We had a nice time at the wedding on Saturday night. It’s just weird that we are old enough that our friends kids are getting married. Tony was the best man at the parents of the grooms wedding – so they have a lot of history. I’ve known them for now 14 years, but I always like hearing the stories of when Tony was younger. He was quite the hooligan!
I enjoyed a bit of white wine:
We had our choice of dinners, and I, of course went with beef. It was really good – perfect medium rare.
I love this picture – the Groom is a Marine, so he was dressed in all white, with a sword which he used to cut the wedding cake with. It’s the groom, the groom’s father, Tony’s friend and Tony – I love Tony’s smile in this picture!
We got home around ten – neither of us had packed yet, so we had some stuff to do. Rochester is a five hour drive from our house, and we wanted to be on the road by noon. Um, turns out we didn’t wake up until ten, but we still go the show on the road on time.
Since Tony doesn’t like the way I drive, I was able to take a few scenic pictures along the way.
So I had a bit of a meal plan for this week. Without knowing exactly how this week will pan out, I decided to make up meal ideas. I brought a bunch of stuff from home. I made a spicy tomato sauce on Saturday because I had potato gnocchi that I threw in our grocery bag to bring with us. Tony prefers a bit of butter and a pinch of Parmesan cheese for his pasta, so I could make the red sauce really spicy!
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:65]
I went to the grocery store and picked up some Italian sausage, and pan seared the sausage. At Extended Stay of America, you only have a two burner electric coil burner, so I reheated the sauce in the container in the microwave. Once I cooked and drained the gnocchi, I put the heated up sauce, the sausage and the gnocchi in the pot and gave it a good toss and then sprinkled a bit of Parmesan cheese I brought from home. Not bad for a hotel dinner!
I did bring my favorite small skillet from home, along with our rice maker, so I used the lid of the rice maker to cook the sausage underneath that.
I am going to “borrow’ this cookbook that was left in the room – this is one of the recipe contests that I entered to win $5k!
I am blogging from Tony’s laptop, so it’s a bit of learning curve – I normally blog from Windows Live Writer and it’s super fast, so we’ll see how the blogging goes this week!
Our first appointment is at 9:00 am this morning at Mayo. We are going to take the shuttle from the hotel, because the woman at the front desk said that the parking lots usually fill up pretty quickly around all the hospitals in Rochester.
Feel free to follow along with us on Instagram: mybizzykitchen!
Hope you all had a great weekend! We appreciate your continue prayers and concerns! Make it a great day!
Catching up on blogs: love the pic of the wedding, it’s such a happy photo.
Good luck at the clinic this week, hope you will get some answers.
I got all excited when I saw the word Rochester…I’m from Rochester, NY!
Best of luck to you guys and hoping you get the answers you are looking for.
What are the odds that MAK and Tony are having medical issues at the same time?! Weird. I knew Mayo was coming up for you but I didn’t think it was this quick. I am so over hospitals at this point. MAK just got home from a 6-day stay in ICU at the VA hospital. I will be blogging about it again soon. He has to take a regimented set of pills (what else is new), has a lot of new dietary restrictions (will be an adjustment), and cannot work for awhile (cue the freaking out over bills). I am just trying to keep us afloat right now, in every form of the word. I love being able to visit your blog and be reminded that it will all be ok!
Praying for you at Mayo!! xoxo
Erin, so sorry to hear about this! Yep, while its stressful, we do get though it – just keep treading water! Hugs!
Good luck Biz and Tony!
An eating place called “Newt’s” in Rochester (3 locations) has a variety of great hamburgers, fries, and homemade onion rings. Ask anyone about “Newt’s” and they will give you directions, check it out if you got time. You’ll love the beer, too! Hope your day has gone well. I know it is a big place, but there are Mayo escorts who can help you find your way. It will be a little warmer tomorrow!
The escorts have been amazing – and there were a couple Mennonite girls there too – I guess I didn’t know that Minnesota had a Mennonite community?
Sounds like a really fantastic wedding. Great job on dinner (especially with only 2 burners). Praying this week goes well
Thanks E – and on electric coil burners – it was a bit of a learning curve, but I think I have it!
Looks like the wedding was a lot of fun! safe travels – love the pics, so pretty!!
Love your babies new hair cut – he’s not looking like a baby anymore!
Praying you get the answers to your questions and good news all in one.
Glad you had wonderful traveling weather through “Packer Country” 🙂 You amaze me Biz…how you can make a meal in a foreign kitchen using the tools of the trade of others… and still turn out a wonderful meal!!!
The food at the wedding looked really delish….looks like Tony had a great time. Hope your two have a good week.
Yep, we definitely were in Packer Country! I did a wave in your general direction! 😀
We are in good hands at Mayo!
Hey, I hope your visit to Mayo will give you answers to Tony’s health concerns. I understand Mayo ranks pretty high in the endocrinologist dept., too. I’m only 1 1/2 hours from Mayo, so my trips to Rochester for shopping and Mayo visits don’t take that long. The parking ramps (Damon ramp does) usually fill up between 9-9:30 AM. But the shuttle buses are great and free!! Have a great day!
The shuttle has been awesome – but tomorrow is an early appointment, so I guess we’ll have to drive, but its early enough that hopefully there will not be a lot of traffic and I’ll find parking! 😀
Shuttles leave early in the morning, too. Ask at the desk.
I am so impressed with your extended stay America dinner. We stayed there for two months when we had a flood in our condo. The stove was a nightmare, I constantly overcooked things and ruined their pots/pans. they gave you replacements if you brought them the ruined ones. It was mostly a breakfast meal for us. You have proven me wrong! Sending loving and healing prayers out to you and your hubby from the west coast. xoxoxoxo
I am the queen of making what works – although it was easy because I made the sauce at home and just brought it with me – you just have to think outside the box. I do have to say though its been AGES since I cooked on an electric coil stove – I nearly burned the ass out of the sausages!
Have a good first visit!! Good luck!
Thanks Heather! 😀
I truly enjoy being a passenger because I love to look around and take in the sights. I’m glad you had a nice time at the wedding. Yes, what a great smile from Tony. I hope you both are still smiling at the end of your first day at Mayo. They keep you very busy.
Well, there is a reason I take in the sights while Tony drives – just as much as he hates how I drive, ditto goes for him. I think he drives too fast, too close to the car in front of him, and I think he should brake about 100 feet before he actually does. 😀
Sounds like you are in the right place; thinking of you guys!
Yep, we totally are – our first appointment was at 9:20 this morning and by 10:30 we had a print out of all of our appointments for the next two days. 😀
Good luck today!
Thanks Shelley – so far we are more than impressed!
Have a great first visit, Tony!
Thanks Court!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE MAYO!!!!!!!!!! They are AMAZING and your days will be VERY full, and scheduled very well, in my opinion. I hope you learn a lot and enjoy your experience. there is a food coop near the clinic, but I don’t know where you will be, so I don’t know where to tell you to go to get there. If you ask around, you would find it. Also, there is a HY-VEE in town, great grocery store, and I KNOW they sell the coconut Choibani 🙂 also great bakery in the basement of Mayo, Daubes, totally insulin worthy.
I must have missed why you all are at Mayo. At any rate, they gave us five extra years with my Big Brother when everyone else said 48 hours. They saved my BFF’s life too. I can not say enough good about it, and my hubs will tell you I have a bit of a phobia of living too far away from a Mayo Clinic. It is an amazing place, filled with amazing talent. Any one who knows me knows that if something happens to me, and it seems hopeless, to take me to Rochester just to be sure.
I am hopeful you will have a excellent experience, and am hopeful for positive outcomes/prognosis. Lots of prayers for you both.
Peggy 🙂
Well, after one day there we are very impressed with the care and compassion! From the shuttle from the hotel to the scheduling of appointments, it all went smooth. So far we’ve made it to the super Wal-mart down from our hotel – thanks for the tips on the Chobani and food coop though! Tony was having some liver problems which started at the beginning of the year – other underlying things weren’t making sense so that’s why we are here to get some answers. Hugs!
Welcome to MN! And best wishes this morning… I hope everything goes as smoothly as possible.
Under different circumstances, I would have suggested a meet up – but I think you are still about 90 minutes from Rochester? We need to have a beer together and some good food!
Glad you made it there safe and sound. Nice pics of Wisconsin 🙂 I’ll be thinking of you – here’s to good news!
Thanks Lynne – hopefully next time I come through it will be to meet up with you! 😀
Looking forward to it!