Happy Halloween

This year we spent Halloween with a couple of couples. Our friends Heidi and Matt hosted a small dinner party at their house. Heidi made her awesome organic (ingredients mostly from her OWN garden) chili and apple crisp. I brought pumpkin muffins, Paula Deen’s spiced caramel dip (for apples – think caramel apples) and cream cheese filled pumpkin muffins. In case I haven’t mentioned, I’m a bit on the pumpkin obsessed side. I LOVE pumpkin!

Here's our adorable buffet table

Here's our Menu:
Pumpkin Muffins
Organic Chili
Garden Veggies & Dip
Crackers & White Bean Dip
Carmamel Apple Dip & Apples
Organic Apple Crisp
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Since the weather was super nice, we ended up eating dinner on Heidi & Matt’s adorable back deck. We were so blessed with such a nice evening. It was great to be able to eat outside while watching the adorable children all dressed up in cute little costumes go bounce around excitedly from house to house collecting candy. Some of the costumes were just adorable, my favorite was a little girl dressed as Tinker Bell – she looked exactly like her! She was just a doll!

After dinner, we all sat down and played a very entertaining game of Apples to Apples. We all had a blast with this game! It was two of the couples first time to play it and are now big fans of the game too! I highly suggest this game at your next get together.

We all had so much fun that we decided we would have to have a monthly get together and each take turns hosting. Get togethers are so much fun! I hope everyone had a very Happy Halloween!

Happy 1 Month Anniversary to Us!

Kevin & I had a very productive day - while I can't say it was "exciting" it was nice to get some things checked off our to-do list.

First of all, we slept-in....woo hoo!! Then, we went to church and heard an especially awesome sermon! Afterwards, our church had a delicious pancake breakfast - with super yummy bacon! Kevin and I then went to Dillard's to get a few things with some of our wedding gift cards. Gotta love the gift cards! ;)

But sadly, when we came home it was time to buckle down so we could both get some studying done.

This afternoon Kevin rushed in our room to take a picture of me studying. I have trouble sitting still while studying so I often move from room to room and from place to place. For whatever reason I thought it would be a good idea if I studied for Microbiology on my bed.....not really sure why. Maybe because Micro is really boring and if I fell asleep reading, I'd be in a perfect place for a nap - LOL! But seriously, I struggle with Micro!

Since we both knew we would be busy, we decided we would have our slow cooker make our dinner. :) It couldn't have been easier. When we arrived home we threw a pork loin in the slow cooker with some root beer (I know it sounds weird but, it's really good) and spices and let it cook. And before serving we made a chipotle sauce for the pork. Five minutes later we were eating tacos!

Here's the recipe:
1/2 Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoon Oregano
Combine on low heat. Thoroughly coat the pork.

Here's a really blurry (not quite sure what happened) picture of my taco:

I <3 the Melting Pot

Kevin & I met some of our friends at the Melting Pot to celebrate my birthday! We had such a great time!

We recieved a fondue set as a wedding present and I can't wait to try it out. This trip to the Melting Pot has inspired me to make our own fondue.....stay tuned for recipes..... ;)

Fireproof Update

And, it was AMAZING. The story line was great. The music - well, let's just say that I have to get the soundtrack! It is obvious that the writers, directors, actors, and everyone else involved with the movie is filled with the Holy Spirit. The light of Christ shines throughout the film. Kevin and I went with another couple and they also enjoyed the movie. I feel so blessed to have so many Christ-centered couples in my life and in my blogging life. I truly appreciate how much I receive from all of you. :)

My only piece of advice is to bring lots of tissue!

Spaghetti Carbonara - Fast

Have you ever had a day that you thought would be calming and relaxing only to realize that it will actually be very hectic and rushed? Sadly, that is what today has been for me. Last night I mentally made a note of what I had to do today, that list had 1 item on it. This morning, after sleeping in until 9:30am I decided it would be best if I wrote a list out. Well, half way through my list, it hit me - I have A LOT to do today. A whole lot!

So, I grabbed a quick bowl of cereal and started on my to-do list. Around noon I started to get a little hungry but was determined to get just 1 more thing done. Well, around 1:30pm my stomach started to growl. It was also that time that Martha Stewart was making Spaghetti Carbonara. How perfect for a fast and tastey; not to mention well balanced - protein, carbs (no, they aren't all bad and when you need energy they are a must) and um, bacon! Perfect. It's been so simple and fast to make. The longest part is actually been boiling the water for the pasta. And, I already had all the ingredients on-hand. Huge thumbs up from me!

On a completely separate note, I'm going to see "Fireproof" tonight! I have heard nothing but good things about this movie and can't wait to see it!

Here's Martha's recipe

Ingredients :
Serves 4
· 8 ounces bacon (8 slices), cut 1-inch thick crosswise
· Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
· 1 pound spaghetti
· 3 large eggs
· 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
· 1/2 cup half-and-half

Directions :
1. Set a large pot of water to boil (for the pasta). In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
2. Salt the boiling water generously; add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package instructions.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, Parmesan, and half-and-half. Set aside. Drain the pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add the hot pasta to the egg mixture. Add the bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (the heat from the pasta will cook the eggs). Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

Fireproof.....

Ok, first I should say that this is a non-food post....which I'm sure is obvious. :)
As everyone knows, I don't have much of a life beyond nursing school and I rarely see movies in the theater. HOWEVER, I am so going to make an exception for the movie Fireproof. I'm not sure why I feel such a huge desire to spread the word about this movie but, I do. God has really impressed on my heart the desire to tell of this movie's mission. I haven't seen it yet but, from what I've read it's about 2 good (I think Christian - I think) people who have entered into a marriage that is dissolving and neither knows how to save it and divorce seems to be the only choice. Here's the link to their website http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/

Kevin and I went through the most amazing marriage preparation classes. We were so blessed to have such wonderful God-centered couples as teachers who provided great literature and scripture to enhance the course. At the end, we were both left feeling very strongly about the bond of marriage and very strongly about sharing this feeling.

I know so many married couples facing hardships and I just wish I could sit them down explain to them how important it is to put your marriage first. I understand that today with ALL of the many things we have going on in our lives (I'm definitely talking to myself on this one! Lol!) that it is easy to not put 100% into our marriages. In our society, it's so easy to give up.....in my opinion, too easy.

Ok, I'm climbing off my soapbox. I certainly hope I haven't offended anyone. If I have, please know that it wasn't my intention. :)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Fall day!

Leftovers are easy as PIE!

Today has been a great rainy Fall day. When I googled pictures of rainy Fall days, this picture popped up. I thought it was a perfect fit!

This morning Kevin and I woke up, had a quick workout together and then we both went to the kitchen to figure out what to do with ALL our leftovers. We had a ton of apples, carrots, sweet peas, 1/2 bag of frozen pearl onions, 1 potato and a few sheets of puff pastry. We decided on apple pie and chicken pot pies (I always keep chicken breasts in the freezer).

Since Kevin makes an AWESOME apple pie, I cut and sliced the apples and he assembled the pie. While he was making his pie, I started making the chicken pot pies. The whole process didn't go quite as fast as I would have liked but, everything was ready to go for lunch.

Here's kinda what he did for the apple pie:

6 peeled, cored & thinly sliced apples

2 tbsp. flour

Pinch of salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 tbsp. cream or milk

Mix sugars, flour, salt and spices together. Mix in apples. Place this mixture in a 9" unbaked pie shell. Lace the pastry dough lattice work for the top of the pie and dot with butter and spoon cream over all. Bake for 15 minutes in a 425 degree oven, then 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until apples are tender.

The chicken pot pies were easy....just took a while for the chicken to thaw.

Ingredients:

1 Cup baby carrots

1 Cup sweet peas

1/2 bag frozen pearl onions

1 potato

1 sheet of puff pastry

Salt

Pepper

1 Clove of garlic

3/4 Cup of chicken broth

While I waited for the chicken to thaw:

First I peeled and cubed the potato and put it in a pot of salted boiling water to cook.

While the potatoes were cooking, I chopped the carrots and set them aside.

Next, I sauteed onions and garlic. To that I added butter, salt and pepper. Then added flour, stirring until it was well mixed. Since this is the base of the sauce it's important to make sure it's well blended. Once the roux was well mixed I added chicken broth to deglaze the pan. When it became thick, I added milk. Then I just lowered the heat to low and let it simmer.

Back to the potatoes, since they were almost done I added the carrots - I figured since everything was going to end up together, why not?!?

When the chicken FINALLY thawed, I quickly threw it into the oven and waited.... When it was done I quickly chopped and cubed it.

In an attempt to save some calories, I thought I'd just top the pot pies with puff pastry. Believe me, I like puff pastry as much as the next person but...wow, it is not low fat! So, I poured the filling into the oven-safe bowls and topped each with puff pastry.

Brush the top of each with egg wash and bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Patch Weekend

Kevin and I have had such fun & busy weekend. After the OU game, We spent the majority of Saturday afternoon going through our wedding gifts, setting them up exchanging duplicates and, using some of our gift certificates. We had a fun time with all of our awesome presents. At the end of the experience, I know we both left feeling extremely grateful to our friends and family for all our wonderful gifts!

Saturday evening, we met up with some of our friends, and their adorable children, at Vala's pumpkin patch. This place is no mere pumpkin patch - Vala's is more like the Disney World of pumpkin patches, it's HUGE! We spent over 5 hours there and still didn't do everything they offer! It was such a great time. Kevin & I are so happy we had the opportunity to go with children, we are both so ready to have a family and this experience just enhanced those feelings!

Here are some pictures of us at Vala's:

Getting Lost in the Corn Maze - it was pretty challenging!

Yay! We found our pumpkin!

While we were actually in the "pumpkin patch" Kevin and I decided that we HAD to make pumpkin waffles for breakfast Sunday morning.

So this morning, we woke up, got a recipe, and got to making the waffles. They were so AWESOME! These waffles would be perfect for Thanksgiving breakfast, Christmas breakfast....or really any other breakfast - lol! :)

The recipe is from Williams Sonoma. I love going to their website for recipes, it is always a great source of inspiration. Here is the link to the pumpkin waffles.

Ingredients:
5 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup pumpkin puree (you can use canned puree)
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. double-acting baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat a waffle iron. If you want to hold the finished waffles until serving time, preheat an oven to 200°F. Melt the butter; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Using a rubber spatula or handheld electric mixer, mix together well. Stir in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. The mixture will be thick and a little lumpy. Don't try to smooth it out; just mix until the ingredients are incorporated. In another bowl, beat together the milk, sour cream, eggs, rum and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the melted butter. Whether or not your irons grids are well seasoned or made of a nonstick material, it is best to lightly butter or spray the grids for these waffles because the batter is quite sticky. Brush or spray the grids again only if subsequent waffles stick. For a Belgian waffle iron, spoon out 2/3 to 3/4 cup of batter (or the amount recommended by the manufacturers instructions) onto the hot iron. Use a metal spatula or wooden spoon to spread the batter evenly over the grids. Close the lid and bake until golden. If the waffle is hard to remove from the iron, peel it off gently and carefully. Serve immediately or keep the waffles, in a single layer, on a rack in the preheated oven while you make the rest.

Perfect Fall Day....

Today was the perfect fall day. First, my *husband* is home – woo hoo! I’m done with my midterms, which is a HUGE relief. Then, the weather is absolutely perfect! This morning it was chilly (great for thick long-sleeve shirts), by this afternoon it was 73 and now, we have all the windows open and are enjoying the cool breeze. When I started thinking about dinner, I knew I wanted to make a Fall-ish meal for Kevin and I but, I also didn’t want to spend a *ton* of time in the kitchen. So, I decided on corn chowder and pumpkin cornbread. I LOVE pumpkin and during the Fall I find a way to put it in absolutely everything.


The chowder is from Rachel Ray and the cornbread is from the recipe girl.


Here's what I did for the chowder:

Ingredients:
8 ounces kielbasa, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
One 14.5-ounce can chicken broth
1 large baking potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup half-and-half
One 1-pound bag frozen corn, thawed
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat a deep skillet or a wide 4- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 2. Add the onions and butter to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the half-and-half and corn and cook, stirring, until heated through. 3. Using a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup chowder until smooth. Stir the puree back into the chowder along with the browned kielbasa and season to taste with salt and pepper.


Here's what I did for the cornbread:


Ingredients:
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or freshly cooked and processed)
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup canola oil
1 Tbs molasses

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 10-inch glass pie pan or 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Sift flours, baking powder, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in cornmeal.
3. In separate bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses.
4. Make a well in the dry mixture. Add pumpkin mixture and blend batter with a few quick strokes (just until blended- don't overmix).
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cornbread is browned and the surface has a slightly springy feel. I highly recommend the cornbread with honey butter! :)

First Official Fall Snack!

I have so much to tell everyone...I don't know where to begin! So, I'm going to bypass all the wedding events and come back to them in a future post. However, I do want to say it was absolutely the wedding of my dreams; in fact, it was so much better than the wedding of my dreams! I am so incredibly blessed to have the most wonderful friends and family ever! ....I digress, back to my popcorn.....

Sadly, Kevin is gone already (yes, he left 2 days after our wedding :[ sniff, sniff) but, it gives me lots of MUCH needed time to study. Have I mentioned that I'm taking 18 hours this semester?!? Yeah, it's a lot - plus my two jobs and planning the wedding, it added up to a whole lot more than I thought it would. Hence the reason for my blogging absence. Lol! :-) And, next week I have midterms - yikes! Which means, I'm in full study mode. The barista girls at my local Starbucks know me by name, sad I know. Starbucks really is the best place to study. :) But, when I got off work today I just wanted to come home, change into "comfy" clothes, eat a fun fall snack and curl up with a good book....like The Foundations of Maternal - Newborn Nursing. (Just in case you were wondering my opinion on this subject, the female body is without a doubt God's most Amazing creation!)

So, I put my plan into action - I looked up a carmel popcorn recipe, put water on for my spiced apple tea and decided to write a couple *quick* posts.

Carmel Popcorn:

Ingredients:
3/4 C Sugar
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C White Karo Syrup
1/4 C Water
1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 C Margarine

Directions:
Boil about 10 minutes or just barely to soft ball stage
Remove from heat then add:
1 t Soda
1 t Vanilla
Pour over 2 batches of popped corn, mix well and enjoy!