100 Places to Eat in Memphis: Jr's Fish and Chicken

Here, you are supposed to get the gyros.

I'm not really a huge fan of gyros, but this one was really good! I used to go to this Greek place in Shreveport and get gyros occasionally, because there was nothing else around the station. This place blew that place out of the water.

They had a Philly steak sandwich on the menu too. I think I'll try that next time!

SUMMER!!!

I've got to be honest.  I wasn't sure summer was ever going to show its beautiful face again.  I feel like it's been cold for a lot longer this year compared to years past.

But yes, summer is unofficially here.  School officially finished up on Friday.

This will not be my usual relaxing summer. I have a lot in store.

First, I'm heading back to school.  I'll be attending Union University for my Master of Education in Instructional Leadership.  It's a 14 month program that will be very intense.  I hit the ground running starting June 1st.  I've got classes, practicum experience, and lots of papers headed my way this summer.

Second, I'm moving on up!  Next year, I'll be teaching 7th grade.  This will be a huge change.  I've got a lot of studying to do this summer.

Third, I'll be teaching a fitness camp for kids for a week at the end of June.  It's fun, but it's hard work.

Last, but not DEFINITELY not least, I'm having...oh yeah...a BABY!  I know I'll be spending a lot of time getting the house ready for its new addition headed our way in November.

So, I'll be VERY busy this summer.

Still, I will be taking some time to enjoy some of the summer exclusive opportunities.

Here's my Summer Top Ten List!  (In no particular order)

10.  The Bachelorette is about to start.  Yes, this is my summer guilty pleasure.

9.  Morning Workout Classes - No, I don't like the EARLY early classes, but I do enjoy the midmorning classes.  I can't wait to be a morning regular!  

8.  Speaking of the morning!  SLEEP!  I'll be able to sleep in later than 7:00, which is AWESOME!

7.  Time with Stella!  I'm so glad she won't be by herself every day.  We'll get to go on lots of walks and have lots of playtime!  

6.  Swimming!  Apparently swimming is great during pregnancy.  Thanks to Grandma's pool and Germantown Athletic Club, I plan to spend a lot of time in the pool!  

5.  Movies!  I love the summer movie season.  

4.  Summer Date Nights - What is it about the warm nights that is so romantic?  I hope for lots of romantic nights with Michael.

3.  The Beach...maybe???  Okay, I am hoping we find time to go to the beach.  I don't know if this will actually happen or not!  But, I'll spend all of summer hoping!

2.  Cooking Dinner - I do not have time to really cook dinner (like from scratch) during school.  It is so rare that I actually get home at a decent hour to put something together.  So, I hope to spend a lot of time cooking great dinners for Michael and me.  

1.  Having Time to Breathe - Being a teacher, this is probably the greatest gift of summer for a teacher.  There is so much to do during the year.  It's so nice to just be able to relax and not have too much of a schedule to follow!  

Have a great summer!

Fit Pregnancy: Chicken Salad

I love sandwiches during the summer.  Unfortunately, it's not safe to eat deli meat.  

From American Pregnancy, "Deli meats have been known to be contaminated with listeria, which can cause miscarriage. Listeria has the ability to cross the placenta and may infect the baby leading to infection or blood poisoning, which may be life-threatening. If you are pregnant and you are considering eating deli meats, make certain that you reheat the meat until it is steaming."

So, I'm having to come up with other stuff to eat on my sandwiches.  

Today, I made chicken salad from Fit Pregnancy.  

Wow.  It was sooo good!  I did eliminate the raisins from the recipe, but kept everything else.  It calls for dijon mustard, which I've never really seen in a chicken salad recipe before.  It added a very flavorful kick.  I also substituted light mayo for regular mayo.  

I served with sweet potato fries that almost cost me a finger while slicing!  

Sunset Symphony: The Perfect Memphis Night

I recently experienced one of those perfect Memphis nights recently.  

Memphis in May officially wrapped up yesterday.  The finale event is the Sunset Symphony.  

It has always been my favorite event.  It's laid back, the weather always seems to be perfect, and you can bring a cooler stocked with all your favorite goodies.  

We came in time for the air show...

Check out the crowd...

Patty made a DELICIOUS meal...

Got to hang out with my favorite...

Fireworks are a religious experience for me...

Ended the night watching the Grizzlies.  Of course, they ended up losing.  Which sucked, but I didn't let it dampen my spirits too much!

Pretty much a perfect night!

Where's the bump?

Tomorrow, I'll be at 17 weeks.  This picture was taken a week ago, at almost 16 weeks.

As you can see, there is not really a bump.  Maybe a teeny tiny one.  If possible, the bump looks smaller this week.  

Of course, it has me completely freaked out.

~

My theory is that I've gained about 10 pounds just from how much my exercise routine has changed.  Before pregnancy, I worked out hardcore at least one hour a day.  During the first trimester, I did little besides walks here and there.  I was too scared to do any real exercise.  So, I think I gained weight all over.  I'm hoping that's why my bump isn't sticking out as much.

The alternative is that something is wrong.  I know that's highly unlikely.  

We heard the heart beat at 14 weeks, and everything looked and sounded great.  Most miscarriages happen in the first trimester, so it's very unlikely that something is wrong.

Still, I'm scared.  

~

Lastly, I don't think I ever shared the video of the heartbeat at 14 weeks.  It's difficult to hear, but it's there...

Love,

Corrie

100 Things to Eat: Stone Soup Cafe's Cheesecake

Mom and I headed to Stone Soup cafe to cross another dish off the 100 Things to Eat in Memphis list.  This time it was the banana pudding cheese cake at Stone Soup Cafe.

Duh, duh, duh, duh!!!

It was YUMMY!

Of course, I never get JUST the food on the list.  

I also tried the french onion soup, which was PHENOMENAL. 

I also had a sandwich.  The sandwich was just okay.  It was very dry.  

Overall, a fun and tasty eating experience.