Scottie's Bar-B-Que

Sometimes small town living is really an advantage. Although we are 27 minutes (yes I timed it, gah) from the nearest Target, and hour from Costco, we can however go to the bait shop where everyone knows your name or get a cheese burger and fries for $4.44 at the local watering hole.

We checked out Scottie's Bar-B-Que in Maiden before I headed to get my $10 haircut in a place that reminded me of Steel Magnolias. It was pretty tasty! No Killer Burger that is for sure, but good enough to go back to! I had a cheese burger that was perfectly cooked with a fresh tomato and crisp lettuce and Scott had a hot dog topped with chili and slaw in true Carolina . They also feature a BBQ sauce that is made in house that I really enjoyed.

I also chatted up a waitress who's husband was in Portland for 3 months for work. It goes to show how small our world really is.

I look forward to finding other little gems like this around town!

Flower Beds

Last week I finally got around to planting some flowers in front of the house! I have been wanting to get my hands in the dirt for weeks and the sun popped out just enough to allow me to do so. Scott and I had stopped by the local flea market and picked up a few iris, crocus and tomato plants and I knew I needed to get them in the ground soon. I also had some lily bulbs that I had been neglecting in the garage that needed a little love.

The before shot.

While Scott slept the day away (he works the night shift) I got my shovel and started turning the dirt or should I say clay. The ground is so different here than it is in Oregon and you have to work a lot harder to get it to do what you want.

It took a few hours but they say slow and steady wins the race. This weekend I was able to get some mulch in the bed and it really looks finished now. Once everything starts to bloom is should be lovely! 

Hickory Crawdads

Scott's cousin Terry invited us to go to the Hickory Crawdads baseball game with his wife Stephanie and their friends. I've only been to like 2 other baseball games ever in my life and this was so much fun! The sun was shining, the company was great and boy do I love those baseball uniforms!

We had driven by the stadium the other day and talked about going to a game in the future so when we were invited of course we jumped at the opportunity! Plus it was an excuse to get to know Terry & Stephanie better.

The tickets were very reasonable (like under $10) and we will be going back again for sure! I think this will be a fun thing to take any visitors to as well (hint, hint) so let me know when your tickets are booked! 

Family Time

Scott and I had some of his extended family over for Easter (read about it here) however his Aunt & Uncle and their 2 kids weren't able to make it so we decided to have them along with Scott's patents over for lunch (or dinner as southerners like to call it) after church.

What a wonderful time we had visiting, eating and enjoying the sunshine! I am so in love with these boys and had a blast watching them play in the yard and get to know them a little better.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I feel so blessed that while I am thousands of miles from my own family, Scott's has welcomed me with such love. 

Mock Amalfie's Pizza

There are a few places from home that I miss more than others. Killer Burger, Wong's King, Tuk Tuk - Mmmmm. I've been wanting good pizza for a long while and finally decided that I would make my own. I had fully intended on just making like a Bisquick crust but after a few minutes looking at recipes I knew I had to try my hand at Amalfie's  style pizza. Luckily I had everything I needed on hand and decided to devote my day to making delicious pizza for dinner.

The original dough recipe can be found here on Group Recipes. I followed it pretty closely however I have never been great at measuring.

My 3 beautiful dough balls.

Just the right thickness. 

Ingredients

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• 1 package active dry or fresh yeast
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees F
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing
• A large cookie sheet
• A small and big bowl
• A fork

How to make it

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• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup warm water.
• Large bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Add the oil, the yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water.
• Mix until the entire mixture forms a ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Knead by hand 2 or 3 minutes. The dough should be smooth and firm.
• Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a cool spot for about 2 hours. (When ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled).
• Divide the dough into 2 balls. *Alternatively you could divide into 4 balls to make into 4 pizzas, about 6 ounces each, to make 8 inch pizzas.
• Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest 1 hour. *At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 500 F or highest temp. Lightly oil cookie sheet with extra-virgin olive oil. Roll out dough ball, on a lightly floured surface, to the shape of your cookie sheet. Carefully transfer dough to cookie sheet, lightly press and stretch out to the edges of sheet.
• Add sauce (not too much) and toppings. Start with sauce, then cheese, veggies and meat.
• Cook for 10 - 12 minutes, more depending on the thickness of crust due to size of pan you used.

The crust was perfect! It was thin enough to have a crunch but not so thin it was like eating crackers. The best part? I had enough dough to make 3 different kinds of pizza!

Cast of characters!

BBQ Chicken (BBQ sauce, chicken, red & green onion, cheese)

Sausage, Onion & Olive 

Chicken Ranch (Ranch dressing -homemade of course! - Chicken, Bacon, Tomato, Cheese)

The 3 pizzas pre cheese. 

They all turned out so well. Scott loved the Sausage while I thought the Chicken Ranch was great. This won't be something I do all the time because the crust takes a few hours to make, but this will be a special treat every now and then. I am already thinking up the next round of combinations we'd like to try!

Date Night

Every now and then a night out on the town is just what the doctor orders! In our case it was fancy dress, dinner and a movie. Scott planed out dinner and let me pick the movie :)

I put on my little black dress and heals and we headed to Kobe Japanese House of Steak , one of the nicer places in town, and stuffed out faces with sushi and Hibachi Steak. I had never been to a Habachi style restaurant where the chef cooks the food right at your table (but I have been to the ones where you grill it yourself). We ha a lot of fun and met a nice couple who shared our table. The food was delish and the atmosphere was fun.

After a quick change in the car, we set off to see Safe Haven (my choice). I love Nicholas Sparks books and get more excited then I would like to admit when one is turned into a movie. We got there a little early so we played a round of air hockey. Well, Scott played while I attempted, unsuccessfully, to block his shots :) They were also promoting the new Monsters Inc. movie so of course we had to take advantage of the photo op.

What a wonderful night we had. I love being able to try new places and see new things - I am so blessed to have a partner who enjoys life as much as I do!

Southern Living

Sometimes the South just sneaks up on you... 

I usually don't drink much other than water but every now and then some sweet tea really hits the spot. In my opinion, the sweeter the better! If I keep it in the house, I know I'll drink it all so I treat myself on special occasions. The occasion here? The sun was out :)