Wedding Website

Check out our wedding website.  You can find all the details and information you need for our wedding!

Happy Birthday Shortstack!

It was Jaime's birthday this last Sunday.  I'm a slacker and didn't even mail her present yet, or buy it for that matter.  But I will post some slightly embarrassing, funny, oldie but goodie pictures of her.  Happy 24th Short Stack! (Better late than never!)

Help Save Second Base

I am running walking in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure again this year.  My goal is $100, it is a small goal and I would love to exceed that.  So help save save second base by donating to my Race for the Cure team.  There is a link to my donation page to the right.  Thank you!!

Giveaway

Enter here!

Seven years later....

James and I are finally engaged!!
I know, it's hard to believe. So here's the story:


We were in Las Vegas for a vacation with our 4 other friends.  We all went down to the pool at the MGM for a little sun time.  While down there, Kristin and I found some abandoned tubes to use in the lazy river.  Since there were only two, we said we would share them with James and Jimmy when we were done.  After once around the river, we went back and gave the tubes to the boys.  James kept saying how he didn't want to go in and Jimmy kept trying to convince him to go in.  Then I started in with the "Party pooper, party pooper" and poked him in the chest a few times.  After about three minutes of this, he pulls a box from his pocket and opens it.  In it is a huge, shiny ring.  He says "This is why I can't go into the pool! Do you want to get married?".  I responded with "Is that thing real?".  It was all very confusing and fast.  Once he "popped the question", Kristin started screaming behind me, Corinne was asking if someone got stung by a bee and Danielle was stuttering saying I don't think so.  James kept asking "Do you want this or not?" and I kept asking "Is it real?".  So finally he said "I'm going to give this to someone else if you don't say yes".  I finally agreed to say yes, he put the ring on my finger, which of course didn't fit my man hands.  He then went and swam in the lazy river with Jimmy.
I had to wear the ring on my pinky for the rest of the trip because it didn't fit on my massive, beast like fingers.  On the Tuesday when we returned from Vegas I went to get it sized at the jewelers.  While at the jewelers, the woman helping me commented on how large my fingers actually were.  We had a debate for a good ten minutes on what size my ring should be and if my hands were going to grow to mammoth sizes. Not an awkward conversation at all....
So that's the story.  It's one to remember for ages. As of right now our plans are to get married in Las Vegas in the Fall of 2011.  So watch the mail for your save the date cards!

March Madness

Last summer we purchased our March Madness NCAA tickets for the first two opening rounds and since then I've been way excited for the games to start.  Well last week they were finally here!  We found out in February that we were in the lower bowl on the 7th row.  They were awesome tickets, except for the fact that they were directly behind the basket stand.  But we were able to manage through the games :)

Cooking

I love cooking and trying out new recipes.  I'm not one to just make up new recipes, but I do make my own changes to ones I try out.  Each time I'm trying out a new recipe, I wish that someone had told me little secrets or tips about the recipe.  Soooo I'm going to post new recipes I try out along with my variations and hopefully someone out there will appreciate that I endured the torture that accompanies trying a new recipe and that I posted my new found secrets. 

Enjoy!

Caldo Verde

Today I made Caldo Verde, which is surprisingly similar to the Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden, but not as creamy.  It's a weight watchers recipe, but I think if I add some light whipping cream it could still be low-fat and deliciousness at the same time.

Here is the recipe:

1 spray nonstick cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz turkey sausage, cut into 1/2 thick rounds
4 cups chicken broth
1 medium baking potato, about 8 oz, peeled

4 cups stemmed and shredded kale

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 dashes hot red pepper sauce

Instructions:
1. Spray a large saucepan with nonstick spray; set over medium heat.  Add the onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
2. Add the sausage; cook, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in broth; bring to a simmer, stirring often.

4. Using the small holes of a box grater, grate the potato into the stew.  Stir well while returning to a simmer.  Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring a couple times.

5. Stir in the kale; cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 12 minutes.  Stir in the salt, pepper, and hot red pepper sauce before serving.

Nutrition:
Serving Size:  1 1/2 cups
4 Points per serving.

Variations:
*Onions: I used frozen chopped onions.  I always have some on hand.  Much more convenient than fresh onions, and they aren't that bad.
*Sausage:  I bought the Jennie-O turkey sausage.  You couldn't really cut it into 1/2" thick rounds.  So I cut what I could and then cut that in half.  It was more "chunk like" than anything else.
*Broth:  A carton of broth is 4 1/2 cups, so I used all of it.
*Potato: I definitely used 2 medium/large potatoes.  And I didn't grate them, I cut the potato length wise, twice.  Then sliced it thin enough to cook quickly, which was about 1/8" thick.
*Kale:  A "bale" of kale was more than enough for the recipe.

*Hot red pepper sauce:  I don't like my food to be spicy, since I have acid reflux.  But James added Cajun seasoning to his bowl and it tasted ok. 

*I did not use a saucepan for the whole recipe.  It definitely would not have fit everything.  I put the broth into a pot and cooked it for a little while before adding the sausage/onions/garlic mixture.    That worked out a lot better. 
*Obviously I topped it off with some parm cheese.

Yummy Salsa & Bean Lasagna Rolls

I found this recipe the other day while searching for a traditional lasagna recipe. It sounded amazing and as it turns out, it tasted amazing as well!

Salsa & Bean Lasagna Rolls

Prep: 25 Minutes

Bake: 40 Minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 can (15oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

6 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies

1/2 cup chopped red onion

3oz shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (about 3/4 cup)

1 jar (16oz) chunky salsa

8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

8oz shredded Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Mash beans with a fork, in small bowl until they are smooth

Stir the cream cheese, chili powder, chilies, onion and Monterey Jack cheese in a medium bowl.

Spread 1/2 cup salsa in a 2-quart baking dish. Spread each noodle with mashed beans and cream cheese mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style and place seam side down in the baking dish. Top with the remaining salsa and Cheddar cheese. Cover dish with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees, for 40 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with the cilantro.

*Variations (changes I made to the recipe):

I used Shredded Mexi-Mix cheese instead of the two separate cheeses.

After getting through about 4 rolls, I was running out of the bean mixture. I ended up opening a can of refried beans and using that on the rest.

I only had enough cheese mixture for 6 1/2 rolls.

I don't like cilantro, so I didn't use it.

I always add more cheese to all my recipes (even if it doesn't call for cheese, I still add it, I love cheese!)

Ramen

This explains my life. And up until 2 months ago I was in college still, but I'm going to carry my love of Ramen over into adulthood. I've had Ramen twice already this week, and not just for lunch. I just wish all the sodium in it didn't make my heart feel like it was going to pound out of my chest for about an hour after I eat it.