On the Porch: Birds and Astro-Turf

Hey y’all. Grab some tea (since it’s still winter, grab a nice cup of hot chocolate instead) and let’s get on the porch this week.

*starts post*

Hold up…THIS IS THE LAST WEEKEND IN FEBRUARY?!!

Lord Jesus, we’re about to hit spring….wasn’t it just Thanksgiving? I need life to slow down a bit.

This week has been a week of focusing on spending more time with Greyson and Brian. Lots of runs to the park, some lunch dates, and baby borrowing owls. Ohmahlord, they’re so cute!

South Florida has a lot of protected animals that just kind of live in the middle of human spaces: sea turtles on a very populated beach, baby owls right next to a playground, ducks everywhere. The ducks will sit right in the road, all of them, and you just have to sit there and honk at them or try to spook them out of the road. They’re like the cows in India, without the sacredness.

I’ve also noticed that in the last few years of living in South Florida, that the parks here are…well, weird now. Instead of trees for shade, we have blue tarps and astro-turf instead of grass. I suppose this is supposed to help keep all the kids cool.

Gotta love Florida, it’s so weird. Where was my blue shade tarp and astro-turf when I was a kid?

Lately we’ve been loving poke bowls and our lunch dates have been to our local poke places. They’re popping up everywhere!

If you don’t know what poke is, it’s marinated raw fish, often tuna or salmon, with rice and all sorts of toppings like masago, vegetables, fruits of all sorts, and many different sauces. My favorite are eel sauce and spicy mayo!

If you can’t find one near your home, you can still make your own poke bowl at home, it’s really easy and sushi-grade fish can be flown anywhere since it has to be frozen a certain way to be sold in the US.

Coming up this week will be that awesome tonkotsu ramen I made on my IG stories a few weeks back. Really, y’all, this stuff is just incredible and it’s 100% completely different than that instant pack of noodles you might have hidden in the pantry somewhere. Also coming is stuffed. crust. pizza. From scratch, homemade, and so good. Greyson was loving helping me wrap the sticks of mozzarella into the dough and layering the sauce and toppings, so it’s a great recipe to get your kids involved with.

What recipes do y’all want to see this upcoming March and spring? Let me know in the comments!

If you missed anything this last week, including that awesome one hour Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe, sign up for our newsletter!

Award Night Noshing

Watching the Oscars this year? I like having a little girls’ night with a light dinner, tons of sweets, and something bubbly!

Here’s a couple ideas of some great award night noshes:

Strawberry Ginger Fizz

Chai Tea Trifle

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Chocolate Cupcakes with Italian Meringue

Spicy Tuna Avocado Tower

Homemade Potstickers

Top Comment of the Week

Noelle about the Instant Pot Beef Stew

I really enjoyed this recipe, I made the homemade bread with it and it was great!

There is just something about homemade bread with a comforting beef stew that really soothes the soul. Thanks for your comment, Noelle!

Travel Goals

We’re cruising and vacationing around the Caribbean in the next year, so here’s what I’d love to see a la my Pinterest board Travel Goals.

My Fave Foodies

Food from all across the world celebrating black culture is the best way to end Black History Month!

Here are a few of my faves

Hot Buttered Rum Biscuits by Meiko and the Dish

Chess Pie by Foodie in New York

Guava Short Ribs by the Seasoning Bottle

Peach Pie by First and Full

Nashville Hot Shrimp Sandwich by Food Fidelity

Most Popular Recipes this Week

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies { PIN THIS )

Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl { PIN THIS )

Bang Bang Sauce { PIN THIS )

Broccoli Cheddar Soup { PIN THIS )

Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese { PIN THIS )

This week’s Menu

Eden Westbrook is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Sweet Tea and Thyme. A classically trained chef, Eden has inspired home cooks into the kitchen with cultural comfort foods, easy family-friendly eats and sweets, and glorious spreads for date night and entertaining since 2015.