Dragons and Jedis

After Saturday's Rock-n-Romp, we went right to bed so we could wake up at 5:00am and drive to Nashville. Warren had a kendo shinsa/seminar and I planned a visit with my old college roomie who's just had a baby. The monkeys requested a playground visit, specifially Dragon Park. (We'd visited when Satchel was just a baby, and both monkeys were eager to re-check it out.) Satchel also requested a visit to the forest, but I didn't know how to get there and no one could seem to tell me.

I'm notoriously bad with directions. When we go anywhere outside of Memphis, Warren does ALL of the driving. On Sunday I was equipped with a Tom Tom GPS unit and Google Maps on my iphone. I really like Google Maps, but it's hard to use when you are the person driving. Therefore, I relied on the Tom Tom, which actually talks to you. In our case, the Tom Tom is voiced by Yoda. ("Right you must go.")

Yoda successfully got us to East Nashville where my friend and her sweet family live. We were a bit early, so the monkeys and I checked out the awesomeness that is East Nashville and even played a bit at East Park. Once the monkeys got their yayas out, we spent a few hours at my friend's house. After that, we grabbed some lunch (more on that later) and then went in search of Dragon Park.

After my initial success in getting across the city, I relied on Yoda to safely navigate us to Dragon Park. (I was able to determine it's real name, Fannie Mae Dees Park and address on the Internet.) After about 30 minutes of circling the city, exiting and re-entering the "motorway," and fearing that I might end up in Chattanooga, I finally pulled over, turned off the Tom Tom, and consulted a map.

The monkeys were very supportive. "Yoda sucks!" they ranted from the back as I desperately tried to get my bearings. After another 20 minutes, I happily pulled up to a park and said, "We're here! I did it!" A few feet later, we saw the Parthenon and I realized the celebration was a bit premature.

I thought it might be a happy accident, but whatever interest the monkeys had in the Parthenon after viewing Percy Jackson, did not compare to their fantastical vision of Dragon Park. We hopped back in the car and eventually did find the park. And thankfully, the monkeys were impressed.



There were many other things to play on around the sculpture, clean bathrooms, and a working water fountain. On top of that, there were lots and lots of families. I plopped down in a chair and rested after our long journey while the monkeys thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

After an hour or so, we went in search of Warren, who thankfully was just 2.3 miles away. He passed his 2-kyu rank testing and was in good spirits. He looked a little sad when I climbed in the passenger seat, but after my re-telling of the day's events, he agreed to do the rest of the driving.

Our final Nashville stop was an hour long shopping spree at Trader Joe's. We loaded up on dinner, snacks for the car, and goodies for our pantry at home.

We made it home around 8:30pm. What a day! Next time, we'll spend the night. (And eat at all of the places I wanted to go to that were closed on Sunday!)

Rock-n-Romp

I was so looking forward to last Saturday's Rock-n-Romp. We had a beautiful venue (The Dixon's South Lawn); a great line up; free BBQ from Central BBQ; Live from Memphis was filming; the B Team was in town; and my bestie, Hope, was flying in just in time to catch the last band.

Friday afternoon was filled with doom and gloom from the weather watchers, but I refused to believe that we'd be rained out. In fact, rain wasn't going to be a problem since we had the Hughes Pavillion to use, but tornadoes and floods? Those would pose a problem.

On Saturday morning, Justin Willingham's voice blared from my bedside radio and told of both flooding and possible tornadoes until 10pm that night. I went into an immediate, deep depression, and started screaming, "Damn, you, Justin Willingham!" Then I actually started considering our first ever cancellation.

Luckily, Chip, our designated weather man, said to wait and see how things looked at noon, just as we had planned.

By eleven, the dire warnings had expired and we only had about an hour of rain to contend with from 1-2pm. Elated, I headed for the Dixon and started setting up. By 3pm, we had the most beautiful day you ever saw, and soon 600 people joined us in and around the Hughes Pavillion for an afternoon of great music, food, and fun.

You can read the official recap Chip and I posted here. What's missing from that is how cute Miles was in his tuxedo. That kid loves to dress up! I was personally thrilled that he was into tuxedos primarily due to Gustafer Yellowgold's song "Pteradactyl's Tuxedo" on the CD/DVD I sent him and Natasha at Christmas.

My friend, Hope's, plane didn't make it in time for her to experience RnR, but there were plenty of new faces at the show and I was glad to see that a few people who'd been promising to come finally made it. I got interviewed for our upcoming Flipside Memphis video and Warren & Jiro finally got their picture taken with the "I'm on Board" skateboard.


There's lots that goes into putting on a Rock-n-Romp. We've got a ten person board this year and several volunteers to help us, thank goodness. I was only scheduled to "work" for one hour, but I ended up busily checking up on things throughout the afternoon. (i.e. Did the bands get paid? Do we need more beer? Any BBQ left? Are kids staying out of the trees?)

In addition to that, Satchel and Jiro were among the "free range kids" at the show and I only heard from them if they needed water or a bandana. (The latter was unfortunately need for a little brother induced bloody nose!)

Despite all of this, and a complete lack of photos to prove it, I did manage to have a great time. I love seeing all the mamas and papas and babies having a good time. It's amazing how each show pans out and somehow gets better and better.

B Team

Last Thursday, Warren and I picked the monkeys up early so that we could go hang out at the Botanic Gardens with the B Team. (The B Team consists of our really good friends Liz and Vanessa and their two adorable children, Miles and Natasha.) We don't get to see them often so we like to pack as much as possible into our short visits.

I knew that they would love the new My Big Backyard exhibit. The playhouses were very popular and so were the potato sacks and hula hoops. Once Natasha woke up from her nap, she only had eyes for Satchel. As you can see from the pictures, the two of them held hands and played sweetly while Jiro and Miles wrestled and went wild. (Check out Natasha's shirt--I've totally got her hooked on Gustafer Yellowgold.)



We hung out for about two hours, then went home for a short rest before going to Sekisui for some dinner. Then Miles came over for a rare school night sleep over. When Miles comes over it's all about playing dress up. Jiro squeezed into a Power Ranger costume we've had forever and Miles alternated between his homemade Cupid and Pink Panther costumes. I think I finally got them in bed by 11pm. They woke up by themselves at 7am and started their Friday off with cartoons, donuts, and kolaches.

Lunch with Satchel

Yesterday, Warren, my mom, Jiro and I joined Satchel's class for lunch and his birthday celebration. They started off taking turns reading from the book, On the Day You Were Born, and I got to read the last page. (I almost totally started crying!) Then they sang happy birthday and the "We're so glad you're here" song. Finally, Satchel showed everyone the timeline of his life.

Then we sat down for an amazing lunch of roasted tilapia, green salad with feta, cheddar cornbread, and fresh mango. It was delicious!


The school's lunches are actually the topic of this week's column Give kids awesome food, they'll eat it up.

Satchel is Eight!

Eight years ago I gave birth to a dancing star. My life hasn't been the same since. I love being his mom.

He bolted out of bed this morning and immediately tore into the one present I had out for him--a new star hoody. Warren, my mom, Jiro, and I will be joining him for lunch at school, then we'll spend the afternoon with the B Team.

Speechless

Yesterday Warren and I met with Jiro's speech therapist at the University of Memphis for his semester evaluation. She raved about his progress and basically said that he is speaking at an age appropriate level and that he can easily correct his errors when cued. And then she said that ethically she couldn't recommend anymore therapy for him! Yep, that's right. He's done! Yay, Jiro!

She wants to see him once over the summer and again in October for a final evaluation, and she warned us that when he starts losing his teeth he might lisp a little, but wow! We're so happy. Jiro has worked REALLY hard over the last two years and I'm just so proud of him.

I told him that to celebrate, he could have whatever he wanted for dinner. He chose a hot dog cut up in pieces, rice, and rainbow sherbet ice cream.

Night at the Opera

Last Thursday, Satchel's class was invited to a dress rehearsal of Madame Butterfly at the Orpheum. They got a study guide from Opera Memphis and talked about the storyline in class. (Since Jiro will be in the elementary next year, he was invited to come along. He was SO excited.)

To make the outing more of an event, everyone got together for a pre-opera dinner at the Majestic Grille down the street. Deni Reilly, one of the owners, was nice enough to give us our own little area and Patrick Reilly, the other owner and chef, put together at special kids' menu for us. How awesome is that? (It definitely helped me steer Satchel away from the $26 ribeye he wanted to order!)

Surprisingly everyone was very well-behaved at dinner. I worried they might be too excited to be eating with their friends to actually eat or sit still, but everyone snarfed down their flatbreads and their pasta like there was no tomorrow. Jiro and Satchel sat at a different table from Warren and I, and I loved spying on them. My sweet little Jiro ate his entire flatbread with a fork! And everyone was absolutely amazed by the girth of the onion rings!

Our servers were extra attentive and very patient with us, which made the whole dining experience relaxed and fun. Deni and Chef Patrick even came out to visit, which was a real treat for the kids.


The opera itself was really long. Like three hours long! BUT amazingly enough, the kids did not get antsy at all. (Except for the non-reader sitting next to me.) The elementary kids all seemed completely mesmerized. And of course they (well, maybe just Satchel and Jiro) loved the tragic ending. (Not to give things away, but it involves blood.)

The real tragedy of the night was that no one took a picture of Team Oster. We were all color coordinated in our greys, blacks, and whites!

Thanks so much to the Majestic and Opera Memphis for such a wonderful evening!

The Luv Clowns

If you were at the November 2008 Rock-n-Romp at the Metal Museum, then you had the pleasure of seeing Harlan T. Bobo in action with the Luv Clowns.


The Luv Clowns are currently recording an album on the Goner label and were in need of some back up "singers." And by singers, I mean kids who could spell K-I-D-S, scream, jump, and clap. Satchel and Jiro fit the bill!

It is just amazing how shy kids get when you ask them to scream. It's like they think it's some kind of trick! Maybe if the parents wouldn't have been there, they would have been more inclined to go crazy. After some warming up and some cajoling, they finally fell into line and screamed, jumped, and clapped on cue. I was really glad Warren came with me, as he is proving to be an awesome "Stage Dad."



All in all, it only took about 30 minutes to get the tracks down. As a thank you, Tim Prudhomme passed out cookies.

It was awesome.

Look for the record to be released in November. And if we're lucky, Harlan and the Luv Clowns might come play the December Rock-n-Romp.

eaTABLE Supper Club

So if you've been listening to my WKNO testimonial, you know that one of my favorite things to do is listen to The Splendid Table on Sunday mornings. One Sunday, Lynn was interviewing Jenn Garbee about her book Secret Suppers: Rogue Chefs and Underground Restaurants in Warehouses, Townhouses, Open Fields, and Everywhere in Between. I immediately ordered the book and before I had even finished, I was dreaming of starting my own underground restaurant.

I informed Warren that I expected him to be the chef, and I envisioned myself waitressing. Well, Warren quickly told me that he would be a sous chef, but not a chef. So my next thought was my friend, Justin Fox Burks. He's a photographer for the Flyer and usually takes pictures of any food that I write about. More importantly, he's also an amazing home cook. His blog The Chubby Vegetarian is beautiful and full of mouth-watering, meat-free recipes. I emailed him about the restaurant, met him for lunch, loaned him my book, and patiently waited for him to say, "Sure, I'll do it!" (It took about three weeks.) As an added bonus, he recruited his wife, Amy Lawrence, and his friend/sommelier, Michael Hughes, to help him out. (Score!)

Next, I needed a host. (Our house is just a wee bit small.) Enter Margot McNeeley, my generous friend and fabulous founder of Project Green Fork. She and her husband, Gary Backaus, graciously offered to host the first dinner in their (super swanky) midtown home, complete with an aspiring chef's dream kitchen. (Double score!)

It almost seemed too easy! Then we had to pick a date. Flipping through our busy calendars over another lunch in early March, it looked like we wouldn't be able to get the restaurant going until June! That just seemed crazy. We gave up on doing a Saturday night and happened upon on Sunday that we were all free--April 11th, which just happened to be my birthday.

Finally, we needed people to come eat at the restaurant. I think we could have easily found 100 willing diners, but Justin wanted to start off slow and suggested we invite only 8. Subtract me, Warren, Margot, and Gary and that only gave us for precious invites. Four! I think only inviting four people was the hardest part of the whole experience.

So...on to the good part! The dinner! Despite my sad photos, I think you can still see that the food looked (and tasted) absolutely divine. I felt like I was in a five star restaurant. Each dish came out at the perfect temperature, expertly plated, and full of new and interesting flavors. It was a meal to be remembered. And no one missed the meat.

The Menu:

Enoki Mushroom Ceviche served over Black Beans and Fried Plaintains
(Paired with Margot's Prickly Pear Margaritas)



Corn Soup Elote with Chili Salt and Cotija Cheese
(Paired with Seven Hills Viognier 2008 Talcott Vineyard)



Six-Minute Duck-Egg Huevos Rancheros with Chipotle Pepper Sauce
(Paired with Chateau La Colombiere Coste Rouge 2006)



Smoked Poblano stuffed with Huitlacoche and Sweet Potatoes over Sofrito Rice Cakes with Fresh Cheese and a Tomatillo-Avocado Cream
(Paired with Seven Hills Syrah 2007 Walla Walla Valley)



Mixed Paletas (Cucumber/Cayenne, Horchata, and Pink Peppercorn/Tangerine)
(Paired with King Estate Vin Glaciere Pinot Gris 2006 Willamette Valley)



Justin, Amy, and Michael totally rocked the first ever eaTABLE Supper Club. Justin said that he really wanted to do it for the experience of doing it. "I love and respect food and this was a nice way to honor that. Plus, feeding people is one of my favorite things in the world," he said. Justin was racked with nerves at times, but after running through the dishes a few times he felt like he had put together a really strong menu. He took a few of his recipes from his blog and refined them. He also added a "wow" dish that he developed especially for the dinner. "That was the corn smut pepper," he said, referring to the Smoked Poblano stuffed with Huitlacoche and Sweet Potatoes.

For Justin, the most challenging part was getting past himself, believing that he could pull it off. And the most surprising part? "That we pulled it off at such a high level. I'm proud of the dishes we put out," he said.

And well he should be! Thanks to Justin, Amy, Michael, Margot, and Gary for making my crazy idea a delectable reality. And thanks to everyone who joined in for making my birthday not only delicious and fun, but absolutely unforgettable.



If you'd like to be a part of a future eaTABLE Supper Club, find us on Facebook.

Free Range Kids

Yes, those are my kids running through the forest with BB Guns. I wrote my column Loosening reins can be invigorating for kids and mom about my attempt to raise "free range kids." Check it out.


As an aside, I'll say that sometimes free range kids get poison ivy on their face. Oh, and even if they aren't scared to hike down a waterfall and 1/2 mile back to camp alone, they may still be scared of the zombies that apparently live in the dark corners of our house.

Camp Food

Warren loves to cook when we camp out. Prior to leaving town, he spent several hours planning and shopping. Some highlights of our three days of roughing it:

Hamburgers with sauteed onions and mushrooms; grilled jalapeno and cheese sausages; grilled asparagus, pineapple, jalapenos, and plantains; skirt steak; and s'mores, cinnamon rolls, vanilla ice cream and coconut sorbet.

Team Banbury is much more a "eat to live" rather than a "live to eat" crew, but Scott did cook up some nice deer sausage, breakfast hash, and "everything but the kicthen sink" beans.

Throw in some fresh fruit, tortillas, and arugula and we were definitely living high on the hog.

Into the Woods

Over the long weekend, Team Oster set off into the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas with 3/4 of Team Banbury. We set up camp, did some basic BB Gun safety tips for the kids, and then sat back and watched it rain for TWELVE HOURS. During this time, Team Banbury's captain, Scott, went on a 62 mile beer run. The rest of us ate boiled weenies & stove cooked burgers, sang campfire songs, and complained about the neverending rain.


Thankfully, when we woke up, the rain had stopped! However, in the bad news department, the raccoons made off with our bread and Team Oster was insanely jealous of Team Banbury's family sized tent and fluffy air mattresses.

It was still a bit damp out, and foggy, but it wasn't raining and as Brighid said, "I'm glad Miss Stacey didn't make us leave!" (I was threatening the night before.)

Kade and Satchel took off into the woods and Brighid, Jiro, and I headed towards the "beach." Warren and Scott stayed at camp and looked at topo maps, hung up hammocks, tended the fire, set up a makeshift archery range, and forced us to make our own lunch--which we decided should be s'mores.


Finally the adults could no longer stand the constant refrain of "When can we go swimming?" The sun finally broke through the clouds, but I was sure that the water was freezing and that swimming would be short lived. I was right, but the kids (and the dads) had a good time swimming/wading in spurts and playing in the sand.


After a couple of hours we were able to drag them back to camp with the promise of food and a hike to the waterfall.


The waterfall was absolutely amazing! The kids were incredibly adept at scaling the rocks and I was happy that I'd been keeping in shape so that I could follow behind them. We felt silly for widdling away most of the day when we could have been enjoying the falls, but we immediately decided to come back in the morning.

We spent our last night sitting around the campfire, feasting on fajitas and homemade ice cream, and telling stories. Everyone got along great and there was no talk of email, Facebook, or city livin.

I Heard it on WKNO

The kids and I had a major driveway moment today. Our listener testimonial for WKNO's pledge drive came on this afternoon! If you missed it, you can listen here.

You should have seen Jiro's face when he realized he was on the radio! I think Satchel was jealous and wished that he hadn't been so shy. But wow, it was just so great to hear Jiro loud and clear. I hope his speech teachers were listening!

Most importantly, if you haven't become a member of WKNO yet, now is the perfect time! Just click here.