Fallen Souffle

Parting with a Friend

2007-04-25T08:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I lost something that has been near and dear to me since my first semester in college...my Faithful Honda. Bought in December of 1999 we have had many adventures together; a trip to Jacksonville FL with 4 guys, a whirlwind college football weekend to Clemson and Tennessee, visits to the best friend in DC and ofcourse countless trips to Va Beach. She was a good car, if not a little finicky in the end. However she now belongs to a wonderful lady who is a foster Mom...I just hope she does well for her as she did for me.

On a side note, the lady that bought the car was just as sweet as could be. In driving over to get the title notarized, she was talking with Evan and asked if we had kids. He replied we didn't, just our dogs for now. The lady responded saying she used to think that people that didn't have kids were selfish, but she didn't believe that now. She urged him to enjoy our time together and not rush things. I just wanted to hug her after he told me that. So many people ask us when we are having kids, I have never felt so pressured to do something! Luckily, and actually ironically, we feel no pressure from either set of our parents, they also urge us to enjoy each other now and do it when we are ready. Spoken by truly wise people :)

A New Summer Drink

2007-04-24T08:24:00.000-05:00

We have been blessed with beautiful weather this week in NC, it is so nice to be able to sit outside and relax and not sweat to death! The humidity will be here before we know it! So I wanted to make a refreshing drink and I was dreaming of the Ina drink with tea and apple juice but we didn't have any apple juice and somehow Juicy Juice just wasn't doing it for me. So I went along those lines and used Crystal Light as the sweetener, which I thought was a pretty good idea. It was really refreshing, low in calories and easy to make. Evan said it needed a cool name, I couldn't think of one so...

Berry Lemon Cooler

-8 Berry Zinger Tea bags (you can use other "zingers' but I love this one right now)
-1 container of powdered Crystal Light lemonade (not the one that makes a ton of lemonade, I'm talking about the individual ones that make like 2 quarts)
- 8 cups water

Boil about 2 cups of water and pour over tea bags in a measuring cup, let steep 5 minutes or so. Meanwhile in a pitcher combine the powdered lemonade and 6 cups of water. Remove the tea bags and let tea cool, I usually add ice cubes to speed up the process. When cooled, add the tea to the lemonade, stir and enjoy over ice!

101 Update and Restaurant Review- Caffe Luna

2007-04-20T17:33:00.000-05:00

I now have 20 things completed on my 101 list!

I think that's pretty darn good considering it's only been 6 months!

I completed another thing on the list night by going to the ballet! I met up with some other girls (there was no way I was going to drag Evan to this!) We saw Swan Lake performed by the Carolina Ballet and it was really wonderful. It took me back to my dance recital days.

Before the ballet we met at a restaurant downtown near the theatre, Caffe Luna. I have heard only good things about this place so I was really excited to try it! The atmosphere was nice, it's a small restaurant with high ceilings. The waitress was good and the menu pretty straight forward. The wine list is nice, but only 4 kinds are available by the glass. I started with a glass of merlot and the gorgonzola salad, which I liked considering I'm not a huge gorgonzola fan (thought I would give it another try). I ordered the farfalle pasta with salmon and pink sauce, I LOVE pink/vodka sauce and order it everywhere! The pasta was good but nothing I couldn't get at Lubrano's. The portions were nice, which is hard to find in the more trendy restaurants. Some of the other girls got dessert but I finished with a cappuccino which I needed a straw to get to the coffee part without getting an inch of foam on me.

One nice things is that the downtown trolley picks up across the street from the restaurant to take us to the theatre, no need to pay for parking!

Overall, it was a nice dinner, nothing that left me wanting more but a good quality place that I would visit again next time I go to a show.

Oh! I almost forgot, I completed another thing on my list...I took a dance class. But not any dance class, a pole dancing class! Yeah my Mom is going to think I'm a hussey! In all seriousness, this new studio Aradia Fitness has been written up in every publication around here so I had to try it! The ladies are super nice, the studio is awesome and the work out even better! I was definitely sore the next 2 days! I would totally recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and trying this! They have a teaser class which kinda gives you a taste of what is offered in their classes. I will be signing up for the next level when they get their new schedule out!

Guy's Mojito Chicken

2007-04-19T17:58:00.000-05:00

I saw this recipe on Guy's Big Bite a couple of Sunday ago and knew i had to make it. I typically make a nice Sunday dinner which usually requires an immense amount of prep or a long cooking time. I figure if I am going to do it, might as well do it on a Sunday.

This recipe is fantastic! Though it does have a few steps it is so worth it! You could probably still prepare this during the week, just break up the steps a bit more. Rub the chicken the night before, the morning of add the marinade and prepare the glaze ahead of time (don't cook it just prepare it) then when you get home either grill it or bake it and heat up the glaze. I did not have the dark rum that Guy used, since I made it on Sunday and the liquor stores are closed in NC so I used some plain rum for the marinate and a bit of pineapple rum for the glaze. I served this with sliced fresh pineapple and a spinach and strawberry salad a la RR (dressing is strawberry jam mixed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and S&P- on a side note it is incredibly difficult to find a RR recipe on FoodNetwork.com, she has like a million episodes!). This chicken would also be great with some coconut rice!

Guy's Mojito Chicken
1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) chicken
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Marinade, recipe follows
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Mojito Glaze, recipe follows

Remove backbone of chicken with poultry shears; flatten chicken out by pressing firmly on skin part of chicken so it will sit evenly in a pan.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine all the dry spices and rub chicken with spice mixture, especially under the skin. Put into a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the marinade, then add chicken to marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess marinade. In a large saute pan over medium to high heat, add 4 tablespoons of extra- virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, place chicken skin side down and sear.

When skin is golden brown flip chicken and add 1/2 cup of marinade into pan; place pan in oven and cook the chicken for 25 minutes or until chicken has internal temperature of 165 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove the chicken from oven and brush with Mojito Glaze. Place chicken under broiler for 5 minutes. Remove from broiler, cut and serve immediately with more glaze on the side.

Marinade:
1 cup orange juice
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
1/4 cup dark rum

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.

Mojito Glaze:
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In medium sauce pot, place rum, chicken broth and brown sugar. Reduce by 1/3 over high heat. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. When rum mixture is reduced, add cornstarch mixture slowly to simmering liquid and whisk for 3 minutes, until 50 percent thicker. Keep in mind that you might not need all of it. When glaze is at desired thickness, add mint leaves and transfer to small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

A Belated Happy Easter

2007-04-09T19:37:00.000-05:00

It's been a crazy week since we got back from Utah, we had a great trip with no broken bones and lots of great food and then we came back to pollen. Lots and lots of pollen. I was sick all last week, and finally had to go to the doctor on Friday. I am feeling much better now, which is good since we had a busy weekend! We had Easter dinner at Evan's parents house with his brother, sister, neice, nephews, dogs etc. I made a lemon cake and a challah (see below).

However what we were most excited about was the fact that Lent was over which meant Evan could have a biscuit and I could eat potatoes again. Evan bought me a large fry which I doused in ketchup and some fry sauce we got in Utah. "The Easter Bunny" left some Bacon Cheddar Biscuits on Evan's nightstand on Easter morning. The biscuits were kinda like the Red Lobster biscuits, but so much better with the addition of some cooked bacon. They took no time to make and did not involve rolling out, which is always nice! We will have to make them again one night for dinner :)

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits
2 cups biscuit baking mix
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 slices bacon, chopped, fried and drained
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet, or line with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine baking mix, Cheddar cheese, and garlic powder. Stir in milk. Fold in fried bacon. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet,makes about 8 biscuits.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix melted butter, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and pinch of salt. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.

This is the Easter Egg Challah I made for Easter dinner, a recipe I got from Nic at Baking Bites. It was a HUGE hit and I will definitely make this again, sans eggs :)

Ahhh Vacation!

2007-03-23T13:48:00.000-05:00

Well I sincerely apologize for my lack of posting this week, I am preparing for our vacation to Utah! I know, I am leaving the 80 degree weather in NC to visit the snowy, chilly climate of Park City but we will be skiing! I am really excited to be going. I have not been west of Texas so I am pretty stoked to be checking another state off my list and experiencing some awesome mountains. This will be our anniversary trip so we are going to try and find a nice place for another "anniversary dinner", hopefully without the sea of baby blue.

Nonetheless, I will be back next Friday though I can't promise when I will be able to post pictures. Have a great week and cross your fingers I don't break my leg!

Roast Beef and Beer Bread

2007-03-16T07:07:00.000-05:00

This dinner was intended for the first round of Iron Chef Morrisville but the event has been postponed as Cory's wife has been in labor all week with their second son. So I thought I would post this anyways because it is a great thing to make on the weekend, especially on a chilly weekend like we are expecting in North Carolina.

This is not a hard thing to prepare, it does take some time to bake depending on the size of your cut of beef but it is so worth it! The leftovers make the BEST sandwiches, just make some garlic bread on really good Tuscan bread and slap some thin slices and you are set to go. Best lunch ever!

I paired this with some roasted brussel sprouts (roasted potatoes for Evan, I gave up potatoes for Lent) and some great beer batter bread, which is even easier to put together. This would be a great meal for company because it is super easy to prepare and all cooks at the same temperature!

Perfect Roast Beef

3 pounds beef eye of round roast or bottom round roast
2 T. olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). If roast is untied, tie at 3 inch intervals with cotton twine. Place roast in pan, and season with salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Add more or less seasonings to taste.

2. Roast in oven for 60 minutes (20 minutes per pound). Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Notes

Regardless of the size of your roast, always cook at 375 degrees, for 20 minutes per pound.

Onion and Fontina Beer Batter Bread

1 T. olive oil
1 cup diced onion
3 cups all purpose flour
3 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
1 (12 ounce) bottle beer, such as amber ale
cooking spray
4 T. melted butter, divided

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 or 10 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. I would also try making these in muffin tins.

2. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat and saute onions for about 6 minutes until golden. Allow to cool to room temperature.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add cooled onions, cheese and beer. Stir until just combined, it will be a little stiff.

4. Spread into greased pan and drizzle with 2 T. of melted butter. Bake for 35 minutes; brush with remaining butter and bake an additional 20 minutes until the top is golden and the center is set. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, remove and allow to continue cooling on wire rack.

Restaurant Review - Spice Street Chapel Hill

2007-03-14T10:43:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't posted recipes lately, Evan and I have been eating out a lot recently. But I promise I have some in the works!

Monday was our 2nd wedding anniversary and we decided to use our gift certificate from Christmas to go to Spice Street in Chapel Hill for our dinner. I chose Spice Street because I went a couple years ago for a work function and really liked the food and the atmosphere of it. I figured it would be something different for us to try. I made a reservation online for 7:45pm to avoid any traffic and received an email confirmation letting me know everything was set. I really had high expectations for this visit, as I fondly remember my previous experience and was looking forward to a nice meal with my hubby.

Upon walking in to Spice Street, I was shocked at how loud it was, the restaurant has high ceilings but it was MUCH louder than I expected. I looked farther in the restaurant to see an ocean of blue, the UNC Radio Show was apparently taking place, the day after winning the ACC Championship over NC State. You all know Evan is the biggest NC State fan in the universe as well as the biggest UNC hater. The blood rushed from his face as we both realized what was happening. The band was playing, people were cheering; it was not the place for a red blooded fan to be. I seriously thought Evan was going to walk out. The hostess informed us it would only being going on for another 15 minutes. This would have been a nice thing to know when I made the reservation, I would have made it later or even picked another night to avoid this setting. Not the romantic atmosphere I was hoping for our anniversary dinner.

We were seated upstairs, thanks God, thought it was still really loud and obnoxious. I could see Evan was visibly uncomfortable. We placed our drink orders but didn't received them until after we ordered, which was about 10 minutes later. I order the calamari appetizer and the marinated grilled shrimp and scallops while Evan got the New York Steak and potatoes. It was the most excruciating 20 minutes as we waited for the "pep rally" to finally finish, Evan getting more and more tense. He quickly finished his beer and ordered a whiskey on the rocks as she brought out my calamari. The calamari was actually very good, it came with a smoked chili aioli which was as good as I remembered, it is still the only good thing about the dinner.

We received our dinners, which had a nice modern presentation, of course the portions are always smaller than usual restaurants and Evan commented that he liked the fingerling potatoes but could have used 12 more. The shrimp and scallops were almost over spiced, I realize it is called Spice Street but it was way overpowering. The risotto was creamy but didn't have alot of flavor. Evan didn't say much about his steak until he found a piece of plastic wrapping in it. He mentioned it to the waitress but no one ever came over to address it. We didn't want to make a huge deal of it, but it would have been nice for a manager to come over and address the meal and our experience. I kinda expect this when I am dropping $100 for a meal, gift certificate or not.

So we tried to end the meal on a sweet note with dessert. Evan ordered the "World Famous" wonton sundae and I got the "Signature Flavored" creme brulee. I also ordered some champagne because damnit it's our anniversary! We were again disappointed. The creme brulee did not have a thin layer of crisp sugar but instead had a thick candy coating that got stuck in my teeth. The center was also grainy, not the smooth texture I love in creme brulees. Evan's sundae was essentially wonton noodles mixed with ice cream with hot fudge sauce. He said it was weird having to chew his ice cream. We kinda expected the wontons to only be on top, then again there wasn't much description of them available.

So overall we were very disappointed with our experience at Spice Street. The food did not leave me "wanting more", the service could have been much better and the atmosphere was really ruined with the ongoing pep rally. It would have been much nicer if we were made aware of this event going on beforehand. I think we would have reacted the same way if it were another team, the principle is that the mood was really ruined.

I am hoping we can find a nice restaurant during our trip to Park City that can make up for this! See Evan's review of Spice Street here.

2 years....

2007-03-12T10:57:00.000-05:00

Well we have made it longer than most celebrity marriages! Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband. I am really lucky to have someone that puts up with all of my idiosyncrasies and OCD tendencies yet keeps me laughing and always having fun. I love you so much and look forward to many, many more adventures!

A "Me" Weekend

2007-03-05T12:24:00.000-05:00

I had planned this weekend to make a wedding cake for friend of mine, and also attend the event but the wedding sadly had to be postponed due to a death in the family. I was so sad for her since she dearly loved this person, and Saturday would have been a perfect day to hold the event. Therefore I thought it was fitting to take the weekend and do some things I have been meaning to do for a while.

I started Saturday by waking up to attend a yoga class at a new studio in Raleigh, Blue Lotus. They held their grand opening this weekend and joined forces with the Raleigh Jaycees and the HOPE Project. I thought this was a really awesome gesture and definitely wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, all proceeds form the classes went to the HOPE project. I wanted to go to their Sun Salutation class but alas I got lost and was late for the class. So instead I hung out at the uber cool Helios coffeehouse for about an hour until the next class started.

The studio is awesome, very good location with lost of parking and a awesome staff. I instantly felt welcome. I took a beginners yoga class which was a nice refresher for me since it has been a while since I took a yoga class. I forgot how much I liked it and look forward to taking more classes on a regular basis. After the class I was feeling quite Zen so I thought I would make a nice California BLT for lunch. I got this idea from Ina, it's basically a regular BLT on good white bread with slices of avocados. I slathered mayo on both side of the bread but you really don't need it with a ripe avocado, but I figured, it's a "Me" weekend so I am going to do what I want. I enjoyed my sandwich while finishing The Other Boleyn Girl for my book club meeting.

I woke up pretty early on Sunday and caught up on my DVRed showing including Oprah's special on her new school in South Africa, which I thought was really moving, I would love to save that for when I have kids old enough to understand it. After making a pretty breakfast of grilled Nutella sandwiches, green tea and a soft boiled egg I did a few things around the house including making some new dogs beds that match the newly painted master bedroom. I then got ready for my first book club meeting. I was so excited because I really loved this book (all 660 pages of it!) and it was really nice meeting some girls my age and chatting with them on an intellectual level. I am looking forward to our next meeting!

All in all a pretty low key weekend, but it was so nice to catch up on things I have been meaning to do for a long time.

I checked three things off my 101 list:
#19- Go to lunch with my Mother in Law
#26- Take a yoga class
#64- Join a book club

I actually went to my Mother in law's house for lunch on Friday, as opposed to going to a restaurant, but I think it counts as she made a really fabulous lunch! I will have to do that more often!

The Perfect Roast Chicken

2007-03-02T09:31:00.000-05:00

I can't remember if I have ever posted but this, but if I have here it is again!

I love making roast chicken, it is so easy and I love changing up the herbs and other flavorings. It does take a bit of time to cook but the prep time is minimal and the end product is so worth the wait. I like to make roast chicken on Sunday nights so we can eat on the leftovers over the coarse of the week. Recently I also roasted some potatoes and carrots in the pan as well so dinner was pretty much done all at once...and only one dish to clean. I love that!

The Perfect Roast Chicken

1 roasting chicken (size doesn't matter too much, I think mine are about 5 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 lemon
3 shallots or half an onion
2 springs of fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

If roasting veggies as well:
2 pounds of potatoes
3 or 4 carrots

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. If roasting veggies, clean them up and cut into cubes. Place in the bottom of a glass 9x13 inch pan. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil (not to much as the veggies will cook in the chicken juices).

3. Remove the nasty bits from the inside of the chicken and rinse chicken in cold water. Pat dry. Place chicken on top of the veggies.

4. Place the lemon, shallots/onions, and rosemary in the cavity of the chicken. Salt and pepper cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

5. Rub the outside of the chicken with softened butter. Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken. (You can also add other herbs and spices if you like, I have a lovely lavender mix that I like to use)

6. Place the dish in the oven and roast for about 90 minutes. The skin should be nice and brown and the juices should run clear. Whole poultry should be cooked to 180° F (82° C) - measure the temperature in the thigh.

7. Remove chicken from pan and let chicken rest for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the veggies in the chicken juices and allow to roast another 10 minutes until crispy.

Restaurant Review- Henry's Gelato

2007-02-25T17:30:00.000-05:00

I am sure you are all well aware that Evan and I met in Italy, if you are not well I am sure I have mentioned it in previous posts :) Anywho, when we visited we went during a heat wave; a heat ave unlike anything Italy had seen in quite some time. Italy, like many European countries, is not equipped with air conditioning as we are in the US-namely in the South. So went spent most of our free time finding big bottles of ice cold water and gelato. Gelato, is the Italian form of ice cream but is in my opinion it is better than any kind of traditional ice cream you would find in the US. The flavors are bold, the texture is super creamy and it is never too sweet.

Evan and I became expert gelato tasters and we knew what to look for in a good gelateria (hint: the banana flavor should never be yellow). When we came back to the US we found nothing to quench our desire for our favorite creamy, cold dessert. We found a few places here and there when we moved to Morrisville but either they didn't make the cut or they went out of business. Until we found Henry's Gelato.

Henry's is located off of Cary Parkway in the Preston Walk Shopping Center (Biaggi's and Stonewood Grill are in the same shopping center). The store is absolutely beautiful with stonework on the walls, beautiful photographs and uber cool flat screens TV's that project the menu and other images. The flavors are beautifully displayed in front of you and customers are encouraged to try different flavors before deciding. I prefer fruit flavors so I gravitated to the blood orange gelato, which led to a taste of grapefruit and strawberry. All three were excellent but I ended up with the blood orange. Evan prefers the richer chocolate and caramel flavors. He chose a Creme Caramel that was absolutely to die for! Henry also concocts flavors such as Chili Chocolate and Mediterranean Lemon and carries desserts such a tiramisu and profiteroles.

I can't say enough about this place, it is totally worth the drive if you don't live in Cary. The staff is friendly, the product is top notch and it definitely deserves a 10!

Restaurant Review-Jumpin' Jonny's

2007-02-10T14:24:00.000-05:00

So I have decided to write about different restaurants each week that Evan and I try around the Raleigh area. I figured there are enough people in the area reading this blog so I thought others may find his useful! Evan and I eat out every Friday, it is really the only time we do eat out so we try to pick really unique places with fabulous food. Sometimes we go to sit down places, sometimes more casual cheap eats but we are always searching for good food at a good price.

This past Friday night we tried a place recommended by one of my coworkers. Jumpin' Jonny's is a small place tucked in the Brier Creek area near the Red Robin and Walmart. I never even knew it was there, probably because I try to avoid that area with all the crazy drivers. This place claims to have the best cheesesteaks in the area, they serve made to order cheesesteaks and subs. The menu is not extensive but they offer a good variety of options for your sandwich. I got the Steak Philly Deluxe, a cheesesteak with onions, peppers, mushrooms and provolone. Evan got the Triple Cheesesteak with swiss, american and provolone cheese. We also split an order of fries, really good fresh cut fries. The bread was really good, you have the option of white or wheat but come on if you are going to have a cheesesteak get the traditional white bread. The ingredients are fresh but I feel like the cheesesteaks were missing some seasoning. I would have also preferred a bit more cheese, maybe melt the cheese throughout the meat instead of melted on top.

Overall I would give Jumpin' Jonny's a 7. It is a good value (on Fridays you can get 2 combos for $14) the staff is friendly, and the product is fresh. We will probably return again when we are craving a cheesesteak but don't have time to fly to Philly. :)

101 Update

2007-02-25T17:06:00.000-05:00

#79- Learn to ski-COMPLETED 02/24/07

I had anticipated completing this item in about a month when Evan and I take our anniversary trip to Park City, Utah but we decided to take a day trip to Sugar Mountain which is just outside Boone, NC. We snagged a few other friends and made the 3 hours drive up and arrived around lunchtime for an afternoon session. It was 53 degrees outside but there was still some man-made snow and a ton of people! The parking lots were full of cars and SUV's and church buses. I was starting to get nervous as I saw the throngs of people waiting for me to bust my butt. Brent and I took a ski lesson (see I'm not the only one that didn't know how to ski!) while Brew and Evan hit the slopes.

Our instructor was Chris and I think he was from Switzerland. There were 8 of us total, including a family of 4 whose 5 year old daughter put us all to shame. The class was really basic, but I have concluded that skiing is pretty basic; slide, turn, and stop...that's all you really need to know. Oh and how to get up when you fall, which is a chore in and of itself. I went down the bunny slope a few times and felt pretty confident, I only fell once but that's only because I wanted to practice getting up :)

So we were off, 40 minutes of instruction later and Chris said we could take on any mountain, ok I will start with the easiest one. We had to wait about 10 minutes or so to get on the lift, which was a nice ride considering I had been on my feet for a couple of hours. The view was nice and I chatted with Evan about how excited I was to start skiing and I felt good about my lesson. We dismount the lift and I am staring at the trail, it doesn't look too bad but I take my time down. Nice and smooth no problem...until I see quite a dip in front of me. Not the site I wanted to see, an icey slope below and everyone was sliding on the way down. I really don't like falling, that's why I didn't like snowboard that much. I stood at the top for what seemed like an hour, Evan trying to coax me down, me shaking my head like a little kid that doesn't want to jump in the water. Finally I do it, I ski down, lose control and fall quite ungracefully. As I am trying to pick myself up while not falling again, some chic plows into me which makes me even more pissed off. I am not liking this and am contemplating the return policy on out Utah trip. But I finally get up and am determined to make it down the rest of the hill, which I do and even stop at the bottom before hitting a bunch of people in line.

I was not happy with the first run but know I had to keep at it...so we got back in line. The second run was much better, I figured out a way down without falling and even kinda enjoyed myself. By the third time, I was pumped! Ok so I'm not ready for a Black Diamond yet but I am certainly excited about our trip now!

New Foodie Site

2007-02-22T17:45:00.000-05:00

I know there are a ton of them out there but here is one I like alot, Group Recipes. Not only can you peruse recipes of other users but it also has restaurants mapped out in your area. It also customizes recipes based on your tastes. You take a "taste test" which is basically rating different foods and cuisines. They also have discussion boards with different groups which is a nice way to discuss a particular food topic.

Overall, a nice new site that I am sure I will be wasting much time one :)

Join now and you will be entered in a drawing to receive a $6000 kitchen makeover!

Ham and Cheese Cannelloni

2007-02-15T17:35:00.000-05:00

This recipe was discovered when I was going through all of my cooking magazines and saving the recipes I would actually use. I pulled out my new accordion file of recipes on Sunday and picked out a few to try this week. This one caught my eye because it looked familiar to our favorite baked pasta dish.

This was an easy dish to whip up, probably took 30 minutes total with Evan helping me make the filling and chopping the ham while I made the bechamel. (Which by the way I am becoming a pro at!). The flavors were very similar to the baked pasta but it didn't have the crunch that we like. Nonetheless, this will certainly be a repeater. I think I may try some other filling too, maybe some chicken and broccoli. BTW- Make this vegetarian by adding spinach instead of meat.

This was originally a Rachael Ray recipe but I made a few changes, namely took out the 2 cups of cream- hello! no need for all that fat when the point of the flour in the bechamel is to thicken things. I also added the nutmeg, which I am shocked she left out seeing as her Grandpa practically invented the use of it!

Try this out on a busy weekday, it will be nice to sit down to a warm creamy dish like this.

Ham and Cheese Cannelloni
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (I used skim and it worked fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
pinch of fresh nutmeg
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg
8 egg-roll wrappers (available in the refrigerated section)
1 large ham steak, chopped into small cubes
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook, stirring continuously, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set the cream sauce aside; then stir in the salt.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, chopped ham, and mozzarella and the egg.

3. Spread a thin layer of the cream sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange an egg-roll wrapper on a work surface. Spread 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture over the wrapper then roll up to form a log, jelly-roll style. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and place the cannelloni, seam side down, in a single layer in the baking dish.

4. Spoon the remaining cream sauce over the cannelloni, top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

101 in 1001 Day Update

2007-02-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

I know you have all been waiting for the latest update on my list! I have been busy slowly chipping away at it. It is amazing how a list has motivated me to get things done! So if you haven't done so already...what are you waiting for! Make your list today!

#5 -Check out books from the public library-COMPLETED 1/13/06
Who knew it would take 2 years for me to get my butt into a library, but I finally did. Got my library card and checked out a book on pie crusts that I was hoping to use to take care of #1 on my list but alas time got away from me and I had to return it. But on a side note I would love your pie crust recipes! I am going to get around to it one of these days!

#7- Start making money off of my blog-COMPLETED October 2006
I did PayPerPost for a few months which resulted in some nice money but I think it is getting too popular and I have since decided to focus my energy on other things.

#35- Give blood…just once!COMPLETED 2/8/07
No one ever thought I would do this one! I didn't give a whole pint because my immune system kicked in and wouldn't let me continue to give but they did get some out of me! (and a decent bruise-ouch) I will upload a pic of this later when my Blogger wants to cooperate.

#39- Paint the bedroom-COMPLETED 1/15/06
Who knew picking out a paint color would be such a chore! I painted three of our walls a nice chocolate milk color and one accent wall a darker cappuccino color...it is delicious! We have since decided to completely redo the bedroom and make it more grown up. I am on the lookout for new dressers or ones the refinish. I will post before and after pictures when the project is complete. I was also motivated to paint an accent wall in the dining room, it's amazing what a $10 quart of paint does for a room. Really makes our table and new light fixture stand out. (Dining room pics to come as well)

#56- Visit my grandparents in Elizabeth City-COMPLETED 12/30/06
I haven't been to my Grandparent's house in years...I mean like since high school! But I was able to make it to a delayed Christmas dinner and it was so nice to see them and spend the holidays with them. I am going to try and make it up there again and spend the day with them.

#80- Clean out all of my magazines and only save the articles I needCOMPLETED-February 2007
I had a whole drawer of cooking magazines that my Mom gave me ages ago and I have finally gone through all of them and taken out the ones I think I may make. I even organized them in a nice accordion file folder! Look for new recipes soon!

#101- Go to a Carolina Hurricanes game-COMPLETED-1/20/07
I was lucky enough to get a free ticket to a hockey game. It was really interesting to finally see a game in person. I don't call myself a hockey fan, and still don't, but I can still appreciate a good game.

Seeing Red Today?

2007-02-02T11:51:00.000-05:00

Have you seen an abundance of people wearing the color red today? It's probably because today is National Wear Red Day! No it's not some gimmick to pull out your Valentine's gear early, it's to bring awareness to the fact that heart disease the the number 1 killer of women in the United States. Shocking isn't it! Heart disease kills 1 in 3 women whereas 1 in 30 women die of breast cancer. Today is a day we remind women of the severity of this disease and to know the risk factors and do something about it! Many of the risk factors for heart disease can be controlled or prevented, so why don't we take more proactive steps to reduce these risks!

Risk factors for heart disease are:
-Smoking
-High blood pressure
-High blood cholesterol
-Overweight/obesity
-Physical inactivity
-Diabetes
-Family history of early coronary heart disease
-Age (for women, 55 and older)

So today is the day we take control of our health and work to reduce our risk of heart disease. Here are some great recipes that we can prepare to help protect our hearts. These look so yummy, I may have to try some this weekend! So throw on a red scarf or some red lipstick to show your support of this important day!

Easiest Egg Biscuit Ever-Product Review

2007-02-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

Since Evan has been gone most of the week I have been relying on convenience foods to get me through, I have to admit I feel like Sandra Lee without the plastic baggies. This morning was cold and led to a light snowfall which means I worked form home :) I had a craving for a breakfats biscuit so instead getting dressed to go out I decided to try making one at home with some frozen Pillsbury biscuits. A couple weeks ago Harris Teeter had triple coupon weekend and I just went nuts buying things, one of them being a bag of sandwich sized frozen biscuits which I probably paid 50 cents for. I love a deal! I also love how these taste!

I threw one in the oven to bake for about 17 minutes, I then scrambled some eggs and cheese, I would have loved some bacon but we were out :( The biscuit baked up beautifully and separated well in the middle. I stuffed it with the eggs and breakfast was ready. These are really good, not as good as my usually Bojangles biscuit but this took care of my craving. A really good buy...save money by making your own breakfast sandwiches!

Pomme Frites

2007-01-29T13:37:00.000-05:00

Evan has been in New York since Monday for a conference. He flew in earlier than he needed to because he wanted to do a bit of exploring. By exploring I mean eating at one of the places we have both been dreaming of, Pomme Frites. There are a few things Evan and I truly love (besides each other :))pizza, beer, ribs, and french fries. We are really picky about these things and we always try to find the best we can. Pomme Frites is almost the mecca of the french fry for those of us living in the US. I still think you can't beat a fritz special in a market in Holland, fries smothered in their mayonnaise, curry sauce and chopped onion- delish- but I digress.

So while Evan was sending me text message with pictures of his cone of warm fries I was craving the salty crunchy fries myself, so I did the next best thing...got some Wendy's fries and smothered them in fritessaus. Ok it probably was not the next best thing but it was as good as it got at that point. I managed to find the fry sauce that I fell in love with in Holland here at A Southern Season and am waiting for the curry sauce to come back in stock. The fritessaus is kinda like mayo but has a bit more flavor and it not as obnoxious. Give it a try if you ever see it in a store. Nonetheless I guarantee that I will be stopping by Pomme Frites to try their fries and one of their many sauces when I make it back up to NYC.

Veggie Melt ala The Loop

2007-01-25T17:50:00.000-05:00

Every Friday my fellow co-workers and I get together for lunch. One of our most frequently visited lunch spots is The Loop which is conveniently located in the shopping center next to us. The Loop has burgers, sammiches, pizzas, and milk shakes. They have great food and I always have a hard time deciding what I want. Some of my standards include the Greek salad, the Spicy BBQ Chicken Sammich with homemade chips and ranch dressing, and the Veggie Foccacia Melt. True I am not a vegetarian, but sometimes I channel my veg sister and go for the non-carnivorous lunch. Their veggie melt includes green peppers, mushrooms, kalamata olives and cheddar cheese blanketed in a warm flatbread and grilled. It is delish and very filling!

So I was looking for something different for lunch one weekend and decided to recreate the veggie melt at home. I cut up a red and green pepper into strips then sauteed them in a bit of olive oil. I threw in a carton of sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas since they were on sale but use whatever), when they were soft I added a handful of kalamata olives and a shot of balsamic vinegar. At this point warm up a flatbread or pocket-less pita and load up the veggies and top with the cheese of your choice, fold over and eat as is or slap on a hot grill for a minute or two to get a crispy crunch.

For the price of one of these melts at The Loop, I made enough for about 4 of them! You can certainly add some sliced grilled chicken for a bit of protein but sometimes I like bulking up on the veg.

About Jen

2007-01-24T21:46:00.000-05:00

I borrowed this from Shannon and since I haven't posted anything like this before on here...thought I would give it a whirl.

Are you...
1. a cuddler? yes, for a short period of time only, then I get hot
2. a morning person? only after I have coffee
3. are you a perfectionist? YES, it's detrimental
4. talented? in more ways than you know
5. religious? I call myself spiritual
6. in your pajamas? not yet
7. left handed? no

Last:
1. friend you saw: Katie, Anne, Sarah and Danielle from the bakery
2. phoned: a client
3. sent text: Evan
4. received text: Scottie
5. message over myspace: Vivek I think
6. instant message: Evan or Steph

LAST NIGHT:
1. wore: to bed? PJ's
2. last night was: awesome...girl's night :)
3. got any plans: plans?

Favorite:
1. number: 2 i guess, what is really the point of a favorite number?
2. color: right now? pink and black
3. season: spring

Currently:
1. missing: the fam
2. needing: thicker socks...why are my toes always cold?
3. wanting: a chocolate chip cookie

q's and a's
q: first thing you did this morning: made coffee
q: Last thing you ate: a slice of lemon yogurt poundcake
q: Do you have anything bothering you? work stress...but it's a good kind of stress
q: What's the last movie you saw?: DVD: The Break Up (terrible), Theater: The Departed (awesome)
q: Where is the last place you went? work and the thrift store at lunch
q: Do you wish upon stars? shooting stars, yes
q: Are you a friendly person?: ofcourse :)
q: Where did you sleep last night?: my bed
q: What color shirt are you wearing? rose
q: When was the last time you really cried? I had a little cry yesterday about work, an ugly cry at last week's Grey's Anatomy
q: What was your last thought before you went to sleep last night? some affiliates really suck
q: What are you about to do? get ready for bed
q: If you could drink anything right this second, what would it be? red wine
q: What's your job position called? Merchant Account Representative and Kick Ass Wife
q: What's your favorite month(s)? December because of Christmas!
q: What was your elementary schools mascot? I'm a College Park Cougar!
q: what's your favorite bottled water? whatever...I'm not picky
q: What were you doing at 9pm last night? having another martini
q: Did you attend your high school prom? yes
q: Did you go to someone else's prom? yeah, a did a favor for a friend and went with one of her friends...it was interesting to say the least
q: Do you prefer coffee or tea? coffee in the morning, tea the rest of the day
q: Something red within 5 feet? NC State blanket on me
q: How much french do you know? Je parle le puits français.
q: Ever crash a car, been in an accident? I was crashed into once
q: Do you look good in yellow? in the summer when I have a bit of color
q: Do you sing? my Sister and I sing together all the time, especially in the car to rap songs
q: Ever sing in public? uh no...that would be bad
q: Least favorite color? hunter green
q: Ever had dippin dots? I have had a sample when they used to give them out at the mall
q: How many driving tickets have you had? 2 speeding tickets withing 4 months when I was a freshman in college
q: Do you own your own house? yes
q: At what age do you want to get married? I was 23
q: Have you ever been married? well I am still married to Evan...that's pretty good
q: How many kids do you have/want? none yet, maybe 2 or 3
q: Do you like anyone right now? I like Evan

Once A Week Cooking

2007-01-21T17:49:00.000-05:00

Last week I was a bit of a slacker and therefore did not cook alot, I ate alot of leftovers and Evan was stuck making burgers and steaks (aw shucks). Therefore I was going to be more prepared this week and make the week's meals in advance. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy but it worked really well. I always make a menu for the week but this week I took it a step further and actually prepared some of the meals. Not only will this be easier during the week but I bought exactly when i needed for the week and used it, so things wouldn't go bad.

Here is this week's menu:
Monday- Lasagna with Turkey Sausage (Ina recipe)
Tuesday- On your own-Pizza Dough Available (Jen's going out with the girls!)
Wednesday- Beef and Guinness Pies with Roasted Carrots
Thursday- Sweet and Tangy Flank Steak

But that's not all!

I also made a marinate for fajitas and threw in a pound of skirt steak which was put in a ziploc and frozen. I know- I'm thinking ahead! I also deboned some skin on chicken breasts for some tequila lime chicken.

In addition to that I made a lemon yogurt poundcake (See pic-Ina recipe)as well as some chicken stock. No I was actually not in the kitchen all day, It took about 3 hours all together but considering I will have dinner ready and one dish to clean every night I am stoked.

The lasagna is completely prepared, I made some pizza dough for Evan so he can make a pizza or calzone, I made the base of the beef pie and the flank steak is marinating. Plus, we have dessert for the week!

Here are a few recipes I used:

Beef and Guinness Pies

2 lbs. stew meat
2 T. flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 T. vegetable oil
1 large onion chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
3 T. water
1 1/2 T. tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 cup Guinness beer
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. fresh rosemary chopped
1 sheet puff pastry
1 large egg beaten
1 T. water

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2. Pat beef dry and roll the beef in the flour, salt and pepper mixture. Heat oil over medium-high heat and add beef in 2-3 batches and allow to brown for about 5 minutes. Let beef rest on a plate.

3. Add onion, garlic, and water to the pot and cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook one minute, stirring and scraping the bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir in beef and juices, broth, beer, Worcestershire sauce, and rosemary bringing to a simmer.

4. Cover pot and transfer to the over. Braise until beef is very tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard rosemary and cool stew completely.

(At this point you may refrigerate until ready to serve)

5. Preheat/increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

6. Divide the stew between 4- 14 oz ramekins. Cut puff pastry into 4 squares. Combine egg and water to create a wash. Brush tops of ramekins with wash. Invert one square over each ramekin. Brush remaining wash over pastry and freeze 15 minutes to chill dough.

7. bake pies in preheated shallow baking pan until pastry is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.

8. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake 5 more minutes to fully cook dough.

Fajitas Marinade
Enough for 2 pounds of meat

1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, mix together the lime juice, water, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and liquid smoke flavoring. Stir in cayenne and black pepper.

2. Place desired meat in the marinade, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. Cook as desired.

Eating Christmas Presents

2007-01-18T20:37:00.000-05:00

I am embarrassed that I have not posted this earlier. Our family and friends really showed their love to Evan and I this Christmas by getting us gifts that were edible. Evan and I are definitely foodies and we take it very seriously. So we dedicated one night to celebrating our Christmas gifts...oh it was delish!

We started with a nice beer selection from our friend Cory and his wife who also included a set of lovely Guinness glasses. For an appetizer, we baked up some rice balls from Brooklyn Pork Store which were absolutely heavenly. Rice and cheese and as assortment of Italian meats all rolled into a nice ball and fried...what could be better! For the main event, Evan expertly grilled some Omaha Steaks and I added a side salad with dressing from my Uncle's Italian restaurant in Greenville.

This was quite a spread, so much so that I don't even think we had dessert that night! Nonetheless, we thoroughly enjoyed our food gifts and are thankful to have friends and family that know us so well!

Cooking with Ina-Chicken Picatta

2007-01-18T20:35:00.000-05:00

I received 3 new cookbooks for Christmas, all of which I love and each cover a different aspect of cooking. One that I was really happy to unwrap was the new Ina Garten cookbook, Barefoot Contessa at Home. I have read this book cover to cover a few times already because I love her take on creating a warm and inviting home environment. I am in a bit of re-decorating mode right now and I think it is because of this book. Ina provides once again simple and elegant recipes that are so classic but so good! One of my new years resolutions is to make one new recipe a week and I am trying to make each of the recipes in her new book.

So the first recipe tested is the classic Chicken Picatta. I have made this before so I was familiar with the process and the flavors. I cut her recipe in half so that we wouldn't have too many leftovers (or overeat- which is probably more likely!). I think because I halfed it the recipe didn't create as much sauce as I would have liked. Yet Evan was ok with that because the chicken itself was like a schnitzel so he was happy. This chicken was so moist, I was really surprised. Ina instructs that the chicken should be pan fried quickly to get some color and finish it in the oven. I love this method because it provides a nice crust yet it doesn't burn and the chicken doesn't dry out.