We Will Never Forget

Today I spent a large portion of the day reflecting. So much has changed and happened in these last 10 years, but I, like most of you, remember that Tuesday vividly.

I was a freshman at Baylor, barely beginning my collegiate experience. I had just stepped out of the shower, getting ready for my 9:30 chemistry class across campus. I switched on the Today show which has been my daily ritual for the past 15 years, and I remember watching as Katie Couric and Matt Lauer attempted to explain why airplanes had struck the WTC towers. As I watched, the first tower fell, the Pentagon was hit, and a hijacked plane crashed in Pennsylvania.

I wasn't sure what to do next. Baylor had an attendance policy, and as dumb as it seems now, I wasn't sure I would be allowed to miss class for this. So, I headed to class. As I was walking the second tower fell, and when I arrived at my class, Dr. Hassell began a prayer and updated us on the latest news. I remember feeling relieved that I was at a school where a faith and prayer-based response was the norm, and I was praying that everyone I knew was safe.

We held class as normal, and afterwards I headed to my 2nd class of the day. After a few minutes of listening to the radio for news, my teacher dismissed us from class and I headed back to my dorm to catch up on the news I had missed. It was tough being away from friends and family during such an uncertain time. In the days that followed, as the details became clear, I experienced a level of patriotism and pride that I had never known for my country.


This summer Jeff and I had the privilege of being at Ground Zero. During our honeymoon we both knew that a visit to the WTC sites was a priority for us. We sat and held hands as we watched construction crews working on Freedom Tower. I had no idea how emotional it would be, even as far removed as we were from the tragedy. We silently and prayerfully walked through St. Paul's Chapel where emergency workers and volunteers had come to rest or grab a hot meal while they worked to try to find survivors. We read signs and letters from supporters around the country. I cried as we roamed through a cemetery where debris and dust had once covered historic graves. Some would say that the church surviving without any damage was a miracle, but I know better. The Lord needed to do His work in that church during the days and weeks that followed this tragedy.


Later, Jeff and I visited the temporary museum across the street where the memorial plans could be viewed and souvenirs could be purchased. Jeff and I flipped through a book containing hundreds of pictures documenting September 11th. We added our signature and well wishes to the visitors book, and left hand-in-hand, forever changed.

Earlier that day we had been notified that Jeff had lost his job. This day spent reflecting on such a tragedy put that news in perspective. We had each other. We had our families. We had our lives in front of us. We had a home. We shared a beautiful wedding 7 days earlier with those who are closest to us. I know God led us to Ground Zero on this particular day, when we could have visited on any other day of our honeymoon, to remind of us what's important and to turn us toward Him. It would have been easy to dwell on the fact that Jeff had lost his job on our honeymoon. We could have let it cast a shadow on our vacation and the start of our marriage. Instead, we faithfully prayed and stayed optimistic and Jeff had a new, better job within 2 weeks. How great is our God?

I hope that today you have had time to reflect, and could see God's fingerprints touching your life. In what ways has He blessed you? In what ways has He met your needs? How have you seen Him move? My prayer today is that God's presence is made clear in your life. I pray that those who serve our country will be safe. I pray that I never take for granted the freedom and safety we have as citizens of the USA. I pray that I will remember to kiss my husband and hug my family and tell them that I love them as frequently as I can. I pray that I never forget.

Slow Cooker Love

I think slow cookers have a bad reputation. People love slow cookers for their convenience and ease of preparation, but I don't think anyone ever expects a really great meal out of them. I'm here to tell you that you can get a flavorful, fancy meal from a slow cooker with limited preparation.

A few things for a successful slow cooker meal:

• Look for meals that use cuts of meat that are best cooked low-and-slow. Pork shoulder (pork butt), ribs, chuck roast, and even dry beans do well in a slow cooker. Most people slow cook the wrong cuts of meat, resulting in over-done, rubbery meals.
  
• Meats that are extremely low-fat will dry out too soon (pork tenderloin, chicken breasts)
• Leave the lid on! Slow cookers only work when the heat can build-up. Removing the lid will release the hot air, and will increase the cooking time tremendously. Don't stir, and leave that lid on so the slow cooker can do it's job.

I often put together the meal the night before, stick the ceramic pot in my fridge for the night, and then all I have to do is stick it in the slow cooker in the morning! I don't have time to do a bunch of food prep in the morning, so this helps me a ton.

I'm going to share this recipe with you that I found in a Real Simple magazine. It's so yummy, and ridiculously easy. Jeff requests it often, so over time I've modified it just a little bit, but the original recipe is great, too.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups homemade or fresh salsa
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Zest of one lime
Kosher salt to taste (I use 1-2 teaspoons)
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
Corn tortillas
Monterrey Jack cheese
Limes
Sour Cream
Cilantro

Mix first 6 ingredients together (through salt) and place in slow cooker. Trim the pork shoulder of visible fat, and place in slow cooker, turning to coat. Cook on low for 8 hours, until the meat falls apart and shreds easily. If it doesn't shred, place lid back on slow cooker and turn the slow cooker temp to high for 1 more hour.

Remove meat, shred meat using two forks, and return to sauce. Serve on corn tortillas with cheese, lime juice, sour cream, and cilantro. Cilantro and limes are the key to bringing the flavors all together.

I hope you enjoy!

Restaurant Week Review

We love eating at fancy restaurants, and it's always nice to save a few bucks. We have been eating at some fancy places for Restaurant Week the last few weeks. Restaurant Week puts together a list of some of the nicest restaurants in the area, and those restaurants put together a 3-course menu for only $35 per person. Plus, $7 from each meal goes to charity. Win-win for everyone!

Th first restaurant we visited was Abacus. We ate there on our wedding night, and it has since become our favorite restaurant. SOOO yummy!! So, we decided we would book-end our summer with another trip. Although their menu wasn't as extensive as our first visit, it was still full of wonderful options. We ordered the Lobster Shooters (off menu) which we just had to have, I had a blue cheese salad and a pork chop, Jeff had some pork pot stickers and rack of lamb. Then we shared a trio of desserts. It was so great, and such a deal! The only negatives were the crowded seating (because of the RW crowd) and that they limited our time there. We were only given an hour to dine, so we couldn't be as leisurely as we wanted. The food was as great as our first time though, and the price can't be beat!

Next, we went to Nick and Sam's. This was Jeff's choice as he had read such great reviews. The atmosphere was very romantic and dimly lit, and we were seated next to the jazz pianist who contributed nicely to the ambiance. I had a watermelon salad, and Jeff had a seafood bisque, both of which were great. We both ordered the beef tenderloin steak with a mushroom demi-glaze, and it came with garlic mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. We also added their lobster mac and cheese (off menu) that they are known for. For a "steakhouse" we weren't impressed with the steak. The spinach and mac and cheese were excellent. For dessert, I had bread pudding, and Jeff had a tres leches strawberry shortcake. My dessert was fine, but Jeff's was awful! Portions on everything were tiny, and presentation left something to be desired. Overall, we won't be returning, but again, the price was great because of RW.

Last, we visited Kenny's Wood-Fired Grill in Addison. This restaurant had been highly recommended, and I have to say, it did not disappoint. The atmosphere is very "cool", and we were impressed with the service. They offered us a 4-course menu to choose from, and the menu had lots of options and was extremely varied. I started with a caesar salad with fried polenta croutons, and Jeff had beef tenderloin crostini. Both were excellent! Jeff then had a french onion soup that was my favorite item of the night. For the main course, I had a delicious meatloaf, and Jeff ordered a beef tenderloin steak with a blue cheese sauce. Absolutely exceeded our expectations! We shared creme brulee for dessert. We will definitely return!

Did you go to RW? What do you recommend?

School is in session!

Well, the start of the school year was yesterday! I really meant to post this yesterday, but life took over. I am entering my seventh year teaching! Didn't I just graduate? I was feeling a bit unmotivated at first, but the teaching bug has returned. I'm sad to see the summer end, but the kids have really energized me.

I'm excited for:

• Teaching and meeting a new group of kids!
• Taking my Varsity group to new goals and reaching new levels of musicality.
• Helping foster some "self-belief" with kids who don't think they can sing.
• Working with my co-workers, and my fellow music people.
• Having a classroom that is a place where my kids can really be themselves.
• Being Region chair-elect! It's a new job for me, and I'm proud that my colleagues have faith in me to do a good job!
  

Not so excited for:

• Teaching 230 kids by myself....truthfully, I'm trying not to dwell on this, but I'm feeling anxious about keeping up our current level of success without help.
• Using more technology in my un-technological class. Choir just doesn't lend itself as easily to using technology, but our district has rolled out a technology project, and I'm determined!
• not seeing my family or Jeff very often because I'm so busy during the school year.

Great news is, I know that I can bathe this year in prayer! I know it will be another great year, and I'm looking forward to seeing where God takes me.

Coq au vin

I wanted to post this recipe because it's exactly the kind of thing I would have avoided before. French name = difficult to cook. This kind of thing seemed daunting before, probably because there are several steps to this meal. Don't let that slow you down!

This has a typical french-style of food preparation. Brown meat is some kind of fat (oil, bacon grease, etc), remove meat, brown veggies, remove veggies, deglaze pan, add everything, slow cook until done. EASY! The same technique could be used for a pot roast, etc.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole fryer chicken
• Bacon - 4-5 slices
  
• 1 medium sweet onion
  
• 3-4 large carrots
• 3-4 celery stalks
  
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups red wine
  
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Thyme - 8-10 sprigs
  
• 2 medium sized bay leafs
  
• Egg noodles
• Flour
• Butter
• Salt and pepper

Keep these things in mind:

• You don't need to use a whole chicken if you don't want to, although it's the cheaper way to go. Buying a whole chicken is always cheaper than buying just a section of the bird. Ask your butcher to cut up the pieces for you if you don't want to handle the bird itself.
  
• You can choose white meat or dark meat, or both, but whatever you do, make sure you use skin-on bone-in pieces.
• Only cook with a wine that you would actually drink.
• Egg noodles are the traditional choice, but this would be good with new potatoes, or any other sides you want.
• Mushrooms are almost always included in this dish. I don't like mushrooms, so I've left them out. If you like them and want to include them, brown 2 cups of mushrooms after browning your other vegetables, remove the mushrooms, and then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
  

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start by cutting up 4-5 slices of bacon. Toss into your dutch oven over medium-heat, and cook until crispy and the bacon fat has all been rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Salt and pepper both sides of your chicken.

Place chicken into the bacon grease over medium-high heat, browning both sides of the chicken.


Pull chicken out, and set aside. Meanwhile, chop up a medium sized sweet onion, 3-4 celery stalks, and 3-4 large carrots. (Use more or less depending on what you like!)


Place chopped vegetables into dutch oven, and cook for a few minutes until starting to tender and onions are beginning to be translucent. Then add 4-5 cloves of chopped garlic to the vegetables and cook another minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Salt and pepper generously.

Before:

After:

Remove vegetable mixture from dutch oven, and add to chicken and bacon. Your pan will probably look like this:


No worries- all that mess is about to be scraped off the pan, and will add so much flavor to the final product! Plus, it won't be so hard to clean.


Pour red wine into pan, and using a whisk or wooden spoon (my preference) deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits. Add the chicken broth, and toss in all the other ingredients (bacon, chicken, veggies, and mushrooms if you used them), making sure the chicken is covered. If not, add a little more chicken broth. Add salt, pepper, bay leafs, and thyme sprigs right into the liquid. Cover tightly, and cook in a 250 degree oven for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, until chicken is done.


Remove bay leafs and thyme. Strain meat and vegetables, keeping the broth. Return vegetables and chicken to the dutch oven and cover to keep warm. Place broth into a pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2-3 tablespoons of flour. Whisk while the sauce simmers until sauce thickens to more of a gravy consistency. Add more flour if necessary.


So delicious! Serve over egg noodles with gravy, and enjoy. This is an extremely fragrant and flavorful dinner that would be great year-round! The chicken will literally fall off the bone. A sprinkle of chopped parsley would be wonderful right on top, but I was all out.

YUM!

I Love Lucy

Today would have been the 100th birthday of Lucille Ball. I Love Lucy has been a love of mine for probably 20 years now. I own all of the seasons, and have even collected some memorabilia, and my teenage room was painted and decorated completely with I Love Lucy. She proved that "funny" can be clean and simple. Some people don't realize that the way modern sitcoms are taped, written, and the use of live audiences, came completely from Lucy and Desi Arnaz. I hope her legacy lasts a really long time! Although every episode is really worthy, here are my 3 favorite I Love Lucy moments.

#3 - stomping the grapes, which happens to be Lucille Ball's personal favorite:




#2 - Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory




#! - Vitameatavegimen

What I'll miss from Summer 2011

Well folks, the summer is coming to a close. August is here, with is 110+ temps, and with it's arrival, the school year is just around the corner. As much as I'm trying to ignore it, that's the truth. I love teaching, don't get me wrong, but every year I dread the beginning of a new school year. This year will be particularly busy as I have 250 kids and no assistant...ugh. That's another story for another day, but this school year is going to be particularly difficult. That got me thinking what a wonderful summer it's been, and the things I'll miss!

• Spending time with my husband as a "wife". What a blessing that has been! I didn't anticipate loving married life as much as I do. After so many years together, it's been wonderful to see how God is continuing to mold us and shape us as we have joined our lives together. Sometimes the learning curve has been difficult, but oh so worth it.
  
• NYC! We had such a good time. Neither of us has taken a real vacation in so long, and it was nice to start our married life together. We loved every second of our trip, and are already planning our first anniversary trip! Ideas?
• P-Dub's Vietnamese Iced Coffee. What a lovely, and sinful treat this summer. But, it's so much cheaper than Starbucks, although I'm sure it's just as bad in calories. Recipe here. While I'm sure her regular iced coffee is divine, I just couldn't bring myself to go through all those steps when the Vietnamese version (near the bottom of the post) is terrific!
• Speaking of Pioneer Woman, I have cooked a million of her recipes this summer, and I have never been let-down. That woman can COOK!
  
• Time with my sister. She's my very best friend, and I am so sad she's moving to Houston. We get each others humor perfectly and I love the feeling of a friendship where there's absolutely no secrets between us. Complete and total honesty is a rarity. Oh, and those sweet kids are the perfect bonus!
• Lunch/movie dates with my mom. We haven't had near as many as I'd like, but I've got a pretty spectacular mom. Lunch dates never happen during the school year, so the few times we've spent together have been nice. I actually really miss wedding planning, mainly because it meant that I had lots of time with my mom.
• Summer weddings! Congrats to a very dear friend from way-back, Justin Kouba, Jeff's cousin Madeline, and my friend from college Sarah Council (Boswell). I have enjoyed celebrating with you!
• SLEEP. Nuff said.
• HP 7.2. Went and saw this at midnight with my good friend Bethany, which then made me pull out those Harry Potter books and read through them. Great ending to a wonderful series!
• Cooking! With all of my new wedding gift additions in my kitchen, cooking has been so enjoyable! My hubby says I've reached a "new level" - you will have to come eat dinner with us to see!
• Time with my puppies. Until Jeff and I start a family (which I hope is soon!) our dogs are a major joy in our lives. Baylor has finally calmed down and behaves (a major milestone) and Ben is...well, he's just Ben. He's older and crankier, but such a good dog.
• Seeing old friends. It's rare to see all of my sweet friends since we all live so far apart, but the summer makes that easier because we all have time to travel. My wedding was made all the more sweet by their attendance. Whether it's bunco night or a dinner date, I've just really enjoyed seeing them.

I hope your summer was wonderful, and filled with all the things you love to do. Mine has been filled with all kinds of blessings - I'm so thankful and grateful.

Aunt Brenda's Summer Tea

I love iced tea, and I love an Arnold Palmer (half iced tea, and half lemonade). This is a recipe based off an Arnold Palmer.

I had this tea a few summers ago at a family reunion. My Aunt Brenda (one of my most favorite people by the way) made a billion batches of this for our large family over the course of a weekend. I fell in love with it, and it has since become one of my summer staples, although it would really be great year-round.

I would like to mention here that I hate sweet tea. HATE. IT. But for some reason, this hits the spot every time.

Ingredients:
Gallon-sized tea bag
1 can frozen pink-lemonade concentrate
3/4 cup - 1 1/2 cups sugar or Splenda

Make tea according to the package, steeping for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, dump pink-lemonade concentrate into a pitcher. Pour hot tea over the pink-lemonade to help melt it, and stir until completely dissolved. Add water if needed to make a full pitcher of tea. Add sugar to taste until it's the right amount of "sweetness" for you.
**Splenda works really well, but I haven't tried other zero-calorie sweeteners. Splenda measures cup-for-cup like sugar, so be careful if you're using Truvia, or some other sweetener as it may not measure the same.

Stir together, refrigerate, and enjoy!

Kitchen Essentials

Have I mentioned I love cooking? As I've gotten better at it, I've also established my go-to kitchen tools - the things I use continually because I trust they'll work well and they make my cooking experience easier and better! If you don't have these tools, you must, you MUST! add them to your kitchen immediately.

1. Wooden spoons and spatulas
I'm starting with these because they are the easiest and cheapest thing to add to your kitchen. They are gentle on every kind of cooking pan, they come in a variety of sizes and shapes, they are stronger than any plastic kitchen utensil, and they are cheap to replace. I don't even hand-wash mine (which you are supposed to do) because it's easier to pop them in the dishwasher. The dishwasher will damage them sooner, but they are only $3-$5 to begin with, so who cares. They aren't as popular anymore because the stainless, silicone and plastic varieties have taken over, but just trust me on this one. I cook almost exclusively with these.


2. Non-slip cutting boards from Crate and Barrel
I love these! They are big enough to really have the space you need, and they don't slip on my counters! I also love the way they look and feel. They are very thin, and store well. Quit using glass cutting boards!! Regardless of how pretty they look, they are absolutely horrible for your knives. I also love my wooden cutting board, but I only use it for vegetables because it can't be disinfected in my dishwasher, and the grooves/cuts on the cutting board are susceptible to harboring bacteria.


3. Food Processor
I'm not really sure how I got by without my food processor. I use it all the time! If I'm chopping something up, grating cheese, making salsa, pesto, or pizza dough, the food processor is essential. Make sure to get at least a 10-cup or larger size, as smaller than that won't be as helpful.

4. Kitchen Tongs
I added these when I started watching Alton Brown cook. I realized how essential they were! They are great for tossing pasta into a sauce, flipping pork chops when you're pan-grilling them, giving something a stir, etc. They are simply an extension of your hands. Get something strong and sturdy, like these OXO kitchen tongs.

5. Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
Whoa - what a game changer! These miracle workers are expensive, but boy are they worth it. I've ALWAYS used a hand mixer but the difference is amazing. Not only is it so nice to be able to walk away and have your hands available to do something else, but I've found that everything from a meringue to simple whipped cream comes together so much faster. Plus, they come in a million cute colors and have lots of different attachments!


6. Meat Thermometer
This completely changed my cooking. I'm one who is always worried that my meat is going to be underdone, so as a result I was overcooking every single piece of meat I cooked. This is another Alton Brown suggestion, and as soon as I began using it all of a sudden my meals had so much more flavor. Plus, I still had a peace-of-mind knowing my food was cooked thoroughly. (Remember: under cook your meat about 5-10 degrees less than recommended, pull the meat off the heat and let the temperature continue to rise while the meat rests.) These are inexpensive, and can be found everywhere. I prefer one that has an instant digital temperature display.

7. High-Quality Dutch Oven
An enameled cast-iron dutch oven is AWESOME! They can go directly from your stove top to your oven. These are also expensive but there are high-quality versions that will cost you less than a Le Creuset. I will say, every great chef uses Le Creuset, so if you have the money then go with the best. I didn't have the money so I went with a Mario Batali version for about half the price. I have to say, I love mine!! I use it for stews, soups, and any time I want to slow cook cuts of meat for a few hours (like pot roast or pulled pork).

This is the one I have.
I will be purchasing this one as soon as I have $300 to spare. In this color - it's beautiful.

8. Slow Cooker
There are about a million different varieties of slow cookers out there, but I have found the Crock Pot brand is as good as any. I personally use a more expensive Cuisinart model, but I can't tell any difference. I'd purchase a larger capacity (6 qt) as it will be good for everything. These aren't expensive, and they are really convenient and easy. There is a misconception out there - that slow cookers are convenient, yes, but you can't get a true gourmet meal out of them. I will be sharing some slow cooker meals with you that are out-of-this-world good, and that taste fancy! In general, don't slow cook cuts of meat that aren't meant to be slow-cooked. For instance, chicken breasts aren't meant to be cooked a really long time, but pork shoulder, chuck roast, and ribs do very well!

9. Baking Stone
Calling all cookie-lovers! If you like cookies, biscuits, sheet cakes, etc., then you must get a baking stone. I can thank my sister for this one! The real joy of the baking stone is the non-stick quality and the super-even cooking. My oven is hotter near the top and near the back and this helps compensate for my average oven. Before, I was always needing to turn my baking pans to ensure even cooking or I'd have burnt cookies on half the pan, and undercooked cookies on the other half. This helps cook everything evenly, without burning the bottoms of my baked goods. Would you rather buy a new oven or a $30 baking stone? Mine is from Pampered Chef and it's great!
10. All-Purpose Chef's Knife
When I was learning to cook, one of the most frustrating things for me was chopping and cutting up vegetables, herbs, or meats. I was quite ignorant to the fact that using my cruddy knife was the reason! You don't have to purchase the most expensive knife or buy a complete set. What you DO need is a great chef's knife, as this is the knife you'll be using the most often. Don't wash it in the dishwasher and use a knife sharpener each time to use it. Try it in your hand before you purchase, as each person will like something different. I like my knife to be heavy and substantial feeling in my hand. Try this one - Wusthof Santoku Knife.

Sweet Baby James

A sweet baby will be buried tomorrow, much too soon. At only 8 months old, James Camden Sikes lost his 3 week battle with brain cancer. I have cried so many tears for this family - how quickly their life has turned upside down. Jeff and I have often read their blog, mouths open, just shocked at how suddenly their lives have changed. We have only been married 5 weeks, and in that time James was diagnosed, underwent surgeries, waited for treatment, received news that the tumor had completely grown back, and died in the arms of his mother.

Sometimes we just don't know what the Lord has for our future. Thankfully, I can rest assured that He is in complete control, even when I don't understand. I'm so thankful that James had wonderful parents who were there every step, and who also have a personal and close relationship with our Father.

Pray for them as they face a difficult day tomorrow. They will need our prayers for their future as they grieve the loss of their sweet, precious child. If you want to read more, see their blog.

www.jamescamdensikes.blogspot.com

They have also set up a foundation to raise money for the type of cancer James had. It is very rare, and treatments are just now being developed.

Honeymoon, part deux

Finishing up our honeymoon post! Jeff and I are still wishing we were there!

After our busy Thursday, we tried to take it a little easier on Friday. We strolled around the Upper East Side, seeing the wonderful shops and popping into places that looked interesting.

Dylan's Candy Bar

We bought a lot of junk at Dylan's Candy Bar- but it was such a FUN place! Every candy you could possibly imagine - I bought things like Coca-Cola gummies and Jeff stuck with classic chocolates, like peanut butter cups.

Then the skies opened up, and the only store that was possible to duck into and get an umbrella was Bloomingdale's. Although we did purchase the world's BEST umbrella, I was wishing we could have maybe snagged a $5 one in Chinatown...I guess that's just how luck would have it.

I'm not sure the pic does this umbrella justice, but look at how huge it is! This is what a $50 umbrella looks like. After an hour wait, we were finally seated at Serendipity 3. Absolutely worth it, and the hype and reputation that preceeds it was completely true.

This is what we came for- Frrrozen Hot Chocolate!!

After going home to dress up a bit, we headed out to Greenwich Village to eat at one of the best restaurants in the city - Wallse. Other than the Yankees game, this was Jeff's only other request for our trip. The restaurant is rated one of the top 10 restaurants in Manhattan, and it was easy to see why. Quaint, cozy and romantic, they specialize in Austrian food. I have never had Austrian food, so I went in a little scared!

Leaving the hotel, headed to dinner.

Loved these flowers on the table- the colors and flower combination was so pretty!

Our dinner! Mine, in front, was Wiener Schnitzel, Jeff's was Oxtail (upper left), and our sides were a potato cake, and a cucumber potato salad. This food was incredible! The best part (which I didn't get a picture of, of course) was dessert! Salzburger Nockerl, which I have to learn how to cook!

We left the restaurant, and walked around the most wonderful neighborhood. I could totally live there! Beautiful buildings, casual environment, friendly people, and so many dogs! Anyone who knows me, knows that my favorite show is FRIENDS. Really - I know the show maybe better than anyone. I watch it literally every night. Some people read to settle into bed, I watch an episode of the show. I watch all 10 seasons, and then start back over. So, when I found out that the apartment building was a few blocks away, we all but sprinted over there!


Saturday, we were very busy, visiting downtown Manhattan to see Ground Zero and Wall Street. We started the day by having delicious NYC bagels, and taking the Subway. Little did we know that the entire Subway schedule changes on the weekend, so we had a little trouble getting there but finally figured it out.

On the Subway- we were pros!

Outside of Trinity Church! Beautiful church, and very historic cemetery. And the Queen was here!

Corner of Broadway and Wall Street!

Freedom Tower going up

Memorial site at St. Paul's Cathedral. This is where the rescue workers came to get rest or a warm meal while they were at Ground Zero. I cried my way through this church, it was so emotional. That's a sign from Oklahoma that is still hanging there. Oh, and George Washington attended church here!

We went to a see Chicago that night - it was a great show! It didn't come close to Wicked, but that was mainly due to the horrible singing, dancing and acting of Christie Brinkley. Oh well, half price tickets.

Our last morning we went and ate at Balthazar, a wonderful French restaurant known for it's Sunday brunch. That was all we had time for! We headed back to the hotel, packed up, and headed back home.

What an amazing trip, and a perfect start to our marriage. We can't imagine having a better time! Not only did we learn more about each other, but it was so nice to get away from wedding stress and just focus on each other. Thanks mom for sending us on the trip of a lifetime!

Chive Risotto Cakes

Trust me when I say these will change your life. I mean CHANGE. YOUR. LIFE. This is probably one of Jeff's favorite things I make. These little things are absolutely delicious. Crunchy outside, cheesy inside, light (not to be confused with healthy), and the perfect side dish, or main dish for lunch when paired with an arugula salad.

I first saw this on Barefoot Contessa, but I was let down when I finally made them. I generally love her recipes, but these were kind of bland and needed something to make it great. So I went to experimenting until I got it right. Have fun making these!


CHIVE RISOTTO CAKES

• Make sure to chill these overnight, or for at least 8 hours. There's no way to take a short-cut, trust me - I've tried. Otherwise, the flavors won't come together, and when you're frying, they will fall apart.
• Use two spatulas when flipping these over. One to flip, one to hold together. The hardest part of this recipe is flipping!
• Chives are a very light, onion-flavored herb. Don't like onions? Neither does my husband, but he loves these.
• Arborio rice is a must for this recipe, so please don't try to substitute with whatever you've got in your pantry. Use whatever is left over to make a rice pudding!
  

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 eggs
4-5 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 1/2 cups grated Fontina cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Panko bread crumbs (Japanese dried bread flakes)
Olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-low heat and add the Arborio rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until the rice is very soft. Drain well, and rinse with cold water to cool completely.

Meanwhile, mix together the yogurt, eggs, chives, fontina, parmesan, lemon zest, salt, garlic salt, and the pepper in a medium bowl.

Add the cooled rice and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Spread the panko in a shallow dish. Heat olive oil (2-3 tablespoons) over medium heat. When oil is heated correctly it should be slightly fragrant. I use a nonstick pan just for ease of clean-up. Form small hamburger-shaped patties of the mixture. Don't over-handle, but press the mix firmly together. Place the risotto patties into the panko and coat each side with panko crumbs.

Place the patties in the hot oil and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side until the risotto cakes are crisp and nicely browned. Only flip once!! You can keep these warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes.. Continue cooking in batches, adding oil as necessary, until all the cakes are fried. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on the top before serving! Makes 8-10 risotto cakes, depending on the size.

I served these last night with green beans and lemon chicken. YUMMY!

Honeymoon - NYC, 1st half

Waiting to get on the plane!

NEW YORK CITY! Our new favorite place. Jeff and I have never been on vacation together, so the honeymoon was the perfect time! On our wedding night we went to eat at Abacus (best meal we've ever had BTW) and then stayed at the W Hotel. We were up early and got the airport by 7 to catch out flight. We were actually running late, but since we were flying first class (!) we didn't have to wait in any lines.

After our crazy cab ride, where Jeff got car sick, we arrived in Manhattan! We stayed at the Sofitel Hotel in NYC, which, coincidentally, has been all over the news because of the French IMF guy who was staying there in May. We loved it there!!! Very luxurious, and perfect location! It was amazing and we highly recommend! It was about a block or so from Times Square, but it was far enough away that we weren't bothered by the crowds and noise.

We were super busy in New York, and every day was filled with activities. We walked MILES, but it was worth every step. We saw so much!

First stop- Empire State Building! Super crowded, perhaps over-rated, but a great view none-the-less.

We had lunch with Sarah Beckham right afterwards at a cool restaurant called VNYL. I don't know why I didn't take a picture!

National History Museum- dinosaur attack!

Jeff loves this pic- I just loved how happy the dinosaur was!

The dinosaur exhibits were my favorite, Jeff preferred the Native American exhibits.

We LOVED the Upper West Side- came here for the most divine cookies at Levain Bakery. I will never be able to duplicate those wonderful cookies.

After accidentally taking the Subway to Harlem (a teensy bit scary), we made it to the Yankees game! It rained the entire time, but that couldn't stop our enthusiasm.


Doing laundry in Hell's Kitchen- random! A kid tried to steal Jeff's gum, and the Chinese food delivery guy couldn't find the address. We had a good laugh about this adventure!

TODAY SHOW! One of the highlights of the trip for me...not Jeff perhaps! But we made it on TV! Jim Carey was there that day, but we only saw him from a distance. I was hoping to meet Matt Lauer or get interviewed by Al (who wasn't there that day). It was still totally worth it!


Empire State Building behind us- we are at the Top of the Rock. Much better view than ESB, which surprised us!

St. Patrick's Cathedral- with the wonderful organ behind us. This place was stunning. We sat, held hands, and prayed for our marriage together. I'll never forget this.

Jeff's first musical EVER, and we couldn't have picked a better one. WICKED! We were on the 3rd row, it was incredible.

Jeff loves musicals now!

Carmine's in Times Square after the show.

We had such a blast! 2nd half coming soon!