At My Sister’s House

My younger daughter is playing soccer this spring which is keeping us on the go! When we saw that she had two games in my sister’s home city, the two of us were excited to plan an overnight trip to visit with Allison. The day before leaving, we got word that the games were cancelled due to rain, but my sis said, “Come on anyway!” And we did! It was a very quick and fun 24-hour trip.

Allison and her family live in a beautiful older home in a historic district. The photo above is of the stone courtyard in back of her house. I took this photo looking out her back door. Such a lovely and peaceful spot under this gorgeous saucer magnolia! If I’m not mistaken, I believe she transplanted this from her previous home more than twenty years ago.

And, as you’ll see below, a love for dishes runs in the family. Allison, my mom, and I got into collecting blue and white dishes many years ago, before it was all the rage. For a few years, we gifted each other blue and white pieces for birthdays and Christmas. These are just a few of Allison’s pieces.

My sister has always had cats. This is their current kitty, Rosie. She’s so cute, and was sweet enough to give share the guest room with us. I wanted to put her my van when we left. Sweetness.

My sister is such a great hostess, and her meal plans are always a treat. Within an hour of us arriving, she had whisked us to our favorite restaurant in her city. The blue cheese burger with sweet potato fries is my favorite at Shaggy’s Burgers and Tacos!

Allison is a great cook! This pasta salad really tickled my taste buds. Seriously, it’s one of the best pasta salads I’ve ever eaten! She gave me permission to share the recipe here. I told her I’ll be making this all spring and summer.

Chicken Pasta Salad

5 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up

6-8 oz. package of egg noodles, cooked and drained

2-3 celery ribs, chopped finely

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped finely

1 cup fresh steamed broccoli

1 small jar chopped pimiento (optional)

1/2 cup chopped parsley (optional)

Dressing:

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. dill weed

1/2-3/4 Tbsp. creole seasoning

Mix with all ingredients and refrigerate overnight or a few hours before serving.

Over the years, Allison and I have just come to an agreement that, when I come to visit, I’ll bring breakfast foods to contribute. The day before leaving, I ran in Fresh Market and picked up a broccoli quiche and some lemon scones. This was my first time trying their quiche and it won’t be the last. It was so good! Allison added bagels with cream cheese and fruit.

And for an extra snack, she’d made some delicious oatmeal cookies that we enjoyed with afternoon coffee and conversation while my daughter and her son went to a soccer game. Confused? Yes, my daughter’s game was cancelled, but my nephew’s friends were playing on another soccer team whose game was not cancelled, so they went to watch.

All in all, it was a great little getaway, visiting with Allison and my nephews (my B-I-L was on a camping trip), and just the refreshment I needed to see me through the rest of this busy spring season.