Yearbook Dedication and Country Livin

A trip home to the country is always a good thing.  My Mom is a Gifted/Talented teacher with North Lamar ISD in Paris, Texas.  Bailey Middle School dedicated the 2012 yearbook to her this past week...so I made the trip back for the ceremony. But first I stopped in for a little of Paris' finest.  China Star buffet.  It was the first time I've eaten Chinese Buffet in like 2 years.  And my intestines were none too happy.  

Then it was on to the assembly in the middle school auditorium with my step dad Mike.  

( Memories, blurry memories! )

( If you can't write anything nice...write something mean as Hell. They're gonna do it anyway )

Back at the house, we made dinner for the special lady before she got home! Mike did most of the cooking.  I did most of the sitting around editing pictures for this blog. Hey, sometimes it's nice to not be in the kitchen. A summer pasta with eggplant parmesan and asparagus was the rub.  

( Olive oil, minced garlic, chopped tomatoes and zucchini over medium heat for ten minutes )

( Asparagus, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper over medium heat for ten minutes )

( Fresh basil is what knocks a summer pasta out of the park )

Wash the eggplant and slice it into 1 inch thick slices.  Bread them in Italian bread crumbs and put them in a pan with olive oil over high heat until brown on each side.  Then put them on a baking sheet, spread some pasta/marinara sauce on them, followed by mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  Then into the oven at 350 for another ten minutes or until cheese is good and melted.  

Cook the pasta in a large pot with water, oil, and salt.  Then toss in with your veggies, chopped fresh basil, and parmesan.

Voila.  Plate it up and enjoy.

Outside after dinner...Moms was none too happy about the motorcycle parked out in her yard.  Or the fact that I rode it there.  Silly Moms.  

Mike gave me a grand tour of the garden.  He's got squash, green beans, red and yukon gold potatoes, about ten different varieties of tomatoes, and on and on.  Man I want a garden so bad.  It's the first thing I'm setting up when I buy a house later this summer.  

We pulled some plums right off the tree and ate those.  So sweet your mouth almost can't take it.  

And that's some country livin for ya.  Nothing moves too fast in Paris, Texas...and that's a good thing when you find yourself headed home.  Congrats again Mom...you deserve every accolade in the book!