Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mamas! 
Bud vases are the new rage! says my Mama, regarding the little gift she designed for my sister-in-law in honor of the holiday, filled with flowers snipped from her garden. 
In other news, hi! 
How was your weekend? Ben and I kicked ours off with a little homemade Moscow Mule action on Friday night, muwahaha!
Moscow Mules are my all time favorite summer drink, and are a mixture of vodka, ginger beer, and fresh lime juice poured into a copper mug to stay ultra cold. They are SO refreshing.
This was our first crack at making ‘em at home, and we didn’t love the ginger beer I picked out at Trader Joe’s (UBER gingery – needed a little more sweetness,) but we look forward to perfecting the recipe throughout the summer.
I laid out a spread to nibble on while we sipped, including red grapes (less vodka in that recipe, me thinks…)
English Coastal cheddar cheese, Fontina cheese, buttery crackers, and apples and pears. It was a nice little night!
The next morning my Mom and I headed to the Downtown Farmer’s Market bright and early to “beat the crowds”.
We thought there was no way it would be as busy as it was last weekend, opening weekend, but it might have been even more crowded!
This weekend was all about tender asparagus, and oodles of fresh flowers. I wanted to buy it all!
Instead I picked up the last bit of plants for my vegetable garden – some sugar snap peas, and parsley.
This morning, for Mother’s Day, Ben and I surprised my Mom by sliding in next to her and my Dad in their pew at church (priceless,) then we all headed out for our favorite brunch in town at Granite City.
GC’s Mother’s Day brunch is simply redonk, and seems to grow bigger and better every year. I filled my plate with their signature garlic mashed potatoes (I know,) cheesy hash browns, strawberries, eggs, bacon, and THE BEST FRENCH TOAST I HAVE EVER HAD. Ahem! That is to say, it was very good.
My brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew are visiting other family today, so it was just the four of us!
Ben hit the buffet one too many times – bahaha! I can literally feel his pain through this picture. Poor guy stands no chance against unlimited quantities of garlic mashed potatoes.
He and my Dad are working through the aftermath with a snooze while watching golf, while my Mom and I just got back from a nice walk. It is absolutely gorgeous out today!
The rest of the family is due back in town later this evening, and a BBQ is on tap before we wrap this Mother’s Day up. Gosh this weekend went fast!
Custom Knife Block Giveaway
Congrats to Harshee Day for guessing the correct number of wooden skewers in the wood knife block from avenuetwo:design on the dot – 1,179! Harshee – email your full name and mailing address to iowagirleats@gmail.com, and we’ll get that out to you.
Thanks to everything for entering. Have a SUPER rest of your Mother’s Day Sunday!
We also enjoyed the always fabulous Granite City brunch. I saw you there, talking to your mama on the curb but I wasn’t going to I interrupt!
IF you dont like the ginger beer, check out Rachel’s Ginger Beer. Its made out here in Seattle, so I am not sure if you can get it or not. But if you can you must get it! Its so popular, Rachel made a whole bar based on ginger beer recipes called Montana…highly highly highly recommended.
All of this looks so good!!!
The Reeds Ginger brew line is very spicy, and I do like it to just drink over ice every now and then. But I found a ginger beer last time i was in rock island called Goslings. It made a perfect Moscow Mule. I havent tried to search for it up in Waterloo yet but im sure it could be found a a regular liquor store.
i love your leaf necklace!
Thanks for the Tweet about the pupusas — so good!!
You are right on with the GC french toast — I’ve been known to eat at least 3 pieces of that stuff and it is so THICK! Yum!
Awww, you look so sweet with your mamma! + I have to say that the asparagus at your farmer’s market is the tallest I have ever seen!
I just love that peach striped top you have on in that pic w the grapes! where is it from?!?
Where do you get those copper cups?
Just to add another ginger beer recommendation- Regatta! It’s my favorite. Sweet and smooooth. I love making dark n’ stormys (er, stormies?) with it all summer.
Also, I am insanely jealous of $1.50 peonies. The only ones I can get my hands on are from Whole Foods, and are like $15 for THREE!
i make moscow mules with reed’s gingerbeer and i add a dash of agave nectar to take some of the gingery edge off. =)
When I drove by granite city, there were people sitting outside on lawn chairs waiting for a table to be ready! Crazy!! But I have heard that it’s a super tasty breakfast.
That picture of your Ben, post-buffet, makes me giggle because it’s an all too familiar scene with my Ben. The power of garlic mashed potatoes cannot be resisted.
I am so jealous that your farmer’s market is so full of veggies! Also jealous of your dress and top in the photos
I have an unhealthy love of stripes (and completely healthy love of asparagus)!
I almost commented “Those copper mules look so refreshing” only I was combining copper with moscow mule.
I love cheese plates, too!
Love the pictures of you & your Mom! Sure looks like you really enjoy each other, so nice to see.
Your farmers market looks awesome. One of these days I need to make the trek over there. Oh and the GC mothers day brunch is my favorite too, and I feel just like Ben after stuffing my face there. Honestly I think it was their Easter brunch that put me into labor.
Have a great week.
[...] moscow mules: so refreshing & oh so dangerously delicious. they’re right there near the top of [J] & I’s favorite list. {recipe here} [...]