Thank you, IRS!

Greg and I have been discussing what we would do with our tax return for months.  We debated about just putting it away in savings, buying bicycles, buying living room furniture, fund our honeymoon do-over, etc.  Well....  we had been furniture shopping a few time and found a sectional at Rooms to Go that we were in love with.  It was so comfortable!  We found it in February, and I have been thinking about it ever since then.  So, last week when I checked their website to stare at it for a while and it wasn't there...  I was DISTRAUGHT!  I told Greg that we had to go to the store immediately and order it because if we missed our chance because we couldn't make a decision I would be so sad.

Well......... we rushed over to Rooms to Go and the saleswoman that we had met with the previous times that we had visited walked up as we lounged on the couch.  She laughed and asked if we were ready to actually order it this time.  We were!

Now, Rooms to Go does the whole buy the room thing. The more pieces that you buy from the room the bigger the discount you get on each individual piece.  I really hated the chair that came with the couch, so we asked if we could substitute a different chair.  She asked her manager and she said that we could if it was a Cindy Crawford chair, so we began walking around the store sitting in all the chairs.  We found one!  I'm actually shocked that Greg agreed to it (it's kind of girly).

We are going to be the proud new owners of brand new living room furniture!  I'm so excited because everything that we've owned has been hand-me-downs from our wonderful family.  We are so thankful to have furniture that we got for free, but we are super excited about owning furniture that we love and picked out ourselves.  We will be donating our old couch and chair to a charity that is giving it to tornado victims here in the Raleigh- Durham area.  Hopefully someone will love it as much as we have for the past 4 years.

....... drum roll.........  Here it is!

I am not crazy about the throw pillows that come with it, but we are going to order pillows that match the chair in a few months.  We are getting the sectional and the ottoman.

Here is the chair!  I told you it was girly, but it's super comfortable!  

Relaxing Weekend

We have had an insanely busy couple of weeks with the start of baseballs season, and the Bulls first home stand.  The week before the Bulls had their first home game Greg was working like crazy, he was staying at work until 9:00-11:00 pm!  So, we were both really excited with this home stand coming to an end on Friday.

Greg didn't have to work the game on Friday, so we had planned on going to the game and then going out with a few of the people that he works with afterwards.  The game was supposed to start at 7:05, and so I was going to go home and we would just go to the game together.  Well, we got some crazy rainy weather late that afternoon.  I got home, we cooked dinner, and we waited to hear what time the game would start.  Now, if you know me, you know that I'm not really a late night person.  I like going to bed early, and getting up early.  As we approached 9:00 pm I began to ask if we really wanted to go.  BUT Greg insisted.  They pulled the tarp off the field, we headed to the stadium and the game started at 9:05.  Not only did the game start late, but I felt like it was going SO SLOW.

We headed over to a bar that over looks the field and watched the end of the game with one of Greg's co-workers, and once the game was over we headed to a different bar where we were meeting everyone.  It was a lot of fun.  Everyone was unwinding, and I got to meet and interact with a few of his co-workers that I've wanted to get to know.  We rarely go out, so this was a treat!

Saturday slept in, and Greg really wanted to go to Joseph A. Bank because they were having a good sale, and my brother and sister in law gave him a gift card for Christmas.  We went and he decided to get a charcoal pin-stripped suit and a red paisley tie that he has wanted for a few months.  After that we went by some furniture stores because we are looking at buying a new couch and chair.  We have our eyes set on something, but we are trying to make sure it's a good price and that we can't find something we like better.

We stopped and got a RedBox on the way home.  We got The King's Speech.  I think that we both really liked it.  We also grilled burgers for dinner.

Sunday we didn't really do much.  We spent the afternoon at the pool (where we both got pretty sunburned, Greg is much worse than me).  The we went and got another movie!  We got The Kids Are Alright.  I was really disappointed.  I have pretty high expectations for films that are nominated for best picture, and to be honest...  I don't know how it go put into the same category as The Fighter and The King's Speech (the only two that we have seen that were nominated, but we are working our way down the list- I'm dying to see Black Swan).

All in all it was a wonderfully relaxing weekend, and I'm glad that Greg got to kick back.  He's been working really hard, so he needed some time off.  I hope you guys had a great weekend!

Pineapple Chicken Salad Pitas

Kate and Mark gave me some recipes that they wanted me to cook this week.  I am pretty sure that Kate got it out of a magazine that said to buy a 7 lb. chicken, roast it the first night, and then use it over a few days to make several different meals.  A 7 lb. chicken is pretty big for just two meals (which is what I was going to make), so I decided to look for a healthier version of chicken salad to make that we can all have for lunch.  I found this recipe on Cooking Light's web-site.  I thought it sounded good, and I don't care for celery so I was super excited to find a recipe without celery.

Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups of chopped chicken breast (mine was roasted, but you could easily boil a couple of chicken breasts)
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1/3 cup light mayonnaise (I used less than that)
- 1/2 finely chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt (I thought that this was in the fridge, but it wasn't!  I used a little light sour cream instead)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (8 oz) can of crushed pineapple in juice (drained, but I didn't worry about getting every drop out)
- 4 whole wheat pitas
- 8 Romaine lettuce leaves

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well.  Cut the pita in half, put in a piece of lettuce, and then some of the chicken salad.



The only problem that I had was that I couldn't get the pita to open up.  I just cut the half in half again and made I guess a flatbread sandwich.  It is really good.  Interesting flavor combination.  You should totally give it a try if you aren't crazy about traditional chicken salad.

The best pasta salad that I've ever had!

So, Mark and Kate have been talking about this pasta salad that they were going to make for about a week.  Each day I would come to work and the package of pasta would still be on the counter.  It's been an especially hectic week for them, and so I offered to make it for them yesterday.  I asked Mark to just e-mail me the recipe and I would make it so that they could have it to take with them for lunch.

Well, I didn't exactly get a recipe, so I guess you aren't going to either.  I got a text message that said this:

"Orzo, asparagus, parmesan (a lot), lemon juice, lemon zest, toasted slivered almonds, salt, pepper, craisins."  And the directions were, "She usually does the final mixing in a large skillet."

SO, here's what I did...

- I boiled the pasta according to the package directions.
- I toasted the almonds in the large skillet, and once they were fragrant I put them in a dish by the stove.
- I cut the asparagus into about 1 inch pieces, and then I blanched them in about 1.5 in of salted boiling water and then immediately ran them under cold water to stop the cooking process(in the large skillet after toasting the almonds...  then of course I dumped the water)
- I zested on lemon and reserved it.
- I shredded about 1 1/2 or 2 cups of parmesan (come on and buy a block of it and get your box grater out)
- Then I put the pasta in the skillet and did a very light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, added the almonds, asparagus and a big handful of craisins.  I mixed that until everything looked incorporated.  Then I added the lemon zest and mixed until I thought that was mixed in well.  Then I added the juice of the lemon that I had zested.  Last but certainly not least...  the cheese.  Once again I mixed and mixed until it was all incorporated and yummy looking.
- I tasted and then added salt (not much since the parmesan is so salty) and pepper.

Let me just say... delicious.  I think when I was telling Greg about it last night I used the phrase "so good" more than 5 times.  This is SUPER easy and well... SO GOOD.

(Allison Ladner...  You have to make this ASAP.)

Our Wedding Weekend, part 1

I just realized today when I was playing with the layout of the blog that I've never done a post on our wedding.  I am going to do highlights from the whole weekend (with pictures of course).  We got married on December 19, 2009 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama at First United Methodist Church.  We had our reception at the wonderful North River Yacht Club.  Throughout the planning process we knew that we wanted to make sure that we were able to relax and enjoy the weekend when it finally arrived.  We planned so many pre-wedding and post-wedding activities, and we are so thankful that we were able to enjoy that time together with our family and friends.

On Friday morning, we had the Bridesmaid Brunch which was hosted by one of our minister's wife (who happens to be one of my mom's good friends).  It was fun.  I wanted to do a brunch because I love brunch food, and who doesn't love a Mimosa in the morning?  While we were having brunch, the boys were playing golf together at the Yacht Club (in the cold rain).  Who do you think got the better deal?  I'd argue it was the girls, but Greg insists that they had fun.

I would say this isn't the most flattering picture, but it is one of the only ones I have from the Brunch.

The Moms had a fun time at the Brunch too!

Friday night we had the rehearsal at the church.  I wanted it to be FUN.  I feel like I have to been to a ton of wedding rehearsals that were boring and no one paid attention.  I made so many jokes, and at one point Greg looked at me and asked me to try and be serious.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the weekend.  Dan had just said, "and this is when I'll say you may kiss the bride."  Greg's response was, "do I have to?!"  Dan said, "If you don't, then I will!"  Needless to say, we all got a good laugh in!

This is Greg's grandmother and his cousins.  I love this one because they were obviously having a good time.

And of course, there was the on-going joke that Greg would pass out during the ceremony.  Cody was practicing how he would catch Greg if he went down.

I mean, can't anyone be serious!?

Greg's favorite type of food is Bar-b-que, so when we talked about where to have the rehearsal dinner he knew immediately that it had to be Dreamland Bar-b-que.  I mean how could you pass up their sauce and banana pudding?

Ralph and Linda were wonderful hosts!  Ralph was giving a toast, and thanking everyone for coming.

I might venture to say that my dad had the most comical toast of the night. 

We really enjoyed ourselves!  

After dinner, we had invited everyone (who was over 21) to hang out at one of my favorite bars in Tuscaloosa, Innisfree Pub.  We all had a few drinks, and a few laughs.  And for some reason... I don't have any pictures from this!  In the invitation that I sent to everyone I made sure to remind them not to drink too much because we had a day full of pictures the next day.  haha!  

What a fun Friday we had.  I'm going to post the rest of the weekend later on.  I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane with me.  Love!

Amazing (and easy) Roast Chicken

Part of my job is to cook dinner for the family that I nanny for.  I cook 2 nights a week for them.  I've been exploring different recipes and trying to cook a variety of different things.  I love cooking, and so I was pretty excited when we agreed that this would be part of my duties.  The really fabulous part is that they buy enough for 4 people, and I am able to take half home for Greg and I to have.

I have been working for three weeks now, and here is what I have cooked:
- Lasagna
- Roast Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Ground Turkey Enchilidas
- Pizza (mushrooms and spinach)
- Greek Chicken and Veggies

The roast chicken that I did is an Ina Garten recipe, and it's called Engagement Roast Chicken.  I think that she jokes that if you cook it for your boyfriend that he'll propose to you because it is so good.  Let me tell you, it is so good!  AND it is super easy to make.

Ingredients:
- 1 (4-5 lb) roasting chicken
- kosher salt and ground pepper
- 2 lemons
- 1 whole head of garlic (cut in half, crosswise)
- olive oil
- 2 Spanish onions sliced thickly
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Remove and throw away the giblets (gag).  OR buy a chicken without giblets.  Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken, don't be stingy!  Quarter the lemons, and add one to the inside of the chicken along with the head of garlic.  Next, rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil and then salt and pepper (I use a good bit on the outside too).  Tie together the legs with kitchen string and tuck the wings behind the body (this helps to make sure that everything is cooked evenly).

Put the chicken in a roasting pan (11x14 inch).  Put the onions and the remaining lemon pieces into a bowl and toss with olive oil, 1 tsp of kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp of ground pepper.  Then add the lemon and onions to the roasting pan (around the chicken).

Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  It is going to make your house/apartment smell heavenly!  Take the chicken out and place it on a plate, and cover with aluminum foil.  Let it rest for at least 10 minutes. 

She just puts her roasting pan on the stove top, but for some reason that makes me nervous, so I poured the onions, lemons, and all the juices into a sauce pan to make the gravy.  Put the heat on high/ medium high.  Add the wine and chicken stock.  Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until the sauce is as thick as you want.  Make sure that before you carve the chicken up that you pour the juices on the plate into the gravy.

-------------------

That's it.  Super easy.  The main change that I would make is reducing the amount of lemons.  I felt like it was too much lemon.  I would do 1/2 of a lemon inside the chicken, and the other half in the roasting pan with the onions.

I made mashed potatoes and green beans with it.  It was so good.  If you want an easy meal to impress whoever you are having over for dinner then this is it!

I wish that I had taken pictures of everything that I've made, but I have been slacking. I promise to do better!

What have you been cooking lately?  Is there another recipe that you guys want me to post from what I have already cooked?

Cha-cha-cha-changes!

Hi!  I am the most terrible blogger out there...  I'm sorry!  I am going to try and do better, I promise. 

We've had a lot happen since the last time that I updated the blog.  We were kind of in limbo about what the future was going to bring.  WELL........

Greg graduated from Georgia Southern University on December 10.  He received his Masters in Sport Management.  He had absolutely no desire to walk at graduation, but I made him!  Can you blame me?  I was and still am so very proud of him!  Of course, I made him take a bunch of pictures, and he was so embarrassed (but he tolerated it). 

We got there REALLY early because I wanted to make sure that I got a good seat.  

Here is Greg before anyone else was there. ha!

 

This is the stage

Can you spot Greg?  I'd say he was pretty happy and proud of himself!

I was SO proud!

Here he is with his diploma! 

He was so ready for me to stop taking pictures, but isn't he so handsome??

After graduation, we had to get back to Charleston because Greg had a phone interview set up for that afternoon.  He felt like it went really well, and he was pretty confident that things would work out.  So, for a week and a half we were stressing out, trying to make arrangements for where we would live, what we would do, how long I would work before moving, etc in case things worked out.  Well, HE GOT THE OFFER!  We were so excited!  We made the decision to keep it a secret until we went home for Christmas.  We told our parents while we were home, and then once we got back I told my boss.  Come to think of it, I don't think I ever made the big announcement...  

Greg accepted a position with the Durham Bulls!  They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.  He is so excited to be working there, and he is absolutely loving his job!  We are thankful that he was able to find a job so quickly.  I am really excited for baseball season to get here, and we are looking forward to hopefully staying in the Raleigh/Durham area for a while.