Cherry Blossoms

Last weekend was the start of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC. Adam and I had never been, so we decided to brave the Metro and go roam around on the Mall for a bit. The trees were really beautiful and they made for some really pretty photo ops.

Here are a few Instagrams I snapped while we were on on our adventure.

So now I can check that off my to-do list of DC tourist things to accomplish. Hope you all have a great weekend! We'll be celebrating Katie's birthday tonight and hanging out with Philip while he's in town from Tennessee! Wahoo!

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),

The day has finally come..

Happy 21st birthday to my sister, Jessica!

I love you to the moon and back. You so are funny, kind, strong-willed and grounded. You live in the moment, which is something I strive to do everyday. I am glad to call you my sister, but I am lucky to call you one of my best friends. I can't wait to be in South Carolina this weekend to experience this special time with you! I hope that this year brings you everything you could wish for. Happy birthday! Snorkel. :) 

Three Recipes for a New Year!

Happy 2011, dear readers! I hope that you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year's Eve.  I spent ten days at home in South Carolina over the break, and it was so wonderful to spend so much time with family and friends. I can't wait to be back in a few weeks for my sister Jessica's long-awaited 21st birthday!!! 

Adam and I had a very quiet and relaxing New Year's Eve. We cooked a big lunch of beef stew, collards and black-eyed peas. We actually went the whole nine yards and bought pig's feet to put in the peas to "give them flavor." I think it just made me want to throw up seeing the little piggy's toes, but if you like that sorta thing, then go for it. It's going to take a lot of convincing to get me to put them in there next year, that's for sure.  We watched the Gamecocks lose their bowl game versus Florida State and rung in the new year watching Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest on TV.*

Other than that, the first few weeks of 2011 have been full of cooking and finishing up decorating our new apartment. It's starting to look like a great year! Here are three new recipes I have tried since 2009 ended. Enjoy!

Caprese Risotto
Recipe adapted from myrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar syrup (Thanks, Heather S. for introducing me to this!)

4 1/2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
5 ounces fresh Buffalo Mozzarella cheese, finely diced (this makes it melt easier)


Preparation:

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, and cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Place about 1 cup risotto into each of 6 shallow serving bowls; drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon balsamic syrup.

Spaghetti Carbonara
Recipe from Smart Food Fast by Martha Stewart

This is super yummy because of the salt from the bacon and the creamiest of the eggs and half-and-half. It's one of Adam's new faves. Careful though.. this junk is loaded with calories. ;)

Ingredients:

8 ounces bacon (about 8 slices)
S&P
1 pound spaghetti
3 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup half-and-half

Set a large pot of water to boil (for the pasta.) In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8-12 minutes; transfer to a paper-toweled lined plate. Salt the boiling water generously; add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, Parmesan and half-and-half. Set aside. Drain the pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add the hot pasta to the egg mixture. Add the bacon; season with S&P and toss all to combine (the heat from the pasta will cook the eggs.) Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese. 

Chicken with Cranberry Sauce
Recipe adapted from Smart Food Fast by Martha Stewart

This is like a lighter version of Thanksgiving dinner. The whole apartment smelled like stuffing while it was cooking. Definitely give this a try. It's one of my new faves. :) I also made Mashed White Beans for the side from the same cookbook.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
S&P 
2 chicken breasts
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon thyme,  1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub evenly over the chicken breasts. Place on a aluminum foil-covered baking sheet and roast until golden brown and cooked through about 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until golden about 8 minutes. Add the sage and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme; cook for 1 minute. Add the broth; simmer until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 10 -15 minutes. Strain the mixture and return to the saucepan. 

Add the cranberries and sugar; boil until the berries burst, 5-8 minutes. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture; return to a boil. Cook slightly until thickened about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat (sauce will thicken as it stands.) Season with salt and pepper. To serve, spoon sauce over the chicken.

Mashed White Beans

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (19 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried sage
S&P

Recipe:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the garlic, stirring often, until golden, about 1 minute. Add the beans, sage and 1 1/4 cups water. Cook, stirring often, until the beans are hot and the liquid thickens, about 4 minutes. Mash the beans, leaving some whole. Season with salt and pepper.

All three of these are so delicious! I highly recommend them all! 

I hope you all have a great rest of your week! We'll be having a relaxing weekend and hoping for no more snow! 

As always,

*Can we talk about how amazing the performance was by Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block? Can I please get tickets to that concert? It was clear after watching that I still have a burning flame in my heart for Donnie Wahlberg and Nick Carter that I would love to discuss with all of you.. Maybe another post..

Give or Get - Day 7

I know, I know.. how lame.. but I know a few people who would love to receive this as a gift on Christmas.. so in honor of them..

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse DVD

Enjoy Twi-hards! I know it's not Harry Potter, but until the last movies come out on DVD, we'll have to be obsessed with Edward.. or Jacob. :)

Give or Get - Day 6

This is probably one of THE most coveted gifts for women over the last few years, but I figured I would add it.. because I LOVE it. Enjoy!

Michael Kors Chronograph Watch with Glitz

Of course MK has created about 100 different styles and colors of this watch, but I'm still in love with the silver. Yeah, this one maaaaaay just be a "get" for me.. 

Give or Get - Day 5

I recently got a Barnes & Noble Nook for my birthday, and the covers they have are just adorable. They are sturdy enough to withstand being thrown around in your bag, and are made to easily access your Nook. These are my favorites, but B&N has a HUGE selection; from B&N brand to Lilly Pulitzer. 

Jonathan Adler Quote Case

Kate Spade Canvas Store Front Cover

Kate Spade Jane Street Cover

Alice Cover by B&N

Have a great Tuesday night! Glee is on, so I better run!

As always..