Wedded Bliss

J and I just got today back from a friend’s weekend wedding in Maine.  Phil was my co-worker (and fellow new-hire way back when) at Dow Chemical.  He and I were very good friends with a similar sense of humor.  We ate lunch together most days and would inevitably end up laughing until our sides hurt.  J and I would frequently go to house parties at Phil’s and vice versa.  We lived in a very small company town in Texas.  There was not much for the twenty-something, kidless crowd to do on weekend nights that did not require a 1-hour trip into Houston.  So, we resorted to having many a crazy house party.  We spent many Easters and Thanksgivings together too since it was usually too costly and we didn’t have enough vacation time to fly home.  Phil was right there in the office next door during my pregnancy with Wildman.  He brought J and I a basket of baked goods and beer to the hospital the day after Wildman was born.  So, when the “save the date” for Phil’s wedding found it’s way to my mailbox in January, I made sure that J booked our flight ASAP.  How could we miss the wedding of one of our dearest Dow friends?

The wedding was held at the Bok Amphitheatre on the grounds of the Camden Public Library.  July in Maine is gorgeous!  Saturday treated us to perfect weather for the outdoor nuptials.  The setting could not have been more idyllic.  A four-piece orchestra played and the sun shown so beautifully for the happy couple’s afternoon wedding.

Phil’s nieces were the flower girls.

The bride wore a lovely off-white, strapless, eyelet gown with green accents.  It was the perfect choice for an outdoor summer wedding.  She was radiant.

Phil quit Dow not long after I did to pursue an MBA from the University of Michigan.  He met Emily while he was working for Merck in Philadelphia three years ago.  They lived in the same building and had a similar love of dogs.  He has a golden retriever named, Gracie.  She has a labradoodle named, Maddie.  It was love 🙂

We hung around the grounds for a while with the wedding party taking pictures, talking and admiring the view.  The amphitheatre overlooks Camden Harbor.  Everywhere you looked was like a postcard.

The reception was at the Megunticook Golf Club.  The clubhouse was like something out of a movie.  It had a broad wrap-around porch with lots of rocking chairs.  The inside looked like a hunting lodge with hardwood floors, stone fireplaces and paneling on the walls.  It was an old building with lots of swinging screen doors.  It felt like being transported back in time.  It was a truly lovely venue for a reception.

We sat outside at a table on the lawn with friends.  We had a perfect view of the green and the water.  We also had excellent access to the “bacon bar” that Phil was raving about!  The caterer set up a huge charcoal grill under a canopy for the sole purpose of preparing and serving bacon-wrapped food!  OMG!  They had bacon-wrapped lamb, shrimp, scallops and dates.  I could not stop hovering.  It was all so delicious.  All of the food was amazing really.  From the quesadilla station to the antipasto table to the open bar to the beef tenderloin- it was heavenly.  I’m sure I gained 5 pounds that night.

We enjoyed a slice of this gorgeous blueberry topped wedding cake as well!  Yum!

The reception ended with lots of pictures, hugs and last turns in the photo booth that was rented for the night.  We left with little bottles of real maple syrup in cutest glass maple leaf bottles as favors.  It was a perfect evening!

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Yum!

This post is not an advertisement but I’m sure it will sound like one…  I use McCormick’s Grill Mates all the time when we barbecue meat.  I’m a fan of every flavor that I’ve tried so far.  I had never seen the Brown Sugar Bourbon variety before so I picked it up with thoughts of kabobs in my head when I saw it at the grocery store several weeks ago.

My friend, B, and I still exchange dinners each week.   Two weeks ago I was struggling to come up with something to make for our swap until my eyes landed on the Grill Mates in my pantry.  KABOBS!

I dashed to the store for a huge sirloin steak to marinade.  When it had sat in the spicy goodness for several hours, I cut it up and speared steak chunks with mushrooms, orange and yellow bell pepper, grape tomatoes and Vidalia onions.  The end result was a platter full of yummy looking skewers.  I so wish I had taken a photo of the kabobs because they were beautiful!

J was out of town for his grandmother’s funeral on the night I grilled them so I shared our portion Steph and her kids.  Don’t worry though, the steak I bought was so huge that I had plenty of leftovers for J when he arrived home the next day.  J didn’t miss out on the yummy goodness 🙂  The marinade made the meat taste incredible!  I will definitely have to purchase that one again.

Just thought I’d share.

A Trip to the Farmers Market

So, I’ve become slightly obsessed with making better food choices.  Ever since I watched Food, Inc. on pbs.org I have become disturbed by the practices used in the production of our nation’s food supply.  Quite frankly, I am horrified.  Go check it out.  Everyone needs to be better informed.

In light of my new food awareness I have sought out ways for our family to consume healthier items that are available locally.  Joining the organic produce co-op was one step.  Trying the organic produce delivery service was another.  I’ve also tried to incorporate more organic items into my grocery cart when I shop at Publix.  The truth is it’s darn expensive to be healthy!  But if you do it right by searching out coupons, promotions and buy only seasonal produce it can be much more affordable.

Another venue I discovered just yesterday is the Brevard County Farmers Market.  It’s is held every Thursday afternoon from October-June at a local park’s equestrian center.  What drew me to it was it’s advertisement for grass-fed beef.  When the boys and I checked it out though no such booth was set up and I was not sure who to ask about it.  We’ll have to go back next week because I was impressed with what we saw and bought.  I ended up with a gorgeous head of hydroponically grown lettuce, a tray of beautiful hydroponic tomatoes, two organic cucumbers, a loaf of amazing-looking iced cinnamon bread and two white chocolate dipped pretzels for the boys.

I never thought that I would be one of those organic, granola types…, and I’m not as fanatical as some folks (I still wear deodorant).  But I do feel like I need to be a better job of policing what goes into my body, my husband’s body and my kids’ bodies.  It’s the least I can do, right?