Every Friday and Saturday night, it snows in downtown Vicksburg. Some of my loyal blog readers asked for photographic evidence. Note the variation in protective clothing, from short sleeve to warm hats, people seem to be enjoying the weather! Thanks to the Ware House for making this precipitation possible, it feels a little more like Christmas.
Before going in...
Out of the oven and across the street. From left to right: turducken, turkey, duck, and chicken (not shown). Chefs and designers shown from left to right: Robert, Sandy, Todd and Jeff.
Lots of help to get things ready for serving. All the work that went into the deconstruction and subsequent reconstruction, no room for error. Thumbs up across the board--one of the best ever!
2006: Turducken I: On a whim, Jeff and I decided we could pull this off. We used wild mallards, extreme stuffings, and it was a triumph beyond our wildest expectations, especially for those who said it couldn't be done (by 2 immature butchers).
2007: Turducken II: New and improved adapted with a domestic duck, 2 new stuffings, and met with rave reviews. Especially by those who ate shot last year. Hip, Hip, Hooray!! We had a small turkey which presented some logisitical issues. Once the glow had worn off, we vowed to go big in 2008.
Early to bed, early to rise! But you won't find me at the mall, I was down by the lake for sunrise. And it did not disappoint.
Rascal samples the turkey and was unavailable for comment. The weather was beautiful, the meal was delicious, and the company was priceless. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
And here is the one I used last night...a cherry pitter! Debbue says she will leave it to me someday. Until then, I will daydream about it, and wonder if it works for olives.
In a very short time span, the team demolished, rebuilt and reopened the restaurant with a facelift. The website is still under construction, but we will keep watching for updates. Sole Restaurant and Raw Bar, the new hottest spot in town.
A few days later, I packed my bags and headed south. SETAC was in Tampa, FL and luckily the sun was in attendance. We managed to soak up some rays in between talks, it made it difficult to leave the patio and soak up the science. 
That meeting went well, but it is over, and I am further north in Melrose, FL to spend the week with my family. Plus I have a lot of sleep and silence to catch up on. Conferences mean talking too much, sleeping too little. Time to recover.
With some extra time in DC yesterday, we opted not to join a political campaign, instead headed to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. And on Tuesdays, the live butterfly exhibit is free. Score one for the good guys! Then we met up with my friend Kim, who led us to this happening spot for dinner with great food and unique menu style, Matchbox--a vintage pizza bistro.
a place for everything and everything in a place...
in between football games, I managed to reorganize my kitchen cabinets, launder a mountain of clothes, and finally found the floor in my traveler's room. 
There is still work to be done, but I feel great about a weekend of "nesting" as my friend Chris used to say. Err, I should say the new Dr. Blanar.
She is on her way to save the day! One of our favorite locals is headed to parts far and arid to flex her leadership and diplomacy skills. We wish her all the best and will count down the days until she returns.
If you follow the progression of pictures, the food slowly disappears...EXCELLENT! Thanks to all who attended and assisted with the preparation of my apartment as well as the food. Thanks to Natalia for providing these pictures and her discerning Spanish palette for the tapas!
Mississippi is in its finest hour, weather wise. Slightly chilly in the morning and evenings, warm during the middle of the day--like summer in Saint John!
Thursday night was my turn to host Vicksburg Supper Club. In true form, I bit off more than I should chew--with a guest list numbering 14 and a menu streching to 10 recipes. Myfriend Sarah Coughlin taught me long ago, in our Stillwater days, when it comes to entertaining, "if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing." My hope was to dine outside, but the weather intervened and we stayed in. It was a great party with all the right elements--food, friends, and flamenco music!
Weekend project saw the installation of 2 sails on the balcony. They are like "an umbrella, deconstructed" with poles on the corners rather than in the middle. These will assist with sun deflection, aesthetics and a sure-fire way to anger my landlord. Note the carpenter on the roof. Huge thanks to Jimmy, Todd and Rob for their design and execution of this endeavor.
I am on travel in an altogether unexciting place, but I did pick up this new cookbook for next week's Tapas party.
Yeah, sure, you are a husband and a father now, but I can't seem to call you Chris. So Happy Birthday, Truck. Hope you had a great day! This picture was taken at his & Holly's wedding back in July 2006. 
Today marks the countdown of 21 days before Liz takes off for an assignment on the other end of the world. Although we will wish her the best, a support group will be formed to deal with the short-term loss felt here in MS. This picture was taken on Liz' birthday last year at Anchuca. We later sent this boa to Julie in Iraq as part of a girlie care package. Liz can expect similar treatment from the Vicksburgers. In related news, I am interviewing for new sidekicks. Maybe I can get Xandi back down here...
I am forced into premature blogging by The Ware House's mention of this website in association with last night's Delta Diners excursion. I wouldn't want to disappoint my loyal fan base. 
'Til next month's dinner, we leave the Delta as content Diners once again.
