February Mountain Moments 2020

Today I’m sharing our February Mountain Moments. This is a recap of what happened in the month of February, in and outside, of our mountain kitchen.

Wow, it was a busy month!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

This is the time of year when we take the time to reflect on where we came from and where we are going.

It is hard to believe that it has been 7 years (Monday, February 18th, 2013 to be exact) since I clicked on the “Publish…” Button for the very first time here at The Mountain Kitchen. I hardly even knew what a blog was or how to run one, but it was the start.

Last year I came to realize and wrote a post about how blogging is what I really want to do, my “purpose“. So I decided to take the next step. I turned The Mountain Kitchen into a small business. We had a great first year!

This will be The Mountain Kitchen, LLC’s second year operating as a small business. David is backing me 110% and is helping me beyond the grill however he can. We are working hard and we are excited about what the future could hold for you and us. We enjoy interacting with you and we try our hardest to provide the content you want to read and recipes you want to try.

Growing a blog is a slow process but we would love nothing more than to make it our full-time job. We love providing you with delicious recipes to make for your family and friends.

Thank you for your support! It means the world to us.

GOODBYE, DR. JANG

February marked another 6 months and another trip to the Inova Schar Cancer Institute for my melanoma check-up. At this checkup, I saw both my oncologist, Dr. Jang and my dermatologist, Dr. Venna.

The wrinkly pink hospital gown was the worst part of this visit! Well, that and the fact it was kind of awkward to see myself naked on a VERY LARGE tv screen.

However, I will say that the Vectra Whole Body 3D scan made my skin check so much easier on Dr. Venna and on me. He was able to zoom in and look at all the moles and compare them to see if anything had changed in the last 6 months. I am delighted to say my skin has stabilized and I am good to go for another 6 months!

I also said a final goodbye to Dr. Jang, my oncologist for the past 5 years. He told me that I had only a slight chance of reoccurrence of melanoma and at this point, the chance has lessened even more. He ordered a chest x-ray and said if it came back normal then he was going to release me from his care. Well, that chest x-ray was normal so I no longer have to schedule appointments with him.

I couldn’t have asked for a better oncologist than Dr. Jang. He diagnosed my blood clots immediately after my surgery 5 years ago. It’s a bittersweet departure from his care.

VALENTINE’S DINNER FOR TWO

David and I had Valentine’s dinner a day late at the restaurant inside The Hilton Garden Inn, in Winchester, Virginia. One of our favorite local chefs shared a menu on Facebook that we could not turn down. We made reservations as soon as we found out he was cooking the meal.

We were delighted to be the only ones having dinner that evening. The full course dinner and it was fun catching up with our friend Marvin in between the courses.

Needless to say, our bellies are stuffed with a wonderful Valentine’s Dinner for two.

2020 NFCU GALA

Ok now, this is the second year David has put on a monkey suit and made me dress up for the NFCU Gala. What is going on y’all? This man didn’t even wear a tux when we said “I DO” in Las Vegas with Elvis.

This year we stayed at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center where the gala is hosted. This made it a lot easier for us since we don’t want to make the long drive home afterward.

We had a blast. Whether we attend again next year remains to be determined…

BRUNCH AT CHART HOUSE

Sunday morning, David and I took our time getting up and ready. We went over to Chart House for brunch on the water in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. This restaurant was one of several restaurants recommended by a neighbor. We couldn’t have planned a better morning if we had tried!

A VISIT TO GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MT. VERNON

I’ve been wanting to go back to Mt. Vernon for years. My mama took me there when I was a child. David had never been and since we were in the area and it was a beautiful day we decided to pay a visit and our respects to George, as his birthday would have been just the day before.

Because of David’s patience and genuine kind-heartedness we got into Mt. Vernon for FREE! He was nice enough to help someone struggling to use the payment machine outside the ticket window. When he was finished the clerk at the ticket window gave us two tickets free of charge.

A lesson to be learned here about kindness… Be kind always.

I remembered some of my trip to Mt. Vernon as a child, but not all of it. I sure have a lot more appreciation for this beautiful estate today. I am obsessed with the beauty of this old home and the huge old trees on the property.

It was a great way to end a fun weekend.

HEART AWARENESS

February is Heart Awareness Month. I know more now than I ever wanted to. I’m still trying to settle my nerves. David woke up not feeling exactly right on Thursday morning. He was experiencing symptoms similar to when he was having issues before his stent was put into his heart last September.

Long story short, after an overnight hospital stay and one heart monitor later all David’s tests came back normal!

THANK GOD!

We aren’t sure what exactly he was feeling, but all we can do is hope and pray that it was either the torn ligament in his shoulder or something as simple as acid reflux giving him his discomfort. Regardless, he is not taking any chances and for that, I am so very thankful!

He will wear a heart monitor for the next 30 days to ensure his heart is working correctly. It’s a bit of a pain for him, but it makes me rest a little easier knowing his ticker is being monitored going through his daily routine.

TOP RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

COMMENTS OF THE MONTH!

“You are great! I am just find you from pinterest. You are just write good and i want teach my wife this recipe. Thank you”

Alex (Comment & 5-Star rating on Creamy Horseradish Sauce With Roasted Garlic

“I love roasted tomato soup, with or without the red peppers. This looks like a great recipe and I can’t wait to make it. The boxed ones just aren’t as good as they used to be – or my taste buds are getting jaded 🙂”

Cheryl (Comment on  Roasted Tomato Soup {A Meatless Monday Recipe

“Can i freeze the sauce or should i just freeze the fresh cranberries i just bought bags of on clearance. Sauce was amazing.”

Andrea (Comment on Cranberry BBQ Sauce)

‘TIS THE SEASON!

Irish Sausage Rolls

Irish Sausage Rolls are made with Irish sausage rolled in a blanket of golden brown pastry dough. A fun and tasty recipe to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

Irish Potato Soup

Irish Potato Soup is made of rich, creamy potatoes and sweet caramelized onions enriched with butter, topped with cheese, chives, and sour cream.

AROUND THE MOUNTAIN!!

I know March can bring big snows to the Blue Ridge, but I’m starting to think it isn’t going to happen this year.

One day it’s freezing cold and the next it’s 60 degrees outside. The trees are starting to bud, the daffodils are popping up and the front yard is turning green.

Not good signs if winter isn’t done yet.

FEBRUARY MOUNTAIN VIEWS

That’s all of the February Mountain Moments. See ya next month with more moments from the mountain.

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