Weekend Extravaganza

This past weekend, Skyler and I packed up our gear and headed to a lake house in Indiana to meet Dan, Leslie, and Riggin (Skyler's boyfriend as you can tell from the last blog).  Moe had to work, but he encouraged me to still go on the trip to hangout.  Since we moved, one of the hardest adjustments has been not having Dan and Les living a few blocks away.  We took for granted how often we would show up at their house multiple times a week to hangout (and when I say multiple I mean majority as I think there were several weeks in the end that I saw them 7 out of 7 nights a week).  When I heard they were making the trip, I insisted on going (yeah - I pretty much invited myself)!  I left after work on Friday with plans of trying to get there by 9 o'clock.  However, my map quest directions had 29 turns of which 26 of them were after I got off the main freeway.  My hopes of an early arrival were quickly crushed.  I ended up pulling over no less than five times to cry, say a prayer that I wasn't going to be murdered in a corn field, re-group, and continue driving with Skyler as my navigator.  Bottom line is I made it there alive.  The rest of the weekend was a blast which consisted of lots of drinking, mas quantities of eating, getting sunburned, a pontoon boat ride around the lake, floating on rafts, playing euchre and spoons, and burning lots of wood. Here are some photo highlights from the weekend extravaganza!

- Miss J

 Dan loves America.  Go FORD!

 First pumpkin beer of the season!

 

 Skyler taking a spin in the kayak with "Big Leslie".

 Dan and Jason after having a bit too much to drink.

 Dan's fire that he rebuilt no less than ten times throughout the day.

Brilliant idea to built a bar on the lower deck.

A few too many drinks for this clan.

 

Adorable. Enough said. 

Clearly I haven't showered in awhile.

Skyler taking a dip five minutes before we are about to get in the car. I appreciated the wet dog smell for the first hour of our trip home.

Tribute to Skyler and Riggin

Meet Skyler, a three year old pure-bred golden retriever who loves long runs in the park, playing with her toys, swimming in water, and sleeping 22 of the 24 hours a day.

Meet Riggin, a three year old pure-bred mutt who enjoys long walks around the block, playing at doggie day care, and having his "belly" scratched by his mom, Leslie.  

These two were brought together by friendship that quickly became an ever lasting love.  You would not think that two dogs could really be in love.  However, Skyler and Riggin have proven this time and time again.  Two months ago they were separated.  Riggin slipped into a deep depression.  Skyler couldn't sleep at night and we were forced to invest in a noise maker to help get her through the night. We couldn't even speak his name as that resulted in sprints around the apartment ended by sadness that she could not find him.  In attempts to lift their spirits, we arranged a get together at a lake house in Indiana.  As much as we thought they might not remember each other, the love story continues....

Homemade Guacamole - Round 2

Moe and I love guacamole. I wish I could say I love a healthier snack, but I just can't help it!  I had posted a recipe for homemade guacamole a year or so ago; however, I thought I'd share the most recent go-to recipe that I have been using.  The only problem is that if I make it before Moe gets off work, it is difficult for me to not eat the entire bowl before he walks in the door :(  Sad but true.
Homemade Guacamole - Round 2
Source:  Miss J Original

1 large avocado
3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
1 tomato, core and seeds removed
two pinches of cardamom
two pinches of hot chili pepper powder (more based on desired heat)
1 small shallot, diced finely
1 tsp of lime juice
1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed and chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste

Dice tomato, cilantro, shallots, and jalapeno and add to a bowl.

Remove skin and pit from avocado.  Dice into small chunks and add avocado to bowl.  Mix together remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with freshly made pita chips or tostados chips.

- Miss J

Chicken Asparagus Casserole

My sister-in-law, Lisa, made this casserole for me when Moe and I went out to LA to visit several years ago. It is a perfect weeknight meal as it is quick, easy, and doesn't require an extensive list of ingredients or prep time.  You could really pick any type of vegetable to mix into this and would yield a similar result.

Chicken Asparagus Casserole
Source:  My sister-in-law, Lisa

1 can undiluted cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups diced, cooked chicken (or one can of white meat chicken)
1/4 tsp rosemary
 1.4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups dry egg noodles
2 cups asparagus, cooked and cut up

Combine mushroom soup, milk, and sour cream.  Add remaining ingredients except for cheese. 

Mix and put into a casserole dish.  Sprinkle top with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until noodles are cooked and casserole is hot and bubbly. Enjoy!

-Miss J

2006 White Oaks Chardonnay

With it being so hot in good old Saint Louis, I have started to take more of a liking to white wine.  As I was sifting through my wine cabinet, I came across a bottle I had purchased at a wine tasting event with some friends years ago.  When I say years ago, I am pretty sure that it was four years ago which is before marriage, Skyler, moving, etc..  It is a sin to let a bottle of white wine sit that long.  I have a terrible habit of buying a nicer bottle of wine and then sitting on it for months (or in this case years) waiting for the perfect moment to justify opening it (which apparently means I never felt that the right moment came over the four years this bottle sat in my cabinet).  That might seem like a good idea, but what is the point of buying it if you aren't going to enjoy it?! I am working on this concept and decided to start with this bottle of Chardonnay.  I wasn't sure what to expect as I wasn't exactly thinking clearly when I had decided to make the purchase, but I was pleasantly surprised.  It was a bottle of 2006 White Oaks Chardonnay.  I am not a wine connoisseur, but I thought it was very smooth with a buttery taste.  Although it has a hint of lemon flavor, it still is a traditional dry Chardonnay.  I will have to hunt down where in town I can buy this as I think Moe will really like it.

- Miss J

http://www.whiteoakwinery.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=107

Kind of Curry Couscous

I love couscous. It is quick, easy, and elegant. I started out the evening thinking I was going to make Israeli couscous; however, I stumbled across a Curried Couscous recipe on another blog I follow, The Parsley Thief. I absolute love this blog and have yet to make a recipe on it that I have not enjoyed. I started the recipe but quickly realized I was missing several main ingredients including the CURRY part. My curry is "MIA" in my kitchen so I had to improvise quickly. I must say, it turned out to be a masterpiece. It was a beautiful dish that I will definitely be making again.



Kind of Curry Couscous

Source: Adapted from The Parsley Thief, http://www.theparsleythief.com/2008/06/curried-couscous.html

8 oz couscous
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup almonds
3 tablespoons of almonds
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
1 3/4 cup of chicken stock
salt and pepper
1/4 cup of parsley
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup chopped sweet chili peppers (or red peppers)
1/2 cup of extra small curd cottage cheese (fat free)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon
3 tablespoons of olive oil


Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. Add slivered almonds to the pan and stir until golden brown. Remove from pan and transfer to a bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and minced shallots and saute until golden brown. Add couscous and bay leaf and let couscous brown slightly. Add broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce head and cover. Allow to simmer until mixture is absorbed in the couscous and desired tenderness is reached.

Meanwhile, combine chopped parsley, cranberries, and almonds in a separate bowl.

Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, mix olive oil, cumin, cardamom, honey, cinnamon, turmeric, and cottage cheese. Set aside. Chop red peppers and set aside.

 Once couscous is done, remove from heat. Combine everything into the skillet and toss together on a low heat so flavors meld together. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

- Miss J

Served with baked fish and sweet asparagus.

Parmesan Garlic Croutons

Since we moved into our little apartment with minimal cabinet space, I have been on a kick to recycle anything left over in my pantry or fridge.   I had several left over pieces of thick whole grain bread and decided to make some homemade croutons for salads this week.

Parmesan Garlic Croutons
Source:  Miss J

4-6 slices of thick country cracked wheat bread - depends on size
3 tablespoons of olive oil (butter would work as well)
a pinch of salt
cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of parsley (or Italian seasoning)

Dice bread into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes and set in a mixing bowl. (I didn't remove crust, but if I made it again I would)

In a small dish combine 3 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and parsley or Italian seasoning.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes so flavors meld together.  Add parmesean to mixture.

Add 1 garlic clove finely minced.  Mix well.  Toss bread crumbs in oil mixture and spread evenly on a baking dish. Top with cracked pepper. 

Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy.  Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store and use on salads throughout the week!

- Miss J

Weekly Finds - Part 1

There are three things I love to do... cook, shop, and clean.  Each weekend, I make sure that I hit up all three of these things so I can head into Monday feeling relaxed and excited to start the week.  I took care of the cooking part Saturday night with the jalapeno peppers. Cleaning is an easy check off the list as I do that every Saturday and Sunday morning while Moe is working.  The shopping part is almost always impromptu and I rarely set out with a mission to buy one thing (which is part of my problem).  Today, I spent a couple hours out running errands and came home super excited about some of my purchases.  I thought I'd start a weekly tradition of sharing my favorite finds of the week.  Most of them are super inexpensive (and on sale) so perhaps they are something that you are looking for as well :)

- Miss J

#1)   Tunisia Tangine from World Market

All my recipes call for a "pinch" of salt.  The problem is my salt is in a huge canister in the pantry or in my salt grinder. I  have been in the market for months for a small container to keep salt in on the counter that I can easily grab while I am cooking.  The problem is most of the little bowls don't have lids.  I saw this and although it is designed for sauces, it will work perfectly!

Full Price @ $4.99/each

Sale Price @ $3.88

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11620403

Note: The website only sells then in sets of two but you can buy them individually in the store.

#2)   20 oz Blue Soup Crocks from World Market

Recipes always call for ramekins; however, I think that ramekins are always so small and if I were to serve a meal in a ramekin to Moe, he would be starving afterwards.  I decided to cave in and just buy them when I stumbled across these 20 oz soup crocks at World Market.  They are not only beautiful, but are the perfect portion size for Moe. 

Full Price = $4.99  each

Sale Price = $3.88 each

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3765085&clickid=body_rv_img

Note:  The website only sells then in sets of four but you can buy them individually in the store.

 #3)  Irises from Trader Joes

Moe is not a huge flower fan.  He claims they die and are a waste of money.  I happen to disagree as I think they are beautiful.   I normally hold off on buying them but when I see a great sale price on a flower I love, I have to buy them :)  Plus, Irises are my cousin, Missy's favorite flower! Since I miss having them live across the street from us, I figured this would make me smile and think of them each day this week. 

Sale Price = $3.99

Trader Joes

#4) Basil Plant from Trader Joes

I used to have an entire kitchen of herbs; however, after being gone for three weeks in Europe, I came home to a graveyard.  Since I moved, I have been hesitant to buy any herbs as we have to keep our blinds down during the day due to Skyler barking at everything that walks by.  I saw this basil plant, took one smell of the wonderful aroma, and couldn't help but buy it.  We'll see how long it lasts in the apartment.

Sale Price = $3.99

Trader Joes



Jalapeno Stuffed Peppers

Peppers are tricky if you aren't used to them.  I never know which ones are spicy or sweet or how to utilize them in a recipe.  However, the key is being willing to experiment.  I saw a version of this recipe online and have been wanting to try it for awhile.  I was worried that because the primary ingredient is jalapeno peppers that it would be so spicy that I wouldn't be able to tolerate it.  I decided to use Moe as a guinea pig and try it out last night as an appetizer.  Surprisingly once the jalapenos were cooked they were sweet and hardly spicy at all!

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
Source:  Adapted from Weight Watchers

4 jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup of cheddar cheese
3 oz of cream cheese
2 teaspoons of low fat mayo
1 egg
1/2 cup of corn flakes - crushed (if you don't have corn flakes could you crumbled crackers or panco bread crumbs)
1 scallion (chopped finely)
cracked black pepper
ground chipotle chili powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking pan with foil.  Allow cream cheese to reach room temperature.  Mix cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayo, and scallions together in a small mixing bowl. 

Halve the jalapenos and remove seeds.  Scrap out inside of jalapeno to remove excess membrane. 

Fill jalapenos with cream cheese mixture. 

Crack egg and mix in a separate bowl. Toss jalapenos in egg and then coat with corn flakes and sprinkle cracked black pepper on top.  If you want to be daring, sprinkle with chili powder.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before serving. 

Ratings:
Miss J, 9 out of 10
Moe, 8 out of 10

- Miss J

Backwards News

I just booted up my computer this morning, and this was the article that was left in Internet explorer.  Moe must have been catching up on the news last night and forgot to close it.  Kids dying of a brain eating amoeba....disturbing start to my Saturday morning.  

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/17/amoeba.kids.deaths/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 However, I think it is kind of backwards that CNN makes a huge front page article on this. It is very sad and when children are involved people want to read about it; however, they highlight the three people who have died from a rare brain eating amoeba, but don't have an article on the huge heroin epidemic that is developing across the United States? Or the million plus people who die a year from tobacco use?  I think the world could use a front page wake up call calling out that the likelihood your child will die from tobacco use or heroin use is far greater than them taking a dip in a pond and having an amoeba climb up their nose and eat their brain.  Sorry for the vent session, but I was listening to NPR/St. Louis Public Radio the other day, and I heard such a sad story about a mother that found her kid after a drug overdose.  I put the article/podcast below in case you are interested, but it was about how heroin abuse has sky rocketed in Saint Louis this year as a result of how cheap it has become.   People can become addicted in a short period of time for relatively cheap and can continue the addiction without the need to front a lot of cash.  I believe they said that a single dose costs less than a six pack of beer.  This fact blew me away.  This is the kind of stuff that makes me terrified to have kids and not be able to sleep at night.  However, I have to continually remind myself that somehow Moe and I turned out alright in this world so all we can do is hope for the same for when we have kids.


http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/cheaper-six-pack-beer-more-potent-ever-fighting-rise-heroin-st-louis

- Miss J

The Jute Runner It Is

I hate rug shopping.  First off, rugs are one of those household decors that you spend tons of money (and time) on but get minimal satisfaction from.  People rarely walk into your home and and say "God I love that rug" and if they do, more than likely it is because you went out on a limb with your selection and they secretly hate it.  Generally speaking, people instead comment on the painting, the couch, or the bookcase display. 

Our new apartment has cream carpet and no mud hall to clean Skyler off. I know you are thinking how dirty can she be?  A perfect example is today at the park.  We were walking home and before I know it, she is waist deep in a pond with green algea all over her legs..... disgusting.  As a result, it is essential to have a rug right by the front door if we have any hope of getting our security deposit back.  In attempts to save money, Moe and I tried to recycle our 5x7 rug from house and reuse it in our apartment.  Problem #1 was that it is cream so cream on cream looks stupid but we were willing to look past this.  Problem #2 was the rug didn't exactly fit the space.  It was too big for the area so you have to have part of it under our buffet stand and part of it hanging out.  Again, we were completely willing to turn our head to how ridiculous it looked except every day when we got home from work, the rug miraculously would move places.  After weeks of this, we came to one of two conclusions.  One....Skyler is doing shuttle runs around our apartment and pushing the rug up or TWO.... our apartment is haunted and the ghost is f'ing with our minds.  Either way, we decided this morning the rug had to go.  

So the task of the day was to buy a new rug.  Sounds simple enough.... a 4 ft by 8 ft rug.  Three hours and six stores later, no rug.  Apparently rugs don't come in a 4 ft width... they come in 1 ft or 2ft or 2.5 ft or 5 ft, but of course not in 4ft.  The second issue is that they were off the wall crazy patterns (like the ones that make you feel dizzy when you look at them) or they looked like something straight out of my grandma's house!  By the time I got to World Market, I was willing to buy anything. I finally landed on a 2.5 ft x 8 ft Jute Runner.  The pattern is a bit more than I am used too, BUT I have decided that our apartment looks too much like our house and me buying navy pillows for the couch instead of red did not satisfy my need to diversify our place. I settled on a bold crazy rug pattern instead.  I can't wait for Moe to get home tonight and hate it!  What's your vote?  Thumbs up or thumbs down?

- Miss J

Skyler is not sure what to think about this new item in our apartment.  She just sucks on her stuff animal and stares at it!  I've decided we got the hyper-emotional dog from the litter.