About that Burger

     When your husband wants needs a new bow, the best way to say yes is to make a date out of it.  After nine billion hours of research, he found “the one” at Bass Pro Shop, so we headed to Memphis to make a day of it.  Naturally, the most exciting part of his day was playing Robin Hood.  The most exciting part of my day was eating.  Thanks to a tip from Groupon, we headed to The Green Beetle (…although we didn’t actually use the Groupon).

     I’m a sucker for a cool atmosphere (and I realize how uncool that sounds), and Keith was totally embarrassed by the fact that I was taking pictures in a restaurant. 

That giant stained glass (that you can’t really see) above the bar shows the restaurant full of big green people beetles.  So cute.

     On to more important things.  I got the Beetle Burger.  Just your traditional burger.  Except it was anything but…

     So good.  The onion rings (pilfered off of Keith’s Bandito Burger) were so good.  And the giant steak cut fries…so good.  But the bread…oh the bread on that burger.  I am not lying when I say it was some of the best bread I’ve ever had.  Also, I am in no way embarrassed by this ode to bread.  Please go eat a Beetle Burger.  Make sure you go on Burger Tuesday so you can get all this for only $6.

     So, with all of our important goals met – him: bow, me: lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon just walking around downtown (people watching).  I’m so glad we got to have a little day date before school starts back, and we’re busy all time! 

     Did you go on any fun dates this summer?  Did you eat any amazing burgers this summer?  We’re about T minus one week until I’m back to work here, so I’ll be keeping busy for the next little bit and getting my workout in by cleaning out my classroom.  It counts.

Weekend Snippets

     As per usual, we had another whirlwind weekend…and since we only have four more weekends until the wedding (eeee!), I’m thinking they’re all going to be that way.

This is our new toy…we are so excited to cook and cook and cook and cook this summer.

Its maiden voyage gave us this fantastic low country  boil.  Oh my – incredible.

These flowers were the centerpiece for my shower this weekend and are really close to what the wedding flowers will look like.  I love them!

     To top it all off, while we were at the shower, Keith got all the big furniture moved into the apartment.  Once we have a couch, we’ll be set.  We are finally in the home stretch.  We met with our new photographer yesterday, and I think we’re really going to like working with her.  I’m already dreaming of pretty wedding shots!  I’ve got a couple of fun, DIY-type projects that I’ll be working on (hopefully this week), and I can’t wait to share them with you…soon.

Pomp and Circumstance…and Chocolate

     It’s been a quick three and a half years.  I feel about a hundred years older.  I have met some of the most wonderful people and the one I’ll be spending the rest of my life with.  I’ve accrued twice the amount of stuff.

But.

I GRADUATED.

     Saturday, I graduated college.  I expected to be really emotional during the ceremony, but I was much more controlled…and so happy.  To be quite honest, I don’t feel all that different yet.  It doesn’t feel very real…I expect that will come when I get a big girl job.  I’ve been sending applications and interviewing but haven’t heard back yet (hopefully soon).

     According to our pre-Christmas calendar meeting, my mother, sister, and I had decided to do our annual chocolate-covering day the afternoon of graduation.  In spite of total exhaustion, we each had a Coke, hopped into our pajamas, and toughened up.  The rest of our night looked something like this:

120 mini Rice Krispies
5 packages of Oreos
5 packages of Candy Kwik
2 bags of pretzels
and 1 go-pack of mini Oreos

(From top left: candy bark, close up, rice krispies, close up, our stash of goodies to give away)

     We tried to come up with some new ideas this year since we do tend to give these to the same people each year.  The candy bark was so simple and turned out so cute. 
     Recipe?  Melt chocolate.  Pour it on parchment paper on to the counter.  Spread until fairly thin.  Cover with whatever you want.  Cut.
     Even though 120 may be a little excessive, the rice krispies might be one of my favorites this year.  They’re different from what we usually do, and they give a little break from the chocolate overload.
     Recipe?  Buy mini rice krispies (they come in a box of 40).  You could make them…but we didn’t.  Dip in chocolate.  Dip in sprinkles.
     We also did big oreos – tradition, and I did a go-pack of mini oreos because Keith said he likes those better…  We did one bag of pretzel twists, which is a definite downscale from last year (…I think we did four then).  All told, we made 12 plastic containers, about 30 treat bags, 1 assorted tray, and had plenty left over.

We tend to go overboard.

     This is one of my favorite things to do for Christmas!  These little tins (or plastic containers) are the perfect thing for Sunday school teachers, coworkers, your hairdresser…everybody.  What’s great about these is that we aren’t giving cookies (which can go stale) or huge portions of anything.  It’s just a sweet little snack that doesn’t take a lot of time to do.

I hope your houses are filled with delicious Christmas goodies…
and if they aren’t
please take some of the million rice krispies of my hands (before I eat every single one of them)!

Pretending

     When I started this little blog of mine, I thought I would be sharing fun little crafties all the time.  Then…I realized that crafting is hard, and I have a limited skill set.  After this realization, I revamped and let you all follow me through life and watch me realize how it works.  In spite of all this, I still love crafties, and desperately wish I could just whip up beautiful things like so many of you.  It has been so hard for me to keep up with pretending to be a crafter while I’ve been in school, but this weekend got me back into the swing of things!

My sister and I made…

an ornament wreath…which I love,

a poofy wreath…love,

AND

applesauce cake…stay tuned for this recipe.

     This cake…is incredible.  I have a feeling I’ll be making it more often…or never because I could eat the entire pan.  Oh!  I almost forgot.  Do not ever make these…

because you will eat entirely too many.  I’ll have to share this recipe too!

     I hope your Thanksgivings were incredible!  Mine certainly was, and now I am 10,000,000% ready for Christmas (…let’s not kid…I’ve been there for awhile now).  This weekend is tree weekend; after that I’ll be revealing all the decorations!

Shrimp and Grits

     First things first…how sad that I actually have a “shrimp and grits” tag on this blog…oh well.  You may remember that sometime last week I mentioned that we would be making shrimp and grits.  I’m here to share with you probably one of the most incredible things I’ve ever eaten.  This is not an understatement.  Just wait.

     Let me stop drooling for a minute and share the recipe!

     You will need:
          2 c. (ish) quick cook grits
          1/4 c. mayonnaise (we used Duke’s)
          bacon…a lot of it
          1/2 red onion diced
          1 lb. medium shrimp (shelled and deveined)
          1 (ish) tbsp. butter
          1 (ish) tbsp. lemon juice
          2 (ish) tbsp. hot sauce
          salt, pepper, and additional hot sauce to taste
         

     In a saucepan over medium hear, cook the bacon until crispy.  (Unless you already cut it, remove from heat and cut or crumble.)  Turn heat to medium-high, add onions and cook until they begin to soften.  Add shrimp and cook until they’re pink.  Stir in butter, lemon juice, and hot sauce.  Toss to coat the shrimp.

     In the meantime, cook the grits according to package instructions.  When fully cooked, stir in the mayonnaise.

     Divide the grits into bowls, spoon shrimp over the top, and dive in face first!

     Adapted from:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/shrimp-and-grits-recipe/index.html  

     So so so good!  I loved it for lots of reasons but especially because it was light.  I ate plenty and didn’t feel like I had just gorged myself.  It was nothing like the shrimp and grits dressing I shared awhile ago, but it still had so much flavor.  If you aren’t quite sure what you want for dinner…make this soon.
    

Places I May Be Partying:

Chicken with Mushrooms and Bacon

    I always do more cooking when I’m at home, you know…because I have a kitchen here.  A few days ago we decided to make a recipe that has been floating around our recipe box for a long time (that we’ve never even made) – chicken with mushrooms and bacon.  I love mushrooms and bacon, so right away I knew this was going to be perfect.
    So, without further ado…

You will need
    4 bacon slices cute into 1 in. pieces (we used 6)
    2 1/2 cups chopped onions
    1/2 lbs. mushrooms, thickly sliced (we used a whole pound)
    2 large garlic cloves, chopped
    1 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces (we used a few chicken breasts)
    1 c. dry red wine
    1 c. low-salt chicken broth
    1 tsp. dried oregano
    1 tsp. dried basil
    1 tsp. Italian seasoning

(Note: the recipe says to cook this in a Dutch oven; we just used a really big pan with tallish sides.)

1.  Cook bacon over medium-high heat until almost crisp.  Using a slotted spoon transfer the bacon to paper towels.
2.  Add onions, mushrooms, and garlic to the drippings in the pan.  Sauté until onions are tender and golden.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to bowl.
3.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Add to pot; sauté until brown.
4.  Return bacon and vegetables to pot, and add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and summer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

5.   Using a large spoon, skim fat from the top of the sauce and serve.  (Note: we served ours over pasta – wow!)

    

    This was not a hard recipe at all!  I especially liked that it didn’t feel heavy; I guess because the sauce wasn’t creamy or tomatoey.  I hope you’re all having a wonderful week!  Happy cooking!

Allyson

Birthday Feast

     I know I’m a few days late on this post, but I’ve been so busy working on my guest post and 101 in 1001!  Now that I’ve got those taken care of, I thought I would get back to some “regular” posting and share with you about my dad’s birthday dinner.  Before I get too deep into this post, let me go ahead and warn you – the pictures in this post are possibly some of the most unattractive food photos ever…please don’t let that distract you from the deliciousness available to you in the recipes!
     My dad’s birthday was last weekend, so my sister and I both came home to cook dinner.  Usually we go out to eat, but we decided that it might be more fun to cook this year.  It was my sister’s idea to cook, and she came up with an incredible menu – Italian meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans with mushrooms.  None of these were hard to make, and it wasn’t a fussy meal at all.  Any (or all) of it could be done on any old weeknight.

Please forgive the less than attractive photo.

Italian Meatloaf

You will need:
2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. ketchup
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a large bowl mix first four ingredients. Add tomatoes and cheese and season (to be honest we didn’t have all of that stuff so we used oregano, basil, a bit more garlic salt, and a dash of Essence of Emeril).
3.  Form into a loaf in a 13x9 casserole dish (we usually don’t use a meatloaf pan so that we can get it out of the grease quicker).  Cover loosely with foil.
4.  Bake in preheated oven for about an hour (or until internal temperature is 160 degrees).

Again…not so pretty.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

You will need:
8 medium red potatoes, quartered (we used more)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
1/2 c. fat free milk, warmed
1/2 tsp. salt (we used more)
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese (we used way more)

1.  Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan, cover with water.  Bring to a boil; cook until potatoes are very tender.  Drain well.
2.  Add the butter, milk, and salt; mash.  Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Ok…this one isn’t quite so bad!

Green Beans and Mushrooms

You will need:
1 16oz. bag of frozen green beans (we used whole beans, but it would work fine with cut)
1 can of mushrooms (fresh works fine too – however much you want)

1.  Heat a skillet on the stove (with a tiny bit of olive oil if you like).
2.  Pour in green beans and cook until heated through but still crunchy.
3.  About halfway through cooking, toss in the mushrooms.

    
     Y’all, this was all so good.  I was sad that I had to go back to school the next day because I so would have eaten this again!  Like I said, this clearly doesn’t have to be done together, and they’re simple enough to do whenever.
     I’m glad that we decided to try something different this year, and even more glad that it worked out so well.  Cooking something delish always makes me want to cook something else!  Once I figure that out, I’ll let you know!
     Happy March!  I’m on spring break this week, but I can’t wait for real spring.  I love everything about spring – Easter, crafts, clothes – and I can’t wait to share all of it with you!
Allyson

Mumbo Gumbo

     I’m sorry it’s been so long; I meant to post way earlier!  I went home this past weekend…and by now you ought to know what that means – food and crafts!  I already showed you the shirt that I made for Della, so obviously this is going to detail the foodie aspects of the weekend.  On the menu Saturday night? Gumbo.
    We’ve tried  making gumbo before, and it hasn’t been exactly great.  The roux has always messed us up, but this time I think we got it just perfect.

Just a sneak peek!

    I’m going to do my best to write a recipe for this…
        You will need:
            2/3 cup clarified butter
            1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
            4 cups water
            1/2 cup olive oil
            1 small onion (chopped)
            1 lb. okra (chopped)
            1 (8 oz.) can tomato paste
            1 can diced tomatoes (just the regular sized can…not the huge one)
            4 cloves garlic, minced
            2 T. salt
            1/2 t black pepper
            1 T seafood seasoning
            1 lb. uncooked shrimp (medium-ish sized)
            1 lb. Andouille sausage (cut)
            1 lb. shucked oysters (in a can is ok)

    

    1.  Melt the clarified butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled into the oil will just begin to bubble. Whisk in the flour to form a thick paste the consistency of cake frosting. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the flour turns the color of melted chocolate, about 45 minutes. Slowly whisk in the water and bring to a simmer. Whisk until no lumps of roux remain; set aside.
    2.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, okra, and sausage. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened and begun to brown, about 30 minutes.
    3.  Stir the tomato paste into the okra mixture until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, black pepper, seafood seasoning, and roux-thickened water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 1 hour.
    4.  Stir the shrimp and oysters into the gumbo, recover, and cook 20 minutes longer. 

Iiiiiiincredible!

    Y’all…this was amazing!  We adapted from this recipe.  Our roux didn’t get quite as dark as the recipe said, but it was still delish!  We ate this over white rice with Jiffy cornbread…wow!
    Eating this made me want to go to the beach, reread Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and change my name to Viviane…
    That may have been a little drastic – I do want to go to the beach and reread Ya-Ya though!
    Happy Suppertime!

Allyson