My sister is my best friend. She is a friend for life. She made sure my wedding was magical and I want to do the same for her. She is trying to win 50 FREE chairs and an archway for her wedding. You have to go to the Facebook page and like the picture. If you could do that for me and her we would be eternally grateful. Random acts of kindness are the best gifts in life.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=502501116529137&set=a.502501086529140.1073741830.472206176225298&type=1&theater
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Friday, March 22, 2013
A simple recipe
Life got the best of me! I have been a little busy and I have failed to keep up with sharing life with everyone. Being as it is Friday I am going to remain true to my original theme and give you a recipe.
It isn't anything glamorous or fancy. It is just one of those things I think people should know how to do well. What is it you ask? Today I am going to share my secret to wonderfully sautéed mushrooms.
I know they aren't on everyone's list of favorite foods, but I love them. I also thought with Easter right around the corner a simple side might be a good idea to share with people. I learned them one Thanksgiving when my mom was busy. She told me what to do, but I was on my own for the most part.
So to start I had purchased two pint size containers of baby bella mushrooms that were already sliced. Let's face it cutting mushrooms isn't easy. Not as hard as butternut squash, but still not easy. And unlike my sister, I did not go to culinary school so I have no knife skills.
I first set a skillet on to a medium/low heat setting. On my gas burner a number 4. I put 3 tablespoons of butter in the pan to melt. I occasionally lift the pan to make sure the entire thing gets coated. Then dump in the mushrooms. You can use another type. That is completely up to you.
I like to use a spatula (also sometimes called a scraper) to turn them and make sure they all get coated in the butter. After they have cooked for about 10 minutes and have started to get brown I add salt and pepper. I would say it is about 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and I just use my pepper mill and make sure I hit the entire top layer of the pan.
This process is the most important because now you will see when you add the salt the moisture will come out of the mushrooms and begin to cook down. I think this is something that most people don't realize. Mushrooms are sponge like and have a lot of moisture in them. It will feel like you have tons until they start to cook down.
Once the moisture starts to cook off I hit them with my last secret ingredient, white wine. This is why they are great for holidays because you probably already have a bottle open. I usually use a Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc because that is what I like to drink. Most culinary professionals will say to use whatever you would drink with the meal.
I would say you are going to add about half a cup. It might be slightly less. You just want enough liquid to coat the bottom of the pan. Now this is where you have to pay attention to them. You really need to keep stirring them because they are going to brown quickly and the liquid is going to cook off.
I would say this whole recipe should take no more than 25 minutes. The wine will make them give off an amazing aroma. There is something about wine and butter when using together in cooking that just smells amazing.
And that is it. I always use white serving dishes for holidays because it presents the food nicely. Just taste one before you serve them to see if it needs any more pepper. If you used salted butter and added the salt they should be fine. If you only had unsalted butter they may need a pinch more, but I doubt it.
Now simply enjoy!
It isn't anything glamorous or fancy. It is just one of those things I think people should know how to do well. What is it you ask? Today I am going to share my secret to wonderfully sautéed mushrooms.
I know they aren't on everyone's list of favorite foods, but I love them. I also thought with Easter right around the corner a simple side might be a good idea to share with people. I learned them one Thanksgiving when my mom was busy. She told me what to do, but I was on my own for the most part.
So to start I had purchased two pint size containers of baby bella mushrooms that were already sliced. Let's face it cutting mushrooms isn't easy. Not as hard as butternut squash, but still not easy. And unlike my sister, I did not go to culinary school so I have no knife skills.
I first set a skillet on to a medium/low heat setting. On my gas burner a number 4. I put 3 tablespoons of butter in the pan to melt. I occasionally lift the pan to make sure the entire thing gets coated. Then dump in the mushrooms. You can use another type. That is completely up to you.
I like to use a spatula (also sometimes called a scraper) to turn them and make sure they all get coated in the butter. After they have cooked for about 10 minutes and have started to get brown I add salt and pepper. I would say it is about 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and I just use my pepper mill and make sure I hit the entire top layer of the pan.
This process is the most important because now you will see when you add the salt the moisture will come out of the mushrooms and begin to cook down. I think this is something that most people don't realize. Mushrooms are sponge like and have a lot of moisture in them. It will feel like you have tons until they start to cook down.
Once the moisture starts to cook off I hit them with my last secret ingredient, white wine. This is why they are great for holidays because you probably already have a bottle open. I usually use a Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc because that is what I like to drink. Most culinary professionals will say to use whatever you would drink with the meal.
I would say you are going to add about half a cup. It might be slightly less. You just want enough liquid to coat the bottom of the pan. Now this is where you have to pay attention to them. You really need to keep stirring them because they are going to brown quickly and the liquid is going to cook off.
I would say this whole recipe should take no more than 25 minutes. The wine will make them give off an amazing aroma. There is something about wine and butter when using together in cooking that just smells amazing.
And that is it. I always use white serving dishes for holidays because it presents the food nicely. Just taste one before you serve them to see if it needs any more pepper. If you used salted butter and added the salt they should be fine. If you only had unsalted butter they may need a pinch more, but I doubt it.
Now simply enjoy!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
George Jones
I like country music. I didn't always like it. My friend Meghan got my sister and I to listen to it about 10 years ago. It was a hard sell at first. We really weren't digging it. Over time we slowly developed an interest in the more modern songs.
Now you can hear country on pop radio. The likes of Taylor Swift, Hunter Hayes and Carrie Underwood have made country cool. Really Carrie is probably the one we have to thank. Ever since she won American Idol country had been growing in popularity.
My husband however loves classic country. He likes the roots of it all. I really have a hard time getting into that. I mean some artists you can't help but like. If you listen to country at all you know the popular ones. They will still reference them in songs today. You have to respect the people who pioneered the genre.
My husband's favorite? You guessed it, George Jones. Why else would that be my title? I happened to come across his Farewell Tour last weekend. We were on a long car ride home. We were both tired so I was coming up with just about anything to entertain us.
Well we passed a unique concert destination. I have been to it before. I always tell him that I want to take him there. It is hard to get him to concerts. He has little patience for crowds or traffic. So I looked the venue up to see who was coming there soon.
He jokingly said "Olllllleeee Possum" (possum being a nickname for Mr. Jones). I started to laugh when I saw he was indeed coming there this summer. I don't think I have seen his face light up like it did when I said it was an option. He immediately asked me how much tickets were.
I managed to secure some on the floor of this intimate venue. I can't wait to take him to this concert. Not only is the location up on a hill with the most scenic views, but he will be so close to one of his favorite classic country artists that he will feel like he could reach out and touch him.
It's the little things in life that make it so wonderful. Ever since I bought him these tickets I will catch him listening to the songs he hopes to hear on his computer in his office. I suppose I can handle one night of the twangy, stereotypical country music. It will be worth it to see my husband's smile.
Now you can hear country on pop radio. The likes of Taylor Swift, Hunter Hayes and Carrie Underwood have made country cool. Really Carrie is probably the one we have to thank. Ever since she won American Idol country had been growing in popularity.
My husband however loves classic country. He likes the roots of it all. I really have a hard time getting into that. I mean some artists you can't help but like. If you listen to country at all you know the popular ones. They will still reference them in songs today. You have to respect the people who pioneered the genre.
My husband's favorite? You guessed it, George Jones. Why else would that be my title? I happened to come across his Farewell Tour last weekend. We were on a long car ride home. We were both tired so I was coming up with just about anything to entertain us.
Well we passed a unique concert destination. I have been to it before. I always tell him that I want to take him there. It is hard to get him to concerts. He has little patience for crowds or traffic. So I looked the venue up to see who was coming there soon.
He jokingly said "Olllllleeee Possum" (possum being a nickname for Mr. Jones). I started to laugh when I saw he was indeed coming there this summer. I don't think I have seen his face light up like it did when I said it was an option. He immediately asked me how much tickets were.
I managed to secure some on the floor of this intimate venue. I can't wait to take him to this concert. Not only is the location up on a hill with the most scenic views, but he will be so close to one of his favorite classic country artists that he will feel like he could reach out and touch him.
It's the little things in life that make it so wonderful. Ever since I bought him these tickets I will catch him listening to the songs he hopes to hear on his computer in his office. I suppose I can handle one night of the twangy, stereotypical country music. It will be worth it to see my husband's smile.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Spring is Coming
Today we were supposed to wake up to snow, but that didn't happen. It is actually pretty warm considering it is still Winter for a couple of weeks. There is a topic that I thought would be fun to discuss because it is starting to get nicer.
Gardening, more accurately bulb plants. The general rule is to plant bulbs in the fall to have them come up in the Spring, but I am terrible at that. As great a gardner as I can be, by Fall I usually stop caring what my yard looks like.
I have a trick I started to make sure I have beautiful flowers each spring. I buy the actual bulb plants as we get closer to Easter and then the weekend before I plant them in my garden. This way when people come for dinner my yard is bursting with beautiful Spring flowers.
I have just been buying 2 or 3 new things each year. So now after several years at our house I have a nice variety of things blooming in my flower beds. There is one important tip to this that needs to be mentioned. Once the flowers have bloomed out (meaning they dried up and the petals have started to fall off), fold the plant in half and rubberband or tie them with twine.
This will allow them to breakdown quicker. That way once May comes they aren't still hanging around when you go to plant your regular Summer flowers. The only other thing to be careful of is that you remember where the bulbs are so you don't accidentally dig them up.
I like to recommend to plant an actual flowering plant because if you aren't familiar with bulbs you may end up planting them upside down. That can't happen if you are planting a flowering bulb. This will allow you to feel like you have a green thumb. Plus I always get excited to know spring is coming when I see my tulips breaking through the ground.
My bulb plants have peeked out so that inspired me to write this post. I included a picture from last spring. The first to bloom was a hyacinth I had originally bought from the children's choir at church, the first year we were in our house.
Gardening, more accurately bulb plants. The general rule is to plant bulbs in the fall to have them come up in the Spring, but I am terrible at that. As great a gardner as I can be, by Fall I usually stop caring what my yard looks like.
I have a trick I started to make sure I have beautiful flowers each spring. I buy the actual bulb plants as we get closer to Easter and then the weekend before I plant them in my garden. This way when people come for dinner my yard is bursting with beautiful Spring flowers.
I have just been buying 2 or 3 new things each year. So now after several years at our house I have a nice variety of things blooming in my flower beds. There is one important tip to this that needs to be mentioned. Once the flowers have bloomed out (meaning they dried up and the petals have started to fall off), fold the plant in half and rubberband or tie them with twine.
This will allow them to breakdown quicker. That way once May comes they aren't still hanging around when you go to plant your regular Summer flowers. The only other thing to be careful of is that you remember where the bulbs are so you don't accidentally dig them up.
I like to recommend to plant an actual flowering plant because if you aren't familiar with bulbs you may end up planting them upside down. That can't happen if you are planting a flowering bulb. This will allow you to feel like you have a green thumb. Plus I always get excited to know spring is coming when I see my tulips breaking through the ground.
My bulb plants have peeked out so that inspired me to write this post. I included a picture from last spring. The first to bloom was a hyacinth I had originally bought from the children's choir at church, the first year we were in our house.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Think Warm
Looking for somewhere new to escape to this summer? Have you ever gone to Ocean City Maryland? If not you should plan on going sometime. The best part of this vacation destination is that it can conform to any age group. There really is something for everyone.
My husband and I decided we wanted to go after we did a day trip there in the fall of 2010. We loved it so much we have gone back in the summer 2011 and 2012. My parents have a vacation club so it is really affordable for us. Plus it mixes up where we stay each time.
Last summer we got my sister and her boyfriend hooked. They had such a great time that they went back 2 weeks later to celebrate my sister's birthday. Now being young with no children allows you to enjoy the night life. I will admit that makes it a little different.
There are some very cool places to hang out. Some of the places can even be fun during the day. If you are looking to drink the day away hanging out at Seacrets for a party atmosphere is ideal because there is always something going on. If you are looking for a more relaxed setting for drinking the day away Fish Tales is your ticket. You can sit in their unique swings and play in the sand.
They are both good options for evening and will provide their similar atmospheres at night. My favorite evening destination is however De Lazy Lizard. Their sunsets are amazing. The bonus of going there is that if there is a long wait to eat dinner they have a huge outdoor bar right on the bay. There is something about being there that makes you feel like you are in paradise.
Everyone has their destinations that are required on their stay. One of my entire families favorites is Dead Freddies. I recommend you sit outside near a misting fan and get a creamsicle crush. Let's face it you aren't in OCMD until you have a crush in your hand.
But when I say it is for everyone I mean it. There are plenty activities for all ages. There is miniature golf at every turn, the boardwalk offers hours of entertainment and there are various water related activities depending on how thrill seeking you are.
Traffic can be a nightmare, but if you are lucky to be there an entire week you will notice that after the weekends end the crowds thin out a little. We were down the week of the 4th of July once and it was not hard to get around at all.
Most of all I recommend getting as close to the beach as possible. There is something wonderful about being able to walk back and forth to where you are staying relatively easy. I guess I was so used to having to walk far at the jersey shore that being half a block off the beach seemed like such a luxury to me.
Add Ocean City Maryland to your list if places you want to go. You will enjoy it. I promise!
My husband and I decided we wanted to go after we did a day trip there in the fall of 2010. We loved it so much we have gone back in the summer 2011 and 2012. My parents have a vacation club so it is really affordable for us. Plus it mixes up where we stay each time.
Last summer we got my sister and her boyfriend hooked. They had such a great time that they went back 2 weeks later to celebrate my sister's birthday. Now being young with no children allows you to enjoy the night life. I will admit that makes it a little different.
There are some very cool places to hang out. Some of the places can even be fun during the day. If you are looking to drink the day away hanging out at Seacrets for a party atmosphere is ideal because there is always something going on. If you are looking for a more relaxed setting for drinking the day away Fish Tales is your ticket. You can sit in their unique swings and play in the sand.
They are both good options for evening and will provide their similar atmospheres at night. My favorite evening destination is however De Lazy Lizard. Their sunsets are amazing. The bonus of going there is that if there is a long wait to eat dinner they have a huge outdoor bar right on the bay. There is something about being there that makes you feel like you are in paradise.
Everyone has their destinations that are required on their stay. One of my entire families favorites is Dead Freddies. I recommend you sit outside near a misting fan and get a creamsicle crush. Let's face it you aren't in OCMD until you have a crush in your hand.
But when I say it is for everyone I mean it. There are plenty activities for all ages. There is miniature golf at every turn, the boardwalk offers hours of entertainment and there are various water related activities depending on how thrill seeking you are.
Traffic can be a nightmare, but if you are lucky to be there an entire week you will notice that after the weekends end the crowds thin out a little. We were down the week of the 4th of July once and it was not hard to get around at all.
Most of all I recommend getting as close to the beach as possible. There is something wonderful about being able to walk back and forth to where you are staying relatively easy. I guess I was so used to having to walk far at the jersey shore that being half a block off the beach seemed like such a luxury to me.
Add Ocean City Maryland to your list if places you want to go. You will enjoy it. I promise!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Advice
Have you ever noticed that a lot of people use and abuse the saying "life is too short?" I wonder how often people actually do something about it. When I think about the things I wish I could do, I admit I get scared.
Taking risks that could alter your life path is a crazy concept. If it is going to have a serious impact on your day to day life it can be scary. What the real question to ask is will the result be worth all the risk? The other question would be are you in a position to make the change?
You may not have an opportunity to take risks. The longer you wait the more responsibilities you take on. They will prohibit you from being as willing to make any dramatic changes. When you have built a life there is a lot at stake and people relying on you. That pressure is intense.
My point is you deserve to be happy and if you can do whatever it takes to make yourself happy right now you should do it. I really don't think people should wait any longer. I have faith in things working out. If you really want something that badly it could and should workout.
Determination is the most important key. If you want something you can make it happen. I'm so tired of watching people get their dreams crushed or beaten down. You have to keep your head up and keep moving forward. Anything is possible with hard work and commitment.
Taking risks that could alter your life path is a crazy concept. If it is going to have a serious impact on your day to day life it can be scary. What the real question to ask is will the result be worth all the risk? The other question would be are you in a position to make the change?
You may not have an opportunity to take risks. The longer you wait the more responsibilities you take on. They will prohibit you from being as willing to make any dramatic changes. When you have built a life there is a lot at stake and people relying on you. That pressure is intense.
My point is you deserve to be happy and if you can do whatever it takes to make yourself happy right now you should do it. I really don't think people should wait any longer. I have faith in things working out. If you really want something that badly it could and should workout.
Determination is the most important key. If you want something you can make it happen. I'm so tired of watching people get their dreams crushed or beaten down. You have to keep your head up and keep moving forward. Anything is possible with hard work and commitment.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Crochet is for Everyone
My husband likes to make fun of me when I sit down with my craft bag full of yarn. He makes jokes about me being 80 and needing a rocking chair, but I ignore him. I find it relaxing and therapeutic. I learned to crochet 8 years ago from a co-worker. She was originally from Portugal. She could work her stitches so fast, i would watch in amazement. She was a great teacher.
My friend Meghan and I just did our first craft show, before Christmas. We were pretty proud of ourselves. People actually bought our stuff. We decided to start making things for babies and children. Her crochet has now taken off. She has learned so many designs and patterns that she has turned it into a successful little business.
Her new venture is learning how to sell her wares on Etsy. I actually discovered Etsy from a friend a few years ago. She was making jewelry and selling it there. The website has really taken off and is a go to place for people shopping for unique gifts.
It is the perfect answer for Meghan. She is an artist, literally. She has a degree in art. Crochet has become one other way for her to express herself. So I encourage you to look her up on Facebook as The Stitchin Fox as well as at http://www.etsy.com/people/thestitchinfox
My friend Meghan and I just did our first craft show, before Christmas. We were pretty proud of ourselves. People actually bought our stuff. We decided to start making things for babies and children. Her crochet has now taken off. She has learned so many designs and patterns that she has turned it into a successful little business.
Her new venture is learning how to sell her wares on Etsy. I actually discovered Etsy from a friend a few years ago. She was making jewelry and selling it there. The website has really taken off and is a go to place for people shopping for unique gifts.
It is the perfect answer for Meghan. She is an artist, literally. She has a degree in art. Crochet has become one other way for her to express herself. So I encourage you to look her up on Facebook as The Stitchin Fox as well as at http://www.etsy.com/people/thestitchinfox
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