Sooo...I made a decision. I feel like I have just been blogging about cooking and food lately. There is actually a reason for this. I started blogging with the intention of writing about our life as a newlywed couple. I wasn't exactly faithful keeping it up during tax season. I had planned to be completely candid, but due to certain circumstances, candor is totally inappropriate and disrespectful. Plus, there isn't much going on in my life right now worth writing about other than current circumstances and work (BORING topic), and I'm not exactly the most opinionated person in the world.
This is the new blog. I'm still working on the template and the title - it's a work in progress.
I will still update this blog occasionally, but it will be more about our life. :)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
This Past Week....
Last Saturday, Audrea was in town to go to her family reunion in Gloster. She came over for dinner. We even talked her into trying Wii bowling...and I think she liked it. It was great to catch up with her, even though Jay was in the background screaming at Tiger Woods.
We grilled out shrimp using this recipe. I really reccomend trying this recipe. We enjoyed it. I also made homemade salsa. It was really easy, using the food processor.
Since it was Father's Day Sunday, Jay and I went to Honey and Papaw's for lunch. David and Caroline and Mr. Mooney came over for dinner Sunday night. We grilled out again...although not so easily as the night before. The propane tank ran out of gas when we were preheating the grill. Jay had to run and exchange it.
This is my favorite salad EVER. It is the Mixed Baby Greens and Strawberry Salad from Come On In!.
My favorite cheese ball that my Aunt Joan brings to family functions.
Deviled Chicken Strips from All Things Good. I cut out a lot of the breadcrumbs to make it heathier.
Everything Chicken Rolls stuffed with Scallion Cream Cheese from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats. I baked these in the oven instead of frying and used lowfat cream cheese to make them healthier.
I also attempted onion rings and learned this important lesson: onion rings are best gotten on the outside. The breading all fell off. The sauce, however, was really good. I think I may try grilling onion rings (no breading, with just a little olive oil). I used the Fried Onion Rings with Spicy Dipping Sauce from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2.
Garlic Chicken Pizza. (I changed this recipe up and used my own crust). I LOVE fresh cilantro!
Attention Shrimp! from Come On In!. This is one of my favorite shrimp recipes. I also like it because it is written for two people (no math involved!)
Leigh brought her two precious angels over to play with Abby on her birthday.
We got some special dog treats for Abby's birthday from Cakes and Candles. We also got her some Poochie Pearls.
We grilled out shrimp using this recipe. I really reccomend trying this recipe. We enjoyed it. I also made homemade salsa. It was really easy, using the food processor.
Since it was Father's Day Sunday, Jay and I went to Honey and Papaw's for lunch. David and Caroline and Mr. Mooney came over for dinner Sunday night. We grilled out again...although not so easily as the night before. The propane tank ran out of gas when we were preheating the grill. Jay had to run and exchange it.
This is my favorite salad EVER. It is the Mixed Baby Greens and Strawberry Salad from Come On In!.
My favorite cheese ball that my Aunt Joan brings to family functions.
Deviled Chicken Strips from All Things Good. I cut out a lot of the breadcrumbs to make it heathier.
Everything Chicken Rolls stuffed with Scallion Cream Cheese from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats. I baked these in the oven instead of frying and used lowfat cream cheese to make them healthier.
I also attempted onion rings and learned this important lesson: onion rings are best gotten on the outside. The breading all fell off. The sauce, however, was really good. I think I may try grilling onion rings (no breading, with just a little olive oil). I used the Fried Onion Rings with Spicy Dipping Sauce from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2.
Garlic Chicken Pizza. (I changed this recipe up and used my own crust). I LOVE fresh cilantro!
Attention Shrimp! from Come On In!. This is one of my favorite shrimp recipes. I also like it because it is written for two people (no math involved!)
Leigh brought her two precious angels over to play with Abby on her birthday.
We got some special dog treats for Abby's birthday from Cakes and Candles. We also got her some Poochie Pearls.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Happy Birthday Abby!!!!
Today is Abby's birthday! She is 1 year old! We got her when she was just 6 weeks old. She was tiny...she barely weighed a pound.
At the apartment I shared with Crystal. She loved the steps, once she was big enough to get up and down them!
She was so tiny! This was the second day we actually had her. She still plays with her ducky.
Abby's first bath at Jay's apartment. She fit in the bathroom sink.
First "family" picture with Abby on my birthday at my parents' house.
Where's my food?!?!? This was the bad haircut phase...
Abby on her "perch"
On her way to be boarded...happy, until we get to the vet!
Basically, she is our child, until we have a real one. Then she will go back to being a dog. It's funny how she has become such a special part of our family. Jay didn't like her AT ALL at first (she cried all of the time). Now he adores her. :)
At the apartment I shared with Crystal. She loved the steps, once she was big enough to get up and down them!
She was so tiny! This was the second day we actually had her. She still plays with her ducky.
Abby's first bath at Jay's apartment. She fit in the bathroom sink.
First "family" picture with Abby on my birthday at my parents' house.
Where's my food?!?!? This was the bad haircut phase...
Abby on her "perch"
On her way to be boarded...happy, until we get to the vet!
Basically, she is our child, until we have a real one. Then she will go back to being a dog. It's funny how she has become such a special part of our family. Jay didn't like her AT ALL at first (she cried all of the time). Now he adores her. :)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Home tour :)
Master bedroom. This is the bed that my sweet Papaw made for us for a wedding present. It is mahogonay and very high.
The Guest bedroom. There has only been one guest to ever stay. (Audrea, you are welome to come back and stay anytime!!) I love the mosquito net. I had always wanted one, and I think it adds a lot to a room. The walls are still bare in here, but hey, a guest bedroom isn't a number one priority for decorating.
The Living Room. We finally got some more chairs!
Kate painted the gorgeous forest scene for us as a wedding present!
Jay's precious flat screen. This area still needs some work.
The entry way and the infamous buffet that took Jay 5 hours (seriously) to put together, and not all of the drawers actually work. I am completely obssessed with the red lamps.
The dining room. We are actually getting a new table soon!! This whole area is kind of open.
This is the breakfast area in the kitchen. We now have a rug under the table, but I haven't taken an updated picture of it yet.
Kitchen. See my pretty red mixer and red toaster?
I left out pictures of the third bedroom that use as a study. It is usually a disaster area as we use it for storage.
The Guest bedroom. There has only been one guest to ever stay. (Audrea, you are welome to come back and stay anytime!!) I love the mosquito net. I had always wanted one, and I think it adds a lot to a room. The walls are still bare in here, but hey, a guest bedroom isn't a number one priority for decorating.
The Living Room. We finally got some more chairs!
Kate painted the gorgeous forest scene for us as a wedding present!
Jay's precious flat screen. This area still needs some work.
The entry way and the infamous buffet that took Jay 5 hours (seriously) to put together, and not all of the drawers actually work. I am completely obssessed with the red lamps.
The dining room. We are actually getting a new table soon!! This whole area is kind of open.
This is the breakfast area in the kitchen. We now have a rug under the table, but I haven't taken an updated picture of it yet.
Kitchen. See my pretty red mixer and red toaster?
I left out pictures of the third bedroom that use as a study. It is usually a disaster area as we use it for storage.
Friday, June 13, 2008
A Week's Worth of Meals
Cheesesteak Sliders. I think these are just too stinking cute. I am most definitely making these for football season.
Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. The sauce was delicious, but the crab cakes didn't stick together as well as I would have liked. I am sticking with ones from All Things Good that I made a few weeks back, and just try different sauces. These, as you can clearly see, are way too done, but the crab mixture was running everywhere.
Citrus Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki for Dipping. The chicken was good, the tzatziki was okay. I will try another recipe for the sauce before I give up on it.
Cumin Lime Roasted Pork Tenderloin from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats cookbook. Not bad, but not great. I think I overcooked it. :(
Chicken with Scallion Lime Sauce from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals. Um, this was awful. A disgrace to Rachael Ray's name. It had no flavor. I was so disappointed because I love scallions. This was the first recipe of hers that I have made that I just flat-out hate.
Flat Iron Steak with Blue Cheese-Chive Butter. This was divine and perfect for a special meal. The winner of the week! I plan to use the butter for baguettes in the future. It really added something to the steak.
Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. The sauce was delicious, but the crab cakes didn't stick together as well as I would have liked. I am sticking with ones from All Things Good that I made a few weeks back, and just try different sauces. These, as you can clearly see, are way too done, but the crab mixture was running everywhere.
Citrus Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki for Dipping. The chicken was good, the tzatziki was okay. I will try another recipe for the sauce before I give up on it.
Cumin Lime Roasted Pork Tenderloin from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats cookbook. Not bad, but not great. I think I overcooked it. :(
Chicken with Scallion Lime Sauce from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals. Um, this was awful. A disgrace to Rachael Ray's name. It had no flavor. I was so disappointed because I love scallions. This was the first recipe of hers that I have made that I just flat-out hate.
Flat Iron Steak with Blue Cheese-Chive Butter. This was divine and perfect for a special meal. The winner of the week! I plan to use the butter for baguettes in the future. It really added something to the steak.
Friday the Thirteenth
Friday the thirteenth...and nothing bad has happened to me. Actually, it's been a pretty good day! Jay and I went to lunch today, and after lunch, we went to pick up my new ring!!!! I'm so excited. For those of you who know the whole engagement ring story, you understand. I will have to post pictures soon.
I was curious about the origin of the superstition behind Friday the Thirteenth, so I did a little research. (Yes, I know I'm a nerd - I do research at work AND in my spare time!) Apparently, the fear of Friday the Thirteenth stems from two fears: the fear of Friday and the fear of the number thirteen. The "Christian-based" theory is based on the fact that Christ was crucified on a Friday so Friday is already a "bad" day. (Some people believe that Adam & Eve ate the forbidden fruit on a Friday - where that belief comes from, who knows.) Also, the number thirteen is considered unlucky because Judas was the thirteenth person to arrive at the Last Supper, as he was busy selling out Jesus to the Sanhedrin. It is considered unlucky by superstitious people to sit down in groups of 13 to eat.
Another theory is that in British history, people were traditionally put to death on Fridays, and there were 13 steps leading up to the noose. There are many more theories; check out the following links
Why Friday the Thirteenth is Unlucky
How Friday the Thirteenth Works
Whether you had a good day or not, the day of the week and the number thirteen had nothing to do it, no matter what "scientific" studies say. If you have paraskavedekatriaphobia (the fear of Friday the Thirteenth), good luck spelling your phobia! :)
One of my favorite Bible verses (from my favorite Bible book) concerns fear:
I John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Have a great weekend! :)
I was curious about the origin of the superstition behind Friday the Thirteenth, so I did a little research. (Yes, I know I'm a nerd - I do research at work AND in my spare time!) Apparently, the fear of Friday the Thirteenth stems from two fears: the fear of Friday and the fear of the number thirteen. The "Christian-based" theory is based on the fact that Christ was crucified on a Friday so Friday is already a "bad" day. (Some people believe that Adam & Eve ate the forbidden fruit on a Friday - where that belief comes from, who knows.) Also, the number thirteen is considered unlucky because Judas was the thirteenth person to arrive at the Last Supper, as he was busy selling out Jesus to the Sanhedrin. It is considered unlucky by superstitious people to sit down in groups of 13 to eat.
Another theory is that in British history, people were traditionally put to death on Fridays, and there were 13 steps leading up to the noose. There are many more theories; check out the following links
Why Friday the Thirteenth is Unlucky
How Friday the Thirteenth Works
Whether you had a good day or not, the day of the week and the number thirteen had nothing to do it, no matter what "scientific" studies say. If you have paraskavedekatriaphobia (the fear of Friday the Thirteenth), good luck spelling your phobia! :)
One of my favorite Bible verses (from my favorite Bible book) concerns fear:
I John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Have a great weekend! :)
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Busy week/weekend
This week was crazy. Monday, we had a ton of new furniture delivered. Our house looks sooo much better! I will post photos as soon as we get everything situated and hung up. Jay started his new job Tuesday and left to go out of town on Wednesday. It was the first time we have been apart since we were married :( He will have to travel a little bit with this job (a few nights a month), but that is nothing compared to some CPAs who travel for weeks at a time. I guess I will get used to it, though.
We were really busy yesterday. I had an errand in the morning, and then we ate lunch with Jay's dad. We started looking to replace my engagement ring (finally!), and then we went to visit my grandparents. My sweet grandfather (Papaw) made us a fern stand to go in the corner of our living room to put our beautiful wooden vase he made us on. That, along with the mahogany bed he made us are the nicest pieces of furniture we have. He is so talented :) We ended up going to Howell's in Flora with Honey and Papaw to eat. I always feel like we step back in time when we eat there. For anyone who has never been there, it is a diner-type restaurant. They have yummy cheeseburgers and the BEST fried dill pickles ever. I also love the home fries. It is so good! There is a waitress there who calls everyone "baby." The waitresses are all so friendly that it almost like going to eat at a diner in Mayberry.
Since I'm SURE that everyone is dying to know how the experiment is going...here are some food pictures from this past week. (just kidding)
Sliced Steak Gyros. There is a sauce that goes with the gyros. I didn't make it this time because my mom brought me some feta dressing from Keifer's. The sauce looks pretty similar, though.
Sirloin Sliders with Crispy Bacon and Creamy Horseradish Mayo. Higher class Krystals! I just used lean ground beef instead of the sirloin to make it healthier!
Lime Chicken Soft Tacos. I made these while Jay was gone and took the leftovers for lunch. Perfect for summer!!
Grilled Chicken with Potato Slabs. This one was ok. I used boneless skinless breasts and I didn't care for it. The potato slabs were good, but they needed more seasoning, and they have to be sliced super thin to be cooked through.
Feta and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breasts. These were divine, and in my opinion, the winners of the week! I cut waaay back on the olive oil and drained the bacon really well to keep the fat content down.
I made this BLT Spread from Rachael Ray's Yum-O cookbook to take to work for lunches this week. BLT stands for Bacon, LEEK, and tomato - not bacon, lettuce, and tomato. I love leeks. Jay had never seen one before (it's usually not on my typical shopping list) and we got in a play "fight" with them (they look like fat green onions/scallions). Abby look slightly freaked out.
Just an interesting note...I looked up leeks to explain to Jay that they were a member of the onion/garlic family. They are the national symbol of Wales and are worn on St. David's Day. Read about it here.
Happy cooking this week! :)
We were really busy yesterday. I had an errand in the morning, and then we ate lunch with Jay's dad. We started looking to replace my engagement ring (finally!), and then we went to visit my grandparents. My sweet grandfather (Papaw) made us a fern stand to go in the corner of our living room to put our beautiful wooden vase he made us on. That, along with the mahogany bed he made us are the nicest pieces of furniture we have. He is so talented :) We ended up going to Howell's in Flora with Honey and Papaw to eat. I always feel like we step back in time when we eat there. For anyone who has never been there, it is a diner-type restaurant. They have yummy cheeseburgers and the BEST fried dill pickles ever. I also love the home fries. It is so good! There is a waitress there who calls everyone "baby." The waitresses are all so friendly that it almost like going to eat at a diner in Mayberry.
Since I'm SURE that everyone is dying to know how the experiment is going...here are some food pictures from this past week. (just kidding)
Sliced Steak Gyros. There is a sauce that goes with the gyros. I didn't make it this time because my mom brought me some feta dressing from Keifer's. The sauce looks pretty similar, though.
Sirloin Sliders with Crispy Bacon and Creamy Horseradish Mayo. Higher class Krystals! I just used lean ground beef instead of the sirloin to make it healthier!
Lime Chicken Soft Tacos. I made these while Jay was gone and took the leftovers for lunch. Perfect for summer!!
Grilled Chicken with Potato Slabs. This one was ok. I used boneless skinless breasts and I didn't care for it. The potato slabs were good, but they needed more seasoning, and they have to be sliced super thin to be cooked through.
Feta and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breasts. These were divine, and in my opinion, the winners of the week! I cut waaay back on the olive oil and drained the bacon really well to keep the fat content down.
I made this BLT Spread from Rachael Ray's Yum-O cookbook to take to work for lunches this week. BLT stands for Bacon, LEEK, and tomato - not bacon, lettuce, and tomato. I love leeks. Jay had never seen one before (it's usually not on my typical shopping list) and we got in a play "fight" with them (they look like fat green onions/scallions). Abby look slightly freaked out.
Just an interesting note...I looked up leeks to explain to Jay that they were a member of the onion/garlic family. They are the national symbol of Wales and are worn on St. David's Day. Read about it here.
Happy cooking this week! :)
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