monday night football

Last night was the Dallas Cowboys- Washington Redskins game, so FH invited some of the boys from work over to watch the game and eat dinner. So, what to make for dinner??? Boys love wings. and I love tacos. Buffalo chicken tacos!! Amazing! Wings are like classic football food, but I was not prepared to deep fry and sauce a bunch of wings... and then clean up the mess. Tacos are great for get-togethers because you cook the protein and chop up some toppings, and everybody loads up their taco with what they want; no assembly required for the cook. Here's how I did it:

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Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Makes 10-12 tacos

3 chicken breasts (I know its an odd number, but that's how chicken comes these days in the grocery store. Not a package of 4, just 3. Ridiculous.)
1/2 cup flour
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup wing sauce (either out of a bottle- I recommend Frank's wing sauce or homemade)
Veggie oil

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.

Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, black pepper and garlic powder. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.

After tossing the chicken in the flour, place the chicken into a fine mesh strainer and shake off the excess flour. (If you don't get the extra flour off your chicken will get goopy instead of crispy on the outside.)

Like this one! I got mine at Wal-mart for like 5 bucks.

Add enough oil to coat the bottom the skillet, and once it gets hot add the chicken to the pan and cook on both sides until cooked through, about 3 or 4 minutes per side.

Once the chicken is done toss with the buffalo sauce.

Top off your tacos with a number of different toppings:
Lettuce
Cheese
Tomatoes
Ranch or bleu cheese dressing
Onions
Cilantro
Avocados
Pickled jalapenos


These tacos were awesome- definitely a crowd pleaser. Make these for your next gathering and your guests will thank you :)

sunday morning coming down..

Saturday night in town was the German Fest. Great food, dark beer, and inevitably a raging hangover Sunday morning. What better to cure a hangover than pancakes?

I'm on a really big pumpkin kick right now. So I've been thinking a lot about what I can add pumpkin too. One of my favorite winter breakfast treats is gingerbread pancakes. So, I thought why not make them a fall treat and swap some of the gingerbread ingredients with pumpkin puree. Gingerbread and pumpkin pie have very similar flavors- clove, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, so it was really easy to adjust the recipe. Here's how I did it:

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Pumpkin Pancakes
made about 12 four inch pancakes

1 and 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
6 tbsp pumpkin puree
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg

Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the milk, pumpkin, butter and egg in a separate bowl.

Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
In a skillet on medium heat add about a tablespoon of butter and a 1/2 tablespoon of veggie oil. (This may sound weird, but butter burns fast, so by adding the veggie oil it will keep the butter from browning too quick.) Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake and cook about 3 minutes on each side.

Serve with butter and maple syrup. And enjoy!!

barbecue for you..

I think Southerners are born loving barbecue. And born to argue about whose barbecue tastes the best. There is Kansas City, Memphis, Texas and of course Carolina barbecue. **Sidenote: One of my biggest pet peeves is when people say 'The Carolinas.' Like when I moved to Pennsylvania and I'd tell people I was from South Carolina, they would always respond, "Oh, I've been to the Carolinas." Well thats great, but I'm from SOUTH Carolina. Two separate states! Bah! But I digress.

A breakdown of sauces found in North and South Carolina:

There are 4 types of bbq sauce in the nation, and SC is the only state that is popular for enjoying all 4.
Vinegar and pepper, mustard, light tomato and heavy tomato. Every region of the nation has their own recipe, but these are the 4 categories that cover all barbecue sauces.

South Carolina is best known for its mustard based sauce. Mustard sauce was introduced to South Carolina from German settlers, and if you look at some of the best barbecue joints in SC that serve mustard sauce they usually have a german name. Bessinger's, Shealy's, Sweatman's and Meyer's to name a few.

The second most popular sauce in SC is the vinegar and pepper sauce. Touted to be the first barbecue sauce in America, and thought to be the creation of African slaves of Scottish settlers, this vinegar blend is full of black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes and dash of sugar. This sauce is used both as a baste (also known as a mop in the bbq world) and a finishing sauce.

In the upstate of SC and the western half of NC they serve a light tomato barbecue sauce. Its basically the pepper and vinegar sauce with ketchup or tomato sauce added. A lot of times its called a dip on menus. This sauce was said to have been invented in Lexington, NC around the turn of the century when ketchup became popular on store shelves. The ketchup was used to sweeten the harsh acidity of the pepper-vinegar sauce.

Lastly, the sauce most Americans are accustomed to, the heavy tomato sauce. This thick, super sweet tomato sauce is what you'll find in bottle by Kraft or KC Masterpiece. This is what comes to mind for most when you talk about barbecue sauce. In SC this sauce is mainly enjoyed in the Old 96 District  on the GA border and Thoroughbred Country around Aiken.

As far as I am concerned barbecue is pork and the sauce is yellow. But to keep FH happy I have had to learn to accept red sauce.

Now that you've had a little culinary history lesson I will share a few recipes with you.

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Neely's BBQ Sauce
Makes about 3 cups

2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 Tbsp light brown sugar
5 Tbsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp black pepper
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 Tbsp ground mustard
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

Throw everything in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for an hour and 15 minutes.

This sauce is a staple in my house. It is the perfect mix of the vinegary sauce that I love and the thick, cloyingly sweet sauce that FH grew up with.

I have never made mustard sauce before. At home in SC you can buy it just about anywhere, so I've never had the need to make my own. But now that I've moved to Kansas and cannot find any at the grocery store I have had to experiment with a few recipes.

SC Mustard Barbecue Sauce
from The Galley Gourmet blog

1 and 1/2 cups yellow mustard
1 and 1/4 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp pork or bacon drippings (or liquid smoke)

Put all of the ingredients except for the butter and the drippings in a sauce pan and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter. Add half of the drippings and taste. Add the rest if you think more is needed.

This recipe really reminds me of Little Pig's barbecue sauce, but with a little more kick. If you are from the Spring Valley or Dentsville areas of Columbia you have most likely had Little Pig's barbecue. Some slow roasted pork and a Captain John Derst's roll and some of this sauce and thats all you need for a great barbecue sandwich.

my new favorite sweet treat

I'm not really a dessert eater. I'd much rather have potato chips than a cookie. I prefer the taste of salty to sweet, but I really love to bake. I always have. For my 14th birthday I got a KitchenAid standing mixer from my parents, and the following Christmas I asked for a blow torch for making creme brulee. Baking was kind of my introduction to the kitchen, and my love for cooking has grown from there.

I browse TasteSpotting everyday for new ideas and inspiration, and to see what the rest of the foodie blogosphere is up to. One day I came across a recipe for doughnut muffins from the blog Making Life Delicious. How ingenious?? The dense, sugary awesomeness that we love about cake doughnuts without having to cut dough and deal with the mess of deep frying.. amazing.  These are so simple, you could make these with your eyes closed. And their even easier to eat!

Buttermilk Doughnut Muffins
Makes a dozen

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and divided
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup buttermilk, 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, 2 eggs, ¼ cup melted butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until smooth.

Spoon ¼ cup batter into each of the 12 muffin cups. I used an ice cream scoop for this. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 13 minutes. The finished muffins will spring back lightly when pressed. Cool in the pan for three minutes.

Place 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Put the remaining ¼ cup melted butter in a separate bowl. Gently remove the donut muffins. Then roll them in the remaining ¼ cup of melted butter. Then toss them in the bowl of cinnamon sugar to coat.

These little cuties are so dern good. And addicting. I ate 3 within minutes of them coming out of the oven.

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They are definitely meant to be eaten hot from the oven, but I had no problem putting back 3 of them cold. These would be great on a brunch spread or for a special breakfast. You have got to try these!

change in the weather..

All of a sudden it has gotten really cold here. On Wednesday it was 102 and by Friday it was in the 60s. Perfect soup weather. One of my favorite restaurant soups right now is Chili's Chicken and Green Chile soup, a Mexican twist on chicken and rice soup. I've been thinking about this soup for awhile now trying to figure out how I would go about making it, and I think I got it right with this recipe.

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Here's how I did it:
1 tablespoon oil (veg, canola, olive, whatever you've got in the pantry)
1 onion, chopped
10 oz can Rotel (I used mild, if you like it hotter you can switch for the hot Rotel)
3.5 oz can chopped green chiles
2 boxes chicken broth, low sodium if you can find it
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cumin, taste as you go, cumin is strong
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro

For serving you will need cooked rice and  diced avocados (toss them in a little lime juice so they don't turn brown).

In a soup pot, saute onions in the oil until soft, about 5 mins, add garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add chiles and rotel, and stir over heat for a minute. Add the broth, cooked chicken, and cumin. At this point taste to see if salt is needed. Keep over medium- low heat until you are ready to serve.

About 3 minutes before you are ready to serve add the lime juice and cilantro. Taste again for salt. To serve spoon some rice into the bottom of your soup bowl. Ladle soup over the rice and top with some of the avocado.

This soup is so tasty, and really easy to make. The only thing you are really cooking here is the chicken and the rice. To speed up the process you can pick up a rotisserie chicken, shred up the meat and throw it in the soup. As for the rice there are so many options these days: Minute rice (cooks in five minutes), the Uncle Ben's microwave rice that cooks in 90 seconds, or traditional long grain. There's no excuse for not making this soup. It literally takes 10 minutes from pantry to bowl on a busy night. Definitely worth it.

future hubby's favorite salsa..

FH loves Chipotle's corn salsa. So, since our closest Chipotle is 74 miles away and corn season is coming to an end with the end of summer, I decided I would try to make it at home.

So heres how I did it:
6 ears of corn
2 poblanos
2 jalapenos
1/2 of a red onion, finely diced
1/3 cup cilantro
lemon, lime and salt to taste

Roast the corn, poblanos and jalapenos on a stove top grill pan, an outdoor grill, or a dry saute pan. After the chiles are completely charred on all sides, place in a bowl and cover tightly with saran wrap. Also, place the corn on a plate or large bowl and cover those with saran wrap as well. The saran wrap will steam the corn and continue to cook the kernels until they are tender, and will also steam the peppers making it extremely easy to peel the charred skin off.

After about 10 minutes, peel the skin off of the peppers and finely chop. Cut the kernels off of the cobs and place in a bowl. Add in the onions, peppers and cilantro. Mix and add the juice of one lime and half of a lemon and about a teaspoon of salt. Taste and add more citrus or salt depending on your own tastes.

Serve with toritlla chips or Fritos scoops. This salsa would also be fantastic on a salad with black beans or sprinkled over tacos.

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For all you cilantro haters out there, this probably is not going to be a salsa you want to try. I guess you could substitute parsley, but it won't be nearly as tasty. Give cilantro another try! It has great citrusy notes that pair perfectly with mexican and latin foods (thai food too). You know the old saying "I'll try anything once," well I like to say I'll try anything twice. I don't think you can definitively say you don't like something without trying it more than once. Maybe you actually like the ingredient just maybe not the way it was cooked, or maybe it was even something else mixed in with it that you didn't like. Give cilantro a try. Well that was my PSA for the day. I will now step off my soap box.

Good tip: Do not throw away the corn cobs after you cut the kernels off!!! Those cobs are chock full of flavor that you paid for. Do not just toss them in the garbage. My favorite thing to do with leftover cobs is to make corn chowder. Stick the cobs in the pot while the chowder cooks and the corn juices will infuse the entire soup. Yum.

Poblanos are a great pepper. Most people know them as the pepper used for chile rellenos at Mexican restaurants, but they are so much more. They are typically mild, but can sometimes be as spicy as a jalapeno. So they key to using them is to taste the peppers before adding them to the corn, then you will be able to gauge how much you want to add depending on how hot you like it.

I think this copy-cat version is better than Chipotle's. I think the main difference is fresh corn off the cob versus the canned corn that Chipotle uses. If its the dead of winter and you want to make this salsa, I would suggest using thawed frozen corn over canned. I think my flavors matched the Chipotle version spot on, but using the fresh corn made the difference.

Since I was already chopping cilantro, red onion, and peppers I decided to throw together a quick pico de gallo too. I always have tomatoes on hand, I love tomato and mayo sandwiches, so I make sure I never run out.
For the pico de gallo I chopped 3 tomatoes (gently squeeze out some of the seeds and juice), about 2 tbsp of red onion, 1/2 of a tiny poblano pepper minced, about 1 tbsp of minced cilantro, the juice of a lime, and kosher salt. Tomatoes beg for salt, don't be afraid to use salt. But when cooking use kosher salt. Most recipes, like the ones on Food Network's website and most food blogs, use kosher salt, and if you substitute with regular iodized table salt, your dish will most likely be way too salty.
Pico de gallo is great to serve with chips, on tacos, spooned over grilled meat or fish, or mix it into mashed avocados for an instant guacamole.

Pantry Wishlist

One disadvantage to living in a small town is that the grocery store is very simply stocked. Living in State College with a Wegman's definitely spoiled me. Wegman's is an amazing grocery store stocked full of anything you could want. Now, in Kansas the only places in town to shop are Walmart and Marvin's super saver. The stores here have all the basics, but do not carry some of the specialty items that I got used to buying and cooking with in PA. One nice thing about Kansas is we have a pretty large hispanic population, so the stores are pretty well stocked with latin and hispanic produce and pantry staples. Below I have listed 5 of my favorite things to keep in the cupboards.

1) Archer Farm's Thai Peanut Sauce- Available Only At Target
I have tried alot of peanut sauces both at restaurants and out of a bottle from the grocery store, and this is by far my favorite. Keep it in the kitchen to dip spring or egg rolls in, pour it on sauteed chicken, or my favorite- use it as a salad dressing. Romaine lettuce, grilled edamame and carrots, grilled chicken, chopped peanuts and crunchy wonton strips with the peanut sauce makes an awesome Thai inspired entree salad.

2)Boysenberry Syrup
Fruit syrups are a great switch up on traditional maple syrup. Boysenberry is my favorite because its sweet but has a subtle tartness. I really like using boysenberry syrup on savory waffles and french toasts. On the weekends I like to make sour cream and onion waffles or corn waffles with homemade paprika pork patties and pour the syrup all over it. Pork goes so well with fruit and the savory saltiness of the waffles is a great pair with this syrup. Its also great on pancakes, crepes, or even ice cream.

3)Arborio Rice
Arborio rice is a short grain rice sometimes erroneously labeled risotto rice. Risotto is a cooking technique, and arborio rice is one of the rices you can use to make risotto. Risotto is a delicious blank canvas that you can play with. You can add asparagus and sweet peas for a vibrant spring risotto, or at the end of the year stir in some pumpkin or butternut squash for a warming fall/winter dish. The day after you make risotto for dinner form the cold rice into balls then roll them around in bread crumbs and deep fry. In Italy deep fried risotto is called arancini, and they are fabulous. Serve with warmed tomato sauce and lots of parmesan cheese.

4)Fig and Plum Preserves
I love to keep preserves on hand, and fig and plum are my favorite. You can spread them on sandwiches (great on a grilled ham and cheese sandwich), make quick sauces to spoon over grilled meats, serve with warm brie and crackers for a super quick party app, or just simply serve with toast or biscuits. 

 5) Rice Paper Wrappers
I really like to have these on hand to make super quick lunches and appetizers when you have guests coming over. Stuff the rice paper with cellophane noodles, shredded cabbage, bell peppers, bean sprouts, carrots, scallions, shrimp, chicken or tofu, really almost anything. Roll the wrap up like an eggroll and serve as is or deep fry. Serve with peanut sauce (refer to #1 for my recommendation) or with a ginger-soy sauce. These are so easy to make on the fly and they taste like they came from a great asian restaurant.

What are your favorite pantry items??

Momocho Mod Mex

I'm not like a super freaky Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives fan, but I watch it when its on TV, and when I'm traveling I'll usually check to see if any featured restaurants are nearby. Some of the places that Guy visits don't really seem all that special, but some really stand out to me. One of those places that stuck out to me while watching the show was Momocho in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland. So last week, while my mother and I were visiting my aunt in Cleveland we decided to check it out. Watching their segment on Triple D, I was really intrigued and excited to try the food, and I must say I was not disappointed.

At Momocho, executive chef and owner Eric Williams has put forth what he calls mod mex cuisine. The menu melds classic Mexican flavors with very modern and trendy ingredients. You can choose from grilled chicken or steak, brisket or shrimp, or if you are feeling a little more adventurous you can try the goat or wild boar. You can also order outrageous Mexican favorites such as grasshoppers and huitlecoche (also known as corn smut- a spore that grows on corn). The menu is broken down into taquitos-small tacos- and especiales- which are more of a complete entree.

Upon entering what from the outside looks to be another house in the neighborhood, you are met with traditional Mexican day of the dead decor in a hip, contemporary bar area. We were seated at the bar for dinner, and we were pleasantly surprised to hear that downstairs from 5-6:30 all taquitos were half price. So naturally I had to order two. For starters I ordered the trio of guacamole- I picked the smoked trout and bacon guac, the blue crab and pickled corn guac, and the goat cheese and roasted tomato guac. My favorite of the 3 had to be the goat cheese and tomato. I was expecting traditional guac sprinkled with goat cheese- no- there were huge chunks of goat cheese going throughout the dip, and it was delicious. The blue crab and pickled corn was tasty too. The crab and corn added a great sweetness to the buttery avocados. Lastly, the smoked trout and bacon guac was good, and conceptually its a great idea, I just don't think it was executed perfectly. The smoke from the trout came through, but I couldn't find any chunks of fish in the dip. The two bites where I got a little nugget of salty bacon in the smokey avocado were fantastic, I was just searching for more.

The two taquitos that I ordered were the Machaca and the Pato. All of the taquitos are served in a cazuela atop stewed peppers and onions, with tiny corn tortillas and tomatillo salsa verde. I had to try the Machaca-coffee and ancho braised brisket served with traditional guacamole- because that is what Guy ate on the show. The brisket was super tender and the sauce had a smokey kick, it was definitely worth trying. But even better was the Pato- slow roasted duck served with a pomegranate ancho barbecue sauce. The duck was incredibly tender and unctuous and just melted in my mouth. The barbecue sauce served with the duck was bananas. Sweet, smokey, and the slightest bit spicy, it was perfect. Overall it was an awesome meal. The portion size was large, the sauces were great, and the cook on the meat was executed perfectly.

To cap off our dinner, we ordered the Mexican chocolate pudding with salted pretzel brittle. What a great ending. It was so good. The chocolate pudding was thick and was spiked with spicy cinnamon (it almost tasted like red hots), topped with whipped cream and crunchy, salty crushed pretzel. I'm not a big sweets eater, so I don't usually order dessert, but I am so glad we decided to order this pudding. It is definitely on the top of my favorite desserts list.

Definitely check out Momocho next time you hit Cleveland, you will not be sorry. I will indubitably be going back for seconds.

The first signs of fall..

I had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season today, and you know what that means folks... Fall is just around the corner! Fall is my absolute favorite season. Whats not to love? The colors, the clothes, the weather, and of course the food and football. These are the reasons I love fall.

Fall Fashion. Yeah, summer's great with shorts, tanks and flip flops, but fall outfits are my favorite. Jackets, blazers, and coats are so stylish and timeless. And the shoes.. AMAZING. Boots of all kinds look great on most everybody. I love my knee high light brown leather boots.. they match a ton of outfits and are so comfortable and chic. Lace up booties are my new fave. Too cute.

 

The food. Fall flavors are incredible. Yeah, there are the favorites.. it seems every fast food restaurant, coffee chain, icecream shop, you name it, has something pumpkin or apple flavored. But I love all fall produce.. sweet potatoes, mushrooms, beets, cranberries, squash, leeks and onions, cabbages and brussels sprouts, and leafy greens(chard, collards, kale, mustard and turnip greens). Fall is also the time for super comforting dishes. Its so nice on those cold windy days to come home to a bowl of soup or hot mac and cheese. Check back in when I post my favorite fall recipes.

Football. College football season is probably the most fun time of the year. Some of my favorite college memories involve tailgating or going to games. Penn State football games (AKA The Greatest Show in College Football) are incredible. Even during a not so spectacular showing on the field, the crowd manages to maintain the highest level of energy possible. It's amazing. WE ARE PENN STATE!

I had to mention South Carolina Football too. I was born and raised in Columbia, SC, home of The University of South Carolina Fighting Gamecocks. I grew up cheering on my boys in garnet and black, and I am still a loyal fan despite where I chose to attend college. Luckily I have never had to pick one team over the other, and if there ever is a day that they play each other, it will be both the best and worst football game ever.

What do you love about fall?

Graduation Present

After I graduated in December my mom and I made the short drive to NYC to go to Bobby Flay's restaurant Bar Americain. Years ago we had gone to his restaurant Bolo and ever since I'd wanted to try more of his restaurants.

We hit the restaurant for Sunday Brunch. The food of course was incredible. I found the selection to be chic steakhouse and raw bar. The menu offered steakhouse classics such as french onion soup, cobb salad, a burger and steaks all with the Bobby Flay twist.

For starters we ordered brunch cocktails and the hot potato chips with blue cheese sauce. Thinly sliced fingerling potatoes fried and perfectly seasoned with a blue cheese "fondue" dipping sauce. So good.

Poached eggs are so trendy right now. Its so much fun to cut it open and watch the yolk ooze out. And they're delicious! Bar Americain's take on the classic cobb salad was bibb lettuce with bacon, a poached egg(versus the traditional hard boiled), and buttermilk blue cheese dressing. You cut the poached egg on top and the yolk oozes all over the salad, and kind of becomes a part of the dressing that coats the tender bibb lettuce. I thought it was a tasty and creative twist on a classic.

I have to apologize for my pictures being so blurry and not zoomed in. I promise they will get better. The next thing I had was the Lobster Avocado shellfish cocktail. Unfortunately you can't tell by my picture but it was visually stunning. Huge chunks of chilled lobster and avocado tossed with watercress and a tarragon vinaigrette. I was really surprised by the portion size, there was so much lobster in it, definitely worth every cent. And again, it was so tasty.

Lastly, I had to have the Spicy Tuna Tartar with classic garnishes. The garnishes were minced hard boiled egg, red onion, caper and parsley, and it was served with grilled crostini. I know that tuna is super trendy and really overdone right now in high end restaurants, but tuna is my absolute favorite thing to eat. And tuna tartar is so classic I had to give Bobby's version a try. It was spicy, but not so spicy that you couldn't taste the tuna, and the garnishes cooled down the heat level.

All in all my meal was fabulous. Definitely memorable. The only disappointment was that Bobby Flay was not there in person to greet me at the door... BUT

Ina Garten was there! ha! She was sitting at the table across from us with her husband and another couple, and when they got up to leave my mom chased her down so I could get a picture with her. Definitely a bonus graduation present that not even my mother could have planned!