Five Things

I've been gone awhile.. yeah, yeah. But, you know what? It's my blog, so I guess I can write on it when I want.

So for today.. here are five things I'm really into right now. Right this minute!

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1. Roses by Leila Meacham-- it's this book about a really strong-willed woman (cue my love for books with really strong, proud women as the title characters.. hello? Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice.. Scarlett from Gone with the Wind?? Get my drift?) that tells the story of three families intertwined with each other in Texas that spans a few decades. LOVE! Thanks Kaley, for hitting the nail on the head when recommending this chunk of goodness.

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2. This is coming out on DVD in 11 days. The cold sweats have started and they probably won't stop until July 17 when the last movie installment is finally here. It'll be a sad day.

3. First, I got the new iPhone 4 back during the last weeks of February. After three years together, my poor iPhone 3 gave out on me. 4 is wayyyy cooler, though. And so is the new app I discovered: Instagram. It's like Photoshop on your iPhone! Take a pic, upload it to Instagram and then you can add all kinds of neat treatments to it that make it look way cooler and way more profesh. This is one I took at the Cherry Blossom Festival last weekend. How cool is that?

4. Here's me and Adam's dinner from Monday night (taken again with Instagram.) It was delicious. Shrimp sauteed in butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper then tossed with orzo pasta. Asparagus roasted in the oven with olive oil and salt and pepper. And THE New York Original Texas Toast with cheese. Oh, Lawsy! I know I can cook a meal, but when it comes down to it, this bread is always the best part.  I took this photo the night before I crashed and burned on Tuesday afternoon from a colossal migraine. I am finally recovered. 48 hours later.. whew!

5. Man, oh , man do I love this beer-drinking carnivore. I put this up because tomorrow is our 34 month anniversary. Or 2 years and 10 months, for you fancy folks. I love you, A. Thanks for putting up with me, making me laugh everyday and dealing with my Instagram obsession. :)

As always (but not frequently enough),

Soft Eggs with Toast and Asparagus

So last night, we ate pizza. This darn snow is making me soft. I have been working out, though. So I guess that compensates for my slip-ups. Any who, today was the last of the snow days, and I can honestly say I am EXCITED to get back to work! Too much of being inside can do that to you, I guess. So for dinner, I made Soft Eggs with Toast and Asparagus. And it was yum. Almost like a dressed-up slimmed-down version of Eggs Benedict, which is one of my FAVORITE brunch menus. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 pieces of wheat toast, toasted

1/2 bunch asparagus, woody stems cut off

Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Olive oil

Salt 

Pepper

Recipe:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil and lay out the asparagus evenly. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven, tossing occasionally for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add 1 1/2 inches water to a flat-bottomed saucepan and heat on medium-high heat. When the water starts to boil, drop it down to a simmer. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar. Crack an egg in a bowl and carefully slide it into the simmering water. Do the same with the second egg, making sure they don't touch in the pan. Let cook for three minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula and transfer the eggs to a paper towel. Let them sit and drain. Plate the toast and place a few spears of asparagus on each piece. Transfer a poached egg to each slice of bread and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve. 

Tonight is Thursday, which means my favorite shows are on! Grey's Anatomy is on at 9 p.m. followed by Project Runway at 10 p.m. I also have started watching a new show, The Deep End, at 8 p.m. and it is actually quite interesting. It's about new lawyers just out of law school at a swanky law firm. 

Have a great night! As everyone knows, Valentine's Day is Sunday. Adam and I have decided forgo dinner out to stay in, save some money and eat Surf N' Turf: Filet Mignon and Crab Cakes! Can't wait! I'll be sure to take pics and let you know how they turn out!

Cod with Sauteed Asparagus

So after the "Snowmageddon" that occurred this weekend, and all the fun that came along with it, I am back on track with the plan. I have to admit, homemade pizza, spaghetti and meatballs and Chinese food were all very yummy, so I know that it's going to take perseverance to adjust my eating. So, yesterday I ventured out into the snowy mess and stocked up on groceries for the week. I started Monday with Cod with Sauteed Asparagus.

Ingredients:

1 cod fillet

Salt 

Pepper

1/2 bunch asparagus

Olive Oil

Recipe:

Spray a pan with Pam and heat on medium heat. Sprinkle the cod on both sides with salt and pepper. Saute the cod for 4-5 minutes on both sides. When the fish is flaky, remove it from the pan. Meanwhile, heat another pan on medium heat and drizzle a few swirls of olive oil until heated. Add the asparagus to the pan and toss with salt and pepper. Saute until soft or tender to the bite. Serve with the cod.

I enjoy light flavoring on fish, so if you find it a bit bland, feel free to add any type of seasoning to the fillet before adding to the pan. Some that come to mind are lemon pepper or Cajun seasoning that you can find pre-made at the grocery store. 

It starting snowing a while ago, so hopefully it won't get too bad overnight. I've been off work since Friday, and while it was a nice vacation, I am itching to get out of the apartment. Also, just a little late happy birthday to my lovely sister, Jessica and to my wonderful boyfriend Adam and friend Casey! Love you all!

Hope y'all have a nice night!! Pray we can dig out tomorrow!! 

Eat this. Now.

OK. So this post is going to be short. I want to share a recipe. Plain and simple.

In the whirlwind that has been my life over the last month, I have rarely taken the time to research and try any new recipes. I was bored the other night, so I picked up the Food Network Kitchens Cookbook. What a fantastic book, y'all! The recipes border between gourmet and homestyle and are all delicious-looking. I settled for Lemon Risotto with Shrimp and Asparagus. Oh. My. Word. I happened to be sitting alone in my apartment when I took the first bite, and I was so overwhelmed by the taste that I just had to call someone. Naturally, this person was my mom. If I could count the times I have called her over the years to tell her the most ridiculous, pointless, silly things that I see/do/hear, you would be amazed. It's quite funny to me that even after 23 years, she still laughs and listens to my ranting. That's love. Even when I call and forget why I called before I could tell her the stupid or random fact. :)

Any who, back to the risotto. OK. So I ate so much, I was stuffed. No jokes. I want to pass this along to you, my readers, because you will die. It's for certain that this is one of my new favorite meals. Just make it. Trust me.*

Lemon Risotto with Shrimp and Asparagus**

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus

4 oz. frozen shrimp

Olive Oil

3 cups chicken broth

A pinch of dried thyme

1 shallot, diced (this is a small pinkish onion -- use 1/4 white onion if you can't find a shallot)

1 1/2 cups Arborio (risotto) rice

Salt

Pepper

Zest of half lemon

2 tablespoons butter

Juice of half lemon

Recipe:

Cut asparagus into inch pieces discarding woody stems. Heat a few turns of olive oil in a large Dutch oven pot (this is a pot with two handles on the sides) on medium high heat. Add the shrimp and let warm up for about 5-6 minutes. Take the shrimp out and keep warm on a plate under tin foil. Meanwhile, add chicken broth and thyme to a large pot (just a regular pot this time) and warm up just to a simmer. Add the diced shallot to the pot the where you took the shrimp out and let it cook for about 2 minutes until translucent. Add the rice and stir until it is coated and covered in oil. Ladle in about 1/2 cup of broth to the rice and let it absorb while stirring. It's important to let the rice absorb all the liquid before adding anymore. Keep adding broth to the rice until about half the stock is used. Add the asparagus and lemon zest into the rice and stir gently. Continue ladling 1/2 cup of broth stirring between additions until all the stock is used. When rice is al dente (which is just a fancy term for "firm to the bite") after about 15 minutes, add in the shrimp, lemon juice and butter and stir quickly so it absorbs.*** Remove from the heat and let the risotto rest for a minute before serving. Top with salt and pepper to taste.

Y'all it's so yummy!! Please, please let me know if anyone decides to use this recipe and tell me if you think it's as good as I do!!

I thought I could keep this post short, but I guess not. Ha! Enjoy the rest of your week and weekend! DC is getting snow on Saturday! I'll have to wait for the next time because I'll be visiting Adam's family in Virginia Beach this weekend. And, I made his mom some Pumpkin Spice Biscotti, so I'll post how it turns out soon!

*Sorry I couldn't get a better picture. I had already started eating it and couldn't stop. You know how that goes, right?

**I really edited this recipe from the original because I didn't like some of the ingredients. Does this mean I am honing my craft?? Oh, now I'm excited!

***Now the rice is called risotto because it has absorbed flavor and liquid.