The CaitlynCosm

it's time.

2011-03-26T10:01:00.008-05:00

I've put off posting lately. I wanted to talk more about what has gone on in my life in the past few months.

To sum it all up, both of my beautiful grandmothers passed away within the course of a month. (My Mudder in February, and then a month later, my Grammy.) It has been really hard. They both had Alzheimer's disease. I guess it should have made it easier to cope with the loss because we had time to prepare. But, I wasn't ready. When is anyone ever ready to lose someone?

I wanted to write a fitting tribute to both of them. I'm just not ready. Maybe someday.

Since their deaths, I've thought hard about how I want to honor these women who made me who I am today. I learned cooking, gardening, sewing, and countless other things from Mudder. And, I learned about cooking, sewing, embroidery, and countless other crafts from Grammy. They both taught me how to be a good wife and mother. Whenever I do any of the things they taught me, I know it honors their memories.

As you can see in my previous (albeit long ago) post, I have taken up canning. (I didn't realize how truly old I sounded until I typed it out.) Since making (and subsequently giving away) all of those original jars, I've made another batch of lemon+honey marmalade. I wasn't quite as pleased with it as I was the blood orange marmalade. But, that's another story.

I think I mentioned sewing in my previous post. Good news, I've made a top! I will definitely take pictures as soon as it's not wrinkly. (I am very proud of it.)

We also began the work for our garden. I love coming inside with dirty hands. Who knew? I can't believe I enjoy it so much!

Most importantly, these days, I feel so connected to my grandmothers when I'm doing my household work. When I'm cooking dinner for Brandon and me, when I do the laundry, or clean. Both of my grandmothers were so great at housekeeping. They ran great households so that everyone around them was able to excel. My grandfathers were both able to be successful in their careers, and they both raised strong and intelligent children.

I think many people undervalue the role that household work plays in the world. Were it not for grandmothers who worked so hard to make sure things were in proper running order, my parents might not have turned into the wonderful people that they are today. The role of hardworking women whose work is home is the most important job out there.

This post is quickly turning into a soapbox about the value placed on domestic work. That's not what I wanted to do. I mostly wanted to tell you about how much I miss my grandmothers, and how hard it has been to sit down and write since their deaths. And also to tell you about what's been going on. Please forgive my lengthy absences.

May their memories be eternal!

as good a time as ever...

2011-03-01T11:10:00.004-06:00

I think that right at this very moment it's a great time for me to enter back into the blogging world.

I'm inspired as of late. And, I think it's time to share some of the inspiration with you.

Brandon gave me a great book "Made From Scratch" by Jenna Woginrich. It has renewed my love of all things handmade (especially those handmade things by me!) and has reminded me of the things I truly love to do.

I decided a few months back that I wanted to start a garden in the backyard this summer. Nothing too fancy, I just want to have our own vegetables. Don't even get me started on how much I want chickens...

I've been making bread on a pretty regular basis. (On the menu this week: brioche!)

We've been eating out less and less.

I've even endeavored to make some more of my own clothing! My next project is a Pascha dress. I've got a great idea of what I want to make, and I think I've found a perfect pattern!

Believe it or not, I love simplicity. A whole lot.

Since I'll be gardening this summer, I decided to dip my toe into the world of canning. I want to be able to do some simple canned tomatoes, and jams. (Pepper jelly anyone!?) I figured that learning to can during the months when I'm not inundated with produce might be a good idea. So, I went to the store and bought a few pounds of oranges. Blood oranges, to be exact.

I have grown to love marmalade. (Especially when it's on fresh bread with some butter. Mmmmm!) I planned on making a plain and simple orange marmalade, but the beautiful blood oranges called my name!

Here are a few photos of the process.

Sterilize, sterilize, sterilize! (Please note, the supplies I used are the ones I grew up watching my mom use.)

The mixture was so beautiful and burgundy pink. Love!

My mom let me borrow her canning supplies, Thanks mom! I didn't want to invest before I knew I could do it. She gave me loads of advice and a few you-can-do-its, along with some books. Then, I went and bought a couple of jars!

I made some of the most amazing marmalade I've ever encountered. Yep, I just said that about my own food. It's sweet, and tangy, and has the right amount of bitterness. (I've grown to love that slightly bitter bite. It's not overwhelming, but it's wonderful!)

It does something to you to see your own food, in jars. Something so wholesome and wonderful about it.

Seriously, look at those beautiful jars!

Try making it. You'll agree.

PS- Here's a little recipe for you to use when you make your marmalade.

eye candy...

2010-12-30T17:16:00.002-06:00

Here's a little bit of something gorgeous to look at. My in-laws gave me several Fiesta Ware place settings for Christmas. In addition to my existing set of red place settings... This Fiesta Fan is in love.

full...

2010-12-21T12:34:00.004-06:00

I think this is the first Christmas of my adult life, where I feel truly grateful. (Although, I'm sure my smattering of gratitude isn't nearly enough for all that I do have.)

Here are the things that I'm thankful for this Nativity season:

This list goes without saying: I'm thankful foremost that God became a man.

1. My wonderful husband. I am so excited to spend our first Christmas married! We're both excited to be together on Christmas. But, Brandon is most especially thankful for the logistics of our marriage! He's going to save many hours of extra driving to and from on Christmas day.

2. Sweet friends. Although it doesn't seem like I ever have enough time to spend with them, they're still there. I am so grateful for friends who are willing to always pick up where we left off!

3. A beautiful tree full of gifts. I'm so very thankful that we are able to have gifts to give. It's such a wonderful feeling to have a tree jam-packed with handpicked gifts for all your loved ones!

4. A refrigerator covered in Christmas greetings. I get so excited to see photo cards and the sweet sentiments on everyone else's cards. This is my very first year to be able to make a photo card. Hooray for wedding photos! Also, we did a card for our puppy Peppercorn to send to all her buddies.

5. A refrigerator full of food!

6. Feasting. While we haven't been able to feast just yet (the Nativity Fast is still in full swing) I have begun my preparation for the feasting. We feast for 12 days. And, I've started the baking and making. I'm baking homemade croissants for Brandon. He loves a croissant. And, he's quite the connoisseur. I can't believe I agreed to tackle this baking giant. But, I can't wait! I started a test batch of mini croissants this morning to see how they turn out. I'll freeze these and enjoy them next week. I'll make a batch of full-sized croissants on Friday to serve on Christmas day.

7. Spiced Tea Mix. This mix has saved the day multiple times this season! Some of you may be familiar with this, it was really popular back in the 1960's. It's sometimes called Russian Spiced Tea Mix. Because, the mix contains Tang drink mix and, during the space race, Tang was associated with Russian astronauts. I don't think it really has anything to do with being Russian.

I plan to give this away as Christmas gifts. I've also been drinking this like it's been going out of style. I think the high concentration of vitamin C has helped keep me well this fall. I accidentally bought twice as much of the mix as I needed, and was able to share the recipe with my mom for gifts. This recipe has saved the day so many times!

Instant Spiced Tea Mix:

1 1/2 C Instant sweetened iced tea mix. (I use lemon flavored tea.)

1 Container Tang orange flavored drink mix

1 C Instant lemonade mix

2 C Sugar

3 Teaspoons Cinnamon

3 Teaspoons Cloves

3 Teaspoons Allspice

Mix all the ingredients together. Add 3-4 heaping teaspoons of mix per mug of hot water.

Here's hoping you have a wonderful week leading up to Christ's nativity. And a very full Christmas!

your theme is: sugar...

2010-11-29T16:55:00.007-06:00

Lately. Things have been sweet. Seriously, ridiculously, insanely SWEET.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. My family wasn't able to come to town. We were all very sad.

Brandon and I had our traditional Thanksgiving morning bagels and lox along with Irish coffee. Bliss.

Then, we went over to my parent's house for feast #1. My grandfather was able to join us. Later that afternoon we went over to my in-law's for yet ANOTHER feast. It was a very full day.

Check out the spread at my parent's house:

Green Bean Casserole

Corn Pudding

Devilled Eggs

Dressing

Cranberry Relish

Gravy

TURKEY!

Mac-N-Cheese

Sweet Potatoes

Yeast Rolls

In non-Turkey day news:

I have had a major hankering for sweets these days. I made this recipe for vegan fudge last week.

Then, over the weekend I started missing the pecan pie from Thursday. So, I made this recipe for vegan pecan pie. It turned out really well. Like I usually do when making pecan pie, I substituted bourbon for the vanilla.

Last night, while Brandon was out for a guy's night, I made homemade cinnamon buns. I had a really bad cinnamon bun experience when I was a teenager. I haven't really liked them since. But, I started wanting some more than anything! So, I did some research and found that Lauren Ulm from Vegan Yum Yum had a recipe. She even has a video demonstrating the steps.

This was my first SUCCESSFUL yeast dough attempt. I couldn't be prouder of how they turned out.

AND I was able to use two of the fabulous gifts from my sweet goddaughter Cailyn. For our shared name-day, she gave me a jar of Chinese cinnamon (it's out of this world!) and also some Mexican vanilla. These are extremely worldly cinnamon buns! (C also gave me some glorious Dutch cocoa, and I have already enjoyed several cups of hot cocoa!)

They are sweet. Super sweet. I could only eat a half of one for breakfast. It was a perfect breakfast on this dreary morning at home with my sweet husband.

Yep, Brandon had the morning off, so we enjoyed a leisurely morning together.

After our breakfast we watched "Seraphine" on instant Netflix. It's about Seraphine Louis the French painter. It was a great movie. I highly recommend.

Overall one very sweet day. Part of one very very sweet life.

Again!?

2010-11-22T21:16:00.003-06:00

This post will be brief- I just can't wait to talk about this food! I can't believe it's Thanksgiving again! One year ago (on my Name-Day, which also falls on Thanksgiving) Brandon proposed to me. It has been one insanely wonderful year!

Thanksgiving is in just a few days- and my cooking frenzy has begun!

My cousin Liz is coming to town from Chicago and staying here at our place. I'm so excited. She gets to participate in mine and Brandon's tradition of eating bagels and lox on Thanksgiving morning!

Here's what I'm making: (The items in bold are linked to a recipe)

Sweet cranberry and pecan conserve topping for brie (An appetizer. I made this one up using orange juice, honey, dried cranberries, and pecans.)

Corn pudding

Mac-n-cheese

Cranberry relish

Pecan pie (For the celebration with my husband's family. My aunt Susan provides our pecan pies when she's in town.) (See recipe below.)

Sugar-free pumpkin cheesecake (Mostly for my mom, who has diabetes. But, it looks INCREDIBLE!)

So far- I'm done with 4 of these. Just two items more to go!

PS- I'm sure I've given you this recipe many many times before. But, here's the recipe for the pecan pie again:

(This is the one we served at our wedding as the groom's cake.)

Bourbon Pecan Pie (From my Aunt Susan)

1 stick butter, melted

3 eggs

1 teaspoon flour

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 cup light Karo syrup

dash of salt

deep dish pie crust

Mix butter and sugar together, then all other ingredients, adding pecans last. Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Bring on the turkey. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

what i've been up to...

2010-10-28T13:20:00.002-05:00

In the past few weeks I've been a little distracted. The CaitlynCosm has been on the back burner, because of this:

I've been working hard at revamping my business. I have had such a fun time doing personal chef work under The Ruffled Apron. I wanted to add some other services as well.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to talk to people. A lot. So, after a fun evening of coaching a friend through how to make a roast chicken dinner, I had an idea. I decided that I love to cook, and love to teach others to cook.

Now, in addition to personal chef services, The Ruffled Apron now offers two new services:

1. Private Cooking Instruction

2. Group Cooking Parties

Private Cooking Instruction:

Much like piano lessons or golf instruction, my cooking instruction will spend one on one time teaching you the basics of cooking. (Based on your existing skill level.) If you've read my blog for long, you understand that I have a definite food philosophy. I believe that people should be able to cook without the burden of recipes. This doesn't mean that I cook with an utter disregard for them. It simply means that I know how to read recipes and look for the techniques used, and can skim for ingredients. It means that I don't panic if I don't have all the ingredients for a dish. I learn what can and cannot be improvised. It's really a freeing way to cook.

I will work with students on a regular basis to teach them these basic skills. For each appointment, I will supply the groceries and give them a hands-on lesson. At the end of our time together. They will have a healthy and delicious dinner to share with their family and friends.

Group Cooking Parties:

Much like the popular "paint parties" going on these days, a cooking party uses the same concept. Gather a group of friends (5-10) and I will bring all of the groceries, tools, recyclable storage containers, and even the aprons. Pour everyone a glass of wine and let's get cookin'! For around 3 hours we will gossip and sauté our way through two complete meals. I'll show you all my tricks and tips to create delicious food.

Then, the best part, at the end of the evening everyone goes home with two complete four serving meals created by them!

Consider hosting a cooking party for your annual holiday party this year. What better way to be productive, and have fun with your friends?

The other BIG thing I've been working on, is my website! The Ruffled Apron FINALLY has a website!!!

theruffledaproncuisine.com

It includes a great listing of all The Ruffled Apron's services and prices. And, it also includes a new feature: seasonal menu selections. Now, personal chef clients can choose the meals they want prepared from this list. Then, I will prepare them to your specifications etc. This new feature allows The Ruffled Apron to serve my clients even more efficiently.

I am so excited for everything that's going on! So you'll all have to forgive me for my recent blogging absence. Thanks for all your support of The Ruffled Apron up to this point. I honestly couldn't have done this without you.

PS- You can now become a fan of The Ruffled Apron on Facebook too. Become a fan and keep up with news and special promotions from The Ruffled Apron.

as cute as these two kids are...

2010-10-05T12:38:00.003-05:00

... I'm actually pining away for that chair in the photo.

Last night, someone stole the chairs from our front porch.

Everyone has said since I moved in: "That set is so cute. I can't believe it hasn't been stolen yet."

Well, after a year of enjoying the chairs, they're gone. Just the chairs, the cowards left the table.

Let's talk about this: why did someone feel the need to steal the chairs? They have brought us so much joy over the past year. We had several meals out there. Long conversations with friends while sitting in the chairs. Our first grilled meal was eaten out there. Plenty of cigars smoked (by Brandon and the guys). Our first big party as a married couple (see above photo). And, now that the weather was cooler, we looked forward to many more occasions to use the table and chairs.

I don't understand most crime. But the theft of lawn furniture baffles me the most.

I know I'm not the first person to have lawn furniture stolen. I know it probably won't be the last time something like this happens. It just irritates me to no end. And I really wish it hadn't happened.

That is all.

feelin' crafty

2010-10-02T09:52:00.005-05:00

I feel like I should tell you what I've been up to. I promise, I didn't drop off the face of the earth following my birthday. But, I didn't really feel like posting very much. I have been very busy as of late, and a blogging hiatus was on the agenda.

For my birthday I got an iPhone. So, I've done a much better job of documenting my life these days. So, in the future, you will see many more photo posts. (I sometimes only check blogs for the pictures, I'm not going to lie.)

Lately, my creative juices have been flowing. I started thinking about Christmas. And that made me start thinking about how I want to be done with everything by the time the Nativity fast starts. That gives me exactly one and a half month from today. (The fast starts on November 15.)

As I normally do- I have started a running list of everyone who will receive presents. Followed by an idea of what I'd like to give them. This year, both out of necessity and for a personal challenge, I'm attempting to handmake most of the gifts I give.

I want to share them with you, but I won't be able to post photos of everything until after Christmas.

So, I sat down to my dusty sewing machine, and began to work!

And, I can't stop!

It all started with a pita pocket...

I had seen felt play food before, and always thought it was cute. So, I did some idea gathering and came up with this. I give you a whole-wheat pita pocket stuffed with turkey, cheese, spinach, tomatoes and pickles. With a bag of chips and a juice box.

I made this for our 2 year old goddaughter Lillian. I also plan to give a set to our (almost born) goddaughter, Luci when she arrives. These toys are quiet and give the kids something silent to play with during church services.

And please- check out that pickle. It makes me giggle each time I see it!

My next project was a gift for our goddaughter Cailyn's 11th birthday. She cooks with me on a weekly basis. And, she wears an apron with a matryoshka doll on it. So, for her birthday, I made her one to wear at home.

The apron was a simple style with a hand embroidered matryoshka doll that I attached.

For Cailyn's party, we went to Muddy's for some delicious goodness. I wanted something new to wear. So, I channeled Marissa from New Dress a Day and went to work with an old dress of mine. It didn't fit the same way it used to, and was a bit too clingy. So, I chopped it off at the hips. Then, I added these layered yellow flowers (fabric provided by a shirt I wasn't really loving). I did all of this in the time between getting off work and Brandon coming home from work last night! (Did I mention I made a pot of lentil stew in the process, I didn't? Well, you should know I have a domestic diva streak in me!)

PS- I've got a few other NDaD creations to share- but I need a better photo of each.

Close up of the flowers. They are layered fabric with a pearl in the center. I'm pretty proud of this one! Total cost= $0.

Then, after coming home from the party, I had some energy. (Maybe because Muddy's ran out of decaf coffee and I drank regular!) So, I sat down with some Ikea fabric at my trusty machine again. And started making a bag. I've been wanting to see if I could sew a messenger bag, for the longest time. So, I read a few tutorials, and set to work. I think it turned out cute. I think I might give it as a diaper bag to a friend. I'm thinking it's cute for someone having a girl. Seeing that it isn't all pink!

See friends? I haven't been ignoring you. I've just had some serious crafting going on. Now, If you'll excuse me, I have about a million strings and fabric scraps to vacuum!

...

2010-07-25T16:43:00.003-05:00

this about sums it up.

my brand of summer reading...

2010-07-15T21:57:00.000-05:00

This is an ultimate.

There are different ultimate cookbooks out there. Those great "sink your teeth into it", super full, amazing cookbooks.

I think some people feel that way about "The Joy of Cooking" or Julia Child's masterpiece, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". I'm personally a big fan of her "The Way to Cook". It taught me how to make my Coq au Vin, Brandon's favorite. But, to be honest. Julia's writing style wasn't my favorite. Many of her recipes involved referring back to other recipes and it can be a nightmare if you want to follow one recipe verbatim.

OK, this sounds like I'm not a Julia fan. I really am. I promise. I've taken to watching reruns of her show on the new "Cooking Channel" every day. I'm impressed daily by the leaps and bounds we've taken in cooking shows! 1970s food photography was pretty disgusting. And, don't even get me started on hygeine. Hello cross-contamination!?!?

But, I love to learn her classical techniques. There's a lack of classic technique being taught today. Everyone is so focused on 10 minute dinners, or super frugal cooking. What they fail to mention is that, a good basis of the tried and true techniques allows a cook to prepare faster. And, knowing what to buy store-bought and what to make yourself can save a cook hundreds of dollars a year! But, I guess that style isn't very vogue these days.

This all brings me to this book. Darina Allen (also known as "The Julia Child of Ireland") has compiled these skills into a book: "The Forgotten Skills of Cooking". Her theory is that the skills taught by her grandmother's generation are being lost generation through generation.

Brandon surprised me with this. Just because. Single girls (heck- non single girls) take note, settle for nothing less.

I have loved her approach. I have learned so much from reading already. The woman makes her own pruscuitto. You have no idea how badly I want to try that!

I highly recommend this book. I think you'd like it. If you are a little more than the average casserole chef, and want to delve deeper.

Recipe review:

I made Allen's basic cupcake recipe. I think it is definitely a more Irish style cupcake.

By this I mean, the cupcake was very dense and sturdy. I made an equally hearty nutella icing to top the cupcakes. Delicious, but not a great match. They were delicious, but made a good coffee dunking cupcake. Kind of like a pound cake. Not one I'll be using a lot. I think it might taste great soaked with irish cream, or some other liquid. Maybe espresso. But, it's just not the type of cupcake an American gal is used to.

I'm still enjoying the book, and hope to share some recipes soon!

back to the land of the living...

2010-07-14T10:50:00.006-05:00

After having spent about a month sick with various ailments, I'm back. Back to the land of the living.

Things had been terribly out of wack. I wasn't at church as much as I usually was. I wasn't cooking. I wasn't cleaning. Laundry was only getting done when Brandon needed work clothes, or we ran out of underwear.

Out of wack!

I'm back now. I feel great, and I was itching to get this house back in order. I got it clean. And I even cooked, baked actually! (More the first baking in a later post.) I haven't kept up with my menu boards lately, and it has shown in our quality of eating and in the budget! I plan to return to it next week.

Yesterday, a friend from church sent me a message asking if we'd like some produce from his garden. I said MOST DEFINITELY!!! So, he brought it to us last night.

HUGE, I mean MONSTER sized zucchini! Eggplant! White eggplant! Tomatoes! Cucumbers! Banana peppers! Yellow squash!

Who needs to join a CSA when you've got sweet friends like that?

We've been inundated with gifts of food since we got married. We were well stocked with cheese for over a month, because my wedding caterer forgot to put it into the grits. (That's a problem Southerners have- forgetting to cheese their grits.)

My parents gave us tons of the leftover food from the reception. Our friend Mary recently gave us vegetables and some fresh eggs from her chickens. And, my sweet friend Robert, gave us some tomatoes. (Robert is the kindest most precious cashier at SuperLo, the one off of Spotswood. He gave me some huge tomatoes from his garden a few weeks back. Love him!)

I can't wait to work our menus around this great food. We love eating vegetables. Love them. But, we aren't gardeners. So, we have to buy them. I can't afford to always shop the farmer's market. So, we end up buying them at the grocery. Still expensive, but I do keep up with the discounted produce carts at Easy Way and Superlo.

Anyway, I now have 5 large cucumbers sitting on my dining room table. I started thinking about ways to cook with them. I love roasted vegetables, so that's one way. A rattatouille is definitely in our future. I'm thinking of shredding some up to add to a meatloaf I'm making tomorrow, to stretch it and add some extra veggies.

And zucchini bread! How could I forget about zucchini bread!

My mom always made us the fabulous bread when we were kids. And, I still love it. I feel good about eating my vegetables in a sweet quick bread. Makes me feel much better about eating dessert for breakfast.

Mom gave me the recipe, my Grammy's recipe. I thought you'd like it:

Zucchini Nut Bread: By my Grammy.

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 cups grated zucchini

3 cups flour

1 tsp. soda

3 tsp. cinamon

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 cup chopped nuts

2 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs and add sugar. Beat until fluffy, then add oil. Continue beating. Add zucchini and mix. Add all dry ingredients, vanilla and nuts. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until done. Batter will be thin. Store in refrigerator or freeze.

(I also put mine into some muffin tins (in lightly sprayed papers) and baked them for 30 minutes.)

My Grandaddy and Grammy, this past Thanksgiving. Grammy now lives in a nursing home due to Alzheimer's disease. I love them both so much!

you've got to start somewhere.

2010-07-09T11:04:00.004-05:00

Well, it's been a really long time. I hate it when that happens. But, in order to blog again, you've gotta start somewhere!

Due to me being sick for about a whole month, extremely busy, and a newlywed, I haven't blogged or cooked very much. (I don't quite get the newlywed excuse, because life is pretty wonderful, but whenever I can't get something done people say: "It's OK, you're a newlywed." So, I'll embrace it.)

I must, must, MUST tell you about the most exciting thing to happen to us in the past week.

WE GOT A DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been begging for a long time. But, before we were married Brandon didn't like the idea of me walking a pup at night by myself. And, since he didn't yet live here, he wasn't always able to assist me. So, he told me to wait until after the wedding.

I waited.

Until we were in the car on our honeymoon. I started begging again, but he said he didn't really want to get a dog.

I stopped begging, and moved to simply asking occasionally.

About two weeks ago I got it out of him. He told me he was working on my birthday gift. And, in a moment of weakness, he told me what it was! A PUPPY!

Some of our friends foster dachshunds for Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue. He had been talking with them. We then went and visited to choose our new pup. We fell in love with a "mostly dachshund" named Vera. We were able to have a two day sleepover with her to see if she liked it here. She did, and so this past Monday, we adopted her.

We changed her name, because Brandon doesn't like people names for pets. And, there's a wonderful Saint by the name of Vera. So we started thinking of new names.

Since I work as a chef, and the dog is black, we came up with Peppercorn. Plus, she's tiny, and pretty spicy- like a little peppercorn.

Dear friends meet Miss Peppercorn:

She's a little over a year old. And just plain adorable. She weighs only 12 pounds, and looks like a puppy. She is such a cuddle-bug. I'm quite taken with her. (And I think Brandon is too.)

We had a little bit of an open house to welcome her Monday evening. My friends Abby and Michele along with her fiance, Josh came to visit. And then Chase, Gigi, and their pup, Piper came later. We all had fun with the meet and greet. (You know me, any excuse for a party!) Tonight we're having a play-date with Marjo and Billy's dog, Mabel. (And getting to hang out with new baby Joseph John!)

Please feel free to stop by anytime to meet Peppercorn anytime! You know I'll feed you if you visit. (I've even got homemade puppy treats that I made with Cailyn and Jake this week for the 4 legged friends.)

Talk to you soon!

it pays to have a coffee master in the house.

2010-06-16T09:48:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I found a fun little surprise for Brandon. When I was in the coffee aisle at the supermarket, I saw a little orange box. It was chicory!

Most people know of chicory coffee, from Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. Chicory was originally added to coffee to extend it. (Which is exactly what the little box of chicory says it's used for. No mention of taste, it just calls it a "coffee helper".) But, it tastes pretty good.

You can buy blended Cafe du Monde coffee in stores. But Brandon, the coffee master, has been wanting to make his own blend with fresh ground coffee. The thing is, you can't usually buy the coffee and chicory whole bean. And, you all know, it's much better to fresh grind your coffee.

Anyway, Brandon expertly blended the coffee and chicory this morning. It was delicious.

You know you all wish you had a coffee master in your house!

(The coffee master program is one that Brandon completed at Starbucks. It means he did a lot of studying and got to wear a special pin and a black apron.)

the menu board: june 7 through june 11

2010-06-15T07:17:00.000-05:00

Week 2 of the Apostles' Fast:

Monday: Cuban Black Beans and Rice (see recipe below)

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

Wednesday: Dinner at Church

Thursday: Kale and White Bean Soup

Friday: Country Fried Seitan with white gravy and Green Beans

Monday: We love this one! It's one of mine and Brandon's favorite fasting meals. The addition of the brown sugar and vinegar make it Cuban style. It really jazzes up something as basic as black beans and rice. We included this in our wedding favor cookbooks, we love it that much.

Caitlyn's Cuban Black Beans and Rice:
1 large onion, diced

2 tablespoons Oil

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 cans black beans (not drained)

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauté the onion in oil over medium high heat until transparent. Add garlic and cook for one additional minute. Reduce heat to medium low. Add the black beans, cumin, cayenne, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 30 minutes. Stirring often. Mash some of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in cilantro. Serve over cooked white or brown rice, garnish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Tuesday: Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili. This tasted really nice, I think. I had a REALLY bad toothache and the spicyness was NOT what I needed at that moment. I ended up eating buttered (or smart balance-d) noodles for dinner while watching the Glee season finale. Needless to say, I was all about being comfortable that night! (I found out on Friday, I'm going to need a root canal. Blech!)
Wednesday: Dinner at Church= Falafil, Humous, and Jerusalem Salad. Brandon's favorite fasting foods. He never ever gets tired of humous.
Thursday: Kale and White Bean Soup. I really liked this one. I used homemade vegetable stock, along with some carrots from our yard! Even though I wasn't the planter of these carrots, I now really understand the joy of eating something from your own garden! When I decided I wanted to have this soup I was thinking of something more thick and bland. I was really surprised. This was really full of flavor and much more exciting than any other white bean soup I've eaten in the past.
Friday: Country Fried Seitan with Green Beans AND BONUS Vegan Maccaroni and Cheese. I made meat. Or rather, Seitan. It was seriously easy. I was so surprised. Traditional Seitan is made by kneading wheat flour and washing it multiple times over the course of several days. Vital wheat gluten is a type of flour that is ONLY the protein and gluten from wheat flour. It makes the process much easier, basically, you add some liquid and other ingredients and it turns into this tough dough. Then, you poach it in some broth. Then it's easy to turn it into anything using it like meat.
I'm not kidding- it tastes like chicken. No, seriously.
We fried up the little "cutlets" and they were like country fried steak. (Brandon's favorite!) I forgot to make the gravy, but we didn't miss it. Then, I tossed steamed green beans with a cajun seasoning blend and some smart balance.
I got inspired to try this maccaroni and cheese recipe. PLUS, I had bought some nutritional yeast (a good substitute for cheese) and I thought I'd go for it. It was really easy. Actually, without having to grate all the cheese I normally use for my regular mac and cheese recipe, it was a LOT easier. Definitely not as tasty as my favorite Martha's Mac and Cheese. But, really nice.
Disclaimer- I usually don't make so many meat and dairy substitutions during fasts. But, to be completely honest with you, I'm not a very good faster right now. I've been a big baby about this fast. Whine. Whine. So, my own little rebellion has been to use these substitution foods. I have a feeling many of the saints wouldn't approve of my current philosophy.
Weekend Meals: I don't "plan" the weekend meals. I really like the ability to be spontaneous over the weekends. But, since I'm sharing my recipes and ideas, I thought I'd include what we ate over the weekend.
I made this Crispy Sweet and Sour Seitan. Yum!
I saved an extra fried seitan cutlet and turned it into my own little Chick-Fil-A style sandwich. Complete with veganaise.
Sunday lunch= Soul Fish. Hooray for the fish-wine-oil katalysis during this fast.

there might have been an angel choir...

2010-06-09T20:33:00.000-05:00

... When I first bit into that pork-y deliciousness.

I got done at work early Friday before last. (A fasting free Friday, I might add.) Leaving just enough time for Brandon and I to go to Payne's Bar B Q for lunch.

It's on Lamar Ave. near McLean. I might sound a little sheltered... But, I don't frequent Lamar too often. But, my dear husband assured me it's totally safe.

The building is unassuming to say the least. Much like most of the culinary gems of the world. It's not much to look at. Upon walking inside the former gas station, I noticed green vinyl tablecloths with ponsettia patterns, and only about 6 tables. The lighting leaves a bit to be desired, but I promise, you won't mind.

The aromas were heavenly. I knew I was in for a treat.

I let Brandon do the ordering, he's the pro. The menu's pretty simple. But, DON'T ask for "pulled pork." It's sliced or chopped. We both got chopped plates, Brandon's spicy, mine mild. Then, chose a canned drink. There's no beer list, no soda fountain. Canned cokes. Like I said, it's not much.

I was positively giddy to try my sandwich when they called out our order.

The Bun: traditional white bun

The Cole Slaw: almost neon, it's sweet and appears to be made of yellow mustard, and sweet relish. It is completely different from any other slaw I've ever eaten. IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY!

The Meat: slow cooked (of course) but, over charcoal. (NOT TRADITIONAL) then taken out and fried up on a griddle. So, there were subtle variations in the textures. It had crispy bits, and super tender, fatty pieces. Perfection.

The Sauce: simple.simple.simple. I read somewhere that it might be 3 ingredients. It was sweet and transparent. Not too thick, but not a vinegar based thing either, almost a glaze of sorts.

Overall. The very best barbeque I've ever eaten.

I actually considered thanking Mrs. Payne herself. (She still works in the kitchen.) It was that good.

Sorry to tempt with all this talk of pork during the fast. But, I started this post weeks ago... and I wanted to give you something to look forward to, after the fast.

the menu board: may 31 through june 4

2010-06-07T07:00:00.003-05:00

"All made with love, and without dairy!" (Week one of the Apostles' Fast.)

Monday: Homemade Black Bean Burgers (see recipe below) with Baked Home Fries

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Quinoa and Corn Chowder

Wednesday: Dinner at Church

Thursday: Golden Chickpea and Artichoke Salad

Friday: Mushroom and Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto (I omitted the beans, so yes, this was a protein free meal. Sorry guys.)

Monday: The first day of the fast, and Memorial Day. Luckily for us, we had our fill of burgers and potato salad at the cookout the night before. But, it's tradition to grill, so we enjoyed the leftover bean burgers (for the vegetarian party attendees) and home fries baked using Huey's seasoning.

I started making my own veggie burgers a few months ago. I looked around the internet for recipes. And I watched a few videos. Here's what I came up with: (No specific proportions, just use your knowledge of a regular beef burger's consistency to guide you...)

Black Bean Burgers-

Ingredients for 4 generous burgers:

2 Cans Black Beans (Drained and Rinsed)

1 Medium-Large Onion Diced

Rolled Oats

Salt-Pepper-Cumin-Chipotle Chili Powder to taste. (This all depends on how you like your burger!)

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a bowl. I like to use my immersion blender to puree' most, NOT ALL of the ingredients. (You don't want baby-food, leave about half of the beans whole.) You can also do this in a food processor, but mine was on the fritz when I created the recipe, and I really like the control I have with the stick blender. (I've also done this by hand, finely mincing the onion and mashing the beans with a potato masher.)

Mix in some more oats if the mixture seems too thin. You're looking for the same consistency as a traditional meat burger, so that they'll keep their shape. Shape into large, generous patties. I like to let them rest in the fridge for a few hours, this makes them come together and hold up even better.

To Cook: Option 1: Place on a greased baking sheet at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, flip and cook for 10 more minutes.

Option 2: Grill. We grilled them, and they worked out perfectly!

They're really really filling... yet Brandon usually finds a way to eat 2-3 in one sitting!!!

BONUS!: I woke up Monday morning with a serious waffle craving. I looked through all of my vegan cookbooks and found that I only had the ingredients for one recipe, pumpkin waffles. (Not the most traditional Memorial Day brunch choice.) I called my dear friend Ashley and told her to get out of bed and come eat waffles with me! (Brandon had to work at his Starbuck's job on Monday morning, but had the day off at the library.)

I made Vegan with a Vengeance's pumpkin waffles. Yum. Yum. Yum!

It made about a dozen waffles. So, I froze the remainder. They can easily be reheated in the toaster for a quick and crispy waffle.

Tuesday: I was so ready to experiment with vegan slow cooker recipes. This is my first meatless slow cooker experiment. I loosely used the recipe above. I just used what we had: quinoa, potatoes, onion, garlic, and corn. It looked disgusting. Like really really bad. It was a really yucky grey color. Then the corn just looked even worse. It was a horrible color combination. We all eat with our eyes first... And I was turned off! But, it tasted really nice. It just needed more vegetables (like the above recipe recommends) and it might have been better. I was just too lazy, and tried to save money by using the things I already had.

Wednesday: Church dinner=Red Beans and Rice.

It was also our one month anniversary! Brandon just happened to have the day off. So, I woke up early and made the waffles again! Yummm! (Correction, Brandon manned the waffle iron while I got ready for work.)

Thursday: A sweet friend from church gave me a vegan cookbook as a wedding gift. It was such a great and thougthful gift for an Orthodox person! This recipe for golden chickpea and artichoke salad is perfect for us. Especially since Brandon had to work late. It doesn't need to be served hot. It can be served at any temperature. Covered in a lemony parsley dressing. I also made this again for a picnic at the Levitt Shell concert on Saturday night, and it was a hit again.

Friday: I made this risotto a while back. And it was definitely time to bring it back! It's not a simple dish, no risotto is. But, who doesn't love the super creamy comforting deliciousness of starchy rice with delicious ingredients like meaty mushrooms and tangy sweet sun dried tomatoes. I used some white wine in place of one cup of stock this time to change it up a bit (plus I had an open bottle in the fridge). Brandon said this was my best risotto ever.

PS- Call me a hypocrite... But, Brandon had book club on Sunday night and we BOUGHT the black bean burgers. I really did plan to make them, but a super busy Saturday dictated otherwise. Morningstar Farms makes a very nice black bean burger, for the record.

thanks y'all!

2010-06-01T12:08:00.008-05:00

We wanted to thank all of our church family who helped with the wedding. So many of them worked countless hours to help us prepare for the wedding and clean up afterward.

We planned this little cookout. And it was such fun!

I made invites using stamps and layered papers. Sadly though, I didn't get them all sent. So, some of the sweet people only received an e-mail or personal invitation. (I didn't plan on my schedule getting so crazy! Sorry guys!)

YES! I am aware that the "Thanks" backwards... I had to take the photo with my photobooth, and I don't know how to mirror it. But, you get the idea... Right?

I used all of my new and beautiful Fiesta Ware items to decorate. (Sweet little Maggie told her dad that she "liked my theme", so I think that means it was a success!)

Brandon lovingly hung the lights on the porch for such incredible ambience. I had candles in mason jars, and was able to use my sweet sunflower bouquet. We have an amazing front porch. It's absolutely perfect for entertaining. We set up another folding table for extra seating. I got these great plastic plates for a steal. I bought a ton, so in the future I don't have to buy paper plates for parties.

The party menu:

Burgers (made a little more delicious with Huey's seasoning)

Black Bean Burgers (Watch for the recipe in this week's menu board post!)

Creamy Potato Salad (with sour cream, mayo, dijon, diced vidalia onions, parsley, salt and pepper... Super simple, and such a hit!)

Chips with Dill Dip (made with sour cream, dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper... I feel guilty about how much people raved over this ridiculously simple dip!!!)

Lemon scented fruit salad

Debbie's Cookies

It was a pretty simple menu. I actually wish that I had more food. We ran a little low on potato salad and chips. But, oh well. I think most everyone enjoyed themselves otherwise!

I got a great apothecary jar with a spout as a wedding gift. It made the perfect pink lemonade dispenser with a few lemon slices floating in it. I also got 2 great aluminum buckets with stands for ice and the beer/wine. I think those buckets are the best $12 I've spent in a while! I hate using a cooler for a cookout.

I think overall, it was a perfect first cookout! (Minus running out of food and charcoal, but, OH WELL!) Such a fun party!

Now, the reason anyone reads a blog: to see if they show up in the photos.

Thanks y'all!!!

the menu board: may 24 through 28

2010-05-26T09:43:00.006-05:00

Monday: Barbeque Nachos

Tuesday: Pasticcio

Wednesday: Dinner at Church

Thursday: Wine and Cheese Dinner

Friday: Steak au Poirve, Martha's Mac-N-Cheese, and Baby Greens Salad

This past week was a non fasting week. To celebrate the feast of Pentecost. But, in addition to this, it's also the week preceding a LONG Apostles Fast. Since Pascha fell so early this year, the fast is almost a whole month long! (It's usually only a week or two. And sometimes it's only a couple of days. All depending on the date of Pascha.)

So, in preparation for the fast and to feast for Pentecost, we're eating some old favorites this week. Decadent, cheesy, meaty, etc.

Monday's barbeque nachos using leftover pulled pork. I still have TONS! (See previous post for recipe.) They were a hit, and we both ate way too much. We made them by layering tortilla chips (On the Border brand, if you please, my favorite store bought chips!) with cheddar cheese, and the pork. Then I topped mine with leftover cole-slaw. Yum!

Tuesday, the Pasticcio was a huge hit! It's Greek style lasagna with maccaroni, and ground beef, with cheesy beauchamel sauce and hints of cinnamon! I'm a sucker for a sweet spice used in savory cooking (and the same with savory spices and herbs used in sweets). It was amazing!

You have to understand, it's hard for me to say complimentary things about my own food. Since I don't ever really follow a recipe strictly. I don't like to be self-complimentary. But, when I come up with a recipe, I'm also my own worst critic. It's too salty, not seasoned enough, overcooked, etc. But, this pasticcio was awesome. Here's a recipe very similar to the one I used. It would have taken me twice as long to make this following a recipe. That's just how I cook. But, if you need a recipe this one looks great.

Wednesday, call me lazy. But, we love eating at church with everyone. Sometimes I cook the meal for the church meal. So, on those nights we definitely eat there. (Never trust a chef who won't eat her own food.)

Thursday, we love to have our own 2 person wine and cheese tasting with fruit and baguette. It's sort of fun. And, since our one month anniversary falls during the fast, we paired the cheese with some of the wine we bought on our honeymoon from Shannon Vineyards.

Friday, and old favorite Martha's ultimate macaroni and cheese. Cheddar and Gruyere, could anything be better? We had Brandon's Steak au Poivre recipe on the board, but made a change last minute to grilled steaks. (We were having a cookout on Sunday, and B wanted to perfect his technique.) I made a romaine salad with a creamy dressing made with leftover White Stilton with Apricots (my personal favorite cheese from the wine and cheese dinner). We didn't have baby greens, and I wanted to use up the romaine.

This meal was enjoyed on the front porch. Could life be any more wonderful?

Overall verdict: one delicious, cheesy, meaty, wonderful fast-free week! (I think my waistline is ready for the fast to begin!)

homemaker heaven + the menu board

2010-05-22T10:27:00.006-05:00

I promise to write about our honeymoon. I promise. Really.

But I'm itching to write about newlywed life. Itching I tell you! I'm in homemaker heaven.

For someone like me, who has been pretty domestic for most of her life. Having the opportunity to care for someone else full-time is pretty exciting. I get to plan meals and cook for the most complimentary man I know. I get to set the table and have a grand time doing it! It's beyond exciting.

I even get pretty excited about laundry and household chores. (When I've got the time to do them. Otherwise, it's pretty daunting.)

I love making sure our house is a home. That's REALLY fun. And, now that wedding planning is over, I can focus on the never-ending project of decorating my house. (One of my very favorite projects.)

I'm loving being a Mrs. I've entertained for some girlfriends a time or two. Nothing too big. I can't wait to have our first dinner party as married people and really can't wait to host our "Thanks for Helping with Our Wedding" cookout this next weekend. (We wanted to thank the members of our parish who helped so much with setup and cleanup for our wedding, so we're thanking them the best way we know how... with food!)

So much to look forward to.

When we came home from our honeymoon, we had mounds of presents to open. It was such fun! I'm loving all of the new appliances and gadgets. I'm in homemaker heaven.

I documented our first meal because, for me, it was quite the defining moment. I let Brandon choose his meal from among my repertoire. He took almost two days to decide. (While we were on the road home from Savannah, we didn't postpone eating for two days, I promise.)

He finally decided on my rosemary garlic roasted chicken. Such a classic choice. It reminded me of why I married the boy!

After opening all the presents and making a HUGE recycling pile of boxes, I made dinner. We ate on our new Scarlet Fiesta Ware plates on my super colorful Fiesta Ware tablecloth with matching red napkins. (I'm not usually one of those not-creative people who just buys all of one brand in order to match, but I just love the Fiesta. And all the colors coordinated so well with my existing collection of vintage Fiesta Ware plates.)

Like I said: homemaker heaven!

All of this brings me to a new series I hope to include here on the blog. In an effort to save money-time-sanity I have started planning our weekly menu. Monday through Friday, I plan out the meals. This way, I'm able to shop once and save multiple trips. Save money by only buying exactly what I need. And not have to think at the end of the day. Just cook!

This all seemed very NOT glamorous to me. So, I decided to jazz it up a bit. I had a small chalkboard lying around and some of those fabulous chalk pens. So, I wrote out our first week of meals and posted it on the wall. It was a success. I forgot to photo it, but we had:

Monday: Savannah Red Rice with Jalepeno Cheese Deer Sausage (courtesy of my uncle Jim.)

Tuesday: Roasted Vegetable Soup (made with leftover vegetables from the chicken) and Grilled cheese sandwiches.

Wednesday: We had a potluck at church for Ascension, but ended up staying home and eating the salmon salad I made.

Thursday: Coq Au Vin with Baguette

Friday: Shrimp and Grits (My favorite fasting friendly version, without cheese. I promise, it's possible.)

So, I want to start a series called: The Menu Board. I want to photograph and post our weekly menu board and write a little about it each week. I may sometimes include explanations and may also include some of my recipes.

I hope this gives my dear readers and friends a springboard to plan some of their own weekly menus. And also gives me a way to remember what we ate and like, loved, or hated.

The Menu Board (Week of May 17, 2010)

Monday: Slow Cooked Cajun Chicken with Green Beans

Tuesday: Slow Cooked Steak Tacos with Spicy Corn

Wednesday: Dinner at Church

Thursday: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Cole Slaw and Baked Black Beans

Friday: Sweet and Spicy Broiled Salmon with Avocado Sauce and Roasted Asparagus.

As you might see, the theme of this week is the slow cooker. I'm having such fun experimenting with it. My job got a little busy this week! Since the girls I care for are out of school, I won't have as much time at home. So, I've been looking for ways to easily make dinner. I plan on employing my slow cooker over the summer, especially since it won't make my already warm upstairs 80 year old apartment any warmer! Plus, my slow cooker is the Cadillac of slow cookers. A gift from my beloved O'Brien family. It is just perfect. It's HUGE and it has this great little thermometer that shuts off the heat when the food is at the perfect temperature! It's like heaven for me; someone who despises overcooked meat.

I never thought I'd get this into slow cooking. But, after some research, I've found some great recipes that don't look like mush! I had my misconceptions about the slow cooker.... But now I'm sold!

By far the biggest hit of the week was the slow cooker Barbeque. Er, pulled pork. B won't let me call it BBQ since it wasn't actually smoked. Is he a true Memphian or what!?!?! I made it for Abby and Michele this Thursday night, and we ate it up!

Here's the technique originally from a dear friend, Kh. Pamela, but made more Memphis style by me:

Take a pork butt and rub it down with dry rub. (I used Rendezvous, but plan on coming up with my own blend someday.)

Then place the pork into the slow cooker on low for about 12 hours. (No need to add any water. It's a very fatty cut of meat, so it'll create it's own cooking juice.)

After 12 hours drain the fat and pull apart the meat. Believe me, it's pretty easy to do!

Then, I serve the sauce separately with some cole slaw and buns. Delicious!

{But, for parties, Kh. Pamela will pull the meat and then add a couple of bottles of sauce and cook on low for another 2-3 hours until the meat absorbs the sauce. And believe me, there are no complaints about the way she cooks it!}

It was a huge hit. It doesn't have the smokiness of regular pulled pork, but it's still delicious. We've got tons leftover. Who wants barbeque nachos?

the bridal chronicles: chapter 8: a day in the life of THE bride... on wedding day!

2010-05-19T18:42:00.007-05:00

I can't believe we made it. Finally, it was wedding day, May second!

9:00am: Marjo came by to bring some munchies for the bridal party to munch on throughout the afternoon. They turned out to be such a lifesaver!

9:30am: Ashley came by to blow my hair dry. Then we sat on the couch together for a few minutes to destress before church. I was getting edgy, so I remember asking her to move over because I was feeling claustrophobic. Sorry about that Ash!

(Please note the 40 pecan pies defrosting on my dining room table. Pretty funny.)

(Also, note my "Sunday dress/going away outfit". I plan on bringing back this old bit of bride-dom. And those shoes, they were my Lilly Pulitzer wedding shoes. Abby gave them to me as a wedding gift. I loved getting to wear fun shoes with my dress!!!)

10:00am: Liturgy (church) I am so glad we have our weddings on Sundays. I can't think of anything better to do before your wedding! I sang in the choir and it was so wonderful and I think it really helped my nerves.

11:30 am: Start getting ready at my apartment. I highly recommend this if you can! I'm lucky to live super close to my church. It really helped with my nerves, not having to worry about losing anything. My Harvey gals were the first to arrive. I had fun hanging out with sweet Fiona. And, we started the all day grazing... and mimosas!

12:00 pm: everyone started arriving, Ashley, Mom, Claire, Cailyn, Trish, Abby, Michele, Liz, Aunt Susan... It was a full apartment!

1:00 pm: Claire came over to do my makeup. She made sure I was away from any craziness, and had a mimosa in hand. She also made an emergency call to Ethan to bring me coffee. I was in desparate need at that point! (Who's the best photographer/makeup artist husband/wife combo EVER?)

1:30 pm: Ethan arrived to start taking some "getting ready pictures". And, Ashley began fixing my hair.

2:30 pm: I put on my dress! I cannot tell you how much I love wearing that thing. I'm thinking I might just start wearing it every few weeks to make myself feel better. It was made using a vintage Vogue pattern that was almost identical to Grace Kelley's wedding gown. But, my aunt totally reworked it, making it perfect for me. The bodice (upper part) is made using my Grammy's lace. It was so sweet and sentimental to have her there in that way. She's still living but was unable to come to the wedding since she has Alzheimer's disease. I also wore a pair of her gorgeous earrings, a beautiful cluster of pearls.

Then, the VEIL! Ashley ceremoniously bestowed me with the veil. She told me that she let my dad know it was a big deal and that he should watch this part.

3:00pm: Time to start taking the official photos. Brandon and I got a minute alone before. It was fun to get to see him. (See you guys, I got into our "moment" it was a hard-sell!)

4:20pm: We wait. We hung out in the library and got to hear the choir get warmed up. They sounded amazing! I can't thank them enough!

5:00pm!!!!! Wedding time! I was able to enter into the church while the choir sang "The Angel Cried". It's my very favorite hymn to the Theotokos. We start singing it on Pascha and sing it throughout the Paschal season. I thought it would be appropriate. Also, since the wedding fell during Paschaltide, the clergy wore white vestments and the Paschal troparion was sung several times. (Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death. And upon those in the tombs bestowing life!)

Look at my handsome man waiting for me to enter. He looks so great in that khaki suit with a pink tie. Yes siree!

Here's another one Ashley got. Look at our awesome crowns in action!

Love love love our sweet icon bearers, Fiona and Pavel. Precious!

6:00pm: RECEPTION in our church's parish hall.

Here's the menu:

Creamy Shrimp and Grits with Bacon

Green Beans

Glazed Carrots

Baby Greens Salad

Sister Schubert's Rolls (mmmmmmm)

To drink: Nancy's FAMOUS sweet tea (and unsweet), Ghost River Pale Ale, and Twisted Vineyards wine.

Could any wedding have better food? I think not!

Then for dessert:

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Bourbon Pecan Pies (made lovingly by THE BRIDE and dear sweet wonderful friends!)

(All placed on a pedastal made by my dad and topped with the worlds sweetest cake toppers. I might add, the only cake toppers I know of that are wearing Orthodox wedding crowns!)

The parish hall looked amazing. I give all, ALL the credit to my crew. The girls made it look incredible. The best part was that the rain cleared up and we were able to have tables set up outside. It was a perfectly picturesque southern delight. I think it was the best wedding I've ever been to!

Everyone told me that I wouldn't remember anything from my reception, that I wouldn't get any food, or cake, and that I wouldn't remember anyone I talked to.

I had a great, I repeat GREAT time. I asked for a friend to cut line and she got me and Brandon plates of food. We got to talk to most all of our friends. And generally enjoyed ourselves. Thank you very much!

We gave our guests these wonderful little cookbooks full of our family recipes. They were such a labor of love, and by far my favorite little detail. I want to share some of the recipes with you guys soon.

Apparently there was some drama involved in finding the keys to the car... They got a little lost. But, after some prayers to St. Phanorious, they were found.

The girls TASTEFULLY decorated the car. Thanks y'all!

Then, we were off for the honeymoon!

(More to come...)

the bridal chronicles: chapter 7: the day before...

2010-05-14T10:09:00.004-05:00

After a harrowing night, involving rain, hail, thunder, tornadoes and intruders.... So began the wedding weekend.

Friday night, before the wedding, there was talk of LOTS of bad weather. I was too tired to care and went to bed.

At 3AM my brother called and said "OK, be calm, you need to go downstairs and take cover. There's a tornado coming toward you." I stayed calm and went to the downstairs half of my duplex to camp out in my neighbor's hallway. She was supposed to be out of town, hence the breaking (or using our common door) and entering. I safely hunkered down in the hallway to wait.

After a few minutes I looked to my left to notice that her back door was OPEN. Not just unlocked, but OPEN. And, there was a black SUV in the garage. I didn't know what to do!

Upstairs was unsafe because of an impending tornado. And downstairs was unsafe because of the intruder! I called Anne-Katherine (my neighbor) to ask if someone should in fact be in her home. She assured me that it was her brother Carson and that he was supposed to be there. I walked around her apartment calling out his name to no avail. He was nowhere to be found.

I called my parents back, and told them what was going on. They were still worried about me, seeing that the back door WAS open and no one was in the house. My dad told me to calmly go upstairs and get my purse and leave. Quickly.

So, as soon as I went outside, I found AK's brother watching the storm with a neighbor. (He's a search and rescuer, and gets excited about storms.) I was still so shaken up, and exhausted, that I didn't think "all is safe" so I drove the 30 minutes to my parents house to spend the rest of the night.

My dad assured me I was ahead of the bad storm at this point. But, in hindsight, WERE WE CRAZY!?!?

By the next morning, much of the midsouth was flooded. I drove home and saw one of my neighbors open his car door to see water gush out. I think I was somewhat lucky to not be parked in my street. I could have experienced some nice dampness!

The next day the weather wasn't much better. It was still very wet. And, the tornado sirens were blaring all day. (County wide, Memphis wasn't in direct danger.) Marjo called me and said "don't you love the wedding sirens going off in your honor!?"

Several people almost didn't make it to my bridesmaids luncheon. And, most everyone was somewhat delayed. But, once everyone got there, we had a wonderful time!

My mom's sisters hosted the luncheon at the wonderful cafe at Palladio. My sweet friend Michele's parents own Palladio, so when my aunt mentioned it, I got so excited!

The menu was incredible:

The Cafe's signature peach tea (to.die.for.)

Fried green tomato BLTs (WOW)

Potato Salad

Desserts: by my aunt's friend:

Mousse cups with rasberries

Homemade toffee with chocolate (kicks any Heath bar's butt!)

Wedding cake shaped sugar cookies perfectly iced!

Here's how the table looked. Perfectly pink and green. My aunt brought in her julep cups (appropriate since the derby was that day) and silver chargers. The takeout boxes had everyone's names written in calligraphy on them with the desserts inside.

This is such a priceless cousin picture. All the girl cousins on my mom's side. I'm so happy we were able to capture this!

My sweet Mb. Love you!

My mom made these bags for the bridesmaids gifts, along with pearl necklaces tied with pink grosgrain ribbon.

Half of my bridesmaids, left to right: Michele, Abby, me, and Liz.

Aunt Susan with Liz. Aren't they a pretty pair?

Michele came with coffee in hand! "Sweet beans of life!" Michele taught me how to love black coffee, for which I am eternally grateful.

Cute girl. I just love this photo of my sister.

I didn't get a picture with my dear aunt Janet. She helped to cohost the luncheon. I'm so happy she was able to come to the wedding. I can't tell you how humbling it is to find out that people want to travel great distances for YOUR wedding!

Sadly, I have NO pictures from the rehearsal or the dinner. I think Ethan took some, but I just never got my camera out. It was at the incredible Central Barbeque. It's our favorite Memphis barbeque. And believe me, we're Memphians, with means we're experts!

Although the two nights before the wedding were insane weather wise, we didn't let it dampen our spirits.... my frizzy HAIR on the other hand could tell a different story!

so, we made it!

2010-05-11T12:43:00.005-05:00

We're married!

(I cannot tell you how much I love typing those words!)

I can't wait to tell you all about the wedding. (It was BEYOND beautiful if I do say so myself.) Here are a few photos from the our wedding day. These first three are by our dear friend Ethan. He's amazing. His wife (my sweet friend Claire) posted these really soon after the wedding. I snuck a peek while we were in Savannah. The last one made me cry like a baby. I'm so happy he was able to capture it!

I cannot express how much I love my dress. My mom, aunt, and mom's friend Linda worked countless hours on it. It was made with some of my grandmother's lace and I just think it was perfect!

Our sweet icon bearers, Fiona and Pavel. They did such a great job!

I think Ashley took this with my camera during the crowning. I love those crowns so so so much!

Before the wedding with my magnolias. How much do I love these two?!?!

Ashley- What would I have done without you?

Gigi was such a wonderful cupcake/ pecan pie server! And she helped with all the setup and takedown. I couldn't ask for sweeter friends! (All this while she's 8 weeks pregnant! We're so happy for you two!!!)

I don't have any pictures with my sweet friend Marjo. She and Claire were amazing and worked so hard to make my wedding perfect. Marjo's also pregnant and due in a matter of a few weeks! We cannot wait!

I have to say, it was the best wedding ever.

just a warning...

2010-04-30T23:42:00.003-05:00

this is probably the last you'll hear from me for a few weeks.

i've got some getting married business to attend.

(... and then honeymoon in savannah, ga.)

pray for us over the next few days! talk to you week after next!

the bridal chronicles: chapter 7. the fun stuff...

2010-04-26T22:24:00.004-05:00

It really depends on how you define fun...

The first part of this post was most definitely fun.

Ashley, Christine, and Marjo planned a bachelorette party for me this past Saturday night. They even surprised me with an impromptu lingerie shower! We went to Molly's and feasted on heavenly chimichangas and drank margaritas.

There were hats, crowns, plastic beads and swirly straws. Along with a "dunce cap" that we had to wear if we said certain words. Yes, this party had all the right elements.

My sweet Ashley. Although she planned on coming back to Memphis for the weekend of my wedding. Her moving back here is way better! I don't know how I would have done all this otherwise.

We didn't get too many photos, we were having WAY too much fun. Check out my Miss Bachelorette sash. Hot right?

Lori! Can I love you too much? Yes, I can. I love you too much. (Lori knows what this means.)

This photo cracks me up. All the married gals gave me marriage advice. Apparently this one was a little shocking. I also love how Margaret was holding my hat on my head. It was such a fun time! I really wish we had gotten a group shot. There were quite a few more people in attendance. I think the photographers had more fun getting ridiculous shots of my face throughout the party.

We even had an after party. I still can't believe Christine, Janine, and Ashley saw my apartment like that. It ended with a dance party/ sing along to Kings of Leon. So much ridiculous fun.

The girls told me it was a "thank you note free zone". So, THANKS GIRLS!

Today, the proactive sisters, aka Cindy and Ashley, came over to help me work on some stuff. Actually Ashley started the day by being my shuttle while my car was in the shop.

They tied ribbons on 300 programs. Am I not worthy to call them friends? Yes. Yes indeed.

The second half of this post, is debatable fun...

Last night I finished the last of the pecan pies. 40 to be exact. They're Brandon's favorite dessert. So, we're serving them in lieu of a groom's cake.

This looks pretty messy, but it's controlled chaos. Anything for the actual wedding is sitting here. The reception items are all in the bonus room. See? I have a system.

Today we finished the bouquets, the programs, and organized the day of items. Just a few more details, and we'll be ready to get married! It feels so good to get things marked off the list.

Now, I clean my house! It's disgusting.

the bridal chronicles: chapter 6: april showers...

2010-04-18T21:25:00.007-05:00

I don't know if these April showers are going to produce any May flowers. But, they did produce quite a few wonderful presents!

Yesterday I had a sweet shower hosted by some of my mom's good friends. It was a linen shower.

Once again, I'll just take you on a guided tour through the photos...

The sweet pink and green invitations. I am dying to know where I can find that white and green bedding. You know I'm a sucker for green!

It just melts my heart to see how well these 4 get along. From left to right: (top row) Cailyn (my goddaughter) Grace (my godsister, aka, Meribeth's daughter) and Clare (my sister) (bottom row) Fiona (my other godsister.) The older girls are all Junior Bridesmaids and Fiona along with her brother Pavel are going to be icon bearers in the wedding.

The sweet hostesses, my mom's dear friends: L to R: Mom, Linda Johnson, Jane Mills, me, Linda Shoemaker, and Judi Clement. (I consider Judi one of my girlfriends too, she was the secretary at my last job and we had so much fun together!)

Me and my beautiful Mudder. I'm so happy some of my aunts and my grandmother were able to make the shower!

I really love this "family photo". Here's Meribeth with all of her daughters spiritual and birth daughters. She is mine and Trish's godmother. And also my sweet goddaughter, Cailyn (Trish's daughter). Does the family tree confuse you yet? I really love this one!

Did anyone else feel like they looked REALLY awkward when they opened presents at their showers? I feel like I just look silly. Please know, if I'm acting odd while opening your gift. It's not because I'm ungrateful. Because seriously, I am grateful. I just get a little nervous.

Call me obsessed, but look at this amazing food table. The menu consisted of: scrambled eggs with crab, a maple glazed ham, garlic grits, baked tomatoes, bacon wrapped breadsticks, mini muffins, fruit, chocolate AND strawberry cake for dessert. Yum!

Seriously, I want to eat shower food every day!

Today, we went to the second redbirds home game of the season. It was P.E.R.F.E.C.T. outside. We sat on the bluff and enjoyed the newly added Ghost River beer that's now served at the stadium! (I highly recommend the Home Run Red.) And, since it WAS the first game for us this season, we got an order of the beloved bbq nachos to share.

(Please note: we'll be serving Ghost River at our wedding. Now don't you want to come?)

Me and my sweet goddaughter Cailyn. We had a blast together. Don't you love how we both did the nose crinkle.

We thought this one was so perfect. But that darned bright sun made C squint. Maybe we can recreate the photo again next time!

The Meyers were also there, and Anna-Marie explained to us how sure she was that her mommy is having a boy. (They haven't found out yet...) I'm anxious to see if her prediction is true.

Sweet mother-daughter photo.

When we came home, we broke out the grill. I am HIGHLY opposed to using any wedding gifts pre-wedding. BUT Susan (who bought this gift for us as the group St. John gift) insisted we use it. She told me she was disappointed that we weren't planning on using it during the perfect weather.

So, in an effort to not hurt her feelings. We opened up the grill. :~)

My mom gave me some deer steaks from a deer my brother shot. (Thanks Caleb!) So, we ate two of those. (Yes, the former vegetarian went from not touching any meat to eating Bambi. Forgive me.) I very simply seasoned them with salt and pepper. I also made mashed potatoes and tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. (Really only an effort to add some fresh non starch produce to the plate.)

The steaks were really good. I got really nervous; it was our first time grilling with the charcoal grill AND our very first time cooking deer meat. The steaks were pretty thin, so next time we'll cook the a little less. But, otherwise, it was delicious.

I've kind of had a really wonderful past two days! Made all the more wonderful when I realize: I'm getting married in TWO WEEKS!

the bridal chronicles: chapter 5: woah!

2010-04-16T12:08:00.007-05:00

Slow down!

No, seriously.

It's only 2 weeks away. I am getting married in 2 weeks!!!

There's so much going on. I had my amazing shower with the Women of St. John on Sunday. And this week has thrown me into SUPER wedding mode.

I don't have much to say.... Enjoy the photos.

The fun started with a super fun cookout given by the Cushmans for the choir. They wanted to thank us for singing. We had such fun. Here I am with my favorite altos. Love these ladies.

Not only can they sing... Nathan and Bill played some fabulous music for the party.

My sweet boss Lori hosted the Shower for the women of St. John. Here I am with Brandon's mom and sisters and my mom.

Lori said some ridiculously sweet things before everyone ate.

Please note the fabulous table. Mindy coordinated the food and had several people make the same chicken and noodle salad recipe. They also served fruit salad, rolls, and Mindy's fabulous herbed savory cheesecake. (It's served with crackers.) Then for dessert, they made buttermilk cupcakes with lemon icing and chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow icing. Needless to say, I was in heaven!

I can't tell you how many people asked me if I made the food for the shower...

My mom, me, and my sweet goddaughter Cailyn. C was my right hand girl at the shower. We had fun together.

Three of the fabulous hostesses. (There were so many more sweet women involved in making this shower incredible.) Left to right: Meribeth, Lori, Me, and Mindy.

Love this apron from our sweet friends the Hodges. You all know how much I love a good apron.

Last night, Marjo, Michele, and Ashley came over. We started scheming about centerpieces. And we also made the bouquets. My mother MADE these flowers. They're made of linen and pillow ticking for the petals. Isn't she incredible!?!?

Look at this mess! It really stresses me out. But, for the next two weeks, this is my life.

Ashley also helped me paint the cake topper dolls. She expertly mixed the paint to match our true hair color. I think they turned out adorable! They're even wearing wedding crowns!!!

Now, you tell me, where could you buy something this sweet!? Moments like this make me proud to be a DIYer!

Things aren't slowing down one bit until after the wedding. (I'm so ready for the rest and vacation that our Honeymoon is providing!) I've got a linen shower hosted by some of mom's sweet friends tomorrow, and then things kick into HIGH GEAR!

Hang on for the ride dear blog friends, this is going to be crazy!

scenes.

2010-04-08T17:43:00.005-05:00

Christ is Risen!

I bought some yogurt this afternoon. The expiration date was May 2, 2010. I thought to myself: "I should eat this quickly, that's soon."

Then I laughed at the irony. May 2 is our wedding date. And it's really soon. OH.MY.GOODNESS!

Some new wedding related items:

a. We sent out the Invitations. Wow. It's really official.

b. I had to make more thank you notes. I honestly didn't know this many people wanted to give us stuff. and it's not over. My Women of St. John shower is this Sunday, at my sweet bosses house.

c. I set up another registry, at Williams-Sonoma. Those things are fun to create!

d. I feel like time is slipping away faster than ever!

But, my life does not ONLY revolve around wedding planning.

Here are some scenes from this Bright Week:

1. Outside play. My sweet friend C likes to spend time outside these days. It's been so beautiful. As soon as she gets in the car after school she says "Miss Caitlyn, can I play outside when we get home?" It's all she can think about!

2. Feasting. I've done a lot of this, this past week. I bought a large ham to be blessed in my Pascha basket. (Along with some other traditional items like bread (or Sister Schubert's rolls), butter, salt, red wine, eggs, and some of the delicious cheese i've been missing so terribly!)

This scene is from breakfast with my sweet friend Ashley, who just moved back to Memphis! We had ham and toast with goat cheese, and fried eggs. Can anything be better?

3. Pascha presents! I got these sweet Williams-Sonoma Spring Bunny mugs from my parents. They are one of the many reasons I love to have solid colored dishes (I have white already, and have registered for red Fiesta Ware too.) I love to have sweet extras to add to my existing place settings to bring in the season.

I think I'm going to leave these up for at least a couple of weeks. The time of celebration for Orthodox Christians is not limited to only Pascha. We celebrate how Christ trampled down death by death for quite a while! Meaning, that I will celebrate the spring and the Paschal season for quite a while!

My sweet bosses also gave me a beautiful Calphalon pan for a Pascha present. How much do I love them!?!?!?

4. Pollen. Any Memphian can tell you, we've had a greenish-yellow tint about us this week. The pollen is out in full force. (Not as much anymore after the storms last night.) But, pollen means the blooms are coming out. And just look at this bouquet of dogwood flowers.

{10 points if you get the song reference from the last line.}

PS- Doesn't anything flower look sweeter in a Mason jar? I love it!

Talk to you soon.

blossoms.

2010-04-07T13:37:00.003-05:00

Christ is Risen!

Here are a few photos of the spring beauty that I'm seeing these days. The first is of my dogwood tree right outside of my window. It brings me joy every time I look outside. The second is the only remaining hydrangea from my Pascha basket. I think it looks so sweet alone in the mason jar.

(PS- I'm glad to report, there will be an increase in photography on this blog in the coming weeks. I have finally replaced my camera!)

And, in light of my friend Esther's death this week, I was reminded of this portion of St. John Crystostom's Paschal homily in my friend Hannah's facebook status.

"O Death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life reigns!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead,
Is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep." - St. John Crystostom, Paschal Homily

Memory Eternal.

2010-04-06T13:49:00.004-05:00

Christ is Risen!

I want to write more about Pascha soon. But for now, I want to share this news with you.

Our church community is grieving because our sister, Esther, has fallen asleep in The Lord. She died last night surrounded by her sisters, parents, husband, baby son, and two of our priests. (I wrote more about her sickness following the birth of her son, Elliott, in my previous post.)

I am sad to say, I was never given much opportunity to get to know her very well. I am good friends with her older sister, Sally, and her mother sings in our church choir with me. We only met a handful of times. But, she was so kind and immediately remembered my name. I saw her last at a baby shower a few short weeks ago and we spoke for a few minutes. She was such a sweet and kind person. It's really hard to believe she's gone.

Thank you again for remembering her in your prayers.

May her memory be eternal!

pray.

2010-04-01T13:10:00.003-05:00

Please remember one of my sweet friends, Esther, in your prayers. She is the sister of my friend, Sally, and a member of my church.

A few weeks ago Esther, while pregnant, got sick. Her illness, along with gestational diabetes prompted the doctors to deliver her baby, Elliott, by C-Section a few weeks early. Following the delivery, Esther's condition worsened and she contracted pneumonia. Much of the time she has been under full sedation, and has been on oxygen for a few weeks, and has since been moved to 100% oxygen.

Last night several of our priests visited her to commune her and to give her anointing through Holy Unction. Please pray that these sacraments will work for her healing and full recovery.

Her condition is incredibly bleak. Please remember her in her prayers. Along with her family, especially her sister, Sally, who is taking care of baby Elliott for the time being and for Esther's husband Luis.

Below is a prayer for the sick:

"O holy Father, heavenly Physician of our souls and bodies, who hast sent thine Only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to heal all our ailments and deliver us from death: do thou visit and heal thy servant Esther, granting her release from pain and restoration to health and vigor, that she may give thanks unto thee and bless thy holy Name, of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen."

i just can't get enough...

2010-03-22T17:58:00.002-05:00

This is a bit of the music I can't get enough of lately. I've always considered music to be a big part in my life... But, I take breaks. I get really into music and then I just forget to listen (save for in my car, I always have some music in my car) for a while. I'd consider now to be one of the times when music plays a bigger role.

Lately I've been listening to a few of these songs. I love them all a whole lot. And I think you should too.

The Avett Brothers: I and Love and You.

Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson: Relator (This is my current dance around foolishly song.)

Florence and the Machine: Dog Days are Over (Thought my mom would enjoy the rock and roll harp playing.)

Andrew Bird: Fake Palindromes (I will always love you Andrew Bird... even though you snubbed my favorite cousin when she asked for your photo.)

Fruit Bats: Ruminant Band (PS- I don't condone casket burning of any kind.)

enjoy.

the bridal chronicles: chapter 4: for me?

2010-03-21T21:55:00.005-05:00

There's this crazy phenomenon when it comes to weddings.

People start to give you stuff.

I don't quite know why. I've been told it's because they love you. But, I still don't get it!

Yesterday, some dear friends gave me my first shower. It was mostly made up of my old friends. So, my best friend Abby named it my "Protestant Shower." Since most of my old friends are from my days in the protestant world. Love it!

We had such fun! The food was incredible. And the girls literally showered me with gifts! My dear friend Claire told me about how humbling it is to sit in front of a mountain of gifts all for you... simply because people love you! She was totally right.

On to the photos...

Maid of honor/Best Friend Abby and Bridesmaid Michele. Together with our friend Melissa (who provided her ultra chic home for the event) hosted the shower.

My mom and sister with Meribeth, my Matron of Honor/Godmother/Sacramental Sponsor/beloved friend!

Please excuse my "I'm not really going to smile because I probably have food in my teeth" smile. I just wanted to show you the flowers. So elegant and chic. Seriously, these three have GREAT TASTE! You'd be lucky to have them throw a shower for you!

It was great to get to catch up with everyone! I hadn't seen most all of the girls since around Christmas!

Here's Meribeth with Brandon's mom and sisters. It was so fun to have my "almost family" there too!

Woah. I feel really spoiled.

You all know me, and you know I love anything domestic. I start geeking out big time when I open boxes full of things like kitchen scales and cake stands!

Thanks girls. I really couldn't ask for sweeter friends! xoxo

ps- Thanks to Melissa for photographing the day. My mom, sister, and I all forgot our cameras. But, sadly, I didn't get to get a photo with you, dear Melissa!

eat, pray, love...

2010-03-16T07:59:00.006-05:00

I love love love engagement photos. I follow quite a few photography blogs, and really appreciate unique photography. My best friend, Abby, let me know about one of her former classmates who was starting out in photography.

Her friend's name is Becka and she has named her business BlueGenes Photography.

Becka came up from Jackson, MS on Saturday and we did our session. This weekend my dear former roommate, Ashley, was in town. So, I had my own personal hairstylist for the weekend. Thanks Ashley!

I let Becka know a bit about us. I told her about how our conversion has played a big role in our relationship. How we love coffee, and cooking, reading, and my sweet little apartment! I think she did a great job of photographing us in our element.

Becka named the session "Eat, Pray, Love." Although, I think the story of Brandon and Caitlyn pales in comparison to the book of the same name! (I promise, that's the mushiest thing I'll say all day.)

It was a somewhat dreary day, but we were able to capture a few great pictures outside. I love this one. It's one of the most traditional photos of the day. I'm really happy how it turned out, and how sweet the church looks in the background.

We took some fun photos in my dining room. I love my colorful wall of Fiesta Ware. I'm so happy to have it documented.

We took quite a few in my precious china nook. I really don't think I'll ever want to leave this apartment... simply because of the china nook!

Brandon really liked this one.

Becka had the brilliant idea to have me stand on a stack of my cookbooks. So cute! I just thought it was such a fun play on our massive height difference!

I really love these red shoes.

What a gorgeous ring!

I think these three show us completely and totally relaxed.

We went over to Dino's and took a few while we ate our lunch.

Becka had the fun idea to do slurp the spaghetti "Lady and the Tramp" style. We turned it into a spaghetti tug-of-war.

We had such a fun time. Thanks for everything Becka!

compulsive cookie baking (?)

2010-03-10T08:25:00.002-06:00

Yep, I've been compulsively baking cookies lately.

I absolutely cannot stop.

I think I made 5 batches last week. (No, I didn't eat all of them. Just several.)

I have 3 good fasting chocolate chip cookie recipes. They're all appropriate for different moods. One is the "happy vegan" chocolate chip cookie, they're really simple and don't call for any vegan specialty ingredients. They also just use oil, so no need to wait for your fat source to get to room temp. I made these on a whim the other day. They call for cinnamon, and I sometimes include it. It makes them taste like Mexican hot chocolate, so great! But, for a regular day, you can leave it out. I made these on a whim a few weeks ago, and I made, baked, and cooled them all in under 45 minutes!

I also love the very first vegan cookie recipe I ever tried from "I Like Food, Food Tastes Good: In the Kitchen With Your Favorite Bands." This was one of the first gifts Brandon gave me after we started dating. What's not to love about an indie rock cookbook!?

This recipe is from my beloved and often used "Vegan with a Vengeance" cookbook. I made these the other night and accidentally added an baking powder instead of the baking soda called for in the recipe. Some quick thinking reminded me that Debbie's Cookies call for both soda and powder. So, I also added the soda. It was a great mistake to make! It took the usually spread-y cookies and made them thicker and chewier. I'm very happy with the mistake!

Enjoy!

Vegan with a Vengeance Chocolate Chip Cookies: (with Caitlyn's modification)

1 c. margarine, at room temperature

1 1/4 c. sugar

1 T. molasses

2 t. vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Cream the margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add the molasses and vanilla.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt into the margarine/ sugar mixture. (NOTE: this cookie recipe actually doesn't use the dry/ wet mixing method. I like not messing up an extra bowl!!!)

Add chocolate chips.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on the baking sheets, about an inch apart. I like to schmush them a bit, they won't flatten much by themselves.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then transfer to cooling racks.

PS- If you're feeling adventurous, try these Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies from The Post Punk Kitchen. I also made these last week. They were great!

a good routine...

2010-03-04T08:57:00.005-06:00

I love a routine. As much as I didn't love working 8-5 in the corporate world, I did love having a good morning routine when I had to be somewhere by 8am. Knowing that things go the way they should each and every morning makes me smile. And, of course, my morning coffee makes the routine even better.

Here's how my typical morning looks: (Warning: this post is incredibly narcissistic. I just love my morning routine, and wanted to write about it.)

My morning routine actually starts the night before. I tidy up a bit before bedtime. I make sure the pillows are on the couch, many of the dishes are clean, and the clean ones are put away. (No dishwasher = Constant dishwashing struggle!) I make sure the television armoire is closed and the remote is put away. I plug in my laptop. I do all this so that I can wake up unencumbered by household messiness!

I wake up to the sound of two alarms. Yes, I need two. My cell phone and a traditional "brrring brrring" alarm. The combo of the two (usually set to go off within 5 minutes of one another) helps me tremendously. I think I set two because I fear one not working (I'm not completely unfounded in my fear, I've had some alarm clock mishaps) and because I learn to sleep through one constant sound. I actually like mornings ... Once I finally wake up.

Then, I make my bed. I used to NEVER make my bed when I lived at home. But, now I can't face my day knowing that my bed is disheveled. (It appears as though I only have monster sized throw pillows on my bed, but I actually have real pillows behind them. Weird camera angle.)

Then, ideally, I go pray in my prayer corner. I must confess. I don't do this first thing every morning. I'm working on it.

Next, I step into the kitchen. I love the bright morning light in my kitchen. (The photobooth doesn't really do my beautiful bright kitchen justice!) I am definitely affected by the sun. Something about the sun in the mornings makes me happy.

I plug in my hot water kettle and fill it with water and start heating the water for my coffee. I grind my coffee beans and get my French press prepped. Once the water is heated (rather quickly I might add, I just love my kettle) I make the coffee. I set the timer for 4 minutes and then make my breakfast.

I'm really liking quinoa lately. You probably know, but for those who don't, quinoa is a grain that's high in fiber AND protein. It provides all the amino acids found in meat. (Check out the 4 pound bag I got at Costco for only $9.99!) It's so super healthy. I probably negate the healthiness of it when I add smart balance and brown sugar. It's still healthier than lots of other things. Right?

I like to make up some quinoa or some Irish steel cut oats in advance and reheat it for breakfast. Then, I pour up a cup of coffee and head for the couch.

I know it's a bad habit to eat in front of the television. But, I must watch my Today Show. I also know that The Today Show is not a good hard news source, but I enjoy the fluff. Leave me alone, I just woke up!

So, that's my morning routine. My day goes tons better when I start my day like this.

In other news, our beautiful crowns came in on Monday. (See previous post.) They are even more beautiful in person!

My dear friend (and future neighbor in 2 days) Anne Katherine came to visit while she took her PT boards. She passed, and I'm so very happy for her!

Since AK was coming to visit, I got busy doing some major clean-out. Now, the bonus room is presentable. And, the guest room is cleared. Now I don't have to freak out if people accidentally open the door!

*OH, WHILE YOU'RE HERE: Does anyone have a queen sized mattress they're trying to get rid of? I have an extra bed frame that can be used in the guest room, but no mattress and box springs. I'm just not to keen on buying one from a stranger on Craigslist. (Because of cooties.)

I get to spend my weekend with sweet baby Zoe. I'm pretty thrilled about it. I love that kid!

Oh, I almost forgot, our sweet friends John and Liz had their baby yesterday! Welcome sweet baby Michael! Many years! (You'll be hearing a LOT about babies from me in the coming weeks, at least five friends are pregnant right now.)

Talk to you soon.

the bridal chronicles: chapter 3, crowned unto...

2010-02-25T23:30:00.005-06:00

I'm back with more of the bridal chronicles... Things are coming along nicely. We began our premarital counseling with our priest this past weekend. I'm so grateful for all of this, and love what we've been learning!

The crowning service of the Orthodox wedding is one of my very favorite parts. It is so very rich with symbolism. Since I first came to The Church, I was intrigued by wedding crowns.

Shortly after coming to our church, almost three years ago, a couple got married. (They're now our very dear friends, and soon-to-be first time parents, Jeremy and Amy.) We were told that we should attend the wedding, as it was open to all the members of the parish. This was so odd for me, since I was not in the habit of attending strangers' weddings! Trust me, we didn't go to the reception. I felt rude enough already! But, as I've gotten to understand the way things are done in the Orthodox Church, I know that Holy Matrimony is a Sacrament. And, any of the Holy Sacraments are open for all to attend, as with any service of the church.

So, moving past the extreme faux pas of attending a stranger's wedding. We went mostly out of curiosity. Plus, I was so intrigued and infatuated with the church, that I wanted to attend any and all services possible! I was in love with the Orthodox wedding. Nothing was done that didn't have deep meaning and that wasn't ancient in origin. It was breathtaking.

I already knew at this point that I wanted to be Orthodox. (I also knew that I really wanted to marry Brandon, although, we didn't talk about it quite yet.) So, I knew I would be having an Orthodox wedding. I immediately started dreaming about all the details, and the crowns were one such detail.

I found out about OrthodoxWeddingCrowns.com a couple of years back, and have drooled over her offerings. Many people's wedding crowns looks like these. Although, they are nice, they really aren't me. Ann Clough has some really great styles to offer on her site. I have looked at a certain set, the Dimitrie crowns, over and over and over again. When we got engaged, I remembered how much I loved those crowns.

The Dimitrie crowns are metal and have the words the priest says during the crowning engraved on them. (For our wedding, we have opted, like many Orthodox couples, to be called by our Christian names, John, for St. John Maximovitch, and Catherine, for St. Catherine of Alexandria.)

The priest says, three times, placing the crowns over the heads of the bride and groom:

The servant of God, John, is crowned unto the handmaid of God, Catherine, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of The Holy Spirit. Amen.

The handmaid of God, Catherine, is crowned unto the Servant of God, John, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of The Holy Spirit. Amen.

I am not adequate to describe the service, but Ann gives a nice description on her website. The crowns symbolize many things; the husband and wife being crowned as the king and queen of a new kingdom. Their home. They also symbolize martyrdom, since the martyrs wear crowns. This symbolizes the selfless martyrdom required of marriage.

Our sweet friends Gary and Cindy found out that we wanted to get ours from Orthodox Wedding Crowns and gave us the incredibly sweet present of purchasing them for us. We are so grateful for our friendship with these two. They are so precious to us. I can't get over how sweet and wonderful this gift it is. I'm so happy to know that for years when I look at our crowns, I won't only think of our wedding day. I'll also be reminded of our sweet friends who have taught us so much about what it means to be married.

Cindy came over one Tuesday and we set out to order the crowns. After speaking with Ann, I placed my order. She sent me photos yesterday and today. I'm obsessed with them! I think they're the most beautiful crowns ever made. They actually made my cry a little. I'm so excited to "meet" them soon. Enough talk, on to the photos...

Aren't they beautiful?

quintessential...

2010-02-22T09:02:00.004-06:00

I'm always on the search for an ultimate, quintessential recipe. For starters my future Mother in Law Debbie's famous Chocolate Chip Cookies definitely come in first place. Followed by the Barefoot Contessa's "Outrageous Brownies," and last but not least Martha Stewart's Mac and Cheese. I love finding a great go-to recipe.

A few weeks ago, I went on a search for a great vegetarian chili recipe. I love my black bean chili recipe that goes over sweet potatoes. [By the way, I failed to give proper credit. Claire gave me the idea for that incredible combo. I just made up my own recipe. :~) ] I wanted a great all purpose vegetarian chili recipe. I've now made this recipe 3 times. I made it for Wednesday night dinner at church. I accidentally bought the wrong sized tomato cans. I compensated by adding water (because the chili looked really dry) BAD IDEA. I made a great "chili soup." It tasted great, but the consistency was off. I made it again a few weeks ago for girls' night, and it was a hit. I made it again last night, and it was as good as ever.

We had some friends over for a hockey watch party. The USA v Canada game did not disappoint! We had such a fun time. I'm not a huge sports fan. But I adore the fun atmosphere of cheering on the home team.

I wish I had photos, but my camera is still not working. I bought red white and blue paper plates. (As much as I don't love using paper, I always remark how amazingly easy clean-up is!) I found some plastic medals at Target, and some stickers for the kids. I even made cupcakes (the coke cake recipe) with red frosting and white dragees and some with white frosting and blue sparkle sugar. I went all out!

I served the chili with crumbled tortilla chips (thanks for bringing those Jamie and Marjo!) And Jamie made some black bean dip. Gigi brought some great fasting friendly double chocolate chip cookies. Brandon even made the trek to the Ghost River brewery to pick up a few growlers of the Winter Warmer and Pale Ale.

I commented to Brandon that this was the least amount of food I've ever made for a party. I usually go WAY overboard! I don't think anyone left hungry, and I was a lot less stressed out. It even gave me some extra money to buy a great new floor lamp for my dining room. (I have overhead lighting issues, and need lamps, lots of lamps. Good thing, because I love a good lamp!)

Without further ado, here's the recipe for the chili. I'm loving the Cookinglight.com website. Thanks Claire for telling me about about how great Cooking Light is. Sometimes I forget that most of their recipes are low in calories and fat. I got a $5 subscription recently, and it has proven to be a great investment. Plus, their recipes all include nutrition information. For instance this recipe is only 257 calories. And, it's incredibly filling because of the protein and 14, yes FOURTEEN (!) grams of fiber! (Many of you already know, I'm a big fan of fiber. Most people don't get enough. And it's so healthy!)

Chunky Vegetarian Chili (From Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

PS- Attention all Hockey Fans: If Team USA makes it to the gold medal game next Sunday, you're all invited over again! USA! USA!

it wouldn't be Lent...

2010-02-19T07:51:00.003-06:00

...without lentil soup.

It's easy, it's full of protein, fiber, and it's super cheap! A friend introduced us to Byzantine style lentil soup a while back. It's a little different than most lentil soups. It's made with dried apricots.

Hear me out, I'm not crazy. It's not going to taste like trail mix. It's really good. The apricots soften and impart their delicate flavor throughout the soup. Although lentil soup can be pretty boring at times, this one is just a bit more exciting. We're hoping to enjoy a warm bowl of this soup along with some pita and humous or babaganooj tonight. (Babaganooj, roasted eggplant dip, has already proven to be my Lenten obsession!)

Last night we had another Compline service with the Cannon. I love the kontakion sung after the sixth ode of the Cannon. As a musician, it reminds me of the "bridge" of a song. You know, you've heard the verse+chorus sequence multiple times then there comes a break. It's like the bridge wakes the listener up.

This kontakion is sung near the end of the service. If you're like me, your shoulders begin to slump at this point in the service. I start shifting my weight back and forth. I'm sleepy and starting to get distracted by anything and everything. My prostrations and metanias aren't nearly as neat as they were earlier in the night. I just get antsy. When the reader begins to sing the hymn, it gets to me every time.

"My soul, O my soul, rise up! Why art thou sleeping? The end draws near and soon thou shalt be troubled. Watch, then, that Christ thy God may spare thee, for He is everywhere present and fillest all things.”

Whenever I hear this sung, I'm brought back to the purpose of the service.

Another tradition (small "t" tradition) is to clean one's home during Clean Week. I began yesterday on my porch. The weather was lovely, so I was happy to be outside. I swept the mounds of leaves that had collected on my porch. Then, I washed my front door window. I then moved into my entry staircase and cleaned the many smudges from the walls and banisters. I even got inspired to hang some things on the walls. Today should bring the remainder of the house. My biggest projects are to clean out the fridge and my bedroom closet.

Although my Clean Week got off to a very rough start, I'm here now.

Tonight we're going to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, it's like a reward for making it through Clean Week!

On to the recipe:

Byzantine Style Lentil Soup

2 meduim-large onions, diced

2 stalks celery, minced

Oil

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2 cups (1 lb. bag) dry lentils, washed and sorted

10-12 cups water or vegetable stock (I used half water, and half vegetable stock. if you have all veggie stock it would be delicious.)

1 6 oz package of dried apricots, sliced

3 carrots, diced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

minced parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Sautee onions with celery in oil until the onions are lightly golden. Add garlic and sautee for one minute. Add the liquid and lentils along with the apricots, carrots. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium heat. Cook covered, stirring often, for 45 minutes to an hour. The soup should be thick, add more water if the consistency doesn't look right. Add lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Enjoy!

a lenten meal...

2010-02-17T21:06:00.004-06:00

Tonight was our first Wednesday night Liturgy of the Presancified Gifts. Orthodox Christians abstain from food for several hours before partaking of the Holy Gifts. So, by the end of the liturgy everyone is especially hungry!

I made black bean chili with roasted sweet potatoes. I was a bit unhappy with how some of the meal turned out. Our church ovens don't get quite as hot as they should be. So, I improvised and crisped up some of the potatoes on the stovetop in a skillet.

This is one of Brandon's favorite fasting meals. This recipe is really simple, and it's always a crowd pleaser. I posted it almost a year ago. Here it is again:

Black Bean Chili over Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

Black Bean Chili:

1 medium red onion- diced
canola oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Dice and sautee onion in oil for a few minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and sautee for one minute. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, maple syrup, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

as may sweet potatoes as you like, diced (and do yourself a favor, leave the skins ON.)
oil (also, whatever you like... but warning. Olive oil is NOT supposed to be used when cooking at really high temperatures, I prefer to use canola oil.)
a few pinches of chipotle chili powder
salt
pepper

Throw the potatoes around with the oil salt, pepper, and chili powder. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes (depending on how small the potatoes were diced) turning halfway through.

Serve chili on a bed of roasted potatoes. Enjoy!

NOTE: I toned down the spices quite a bit for tonight, since I was serving it to lots of people of different ages and spice tolerances.

to be perfectly honest...

2010-02-16T09:06:00.002-06:00

Lent began yesterday.

I was out of town this weekend with my mother and sister. My mom and dear Aunt Susan sewed my wedding gown. Yes, in a weekend, they almost made an entire wedding gown. I was able to spend some great time with my dear cousin (and bridesmaid) Liz. I hadn't seen her in several months, it was a wonderful time.

We made it back to Memphis exactly ten minutes before Forgiveness Vespers began. I am so glad I was able to make it, it's one of my most favorite services. (Most especially because we sing a few songs from Pascha, even though the time of "bright sadness" begins, we're given a glimpse of what we're preparing for: Christ's Resurrection!)

Please forgive me a sinner.

The only problem was that I wasn't completely there for the service. Of course I asked forgiveness sincerely and forgave sincerely, but I didn't have the time to prepare myself for such a serious service. And for Great Lent in general.

I just wasn't ready. Blame it on the fact that Lent is really early this year, or blame it on planning a wedding, or blame it on me. (I'm going to say it has most to do with me and my own sin.)

I was so unprepared. Clean Monday is supposed to be one of the strictest days in all of Lent. Many people don't eat hardly anything during all of Clean Week. I am not able to fast that well. I usually try not to eat on Clean Monday, and then eat simply the rest of the week.

I try.

But, this year, I was unsuccessful. After sleeping for less than 4 hours on Sunday night I was too weak to fast properly and continue to work. I lasted until noon.

Every year it's hard to enter into The Great Fast. But, this year seems especially difficult. I was reminded that this time of the year is not meant to be easy. I think this year though, I'll need to work at it a bit harder.

I have made a few "Lenten resolutions," some things I'm going to limit during this time and some goals to achieve. I have set out to read Fr. Alexander Schmemann's book Great Lent again. (I've been unsuccessful in the past.)

Last night we prayed Compline with the Cannon of St. Andrew. If you aren't ready for Lent when you enter that service, you certainly are when you leave. It's emotionally draining and physically difficult. There are several prostrations and metanias along with the acknowledgement that we have sinned. But, by the time I left, I was more aware of the purpose of the fast.

We have services every night this week. It's an exhausting week, but I'm finally happy to enter into it.

I received an e-mail yesterday that began with the salutation "Fruitful Lent." I'm sure I've heard it before, but it made sense to me this time. Many Orthodox Christians will say "Happy Lent" or "Good Lent" to one another. Although the sentiment is the same for each greeting, I think I prefer the words of my friend. It caused me to realize that I shouldn't pray for an easy Lent, but rather for a fruitful one full of repentance and preparation for Christ's Holy Resurrection.

Fruitful Lent!

the bridal chronicles: chapter 2

2010-01-29T10:05:00.000-06:00

Check these out.

I posted them on facebook, but wanted my blog friends to see them.

I might have told you, we're having red velvet cupcakes for my bride's cake. I didn't think I wanted a topper. I don't love the old school bride and groom toppers, I also didn't really like monogrammed toppers or flowers. So, we had decided to forgo the topper.

I saw these on some blogs some time ago. Then I forgot about them until the other night. I think they're "squeal worthy cute."

I ordered these unpainted ones, so I can paint them to look exactly like us. Brandon's going to be wearing a khaki suit (hopefully, as long as we can find one) and I think I want to make some wedding crowns for the dolls to wear. Click here to learn the history of the crowns in an Orthodox wedding.

The only challenge? How to represent the over one foot height difference between me and my tall man. ;~)

Other wedding details: I had an idea yesterday. Since we love Southern culture and Southern writers, I was trying to think of a way to further incorporate this love into our wedding reception. I began last night typing up some quotes by Southern authors. I also want to include some quotes from my very favorite "Steel Magnolias." I believe it's a Southern masterpiece. (Get ready my dear bridesmaid entourage, we're having a S.M. watch party before the wedding!)

Truvy: "How about some iced tea? It's the house wine of the South."

I'm going to post that quote on the sweet tea table.

We're eating catfish and having red velvet cake. I'm serious about this love of all things Southern. I do not mess around!

I alluded to my favors. If you're invited you should get pretty excited about them. Since today's a snow day I'm going to start working on them a bit. I'll tell you all about them as soon as I finish some.

I'm also going to start working on our wedding programs.

Do I hope to be productive today? Yes.

Will I actually be productive? Maybe.

Wish me luck!

the bridal chronicles: chapter 1

2010-01-27T21:11:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Bridal Land. Here in Bridal Land we wear pretty, sparkly rings and think about important things, such as: table linens, centerpieces, bouquets, and rice alternatives for the send-off (does anyone have any good ideas? i definitely won't do rice, don't love birdseed, but hate, hate, HATE bubbles.)

So far, things have been in the plan/discuss/imagine phase of the planning. One of my very first royal actions here in Bridal Land (where, naturally, every bride is ALSO a princess) was to set up my bridal registries.

I feel like I have an advantage over most every other bride. I knew exactly what I needed for our home. As a perk of my profession I have had a chance to try out almost every imaginable kitchen tool. I knew exactly which I liked and didn't like. I think most brides are a little overwhelmed. I felt like I had an advantage.

I have registered at Babcock Gifts, Macy's, and Target. They were all very fun and exciting. My mom helped me out by going with me to Babcock. She had some very nice practical advice. For the Target registry I handed the scanner gun over to Brandon who was underwhelmed by the process.

Things have really started to come together. My mom and I got together on the phone on Thursday night and started doing some planning. Friday morning we went to a certain bridal store, which shall remain nameless. The dresses were all tacky. Seriously tacky. (Which, you all know, as a southern lady "tacky" is worse than any other insult.) The David's Bridal dresses were tacky. (Did I just say the name of the store? Oops.)

As many of you from my church know, our priest requires that all brides wear gowns with sleeves. This is fine with me. I try to be very modest in church anyway. Most of the women in our parish don't bare their arms in church. But, there are very few options for modest brides. PS- If you google "modest bridal gowns" you'll probably find plenty of Mormon bridal websites.

After leaving Tacky Bridal we went to the fabric store to look for some things. In the process we looked at some gown patterns. And then... like in a dream... I found it. IT! My dress! Yes, angels sang.

It's a Vogue Bridal pattern. And it's seriously beautiful. It has sleeves. Yay. The bodice is made of lace, so this gives me a chance to use the fabulous lace that belonged to my grandmother. It's going to be really great.

I can't wait for you to see it. I've shown it to several people already, I'm not too secretive. Just ask me if you'd like to see it. I don't want to post it on the blog.

I also found this pattern for my bridesmaids' dresses.

On Saturday my bridesmaids came over for a light brunch and measurements. We had such a great time. How often do you get to have all your favorite people over to hang out for a few hours?

Afterward, my mom and I went to Premier Fabric to purchase loads of fabric. We're making these really neat cloth flowers for the bouquets. We also got some fabric for some other wedding projects. Then, we went to the craft store for more things. This is going to be a very D.I.Y. wedding!

Here's a list of what we have on the agenda so far:

Mom is making all the flowers for the bouquets, boutonnieres, mothers', and honorary bridesmaid's flowers to wear.
For our guest book our guests will sign fabric squares. Then, at some point after the wedding, my mom is going to sew them into a quilt.
We're making my bridesmaid's jewelry.
We're hand-making the invitations, programs, thank you notes etc. They should also be really neat.
We're making (with the help of our sweet friend Marjo) all the table decor for the reception.
I'll be making my aunt's recipe for bourbon pecan pie for Brandon's groom's cake.
I'll be making the favors. I really can't wait to show them to you. I think you'll love them!
Mom is making most of the bridesmaid gifts.
Mom is making the bridesmaids', junior bridesmaids', and icon bearer's dresses.
Oh, and she'll be whipping up a little white number for me...

Seeing it listed like this doesn't seem like as much as it is. But believe me, it's completely overwhelming... plus, I'm sure I left something out.

This is how we do things in Bridal Land. The regular non-bride Caitlyn will be back after May 2.

believe it or not.

2010-01-10T22:31:00.008-06:00

I just clicked the button on the top right of the blog that says "New Post." I almost forgot where it was located. Sorry.

Here's the root of the reason why I hadn't written: (trust me, you're going to think it's ridiculous.)

I promised you all an explanation of how we got engaged. The more I thought about it, the more I got nervous. It's weird. I feel like the way we got engaged was so personal. As excited as I was about everything that was happening, it freaked me out a bit to talk about the details in front of people. We've never been one of those publicly affectionate couples. (Trust me we're very much in love, no need to worry.) So, I kept putting off my follow up post. I remember telling someone "doesn't anyone else think it's awkward to tell people how your boyfriend said he loves you and wants to spend the rest of his life with you?" Other people don't get it. Sorry, I'm not usually quiet (much to my detriment) but this is one thing I feel weird about posting for the world to see.

Here's what you need to know:

1. We got engaged on November 25. At midnight.

2. It was the feast day of my patron Saint, Saint Catherine.

3. It was also the day before my favorite secular holiday, Thanksgiving. It provided the perfect ring showing opportunity.

4. It was the perfect proposal, and caught me completely off guard! (I had a hunch it was coming soon... but assumed he would do it on Thanksgiving.)

5. If you wish to know any further details, I'd love to share them with you. In person.

For St. Catherine's feast there was a liturgy the following morning. Our parish sang "Many Years" to us. So sweet, I can't think of a better group of people to share in the excitement!

Now for the OTHER details: (I don't know if I have male readers, but this is a fine time for you to tune out.)

1. We're getting married on Sunday May 2, 2010. (Yes, I am aware that this is less than 4 months away.)

2. The wedding colors: olive green and pale pink. Anyone who knows me knows I ADORE pink and green.

3. My mom and aunt are making my dress. How cool is that?

4. We're not having a wedding cake. Instead, we're having red velvet cupcakes (for me) and bourbon pecan pie (for Brandon.) We aren't really white cake people.

5. Yes, I am wearing my ring on my right hand. It's a very old Christian tradition. I'll have to write more about it someday. No, I won't move it to my left hand after the wedding.

6. Topics such as the above mentioned have consumed my thoughts ever since November 25.

The holidays were a busy busy blur. I don't have very many pictures because my camera is currently messing up on a pretty regular basis.

It was definitely fun to be engaged through the holidays!

Thanksgiving was fun. I can't believe how much I ate.

Then, Christmas: After being awake until 3 am after the Liturgy. I finally got a few hours rest. Just in time for the day FULL of family celebrations.

I got some really cool Christmas presents. My mom handmade so many really cool things. (I'll have to show you the luggage tags she made for me.) And my parents also gave me a Williams-Sonoma gift card. Can we say heaven? Brandon's parents gave me (a very long coveted) Le Cruset dutch oven! Is it weird that it made me cry when I opened it? Brandon gave me several gifts including a stocking from my friend (and goddaughter Lillian's mom) Beauvais' Etsy. I also ordered him one as soon as I found out. Now we have a sweet matching set of stockings. (My stocking has sequins, and Brandon's does not. He's not much for sparkly things.)

You can see her Etsy shop here, it's called BaeBae & LuLu short for Beauvais and her sister's name Llewellyn. They have so much fun stuff. I love a good appliqué, so their products are right up my alley!

Brandon gave me some really delicious coffee from the "All Merciful Savior" Monastery. It was delicious. He also gave me the "Glee" soundtrack. Don't hate. I love that show.

For my big present he gave me something that couldn't be wrapped. He gave me three photo clues to figure it out.

1. The Swedish Chef (from the Muppets.)

2. Kelly Rippa and

3. Prince Charles...

Needless to say I was baffled for a few seconds but then got it:

1. Chef (represented by the Swedish Chef)

2. Kelly (represented by Ms. Rippa)

3. English (represented by Prince Charles, get it, he's English)

Chef Kelly English is the executive chef at Restaurant Iris. Yep, we're big enough food geeks that I understood those clues... and subsequently squealed! (Chef English is kind of a big deal, swoon.) I can't wait to redeem my present.

The day after Christmas was fun. We went out to Grand Junction to St. Paul Skete to celebrate a Liturgy for the Synaxis of the Theotokos. A handful of friends were there and we sang Christmas carols together afterward. I love spending time with Mother Nektaria, and always enjoy going to visit the Skete.

The twelve days of Christmas were a blur of fun celebrations and feasting!

For New Year's we had some friends over. I made the cupcakes below: (note the apron, it was from the cupcake themed present from Brandon's sister, Ashley, a cupcake cookbook, the apron, a cupcake scented candle, and a cupcake pan with reusable silicone cups. It was such a cool gift!)

They were chocolate with hand molded (by me) gum paste champagne bottles on top. I was really unhappy with the cupcakes, I used an organic mix. It was dry and not too tasty. Gimme a break, I spent too long molding the decorations! I should have either 1. (ideally) made them myself, or, 2. just used the Betty Crocker mix. Oh well, they were cute.

Are we all caught up? Merry Christmas (Christ is Born! Glorify Him!) Happy New Year! And blessed feast of the Theophany of Jesus!

Shew, I'm glad I got all of this posted before Valentine's day. I'm a failure as a blogger. Sorry I dropped off the face of the earth.

Love you, and miss you! I probably won't wait this long again. I have lots of wedding details to talk to you about, if you like that sort of thing.

xoxoxo

well, isn't that pretty!

2009-11-25T01:00:00.002-06:00

{yes, that is an engagement ring. yes, i am engaged. yes, i'll tell you more tomorrow}

"oh no! i don't have enough casserole dishes!"

2009-11-23T23:19:00.007-06:00

The above photo was the scene in my kitchen tonight...

Here's the e-mail I sent to my mother a week or two ago. This year the celebration is catered by me and my parents. There's a whole lotta food to be made, plus I'll be taking a dish to Brandon's family dinner:

"So, I started thinking about turkey day last night....
OK, you know I've really been thinking about Thanksgiving for weeks. :~)

I know you and dad are making:
Turkey
Ham
Dressing and Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Green Bean Casserole
Sister Schubert's Rolls
Pumpkin Pie

I was hoping to make:
Martha Stewart's Mac N Cheese
Mashed Sweet Potatoes in Orange Bowls
Corn Casserole
Pecan Pie*
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake (unless Dad wants to make his pumpkin roll, then, I'll be glad to concede.)

How do those sound to you? I can gladly make more, or if you'd really like to make something I don't mind giving it up.

Oooooo, can you make that pineapple cheese casserole?** I LOVE THAT STUFF!
Love you!
xoxo-ccm"

*I'll be making my aunt's Bourbon pecan pie. YUM! Have I shared that recipe with you yet?

**Note, this is NOT my mom's recipe in the link, but oddly enough, it is titled Tricia's Pineapple Cheese Casserole. (My mom's name is Patricia, and she often goes by Tricia.) I don't think this deviates too far from her recipe.

Yes indeed, that is what we plan to serve this Thursday.

I started cooking tonight. I already feel behind! I made the macaroni and cheese tonight, and will finish the baking and the topping on Thursday morning. My other goal for tonight is to assemble the pineapple cheese casserole that I plan on taking to Brandon's.

Tomorrow's game plan: sweet potatoes and pecan pie.

Wednesday: corn casserole and pumpkin gooey butter cake.

Broken down like this it doesn't feel like I'm making that much. I just mapped out the casserole dishes I plan to use, and realized I'm one dish short! I guess I'll just have to pick another one up.

Check out this little beauty I got on Saturday. It's an Emile Henry casserole. I found it on sale at the William-Sonoma outlet. I am one happy cook!

Maybe I can find another one tomorrow to fulfill my one missing casserole conundrum! :~)

I also got a really great rectangular cake pan with a lid. I'll use it for the gooey cake.... I'm ready for Thanksgiving!

"i'm a pioneer woman!"

2009-11-22T22:31:00.005-06:00

I just made my very first batch of Irish soda bread!

Now, I know this is not a true bread in the sense that it's made with yeast and takes hours to make. This stuff is really easy. But, I feel like bread making is one of the first steps to someday becoming completely self sufficient. Next step, urban chickens! (Brandon is obsessed with the idea of someday having backyard chickens.)

Plus, I know what went into this stuff. There's no high fructose corn syrup or weird preservatives. Yep, making my own bread really fits with my food philosophy.

I liked the flavor, it was hearty and had a thick cracker-like crust. It tasted delicious with a spread of pumpkin butter from Brandon's mom. (Thanks Mrs. Debbie.) (I love a good apple butter and have recently discovered pumpkin and sweet potato butters. Yum!) I don't think I would use this bread for a traditional sandwich. But honestly, I don't eat that many sandwiches anyway. It would be a nice open face sandwich bread.

It was easy to make this recipe fasting friendly. Every recipe I found calls for buttermilk, simply use soy milk mixed with vinegar to create vegan buttermilk. The reason buttermilk is used is because the acid in the milk and the baking soda in the bread mix together to leaven the bread. (Remember science class? I always loved the baking soda/ vinegar experiment!)

Here's the recipe I used from eatingwell.com. It was really simple, and came together in a matter of minutes.

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (next time I plan to use all whole wheat flour instead of half AP half whole wheat.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk (To substitute buttermilk: place 2 1/4 teaspoons vinegar in a measuring cup, then fill to the 2 1/4 cup mark with milk or soymilk. Stir together and let sit for a few minutes until it has curdled. It will change in texture and look thicker.)
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a baking sheet with oil and sprinkle with a little flour.
Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Using one hand, stir in full circles (starting in the center of the bowl working toward the outside of the bowl) until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, in a matter of seconds, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Clean dough off your hand.
Pat and roll the dough gently with floury hands, just enough to tidy it up and give it a round shape. Flip over and flatten slightly to about 2 inches. Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Mark with a deep cross using a serrated knife and prick each of the four quadrants.
Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and continue to bake until the loaf is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.

I promise, you're gonna love this stuff!!!

PS: One of my favorite parts about making this bread is making the cross with a sharp knife before cooking. Ireland has a long Christian history, so this traditional detail made me smile. Here's an explanation of the meaning from one website:

"The cross on the soda bread has several explanations. Legend has it that folks did it to "let the devil out" while it's baking for good luck, and others say that it made it easy to divide into 4 pieces. It was also a symbol for a cross during Christian holidays."

again...

2009-11-17T12:05:00.002-06:00

Sunday began the period of fasting we call "The Nativity Fast" in the Orthodox Church. This is my third Nativity Fast. I was a little taken back when I realized this last night. Being Orthodox has become such a part of me that I forget sometimes that I haven't always been here. But, on the other hand, time flies. I can't believe that I am entering into this fast for the third time!

Last night we prayed the first Paraklesis service. I have mentioned it before. For those of you who don't know it. It is a service of intercessory prayer to the Theotokos. (The bearer of God, The Virgin Mary.)

For the first time in almost a year, we sang this song:

"The Virgin cometh today into the cave to give birth, ineffably to bring forth Christ the Word eternal. Therefore, rejoice, O earth at the message glad with the angels and shepherds give glory to Him who shall appear by His own will as a young child, He who is from eternity God."

I love to sing this song. I love it not only for the lyrics, but also for the sweet memories it brings to mind. I love this service because it is a quiet service after the sun goes down. I always feel cozy and safe with my fellow parishioners in the church whenever we're praying this service. That's one of the many reasons I love it so much!

I still don't really feel like Christmas is anywhere near. (That might have something to do with the 70 degree weather outside...) But, last night brought back a few happy memories of preparations for Christmas in the past few years. (I am aware that I should have been more focused during the service, but my mind wanders frequently.)

Of course, I cannot write a post without including some mention of food:

Someone asked me on Sunday if I planned on posting some fasting recipes soon. During every fast one food emerges as the "go to" food for the fast. Such as my 15 bean soup or something quick and easy to prepare. I have already noticed an obsession with sweet potatoes. Since I'm just cooking for me it's easy to make a potato and have a pretty decent meal. (I realize it lacks a lot of protein, I didn't say it was perfect. But, it is decently healthy.) I will definitely be posting some fabulous sweet potato recipes soon.

I also have another new obsession. It isn't for something NEARLY as healthy. But, it's pretty great if you ask me.

On Sunday my friend Liz and I were talking about her recent experiments with a really cool idea using black beans in brownies. (I'll let her post more on that sometime.) She mentioned the "Coke Cake." I had no idea what this was, but I was definitely intrigued. I think it's magic. Or rather it's two very highly processed foods coming together to form cake. AND, it's fasting friendly! AWESOME!

Coke Cake:
1 Can of Coca-Cola (you are welcome to use diet, or any other type of fizzy soda.)
1 Cake mix (I used chocolate for mine, but I think a ginger ale/ carrot cake mix combo would be really good!)

Mix the coke and the cake mix. Bake according to package directions.

No, I am not kidding. This just made my LIFE!

I made icing for it, but I didn't really follow a recipe. I used margerine, a little bit of coke, cocoa, vanilla, and powdered sugar. It will do the trick in a pinch, but I've made better icing in the past. Last night, I made an icing with rasberries and lemon zest that turned out really well! (I was inspired by the "razzle dazzle" cupcake at Muddy's Bake Shop, chocolate cake with rasberry icing.)

It's interesting to note that I was just talking with a friend about cutting back on the processed foods during this fast... Everyone needs cake every once in a while!

the pâté of the south...

2009-11-10T12:52:00.003-06:00

Of course, I'm speaking of none other than the staple of any Southern lunch repertoire: Pimento Cheese. (Note: it's "Pimento Cheese" not "Pimento AND Cheese.")

It's such a simple dish. But like with any other basic recipe, there's room for improvement, room to fail, and always a few that stand out. In the case of Pimento Cheese, some brands are stand alone favorites and "Aunt So and So" or "Pappy" can be worshipped as gods when they create a signature secret recipe.

For those of you, such as my former roommate, who don't know what pimento cheese is. Here's one definition. In its simplest form, the spread includes: grated cheese, mayonnaise, and diced pimentos. See, there's a whole lot of room to modify this one!

I set out to create a signature recipe.

I love the flavors of plain and simple pimento cheese, but also like a bit of zing. Something that makes the dish a bit different from the others. Where to begin?

Cheese. I'm a purist. Pimento cheese is supposed to have sharp yellow cheddar. I definitely prefer white cheddar on a daily basis, but this is one dish that should always be made with yellow cheddar. I don't think I should have to explain why I prefer FRESHLY grated cheese. But, for those of you who might not understand, here's the explanation: fresh grated cheese has more moisture than its pre-grated counterpart. Plus, it tastes a lot less like the plastic packaging it comes in. It simply tastes fresher. AND, it's cheaper. So, roll up your sleeves and start grating.

Mayonnaise. I know it would be better for me to use homemade mayonnaise. But, most people don't have the spare time to master the art of egg and oil emulsions. My favorite mayonnaise brand is Duke's. Anyone care to disagree? Cause, you'll lose. It's simply the best. PS- Dearest Mayonnaise Hating Friends (Mindy, that's you) I have seen a recipe for this using cream cheese. I have no idea why you'd what to do this... but I also have no idea why you hate mayonnaise.

Pimentos. I don't think I've ever seen any other brand of these than "Dromedary Pimentos." I feel like this is a traditional thing. As with most things, I would prefer to use a fresh pepper, but the flavor and texture of the pimento end of the pimento cheese equation is derived from these canned jewels. The Lee Brothers (Southern cookbook authors, who specialize in fresh ingredients in Southern cuisine) like to roast a red pepper for their recipe. But honestly, I like to stick with the traditional, no matter how canned it is. Plus, I have grown up recycling those little jars for everything! I don't think my mom ever threw away a pimento jar, they're the perfect size to store tiny items.

Name. Since most of the immortalized recipes include the name of some beloved family member, I think mine needs that sort of name.... Hmm, most of the kids I babysit call me "Miss Caitlyn." Brandon's nephew calls me "Aunt C.C." what do you think guys?

I haven't shared a recipe with you in a while, so I think now's as good a time as any.

Miss Caitlyn's (or Aunt C.C.'s) Pimento Cheese

1 1/4 Cups of freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 Cup Duke's Mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons diced pimentos

2 Tablespoons very finely minced white onion

1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/8 Teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1/4 Teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (a smidge more if using pre-ground)

1/4 Teaspoon granulated sugar

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Mix ingredients together. Serve on bread, crackers, or on an old leather shoe. I promise this stuff would improve its flavor.

Enjoy!

in order to pray more...

2009-11-05T00:08:00.003-06:00

I'm already thinking Christmas...

I'm not a last-minute Christmas gift shopper. But, I feel like I'm one of the masses each and every year. Between December 1 and 24 I'm out hurriedly shopping with the rest of America. It makes me angry, and it makes me nervous. I've done a couple of online only Christmases. But honestly I still don't like waiting until after Thanksgiving.

One answer would be to shop before Thanksgiving... That's a nice idea. I've noted before that once Santa shows up in his sleigh in the Macy's parade the world says: "ready set CHRISTMAS!!!" I like the idea of shopping before Thanksgiving.

A few years back, a woman from my church mentioned doing shopping before the Nativity Fast began.

The Nativity Fast is a 40 day period of fasting leading up to Christmas. It begins on November 15. During that time, Orthodox Christians spend more time in church for various services. The fast is not meant to be a time of celebration for Christians. It is meant to be a time of preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. This explains why Orthodox people don't usually host parties during the fast. We celebrate for the 12 days following Christmas. It's a really sweet time of celebration.

It would only make sense to cover all of the duties that consume my time during the holidays before the fast begins. So, I made it my goal to finish all of my Christmas "To Do" list before the fast.

And, oh what a joy it has been!

I am ALMOST done with my Christmas shopping. I have to pick up one more present, although it has already been chosen. I bought supplies for my Christmas cards today. I also bought all of my wrapping supplies, and began wrapping the presents I have now. (I did a lot of online shopping, it wasn't as hard for me because I'm not worried about things not coming in on time.) I'm waiting on the bulk of the presents to arrive.

Tonight I made 26 bars of orange zest and clove soap to give as presents. That's taken care of...

What's so interesting is that I'm not really in a Christmas mood yet. You would think that I'd be drinking peppermint hot chocolate and listening to my (very guilty pleasure) Mariah Carey Christmas CD. But no. Even though, I know that I won't be able to drink hot chocolate in a few weeks due to the "no dairy" rule of the fast. No. I'm simply overjoyed to be almost done with the things that take me away from focusing on the fast each year.

Now, I get to focus on:

Decorating my apartment for my very first Christmas in my own place!
And baking. Yes, I'll be freezing most of the goodies to enjoy when the fast is over. But, I do have a great fasting (vegan) recipe for gingerbread cutout cookies. I now have time to make plenty of those.
And to plan for St. Nicholas day festivities. Ladies, I think a gingerbread cookie decorating party for the kids sounds like a good plan...
Oh, and I really want to have a St. Stephen's day celebration this year (Dec. 27.)

Yep, I'm going to find plenty to occupy my time during the month of December. I'll just have a few less things to worry about...

Oh wait, I'm already forgetting the reason why I shopped early.

a mouthful of sugar...

2009-11-01T19:14:00.006-06:00

Isn't that what Halloween is all about?

A few weeks ago, some of my friends with children were discussing their Halloween plans. They were talking about going to a certain cafe for a cookie decorating class. I thought it would be fun to also take the girls I babysit (Caroline and Mary Elise) to the class.

The only problem? It cost $12 per kid.

So, I channeled my mom's industrious side and set out to plan our own alternative party. My friend Liz provided the special icing, Kh. Jeanette provided some fun sprinkles, Trish provided The Great Pumpkin DVD, and I provided cookies and the venue.

I hosted 13 kids for a very fun, very sticky mess of a party. Am I crazy? Yes. Was it the most fun ever? YES!!!

Here are some of the party details. (I really love to plan a party. But, planning a KID'S party, 10x more fun!)

Here's the "medium kid" table. (The 2 year old bunch, were set up in the kitchen. And the bigger girls were in the bonus room.)

I got these fun take out containers and put the cookies into each box ahead of time. I gave each child 5 cookies: a bat, a witch's hat, a scaredy cat, a ghost and naturally a pumpkin.

I, once again, channeled my mom when I made these alliterated name cards for each child. Do you know how difficult it is to find a spooky word beginning with A? We settled on "Alarming Anna-Marie" because it was the least offensive title we could come up with! I thought the others turned out pretty cute though!

Let the fun begin! Here's "Lurking Lydia" piling the icing on her cookies. Liz made orange, green, black, and white icing for the kids. It was the perfect representation of the Halloween color spectrum.

"Jumpy James" going to town on his plate of cookies.

"Nightmarish Nicholas" at the little people table in the kitchen.

I think it was controlled chaos. I think.

We ended the party by watching (not listening, the kids were far too loud) Charlie Brown's The Great Pumpkin. Classic!

The three crazy "big" girls. The only one missing was Grace. Harveys please come home!

I invited Cailyn and Clare to keep Mary-Elise company. I think they had a great time.

Mesmerized, and in a sugar coma! I love it!!!

"Petrifying Paul" graced us with his presence. He says, I'm cute, and I know it.

Sweet friends, "Spooky Sarah Ann" and "Crawly Caroline." SAC "BOOed" Caroline earlier this week. Have you heard if this? Read about it here. She passed on the Boo to Mary Wren and Isabelle.

We all had such a fun time. Thanks for coming everyone!

it's about time!

2009-10-05T21:46:00.004-05:00

I was in a seasonal cooking mood today. For breakfast I made maple nutmeg french toast. (Cool weather means I can use copious amounts of nutmeg!) Then while composing a weekly menu for the family I work for I could only think of cozy foods. I made my somewhat famous (it's my grandfather's favorite) chicken pot pie with an herbed biscuit crust for their dinner.

I went to visit my goddaughter Cailyn this evening. It's her 10th birthday today! May God Grant you many years sweetie!

When I got home I made fudge. Seriously, I can think of nothing more seasonal than fudge! (OK, I might be pushing Christmas. Oops.)

I e-mailed my friend Elizabeth on Christmas Day for the recipe. (Yes, I said on Christmas Day it's that good.) Along with some other incredible baked goods Liz gave me some of this fudge...

You have to know about me: I adore fudge. I feel like it's the ultimate. Although I rarely ever make it myself. I realize that the truffle is a much more sophisticated version of this chocolate treat, but I have fond memories associated with fudge. I'll stick with the childhood favorite.

This fudge is incredible. Get this, not only is it chocolate, but there are pecans, and COFFEE!!! Coffee-Pecan Fudge!

I've talked to several of you who made Debbie's Cookies in the past week. Feel free to freeze the gobs of cookies you probably still have. You need to get back in the kitchen and make this fudge. Don't wait almost a year to make it like I did!

Liz said this came from a Southern Living Christmas cookbook. But I choose to think of it as Liz's recipe.

Coffee Pecan Fudge:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
12 large marshmallows
1 cup semisweet choc. chips
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine first 6 ingredients in a 4-quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 10-15 minutes or until sugar dissolves and marshmallows melt. Bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 234 (soft ball stage). Remove from heat.

Stir in chocolate morsels until melted. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Spread fudge immediately into 2 aluminum foil-lined mini loafpans (I used one regular loafpan). Cool completely. Remove fudge from pans. Slice fudge into 1/2" slabs.

I'm eating mine with a glass of milk right now. But I think if I were enjoying it earlier in the day I'd need a cup of black coffee to accompany it.

Tell me, what sort of food are you cooking now that the weather is getting cooler?

Since last night was particularly cool and rainy it made it the perfect weather for our dinner group at the Williams! Mindy made 2 types of chili along with delicious pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Wow. It was incredible, and perfectly seasonal!

the perfect chocolate chip cookie

2009-09-30T14:07:00.004-05:00

Go now. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and then come back to the computer.... oh and while you're at it. Set out two sticks of butter, you're going to need them.

There's a possibility I may have found it. The perfect chocolate chip cookie.

This is not something I would ever say lightly. I say this with extreme conviction. I have never. ever. liked a chocolate chip cookie that came from my oven.

Too crispy. To thin. Too limp... You get the picture. I am not usually a fan of the cookies I make. Even when others tell me "oh, what delicious cookies," I'm prone to roll my eyes and sigh. But this recipe. It causes me to say: "I know, they're amazing right!?"

I have served these to several people in the past weeks. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I've been keeping a batch at all times for impromptu get-togethers. These freeze (and ultimately) thaw at room temperature very well (in a matter of about 20 minutes.) They make a wonderful complement to a glass of milk. (I have some great short glasses that make them perfectly dunkable.) They're wonderful dipped into black coffee. And they even pair very well with a nice cabernet sauvignon. Although, I wouldn't recommend dunking them into the wine. (Red wine and chocolate, good for the heart. Even if there are two sticks of butter involved. Right?)

Brandon's mom gave me this recipe. Hence the name. I love a family recipe, so I renamed these "Debbie's Cookies." Thanks Mrs. Debbie!

The woman has made these legendary. I think I gained 20 pounds upon beginning my relationship with her son almost three years ago. She keeps a batch made at most times and has a knack for finding great deals on crazy/unique chocolate chips. (We've had mint swirled chips and cappucinno chips in the cookies to date.) These cookies also complement pecans very well. The sweet and somewhat savory butter flavor of the cookie echoes my favorite aspect of a pecan.

As if you needed more convincing, here's a testimonial from my friend Marjo's husband Billy: "These taste like they're from a cookie factory in the best possible way!" (And Marjo says he REALLY likes chocolate chip cookies!)

Without further ado: Here is the recipe for Debbie's Cookies:

Debbie's Chocolate Chip Cookies:

(Makes: a whole bunch!)

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)

2 Eggs

Dash of Vanilla Extract

3 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 1/2 teaspoon Salt (I love using a fine sea salt for these, but table salt will work as well)

1 Bag Semisweet Chocolate Chips (This is completely subject to your personal preference! I like more, some people like less. Feel free to experiment with different flavors. I've been using a great 70% cacao chocolate chunk lately. Wow.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together the sugars and butter. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix together the dry ingredients (excluding the chips) in a separate bowl. I like to whisk them together in order to sift them and combine the ingredients. But, my friend Claire is partial to sifting straight into the bowl. Your preference entirely. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. (I don't have to tell you that the Kitchen Aid is your friend. Or, a hand mixer. These are just nearly impossible to do by hand!) Then add the chips. If I remember, they seem a bit crumbly. Simply push them together when forming into balls. Form into GOLF BALL sized balls and flatten slightly. (I said slightly, don't make cookie pancakes!) Bake at 350 degrees for 10- 12 minutes. I love a soft cookie, so I usually do them for less time. This is another matter of preference! They are so substantial that they can be removed from the tray almost immediately without breaking (this makes the baking process go quicker.) Cool them on parchment or on cooling racks. Enjoy! (Everyone else seems to!)

(The above photo is from a party the family I work for threw. My boss specifically requested Debbie's Cookies for the dessert bar.)

Speaking of the cookie, here are a few photos of my dear goddaughter Cailyn when she came over on a Wednesday night to bake with me while her parents attended the Wednesday night teaching at church. This has become one of our weekly traditions, I love getting to hang out with her. She is already showing quite a talent in the kitchen!

Further confirmation, that not only do we share almost identical names and a Patron Saint; we also share a love of cooking. I love this kid!

These were not the famous Debbie's Cookies, but rather some fasting friendly cookies. They're not quite as impressive, but will do for a fasting day!

Check out the nesting doll apron Cailyn is wearing. Mrs. Debbie gave it to me not too long ago. So precious!

Happy baking dear friends!

you're invited:

2009-09-25T12:27:00.006-05:00

To my new apartment!

Yes, this is terribly overdue. Thankfully I have been slammed with clients and tons of work! Be happy for me, don't hate me for not posting until now.

The above photo is your view upon entering the apartment. (The living room)

These are the chairs I got for Christmas 2 years ago from my parents. They have pretty great taste, huh?

My fireplace and very first Craigslist find, my super cheap television armoire.

We have an entry staircase and it was BEGGING for some color. I found this piece at the Cooper-Young festival this past weekend. I love.

I got this green chair (and another identical one at ThriftCiti on Summer Ave.) And yes, I haggled. I bought both of them for a grand total of $50. Not bad!

My most favorite (yet, vastly under-decorated) room, my dining room. My Amy Butler fabric was going to be backordered indefinitely so I am having to regroup. It definitely needs color.

My amazingly inexpensive dining table from the West Elm outlet.

Boring bedroom. I am working on a headboard solution right now.

I love our teeny bathroom. We actually have to sit sideways to use the toilet. I know, I know T.M.I.... But it makes me laugh out loud to think about it.

I made this bookshelf and wall hanging a few years ago. I really love newsprint.

Is this not eye candy? I love staring at my open shelves with white dishes. They make my day. I love love love my walk-in pantry!

Brand new gas range. Ahhhh... it's beautiful!

Kind of organically my kitchen became a red kitchen... and I love it!

Please come over. I've been keeping batches of chocolate chip cookies ready at all times for visitors. I love to host people. So far I've hosted: Margarita night, Girls' night, my parents and grandparents over for Sunday dinner, an impromptu wedding after party (many years Barbara and Mikael!) I've had a crepe making party, an Office season premiere watch party, lunch dates, an evening of cooking with a friend, a cookie baking date with my sweet goddaughter Cailyn and several other get-togethers... And I haven't even been here a month!

I can think of nothing that makes me more happy than to have people over almost every night! I have had to discipline myself to not have people over on nights when I'm extremely exhausted. Because otherwise I would never take a break.

I'm loving having my own place, and I couldn't ask for a better roommate. Ashley is the sweetest person ever!

Please come over. Consider this post your open invitation.

packing music...

2009-08-25T09:29:00.009-05:00

No apologies. I haven't even attempted to post anything since my last two posts. I have been so busy doing my dream job and another job too (it's pretty great as well!) I have some of the best bosses in the world! I love the crazy busy. No complaints here.

I promise to post some more info about The Ruffled Apron soon. It's going pretty well. I still can't believe I get to do what I love... and get paid for it!

I move this Saturday. {!}

I just started packing last night. (Yes, I know, I'm behind.) My poor mother is left with nothing in her kitchen. I have amassed so many cooking tools over the years, and I'm taking them all with me. I filled up several boxes with kitchen gear. Obviously, there isn't much I need to buy immediately.

Ashley and I went to looked at the apartment this past Thursday. Ashley is my roommate, for those of you who don't know her. She'll live with me until she and her fiance Nathan get married (sometime around January or February.) Then she'll move in to Nathan's house. I think she liked the apartment.

I took some photos for those of you who are curious. I'm calling these the "mid-before" pictures. There has already been a lot of work done, these pictures are a such a stark contrast to what Claire, Trish, and I saw only 3 weeks ago! Thanks fabulous crew! (They're mostly all members of my Church, along with Fr. Nikolai.)

The whole place has gotten a fresh coat of paint, the hardwood floors have been refinished, and the kitchen floors are being replaced. Plus it was given a thorough scrub down. It's pretty much ready for us to move in.

On to the photos: The apartment is the upstairs of a duplex. It kind of feels like living in a tree-house. It was built circa 1920. Hello charm!

This is the living room. The doorway on the right leads into the dining room.

Yes, this is my romantic fireplace. To the left is a nook for my fabulous Craigslist television armoire, and to the right is the entrance to the apartment.

Living room again, from the front door.

I kind of really love this vintage light fixture. It's in my dining room.

Hello sweet dining room, I cannot wait to host a party!

Teeny little bathroom.

They were working in here, but you get the idea.

Yes, these curtains will be replaced. (They are currently terry cloth with cats all over them. Ahhhhh!) The oven was just replaced. (And yes, thankfully it's a gas range!)

This is my walk-in (yes, walk-in) pantry! Don't get too jealous. These open shelves face the kitchen and then after walking through the door there is a large pantry cabinet, these glass doored cabinets and space for a washing machine.

PS: Anyone looking to sell a washing machine? We need one. A cheap one preferably!

Don't worry, I cannot wait to post some fabulous AFTER pictures.

While I should be packing, I've created a playlist for packing. The most basic rule is that all music has to make me happy.

Artists: Fruit Bats, Good Old War, Andrew Bird, Bowebirds, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, Joe Purdy, Noah and the Whale, Ben Folds, Regina Spektor, Sufjan Stevens, and a little bit of Cat Stevens. Now, I hit play. And I pack... actually I need to go run some work errands. So, I pack tonight. But either way, I'll have some fantastic music to pack with!

designing fool!

2009-07-30T10:40:00.004-05:00

Here's a picture of the fabric I just purchased for my dining room chairs. I want to reupholster the seats since they're bland. My dear friend Mindy is giving me a great dining table that will be painted to somehow coordinate... any ideas for the color? I think I like the eggplant color.

This is Amy Butler Nigella Twill "Water Lotus, Ivory" for those of you who keep up with fabric designers. Thank you fabric.com!

It coordinates with my Ikea fabric for the den. And since the den and dining area open into one another, it had to look good together!

I bought 2 lamps very similar to this from Target the other day. Isn't it fabulous!?! They are for the "buffet table." Aka- my old dresser to be used as a buffet.

Here's the rug I bought for the den with my VERY GENEROUS birthday gift cards!

I also bought a "vertical organizer" to serve as end tables. The one I got is a bit different, it has a back on it and looks more substantial. I'll be using fabric drawer cubes in the shelf for a bit more storage. I really hope it looks OK. Otherwise, I'll use it for it's intended purpose ... in a closet!

OK, gotta run. Nap is almost over. Talk to you soon!

the sign of a content life?

2009-07-29T10:27:00.005-05:00

Don't get too excited. I really only have about 20 minutes to compose this post.

Wow. Life is crazy, hectic, and pretty nice these days. I would like to think that the reason I haven't posted is because of my general contentment with the way things are going nowadays. Maybe it's the sign of a content life.

Here's a list of things that are going on, excite me, and generally take up my time...

I have been bombarded (or blessed) with a ton of babysitting work this summer. Not bad!
I start working for a wonderful family from church in the next few weeks, I'll be their nanny AND chef!
I also start chef-ing for my dear friend Susan and Fr. Basil next Monday. The Ruffled Apron is really happening. I am absolutely thrilled! (Check out this post Susan wrote about our initial planning session.)
I got Ruffled Apron business cards! My friend Ben designed the logo for me, and I love the way it turned out! (Sorry I don't have the file with me right now, I'll show the logo to you later.)
I'm probably going to get to move out soon!!! My friend Ashley and I have found the perfect apartment, with a pretty nice landlord (our priest.) I will DEFINITELY show you photos soon.
I have spent hours upon hours looking at home decor. I know that most people wouldn't consider renting to be a great situation for decorating, but I do. I'm thrilled to make the apartment beautiful... even if I can't paint the walls. I while the evenings away looking for great items and on design blogs. Design*sponge has become a favorite, thanks for introducing it to me Andrea!) I've also made some fun purchases for the apartment, including dining room chairs (hello, I have to be able to host a party) an incredible rug, and the prettiest two acrylic stacked ball lamps you ever did see!
Sally and Jason got married! I got to help decorate the Hi Tone for their reception, fun venue huh!? I don't know that I've had that much fun at a wedding reception ever! Many years Mr. and Mrs. Boyle! (Very exciting, and sad. They moved to Jason's house in WI.)
The Harveys are moving. Charlie got a job as an administrator and teacher at an Orthodox school. How awesome is that!? The only problem, is that they're moving to Yakima, WA. NOT AWESOME! (But exciting for them nonetheless.)
Trisha, my sweet goddaughter Cailyn's mom, is going to do Meribeth's job as church secretary. Congrats!
The O'briens hosted a pretty awesome going away bash for them. They're pretty sweet.
I'm housesitting this week. It's fun.
Brandon is on a pilgrimage to Holy Cross Hermitage in WV. He's more than welcome to come back ASAP. I haven't been able to talk to him at all since Sunday afternoon. (No cell phone reception at the Monastery.) It's tough when you're used to being able to call or text someone (for the past two and a half years) and suddenly you can't. But, I'm so happy he got to go, he hasn't ever been to a Monastery before. They are wonderful places to go!
Hannah, Matthew, Peter, (and not yet born little Ada) are here for the summer. (Exciting indeed!) (Except for when they have to go back to St. Tikhon's when seminary starts for them again.
Stacy came to visit. She's been living in Africa. It was great fun to have her here. I only got to know her a bit when she lived here 2 years ago, but we've gotten to know one another even more since she's been gone. (Exciting.)
Clark made me a St. Phanorious cake! Thanks Clark, and St. Phanorious for helping Clark find 7, yes 7 pairs of shoes. Also, congrats to Clark for finding a job!!!
Brandon took me to see Wicked and to Circa for my birthday. Good grief, could I ask for a better boyfriend?
We went to Smithville, TN for the Fiddler's Jamboree and to visit Brandon's grandparents. It was so much fun. We even made a pit stop at the Appalachian Center for Craft and also at the Russel Stover's outlet. Two very nice excursions on a very fun trip!
Ashley and Nathan got engaged! Many years you two crazy kids. I'm so glad I've gotten to know you two, I love you both dearly. Nathan, I'm a little mad that you're taking away my roommate.
New friends, and old friends. I have gotten to spend a lot of time nurturing relationships with my girlfriends lately. I love it! And, I've made quite a few new friends this summer. I love a new friend! I also really love girls nights and dinners out with the girls!
Shell concerts. They may be over, but they're coming back in September. Goodness I love them!
Rhode's pool parties. I love this summer tradition at St. John. It's such a great way for our Parish to bond outside of church!
Some good friends are going to have a baby! I'm so thrilled for them! (Not totally sure it's public yet...)
Claire and Ethan got a house. It's awesome, and is starting to look better and better every day. (The house needed a bit of work, and the ever industrious Van Drims were willing to do it!) It's going to be an awesome house. That Claire, she's got style!
<--- That's how old I turned on my birthday this Saturday. Abby was in town for once. (She's been out of town for my past several birthdays.) She took me to Target to buy some bathroom accessories for my new apartment. Bestest best friend... EVER! Brandon took me to Brother Juniper's on my birthday morning. Brandon's mom made a fabulous birthday lunch for me. And the night before the girls took me out to Noodle Doodle Do (ridiculous name) and then to The Beauty Shop for caramel cake. Such a fun birthday. Thanks for all my presents and birthday wishes everyone! Basically birthday=pig out!
Ooooo, Andrea had a birthday too! It was so fun to catch up with everyone. We also got to see their new house. We're so happy for them, it's beautiful! (PS- Happy 3 year anniversary Andrea and Aaron!
Life is generally pretty great.

Ok, so you all see why I haven't had time to blog. This is why!!! Things are busy, wonderful, and lots of fun.

Talk to you soon. Maybe this time, sooner than two months!

PS- Look at how much I wrote in 20 minutes. INSANE!

ikea.... ya!?

2009-06-06T21:21:00.010-05:00

We're here in Atlanta! We'll be home tomorrow. I've had a great time at the beach. My sunburn is almost completely healed, and I have a pretty nice tan.

My favorite "Patricia" fabric was not to be found. I QUICKLY regrouped. For only $7.99 a yard, I was able to get this amazing fabric. Honestly the picture doesn't do it justice. I hated it online, but I love it in person! The green is perfect, and it's a really funky pattern. To me, it looks a bit dated in the photo, but it looks really decorator-y in person. LOVE IT!

My parents recently finished the renovations in my bedroom and were sweet enough to e-mail me photos so I could see it on vacation! I love those two!

Note: All of the items purchased on this Ikea run were to outfit my current bedroom are also for my future apartment....

Meet Majken.

Say hello to my accent fabric: Katrin. They look amazing together. I promise. These two together will make throw pillows, maybe a cushion for a bench, and I think I'm going to stretch a few over canvasses to make some accent wall art.

My curtains: Matilda. They're kind of sheer, not usually something I'd go for, but they're neat because they have this little bit of texture. There are these little knots throughout that look really cool in person and the color is more off-white that bright white. (Again, you're going to have to trust me on this.)

I got my lamps. They're awesome!

I don't have a ton of storage space, so I bought these boxes in lots of sizes in green and black (don't worry, they're currently collapsed, I promise I'm not squashing the Harvey fam too much with all of my purchases!)

This is a quilt to use as a bed-spread. It's very plain. I plan to accent it with the throw pillows. I bought taupe colored sheets, but I figured you didn't need a picture to understand those.

How much do you LOVE these pillow covers?! Meribeth found them. I bought two. They're absolutely perfect for what I need. They're embellished with crewel embroidery that complements the very 2D fabrics.

I would like for you to meet my impulse purchase for the trip. Come on, it's perfect and it was only $6! I can't wait to invite you all over (at least with photos) to my beautiful new bedroom.

We ate at the cafe at the store. They serve Swedish meatballs! (Don't be too disappointed in me, I tried them.) It was a pretty cool/ intimidating place to visit. I can't wait to come back when I have a whole lot more car space, time, and money (I sort of spent WAAAAAAAY too much.) The place is simply daunting.