APIE

Last year I signed up with Austin Partners In Education (APIE), to volunteer as a mentor in the public schools.  It has turned out to be an enriching experience, and I would recommend it to anyone with a little time and the desire to make a difference in a child's life.

The West Side Art Tour has been held the past two weekends here in town, and it got me thinking about the children's art on display at Mathews Elementary. I think these photos capture the fun and creative spirit of these kids.

I think my favorite part of volunteering here is having lunch with the kids. The noise level in the cafeteria rises with the sounds of chatter and laughter as they open lunch boxes, compare food, juggle milk cartons and anticipate their upcoming playground time. 

I'm never bored with this crowd-priceless.

If you are interested in learning about this volunteer opportunity, you can contact Austin Partners in Education at 512.637.0900.

Cheesealicious

There are those times when I am craving comfort food, and lately I've been obsessing about grilled cheese sandwiches. I remember my mother's white bread and processed cheese sandwiches, but I decided to, as Emeril would say, "kick it up a notch."

I made four different kinds and was curious to see which ones my appreciative guests would like best.  Pictured above on the left  is my Tuscan grilled cheese with provolone, mozzarella, pesto, crispy prosciutto and tomato on parmesan ciabatta bread.
Molto delizioso.

On the right is my French version of grilled cheese with gruyere, caramelized onions and mushrooms on a rustic bread-very tasty.

Below is a southwestern take with pepper jack, cheddar, tomato, avocado and smoked poblano on sourdough bread.

Last, but not pictured, was the favorite.  A brie with thinly sliced apples and strawberry jam on grilled walnut and cranberry bread. Fig jam would have been a good alternative. Just goes to show you that simple is sometimes best.

The possibilities are endless and it was so much fun making and sharing these with friends. What's your favorite grilled cheese?

Spring Potpourri

"Spring is the time of plans and projects."- Tolstoy 

Never were truer words spoken. With this early spring I have been spending hours working in my backyard and loving every minute of it. It seems that I am happiest when I am planning and planting. Here are some before and after photos of the "yard chronicles."

Before 
The area in front of the garage was mainly weeds 

After
New grass and added the planter box with bougainvillea. I painted the fence the same color as the house trim.

         
                                 

Work begins on making a path to the garden shed and creating beds along the fence line. I decided to use gray stone since the Nantucket style shed will age to a natural gray.

              

                  Before                                      

                                          

                              

                                             After 

                                   

                                                A Quiet Corner

                                 Spring color

I've started composting which should be great for all of my flowering plants. Now the rest of the yard is waiting for a make over,and I need to hurry before the summer heat is here.

Happy Easter to you all and happy digging.

I Love Tuesdays

I always look forward to Tuesdays.  It's the day I get together with my son for lunch, and we have some time to share what's going on with each other. Sometimes we head for our favorite standbys, but today we tried a new place, the Second Street Bar + Kitchen. It is on the street level inside the Austonian at the corner of Congress and, you guessed it, 2nd Street.  It turned out to be a nice surprise. It's not inexpensive, but I really enjoyed the food.  We tried the black truffle pommes frites and chicken fried olives for appetizers and were not disappointed. 

                                 The restaurant has a nice feel to it with a modern vibe.  If you are eating solo,
                                 the bar is a nice option.

                                  These mouthwatering sliders were a good choice, but one was enough for me.

                                                 A beautiful shrimp salad with blue cheese and bacon.

                                        The upstairs patio gives you a bird's eye view of the Second Street shops
                                        and lunch crowd. Come to think of it, this would be a fun place for
                                        happy hour.