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!

Cooking!

First, let me say that I never thought I would be blogging and sharing advice on cooking. The truth is, I've only recently been a "good" cook. It all started last summer...

When I was off for the summer of 2010, I told Jeff that I would take over cooking for the summer, since I had the time and Jeff was working. Before that, we had shared cooking duties. I had about 6 meals I rotated through, with a few variations...none of which were that great. After a few days in charge I think I had cooked grilled chicken and taco soup. Exciting, right? The third day I made chili dogs...my husband (boyfriend then) wasn't excited about where this was going. In a sarcastic moment he said, "What's next? Fish sticks?" After a second of wanting to slap him, it occurred to me, "I think he's right..." And then my next thought was, "I'll show him!"

So, I began my summer of cooking. I was determined to learn how to cook, and to cook gourmet, fancy meals. I didn't intend to have a Julie & Julia project, but I did cook about 150 new recipes that summer. Practice, practice, practice. One thing I was always able to do was follow a recipe, and that's all I needed.

As the school year started, I kept cooking - even though they weren't always as elaborate as the summer had been. Whole Foods became my new obsession for their quality, variety of produce, fresh meat selection, and the ability to find every weird ingredient I needed. Gradually, I stopped needing to measure, and began to get the ability to improvise because I was learning what tasted good together. Fresh herbs and vegetables filled my fridge, instead of dried spices and canned goods. I studied the correct way to chop and use a knife, added cooking appliances and tools that I had never used before, and purchased a good grill. We stopped eating out at restaurants because, frankly, I could cook better. And before I realized it, I was really enjoying myself in the kitchen, and I would spend every Sunday afternoon scouring the internet for recipes from various food websites and blogs, planning my meals for the week.

I have probably cooked somewhere between 400-500 new recipes in the last year, and it has really been fun! I rarely repeat a recipe, unless it is a real favorite. So, I thought maybe I could share some of these recipes with you, and maybe help you, too!

So...here is the first recipe I'll share with you. I found this recipe in a cookbook that I received at a wedding shower, and I modified it a little bit.

LEMON ICEBOX PIE

This is a perfect summer dessert. It's easy to make, and not at all heavy. Citrus desserts are always my favorite! A few pointers:

• Always use fresh lemon juice- tastes better and no preservatives!
• Use a stand mixer if you have one for making the meringue, it'll take you half the time.
• This crust could easily be modified with a different kind of nut (walnuts, etc)- experiment with your favorite! Pecans happen to be my favorite, so that's what I used.
• Don't handle/stir the meringue too much. This will deflate the meringue of the air inside, getting rid of the fluffy texture. Also, don't make this when it's extremely humid (raining outside) as meringues attract moisture, and this will also deflate it.
• Because of the meringue, this type of dessert is best served within 24 hours of making.
  

Ingredients:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup ground pecans
1 stick butter, melted
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pulse in a food processor graham crackers until they are crumbs. Pour into a bowl. Pulse pecans until they are crumbs, and add to the graham cracker crumbs. Melt butter on stove and add to crumb mixture. Mix well, and press into a greased 9 inch pie plate.

In a large bowl, beat condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest until it begins to thicken. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.

Using a stand mixer, beat egg whites until they become frothy. Gradually beat in sugar and cream of tartar until peaks are stiff.
*Peaks are stiff when you lift the mixer paddle/beaters up, and the "mountain" peaks stand straight up. Soft peaks will fold over and keep falling. Keep going!

Gently place meringue on top of lemon filling. Bake in preheated oven for 8-11 minutes, until the meringue is lightly brown. Chill in your fridge for several hours, allowing the pie filling to set and cool.

Please excuse the iPhone photo above. My iPhone is always handy, but the quality is never great! I'll try to be like The Pioneer Woman and take pictures of the cooking process. Have you checked out her blog? It's awesome!

We're Married!

As I embark on this blogging adventure, it's only fitting that I start with our marriage! Nearly a month ago, on June 11, we started our married life together. It has been the most wonderful time of my life. What a gift marriage is! After 8 years together, I thought I knew how our married life would feel, but I have been so surprised! I am STILL learning things about him, and I had no idea how much joy I would feel just saying "husband." I am thankful that God has given us this gift, and even more thankful that he chose Jeff for me!

Here are a few candid pics from the wedding- I haven't gotten back the professional photos, but when I do I'll be sharing them!

Sweet Grandparents

Mr. and Mrs. Davis leaving the Arboretum

Our families

The cakes! Notice the Paris, TX Eiffel Tower