Keeping Up With The Cronins

Friday, March 12, 2010

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Spring Break 2010

Keith and I decided that there's no reason to skip Spring Break just because we have real jobs...

so we're going to BARBADOS!!! Tomorrow. Be back in a week!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

With swimsuit season fast approaching, Keith and I are...
eating. A lot. Here's a sampling:

*Guacamole
A few weeks ago on a Whole Foods shopping trip Keith found guacamole mix from Frontera Grill, a great Mexican restaurant in Chicago. We were so excited! I recently made homemade guacamole using the Frontera ingredients, and it was delicious. I probably ate an entire avocado's worth of guacamole in one sitting.

*Sushi
Last Saturday night we headed to Virago for our monthly dinner date with Joey and Lauren. Virago is known for its sushi. I had never been, and I was excited about my meal. After 3 hungry hours we were finally seated (long story). At least the Aloha roll was incredible (tempura shrimp, coconut, bacon, pineapple, and macadamia nuts). And we had good company. In addition to Joey and Lauren, we got to catch up with 3 of Keith's college friends- Brent, Andrew, and Garrett.

*Shrimp and Grits
Keith renewed my Cooking Light subscription- yay! This week my new issue came in the mail. We didn't wait more than 24 hours from receiving the magazine before trying our first recipe- shrimp & grits. My favorite! Get the recipe HERE and go make it. Seriously. So good! And so easy!

*Homemade French Toast and Bacon
Breakfast of champions! Ok, maybe not, but it was a great way to start a routine work day. I may just have to start getting up early and cooking a real breakfast more often!

A few weeks ago, we were asked what our "go-to" recipe is. We struggled to answer. Later, we talked about it and realized that we rarely cook the same meal twice. Not because it wasn't good, but because there are so many to try! If anyone has a tried and true recipe, send it our way!

Monday, February 22, 2010

My newest obsession/work distraction:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/

I particularly like the city guides and before & after sections.

Enjoy!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Music City, USA

There's a reason Nashville is called Music City. It is the home of the Ryman, Grand Ole Opry, Music Row, Country Music Hall of Fame, numerous recording studios, and countless dives where singers and songwriters can be seen any day of the week, any time of the day trying to get discovered.

There's no reason for me not to take advantage of all of these things.

Keith and I are no strangers to the Ryman. We've seen David Gray, Ryan Adams, and Zac Brown and have gone to the annual Bluegrass Night. In April we're seeing Vince Gill & friends and I really, really want to see David Gray there again in April too. (It's sold out. Does anyone have a couple of extra tickets for me? :))

Keith and me at Ryan Adams circa 2006

I must admit that I'd never visited any of the other venues or really had any desire to... until now. At the beginning of the month, the Country Music Hall of Fame opened its doors to the public for free. Although I didn't know who Brenda Lee was or really care about all of the old guitars on display (Keith loved them), there were a couple of cool things- like a massive dress worn by Carrie Underwood and a gold piano owned by Elvis. The best part though was an hour long songwriter session. Two local, successful songwriters answered questions and played their songs for the crowd. It was amazing! Check out Dave Berg's wikipedia bio here... pretty impressive!

Elvis' gold piano

Gold & Platinum Records

The previous owner of my china cabinet (see this post)

has a plaque on the wall!

Songwriters Dave & Georgia

I'm dying to go to the Grand Ole Opry. Kellie Pickler and Jewel will both be performing at the end of the month and Carrie Underwood is a frequent guest. The Bluebird Cafe is another place on my list. I recently heard through the celebrity gossip grapevine that Gwyneth Paltrow was spotted at the Loveless Cafe for Music City Roots.

Nashville has more to offer than country music. For example, Howie Day is playing at 3rd and Lindsley on Sunday (we've had tickets for a couple of months) and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center has some great shows throughout the year. Keith and I have already checked out the 2011 season calendar and marked some dates! One of the most fun music events though (in my opinion at least) is Frist Friday. One Friday a month in the summer the Frist Museum downtown hosts a concert on the lawn where you can expect everything from the blues to...

Super T!