October 07, 2011

Give my regards to Broadway, Remember me to Herald Square...

That's right...in a few short hours we'll be headed to New York City!

It's my first visit, and I can hardly wait.

After 3 days in the city we're heading up to Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, to hike, relax, and see some great foliage with Andrew's dad. It should be a lovely foil to the hustle and bustle of NYC. Population of NYC -- 8,008,288; population of Fitzwilliam -- 2,396.

Au revoir!


October 06, 2011

1984 Apple Video

My friend Marc is the one who got me hooked on Apple products and I love him for it. He also introduced me to this great Apple commercial from 1984. Just a small thanks for Steve Jobs, who taught us to "Think Different."

September 27, 2011

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese

Warning: I make really good grilled cheese sandwiches, so you're going to want to eat one of these if you look at the pictures. I just had this last night and I already want another one.

This is the perfect meal for Monday Night Football. You get the same deliciousness of hot wings but wrapped up in an at-least-somewhat-healthier package -- a grilled cheese sandwich. Serve with a heaping side of fresh veggies and you'll round out the meal quite nicely.

My inspiration was from this post on Closet Cooking. I made it even easier by just using shredded rotisseri chicken and hot sauce to taste. Sprinkle on a few bleu cheese crumbles and some cheddar. Cook in a little melted butter over medium heat.



Mmmmmmmm.......



How 'bout a side view?


Serve with bleu cheese dressing and carrots, celery and whatever other veggies you like.

September 23, 2011

Happy Friday!

Happy first day of fall! I should be posting a picture of a lovely fall scene, but this week's Friday picture is of a tomato that I grew. In fact, it's the only tomato I grew.

Late February/early March I planted some seeds and put them on the window sill to get my bountiful garden started early. I nurtured those seedlings like they were my own children for weeks before I moved them outside where they could flourish in the warm Colorado sunshine.

I watered diligently, fertilized with organic products, and took care that no bugs or bunnies would harm my plants.

All in all I would guess I spent a total of 30 hours caring for the plants. To yield one tomato.

But what a beaut.

From Musings photos

September 22, 2011

Vintage Food Poster

Here's a vintage poster originally printed during World War I by the US Food Administration. Message is still very pertinent almost 100 years later, don't you think?

I'd love to have this in our kitchen if we had a wall to put it on.



You can purchase it from Wallblank.

September 18, 2011

Tips, Tidbits & Tricks: Grilling Kabobs

Kabobs may seem a bit mundane. But they aren't.

Mix your choice of protein, whatever veggies you've got in the fridge, and a tasty marinade, and you've got an easy supper.

- Marinate for optimal flavor. Tonight I went for Mediterranean flavors with olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Lemon juice would work great, but since we didn't have any lemons I used red wine vinegar as my acid in the marinade. Go Creole with some cajun seasoning, Asian with soy sauce, garlic, lime, and peanut oil.

- Traditionally you see kabobs with the components layered -- meat, pepper, onion, tomato, meat, pepper, onion...you get the idea. The problem with that is the cooking time for each of the kabob components is different. So by the time your meat is cooked through, the peppers are charred and the tomatoes have all but fallen in the fire.

Though it's not as fancy, I put each separate ingredient on it's own skewer. That way the chicken can cook for 12 minutes, peppers and onions for 7 and tomatoes for 2.

From Kabobs

- Use a medium-high heat. I had the grill around 400-425 which worked perfectly. Nice grill marks, juicy chicken, tender-crisp vegetables.

From Kabobs

- I like metal skewers rather than wood. There's no need to soak them ahead of time which I often forget until the last minute, so then supper is pushed back another 20 minutes. But forgetting to soak the skewers does allow time for another pre-dinner cocktail, so we'll call it wash. Better than the no-soaking is the lack of splintering as you spear the food onto the skewer.

- Don't mess with the kabobs too much once they're on the grill. The food is more likely to fall off.

- Enjoy al fresco while you can, my friend. Cooler weather is fast approaching.

From Kabobs

September 14, 2011

I'm back! Round 2

Gentle reader,
It's been 215 days since my last post. Whoop whoop!

But now I'm back and ready to blog.

To briefly catch you up on the past 7 months:

- The big news is Andrew and I are engaged! We got engaged June 4th and I couldn't be any more excited about marrying him. We're planning a mountain wedding in Breckenridge, CO, next July.

- I was promoted at work from Assistant Marketing Manager to Associate Marketing Director. Though nothing's really changed but my title, it sounds way fancier, don't you think?

- We had a busy summer with lots of camping, concerts, and work. Projects on the house gave way to more fun things like a roadtrip to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, but we're revving up again for the fall.

- Leigh and Matt are having a baby! Just kidding.

That's it in a nutshell. New content (and maybe a new look) coming soon!

February 11, 2011

Happy Friday!



To brighten your (probably gray) day, some beautiful flowers in the yard of a Louisville Master Gardener taken last summer. Have a wonderful weekend!

February 07, 2011

Before & After: The Guest Room

Here's the first Before & After from the house in Denver! It's the guest room. So without further ado...

Before
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After
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There are still some things I'd like to do...add a second lamp, paint, finish the closet, but it's starting to come together.

January 17, 2011

Sneak Peak!

I finally finished the curtains for my office...here's a sneak peak. Reveal coming soon!

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January 03, 2011

Cook at Home: Healthier You, Healthier Planet


Image Source: Heads of State


I've been a big fan of Mark Bittman for a few years now. The New York Times columnist, author, and advocate preaches a simple but powerful message: fill your plate with more veggies, know where your food comes from and how it's produced, make less of an impact on our planet. Food Matters is a quick read espousing these principals, and he's now come out with The Food Matters Cookbook. (I just ordered it yesterday. I'll let you know what I think!)

One way to improve your health (and the health of the planet) is to cook at home. In this article from the NYT, Mark offers this solution to those who say they can't cook or don't have time: "a cooking repertoire of three basic recipes can get anyone into the kitchen and beyond the realm of takeout food, microwaved popcorn and bologna sandwiches in a few days." Check out the article to learn which three basic recipes he stands behind.

Here's to a 2011 full of delicious, home-cooked food!

January 01, 2011

1.1.11

Happy New Year!

To make sure your year starts out on the right foot, don't forget to eat your....

Collard Greens for wealth

Image: Simply Recipes

Black-eyed Peas for luck

Image: Simply Recipes

Pork for prosperity

Image: MyRecipes.com

Cornbread because it goes well with this meal

Image: MyRecipes.com

Check out this article from Epicurious about the origins of these and other lucky foods.

Happy 2011!