...2.14...Over the Weekend...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

...I'll either have to come back and post about that...or do it tomorrow...the Man has been hinting all week...that I'm going to LOVE my present...haha...he's so funny...and I can't wait to see what it is...that's a really good way to build up anticipation...

...we'll celebrate later I guess...and open our little cards and presents...but I made us some Vegan 2-Ingredient Probiotic Yogurt Biscuits for breakfast...and cut them into cute little heart shapes in honour of the day...haha...

...but before that...Friday night...I baked a Banana Bread to take to Amy's Mom's...she had texted me earlier in the week to say she was going down country...north of Raleigh...to visit her Mom...and I'd not been out to Amy's Mom's in many...many years...so I said YES!...

...Saturday started really early...as I'd put in the InstaCart order the night before...so I could pick up the groceries early...

...I don't really think there's anything of note...we got regular Saltines...after getting the tiny ones last time...and the Man asked for the mushrooms and pearl onions...it was funny that they gave us the little jar of cocktail onions instead of the frozen ones...but we'll make do with that...I guess...haha...

...I had packed up Our Airman's little Anniversary gift...because I wanted to find a post office and stop on the way...

...so we headed east...and north I guess...I was chatting with Mom...and I said we went 'down' to Raleigh...and she said don't you mean up...because it is indeed...north...but I think because I grew up in the mountains and practically everywhere seemed like it was 'down' from there...anywhoo...we got off the interstate as soon as we could...to drive through the country...

...the weather was absolutely gorgeous...

...and we arrived at Amy's homeplace...this is her Grandmother's house...across the road from her Mom's...I can remember going there with Amy...and sitting in the sunny kitchen with her grandparents...having a big ol' country supper of corn and green beans and tomatoes fresh from the garden...her Grandma reminded me of Nanny...they were farmers...and although you can't really tell it from this picture...there are acres and acres of farmland behind the house...I just snapped a photo because I thought it was funny that the new owner has put a big gorilla in the front yard...

...this photo of Amy was still on the wall at her Mom's house...it was taken about the time we first met as Freshmen at university...

...we had such a nice visit with her Mom...

...we went out for lunch...originally we were planning to get takeout and bring it back home...but the weather was so gorgeous that we decided to eat outside...I had red curry at a super Thai place...sorry I had eaten most of it before I thought to take a picture...I was too busy talking...haha...

...so then we set out to walk around downtown...

...it's just a cute and quaint old southern town...a lot of people had the same idea we did...the sidewalks were pretty crowded...

...there are still a few actual stores downtown...but Amy's Mom was telling us it was nothing like it used to be...when you could do all your shopping there...but that's a sad fact of almost all small towns...

...then we did a little more site-seeing...this is the location of the birthplace of the Wake Forest College...now Wake Forest University in Winston Salem...of course...

...Southeastern Baptist Seminary is there as well...

...and then we headed back out into the countryside...back to Amy's house...I love these old barns...tobacco barns I think...there was a lot of tobacco grown in this area for sure...but not anymore...

...and past the old quarry...I can remember going out to a similar quarry in the mountains...it always seemed so spoooooky to me...quarries often end this way...once they dig down so far...it just fills up with water...and the one in the mountains was a favorite swimming spot when I was in high school...this one does not seem spooky though...because they run a scuba school here...haha...

...it was about a 3 hour trip each way...so it was pretty late when we got back...

...the Man called in an order and I stopped and picked up some Chinese food for a late (8:00 PM) supper with him...it was a fun and tiring day...and I'm happy to be home...

...this is what the pathway to the back door of the Admin building looks like...they had come and cut down another one of the huge trees around the Church...it's so sad to see them go...but they are dropping huge limbs and this one is over the sidewalk...so it could be a hazard...

...we had seen this custard mix on one of the cooking shows we've been watching James May's Oh Cook......it's pretty funny...but it's vegan and I wanted to try it...so Amazon promptly delivered me some...

...so after Church Sunday...I mixed some up...2 cups almond milk...2 Tbls sugar and 2 Tbls Bird's Custard...

...pretty simple...and it smells just like Jello vanilla cooked pudding...

...I got out a bag of those vegan vanilla wafers from the freezer...

...arranged my bananas and wafers...

...and poured the custard over...

...now we'll have to wait until it's cooled to dig in...but it looks like it's going to be delicious...

...I always hand wash my little (super sharp) crinkle cutter...and when I left it on the counter to dry the Man said that I should wrap it in something so it doesn't get dulled in the drawer...and that's a good idea...so I made a quick little cardboard cover for it before I put it back in the drawer...

...I made some SoyQuick soymilk...

...because I wanted to make vegan yogurt...

...I had a couple of cups of plain milk leftover...so I put that into my old milk jug...

...Jack-Jack got a bath...he's so mad here...he won't even look at me...poor little thing...

...in with the custard...the Man had ordered some buckwheat...I can remember once...only once...when I was little that Mom made buckwheat pancakes...I'll have to remember to ask her about it...where did she get the buckwheat...was it local...how did she make the pancakes...etc...

...and since we had missed out big Saturday morning breakfast...we decided to have a pancake supper...we mixed a cup of the buckwheat with a cup of the Man's delicious mix...

...the first couple of pancakes are never any good...

...and I usually just eat them out of hand with some Earth Balance while I make the rest of the pancakes...

...because they definitely do get better as we go along...I think as I adjust the temperature and the timing of the flip...

...and we made quite the stack of buckwheat pancakes...the Man ate 4...haha...

...and I ate two...and we still have a bunch in the fridge...

...we're nearing the end now...whew...this morning I opened up the Deva Bridge Yogurt Maker...and carefully ladled the yogurt onto some cheesecloth...to make it into 'Greek' styled yogurt...

...and then I used the leftover probiotic whey to make the little heart biscuits that you've already seen...

~Wishing you a lovely start to your week!