Anne Taintor love

I really love Anne Taintor's humorous vintage products. She cracks me up to no end. And while I am a Yale fan, she IS a Harvard grad. Props to her! Here are some of my most recent finds on Google Image:


"I dreamed my whole house was clean..."



"Why do dishes when you can do daiquiris?"



"Make your own damn dinner."



"Honey, you couldn't handle half of me."



"I'm so happy it's happy hour."


And the funniest one I found - not for the faint of heart:


"...and best of all is the matching thong."

Aren't they hilarious? Looooooove them! Meanwhile, I am working on a great entry on a very well-known fallen woman in the C'ville area... woohoo!

All images property of Anne Taintor

Bialetti Hot Chocolate Maker

This gift, the Bialetti Hot Chocolate Maker, is one of the ones I received this Christmas. I have not taken it out of the box yet - snowed in at the parentals - but I cannot wait! M purchased it for me, and it is a very thoughtful gift so then I don't spend a ton of money at Starbucks buying Venti Peppermint Hot Chocolate, no Whip, Whole Milk.

One of the many reasons I love Williams-Sonoma, how-to videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbyxZP8jc8c

(W-S is lame, however, by disabling embedding videos!! BOO)


[photo by http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/]

Places in Paris, like salons de thé "Angelina's", serve their hot chocolate with low-fat milk in it. I normally drink whole milk, but I may get a jar of 2% milk for this product as it is designed (I think) for the lower-fat content of other milks.


[photo by http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/]

At Angelina's, you order a hot chocolat and they serve it to you in a pitcher with a tea cup. Next to that is a bowl of fresh whipped creme and a glass of ice water to cleanse your palate of the richness.



As an unexpected surprise, My Grandmama and Grandpapa gave me the Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Hot Chocolate shavings as well, so I am ready to go with setting this baby up when I get back to the house in a few days! They did not know M was purchasing this item for me, small world.

As Williams-Sonoma writes:
* Our peppermint version adds triple-distilled natural peppermint oil for the cool, clean taste of fresh mint.

* We've chosen an artisanal bittersweet chocolate by Guittard, San Francisco chocolate makers since the 19th century.

HEAVEN!!!

My Christmas Wishlist

Me at Christmas around 1994. This photo was taken at my Grandmama/Grandpapa's house on Jackson Avenue in Lexington, VA. LOVE my skirt! ha!


In my family, as there are so many of us, we have to write a list every year. It gets given to the significant other and the parents are both CC:d on the email. Basically, this list is done so there is no possible duplication of gifts. I was surprised to learn as I grew up that I had many friends who never did a list! Imagine my surprise! Wow!

Anyway, I am one of those people who always asks for books. I think books are the one amendment to the rule on not re-gifting. You can re-gift a book, or give a used book, and it is just as good as a brand new one. You are being good to the Earth, and what if the book is something perfect for a friend or family member. Obviously, I normally own up to it being "used" or whatever, and give another gift to even things out a bit, but I never see why that is wrong, right? [Although if the book smells like cigarettes, or you are giving a book to a germaphobe, then things may want to be adjusted on a case-by-case basis! ha!]

The following items are some of the many things on my wish list this year. These are normally guidelines for family who just don't know what to get me, so these are normally a list of want/needs:

The Cricut Expression. It is an expensive item, but I know with my jewelry-making, scrap-booking and other heart-friendly activities that I would use the heck out of this item. It looks like something way more entertaining and time-saving in comparison to my current trace-and-cut methods for items! Plus, I see it as ideal for things like designing attractive boxes for presentation (i.e. a pair of earrings I designed, etc.).



The Conair I-series Ionic hair dryer. Yes, it is a pink hairdryer! However, it is an ionic hairdryer which is way more forgiving on my thin, baby-fine hair. It can take my hair 5 hours to air dry, literally. This hair dryer should help me figure out how to style my hair now that it is to my belly-button. I am running out of ideas and I really don't want to chop it off, yet!



One of the most controversial films of its time (the glove strip-tease scene), Gilda is an American film classic. I love this movie and the music, the dancing and Rita Hayworth! I have been compared to her (hello, super compliment) and I just love her as such a vivacious character in this film!



Trailer for Gilda, a Columbia Pictures film:



From Williams-Sonoma, I asked for the long stainless steel All-Clad ladle. I make lots of stocks from scratch in a big tall stock pot, as well as making lots of soups and stews in the winter, so I would get a lot of wear out of this kitchen piece.



I love a specific product from Origins, called Clear Improvement. It is a fantastic mask that I can rely on to completely resurface my face and neck to baby-soft cleanliness. It uses charcoal, white Chinese clay and other ingredients to completely clear my pores out. Love. Love. Love!



As I began my entry, I mentioned books. I asked for several this year for Christmas, but here are a few of my favorites:

The 1982 edition of Martha Stewart's Entertaining:


The Woman's Guide to Law School by Linda Hirshman:


and, the book Pinstripes and Pearls: The Women of the Harvard Law Class of 1964 by Judith Hope:



What did you ask for for Christmas?

Quick Grilled Pizza from Cook's Country magazine

My blogging colleague, Hopsy @ Kappa Prep, and a new friend, Wears With Heels saw me post my dinner on Twitter and wanted the recipe, so here is my information on it!



Tonight, M and I each got to have our own 12-ish" pizzas, based off of recipes for dough and sauce, from Cook's Country magazine (the same people who do America's Test Kitchen on PBS on Saturdays). The issue is their August/September 2010 edition, which may still be on newsstands (I always see it most prominently displayed at Whole Foods), but we subscribe to it.



This recipe says the dough makes 4 nine-inch pizzas... but we like our dough a little on the thick side so keep that in mind.

Sauce:
2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes. We like the brand San Marzano, or Cento if we are in a bind.
2 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons of EVOO
2 minced garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon of salt (not sea-salt, unless ground up finely)

Pizza:
about 2.5 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup of water, at 110 degrees
1 tablespoon of EVOO, plus extra set aside to brush dough on the grill (we use a silicone brush when brushing dough since it is so sticky at first)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 envelope of rapid-rise, or instant, yeast (1 envelope = 2 1/4 teaspoons). We tend to use Fleischmanns. Also, make sure the date on it is good, otherwise it is a waste!
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of salt (not sea-salt, unless ground up finely)
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese


1. Make sauce: combine tomatoes, basil, oil, garlic, and salt in medium bowl. We like to place it in a small saucepan on the lowest setting to warm it up.

2. Prepare dough: Whisk water, 1 tablespoon of EVOO, sugar, yeast in large liquid measuring cup. Let it sit 5 minutes (this prevents the need to use baking powder, lightens the crust and prevents dough from being gritty). Pulse flour, Parmesan, and salt in food processor until combined. With machine running, slowly pour in the water mixture and process until dough starts to pull away from the sides and forms a shaggy/hairy ball (normally takes us about 1.5 minutes). If your dough is coming off sticky, gradually add flour in. Flour a clean work surface and take out the dough, kneading it 3-4 times until it becomes cohesive.

3. Shape pizza: Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour. Wax paper is okay, but know that the dough will stick to it if not floured enough!!! Divide dough into 4 equal pieces (M and I did, again, two pieces). Work with one dough piece at a time, using a rolling pin, pressing dough into a small circle, and stretch out. Transfer to a baking sheet and dust with flour. Repeat with each dough piece, and you can just stack them on top of each other, divided by the floured paper.

4. Heat grill: Meanwhile, heat your coals. Or turn on your gas grill. We use a classic charcoal Weber dome grill. Just be sure to set your grate in place, and heat your grill -covered- with lid vent open completely for 5 minutes. You want there to be a cool spot on the grill and a hot spot for cooking. Also, be sure to scrape and oil cooking grate so dough doesn't develop burn marks too charred, and prevent sticking.

5. Grill pizza: Brush tops of dough lightly with EVOO. Peel off of parchment and place, oiled side down, onto the cool side of the grill. Grill pizza covered until sides are spotted with a golden brown, which may be easily found by lifting the sides and finding firmness with your tongs. The tops may develop bubbles, which is normal, but be sure to poke the larger bubbles (but not enough to tear all the way through the dough!!). Brush the uncooked side facing up with EVOO and flip with tongs. Top each with sauce to taste, and the mozzarella cheese. If you want additional garlic like I do, this is where I added it. I added the sauce, then the crushed garlic, then the cheese. Cook for at least 1.5-2 minutes. At this point, feel free to move pizza over to the cool side while adding your toppings. Then you can move it to the hot side to crisp up to taste.

Enjoy!

Tips from our experience:

*It is better to have a thicker pizza than a thin pizza when grilling. You can completely destroy a pizza in less than a minute if it was too thin when placed on the grill. Likewise with fire temperature. If cooking with coals, feel free to cook down the coals to a fine gray ash on the tops of them.

*M likes Boar's Head pepperoni, which comes in 6-ounce containers. He got about 3 ounces on his pizza, because he likes to layer the edges together.

*Don't move the dough until it starts to firm up on the grill, or it will tear, and then you have to deal with charring.

*I kept my pizza dough warm in the microwave. But for a crisp crust, a warmed oven may be a better bet.

*Make sure you have a plate, platter, or cookie sheet to set a finished pizza on while outside grilling, otherwise you may burn it just by running in to grab something!

*I enjoy my pizza with prosciutto, pineapple, crushed garlic, bacon leftover from this morning's brunch, oregano and heirloom tomatoes.

Tequila and Limes

I so love margaritas. This summer, with Michael and I being all over the place, the best thing at the end of the day was to head home and make a tasty margarita. However, my "sin" of the summer was this: no margarita glasses. My personal goal is to really get a nice classy bar going. For now, the display case I inherited from my mother (made of maple, needs to be refinished for the dining room, but currently has a nice shabby-chic look to it - do I need to post a picture of it?) has our "nice things that can't sit out" at this time. For example, plain glass champagne flutes from my Grandmama, cut glass wine goblets, a cute polka-dot chip dip holder, my sterling silver wine stopper and plate, etc, are all in there. Oh, and PBF's pilsners, etc. ANYWAY, on to my wish list:



Recycled glass & a great price! How fabulous is that? It reminds me of the old glass bottled Cokes I could buy in the Pruden basement at Chatham Hall. Yay!



I am happy to have tried Grand Marnier in my margarita, as a bartender at a hotel I was at this summer served it with a citrus mix, yum! Then again, I was like 3 cocktails in so it may not have been so great if I was having it as my first drink, not too sure.



From my experience, you have to add this winner to make it a true Mexico margarita, with Patron of course... It is made by Patron, but it is also without any added fillers or flavors, so it's really lush and fruity but not as syrup-y as Grand Marnier (in my opinion)... but this is a great addition of more orange if you want - which may be prefereable, depending on if you use the traditional Key Lime with tequila (which has a yellower juice) or the regular lime which is more obvious in how green it is!




Lastly, the bar tool set. How the hell PBF and I have survived without one of these babies is completely shocking to me. We need to have one, pronto!! This one is the Faces Bar Tool Set from Williams-Sonoma. It is a 8 piece set and fantastic: ice bucket, storage rack (removeable), jigger, strainer, tongs, stirrer, bar knife, and bottle opener. I keep going back to it, hoping Mike will splurge on it for me, but, of course, he would rather buy me dinner out and a bottle of Chanel Coco Madmoiselle instead (like last weekend). It retails at $99 on their website.




Oh! And a shaker. Duh. Here is a great one I have been eyeing for months!! Again, Williams-Sonoma. Guess you guys know where some of my registry will be when I finally get engaged!! It retails for $32.

Outer Banks weekend Getaway!

Hey y'all, well, Michael and I are back, sadly enough, from the Banks. We agreed that we didn't want to leave... As background, my grandparents had a house down here from about 1989-2003, so I essentially grew up on the Banks part-time from when I was a baby to the summer I started college, so it is a huge part of my life. And I was ecstatic when Michael told me he got us a room at The Sanderling resort for our long weekend getaway!

Sunset on the Soundside (for those not in the know, Soundside means the side of the Outer Banks's barrier islands, which looks back towards the Mainland of Currituck County, NC, over the Currituck Sound) from the North Inn, where we stayed (quieter), from the 2nd floor balcony:


The North Inn is essentially an unconnected wing off of the Main Inn of the hotel, built around the same time the Main Inn was built, in 1988-1989. The North Inn has two floors and two wings, which meet in the middle on this community area, which includes a game table (with daily papers), fireplace, and often tea or coffee during certain points in the day. This is a picture of the community area...


We ate dinner at Ocean Boulevard and Blue Point. We ate at OB on the 13th, and had seats at the Chef's table. I chose the pre-Valentine's Day special tasting menu - it was amazing.

My first course was an amuse bouche - with a lovely wine pairing, and it had two items on it, a goat cheese and strawberry dallop of yumminess with creme fraiche on a yummy shortbread cookie... and a smoked salmon cheesecake square.

My salad course had baby greens, two toasted pieces of baguette, two chunks of baked brie cheese, a raspberry-balsamic vinaigrette, candied grapes, CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS (Muffy, I know at least will love that!!), and toasted almond slices. It was amazing. Here is a picture:


My entree was the sea scallops, which included a swirl of pesto around the plate, a large grilled portabello mushroom, a tomato-herb salsa (not spicy though, and they called it puree although it was chunky), a large folded piece of roasted garlic and ricotta jumbo ravioli, a dozen small fried calamari, and the sea scallops:


My desert was the dark chocolate pot de creme with some heart-shaped peppermint shortbread cookies - yummy!!:


After that, Michael and I went back to our hotel and relaxed in the room with the door propped open so we could listen to the waves break on the beach over the dunes from our room, which was amazing. The scent in the winter of the ocean is so intoxicating... isn't it?

Post on All Things Christmas

So... I couldn't find an EXACT copy of my Christmas card - but here is a similar one - Mike and I had fun filling them out together this year - not done yet - he just happened to use MOST of them so now I need to find some still-cute ones tonight after my final! Jeez!


Our Federal Building had it's Christmas Party last Friday. I know lots of people have cancelled their parties this year due to the climate - but ours has always been at one of the judge's homes and mostly everyone brings one dish. This year I baked both my favorite sugar cookie recipe from a local chef who is a family friend ...

Oh Christmas Tree...



Preppy Gingerbread Man - blue golfing pants polka dotted shirt -


Mike's conservative (TYPICAL!!) snowman:


My MRS. Bill (oh no!!):



and I also did a Giada De Laurentiis recipe - although I fear I used a bit too much mint in my love of mint for the other people eating the food. However, they did go quickly - didn't sell out completely - but they were munched on by at least a dozen or more diners... PLUS, Mike HATES peas, but loved this one. haha

Sweet Pea Crostini:
Ingredients
Sweet Peas:
2 cups chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen peas
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 ounces finely diced prosciutto
Crostini:
1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
3 to 4 cloves garlic
Directions
For the Sweet Peas: Warm the chicken broth and red pepper flakes in a medium

saucepan over medium-high heat until the broth boils. Add the frozen peas and cook until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the peas in a mesh sieve.

Place the peas in a food processor with the mint, salt, and pepper. Puree the pea mixture. Place the pea puree in a medium bowl and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the crostini: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the baguette slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the oven until toasted and golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. While the crostini are still warm, drizzle the tops with extra-virgin olive oil. Using a whole clove of garlic in your fingertips, rub the top of the crostini a few times to give a hint of garlic.

I do not put the cream in - it is fluffy and dense enough as it is, and I think it just adds fat to the dish.... I DO get generous with the proscuitto though... To finish, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the pea puree. Top each of the crostini with about 1 tablespoon of pea puree. Sprinkle with a bit of the diced prosciutto. Serve immediately.


Talk about LAME - now, I love Lowes - my Daddy works there as a pre-retirement job (and he can hang out with lots of people we know and get them to buy from him, among other benefits! ha!) and so Mike and I wanted to go there to get a tree to support Daddy. WELL, guess what? Lowe's delivered their Christmas trees to their stores BEFORE EVEN THANKSGIVING. Soooo when people like Mike and I were wanting to buy a REAL tree and a cast-iron tree stand, there was NOTHING left. Whether it was a fresh tree - while there were some they were either tiny or too tall (for our lame-ass townhome)! or a nice tree stand (who the heck puts a 6.5 foot tree into a plastic tree stand)? So we sadly wandered into the building to look at fake trees - neither of us has EVER had a fake tree before - but the more expensive ones were nice. We picked out this baby:



And when we went to check out - it was only $90! 50% off! Yay! We were very excited. And you know what? It looks nice!! I will post pictures of it soon with all of the presents around it.

<3

Catch up

I need to do a big catch-up post soon.

I ordered an adorable belt from Calista Cove last week and I need to post a picture and review of it!

I got two belts from Puttin on the G.R.I.T.S that I bought from here - so cute!

Went to the hospital. Got diagnosed. Now the fun part begins.

Cooked Mike Chili-Mac Stoup by Rachel Ray and a classic Gourmet recipe of Beef Stroganoff that I need to post!

My current school situation - Macon or JSR for another semester and THEN Macon?

Work.

I appreciate food

Same deal as before. Bold if eaten, Strike out if you'll never eat it.

1. New York pizza
2. Hoppin' John
3. New Mexico green chile
4. Homemade buttermilk biscuits
5. Tasso
6. Whole Maine lobster
7. Calabash-style shrimp and hushpuppies
8. Kansas City barbecue ribs
9. Hot glazed Krispy Kreme
10. San Diego fish tacos
11. Cheese curds
12. Key lime pie
13. Philly cheese steak
14. Memphis pork barbecue sandwich
15. Lowcountry boil
16. Huckleberry pie
17. New England clam chowder
18. Boiled peanuts
19. Buffalo (Bison) burger
20. Eggs Benedict
21. Pastrami on rye
22. Corned beef and cabbage
23. Pancakes with maple syrup
24. Everything bagel with cream cheese and tomato
25. Thin Mints
26. Frito pie
27. Potato knish with mustard
28. Silver Queen corn on the cob
29. Soft pretzel from a street cart
30. Fresh-picked blueberries
31. Sourwood honey
32. State fair funnel cake
33. Chesapeake crab cakes
34. Candied yams
35. Oyster dressing
36. Snow cone or snowball
37. Wild Alaskan salmon
38. Sautéed more
39. Persimmon pudding
40. General Tso's Chicken
41. Frozen custard
42. Italian sausage with peppers and onions on a hoagie bun
43. Chili dogs
44. Buffalo wings with blue cheese
45. Spam musubi (This is like a sushi made with Spam)
46. Saltwater taffy
47. Fluffernutter sandwich on Wonder Bread
48. Black and white cookie (Oreo?)
49. Frybread
50. BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon
51. Baked beans
52. Pumpkin pie
53. Collards with vinegar and Tabasco
54. Tex-Mex fajitas with skirt steak and sautéed peppers
55. Fried green tomatoes
56. Succotash57. Shrimp and grits
58. Hot water cornbread
59. Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions
60. Chicken fried steak
61. Carnitas burrito
62. Apple butter
63. Geoduck (pronounced: Gooey-duck)
64. Soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate shell
65. Pecan pie
66. Catfish supper at a church or fire station
67. Oysters Rockefeller
68. Homemade cranberry sauce
69. Pimento cheese
70. MoonPie washed down with R.C. Cola
71. Pickled watermelon rind
72. Cracker Jacks at the ball game
73. Smithfield ham
74. Meatloaf and mashed potato blue plate special at diner
75. Chicken and waffles
76. Po'Boy with many napkins
77. Green bean casserole with French's fried onions
78. Stuffed sopaipillas (I miss Chatham Hall...)
79. Turducken
80. Shad roe on toast
81. Sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows
82. Cioppino
83. New York cheesecake
84. Pan-fried river trout
85. Jambalaya
86. North Carolina pig pickin'
87. California rolls
88. Burgoo
89. Penuche fudge
90. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich
91. Scrapple or livermush
92. Elk medallions in red wine reduction (I love the Greenbrier Resort)
93. Muscadine grapes
94. Cheeseburger at backyard barbecue
95. Open-face turkey sandwich
96. Chicago deep dish pizza
97. Cobb salad
98. Peach pie a la mode
99. Macaroni and cheese
100. Root beer float



TOTAL

Eaten: 77
Won't Eat/Try: None
Left to eat: 23

Weekend

The weekend I just had was uneventful, to say the least!

Friday night Mike and I just lazed around, which is always good, and I did a good bit of studying while drinking some wine and not accomplishing as much as I'd like.

Saturday was a little bit more of the same, except we went to Short Pump in the early afternoon, saw the ultimate cheesy-sad movie, Nights in Rodanthe, and then went shopping at the Ukrops by the theater.

Nights in Rodanthe, impressively enough, was a lot like the book, except for the part about her father, and the time-span. But other than that, it was great and cheesy and depressing, and made me miss the beach that much more. I think Mike now gets why I <3 OBX, esp. the lower islands via ferry and then way north by Corolla.

I love Ukrops.
We bought maybe a bag worth of stuff and then a big 16-pack of San Pellegrino (I am TRYING TO QUIT SODA BUT IT IS VERY HARD TO DO) and yet the bag boy still insisted on walking the 5/6th empty shopping cart with us to Mike's purple truck. Go figure. It was funny/awkward. Especially when we forgot where we parked. HA! But I do love Ukrops. I may need to stop by there tonight for some sushi before class because I was tres hungry when I got to class last week. We shall see if I get stuck in traffic.

School is school. I have been beating my demons of the past lately. It is hard to get into the groove and keep at it. It's been really tough, to be honest. I have no idea why, it's just school. I guess because I am working 40-50 hrs a week and then having a 2 hour class with a 1 hour drive from work it really burns me out. Yuck.

Back to work, woobeedoo!

Friday

I got tagged by Beaufort Belle!

7 Random/Weird Facts:

1. My eyes change colors. They regularly go from green to blue so much that I've had people at the DMV try to change that listed on my license!

2. I am going to re-enroll at my alma mater to finish my Bachelor's Degree this fall (R-MC).

3. I attended Camp Seafarer on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina!

4. I am a serious cook. I am incredibly good at cooking, and I will not hesistate to brag about my abilities. I have the High Country cooking of my Worthington/Brandt family lines, the Low Country of my Jones lines, the French of my Van Cleef lines, and the Appalachian of my Robinson and Proctor sides, and my Vuhginyuh Jefferson and Madison too. I have already about 12 cookbooks and I'm not even married yet! I am obsessed with cooking.

5. I cannot WAIT to get married. I have my patterns already picked out: Vera Wang Gilded Leaf Bone for Sunday supper and guests over formal, Royal Doulton Tennyson for holiday formal, for crystal the same as my parents Waterford Lismore, the Herend Rothschild Bird like my Grandmama's which I would use as Serving Ware/Tea sets, and my parents have Tiffany Hampton for silverware, I do like the Tiffany Audubon more, but I also like the Hampton.

6. I had a Livejournal but I don't really use it anymore.

7. I have a golden retriever named Lovely Lady of Lexington. ha.

Thursday...

Today is going to be busy, I can just feel it. I can also feel it in my gut that I may not be here tomorrow - not feeling too well. Throat feels swollen, head has been hurting steadily the past two days, felt really dizzy so I didn't go to class last night, and I strained my rotator cuff/left shoulder in the past week. Ugh.

So, I woke up this morning and it was SOOO COLD. VERY VERY COLD. Like, October cold. And readers, I live in Virginia! So I had to bundle up this AM. This weather inspired my Fall-chic outfit for this AM:

Okay, so since I have never done a polyvore thingy before I will just say that straight out. Then I will tell you what my outfit is like in a list and then I will add my outfit on below it:

Pink vintage Hermes scarf (close to this, but not quite).
Cobalt Maria trench from Delias.
Miu Miu slingback pumps
Madison Nappa Coach watch from Michael.
(mine is actually yellow gold) Claddagh ring from Michael.
JCrew sanddollar necklace.
Ann Taylor Loft Grey crewneck cardigan.
LAMB houndstooth pant (no, my belly is not exposed!!)
Belk (a southern department store) scoop-neck tank like this Old Navy one.




Last night for dinner Michael and I had freshly-made Chicken and Proscuitto ravioli pasta. It is from a place in town called Mona Lisa Pasta. We love their stuff. Incredible quality. To really delight our tastebuds, our chef friend Kane taught us how to boil them in hot water, then saute them with freshly cracked black pepper and coarse sea salt in the skillet.


The stuff is so yuuuummmmyy! It's a wonderful treat for $8.95/lb. They also have a ton of tasty ones, including - for Muffy!! - PUMPKIN!!
[Pumpkin $7.95/lb
Filled with pumpkin, shallots, sherry wine, mascarpone cheese and Amaretti cookies]

That is definitely a dessert ravioli! Anyway, we love them and get our pasta from them, because it is often the same price, but way fresh and tastier, than our dried, store-bought at the Teeter, organic whole-wheat pasta!

I had our dinner with one of my fave Virginia wines, from Barboursville Vineyards, the Rose vintage.


Mike is a beer kind of man (too much liquor while in the Army.. I am still working on his wine tastes!! He loves meat, so I don't know why he hasn't gotten into )wine yet! So Mike has been drinking this stuff:


He is a Sam Adams beer FREAK! I think I may - when we both aren't going to a wedding each month, etc, fly up to Boston for a weekend, stay at the old Swissotel/Hyatt Regency in downtown Boston, and go to the Sam Adams brewery. I think my man would love that!

I'm back!

Okay, well, now that I am mentally recovered from losing a music idol who I had grown up with knowing well, I am back on track...

Recently went shopping with Mike to Short Pump mall, LOVE my subscription to Lucky because it includes those delish coupons from stores - got to use my Ann Taylor LOFT ones so here is the loot I got:



Striped Ruffle-Button-Down Shirt. $46.00
Hello I want to follow the "ruffle" trend of Fall without looking like a pirate!! and continuing my classic-preppy-with-an-edge style. This does it perfectly with it's wide, delicate ruffle down the front and around the collar, long classic dress shirt sleeves, and narrow, miniscule pinstripe pattern! Yay!




Crewneck Cardigan. $39.50.
I mostly bought this cardigan because I really enjoyed the style, found it significantly comfortable (I'm a 32D bra so I hate the buttons pulling look), and found it incredibly soft. I love the kind-of pearl polish of the buttons! It is great to layer with and have worn it 2x now, so I am thinking I may go back and buy it in a few more colors. I have it in grey, but it also comes in red, pink, orange, yellow, green, black and brown!


Michael and I are still doing faboo. We are big into staying-at-home-cooking-and-drinking routine. It's mostly because he works, yes, in the same building as me, but we maybe see each other once a workday. Also, he has a parking spot in the building, unlike me, so we cannot ride into work together (prohibited by federal regulations for his position), he trains 3x a week - Monday, Weds, and now Fridays and sometimes even Saturdays.
If I haven't explained it before, Mike is a purple belt in Jiu-jitsu from a Gracie school, has studied Muay Thai, and participates occasionally in Jiu-jitsu or MMA tournaments. He is incredibly skilled and regimental in his training from his military background and you wouldn't know it if you looked at him. I mean, you look at him and see him as a law enforcement guy, but you wouldn't be able to tell that he could break you in half. ha.

Anyway, so we like to spend time at home just cooking and hanging out. Especially now that I have started Paralegal School! Woohoo! So I am doing that 2 nights a week in Richmond and loving it. The classes are great and so are the teachers. I am really glad I chose this program to further my job prospects, etc. It's nice being back in a program where I am one of the "smart kids". I think there is no reason I shouldn't get an A in pretty much every class I take! I should be done with the degree in Spring of 2010!

Back to cooking:

Here is a recipe Michael made for me one night:

My Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Breasts, published in Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup milk
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
Salt and pepper
One 12-ounce bag whole grain pretzels
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 large eggs
2 pounds of chicken breasts (4 smalls ones is easier but 2 large pieces worked fine for Mike and I)
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Directions
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisck in the flour and cook for 1minute, then whisk in the chicken broth and milk. When the milk begins to bubble, stir in the cheese and mustard. Season the sauce with salt and pepper; remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
2.Preheat the oven to 250F. Using a food processor, finely grind the pretzels. Transfer to a shallow bowl and add the thyme. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Coat the chicken with the pretzel crumbs, then the egg, then the pretzel crumbs again.
3.In a large skillet, heat ½ cup olive oil over medium heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches, turning, until firm, about 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels; keep warm on a baking sheet in the oven.

Yummy!


Here is a recipe I did the other night when it was an unexpected 66 degrees outside and raining!! PERFECT for when it gets to be cooler. I think Mike would've enjoyed it more with a beer (the flavor is a bit dull, like Chinese dumplings?)

RICOTTA GNUDI IN PARMESAN BROTH
from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis
nude. That's the translation of gnudi, which describes this pasta filling without the pasta wrapper.

PARMESAN BROTH
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

RICOTTA GNUDI
21/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese (I used 3 cups because I thought it needed more cheesiness)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 egg white
2 ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh flatleaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus 1 cup for dredging

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the broth has reduced to 4 cups, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the gnudi. Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer over high heat. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, egg white, prosciutto, parsley, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly. When the water is simmering and ready, stir the flour into the ricotta mixture. (It is important not to add the flour too soon; otherwise they will become dense and gummy, not light.)
Shape the gnudi using two large soup spoons; scoop up a large spoonful of ricotta mixture into one spoon, then onto the other spoon and back again, forming a three-sided oval. Drop the gnudi into the dredging flour. Form another 8 or 9 gnudi at a time, dredge in flour on all sides, and tap off the excess.
Slide the formed gnudi into the simmering water, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Remove the gnudi using a slotted spoon after they have floated to the top and have cooked for about 4 minutes total.
While the gnudi cook, create another batch of gnudi and dredge them in flour. Continue cooking and forming gnudi, transferring the cooked gnudi to a platter in a single layer, until you have used all the ricotta mixture.
Divide the gnudi among the serving bowls. Pour the reduced broth over the gnudi. Sprinkle with a pinch of the pepper and a spoonful of grated Parmesan and serve.


Relationships. Well, things have been rather fantastic for me lately, although I have still been having a hard time making time to spend with GFs and BFFs, etc. I am trying really hard to prioritize. I make sure to phone visit with both of my parents at LEAST once a week, even just send a quick text, email, or voicemail to a GF/BFF who I haven't seen a while but miss a ton, and keep work and school balanced. Shwew! I am doing all I can to not wipe out! But it is all worth it, I like being busy, I like having responsibilities. I just bought tickets on pre-sale to see Nine Inch Nails (I know, weird for me, right?) with my friend Emily (if she can't go I will likely invite Isabel!) in November, and Isabel and I are thinking we may do First Fridays around town with all of the galleries after work tomorrow. It is pretty fantastico, if you ask me!

I never thought I would get where I am with Michael, mostly because I was so far involved with Adam and so interested in John. Weird how things turn out, but definitely for the best. I know I have said it a dozen times but it still rings true!! Everyday I am grateful for the things I chose to do or not do, so I was able to get here and start my relationship with Michael. : )

On to more trivial things:

Gossip Girl was ehh. I loved the clothing as usual, adored Blair's poolside retro-glam bathing suit, and loved the new slang "motherChucker" and "Basshole", and was glam things were so cheesy for the end of the Season Premiere. But I hope things get better, because this "I am a Lord" bit is kind-of random and I don't want Season 2 of GG to be like Season 3 of The O.C. (weird, random, and WTF with all of the excess drama).

The Hills. Okay, lets actually have a storyline on Heidi and Spencer if you are going to include them. Come onnnn. And the Whitney storyline is just as disjointed. Can we please have some coverage of Lo not being a huge bitch and Audrina not being slung around like a purse. And Stephanie is so fugly. What was her problem back in the day? Her face tells me it may have been meth, because she just doesn't seem happy unless she is COVERED in makeup. Good golly.

90210. Didn't see it. Hello, RNC to watch.

GREEK! So glad the show is back. I am totally addicted. And I love how accurate all the Greek-i-ness is. It's quite adorable, but I really wish Casey would stop getting screwed over. Cappie and Rebecca still weird me out, but I can handle it when Rebecca isn't being too nice or too obnoxious. I like her natural bitchy self!

My Grandmama's family recipe

Southern Baking Powder Biscuits by Mrs. Eunice Worthington Brandt Jones (Boots)

2cups of sifted all purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
7 tablespoons of all veggie shortening
3/4 cup of whole milk

sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. with pastry blender work shortening into flour until it looks like coarse cornmeal. make a well in center of mixture. pour in HALF of milk. mix thoroughly and lightly with a fork. add more milk and mix until dough clings to fork and forms a ball (like if you were making bread dough). turn dough onto a floured surface (i use floured wax paper as I have a tiled counter) and roll with floured rolling pin or hands to a 1/4 inch thickness. cut into circles with floured biscuit cutter or a small drinking class. place on greased pans - sides lightly touching. they will not expand across so much as up. bake in 450 degree oven. my grandmama's recipe says 15-18 minutes but my oven was jiffy quick in about 10-12 minutes. i would watch them/smell them. i wait until they are a little brown on top and slightly crunch-dark on the bottom, otherwise they just fall apart because they are so soft but still dense. the recipe should make between 15-20 biscuits depending on how big your biscuit cutter is. with leftovers, I normally put them in the convection/toaster oven at 325 for 5+ minutes, watching them to monitor them.

Awesome.

Life is good. Sure, it is hot outside, but that is what limeaid is for, right? We have a soda fountain/drug store called Timberlake's - they have great ice cream and icey cold drinks, as well as sandwiches, prescription filing, etc.

I've also been devouring cold mozarella/basil/tomato caprese-style sandwiches from Revolutionary Soup, as they buy local, so no poop-tainted tomatoes for me! Woohoo!

Also, it is Friday.

My Pappy, Mom's Dad, turns NINETY on Sunday which is also Father's Day and I think the day before Flag Day as well. His WWII war vet self is going to have fun. A lot of the direct family is going to be around, unfortch, not everyone - but it should be a good time. Plus he gets to meet Mike!

Who I am sure he is going to love. How could he not??

Politically-speaking, I love Meghan McCain's blog! She is too funny --- plus she has amazingly good taste in music. http://mccainblogette.com/