It's Cooking Time

Hello!

It has been a while since I posted any recipes, and frankly it has been a while since I have been able to cook what I want when I want. Living with Greg's parents this summer was great, but I really missed having my own kitchen, with my pots/pans, knives, groceries, etc. It has been fabulous being able to organize my kitchen, use our cookware, and really make I want. I hadn't really realized how much I missed it.

Tonight, I decided to make Vodka Cream Sauce for pasta. I had made Rachael Ray's "You Won't Be Single for Long Vodka Cream Pasta" before, but I was feeling up for a challenge. When I googled that recipe I saw this one, "Penne with Vodka Sauce" by Giada de Laurentiis. I liked her recipe better because it called to make her Simple Tomato Sauce first, and I've been wanting to make a tomato sauce from scratch lately. I knew that would be a difficult task until I had a light go off in my head today about how to get rid of the chunks (which Greg and I hate). I got an immersion blender as a wedding gift, and I knew this would be the perfect occasion to use it! And as always, I made a few changes to suit our tastes.

Here the journey begins... It all starts with getting your veggies ready. You need one onion, some garlic (I used 6 small cloves, we LOVE garlic, so if you don't love it then use less), a carrot, and a stalk of celery.

Mince the garlic, and chop the onion. Throw them in the pot with a big dose olive oil and saute them until they are starting to get soft. A problem that I used to have was that I always burned my garlic, which is not the most delightful taste. I have found that if you put the garlic and onion in before the oil gets hot and then heat it all together, it doesn't burn as easily! I learned that from reading one of my cookbooks, and it is a tip that has really helped me.

Next, chop up the celery and carrot. Add them after the onions and garlic have started to soften, and cook them all together until everything is pretty soft. I think this took me about 15 minutes. Make sure that you keep stirring it so that nothing gets burned. Also, add a salt and pepper to taste. I love using kosher salt.

This is one place where I made a deviation from the recipe. I added a splash of red wine to deglaze the pan to get all that yummy goodness off the bottom. Now, Ina Garten says that you should always use a wine that you will drink because you don't want it to taste like cheap wine. Well, lucky for me, I actually like cheap wine. It's pretty much all I drink, and so I'm not going to tell you what I used (let's just say it was on sale, so we bought it). Just use whatever you drink!

I let the wine cook out a lot. The next step is to add your tomatoes. The recipe calls for crushed tomatoes, but I didn't have those because we don't eat them. I used cans of tomato sauce because that's what I had. I'm a firm believer in using what you have instead of running out to the store because "oh no! I have tomato sauce but not crushed tomatoes!" It didn't matter because it all gets blended in the end.

You mix everything together and let it simmer for at least an hour.

Next is the fun part! You taste. Decide what it needs, more salt? more pepper? Add whatever you think it needs. Then get your blender ready. Like I said before, I used my immersion blender because it's so much easier and less to clean up later. Make sure that you put the blender in all the way before you turn it on, other wise you will have a HUGE mess to clean up. You can also pour the mixture into a regular blender. Just make sure to take the plastic thing out of the lid of the blender and cover that with a towel, or the lid will blow off when you go to press blend. Something about the hot sauce expands, and if you thought your would have a mess with the immersion blender, look out because that will be a disaster!

After I got the sauce nice and smoother, I ladled out half of the sauce into a container that I am going to put in the freezer for another day.

First things first, put on a big pot of water. Make sure to salt it and add some olive oil to the water so that your noodles don't stick together, and it helps prevent your water from boiling over. I learned that tip from my mom.

Now on to the vodka part! Add a cup of vodka! Remember, use what you drink. =) You need to crank the heat up a bit and cook the vodka and sauce until it has reduced by 1/4. I didn't this like I should have tonight, and we had a ZING of vodka after taste. Next time, I will make sure to crank the heat up, which is what I did not do tonight. I just left it on low and let it cook about 20 minutes.

Bring the heat back down to low. When it stops bubbling like crazy, add 1/2 cup of cream. You don't want it to be too hot because the cream will curdle (yuck). Next, the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of grated parmesan, but I only had asiago. SO, I added 1/2 a cup of asiago. Mix it in, until it is nice and creamy.

Make sure you pay attention to the pasta. Drain it while it is al dente (it has a little bite to it). I put the pasta in our pasta bowl, and then ladled some of the sauce on top. I mixed it together, and then added some asiago and basil leaves on top.

Voila! A delicious italian dinner! We had some wonderful focaccia bread that we got from the Farmer's Market this morning that we had with it. It was very good, and Greg liked it!

Friendship

Do you remember when you were a senior in high school and you thought that your best friends would be your best friends for the rest of your life? You thought that going off to different colleges wasn’t going to change anything. I know that I thought I would call my best girl friends everyday and talk to them about what was going on at MC. It didn’t happen. I am still friends with my best friend from high school, but we talk once in a blue moon. The amazing thing is that we just pick up right where we left off. It isn’t strange or awkward at all. It is a true blessing to have a friend like her. As for my other “best friends” from high school, I can’t tell you the last time I saw or spoke with most of them.

Then, you go off to college, in my case you go to 2 different colleges. And you make best friends there too! As a matter a fact, in some ways you begin to replace the old friends with new friends. This is only natural, right? My college roommate is still one of my good friends today. Of course she lives in Denver, CO and I live in Charleston, SC, but we still talk fairly often. I feel lucky that I still have her as a friend. I transferred schools, and then I met another good friend. We’ve had many adventures together, and I am so glad that I have her to laugh and cry with (and of course to have Wine Wednesday with!).

Sometimes you have a place that’s special to you, and that place helps you bond and form friendships with people because that place is special to them too. My special place is Camp Sumatanga. I began working summers camps there in 2004. I have Camp Sumatanga to thank for many of my friendships today. That’s where I met my matron of honor, and it’s where I met my husband. I find that it’s easy to form friendships there because camp holds a special place in their hearts too. We go there for 6 weeks in the summer and work with kids. We laughed and formed numerous inside jokes, we cried during amazing worship, we found our boyfriends/husbands there, and we find peace there. I am always thankful for the blessing of friendships that I have found at camp.

I have always wanted to know who my friends are, on the deepest level. I think it’s important to know them for who they are on the inside. I am quick to open up and expose myself, flaws and all, to my dearest friends. I think it’s important to do that because you want to be able to be real with them, right? One of the most hurtful things to me personally is to realize that one of your friends is being fake with you. I find this difficult because I am so quick to open up and trust my friends. If I can be open and honest about my thoughts, feelings, my past, my hopes for the future, and my beliefs then how can they not do the same thing?

I have been contemplating the meaning and reasons for friendship all summer. I have been thinking a lot about my friends and friends that I have hurt or lost touch with in the past. What went wrong? Was it me? Is it better that we are not friends? These questions have been running through my head for months.

What if you have a friend who is nothing that you thought they were? What happened to the person that you knew? The person that you knew doesn’t resemble this new person at all. What do you do? Do you change with them? I can’t change with them because I am not like the person they have become, and I actually tend to avoid that type of person all together. So, I guess my question is do you just end a friendship? Is this change enough for me to say, I don’t want to be apart of their life anymore?

I have been worrying about this constantly. I think that I’ve come to decide it is enough. The person that I knew is no longer recognizable in that person. The problem is that this worries me so much that it consumes me. I believe I will be happier without the worry and stress of this friendship. It’s a harsh realization because I cherished the friendship a great deal, but I have to let go because they are no longer the person that I knew.

Moving

Hello!

We have made the move to Charleston, SC. It has made me realize that the title of this blog is absolutely perfect because it has been a true adventure. So, pull up a chair and pour yourself a glass of wine because you may need it. =)

On Friday, we got a Uhaul trailer in Tuscaloosa because my washer and dryer had been in storage there for a year because the apartment in Savannah had one in it. It was good because we were able to grab a few things from my parent's house and go by their offices and tell them goodbye. It was really nice. Then we headed back to Childersburg to finish packing our stuff, and then move it into the trailer and the cars.

We got up early on Saturday morning because the drive is pretty long (8 hours). We made sure that we had everything, and then we said goodbye to all of Greg's family. So, we were off! We "had" to stop at IKEA on the way and pick up a desk that I had fallen in love with. It was literally the fastest IKEA stop ever, we were in and out in 15 minutes. We had to jump back on the interstate and hit the road! We had to be in Charleston by 5:00 pm so that we could sign the lease before the office closed. Everything was going really well, and then we hit HORRIFIC traffic around Columbia. I quickly began to panic because I knew that there was no way that we could make it in time if we were in this traffic for more than 10-15 minutes. I was calling the office and asking if they could help us, and we had a plan worked out so that we could get in the apartment if we didn't make it in time, and then we could sign the lease on Sunday. BUT we ended up making it at 5:05 and they were still here. YAY!

We walked into our tiny one bedroom apartment to be knocked down by the smell of cigarettes. What a nightmare. I am really sensitive to cigarette smoke, and it tends to make me feel really bad (headaches, etc.). YUCK. So, the next day I went down to the office and told them, and they gave me this super strength air fresh thing that goes on your air filter. That helped, but I knew once it wore off the smell was going to be coming right back because it was in the carpet. I went back to the office and was talking to them about it and they said they would have the carpet cleaning guy come by to talk to me about it. He came, and we decided that they would clean the carpet again, and then set off this bomb/fog thing that would fill the apartment and get in the filtration system and help eliminate the odors. They did that today, and it seems to be okay, but I'll let you know.

Sunday, one of Greg's friends was suppose to come and help us move, but he could not make it at the last minute. Greg and I began to move everything we could out of the trailer and then out of our storage unit. I was firm in the fact that I would not be able to move the washer and dryer. Sunday night, Greg's mom came and she was a huge help. By a true miracle of God, the three of us were able to move the washer and dryer into our 2nd floor apartment. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and it sucked.

This beings the drama that is the washer and dryer.

• First of all, Greg had to go to Sears and buy the hoses and such that you need to attach the washer and dryer to the wall.
• Then, we finally get the washer and dryer in and Greg realizes that the plug on our dryer is three-prong and the plug in the wall is four-prong. So, he takes his second trip to Sears to figure out how to rewire the dryer so that we can have a four-prong plug.
• Then we can't get the water hoses to go on the washer straight, so we just put it off for another day.
• The next day we finally get the hoses on! I load up half our towels to wash because they smell like the storage unit, the washer fills and then it won't spin. Seriously, you've got to be kidding me. Greg calls Sears to see if anyone has any ideas of what to do, and they are no help. So, he is using google to trouble shoot. He goes back behind the washer, and lucky for us one of the maintenance men had come to work on our ice maker (which is still broken). I asked him if he knew anything about washers, and so he went back and helped Greg and they got it working!
• I am SO happy that the drama is finally over, so the cycle begins to run and about 5 minutes later I hear GUSHING water. The drainage hose has been blown off and water is spewing EVERYWHERE! I was yelling for Greg to come, and he turns the washer off, but the damage is already done. Have I mentioned that the washer and dryer is in the closet in our bedroom? So, we aren't dealing with water on tile, we are talking about water soaking our carpet in the bedroom. And of course, what's in the washer? Towels. ah-mazing.
• So we realize that there is a clamp missing that holds the drainage hose in place. Greg goes back to Sears to get the clamp, and he clamps the hose on. We are FINALLY done.

Greg's friend came yesterday, and we got our bedroom furniture, mattress and box springs, coffee table, and our kitchen table and chairs from storage. We have gotten everything in the apartment and now we are in design mode. We are hanging pictures and such. I will post pictures when we are done.

Are you exhausted? I know I am after reliving all that. I think I'll go relax and keep sipping on my wine. There's your glimpse into our move.

Maybe one day I will write a book about all the crazy things that have happened to us during our first year of marriage. I think that it would be very entertaining. What do you think? What have your moving experiences been like? Any advice on the smoke smell?

Sweet Home Alabama

Hi, it's been a looooong time. I'm sorry! I will try to be a better blogger.

The last time that we spoke, Greg and I had no idea where we would be after June 5 (when our lease was up in Savannah). We were not sure when Greg would hear about a possible internship, which is his last step of his master's degree in Sport Management. He applied for several different opportunities that could have had a us moving anywhere in the US. Well, he had worked a tennis tournament in Charleston, and applied for an internship with the Family Circle Cup there. We found out in early May that they wanted him to come be one of their interns for the fall. Needless to say, we got busy trying to find a place to live and decide what to do for the summer.

We had already pretty much decided that we wanted to come home for the summer to spend time with family and friends. It's really the last summer that Greg is going to ever have, and so we made the decision to spend the summer together. I think it has been a great decision! We have been living with Greg's parents, and made visits to my parents and some friends. We are really enjoying the time together before his busy internship starts.

We have moved our things to a storage unit in Charleston, and we will be moving there at the end of July. I am in the process of job hunting, which I hate, but it has to be done. If anyone has any suggestions or connections in Charleston, please let me know!

Greg's sister is here at his parent's this summer also, and it has been really fun cooking with her. She'll cook one night and then I'll cook the next. I am learning a lot from her. She likes to bake, and I don't because I hate having to actually measure things out which is a necessity in baking. We have been able to do a lot of things that we have never done before. On Monday, Greg smoked a boston butt and I made the Fisher's Family BBQ sauce. It was delicious!

That's an update on what's been going on. I wish that I had some pictures that I could post, but we haven't had anything exciting to take pictures of. There are some big things coming up and I will be sure to take pictures. We are heading back to Savannah for the weekend of the 4th of July for on of my sweet baby's 1st birthday party. Then we are heading to Gatlinburg for a week with my parents. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures to show you!

Mini Shell Pasta with Smoked Bacon and Pea Sauce

This recipe is absolutely delicious. Greg and I made it for our Valentine's Dinner this past year, and it is super easy and SO good! It is a recipe by Jamie Oliver, whom I love! Have you been watching his new show on ABC? It's called Food Revolution, and he has moved to a small town in WV and is trying to overhaul their school lunches, and basically the community's outlook on food and healthy eating. It's a fantastic show, and if you haven't seen it I think you should give it a go.

Okay, so back to the recipe. Here are the ingredients:

- 10 slices of smoked bacon or pancetta (Jamie Oliver recommends free range or organic)

- small bunch of fresh mint (only use the leaves, and throw away the stalks)

- butter (how ever much you want, I think I used 1/4 a cup or 1/2 a stick)

- 2 cups of frozen peas

- 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (I might have used a little more than this)

- 1 lemon

- 6 ounces of finely shredded parmesan cheese (I bought a chunk and shredded it myself)

- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper (I use kosher salt, it's all I cook with. I love it.)

- 1 pound of mini shell pasta

- Olive oil

The first thing you do is bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add your pasta and cook as directed. Make sure that you add plenty of salt to the water to give the pasta some flavor. And I always add a bit of olive oil to the water to keep the water from bubbling over, and it helps the pasta not to stick together.

Have a large frying pan over medium heat and add the oil and butter. Add the bacon to the pan with some pepper and cook until it is crispy and golden! YUM. Once the bacon is done add the peas and give the pan a good shake to cook the peas. After a minute or two add the heavy cream and mint.

Drain the pasta when it is done cooking, but make sure you save some of the water that you cooked the pasta in. I just grabbed a coffee cup and filled it with water before I drained the pasta.

Add the pasta to the frying pan. Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice over the pasta.

Mix it all together and once it is bubbling, and the sauce has thickened you can take it off the heat, and it is ready to go! If the sauce is too thick for your taste, then just add the reserved cooking water until it is thinned out however you like it.

OH! Last, but certainly not least, add the shredded parmesan! (my favorite) Mix it in and NOW you are ready to serve.

This is perfect for a romantic night in because you'll have plenty of leftovers (and it's still delicious the next day), or this would be super easy if you are having people over for dinner. You just put it in a big serving bowl and let people get as much as they want.

So, there you go. An update since I have been slacking lately. I hope that everyone is doing well, and leave me some love!

Our babies

Greg and I have a love for our two sweet dachshunds. A month and a half ago we got puppy fever, and we talked about rescuing a dachshund v. adopting a puppy. I think that if we had more patience we would have waited to adopt, but we really were wanting to go ahead and get a puppy. So, we found a dachshund breeder that is about half an hour from where we are living. We went up, and we had actually already narrowed it down to one or two by price since we don't have $600-up to spend on a puppy.

So, we were going up and discussing our strategy because I know how tempting it is to just fall in love and want to take one home immediately. Greg's response was, "I'll be the voice of reason." HA. I laughed and told him that when my parents go look at dogs, my dad is the one that falls in love with one and has to get it. But he knew that wouldn't be how he reacted (yeah right). SO, we got there and he saw her, Penni. He picked her up and I tell you what, it was OVER. He had already fallen in love and was ready to leave. Greg didn't even LOOK at the other puppies. So, I was trying to talk and negotiate with the breeder, and I said to Penni, "You want to go home with us?" And Greg's face lit up like a Christmas tree . He was SO excited about taking her home.

Now parenting a puppy is an adventure. The first week, I got a text message that said, "come home and save me from these mutts." ha. It's hard potty training especially since we live in an apartment on the third floor, but we make it work. We crate train which is truly a live saver. It's great for apartment living.

So, for now, our family is complete. We have two children, Hershee and Penni. It's always an adventure with two dogs. They are wonderful, and I am so happy that Greg fell in love with dachshunds!

Here is a video of the dogs from the other day. They are both hams. Every time that I get the camera out Penni is posing! Hershee use to hate the camera, but she has warmed up to it now that she sees how Penni does.

And they love to video chat with my mom and dad. We have gotten to where we Skype on Sundays and I always have Penni in my lap watching Mom. And of course Mom and Dad have recently gotten a puppy too, and so we compare the two of them over video chat talking about potty training, and weird things they do.

How did you potty train your dog? Do you crate train?

P.S. Greg is VERY unhappy that Kate Gosselin was not sent home last night. He wanted to post his rant on my facebook page, but I wouldn't let him. He is mad at YOU America for voting for Kate Gosselin to stay on.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I know, I know. Some of you are probably wondering why in the world am I posting a soup recipe in middle/late March. Well, I remember that I posted a picture on Facebook a few months ago and Allison asked me for the recipe and I never got around to it. Well, she lives in Denver, CO and they got a TON of snow yesterday, and so I figure she would probably like to have some soup. Here in Savannah, it's going to be 78 degrees today, so it's not something that I would cook right now but if I don't post it now I'll never remember to do it until next fall. ha! Allison! Here you go!

This is so easy! You just throw everything into the crockpot and let it cook 4-6 hours.

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken (I boil the chicken until it is cooked through and then let it rest a minute and shred it with a fork)
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed (I use a can of tomato sauce since Greg hates chunks of anything in his food)
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped (I use onion powder rather than an onion for the same reason listed above)
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers (I run these through the food processor because of Greg's hate for chunks)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water (I don't really add water unless it looks really thick)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Enjoy!