Summer in a Post

Hi, there. I've been an awful blogger these past few months. So, in order to make up for that, here is what I've been up to this summer - told through the photos on my iPhone. Enjoy!

*Note: I am still obsessed with Instagram, so be forewarned that most all of these photos have been Instagramed. :)

FINALLY experienced District Taco for the first time in May at the Courthouse Farmer's Market. Who knew such good food could be made in a food truck the size of my closet? The carnitas and pollo tacos were amazing.

Tried a new dish, Chicken Chilaquiles, and discovered my tolerance for heat is not what I thought it was. HOT, but, yummy nonetheless. *Use less Adobe sauce. Just sayin'.

Dug up a favorite recipe, Spring Risotto. Still in love. The zucchini and peas are perfect in late spring, early summertime. The parmesan on top is a perfect combo.

At the end of May, early June, the Marshall family made our annual migration from DC, SC and Michigan to Outer Banks. This year we stayed in Kill Devil Hills, and it was as lovely as ever. I miss it. Nothing is better than being with family, near the water, and eating lots of food. Adam and I also celebrated our three year anniversary. Time is flying! Can't wait until next summer!

Taken at the beach house. Cooper really is a happy pup. This may have been the hundredth photo we took of these three. Yeah, Mom looks like she's over it, too. Love. :)

Oh, and we made lots of this. Dad's specialty. My mouth is watering. AH!

One of my best friends from home, Lindsay, visited DC in mid-June. She was in town for an engagement party and snuck away to play with me for a night.  I was so happy to have her here for the weekend! Now, you need to get Kaley up here to finally visit, too. :)

This is just a random date night photo from some time in June. Love ya, Addy!

In late June, we had a little get together at Casey and Katie's apartment for Mary-Kate and Amber's summer birthdays (June 21 and July 5). We all brought over salads of all sorts (pasta, panzanella, wild rice, vegetable, etc.) and stuffed our faces. It was glorious.

Oh, and I made "the" cake. The Strawberry Cream Cake, to be exact. Try it, you'll die. Aren't we festive with the red, white and blue. America!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1 pound strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-ounce envelope)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan, and line with parchment paper. Butter and flour paper and sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture in 3 parts and milk in 2, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, split cake in half horizontally; place bottom half, cut side up, on a serving plate.

Make topping: In a large bowl, combine strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside. Place 2 tablespoons cold water in a small saucepan, and sprinkle with gelatin; let soften 5 minutes. Place saucepan over very low heat, and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until very soft peaks form. Continue to beat, and gradually add gelatin mixture; beat until soft peaks form.

Arrange half of strawberries over bottom cake layer; top with half of whipped cream, leaving a 1-inch border. Cover with top half of cake, cut side down. Top cake with remaining whipped cream, leaving a 1-inch border. Refrigerate cake and remaining strawberries separately, at least 1 hour (or up to 1 day). Just before serving, spoon strawberries over cake.

Not sure how many of you know, but my dad retired from Pepsi in February after almost 38 years. During the last week of June, Pepsi planned a retirement party for him in Charleston. I coordinated with my mom and the wonderful party planners and ended up flying down and surprising him! It was such a fun time. This was a gift from Pepsi. It has a cooler built into the middle also. There's a grill in the background, too. Very cool.

 Dad in his "roast" chair up on stage. Such great friends were able to make it for the event and the speeches were out of this world. I know it meant so much to my dad!

The gift they had made for my parents. Hilarious. Little Coop is in the back!

We stayed at the Charleston Marriott, and it was such a nice hotel. They had awesome room service, too. I would know since I had to hide in my room for several hours before the party to avoid running in to anyone in the lobby! This cheeseburger was dank, and the fries were delish. I loved how they added the okra on top. Such a cute Southern thing to do!

 I got to spend a few extra days in Charleston, which wasn't so bad either. :) I wish I could have gotten a photo of everyone! So glad I got to see you, too, Cady Nell and Samantha! Can't wait for football season. It'll be here before we know it!

My sister sent this to me a few weeks after the party in Charleston. Looks like they are the same as ever. Happy Retirement, Dad! I know you and Mom are enjoying it!

Adam and I spent the fourth of July at our first Nationals game of the season. It was BLAZING hot, but very fun. We stopped by the Bullpen on the way out and ran into friends. Then we ventured in to Rosslyn to watch the fireworks from the National Mall. It was nice to spend America's birthday in the Nation's capital for once. :)

We got to see the whole fam again over the July 8-10 weekend when they visited DC. My parents chose to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary with us, and we couldn't have been more excited. This was the first time my parents and sister have visited all at the same time. On Friday, Adam and I took everyone to Fireworks for dinner and then Arlington Rooftop for drinks. Jess got to experience her first night out in Clarendon, and I'm sure she'll forever want to erase the images of singing kareoke in my living room later that night. We went sightseeing on Saturday and I finally got to visit the Newseum. Later that night we celebrated their anniversary at Circa in Clarendon. On Sunday, we went to a Nats game. It was a great weekend, and I'm so glad to see my parents as happy together as ever. Here's to another 35 years!

Dad and Adam discussing who knows what at Arlington Rooftop. :)

Other than those visitors in early July, the rest of the month was pretty low-key. I discovered my new online obesession, Pinterest. Check it out and follow me! 

I literally sped through about 10 books including the Hunger Games series, and I am eagerly awaiting the movies to come out in 2012.

Harry Potter 7 Part 2 came out and I went to see it with my other Potter-loving friends, Casey, Laura and Zach. I bawled during the whole thing. It's the end of an era, and I feel like a piece of me died. I can't wait to buy it on DVD and watch it 3,48,759 more times.  

I'm not sure I mentioned it, but as of April, I am one of the newest members of Junior League Washington. Casey and I attended a new member potluck two weekends ago, and met some of the new members and ate LOTS of food.

One of my very good friends, Christa, got a new job and moved to NYC this past weekend. Thank goodness it's only a bus ride away! Miss you already!

Adam and I went to Virginia Beach last weekend. I finally got to ride my beach cruiser again. I was basically running out the door as soon as we go there so I could go ride it! Here are some gross pics of me that Adam took with his phone. I am seriously sweaty and the decision to wear a huge white t-shirt was huge mistake on my part. I look hu-mungo. It did help when riding to get airflow, though. :)  

Sweet ride.

Well, that's all folks. This weekend, Adam and I are once again getting out of DC. We are visiting SC for a high school friend's wedding in Lyman, SC. We'll be staying in Greenville, so I won't be able to see any Cola friends. :( I hope to get some San Jose on Friday night though!

I will, however, be back in Cola for the USC v. Kentucky game on October 8, woop! I can't believe the Gamecocks are ranked #12! With football starting in less than a month, that means FALL IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!!!!  I promise to blog regularly once my favorite season begins. Love you all!



Home again

It's always nice to go home. I'm so lucky that I am able to travel back to South Carolina from DC as often as I do. Especially when it's to celebrate special times with some of my oldest friends. Congratulations to Gray and Jessica Yelton (formerly Weeks)! I'm so happy I could be there to share with you such a special day! Here are a few photos. (I stole these from FB, so credit goes to Ms. Susan for the wonderful wedding pictures!)

BFFs since fourth grade. Yup. 15 years.

With Kaley, Bridgette, Lindsay and Lisa. We've started adding little ones to the mix. How presh is Mara Mae? Congrats again, Bridgette!

My dad sent me this little gem the other day, too. Just thought I'd share how adorbs they are. :)

Nothing much is happening this weekend. Hopefully I can convince Adam to go with me to buy a bookcase for our living room. Sounds exciting, right? Oh, and we'll spend lots of time watching Mad Men Season 4. Man, what I would give to be friends with them. :)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, dear readers! This month has been yet another whirlwind! I've been busy as can be! Since the last time I've blogged, the Gamecocks beat Alabama, Adam and I went back to Hampden-Sydney for the first time since May for Homecoming and we went on a ridiculously fun trip to Butler Orchard in MD for a bonfire and hayride with some of our great friends! Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera to any of these events, and therefore you will have to take my word that they were so much fun. 

I managed to steal some photos from Facebook of Mallory, Heather, Ashley and Rachel's trip to DC! The weekend was so much fun! I can't wait to reunite at Christmastime for our annual Christmas Party!

Although I hardly ever remember to take photos of anything I do or see, I do, however, always remember to take photos of my food, which could be good or bad... 

Zucchini Chips

These are super yum. Eat them with Ranch. I promise you won't regret it.

Ingredients:

1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4  teaspoon  seasoned salt
1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder
1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
2  tablespoons  fat-free milk
2 1/2  cups  (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
Cooking spray

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Minestrone

This soup is delicious when served super hot. We ate it with grilled cheeses. Make sure cook this in a "souper" big pot though!* This recipe makes ALOT! Note -- this picture does not do it justice!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced white onion (about 1 small onion)
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup frozen cut green beans
1/4 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)
4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
4 cups vegetable broth 
2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup carrot, cut into bite-size chunks
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups hot water
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup small shell pasta

Recipe:

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency. Makes about eight 1 1/2 cup servings.

Chili

Um, yeah. I've never made chili before on my own, but when I came across this recipe, I knew I couldn't mess it up. So I made it. And we are chili for three nights straight. It's the bommmmmmb! Eat it with cheddar corn muffins! Use Jiffy cornbread mix and dump in a ton of cheddar. Then bake them according to to the box. SO GOOD! And, I forgot to take a photo..

Ingredients:

6  ounces  hot turkey Italian sausage
2  cups  chopped onion
1  cup  chopped green bell pepper
1  pound  ground beef
1  jalapeño pepper, chopped
2  tablespoons  chili powder
2  tablespoons  brown sugar
1  tablespoon  ground cumin
3  tablespoons  tomato paste
1  teaspoon  dried oregano
1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1/4  teaspoon  salt
2  bay leaves
1 1/4  cups  Merlot or other fruity red wine
2  (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2  (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Recipe:

Heat a large (once again, I mean LARGE) Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeño) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble. Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese. Like most chilis, this version tastes even better the next day.
On to the MOST exciting news of the month yet.. 

Adam and I are..

MOVING INTO OUR OWN APARTMENT!!!

We move into the area of Arlington called Courthouse on November 13, and we couldn't be more excited!! All the odds and ends are falling into place and we will be ready when the move comes! 

So many fun things will be happening in November! Lots of football games, BIRTHDAY, November Supper Club, Mom and Jessica visit, HARRY POTTER 7 in theaters and THANKSGIVING!

It's the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

As always,

 

*Bahahahahaha.

Side note: I found all these recipes on www.myrecipes.com.

Heaven = Cheese Fries and Tapas

So, lately I have had a few opportunities to leave the comfort zone of my kitchen and head out to dinner at few restaurants around Arlington. It's a nice change from the usual meal-planning I have been taking part in for the last few months. During my college days, I feel like all I did was go out to eat at the all delicious restaurants around Columbia, so it's nice to be able to do that around my new hometown.

A few weekends ago, I was so fortunate to be able to meet up with one of my dear friends I made while studying in London, Alison. I found out on Facebook that she would be visiting DC from NYC for the weekend, and I immediately made plans for us to meet for dinner with Heather and Katie, who also studied in London with me. 

A few things about London, while I'm at it. Heather and I met Alison in the Atlanta airport before our flight. We became instant friends because she, too, was from SC and attended the College of Charleston. After arriving in London and finally finding our dorm room, we discovered she would be our upstairs neighbor in that crazy place.

Stonehenge with (L to R) Kate, Natalie, Heather, Katie, me and Alison

Dublin with Heather, Alison, Kate and Katie

Eiffel Tower in Paris with Alison and Katie

Cruising the Seine river in Paris

Trinity College courtyard with Alison

We decided to meet in Clarendon at La Tasca for some tapas and sangria. It was sooooo good! The Sangria Blanca was amazing and so refreshing. It was made with white wine, triple sec , brandy, peaches and cinnamon. We all shared a few dishes, which is perfect at a tapas restaurant! Lauren and I started with the Pan de Ajo con Queso, which is basically garlicky, cheesy bread, and is delish. Then we moved on to the Berenjenas Fritas - lightly fried eggplant slices served with a Calebreses cheese sauce. And finally I finished with the Mar y Tierra - grilled beef tenderloin, baby shrimp, sliced shitake mushrooms and calamari rings in a sweet sherry sauce. The dishes were just enough to fill us up without feeling so full and were so very tasty. It was such an enjoyable night and I am so happy I got to visit and catch-up with Alison! A trip to NYC is in order very, very soon!

Berenjenas Fritas - Fried Eggplant

Mar y Tierra - Beef Tenderloin, Baby Shrimp, Calamari and Shitake Mushrooms

The night before the reunion dinner at La Tasca, Adam and I went out for a date night. We decided to head to Spider Kelly's in Clarendon for happy hour. We had some great cocktails, including my Dirty Golfer, which was made from Firefly Sweet Tea vodka and housemade lemonade! We had been to Kora in Crystal City before heading there, where we had a few appetizers for dinner. But within 30 minutes of sitting at the bar, the couple next to us ordered the most A-MAZ-ING looking cheese fries I had ever seen or smelled. It only took one look at each other to know we were definitely ordering them. I think I may have died and gone to heaven after those babies. I swear to you, I have found the best cheese fries on the face of the Earth. I give you my word you will never find any better than these.. Their cheese is housemade, and we didn't even get them "loaded." You better bet next time I am there they will be. Thank you fry Gods for creating these!

I can't wait to have another fun night out to dinner soon. I hope y'all are having a great week! Work has been crazy for me, but I am still loving it! There are so many fun things coming up in the next few weeks that I can't wait to share: our good friend Philip will be in town from Alabama, the Arlington County Fair, Randan's birthday happy hour, me and my friends' new Supper Club, the first SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL GAME and traveling back to Virginia Beach for Labor Day for the last of the beach days!

Whatever it is.

Disclaimer: This post has nothing to do with food. I am ranting. Bear with me. Just so ya know.

So, as I sat at work today, I began daydreaming, as I usually do. I began to wonder how, after all the stress, ups and downs, loves and losses and just plain hard work of the last 22 (almost 23) years of my life, I have finally managed to be absolutely, one-hundred percent... H-A-P-P-Y.

This feeling crept up on me and smacked me right in the face during WORK, of all places. I almost started crying. Here are a list of reasons why I have finally gotten to a good place in my life:

Go Gamecocks!

1. I have the best parents in the whole world. Period. If any one wants to argue with me, they can kiss it. My sister and I have been blessed beyond belief in our lives. We have been able to do amazing things and travel to a hundred different places that I would never have dreamed of doing. They give me unending support and love and I could not be the person I am now without them. After all, whose parents would let their daughter move over 500 miles away without a job or a place to live after one conversation about it? That takes guts.. and a crazy sense of trust. Without my dad, who would have taught me the love I have for NASCAR and how to make a grilled cheese before I left home? And without my mom, who would have shown me the importance of reading books and how to find deals at every store imaginable (including TJ Maxx- which until I moved away, I had a strong dislike for)? These are both silly examples to some, but to me-- they make up who I am. Jessica, my sister, and I both can probably say now that we are better people because of the saying.. "We love you and we trust you.." I think about them everyday, and can't wait to see them again soon.

Jess' Junior Prom

2. To continue on the family route, I can now move on to my little sister, Jessica. It's hard to put our relationship into words. Well I'll try-- we are COMPLETE OPPOSITES. But, somehow, in the last 2-3 years, we have made that work. I may have done some pretty rotten things to Jess as we were growing up, and she may have retaliated in a way that was quite inappropriate at (all) times :), but I have a love and understanding for her unlike anyone else in my life. I believe she is a stronger person than I am and she makes me a better person for it. My mom used to tell me that I was the cute baby, but Jessica was the smiley, funny one. Maybe that's why she has a million friends and has always been a point of laughter in our house. She has grown up so much since she graduated from high school, and I think it's all for the better. I love her with all my heart and I wouldn't have wanted to grow up with anyone other than her. Snorkel. Don't ask.

New Year's Eve 2008 in Washington, DC

3. I have a great boyfriend. Not only did we meet in a cool way (in London studying abroad last summer), but we are always having FUN together. Adam and I have a lot in common, so it always seems that we are agreeing on things to do. Adam lives in Virginia Beach, so since I moved to DC, we have been much closer than when I was in college in Columbia. Plus, he lived in DC for about a month this summer, so it was great getting to see each other more than just a few weekends a month. I figure this much.. if you can date someone for more than a year while living long distance, then you pretty much have to know everything about each other so you can communicate. It is key. I have learned so much about myself being with Adam and I am so grateful to have him and his patience to balance out my sometimes impatient, sometimes know-it-all personality. I love all the times we have shared and I am excited to see what other fun things the future has in store. Without Adam and his caring nature, I probably wouldn't be as happy as I am now. Not to mention, my friends adore him and call him "brother." I guess this is a good thing. :)

New Roomies in DC!

4. I could not have asked for two better people to surround myself with in my first BIG move away from home. Christa and Randan are not only my roommates, but they are my best friends. Along with Adam, they balance me out to a T. Randan is always there to talk to about the tough stuff in life. She is the realest person I have ever met. We are able to talk about everything from the craziest political antics of our government to the newest book on the Best Seller's list. I am grateful to have found her. Christa is always making me laugh. She never fails to bring entertainment to my life. I am glad that she is there for me to vent to and to give and share advice with. If it wasn't for freshman year of college in Patterson Hall on USC's campus or for joining my sorority ZTA and eventually being on Executive Council, I never would have met my best friends. It's funny how things work out. I'm just glad I introduced these two so that they could be roommates last summer as interns in DC. It's just my luck because I followed them both here after graduation. Best decision I have ever made.

ZTA Parent's Cocktail 2007 at the Carolina Walk

First USC Football Game of Junior Year

Mallory's Bachelorette Weekend in Charleston, SC

Senior Bar Crawl 2009

Hanging out in Columbia, SC during Senior Year

My 21st Birthday Party

My 21st Birthday Pasta Party in Lexington, SC

Jordan and Will's Wedding Reception in May

A night out in 5 Points at Village Idiot

First USC football game of 2008

5. My college experience could not have been more perfect. I did everything in college the way I always thought I would when I was in high school. I joined a sorority, went out to 5 Points, tailgated at home and away football games, worked in the Senate, went to concerts, met new friends and stayed close with old friends, and got a damn good education :). I am thankful to have lived with some of my best friends (Mallory, Meredith, Nancy, Heather, Samantha, Casey and Laura), and I would not have had the great times I had without them. They were all different and I loved every moment spent with each of them. All of my friends in general allowed me to have fun at any moment, and although senior year came and went by too quickly, I think we all can say we lived it to the fullest extent. It was the most amazing time of my life so far. I miss all of my friends, but South Carolina isn't too far away, and we all know I can't stay away for too long. Not to mention, we all get to reunite at Meredith's wedding in a few weeks. I am so pumped!

Well that's about all for now. I promise I'll go back to food next post. Thanks for hearing me out. :)