

With the turkey and ham cooking away and filling the house with delicious smells Sam prepared mulled wine while Rick started a fire in the back yard.

We all bundled up and went outside to enjoy the atmosphere and nibble on a cheese plate with warm cups of wine.

Also veggies and hummus because health

I serenaded the crew with a few songs on Rick’s guitar.

Before long it was time to feast!

Turkey, ham, garlic peas, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole with praline topping, and cranberry walnut stuffing.

Incredibly delicious with homemade cranberry sauce and gravy, all washed down with cold cider.

I was one happy camper!

We whiled away the rest of the evening watching t.v., having the chats, and playing a few rounds of Bananagrams, which is a fabulous word game if you don’t already know. Just make sure you have plenty of surface area to work on!

Stay tuned for more adventures!