That it only happens once...makes life so sweet

Easy roasted veggie pasta

2010-01-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

This dish was one I made back in early Fall... but I make variations of this throughout the year, depending on what's in season and fresh at the grocery. The cherry or roma tomatoes, however, are a MUST at any time of year. I love the way a roasted cherry tomato just bursts as you take a bite of this yummy dish.

Simply wash and lay out your vegetables (I used foil to make cleanup a little easier but if you don't mind some extra cleaning, the little scrapings on the pan would be a delicious addition), drizzle some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper (and sometimes I give it a dash of blackening seasoning). Most veggies need about 20 minutes at 375 but keep an eye on them for the amount of crunch you prefer to maintain. For tomatoes, up until this year, I wasn't a big fan. I still half most of them but you could certainly roast them whole.

For the pasta, we always cook with the whole grain/higher protein versions. Cook the spaghetti (or any pasta you prefer) as usual. To give it a very light sauce, I used fat free half and half, a little EVOO, lemon juice and zest, and reduced fat parm. cheese.

On this occasion, I think I added a few crumbles of goat cheese that were left over in the fridge. Forgive my terrible photography skills with food... I'm working on it but our camera is pretty simplistic.

Tonight I'm just going to use garlic and tomatoes, and roast them in the oven with chicken breasts for some extra protein... then use these to top off the pasta.

Tell me what variations you've tried of a recipe like this one!

Chicken and Stuffing in the Crockpot: so easy and delicious!

2010-01-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

I first picked this recipe up from a college roommate and talk about a quick, budget-friendly meal that is comforting to anyone. It's too easy to NOT try it... so enough talking. Get to cooking this!

Throw your uncooked chicken breasts into the bottom of a crockpot. Next, grab a can of fat free cream of mushroom soup:

Layer the Cream of Mushroom overtop the chicken:

Next: layer some swiss cheese slices right overtop to create a creamy layer of yumminess (not sure if that's even a word, but it is now!)

Now, open up a box of stuffing and pour the DRY contents on top. That's right... no work necessary... just dump it right in:

Read the back of the box and add the listed amount of butter, only do so in a few pats on top like this:

You can use smartbalance or whatever healthier brand you prefer here.

Now just walk away! After a few hours, give it a good stir and you'll see everything sort of meld together. The moisture in the crockpot will make the stuffing moist and it's really a one-pot meal in itself.

This is the perfect comfort meal after a long, cold winter day... enjoy with a big glass of milk and maybe even a crescent roll with jelly. No excuses about cooking here... ANYONE can make this!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

Tucker grew very impatient in the days before Christmas. Even though Mommy stuffed his stocking when he wasn't around, he could smell the treats in there. A few days before Christmas, I was at the grocery and Dustin called to say he heard a loud bang upstairs. When he got upstairs he found that Tucker had somehow knocked down the stocking. (Note: even standing on his back legs, he was a good foot and a half away from this stocking) We figure there was some jumping involved but, boy was he ticked when we told him he still had to wait a few more days!

Hope you and your families had a wonderful Christmas. I know we did!

P.S. I know I've been a little lazy about the blogging lately but I have several new recipes coming now that I've finally loaded a couple months worth of photos onto the computer.

I'm off to lay around with my favorite boys and enjoy every minute of vacation :)

My not-so-little-anymore brother

2009-11-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend, my family and I celebrated my not-so-little brother's Senior Day for football. It may have been his last game on his home field (depending on playoffs, etc). How many 22-year-old, big, mean football players do you know that call their sisters to ask if they, in addition to their parents (which is all most of the seniors did), will walk across the football field with them as part of the Senior Day ceremony before kick-off?!?

He may be big and mean on the field but he has such a big heart of gold inside :) Here's a link to our family marching across the Thomas More football field before the game. I'm very proud of him!

http://tmcsports.org/fb/photos/11072009/content/IMG_0072_large.html

We had a great time... tons of friends and family came out to tailgate and support him on this big day. But I must admit, days like this make me feel so old. I feel like it was just a year ago that we were moving him in to his dorm. I'll never forget my Dad and I taking him to WalMart to get a laundry list of essentials and I just started crying as I was putting items on the conveyor belt at the checkout. I didn't want to leave my baby brother alone in another state ('cause Kentucky is so far and all haha) to fend for himself. Who would beat up the mean kids for him if I wasn't around. (This is hilarious if you've already looked at the picture and realize I think he can beat up whoever he wants... but he's got too big a heart haha)

Anyway, proud moment for a big sister but it just seems like life keeps moving faster and faster every year I get older. Note to self: deep breaths and smell roses?!?! something like that, anyway.

my new kitchen cart

2009-10-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Do you love?! I do! Back story: Since we've moved into this house, the giant wall of blank space in our kitchen has driven me nuts. Even visitors have suggested doing something with the space: some said we should add in more cabinets/countertop, others suggested a baker's rack, etc.

I am always using my cutting board to chop up veggies and I love the idea of a cart (with wheels) that can be pulled out and used like an island with a butcher's block on top for chopping. And-- add wine racks underneath and, hello i'm in love :) I snagged this at Ikea and Dustin and I almost killed one another as we assembled it! You have no idea how bad our fingers were hurting after using a cheap little allen wrench to screw 2 dozen bolts into wood!

I think it was worth it! What do you think?

Chicken Piccata and (Dustin's giant serving of) Smashed Red Potatoes

2009-10-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love all things piccata... and I've rubbed off on Dustin. Heck, we even had chicken piccata for the main course at our wedding reception :)

There was a time when my husband didn't know what capers were... but not anymore. He sees capers on the grocery list and I don't even have to write my "near the pickles" routine in parentheses next to the word "capers". No sir, he knows right where to find them. When I make chicken piccata, he always asks me to toss in extra capers. I do love that bite of saltiness that they bring to this dish.

The recipe I first used when making this (I don't use a recipe to make this anymore) was from Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-piccata-recipe/index.html

The only variance I usually make is that I de-glaze with white wine before adding in the capers, stock and lemon juice. Great recipe for a meal that's very bold in taste but very quick and easy to prepare.

As for the smashed potatoes: nothin fancy here. Just quartered and boiled red potatoes with a few cloves of garlic thrown in the water whole. (After later draining the potatoes, I do separate out the garlic cloves and mince them back in to the pot of potatoes ... I'm just not a fan of huge chunks of garlic) Then I let Dustin do the "smashing" (it's a manly kitchen duty haha), add in some reduced fat sour cream and freshly chopped chives and voila! I think my hubby would eat any thing paired with a heaping pile of potatoes. I love the way the pototoes soak up that lemon-y, briny caper-y (i'm making up words at this point) flavor from the sauce on the chicken too!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2009-09-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

My apologies for my lack of posting the last couple weeks... I've been battling one thing after another with antibiotics :/

It's that time of the year again-- we're spending our weekends rooting for our favorite football teams-- including my brother and the Thomas More Saints, Ohio State Buckeyes, Bengals... and of course, whoever is playing Michigan (or Florida for that matter). I don't know about you guys, but when we're watching football, we (unfortunately) snack. Dustin's favorite staple is this buffalo chicken dip.

First, I must give credit where credit's due. I first learned this recipe from a college roommate, Megan. She and I prepared this as part of a spread of food we put on for all our parents during the weekend we graduated from college. Ever since, this dip recipe has slowly become a staple for both our families and is continuing to grow in popularity with anyone who has a taste.

It combines the deliciousness of a hot wing with the fun of a dip and is SUPER easy to make. I have done it several ways-- in the crockpot, on the stove top, baked in the oven and all work just fine. I will say that the biggest pain with this dip is shredding the chicken-- but it's absolutely necessary to have the right texture. I used to always bake or boil the chicken, let it cool and shred it with 2 forks or my fingers. Not gonna lie though-- if you are feeling lazy you can totally use canned white mean chicken (I do make sure it's good quality like Tyson in the can, etc) or you could even buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery and come home and shred it as well.

Plan on combining about 1.5 lbs of chicken (one package of boneless, skinless breasts for example), 1 to 2 blocks of cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat and it still tastes great), 1 bottle of your favorite buffalo wing/hot wing sauce (We prefer Texas Pete), 1 16 oz. bag of shredded mild cheddar cheese, and about half a bottle (it's really up to your taste preferences) of your favorite blue cheese dressing. ( I realize some people hate blue cheese and you could certainly substitute a ranch.) The great thing about this recipe is you really can't screw it up and you can totally create it the way you like your hot wings. Some like to use an extra chunky blue cheese dressing while others prefer a milder flavor.

Usually, I first combine the cream cheese and wing sauce on the stove top until I get a creamy sauce (should be pretty orange-red at this point if you like things fairly spicy). I then add the shredded chicken and blue cheese (just keep tasting until you get the heat you want) and lastly add in the shredded cheese and allow it to melt as you stir things together. You can then throw in a crockpot to keep it warm or serve it up immediately with tortilla chips. Another great tip-- if you're cooking this for a big party with adults and children, I'd go a little milder and provide a bottle of hot sauce next to the dip for those who want to add more heat.

Below is my beautiful sister-in-law, Sarah, helping me whip up some buffalo chicken dip on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. The boys were hungry (and getting grumpier by the minute) but boy, did this dip cheer them up!

O-H-I-O

2009-09-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

In honor of the big Buckeye v. Trojans game this weekend, here's a little recap of my first OSU game last weekend :) IT WAS SO FUN!!!

First, I made these cute sugar cookies in the shape of the state of Ohio for snacks for all of us during the trip. They're a little messy but I was really rushed. I knew they'd get Dustin pumped up for the big game :) I actually found this Ohio-shaped cookie cutter at Cook Ware's. I'm sure I'll get plenty of use out of it this Fall.

Dustin, Nick, Sarah and I drove up to Columbus on Friday night and stayed at their friends' house (very nice of them to offer). We got up early Saturday morning and grabbed coffee and breakfast on the walk down to the stadium. We then tailgated for a couple hours with my friend, Brooke, and her husband and family. They have an awesome RV setup for tailgating complete with cornhole, TVs, music, food, beer and most importantly-- a clean bathroom!!! :) It was so fun to catch up and spend time with a great friend. The game was a blast... so exciting to be surrounded by 105,000 other buckeye fans. As proud as we are to be Miami alum, I can't tell you how many times Dustin and I said to each other, "Why didn't we go to college here?"

Here are a few highlights of a great memory made:

This gives you an idea of where our seats were... 4 rows up from the field and close to the fun end zone (when it was an OSU TD of course!)

There's my hubby... in heaven... like a kid in a candy store!

Sarah, Me and Brooke tailgating with Brooke's family at the Schott

Our handsome husbands: Brandon (Brooke's), Dustin (my honey :) ) and Nick (Sarah's)

Mr. Shealy, me and Brooke getting ready to cheer on the bucks in their first game!

Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp

2009-09-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

One of these days, I'm gonna get better at taking pictures of food. In the mean time, here's a super easy recipe that I made recently and LOVED.

Again, the one's from The Pioneer Woman. Dustin and I love shrimp so I'm always up for a new way to cook those suckers. When I saw this title, I immediately thought that it was screaming for Dustin to eat it :) Anything that combines orange + spicy is a win in his book!

If you feel like giving it a shot, here's a link to the recipe:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/11/spicy-orange-garlic-shrimp/

I actually followed the recipe to a "T" this time, except Dustin wasn't able to find de-veined shrimp so I added that step because the veins creep me out :)

I'm sure this would be even tastier with fresh shrimp, but I used frozen... good to know it still tasted delicious and I'll be able to cook this again throughout the Ohio winters. All it took was shrimp, good quality orange juice, garlic, butter, ground cayenne pepper and Old Bay seasoning. We both felt like this tasted a bit "caribbean" and made us think back to our honeymoon in St. Thomas and the taste of the foods on the island.

I also boiled up some yummy, nutty brown rice and I'm glad I did-- because I needed it to balance out the heat. However, I think this would fare very well as an appetizer for any party or get-together.

All in all, a really quick, easy recipe. Next time, if I'm feeling it and have the time-- I may try adding some veggies to round it out.

Spicy Roasted Chicken Pasta with Tomatoes and Peppers

2009-09-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

It's that time of summer... and my parent's (and everybody and their uncle) are overflowing with tomatoes off the vine. I must admit I'm not typically a big tomato-eater. Since I met Dustin and his family, I've learned to like them more. They're the kind that love to slice them up and eat them raw with a sprinkle of salt. Recently, however, I've discovered a tomato application that I really love. And it's a good thing... because we planted 4 tomato plants of our own this year in the new house... and now I'll have something to do with them when our "late bloomers" finally arrive.

This is a mix of a Food & Wine Magazine recipe and whatever I had/felt like using. Here's the original for you rule-followers :)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spicy-Roast-Chicken-with-Tomatoes-and-Marjoram-108245

Did I mention that this was also a good excuse to finally use my Mario Batali lasagna dish that we received as a wedding gift? Because it was... and I was excited :)

I threw in a few cloves of garlic, 1/2 sliced onion, about a dozen each of roma tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, 2 diced green peppers, and a tsp. each of basil and crushed red pepper. Then I threw in 2 chicken breasts (lightly seasoned with salt/pepper) and drizzed some EVOO over everything. I don't have Marjoram in the pantry... so I used a close cousin named Basil... and no, that wasn't fresh either. I know-- I'm breaking all sorts of rules today :)

The chicken was very moist and flavorful and I just love the "burst" of the teeny, roasted tomatoes in my mouth. Dustin liked the kick from the crushed red pepper.

I also cooked up some pasta: our usual wheat thin spaghetti. I used about 2 tsp. butter, 1/4 cup heavy cream (because it was still leftover in the fridge), parm. cheese, grated lemon zest and some lemon juice. It was a light, fresh pairing to the chicken and we really enjoyed the left over pasta with roasted tomatoes. Becuase, really, Dustin doesn't allow chicken to go to uneaten so there aren't usually leftovers there.

Wild Blue Beer

2009-09-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, we were sharing some Leinenkugel beers with some friends. (If you've never tried these, you must!) We were talking about the different flavors we love: Summer Shandy (only available during summer months and tastes like lemonade beer) and Berry Weiss (my absolute favorite and available year-round--- which is even better!). They're sweeter beers, you can only have a couple at a time (which is another great thing since they are not in the "light" category).

Our friend suggested we check out Wild Blue (kinda similar to the berry weiss) -- which is available at Kroger and packs an 8% alc/vol. punch :) If you like blueberries, or blueberry muffins, and beer... you'll love this! We have found another favorite! Just a little summery drink inspiration as we head into Labor Day weekend ;)

Chicken Stir Fry

2009-08-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

Dustin and I love asian foods: chinese, thai, japanese... even a little korean. We've always made stir fry at home. I love the idea of using whatever veggies you have left over and it's pretty tough to mess it up. This time, I really wanted to step up my game and, in order to do so, we first had to invest in some essential ingredients that I can now say-- make a huge difference in the taste. I did just use my standard non-stick saute pan for this one... no fancy wok or anything.

So the grocery list included some tougher finds for Dustin last week: sesame oil, peanut oil, etc. But now that we have these things on hand, this stir fry will be a super easy, no hassle dinner that we can always count on for a busy night.

I (for the most part) followed this recipe from The Pioneer Woman's blog. If you've never checked her blog out, it is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. By far my favorite foodie blog. She is so talented, yet even her step-by-step recipe instructions are so funny to read!

Check out the recipe if you decide to make this one (or are ever looking for something new):

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/12/monday-night-stir-fry/

A couple things we did differently: I used brown rice (we always have this in the pantry and love it), I didn't use the arrowroot (has anyone else out there heard of this or used it before? Sounds like I could find it at maybe Jungle Jim's... so maybe next time because I do think it would help the sauce to thicken), and I also skipped the baby corn because I just don't like it. I didn't have fresh ginger on hand either, so I skipped this (I'm sure it would make it even better) and I also added some green onion just because we really like it on anything. Lastly, I threw in a little less than a teaspoon of chili garlic paste (the red stuff in the jar in the asian food aisle) for some extra heat-- we just love that stuff!

Dustin says this is his favorite thing I've ever made (so far... I'm working to change his mind haha). So, needless to say, I think we'll be having this more often. Maybe next time I'll add or even substitute shrimp for chicken to make things different.

my sister is amazing

2009-08-27T16:03:00.001-07:00

she gives me chills... she must have been reading my mind today :)

http://missykeith.blogspot.com/

margarita cupcakes :)

2009-08-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, I was scrolling through the cooking page on thenest and the name "margarita cupcake" jumped out at me. How genious to combine margaritas and cupcakes into one?

I gave it a shot a couple months ago. It was the first time I had used our new Kitchen Aid stand mixer since the wedding and I was still learning with the buttercream frosting. They were a huge hit! Even people who aren't big on sweets said these were delicious. They're so light and refreshing on a hot, summer day.

Last week, my mother-in-law celebrated her 50th birthday and requested these guys over a traditional cake. So, I stepped it up for her big day and piped the frosting onto each cupcake and then added a thin lime slice to each for garnish.

If you're looking for something fun and yummy to bring to the next party or get-together... I highly recommend these. I think I may have to plan a mexican food-themed party just to have an excuse to make these again... maybe this time I'll serve them with a shot of tequila (just to keep things interesting!)

Here's the recipe:

http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/05/01/margarita-cupcakes/

Excuse the following array of photos... I got really excited that I created something this beautiful. If you know me, I am NOT a crafty person... so I had to celebrate this one!

easy foil pocket potatoes

2009-08-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

told ya i'd be back to make you wanna whip us these super easy potatoes (haha love that i talk as if swarms of folks are just waiting to hear from me... it's cool, i know nobody's listening!)

anyway, there's a story behind these-- and it's the reason i can't take credit for these. My hubby's family has a couple cabins that they built out in No Man's Land (Adams County, Ohio if ya'll ever heard of it haha). They call this area "The Farm"... and no, there are no farm animals or even crops for that matter.

Every summer, his Dad and uncles throw a huge pig roast and tons of people come out, bring their chairs, coolers, tents (truckbeds in some cases) and spend the day socializing with friends and family while waiting on this big pig to roast.

I considered my first invite out to The Farm to be a pretty big deal. Nothin like bringing along the shy, new girlfriend to meet all the family out at The Farm. It's almost like a test of character: how can she handle peeing in an outhouse?, is she good at poker?, and most importantly, will she go snipe hunting? (that's a story for another day but let's just say they try to lure the "new kid" out into the middle of woods with mustard and onions on their thumbs... they tell them this attracts the "snipe bird" which will then fly into the garbage bag you're holding. they get ya out in the middle of the woods and when it's real dark and scary, they leave you freaking out, only to have another hidden family member jump out of no where and scare the "you know what" out of you!)

I survived my first trip to The Farm. More importantly, I made it out for another trip... and this time it was for the annual pig roast. Dustin's uncles line up any volunteers and we work assembly-style to create these little pototo pockets for a group of more than 50 people. Their version involved dicing up a potato, throwin in a pat of butter, and then sprinkling a dash of garlic powder and onion powder before wrapping up the foil and throwin it in around the roasting pig.

Dustin and I have re-created this and changed it over the last few years. I probably never make it the same way twice... but it's a quick and easy staple to add to any backyard grill out... because after all, the attention should be on the protein, right? Who wants to slave away for a potato?

These pockets included diced up red potatoes (I diced these up pretty small because Dustin was too hungry to wait... so let time be your guide), finely sliced onions, freshly grated garlic, a dash of paprika, a couple thin pats of butter, a drizzle of EVOO and salt & pepper. I like them nice and browned but you could certainly take them off sooner. Note to self-- I think this is a great one to get kids involved with... just chop everything up yourself and let the kids do the assembly.

Voila!

recent creations

2009-08-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, my sister, Missy, and the dogs (Momo and Abby) came over and I cooked quick and easy dinner for us that was so delicious!

The lineup included sausage-stuffed mushrooms, really easy foil pocket potatoes and some asian-marinated pork chops on the grill.

Here's a quick look at the stuffed mushrooms. Stay tuned for more on the easy foil pocket potatoes and the asian-marinated pork chops on the grill!

I bought some great sausage from Dorothy Lane Market after working in Dayton (love and miss that place so much!) and combined the cooked sausage, grated garlic, and chopped onion along with the chopped stems from the mushrooms I had cleaned up. After stuffing the mushrooms, I sprinkled some leftover manchego cheese (I realize a grated parm or even a mozzarella would make more sense but I'm all about being resourceful) on the tops and baked until just barely browned. Missy refused to try the mushrooms (she's a picky eater to cook for) but Dustin and I loved them and brought the leftovers over to his parents' house on Sunday for Dustin's Mom's birthday dinner and they loved them as leftovers so I think it's a winner :)

new kitchen art

2009-08-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

i am loving these new, super colorful pictures in our kitchen! they wake me up and make me smile every morning :) they go perfectly with the colorful crate and barrel towels we got as a wedding gift (love those too!) dustin put up a pretty good fight when we bought these though... he insisted that "nothing flowery was going in his man cave" (aka our basement). So we agreed that i could do whatever i want with my kitchen :)

what do you think?!?!

First Pie Crust

2009-08-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Last week my parents were out of town so I had my sister and their dogs over and cooked this potato bacon tort that I had seen on the new Food Network star, Melissa d'Arabian's, show. This was my first-ever attempt at pie crust from scratch. By the time I rolled out my top crust I had already made significant improvement from the bottom crust. Don't you love the letter "K" I cut in the top crust for a vent? :)

My sister loved the dish but I was not thrilled by it. Here are a few things I might change next time. These changes would also make this recipe a little easier to make, in my opinion.

After layering in thin slices of potato and crumbled bacon, Melissa d'Arabian does say to make sure you really season the potatoes well and I can't stress this enough. Plain potatoes are not flavorful at all. I think I might also use more bacon than the recipe calls for because that's what gives it the flavor. She called for 4 strips and I used a bit more but would suggest even more in the future.

Her recipe also calls for thyme-infused heavy cream to be poured over the tort before topping it off with the top crust. I think next time I'll substitute cream of mushroom... easier and (in my opinion) more flavorful. You can also by this in the 99% fat free can (much healthier than the heavy cream).

In addition she does a top layer of gruyere cheese under the top crust. I had never had gruyere cheese on its own and, as a cheese lover, I was not in love when I tried a bite of the cheese alone. I'd just as soon substitute a mild white cheddar next time-- also cheaper, easier to find, and more likely to use the rest of the block in another recipe than the gruyere that is still sitting in my fridge waiting to hit the trash can :)

All in all, great first try at a buttery, flakey crust... but I'll do my own spin next time!

Pot Roast in August

2009-08-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

While most of us crave a chilled soup or a light salad in the dead heat of August... my husband wanted pot roast :) To give you some insight into my history with pot roast: My Mom (who is a fabulous cook by the way) used to cook this farely often when we were kids and I HATED to eat it. I have memories of forcing myself to swallow the chunks of meat so I could leave the table because there was something horrible about the texture of chewing this as a child. So clearly the pot roast request broke a few rules in my book, but it actually ended up being a nice (and delicious!) break from the usual summer grill out fare.

So I put together a grocery list and Dustin headed to the store. I'm not gonna lie, I totally planned on doing the pot roast seasoning packet and throwing it all in the crock pot, but since Dustin couldn't find the pot roast seasoning packets and just decided not to get it (love that by the way!), I had to improvise. If you know me, you know I'm not a "recipe follower" anyway. Even when I have the best of intentions and go out and find a great recipe, I almost always stray from the rules and do a bit of my own thing. So, naturally, in this case I resorted to a few staples and everything turned out great.

This was super easy: threw in 3 chopped cloves of garlic, 1/2 sliced yellow onion, about 6 oz tomato sauce and a cup or so of low sodium beef broth in the bottom of the crock pot.

Next, I brought out my handy dandy Calphalon griddle (which I adore by the way) and seasoned the sides of the roast with salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of garlic powder and paprika. I then put a nice sear (just about 2 minutes on each side) on all sides of the roast using the griddle pan. (Because let's be honest, everything tastes better with grill marks on it).
I threw the seared pot roast into the crock pot. I washed and roughly cut up yukon gold potatoes and threw in a small bag of ready-to-go organic baby carrots (I think they taste better) and topped it all of with the other 1/2 of the sliced yellow onion. I also seasoned the potatoes and carrots as I layered them in around the pot roast. I left my little creation on low heat throughout the work day, came home and stirred everything up. Before serving, I removed the pot roast and used a tiny bit of flour to thicken up the remaining sauce into more of a "gravy". Glad I did, because it "stuck" to the carrots and potatoes better this way and still had tons of taste. And, voila! He loved it and, to my surprise, I loved it too!

P-R-O-G-R-E-S-S

2009-08-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

Slowly (very slowly) but surely, we are making this house a home ;)
After Dustin mowed/edged on Saturday, we drug everything out of the garage and into the driveway to do some cleaning/organizing. I wish I had a "before" picture to show you... it really wasn't that cluttered, however, the previous owners left several bags of mulch, potting soil, etc, etc and (while it was thoughtful) several of the bags had holes that were spilling all kinds of dirt all over the garage. I realize that a few of the mulch bags are still lined up near the left wall of the garage, but these were unopened, expensive bags of mulch that we will put down soon. We were already suffering heat stroke after the garage project and I think Dustin would have beat me with a shovel if I asked him to mulch on top of it :) Kidding!

We also had acquired quite a bit of disorganization in the mere 7 weeks we've lived here. I also did some organizing in my office and brought these cheap, garage shelves out of the office (a quick fix I had used months ago when I had too many samples to store in our tiny apartment) and out to the garage. So after a lot of sweat and a lot of sweeping and shop-vaccing (Yes, I know that is not a word but it should be!)-- TA-DA!!So here is the after shot... although I should mention it looks even better with BOTH our cars parked in the garage... which we now do :)

busy

2009-08-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

so it's 10 p.m. and I'm just getting home from a long day's work... but it was a good day! Pretty tired but trying to stick to my vow of blogging more often. Dustin's gearing up for his last couple days at work before starting the new job and I can tell that he's starting to get very anxious. I pray that this next move in his career will be both challenging and rewarding for him. He really deserves it and works harder (without due notice sometimes) than most people I know... and with few complaints.

The picture above is of Tucker at 4 months old. While we've been really lucky with our puppy, Tucker has been really throwing some fits over being left alone during the day in the new house. We left him alone much more often when we had the apartment and he never damaged a thing and has always been really great at the potty training. But in the last 2 weeks at the house, he's been spending most days at his "Ganma & Ganpa's house" or "Missy's house" or "momo and abby's" (all the same place but we love watching his expression when we say those names out loud). I guess he's been getting too spoiled with his fun days at their house that when we leave him alone for even one day per week now he gets upset and he's showing it. Two out of two days now he has torn up some carpet in the living room. This next time he'll be back in the cage without the freedom of running around so we can show him who's boss :) Then I think he'll appreciate being left alone with freedom when we give him another shot.

I swear-- only a dog can scratch up your carpet, make potty mistakes, etc, etc. and get away with it because they're so darn cute! Can you imagine forgiving a person as quickly as we forgive our pets? :)

catching you up on our summer

2009-08-11T13:56:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd share some pictures from our busy summer... This was one of our big wedding weekends and was a lot of fun. Above is my beautiful friend, LA (Lauren) and her new hubby Dustin at their recent wedding. Their first dance was to Alison Krauss's "When You Say Nothing At All".

This was LA and her Dad walking down the aisle... and that'd be me creeping out in the background haha j/k! LA gave me the honor of coordinating her ceremony among some other things and it was great experience :) Something I really enjoyed doing.

The classic Miami Club Softball photo at a wedding... a must-take photo for any Miami Club Softball alum when they get married :)

Dusty and I at the reception. This was the first wedding we attended as a Mr./Mrs... it was weird to not jump up on the dance floor for the bouquet toss :) But nice to not have to throw up my dukes with those women haha!

2009-08-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

When we first saw this house and I looked through the kitchen window at the backyard, I pictured my Tucker-roni running around the backyard where I could keep an eye on him. So happy my dream came true :) I think Tucker is loving his new house ... and especially his backyard. What do you think?

2009-08-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, it has been a-WHILE since I last posted on this thing. Life has taken us on many twists and turns over the last few months. Since I last wrote I have become a wife and a homeowner :) I love this picture because I think it says a lot about the way Dustin and I are enjoying life these days. Totally unsure of what's ahead but not paying much attention because we're enjoying it together, laughing at ourselves and trying to stop and smell the roses and appreciate our blessings :)

I plan on blogging more frequently from here on out. I have really begun to enjoy reading other blogs and am frequently cooking meals based on recipes I find on other blogs. Family & Friends -- get out and start doing the same! I'd love to share with others!

Eyes and Ears

2008-11-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

Songs I can't get enough of recently:

T.I. and Rihanna- Live Your Life
T.I.- Whatever You Like

(so apparently I'm slightly obsessed with T.I. these days)

And a very recent find late last Friday night...CMT's RedNeck Weddings!

Dustin, Sarah (his sister), and I stayed up til 2 am last Friday watching episodes of this HILARIOUS show about very proud, redneck couples planning their special wedding days :) I hadn't laughed so hard in a long time!

Also loving: Lipstick Jungle, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Survivor and as always- The Office

Something to Make You Laugh :)

2008-11-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight, as we were eating dinner, we heard Tucker in the bathroom scratching at his metal water bowl (something he has been doing more frequently lately). We knew he was probably making a mess so Dustin ran in to find he had knocked the bowl over and spilled water all over the floor and bathmat. Tucker's face, belly and paws were soaked and he was running in circles around the living room like the little hellion he is... when Dustin caught him and picked him up. As Dustin was carrying him over toward me to see how soaked Tucker was... Tucker just started peeing all over Dustin! I know it was probably totally against all the puppy preschool rules... but OMG was it hilarious! I laughed til I cried. Needless to say, Dustin wasn't laughing as hard :)

2008-11-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple sneak peeks from our engagement session with the amazinggg Stephanie Carson. I am so excited to see the rest... OK, it's back to America's Funniest Home Videos and some red wine on a Friday night. Gosh we're getting old... but I'm too tired to complain :)

Giving this blog thing a shot

2008-11-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

So after some prodding by my younger sister, Missy, I've decided to give this ever-growing blogging thing a shot. It seems like forever ago that I was writing 3 papers a week in college to pursue a degree in communications. Now I find myself analyzing business numbers and typing more in excel data spreadsheets than anything else. I remember a time when I thought that this blogging trend was the downfall of language and writing as we knew it... but maybe it's a good thing to give people a chance to fit some reflection into their busy schedules.

I used to fret over complete sentences, proper grammar and spelling, etc, etc. and I think I like the idea of just scribbling down what I can, when I have time... and just leaving it like that.

Anyway, it's been a lonnng work week and I'm really looking forward to a weekend of no plans and total fun and relaxation. A few of our engagement photos were posted today and it was an exciting way to end our week. There's something about seeing ourselves in "engagement" photos that continues to surprise me about how quickly our wedding is approaching. Just a little over 6 months from now! Very exciting but all sorts of emotions at the same time.

Break out the scarves, Uggs, and hot chocolate this weekend... it's really starting to feel like winter now :)