Grammer Family Fish Fry

Last weekend, my dad's side of the family got together for a family reunion. We used to do this every year at White Bank Park in Colonial Heights, but I think it's been probably 15 or 20 years since we got together. My Uncle George, who is my late grandfather's brother, mentioned to my Uncle Bruce (my dad's brother) last year that he missed those gatherings, and once the idea was planted, the Fish Fry plans got underway.

The culmination was a gathering of about 70 people in my grandma's back yard last Sunday. I knew approximately 1/3 of those people, recognized another 1/3, and if I had ever seen the other 1/3, I was only about 10 years old and don't remember any of them. At one point I was talking to my dad about this and looking at the people who are roughly my age, and realizing that I very well could have been playing with them on the swings and merry-go-round the last time I saw them, but lord knows we all look very different than we did then!

Uncle George was a cook in the Navy back in the day, so he was on fish fry duty. Uncle Bruce battered the fish and handled the to/from the grill duties, Bryan somehow ended up cooking the cornbread (deep fried on the grill--YES!), and my dad ended up cooking the hot dogs and burgers for all the non-fish eaters. My dad was the only one not in the shade in front of his grill, and when I asked how the hell that happened, I found out my dear husband had told him to go cook the dogs/burgers. Nice, dear... bossing your father-in-law around?! ;-)

The fish was A-MA-ZING. It was catfish, but not like any catfish you've ever had. The cornbread was awesome too--even I had never had deep fried cornbread from the grill!

We also had a cole slaw cook-off. I had never made cole slaw in my life, and it turned out alright, but I knew I would not be winning any awards. My stepmom Brenda, my cousin Heather, Uncle George's wife, Aunt Irma, were the top 3. Bravo, ladies!

Bryan's parents also came down. They've become part of the family, and all the Grammers were thrilled they could make it. (Well, all the Grammers that know them, anyway!) They're always getting schooled on the art of being Southern, so this was their first time for catfish and pecan pie. They loved both. :)

It was a great day, and I really hope we do it again! You can check out more of my photos here.

Hello, Baltimore.

I'm in Baltimore for a conference. The company is good and there's lots of crab involved. I am a happy girl. :)

Hungry Hungry Hippo

Lately, I am starving in the afternoons at work and have been frustrated because it's way easier to find junk food around here than anything remotely healthy. So when I stopped at the grocery store last night, I decided to pick up a few things to keep on hand. It wasn't until I put the bag down in my office and really looked at it that I realized I may have gone a tad overboard. :)

Oh, Happy Day!

After a lovely trip to the state surplus warehouse, my coworker Krystyna and I were driving back to work. As I slowed for the upcoming light, to my left I saw the happiness store, AKA Andy's Barbecue. I braked harder and turned into the parking lot. This was a moment I've been wishing for for YEARS, people.

You see, my first job was at County Seat, a clothing store, at Cloverleaf Mall (now defunct, formerly scary as hell, before that a fine establishment :) ). In the food court there was an Andy's Barbecue, and they sold something called hush piggies. Once I discovered these, I became an addict. To the point that the guys who worked there would see me walking up and say, "Hey, piggie girl! How many today?!" (Now that I think about it, I guess that's not the best nickname to have. But if you KNEW what these things tasted like, you would realize that it is the highest form of praise.) And then, a tragedy: Andy's went out of business. I mourned for weeks, and then luckily was rescued by going away to college and having other things on my mind.

Before I go on, let me tell you about these delicious delights. Hush piggies are hush puppies with barbecue inside, and they come with barbecue sauce for dipping. If you have any taste, you're probably thinking, "Mmm, that sounds pretty tasty." Yet, people, let me tell you something: THEY ARE TEN TIMES AS GOOD AS YOU THINK THEY MIGHT BE. Yes, seriously.

So while I was in college my mom lived in Sandston (near the airport) for a short while, and I discovered that this was the site of Andy's HOME STORE! Woohoo! I think I had them once during college, but since then, a complete dry spell. I have often wondered if Andy's was still in business (it's a small, family owned restaurant), and thought that I needed to go check to see if that place was still open, but in true Lydia fashion, I haven't gotten around to it.

And then TODAY! Oh heavenly Friday, with beautiful weather and time spent with my friend on the way to and from surplus shopping and ANDY'S BARBECUE and HUSH PIGGIES!

If I wasn't already happy enough just waiting for my piggies, it turned out that I got to witness a little demonstration of the goodness of humanity. A homeless Hispanic woman had been pushing her cart past as Krystyna and I went in, and she ended up coming inside and plopping herself down in the waiting area. She sat there conversing with herself for quite a while, and finally the guy who was working the cash register went over and asked if he could help her. It was quickly obvious that she didn't speak a word of English, but I could understand that she was asking him if she could have some food. About the time I was translating this for the guy, a woman came in from the tax prep place next door and whispered to him (within my earshot) that this homeless lady regularly came and parking herself in businesses, and people had to call the cops to come get her to leave. So the Andy's BBQ guy walked away, presumably to call the police. Except he didn't. He went to the back and came back out with a bag full of food, which he handed over to the woman with a smile. And then she collected her things and left. I was impressed. Sure, there's a chance that woman will now come back all the time looking for food, but maybe she won't. And what harm is done in actually helping someone out who obviously needs it instead of calling the cops on her? I just love it when people are kind to strangers. It's a renewal of my faith in my fellow man, and I think we all need that every once in a while.

So, if you are ever out by the airport in Richmond, you must go check out Andy's Barbecue, on Laburnum Ave just south of Williamsburg Road. Not only will you love the food, but they're good people, too.

And now I must go back to lovin' on my hush piggies. :)