Five Brown Kids

These enchiladas are amazing.  The homemade sauce is the best.  I never think to get a picture before they are half gone.   Recipe from Best Bites Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter 5 tablespoons flour 2 15-ounce cans chicken broth 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon coriander 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1/3 cup sour cream 2-3 shakes Tabasco (or similar hot sauce), Optional kosher salt, to taste 4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese  1 7-oz can mild green chilis 3 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken  4 cups shredded Monterey Jack, divided 8-10 medium flour or corn tortillas Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Wen butter is melted and bubbly, add flour and stir to combine. Continue cooking, whisking continuously ...

I threw a little birthday party for my friend Emily.  I invited a few friends over and we ate yummy food, played a silly card game and talked.  Super fun evening. I wanted to remember though, that it was a crazy busy day and I was in the midst of cooking supper and baking a cake when Taye needed a ride downtown to swim (some days he could catch a ride, not this day).  I checked on the cake, noted that it was almost done and then I just asked Scotia to finish up the pots on the stove, hopped in the car and drove downtown.  I was on Hillsborough street when I remembered my Cake!!!! I called home quick and begged someone to take it out. I came home and iced what I assumed would be a very well done and dry cake.  But later that night when we sliced it it was perfect!  Scotia had managed the supper and removed the cake from the oven when it was done - before I had even asked.  She is a rock star!

Jaxon is doing some serious balling this summer.  He's just wrapping up a very successful spring AAU season - nationals next week.  The team he chose is awesome.  A serious, fun and kind coach and a bunch of chill players - no one acts like a God. Jaxon has been practicing every chance he can get including some very, very early mornings and some late nights at the church shooting with Dad. It's quiet and you can knock out 500 shots really fast when he has someone to rebound.  Jaxon had a game where he scored 35 points and lots of games in the 20's.  Lots of 3 pointers.  He's improved significantly since last year. Three days after he graduated from middle school he showed up at the high school summer basketball workouts.  Almost immediately the JV coach asked if he could attend a tournament with the high school team that weekend.  So Jaxon's been squeezing in AAU practices and much longer HS practices (1 hour for the daily workout - anyone...

We have a beach trip planned with our neighbors at the end of summer but Jaxon wanted to go to the beach and when Jaxon is interested in something besides basketball you do it!  We just drove down to Wrightsville Beach for the day. It was packed and the parking was impossible but everyone had a great time jumping in the waves!  We ended the day at the Harris’ party with fireworks!

While the Browns were here I got to sneak away to go see "Pod Save America" at the Durham Performing Arts Center.  It's a podcast I listen to regularly and when I heard they were doing a live show nearby I rounded up my best politically-minded friends and planned a date.  Loved seeing the podcasters live in action - Jon Lovett can't sit still - and loved the interview with Reverend Barber. Here's a link . Scotia did a two week session of musical theatre camp.  It's all for the singing and dancing with super fun friends.  And the Kona Ice truck visit.  Scotia was one of the grannies in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

The Browns came to visit.  They went to a swim meet, went to some basketball games, went to Scotia's theatre performance, washed a million dishes and folded all the clothes, cooked BBQ and bought the kids lots of yummy treats.  And we went to Norton, VA for the Price Family Reunion. We got to hang out with Pauline's really cool siblings (6 of the original 13), Tyrone's cousins and the nieces and nephews.  It's an old and very small coal mining town but the views from the mountain tops are amazing.  There was some shopping, some picture taking, some eating, a memorial service at the cemetery, a party with Price Style Jeopardy and a four generation slide show, and some church the next day. Clemn and WillieMae Price raised 13 kids in the Jim Crow South - it was not easy.  They sent kids to segregated schools, both parents worked, Willie Mae got up and fed kids and then walked to Main Street so she could take the bus to work every day.  They lived in a very...