High Five for Friday (7.15.16)

1. After visiting Madison, Wisconsin and Minocqua, Wisconsin, the four Ferri picked up my parents and drove south to Washington, Illinois to visit my sister and her family. We hadn't seen each other since Thanksgiving (though my mom and my niece, Lily, visited us in Texas back in April) so we had a lot to catch up on as families, siblings, and cousins.

2. While in Washington we held our every-few-years garage sale and lemonade stand. We didn't see our biggest crowd or bring in our largest totals, but we had fun and made enough money to justify a trip to the outlet mall later this month.

3. My fear of snakes keeps me from swimming - or allowing my kids to swim - in Texas' lakes. (Interesting fact: there are no naturally occurring lakes in the entire state of Texas. Caddo Lake in Northeast Texas started off naturally, but was turned into a reservoir in the early 20th century.) And while I also fear the fish found in Wisconsin's natural lakes, fish scare me considerably less than snakes and therefore do not keep me from swimming in these natural bodies of water. Swimming in Madison's Lake Wingra - where I learned how to swim - for the first time in decades felt physically refreshing on a hot July day, but also emotionally refreshing as I let the water wash away some of what has weighed me down this last week.

Will and Hallie have swum in lakes only a handful of times before, but they - along with their cousins - fully embraced the fishy, sea weed-y experience.

4. This kid hasn't napped in years, but so far on vacation we've worn him out to the point of falling asleep in the middle of the day multiple times. How is possible for someone to look so old and so young at the same time?!

While watching television on the couch.

While eating dinner.

While riding in the car. (Note the excellent photobomb by Hallie).

While riding in the car, round 2. Notice how the one
child who should be napping is the only one still awake? 

5. Happiness Highlights:

Oh, Wisconsin...I adore your cheeses.

Oh, Sara...I adore how you stockpile in your glove compartment
enough ketchup to get you through a months-long tomato shortage.

This friendly kitty - who followed my sister and me on a walk - had one
green and one blue eye. Seeing this phenomenon in person was incredibly cool!

Super heroes in capes walking home from the beach.

Happy Friday, Chasing Roots!

Linking up with High Five for Friday here:

 

Few Words Wednesday: Hate

This summer's annual vacation to the Midwest has included a couple of twists and turns we hadn't expected. As a result, I have chosen - I think necessarily - to redirect some of the time I would have spent writing and keep my Wednesday posts a little shorter.

Though I miss spending an hour or two every afternoon and/or evening connecting the thoughts in my head with my fingers on the keyboard, I have enjoyed searching for meaningful, relevant quotes that quickly and simply convey how I feel about our world and my - and my family's - journey through it.  

Shouldn't we try generosity, empathy, kindness, compassion, and love instead?

Rate Your Restaurants: Round 1 (1-5)

Between June 2016 and June 2017 the four Ferri plan to dine at each of Spoons University's "45 Places to Eat in College Station Before You Die". Which meal we eat will depend on each restaurant's specialties, meaning we won't visit a steakhouse for breakfast or a donut shop for dinner. We (Tom, Will, and I) have committed to choosing menu items on which the restaurant earned its reputation, meaning we won't order a hamburger at a seafood restaurant or chicken fingers at an Italian restaurant. 

We plan to individually rate each of the restaurants on food, service, and atmosphere. We have no experience as food or restaurant critics, but we'll do our best and hopefully give BCS readers a little insight into where they can get great food but also enjoy a meal with the family in tow.

If you missed the "Meet the Reviewers" post, check it out here before reading the reviews below - they'll make a lot more sense with a bit of background information!

And now...our first five restaurants!

The primary scores are an average of our four rankings, while the scores in parentheses are our individual scores, listed in the order of Tom, me, Will, and Hallie.

1. Shipwreck Grill
"If you’re in the mood for seafood, try the shrimp diablo, oysters, or one of their boat platters. Everything is super fresh and delicious, and might even have you forgetting you’re landlocked in the middle of Texas."

• Food: 6.25 (8, 4, 7, 6)
• Service: 8.25 (9, 8, 8, 8)
• Atmosphere: 5.5 (6, 5, 7, 4)

Tom enjoyed his jambalaya and red beans and rice, but the rest of us were less-than-impressed with our entrees. And while the outside of the restaurant looked fun and inviting, inside the tables were tiny (we had to put the condiments and napkin holder on the floor to have room for our four plates) and the space was home to a few too many flies.

2. Cafe Eccell
"Two words - Strawberry. Tart. The sweet strawberries and almond cookie shell is perfect for celebrations, when you’re sad, when you’re breathing… you get the point. Their wood-fired pizzas and globally inspired menu will have you begging for more. Thankfully, they just opened their drive-thru so you can get your fix on the fly."

• Food: 6.25 (8, 5, 7, 5)
• Service: 7.5 (7, 8, 8, 7)
• Atmosphere: 7.25 (8, 7, 7, 7)

If Tom and I had ordered wood-fired pizza and a strawberry tart, we could have given Cafe Eccell a 9 in the food category. But because we had tried the pizza and tart before, we both chose something new...and agreed afterwards that we should have stuck with what Cafe Eccell does well.

On the atmosphere front, the host sat us in Leonard's section of the restaurant. No, Leonard's not a waiter. Leonard is a three-legged lizard who lives on the bush outside the back corner of Cafe Eccell. And if you recall how much I love lizards, I'm sure you can imagine how much I enjoyed sharing a meal with Leonard.

3. Hullabaloo Diner
"One of the few registered diners in the state of Texas, Hullabaloo is always bumping, and it’s easy to see why! They’re known for their killer brunch options, but also try the Train Wreck fries, they won’t disappoint."

• Food: 8 (6, 8, 8, 10)
• Service: 8.5 (7, 8, 9, 10)
• Atmosphere: 8.25 (7, 8, 8, 10)

Just about everything on the Hullabaloo menu - from burgers, sandwiches, fries, and milkshakes to omelets, pancakes, breakfast burritos, and bacon - hits the spot for me. The relatively small airstream trailer in which customers dine often translates to a longer wait for a table, but that wait is worth it for the quirky, vintage atmosphere and excellent service.

4. Mad Taco
There is nothing ordinary about this funky taco joint. Bold, flavorful, and tamale bread tortillas so soft I want to snuggle with it, every bite is a fiesta in my mouth. Plus they have margarita flavors you won’t find anywhere else in College Station. A chamoy margarita? Take my money.

• Food: 8.25 (9, 9, 9, 6)
• Service: 7.5 (7, 7, 9, 7)
• Atmosphere: 7.75 (5, 7, 9, 10)

What does it say about our Midwestern-born family that our favorite restaurant thus far specializes in tacos? I remember a time - fewer than 10 years ago - when I would order a chicken sandwich and french fries at Mexican restaurants...and now I could eat Mexican food every night of the week.

A relatively new addition to College Station, Mad Taco serves fun drinks, unique tacos, and delicious queso, all of which earned high scores from the four Ferri. The space is a little small and the line moves slowly, but just like at Hullabaloo, the food is worth the wait.

5. JJ's Snowcones
When spring arrives, we’re only thinking one thing- JJ’s. Do not fear the line. Some of the softest snow in Texas is just a few moments away! JJ’s offers over 50 flavors at incredibly reasonable prices, and they also have add ins, like cream, ice cream, and even pickles!

• Food: 8.5 (6, 9, 9, 10)
• Service: 7.5 (5, 6, 9, 10)
• Atmosphere: 6.25 (3, 4, 8, 10)

I arrived at JJ's Snowcones with low expectations. I had heard good things about their finely shaved ice, "but really," I thought, "how much better could one snow cone establishment be than another snow cone establishment?" A LOT better, apparently.

I didn't enjoy waiting in line - in 95+ degree heat and next to a busy main road in Bryan - outside the JJ's hut, but the smooth ice and vibrant flavors in their snow cones made up for the less-than-desirable atmosphere and mediocre service.

There you have it - five restaurants down, 40 left to go!  

High Five for Friday (7.8.16)

1. Our summer travel started off with a slight bump in the figurative road (the inside of our airplane reached 104 degrees, and as a result was delayed for nearly two hours while the pilots tried to cool it down to an uncomfortably warm but legal-to-board 88 degrees), but we made it to our first destination in one piece. When we walked out of the Madison, Wisconsin airport at 12:30am, I felt - for the first time in months - a beautifully refreshing chill in the air. Not much makes me happier than cool summer nights!

2. As always, Minocqua, Wisconsin delivered on the 4th of July. Over the years I have spent this holiday living in or visiting close to 10 different cities, and while each has offered its own unique stars and stripes experience, Minocqua's small town feel coupled with its Midwestern pride and patriotic tendencies make it my favorite place to celebrate our country's independence.

3. On a related note, while watching the Minocqua 4th of July parade I spotted a friend of mine from college - who I hadn't seen in person in probably 12 years - sitting across the street with her family. After the last float cruised past, I chased her down and we had a lovely reunion standing in the middle of the street in downtown Minocqua.

4. This week Will and Hallie drove the fishing and pontoon boats, went fishing (which included baiting their own hooks, casting their own lines, and taking quite a few fish off their hooks by themselves), built fires, and went swimming in the lake. Additionally, Will shot a BB gun, cut down a tree, whittled sticks into spears, and drove the Mario Kart. They wouldn't likely participate in these activities at home (at least not with me, which is somewhat ironic given that I punched my Girl Scout membership card nine years running and went camping regularly as a child), so the opportunity to try - and in some cases, hone - these skills every summer is priceless.

5. Happiness Highlights:

While we waited on our delayed flight from Dallas to
Madison we did our best to relax and enjoy our time together.

First stop, Madison, Wisconsin. Girl cousins/twins
riding the Henry Vilas Zoo merry-go-round.

The boy cousins, at the request of the littlest,
had to "twin" as well. The biggest didn't mind a bit.

Second stop, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Gathering with Tom's
mom's side of the family for Tom's cousin's graduation party. 

Hallie and Tom's grandpa.

A beautiful view of Lake Winnebago.

Third stop, Minocqua, Wisconsin. Not too shabby...

The best sleeping weather EVER!

4th of July shenanigans with Tom, Will, Hallie, AJ, and Ferrell.

For lunch on the 4th of July, Hallie ate one serving of tortilla chips, one
hotdog, three slices of mango, one serving of french fries, one cup of chili,
one bag of oyster crackers, one glass of lemonade, and one ice cream cone.
She has never eaten such a large meal, and while it might sound silly to
some, it thrilled me to see her fill her tummy with a variety of foods.

Me and my girl. So far this vacation has been good for her.

Doggie cousin kisses.

These two owned downtown Minocqua.

Day is done. Gone the sun, from the lakes, from the
hills, from the trees. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Happy Friday, Chasing Roots!

Linking up with High Five for Friday here:

 

Rate Your Restaurants: Meet the Reviewers

Between June 2016 and June 2017 the four Ferri plan to dine at each of Spoons University's "45 Places to Eat in College Station Before You Die". Which meal we eat will depend on each restaurant's specialties, meaning we won't visit a steakhouse for breakfast or a donut shop for dinner. We (Tom, Will, and I) have committed to choosing menu items for which the restaurant earned its reputation, meaning we won't order a hamburger at a seafood restaurant or chicken fingers at an Italian restaurant. 

We plan to individually rate each of the restaurants on food, service, and atmosphere. We have no experience as food or restaurant critics, but we'll do our best and hopefully give BCS readers a little insight into where they can get great food but also enjoy a meal with the family in tow.

As Tom, Will, Hallie, and I began reviewing College Station and Bryan's restaurants, it became obvious that the four of us ranked service, atmosphere, and food differently from one another. I expected as much, given what I know about our our vastly disparate food preferences, restaurant biases, and life experiences. But you, as readers, might not have expected this, at least not to such an extent; unless you dine with us regularly, you probably don't know, for example, that Tom puts hot sauce on EVERYTHING, Will has a host of food limitations, and Hallie isn't a big fan of eating in general.

Tom suggested I briefly outline our likes, dislikes, allergies, intolerances, and relevant personality traits to better explain where each of the four Ferri are coming from. I liked Tom's idea, and started talking excitedly about how I would compile all of our information in a nice, neat, bullet-pointed list. Not a fan of nice, neat, bullet-pointed anything, Tom suggested I create an interesting graphic - our individual details, layered on top of our photos - instead. Seeing as I know absolutely nothing about graphic design, I suggested Tom create said graphic for me.

And he did.

So here you have it, a brief outline - with photos - of where each of us stand heading into this culinary adventure.

Come back next week for our first round of restaurant reviews!

The above pictures perfectly showcase how Will, Hallie, and Tom each approach food. Will is putting sriracha sauce on a frosted sugar cookie because Tom dared him to do so, Hallie is giving me one of her patented "I don't want to try that _____" looks, and Tom is eating a cupcake with Bertie Botts' vomit-flavored jelly beans baked inside. We have zero pictures of me eating anything, so my picture doesn't involve food, drink, or restaurants.  

Happy 4th

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God,
indivisible, 
with liberty and justice for all.

So says the adorable little girl standing second-from-the-right in the front row. (She was chosen to wear the microphone when her class recited the Pledge, so it's her itty bitty voice you hear.)

Happy Independence Day, friends!

High Five for Friday (7.1.16)

1. This week Hallie attended Drama Camp through our new, local chapter of an international drama program. Though her summer has included lots of fun activities, for a yet-to-be-determined reason summer has also caused Hallie a great deal of stress and anxiety. But Drama Camp has been, simply put, a good thing. A bright spot. Hallie even used the words, "I love it" (she rarely uses those words), and described Drama Camp as both the best part of one day and what she looked forward to the next day.

She and I both REALLY needed that bright spot.

2. While Hallie stretched her creative muscles, Will attended a Robotics Camp at FUNgineering. It was like the mother ship calling him home.

We may live in a small(ish...though rapidly growing) town, but when it comes to summer activities and camps, our community - the city, the schools, and privately-owned local businesses - does a bang-up job of making sure our kids have a wide variety of opportunities available to them.

3. While working on his soccer skills - specifically his shot and tricks - Will has been single-handedly (footedly?) damaging our bushes, weakening our fence, and destroying our sprinkler heads.

In an attempt to save what remains of our landscaping, fence, and sprinkler system, I bought Will a 12' x 6' x 4' soccer goal. Tom and Will assembled it one evening, and now Will spends quite a bit of time every afternoon making sure he'll be ready when his soccer season kicks off on August 8th.

Minutes after the goal had been assembled, Will shot the ball just wide of the goal and into our (almost dead) lemon tree with so much force that the tree pulled up out of the ground, roots and all. We might need a bigger goal...

4. This is neither here nor there, but I truly enjoyed watching this performance of "Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie" by the United States Navy Band's Sea Chanters chorus. These women have tremendous talent, and I found both their stage presence and their acapella harmonies mesmerizing.

5. Last but not least, tomorrow I'll be here:

Happy Friday, Chasing Roots!

Linking up with High Five for Friday here: