This is my correct size?!?!?!?
I seriously think you guys might have misread the tag....Friday, October 21, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
A perfect night for pasta
Well today was NOT a beautiful fall day in Kentucky...today was a cold, rainy day in Kentucky.
For dinner I made Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon from the November 2011 issue of Everyday Food. It was just what we needed on a day like today, warm and delicious. In the past I would not have made a recipe that used leeks because they were in the category of Foods I've Never Had but Suspect I Won't Like. Luckily, we ate at FIG last summer in Charleston and I had one of the best meals of my life - braised pork belly on a bed of mashed potatoes with leeks and rock shrimp - and my eyes were opened to the loveliness of leeks.
Here's the recipe:
salt + pepper
6 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
4 leeks (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced
3/4 pound campanelle
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 Tablespoons fat from skillet (there wasn't any fat to pour when I cooked my bacon). Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until leeks are golden brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Add pasta to pot and cook according to package instructions. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and lemon zest and juice. Whisk 1/4 cup pasta water into egg mixture.
3. Drain pasta and immediately add to egg mixture, along with bacon, leeks, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle with more cheese if desired and serve immediately.
Though the weather was semi-yucky, I didn't really mind. The coming seasons will be full of firsts for Ellie and our little family. I am looking forward to our first winter together - our noses turning bright red when we go outside - snuggling them away when we are back inside.
For dinner I made Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon from the November 2011 issue of Everyday Food. It was just what we needed on a day like today, warm and delicious. In the past I would not have made a recipe that used leeks because they were in the category of Foods I've Never Had but Suspect I Won't Like. Luckily, we ate at FIG last summer in Charleston and I had one of the best meals of my life - braised pork belly on a bed of mashed potatoes with leeks and rock shrimp - and my eyes were opened to the loveliness of leeks.
Here's the recipe:
salt + pepper
6 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
4 leeks (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced
3/4 pound campanelle
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 Tablespoons fat from skillet (there wasn't any fat to pour when I cooked my bacon). Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until leeks are golden brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Add pasta to pot and cook according to package instructions. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and lemon zest and juice. Whisk 1/4 cup pasta water into egg mixture.
3. Drain pasta and immediately add to egg mixture, along with bacon, leeks, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle with more cheese if desired and serve immediately.
Though the weather was semi-yucky, I didn't really mind. The coming seasons will be full of firsts for Ellie and our little family. I am looking forward to our first winter together - our noses turning bright red when we go outside - snuggling them away when we are back inside.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Fall in Kentucky, 2nd Edition
Another great fall weekend in The Bluegrass State! Race for the Cure was Saturday morning. Pete held Ellie while I ran it - my first time to do any running in about a year. It was chilly Saturday morning, so Ellie wore a darling rabbit hat to keep warm.
I didn't bring the camera so there aren't any pictures of me at the race (darn?). I finished in 38:29, which isn't too terrible considering I had the interval timer set on my watch so I jogged 3 min, walked 2 min after running an initial 7 min, 42 sec before my first walk break. Hopefully I will continue to improve and return to my former slow-but-steady-jogger self!
Saturday afternoon we went to the new bagel shop in town - The Great Bagel - for lunch and some coffee. We have already become regulars there, the owners are our age and really nice!
Then Saturday evening Matt and Jen came to visit!! Jen's sister Claudia got married this weekend in Frankfort so they crashed at our house after the festivities before heading home to South Carolina this morning. We sat in the basement on the comfy sofas eating chicken tenders and wedding cupcakes and chatted the night away. We loved seeing them again seemingly so soon after our South Carolina visit in July.
Today Ellie visited one of the best things about her hometown: Keeneland!! We dressed her up in a cute outfit and she was more than ready to get going!
The fall meet is running through October 29th and today was too perfect a day not to be outside. Ellie did all the typical things once we arrived. She had her picture taken by the big Rolex clock,
perused the race program before placing her first bet,
and then watched her very first horse race!!
Between races we went to the paddock to see the horses up close
and watch them get saddled right before the jockeys mounted.
Then the camera battery died. But we had a great afternoon and got to see several horses face-to-face!
Next week will be more fall fun: Kentucky football and pumpkin carving!
Saturday afternoon we went to the new bagel shop in town - The Great Bagel - for lunch and some coffee. We have already become regulars there, the owners are our age and really nice!
Then Saturday evening Matt and Jen came to visit!! Jen's sister Claudia got married this weekend in Frankfort so they crashed at our house after the festivities before heading home to South Carolina this morning. We sat in the basement on the comfy sofas eating chicken tenders and wedding cupcakes and chatted the night away. We loved seeing them again seemingly so soon after our South Carolina visit in July.
Today Ellie visited one of the best things about her hometown: Keeneland!! We dressed her up in a cute outfit and she was more than ready to get going!
The fall meet is running through October 29th and today was too perfect a day not to be outside. Ellie did all the typical things once we arrived. She had her picture taken by the big Rolex clock,
perused the race program before placing her first bet,
and then watched her very first horse race!!
Between races we went to the paddock to see the horses up close
and watch them get saddled right before the jockeys mounted.
Then the camera battery died. But we had a great afternoon and got to see several horses face-to-face! Next week will be more fall fun: Kentucky football and pumpkin carving!
Monday, October 10, 2011
On October 10, 2010
I announced I was pregnant! Here's a picture of me on 10.10.10 when I was 12 weeks pregnant:
Here we are 10.10.11 - one year later - can you believe it!?!
Sunday, October 09, 2011
Fall in Kentucky
It's my favorite time of year! Except for maybe spring in Kentucky - what can I say, we live at a nice latitude season-wise. Even though I missed out on two of my favorite fall things this weekend (Oktoberfest and Keeneland), it was still a weekend full of activity. Hopefully we'll make it to Keeneland next weekend - we try to make it at least once a meet. Besides, the last time we went, I was 39 weeks, 5 days pregnant - surely it will be more fun this time with Ellie on the outside!
Friday afternoon Pete got in a van with 5 of his friends, and 6 others got in another van and the I.T. Bandits were reunited once again for the running of The Bourbon Chase, an overnight, 200-mile relay race through 6 of the distilleries on the bourbon trail. (Bourbon that's not from Kentucky is just plain 'ole whiskey)
Friday afternoon Pete got in a van with 5 of his friends, and 6 others got in another van and the I.T. Bandits were reunited once again for the running of The Bourbon Chase, an overnight, 200-mile relay race through 6 of the distilleries on the bourbon trail. (Bourbon that's not from Kentucky is just plain 'ole whiskey)
Pete returned home yesterday evening to shower and change clothes, but then Van One needed to go downtown to the finish line so they could all cross together with the final runner. Obviously, Ellie and I didn't follow Pete all along central Kentucky to take pictures but we did take great before and after pictures.
Pete and Ellie BEFORE The Bourbon Chase:
and AFTER:
Last night was a special night for me as well. I kept Ellie up past her bedtime so we could go to Light the Night, a walk that raises money for leukemia and lymphoma. Pete met us in front of the courthouse in time for the walk to begin. I got a gold balloon in memory of mom, white balloons were for survivors, and red were for supporters.
Today was a nice day around the house - we went to breakfast at Alfalfa's and didn't do much else!
Friday, October 07, 2011
5 months old!
Here's our little 15-pound, 6-ouncer in all her glory:
In her fifth month our little girl learned to laugh - as featured in the video. She can also log roll now, but she doesn't do it very often, and is usually pretty worked up by the time it happens.
Ellie can't quite sit up - but can tripod for a bit before flopping over to one side. She is finally enjoying Sophie the giraffe, she likes to gnaw on his legs the most.
I suppose the biggest thing this last month was that we hired a babysitter! Her name is Robin and she is a senior at UK - some friends of ours with a similar-aged daughter recommended her and I am so glad they did because we really have no idea how to find a reliable sitter. I wish we had taken a picture on the first afternoon that Robin watched Ellie, but alas, we forgot. So far we have only used her to go to two UK football games, but it has gone well, so we know we have someone to call should we actually have something to do or somewhere to be. That's about it - not the most eventful month! But in a little more than two weeks Ellie will be six months old! I am a little sad about it - she is growing up so fast!! I try to remind myself that the future will hold many great things, but some days it is very difficult.
In her fifth month our little girl learned to laugh - as featured in the video. She can also log roll now, but she doesn't do it very often, and is usually pretty worked up by the time it happens.
Ellie can't quite sit up - but can tripod for a bit before flopping over to one side. She is finally enjoying Sophie the giraffe, she likes to gnaw on his legs the most.
I suppose the biggest thing this last month was that we hired a babysitter! Her name is Robin and she is a senior at UK - some friends of ours with a similar-aged daughter recommended her and I am so glad they did because we really have no idea how to find a reliable sitter. I wish we had taken a picture on the first afternoon that Robin watched Ellie, but alas, we forgot. So far we have only used her to go to two UK football games, but it has gone well, so we know we have someone to call should we actually have something to do or somewhere to be. That's about it - not the most eventful month! But in a little more than two weeks Ellie will be six months old! I am a little sad about it - she is growing up so fast!! I try to remind myself that the future will hold many great things, but some days it is very difficult.
Some Like it Hot
Last night Pete complained that there hadn't been an update in a while on our blog. I invited him to write his own entry, but he demurred. So instead of cleaning up the house during nap time, I'm writing blogs.
I have kept up the use of my new dutch oven. Sunday night I made the spicy Crab and Vegetable Gumbo from the Dec 2010 issue of Cooking Light. I have made it before and it is very good - but has quite a kick! We usually end up blowing our noses from the heat. I like it because it's really simple and quick. Saute some onion, carrots, celery -
- then add a bag of frozen veggies (before this recipe I never knew frozen vegetables came in gumbo-blend), some spices, chicken broth, and a can of crab meat - presto! Ready to serve over white rice.
Last night I made the Tex-Mex Pork from the Nov 2010 issue of Cooking Light (notice a trend here? I love CL and have a little folder of favorite recipes from past issues).
Once the sugared dough is stacked in the pan, it must rise again for 60-90 minutes. Then it bakes for 30-40 minutes. By this time it was evening and I needed to start dinner so there aren't any more pictures. I made the glaze in the morning and Pete and I ate it for breakfast. Pete liked it, I didn't think it tasted pumpkin-y enough. For all the effort, it definitely wasn't as good as a cinnamon-sugar fastnacht would have been. Oh well. Perhaps I will use the leftover pumpkin to make pumpkin pancakes for dinner sometime next week.
I have kept up the use of my new dutch oven. Sunday night I made the spicy Crab and Vegetable Gumbo from the Dec 2010 issue of Cooking Light. I have made it before and it is very good - but has quite a kick! We usually end up blowing our noses from the heat. I like it because it's really simple and quick. Saute some onion, carrots, celery -
Last night I made the Tex-Mex Pork from the Nov 2010 issue of Cooking Light (notice a trend here? I love CL and have a little folder of favorite recipes from past issues).
image from cookinglight.com
This recipe is also spicy but could easily be mild if you omitted the black pepper. I make this little number about once a month because it is fast and requires few ingredients - pork, salsa, rice, avocado. Plus I usually can only find pork tenderloin in 3-pound packages and the recipe only calls for one, so I often have two little tenderloins frozen and waiting.
In an attempt to redeem my baking reputation, I made another recipe I found on Pinterest: Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread.
In an attempt to redeem my baking reputation, I made another recipe I found on Pinterest: Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread.
photo from Pinterest
After reading the recipe and discovering that it called for yeast, I wasn't going to make it because waiting for dough to rise twice can be a drag and I try not to do it more than once a year. But Pete reminded me that I did not make Fastnachts this year so I did not have an excuse. I didn't have big plans for Tuesday afternoon, so while baby girl was napping, I started the process.
Of course Ellie's nap is only an hour and half long so she was awake before the fun had really started. I do enjoy baking with her - it is a good opportunity to talk about fractions, measuring, and cleaning up after yourself :)
After the dough rises you roll it out, sprinkle on a melted butter cinnamon sugar mixture, cut and stack the slices in a loaf pan.
After the dough rises you roll it out, sprinkle on a melted butter cinnamon sugar mixture, cut and stack the slices in a loaf pan.
Once the sugared dough is stacked in the pan, it must rise again for 60-90 minutes. Then it bakes for 30-40 minutes. By this time it was evening and I needed to start dinner so there aren't any more pictures. I made the glaze in the morning and Pete and I ate it for breakfast. Pete liked it, I didn't think it tasted pumpkin-y enough. For all the effort, it definitely wasn't as good as a cinnamon-sugar fastnacht would have been. Oh well. Perhaps I will use the leftover pumpkin to make pumpkin pancakes for dinner sometime next week.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Then and Now
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Le Creuset, Ooh La La!
Pete got me this lovely dutch oven for our 6th anniversary back in June. The sixth anniversary is Iron - we just started doing the traditional gifts last year; he got me a wooden vase with a pretty gerber daisy in it for our fifth anniversary. I have no idea what I got him. This year I gave him a T-shirt with the Tasty Table on it ('cause iron's an element, get it? I know, it was a bit of a stretch, but he loves the shirt so all is well).
June doesn't exactly scream 'dutch oven weather' so I've just now been using it. So far so good! I made cobbler with apples we picked at the orchard last weekend.
And Sunday I made the Italian Beef Stew from the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Cooking Light. It was delish! My first time to let something simmer for 1hr, 45 min that wasn't in a Crock Pot.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Every Monday Morning
We take Ellie's weekly photo!! Only one of them 'makes the cut' for our collection, but I thought you might like to see just how hard is is to narrow down the choices.
And then there's the fun to be had when daddy comes upstairs afterwards.
Here she is looking like her Aunt Audrey.
And then there's the fun to be had when daddy comes upstairs afterwards.
and her cousin Ben!
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