when in wilmington (volume 2)...

I am always awed by Baker Blonde's welcome baskets.  This time, there was a great blend of favorite snacks and new treats to try...just a hint of all the good eating to come.

Oh boy!  I've always liked Hot Pink Cake Stand, but seriously?  With pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes, they might be the best bakery of all time. (It was a good thing Baker Blonde and I each ordered one - because these were definitely too yummy to share.)

Then, during our walk around Whole Foods, we saw these smores cupcakes in the bakery.  Even though the topping seems a bit unwieldy, it gave me some neat ideas.

Lunch at the creperie - mmm.  A nutella crepe with fresh, chopped strawberries - double mmm.

Prior to my arrival, Baker Blonde had suggested having our lunches out and having dinners in.  With her having two girls and a husband, this made good sense - not to mention that she's a good cook.  These chicken enchiladas were delicious.

After dinner, we made a quick trip to the grocery store - where I saw this in the freezer case.  We were both enamored with the brand name and the variety of Southern-themed flavors.  I didn't take any home, but now that recipe I have for sweet tea ice cream sounds even more appealing.

Friday, we picked up lunch at one of our favorite sandwich places.  Baker Blonde always gets the same thing, but I usually order something different every time.  This was a turkey sandwich with cheese, lettuce and a smooth cucumber dressing (similar to, but not quite as richly flavored, as a tzatziki sauce).  I really liked it - and might even order it again in the future.

After lunch, we sat on the porch at the Creek for a while, which always leads to one of Granny's overflowing ice cream cones.

That evening, we ended up eating out with some friends to celebrate a birthday.  The Asian bistro had a great menu selection, including salted edamame that we shared as an appetizer.

Saturday, we ate lunch at home - which meant I got to enjoy some leftover chicken and dumplings that Baker Blonde had made earlier in the week (much to Wildcat Guy's chagrin - he loves her chicken and dumplings!).

Look at all of those flavors! (And in case there was any doubt, this is gelato - not ice cream.)  We'd stopped at Carolina Farmin' to check out the bakery...

...but we ended up with cups of gelato, instead.  I chose the peanut butter chocolate - which, as I said when I tasted it that day, was "spot on."  The peanut butter and chocolate flavors were both there, and both yummy.

Saturday evening, Baker Blonde and I spent some time on the patio and in the back yard, playing with her two girls.  With a nice adult beverage in hand, it felt perfect - the type of afternoon I wish I got to have with friends more often.

Dinner that night was another home-cooked meal - sesame beef cooked in the crockpot.  The subtle flavor of the sauce, combined with the falling-apart tenderness of the beef, made for a delicious meal.

Oh. My. Goodness. This was amazing!  Since I was leaving Wilmington the morning of my birthday, Baker Blonde asked what dessert I'd like to have on my birthday eve.  I opted for these cast iron skillet brownies that I'd pinned some months ago, and wow!  She made them with dark chocolate, which meant that a tall glass of milk was a must-have.  (They also go well with Haagen Daz vanilla ice cream.)

For breakfast on my last morning, she made what seems to be evolving as a wonderful tradition - ebelskivers filled with Nutella, dusted with powdered sugar.

But this time, I got to eat them from the "You are special today" birthday plate, accompanied by some bacon. Yum, bacon. (Does anyone else ever hear the song that Pumba and Timon sing in "The Lion King" every time they think of bacon?  Yup, yup, yup.)  It was a lovely breakfast to share with them before the sad trip to the airport to fly home.

Where I am: Murray, KY
What I'm reading: (nothing)