My precious daddy's birthday was on Tuesday. So, being the great daughter that I am (not really), we are having my parents and my grandparents over for dinner tonight. I am even baking a cake (right now). This is huge...baking isn't exactly my thing. You can't just halfway measure and then throw everything in the bowl and hope it tastes right. Apparently, there are "mechanics" to baking (this according to my mother, the nutrition major in college/homemaker-extraordinare). Yes, I am a CPA, and I usually like exact amounts, but baking just stresses me out. Rachael Ray's show stresses me out, I'm not going to lie, even though I love her cookbooks. Half a palmful?? What size person is that? I have long skinny hands, so is my half a palmful the same as hers?? Or "twice around the pan"? What about for bigger pans?
I guess the real reason I don't really like baking is that I don't think I'm good at it. I generally avoid doing things I'm not any good at. Who likes to fail? I attempted to make chocolate chip cookies for the office pot-luck Christmas luncheon. Total disaster. They ran all over the pan. Like one big chocolate chip cookie. Jay peeled it up and ate the scraps and declared it "delicious" but these were the early days of our marriage when I didn't cook at all, so he was probably near starvation. Audrea and her boyfriend, Andy, were going to come over the following night for dessert after we went to Julep. I had planned to make Gharadelli brownies and serve with ice cream. In my panic of what-do-I-take-to-the-office-lunch-so-I-don't-look-like-a-total-slacker freakout moment, I made brownies. Then I had to stop at the bakery on the way home that day to pick up iced Christmas cookies to serve for dessert that night.
So, Daddy, if you're reading this, I really love you. I love you enough to bake you a cake. Even though it may be dry and icky or even burned on the bottom, I tried. I promise. :)
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day thoughts
We have not done much this weekend...we shopped the sales on Saturday, went to Char for brunch after church Sunday with Jay's family, and ate dinner with my parents last night. I have also been sorting through the stacks of china and other wedding presents we don't have a place to store yet. I boxed them up and put them in the closet. You can actually walk in the guest bedroom now!!
Since today is Memorial Day, I have been thinking about both of my grandfathers. My mom's father served in the army during World War II, and my dad's father was a Marine who served in Japan.
My mom's father, whom I always called Granddaddy, passed away when I was in college. He joined the Army in 1942. He served in France, Belgium, and Germany. He was on the outskirts of the Battle of the Bulge, one of the major turning points in the war. He spent six weeks in a foxhole in the bitter cold and snow. Granddaddy didn't change his socks for those six weeks.
Granddaddy never spoke much about the war, especially not to us grandchildren. I always remembered him as a man of very few words. He did, however, spend three to four hours talking about his experiences to my parents when my mother was pregnant with me. After the Allied forces freed the concentration camps in Germany, troops occupied these camps to ensure that the Germans did not return to the camps to continue killing Jews. My grandfather was a part of these troops. He said that the ashes of the Jews and others who had been killed were piled higher than a two story house. Maybe it was hard for him to talk about the things that he had seen because they were so gruesome, and it was painful for him to remember.
My dad's father, Papaw, was in Japan on his tour of duty for the ten year anniversary of Iwo Jima. They had a special ceremony to remember all of the Marines who died there. Papaw played the trumpet in the Marine band.
Neither of my grandfathers were career military men. Granddaddy went on to graduate from Mississippi State with a degree in agriculture and to serve as a loan officer for the FHA. Papaw went to USM to finish the accounting degree he had begun at Baylor before his service, and later went into the family oil business..
Join me in remembering all of those who not only gave time during their youth, but their lives for our country.
Happy Memorial Day!
Since today is Memorial Day, I have been thinking about both of my grandfathers. My mom's father served in the army during World War II, and my dad's father was a Marine who served in Japan.
My mom's father, whom I always called Granddaddy, passed away when I was in college. He joined the Army in 1942. He served in France, Belgium, and Germany. He was on the outskirts of the Battle of the Bulge, one of the major turning points in the war. He spent six weeks in a foxhole in the bitter cold and snow. Granddaddy didn't change his socks for those six weeks.
Granddaddy never spoke much about the war, especially not to us grandchildren. I always remembered him as a man of very few words. He did, however, spend three to four hours talking about his experiences to my parents when my mother was pregnant with me. After the Allied forces freed the concentration camps in Germany, troops occupied these camps to ensure that the Germans did not return to the camps to continue killing Jews. My grandfather was a part of these troops. He said that the ashes of the Jews and others who had been killed were piled higher than a two story house. Maybe it was hard for him to talk about the things that he had seen because they were so gruesome, and it was painful for him to remember.
My dad's father, Papaw, was in Japan on his tour of duty for the ten year anniversary of Iwo Jima. They had a special ceremony to remember all of the Marines who died there. Papaw played the trumpet in the Marine band.
Neither of my grandfathers were career military men. Granddaddy went on to graduate from Mississippi State with a degree in agriculture and to serve as a loan officer for the FHA. Papaw went to USM to finish the accounting degree he had begun at Baylor before his service, and later went into the family oil business..
Join me in remembering all of those who not only gave time during their youth, but their lives for our country.
Happy Memorial Day!
Update on cooking experiment
Well, the cooking experiment is working out quite well! I feel very domestic! This past week, I focused on cooking lighter to makeup for those rich meals in Jamaica.
Grilled Shrimp Skewers from All Things Good (The St. Andrews Cathedral cookbook...great recipes!)
Grilled Chicken Parmesan from Get Real (Rachael Ray's low carb recipe book...her best, IMO, of course). The chicken parmesan was grilled instead of breaded and fried and baked with tomato sauce and cheese. Much healthier than the original!
Caramelized onions: I'm not quite sure that I've mastered these yet, but they were still good.
Chicken Tostadas. I could not find tomatillo salsa anywhere! So I had to substitute Rotel tomatoes...it was still good, though.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. These are the Bravo! recipe from All Things Good. They were so delicious! They were tossed in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing and then grilled.I'm definitely making these again! :)
Balsamic Chicken in Pesto Gravy from Rachael Ray's Just in Time cookbook. I didn't particularly care for this dish, which is odd, because I absolutely love anything with balsamic vinegar, and I also love pesto. It did, however, receive rave reviews from Jay, so I may make it again.
Pico de Gallo Quesadillas. These were so good. I love pico de gallo, but I had never made it before. I was surprised at how few ingredients are in it and how easy it was.
And last, but not least...the winner of the week: Crab Cakes with Basil Tartar Sauce from All Things Good. This may very well be my new favorite cookbook.
Grilled Shrimp Skewers from All Things Good (The St. Andrews Cathedral cookbook...great recipes!)
Grilled Chicken Parmesan from Get Real (Rachael Ray's low carb recipe book...her best, IMO, of course). The chicken parmesan was grilled instead of breaded and fried and baked with tomato sauce and cheese. Much healthier than the original!
Caramelized onions: I'm not quite sure that I've mastered these yet, but they were still good.
Chicken Tostadas. I could not find tomatillo salsa anywhere! So I had to substitute Rotel tomatoes...it was still good, though.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. These are the Bravo! recipe from All Things Good. They were so delicious! They were tossed in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing and then grilled.I'm definitely making these again! :)
Balsamic Chicken in Pesto Gravy from Rachael Ray's Just in Time cookbook. I didn't particularly care for this dish, which is odd, because I absolutely love anything with balsamic vinegar, and I also love pesto. It did, however, receive rave reviews from Jay, so I may make it again.
Pico de Gallo Quesadillas. These were so good. I love pico de gallo, but I had never made it before. I was surprised at how few ingredients are in it and how easy it was.
And last, but not least...the winner of the week: Crab Cakes with Basil Tartar Sauce from All Things Good. This may very well be my new favorite cookbook.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Puppy Playdate
Leigh brought Percy and Ellie (her two yorkies) over last night to play with Abby. Jay was worried that since Abby is an only "child", she wouldn't like playing with the other dogs and sharing her yard and toys. Abby does really well with other people, probably because I have taken her everywhere...the bank, the post office, Petsmart, and even The Bridal Path (yes, I was shocked that they didn't care and actually thought it was cute).
Abby didn't know what to think at first. She acted a little scared, which is ridiculous because Percy and Ellie are a good bit smaller than her. But they sniffed each other, and then started chasing each other all around the yard (except for Ellie, at first, who just went exploring on her own). We threw toys countless times for them and Percy and Abby chased after it. Jay is convinced that Abby is "slow" since she only brought it back once.
Jay grilled out for us and we ate outside and left the dogs inside. There were three little faces peeping out the window at us for awhile, but then Abby and Percy curled up together and Ellie explored (and drank lots of water!)
Pictures (of course):
Abby eagerly awaiting her friends!
Leigh and Ellie!
Aw! Ellie is really sweet!
Leigh and her sweet baby boy Percy!
Abby didn't know what to think at first. She acted a little scared, which is ridiculous because Percy and Ellie are a good bit smaller than her. But they sniffed each other, and then started chasing each other all around the yard (except for Ellie, at first, who just went exploring on her own). We threw toys countless times for them and Percy and Abby chased after it. Jay is convinced that Abby is "slow" since she only brought it back once.
Jay grilled out for us and we ate outside and left the dogs inside. There were three little faces peeping out the window at us for awhile, but then Abby and Percy curled up together and Ellie explored (and drank lots of water!)
Pictures (of course):
Abby eagerly awaiting her friends!
Leigh and Ellie!
Aw! Ellie is really sweet!
Leigh and her sweet baby boy Percy!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Jamaica...with pictures :)
We got back from Jamaica late Saturday night. It was wonderful! We stayed at Sandals Ocho Rios, and we decided that we definitely want to visit another Sandals resort. The service was great, the staff was so friendly, and the food was delicious.
We stayed in a villa that had a view of the mountains.
We shared a swimming pool with one other couple.
Our room had really pretty mahogany furniture and a really high ceiling. The bed was high (for a hotel bed) but nowhere near as high or as pretty as ours at home. It had weird side rails that I kept hitting and I ended up with random leg bruises.
The main pool was really nice too. We spent a lot of time there :)
One day we went on an excursion to Dunn's River Falls. It was...interesting. We climbed to the top of the falls in a human chain. A huge cruise ship had just docked that morning, so there were tons of people. The couple in front of us was from Greece and the couple behind us was from Little Rock.
For the record, this is the standard pose. The guide did, however, tell us to "save some for later." LOL
The beach was quite small. Most of it was taken up by piers. They had a lot of water sports available. We went out snorkeling one day. It was a lot of fun, but the water was rough that day and I got seasick. :(
There were about 9 restaurant options. Obviously we didn't get an opportunity to try all of them, but the places we did go were great.
The waiter at Valentino's (an Italian restaurant) brought us tiramasu on his head.
We ate at a restaurant one night that was on the beach. The tables and chairs were right on the sand.
For anyone considering going to a Sandals, it truly is a wonderful experience. The only thing that I didn't really like was the large number of activities always planned. We didn't participate in most of them...haha.
We stayed in a villa that had a view of the mountains.
We shared a swimming pool with one other couple.
Our room had really pretty mahogany furniture and a really high ceiling. The bed was high (for a hotel bed) but nowhere near as high or as pretty as ours at home. It had weird side rails that I kept hitting and I ended up with random leg bruises.
The main pool was really nice too. We spent a lot of time there :)
One day we went on an excursion to Dunn's River Falls. It was...interesting. We climbed to the top of the falls in a human chain. A huge cruise ship had just docked that morning, so there were tons of people. The couple in front of us was from Greece and the couple behind us was from Little Rock.
For the record, this is the standard pose. The guide did, however, tell us to "save some for later." LOL
The beach was quite small. Most of it was taken up by piers. They had a lot of water sports available. We went out snorkeling one day. It was a lot of fun, but the water was rough that day and I got seasick. :(
There were about 9 restaurant options. Obviously we didn't get an opportunity to try all of them, but the places we did go were great.
The waiter at Valentino's (an Italian restaurant) brought us tiramasu on his head.
We ate at a restaurant one night that was on the beach. The tables and chairs were right on the sand.
For anyone considering going to a Sandals, it truly is a wonderful experience. The only thing that I didn't really like was the large number of activities always planned. We didn't participate in most of them...haha.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Jay's graduation and a (brief) rant
The people that sat behind us at Jay's graduation were SO RUDE!!! I don't know what was wrong with them. There were about 10 of them in the group. One kid kept kicking my back. On top of that, the grandparents of the student graduating (I'm assuming)were TALKING on their cell phones in a very normal voice while Roger Wicker was delivering the commencement address! Who talks on their cell phone while a U.S. Senator is speaking or even at a graduation in general!?!? Then as soon as whoever they were there to watch graduate walked across the stage, every single one of them jumped up and left. Ugh, no one has manners anymore.
Oh, and yes, I do look white in that picture, but I will be nice and tan when we get back from Jamaica (hopefully)!!! :)
Getting ready to leave!
1 day til Jamaica!!
Jay is graduating this morning! I'm so excited that he is finally finished with his MBA. Now I feel kind of guilty for quitting grad school...but there is no way in you-know-where I am going back. Passing the exam is acccomplishment enough for me. I'm much prouder of that than of graduating from college.
This past week has been kind of crazy trying to wrap things up here. We've also had some big decisions to make and a lot to discuss. Big news to come, when we get back :)
Now for some food pictures (yes, I know I'm weird) from this week! No cooking disasters this week, and the experiment is still going well (thankfully). Now I'm actually enjoying cooking dinner every night. It's something I look forward to when I get home because it's relaxing. It's sad, but I think I'm going to miss cooking next week! LOL
This was a flat iron steak. I saw a picture in Southern Living and it looked so good that I had to try it. I had always avoided cooking one because it was a cut of meat my mother (a great cook) never made when I was growing up. I was doubtful, but it turned out really tender and delicious. It definitely got Jay's approval! :)
Chicken Salad Turnovers from Southern Sideboards with Mock Hollandaise. My Aunt Cynthia reccomended this recipe, and it is a definite make-again.
Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas. A Rachael Ray recipe. I made my own shredded chicken (using chicken breasts) to keep it on track with WW. Delicious and healthy - as far as enchiladas go!
Pepper Lime Chicken Strips. These were from the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook. Everyone should have either this cookbook or the Betty Crocker Cookbook (I happen to have both, due to gifts-they are very similar). They both have so much information about basics: cooking safety, handling meat, freshness, etc. A lot of the recipes are kind of basic, but they are perfect for people just starting to cook on a regular basis (i.e. me).
Jay is graduating this morning! I'm so excited that he is finally finished with his MBA. Now I feel kind of guilty for quitting grad school...but there is no way in you-know-where I am going back. Passing the exam is acccomplishment enough for me. I'm much prouder of that than of graduating from college.
This past week has been kind of crazy trying to wrap things up here. We've also had some big decisions to make and a lot to discuss. Big news to come, when we get back :)
Now for some food pictures (yes, I know I'm weird) from this week! No cooking disasters this week, and the experiment is still going well (thankfully). Now I'm actually enjoying cooking dinner every night. It's something I look forward to when I get home because it's relaxing. It's sad, but I think I'm going to miss cooking next week! LOL
This was a flat iron steak. I saw a picture in Southern Living and it looked so good that I had to try it. I had always avoided cooking one because it was a cut of meat my mother (a great cook) never made when I was growing up. I was doubtful, but it turned out really tender and delicious. It definitely got Jay's approval! :)
Chicken Salad Turnovers from Southern Sideboards with Mock Hollandaise. My Aunt Cynthia reccomended this recipe, and it is a definite make-again.
Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas. A Rachael Ray recipe. I made my own shredded chicken (using chicken breasts) to keep it on track with WW. Delicious and healthy - as far as enchiladas go!
Pepper Lime Chicken Strips. These were from the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook. Everyone should have either this cookbook or the Betty Crocker Cookbook (I happen to have both, due to gifts-they are very similar). They both have so much information about basics: cooking safety, handling meat, freshness, etc. A lot of the recipes are kind of basic, but they are perfect for people just starting to cook on a regular basis (i.e. me).
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Southern Belle: Insulting?
I can't believe it's May already! 8 days until we leave for Jamaica!!
Recent food pictures:
Scarlet Chicken (from Come On In!)This was delicious (and healthy)!! If you don't have this Junior League Cookbook, it is definitely a must!
The failed Portobello Mushroom Pizzas!
American-Italian all'Amatriciana - This was really good! The recipe online omits the chopped fresh basil that Rachael Ray added on the show. The reason that it's an American version of a classic Italian recipe is that the original calls for cured pork jowls (ewww!)
Recent food pictures:
Scarlet Chicken (from Come On In!)This was delicious (and healthy)!! If you don't have this Junior League Cookbook, it is definitely a must!
The failed Portobello Mushroom Pizzas!
American-Italian all'Amatriciana - This was really good! The recipe online omits the chopped fresh basil that Rachael Ray added on the show. The reason that it's an American version of a classic Italian recipe is that the original calls for cured pork jowls (ewww!)
I couldn't sleep as late as Jay this morning, so I went to hang out with Abby and watch TV. I usually don't watch MTV as I'm a little past that point in life, but I occasionally enjoy watching True Life. I caught an episoide that aired at the beginning of April entitled "I'm a Southern Belle." It followed three girls who attend Ole Miss. Obviously I was interested not only to hear what they had to say, but to see how they portrayed Mississippians and Southerners in general. One girl was a pageant queen, another a grad student studying Spanish, and the last one was a Tenneessee girl who grew up around horses.
The whole show portrayed "southern belles" as being obssessed with big hair and finding a husband. I felt sympathetic towards Raini, the pageant queen, because she was struggling to tell her mom that she didn't want to do the pageant thing anymore. Leigh Anne, the grad student, obssessed about finding a husband and was worried because she is 25 and not engaged. Kate wanted to take things slow with her boyfriend and has no intentions of getting married until she is 30 (but she felt bad about it because she thinks all "normal" Southern girls get married young).
Maybe people get married young in the South, but there is more being a Southern belle than worrying about being an "old maid." I got married at 23 (young in some places) because I found the right man. Not because I just wanted to get married. It's sad that women see getting married and having children as the end all be all. Just some random ramblings for a Saturday! :)
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