~ Tearoom Tomato Basil Bisque ~ We LOVE tomato soup in our house. As the beginning of a meal or to dip gooey grilled cheese sandwiches into, it’s one of our favorites. Above is my riff on the tomato basil bisque we use to serve at “The Tale of Two Sisters Tearoom” here in Red…
restaurant review
nelson creamery
by Melissa • • 2 Comments
Today we took a leisurely Sunday drive over the bridge into Wisconsin. The Great River Road meanders along the Mississippi river and Lake Pepin through these sweet, quaint villages that remind me of vacations we’ve taken to Door County Wisconsin and Cape Cod Massachusetts. These are places we visit over and over again and they…
scenes from a girlfriends’ weekend
by Melissa • • 8 Comments
’twas the night before christmas…
by Melissa • • 6 Comments
…and all through the house, not a creature was stirring… Well, that’s not true. I’m still stirring. We had a wonderful time at the historic St. James Hotel this evening. The holiday buffets on the Summit are always such a treat! The prime rib…and the salads…the grilled asparagus… the butternut bisque… the truffled fingerling potatoes……
date night ~ estate sale & dinner out
by Melissa • • 14 Comments
the loot π … after a fun couple hours treasure hunting…we decided on Fiesta Mexicana for dinner… I had the tamale, enchilada, chilie rellanos combo… and Jeff had the Carne Asada… This week for date night we were out for an evening walk and happened to see an estate sale sign. We discovered this treasure…
celebrating 16 years
by Melissa • • 7 Comments
The Dock Cafe, Stillwater Minnesota… Where Jeff asked me to marry him 16 years ago. We returned yesterday and met up with our friend Jon to celebrate. (and Gracie joined us too.) Beautiful, sunny weather made the day near perfect. We sat in one of the booths by the huge windows overlooking the St. Croix…
date night ~ provenzano’s ristorante & late night antiquing
by Melissa • • 5 Comments
Date night at Provenzano’s Italian Ristorante… ~ wine tasting notes ~ Barone Fini Pinot Grigio: Β Straw, almost clear in color, this wine has a mineral, earthy nose and a creamy texture. Its dry flavor is characterized by subtle lemon, orange and minerals. It has good acidity and a nice finish. It was amazing with Italian…
date day ~ lunch at king’s place ~ the ultimate burger experience
by Melissa • • 6 Comments
This past Saturday, after a marvelous day at the apple orchard, winery and cidery in Maiden Rock Wisconsin, Jeff and I indulged in our date day for the week. Gracie had been invited to a birthday party, so after we dropped her off at her friend’s celebration, we took a little drive to Miesville MN.…