helen h.

Merry, Merry!

2011-12-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth." - Phil. 2:8-10

Christ is born today!

Season of Giving

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

Though it has become such a commercial byproduct of the true celebration of Christmas, I can't deny that the excitement of gifts and giving is such fun during the holidays. Sparkling stores and gleaming gifts - who wouldn't love this merriment?

Next best to choosing the perfect present is presenting that present quite nicely. A little personal touch can certainly make a lasting impression and add to the thoughtfulness of your selection. To help you achieve this goal, I'm sharing the first ever free printable from helen h. press - holiday gift tags!

They were a blast to make and I hope you'll enjoy using them as much as I plan to :)

Here are some helpful printing tips:
1) Use 100 lb bright white card stock for best results; if you only have regular paper, that will be fine, but not quite as sturdy and crisp
2) Ensure scale of document is set to "fit to page" so that no parts of the graphics get cut off
3) Print, cut out, and enjoy!

Download Links:
helen h. press 2011 Christmas Gift Tag Set
Christmas Tags Only
Celebration Tags Only

Follow the links above and choose "download original" to obtain best quality.

Christmas Tags

Celebration Tags

Ugly Sweater

2011-12-16T15:52:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist!

Happy Friday!

December so far...

2011-12-15T21:15:00.000-05:00

Holiday Lights

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

Starting with last Friday's Mad for Plaid, I'm dishing out a new happy wallpaper every week in honor of the season, just to help your countdown go a little faster :)

Even if you don't have a house or tree to adorn with lights, at least your phone will be properly decked out!

Have a great weekend!

Right click to save the image and then email to your phone and upload as your iPhone background. If accessing via your iPhone, simply press down on the image and save - then select the image to be your phone's background.

View the complete collection of helen h. iPhone wallpapers here.

THE frosting

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

I can take absolutely no credit for it, but I also don't want to withhold such tasty information.

Joy the Baker - you've done it again.

The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
via Joy the Baker (adapted from Delilah Bakery)

Ingredients
1 1/2 C (3 sticks...oops) unsalted butter, softened
1 C cocoa powder
3/4 tsp salt
4 C powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 C milk
1 C heavy cream
2/3 C Ovaltine (blast from the past, right??)

Directions
Cream butter, cocoa powder and salt together. I learned that having soft butter is key - this will save you lots of effort during the "creaming" process. Also, a stand mixer would be ideal... I was working with my Kitchenaid hand mixer, which I adore, but let's be real, it's no Kitchenaid Stand Mixer.

Continue mixing and add in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. Hubby and I learned this was a great teamwork opportunity. No WAY I could have mixed in all that good stuff without absolutely spilling it everywhere.

Increase mixer speed and beat until smooth.

Separately in a 2C measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Pour this into the frosting slowly until the consistency is to your liking.

You're done!

I wish I had an equally awesome cake recipe to share, but this time due to scheduling limitations, we had to go with the box. Shhh.... don't tell anyone! The cake was made particularly with my grandfather in mind. He is crazy about his chocolate cake, so I knew this would be a fun Thanksgiving/92nd birthday treat!

We may or may not still be eating the remaining frosting. Out of a bowl. With no accompaniment.

Mad for plaid

2011-12-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

Happy December to all!

Enjoy this Christmas plaid for a festive touch to your iPhone for the holidays - consider it an early present :)

More helen h. iPhone backgrounds here.

Projects in progress...

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

(all iPhone photos... yikes!)

DIY headboard

the BEST chocolate butter cream frosting

and.... helen h. press print orders galore!

Though, my real job keeps me sup-biz these days, I can't wait to share these fun projects with you!

xxoo

POP! A baby shower for Levi

2011-11-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend some good friends and I had the absolute JOY of hosting a baby shower for our dear friend and her baby boy-to-be. The lady I've been BFFs with since age two is now about to be a mother - it's crazy how carpools turn into proms turn into graduations turn into weddings turn into baby showers... as they say, it is true: time flies.

To honor the mommy-to-be, we went with a POP theme to give a fun and festive air. From decor to food to drinks, we tried to incorporate a little POP wherever possible!

It was amazing to see the pieces of the puzzle come together - and it was of course a pleasure to collaborate with such talented and gracious friends. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed the planning and partying!

Like the paper? It's all by helen h. press :)

Just let me know how I can help with your paper needs! Cards, invites, labels, you name it - I'd love to help you create the perfect accents for your special celebrations and occasions.

helenhpress at gmail dot com

A day in the life...

2011-11-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

... of Dixie.

She just found out about "Boo the Dog" and was feeling a little jealous. She wanted me to post her best glamour shots to make up for it:

PS - did you see Tory Burch's genius puppy accessories campaign featuring Boo?! Adorbs - almost makes me want to justify spending $85 on a new collar or $95 on a new leash for Dixie! Sorry, Dixie, emphasis on almost :)

Via the Tory blog

Secrets....

2011-11-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a surprise peek at a special shower for a special someone and her special little man-to-be...

But I can't tell you everything today because the shower is on Saturday! Stay tuned for full details after the weekend :)

My run-in with RR

2011-11-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

The only thing better than knowing Ryan Reynolds is in your town filming an upcoming movie is actually running into Ryan Reynolds on your way home from work!

Let me set the scene:

It is Monday and I decide to stick around the office slightly longer than usual so my next morning will run smoothly, but at about 6:45, I decide it is time to begin the journey home.

I head down my usual route, call my dad and we begin to discuss our latest recipe tries and successes. I note to him that "oh, they're filming again" as I plow toward Park Street and and make my way. However, this time something is different. Silent. I can't help but notice a determined looking fellow wearing a Red Sox hat guiding two confident men across the street - the two men and I exchange glances and smiles - and as soon as I have the good sense to understand what was going on he had passed. I JUST RAN INTO RYAN REYNOLDS! Oh, and Jeff Bridges, too.

Clearly, I didn't have the good sense to snap photos ASAP, however, my Dad can attest to my instant loss for words and teenager-like drooling over this superstar who just locked eyes with me.

The next day, I and a pal from the office returned to the scene with the hope of catching just one more glimpse, but alas, producers heeded us away.

We: giddy girls with iPhone cameras

They: serious security men clearly enjoying their sudden authority

I got what I could, so here are some day-after shots from the fortuitous location - my for-sure new favorite intersection in Boston:

Case in point, I'm not good at recognizing celebrities, so I'm glad you can share in this small milestone with me. Also, the movie they are filming is called RIPD, scheduled to premiere in 2013. Thought it seems an eternity away, I have no doubt it will be here basically tomorrow. Until then, I'll keep scouting and bringing you updates as necessary. Over and out.

Chile Verde Pulled Pork Tacos

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here's one of those little recipes that helps us overcome our Tex-Mex withdrawal blues. Those of you who haven't developed such an addiction are sure to be in for a treat as well because this dish checks so many crucial boxes otherwise: savory = check, slow-cooked = check, slight spice = check, can-eat-it-from-a-bowl = check... there are many more qualities but, I'll let you discover for yourself. These good-as-street-style tacos are sure to please, be it by bowl or tortilla, and I guarantee they'll leave your posse begging for more.

Chile Verde Pulled Pork Tacos (original Lewis recipe)

Ingredients
2-3 lb pork shoulder roast
2 large white onions, finely chopped
1 lb tomatillos, washed and roasted
3-4 poblano peppers, washed and roasted
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C chicken broth
Oregano
Cumin
Salt, pepper
Kosher salt
Queso fresco for topping
Flour
Corn tortillas
Tortilla chips (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 500

Place tomatillos/poblanos directly on wire rack for roasting; place foil below to catch any drippings; roast for 10-12 minutes or until roasted, turning a few times.
Once roasted, remove stems and seeds from peppers and chop finely; set aside. (Need help remembering how to roast? Check my crash course here)

Pour a few Tsp canola or vegetable oil into medium-medium-high Dutch oven.
Season pork shoulder with kosher salt and pepper and lightly coat with flour.
Once Dutch oven is fully heated, sear pork roast 2 min/side until dark golden brown coating forms. Then remove pork and set aside on a plate. Discard oil from Dutch oven.

Add into Dutch oven 3 Tsp vegetable oil and bring it back to medium heat. Add onion, saute. Add minced garlic once onions are almost sauteed. Stir a few minutes and turn heat down to medium-low. Add finely chopped tomatilos and poblanos. Add salt, pepper, oregano and cumin to taste. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture reduces.

Add pork shoulder back into Dutch oven. Pour in chicken broth until it covers 3/4 pork shoulder. Turn down heat to a low simmer and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours, turning the pork every 45 minutes/hour; add broth when the liquid gets low.

Remove the roast and it should be fork tender at this point. Turn up heat on green chile sauce to medium and stir and reduce for 10-15 minutes. Pull pork shoulder using forks and add back into chile sauce.

Serve in corn tortillas with yummy queso fresco and a squeeze of lime! Also delicious in a bowl atop tortilla chips - you won't be disappointed :)

Favorite Sale

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

Don't you love the Nordstrom half-yearly sale? So many cute items at such reasonable prices... perfect for this business school wife! I am basically obsessed and find it a great opportunity to stock up on basics and well, some fun stuff too :)

Here are my top picks for this season - do you have yours yet?

Nordstrom half-yearly sale picks by hallielewis featuring fake fur vests

Classiques Entier silk bow blouse
$79 - nordstrom.com

Vince Camuto fake fur vest
$87 - nordstrom.com

Barbour short jacket
$99 - nordstrom.com

Natori Sleepwear pink sleepwear
$93 - nordstrom.com

Vince Camuto bootie boots
$93 - nordstrom.com

Cuff jewelry
$38 - nordstrom.com

Mitten glove
$69 - nordstrom.com

Steven by Steve Madden leopard belt
$30 - nordstrom.com

Smashbox 'Glambox Luxe Metallics' Set (Nordstrom Exclusive) ($190...
$49 - nordstrom.com

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-04:00

And no, despite the sudden surge of baby bumps among my lady friends, I am not talking about babies. I'm talking about cupcakes!

I needed to bring something sweet and savory to our quarterly whisky dinner club (yes, you heard me... I like to keep a few surprises up my sleeve) so when I came across these absolutely lovely cakes on joylicious (swoon) I knew I'd met my match. The fact that the recipe comes from Martha only further validated my impulse to bake.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
Cupcakes
( makes 18, or 12 and one mini-cake, which is what I did)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (I didn't use the whole can... more like 1/2 - 2/3 to avoid an overpowering pumpkin taste)

Frosting
(this quantity is pretty large... I halved it for one dozen cupcakes and had a little leftover for a light layer over my mini-cake which I made out of my leftover batter - this made a great treat to share at the office the next day)
16 oz cream cheese, softened
4 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon - that was my little addition - it gave the icing a really nice scent and a pretty speckled look

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 (if your oven is under your stove, now is the time to place your butter and cream cheese on stove top to get rid of the fridge chill... keep both packaged for now, obvi)
Line cupcake pan with liners
In medium bowl, mix dry cupcake ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, ginger, nutmeg, allspice)
In large bowl, mix sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs
Mix wet and dry together in large bowl and stir until smooth
Add pumpkin puree (again: I didn't use the whole can... I wanted my cake to taste more spice-like and less pumpkin pie-like)
Fill cupcake liners 1/2 way with batter (I use the ladle and spoon method to get a more precise pour into each cup - this will help you develop a more uniform-looking batch in the end)
Bake for 24ish minutes or until the cakes bounce back when touched (as always, I do a mid-bake rotation to account for any unevenly heated spots in my oven)

Meanwhile... let's get the frosting going. You'll want to use your stand or hand mixer to get a really nice texture.

In a large bowl, mix butter and cream cheese
Add in powdered sugar - s-l-o-w-l-y and mix... if you're not careful, your kitchen will look like the North Pole in no time
Add vanilla and mix until smooth
Add cinnamon and mix until smooth
Let chill in fridge while the cakes bake

When your cakes are done, remove them from the oven and place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool (I did this after 5-10ish minutes when they were cool enough to handle comfortably)

Only when cupcakes are completely cool should you consider topping them with icing - if you don't wait, you'll get a melty gooey result that just looks bad. Don't do it.
So once cool, remove the frosting from the fridge and scoop it into a large ziploc bag - this will be your icing tool! If you have a real icing tool, congratulations, but for those of us who don't, this trick works great (a guy in my apartment asked if I picked these up a local boutique shop - obvi the highlight of my day)
Cut a tiny slit in the corner of the bag and now you can "pipe" the frosting neatly onto the cakes
I dusted mine with cinnamon, but other cute ideas are to top with brown sugar, walnuts, etc.

As always, I knew this recipe was a success because I had exactly zero leftovers. Nada. Just lots of empty plates and platters and that is the way I like it.

Hope you enjoy this yummy fall treat!

Getting in Gear

2011-11-02T05:00:00.000-04:00

Finding the right snow boots is a challenge. Last year, I thought I was all set between my Uggs and my Hunters (plus fleece liners)... and I kind of was.... until the real snow actually came. While I do love both pairs, I quickly discovered the limitations of each. Wet conditions made it impossible to preserve my soft and cozy Uggs if I actually wore them in the mess, so those became reserved strictly for dry days. However, here in Boston, snowy days are truly the norm during the (long) winter, so I was therefore left with my Hunters. While durable and waterproof to boot (they are normally my go-to walk-to-work shoe when the weather isn't freezing) I found that they are simply not warm - even with the fleece liners. The rubber shoe just wasn't cutting it.

This year we've already had our first snow (in October...sick!), so I'm determined to hone in on the right shoes to get me through the winter. Naturally, I've already done a lot of shopping, I just haven't made any decisions quite yet. The below are my top favorites, but I'd love to know if anyone has any weathered advice :) For me, musts are: waterproof, fleece/shearling-lined, relatively easy on/off. I'm willing to sacrifice a bit on cuteness if it means I'll be warm and comfortable. Any ideas?? Ready, go!

snow, snow, snow by hallielewis featuring suede boots

Ugg australia boots
$275 - zappos.com

J Crew waterproof leather boots
$178 - jcrew.com

The north face boots
$170 - nordstrom.com

The north face boots
$165 - bloomingdales.com

The North Face waterproof leather boots
$155 - bloomingdales.com

The North Face knee high lace up boots
$140 - bloomingdales.com

Sorel suede boots
$140 - nordstrom.com

The North Face wedge bootie
$90 - bloomingdales.com

Boo!

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-04:00

A Montreal Fall

2011-10-27T05:00:00.000-04:00

Just when I thought we'd had our international fix for the year, Hubby whisked me off to Canada for a fun and fast weekend in Montreal. We're not used to being in driving distance to Canada, so of course we were happy to take advantage of our (relatively) insane proximity.

The trip was perfectly timed for some excellent leaf peeping along the way. I'll never forget my "first fall" last year - I was totally enchanted by the perfectly golden, coral and flaming orange trees around Cambridge, and I'm pleased to say the fixation has not grown dull. Montreal offered a grand display, and though the day was otherwise dreary, this lovely foliage offered life and vibrance to the city.

It is really a great city and I only wish we had more time to spend there. Because time was precious, our goal in Montreal was simple: relax and eat tons of poutine.

We were first introduced to this to-die-for dish during our summer in LA. Braised succulent meat atop delicious french fries and accessorized with cheese - if this is an excuse for a meal, I'm totally game. So for Hubby's birthday, we went to a fantastic spot called Animal - and the name basically tells it all. Those in the WeHo area must check it out. Don't get freaked out by the menu: pigs ears, bone marrow, braised oxtail, etc... the dishes are made to taste delicious and each new order is a true work of art. As you might guess, our hands-down favorite dish was the braised oxtail poutine - drenched in rich gravy and cheddar cheese, this spin on the classic Montreal treat really hit the spot and left us wanting more.

So, four months later, thanks to lots of research and first-hand recommendations, we found our palace of poutine at La Banquise. As our photos will show, this is no delicate dish. Now that we've tried a few varieties, we're dying to make our own version.

Just looking at the pictures makes me full. Hopefully we can follow through this fall/winter - you know I'll share the recipe!

The New Jeans

2011-10-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

It is perhaps a testament to how incredibly long it's been since I've purchased new jeans (3+ years? yikes... even longer than I thought!) - however, I was recently so pleased on my latest jeans shopping trip at Nordstrom to find out that in the meantime, jeans have become comfortable! This is great news. Again, sorry if I'm way behind on the times. I love that a little spandex stretch is a given and that skinny styles can almost guarantee no alterations are needed.

My favorite thing about the "new jeans" is all the great iterations - the jewel tones this season are so gorgeous - I snatched up some Paige jeans in "merlot" and I just feel so fall-ish when I wear them. Up next on my list are the velour AGs, which would be so nice going into winter, and of course the Citizens cords in a cute fall color. I feel like it makes all my outfits new again - and that is good because it helps the budget go a little further.

non-blue jeans by hallielewis featuring skinny leg jeans

Citizens Of Humanity Jeans skinny leg jeans
$198 - revolveclothing.com

Paige Denim zipper jeans
$179 - piperlime.gap.com

AG Adriano goldschmied
$168 - agjeans.com

Monday, Monday

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

Mondays can be rough - perk up with a cheery iPhone background! Hope you enjoy these little quatrefoils - I think they are quite fun for fall. I bet you've also noticed a new look around here. Helen H. is my grandmother and the source of much creative inspiration for me - as I've mentioned, she is quite the fabulous lady, so I hope you'll see that shining through with each new design. Find all helen h. iPhone backgrounds over here!

Can't wait to tell you about our spontaneous trip to Montreal and share Hubby's recipe for pork chili verde!

Europe Part IV: The finale! Provence, Annecy and our surprise visit to London

2011-10-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

After a taste of France in Nice, we were ready for more. We rented ourselves a lovely little Eurocar and headed down the highway over to Provence. It may or may not have taken us two hours plus a visit to a local superstore and have a conversation with a security guard to find the highway, but the important part of the story is that WE MADE IT! Roundabouts and stick shifts, we are not scared of you. Period.

Driving through Provence at sunset was simply magical. The sun was streaming through the vineyards and orchards and I loved each little cobblestone town better than the last. Before we landed at our "home" destination of Les Baux de Provence, we made a little stop in Aix. This darling little university town is charming, historic and bustling. It gave us just the taste of lavender and crowded cafes we had been craving.

Back in the car and onto our weekend home: Les Baux. Little did I realize that Les Baux is built into a mountain, making it a real life cliff side town with sweeping views of the Provincial valleys surrounding it. Gasp. It's true.

The next day we visited St. Remy - a picturesque town to stroll through with a coffee - and much larger Avignon for a quick tour of the city and a gander through the fantastic Papal Palace. On the way home we made our prized stop in Chateauneuf du Pape. Hoping to sample and purchase a special souvenir to bring back home, we meandered down the country road admiring the lovely vineyards and chateaus. To our right, we spotted the most beautiful one yet, so we figured it would be worth a drive up to see if someone was home and giving tours (is this how it works?! eek?). To our delight, we drove up to the sight of what had to be another southern couple from the US - he in croakies, she in Lily Pulitzer, we knew we were in luck. We followed them in and joined a small tour group. Before long we were tasting and buying wine to save for something special, like a 20th anniversary or a future-child's engagement - wow - this was kind of surreal. But equally fun. We have some special pieces in our stash and will open them with fond memories some day.

And that was the night when everything changed. Thanks, Irene.

While we did not have a TV in Les Baux, we had prior to that been noticing increased news reports from home that Hurricane Irene was gaining momentum - and - heading straight for the Massachusetts Bay. We were of course concerned for everyone back home, but also feared for ourselves because our precious flight home was scheduled during the exact window the weathermen had projected for the hurricane to hit. Though we knew a delay was possible, we tried to live in ignorant bliss.

So we strolled around Arles.

But around lunch time, it was clear we were both unfocused and panicked we would get stuck in Europe for weeks if we didn't act immediately (in retrospect, was this really such a crisis?!). We hopped back in our car, drove back to Les Baux and decided to make some calls. Hubby's dad saved the day and booked us a hotel in lovely Annecy (very close to Geneva where we were scheduled to fly from the next day). Lo and behold, on the drive to Annecy, we got that ill-fated auto-text from Expedia: "your flight has been cancelled." A cancellation is one thing, but trying to remedy it abroad, while driving a stick shift, while cell phones cost $8972384/minute was suffice it to say, stressful.

Thankfully Hubby had the foresight to get us close to an airport and book the next available flight back stateside. We enjoyed a lovely evening in Annecy, which turned out to be one of the absolute highlights of the trip.

We then headed up to London - again so we could be near an airport - and planned to see the Royal sights. London was lovely - even though I was wearing beach clothes the entire time (it was 60 and rainy), we still loved seeing everything, most notably the Buckingham Palace souvenir shop where I almost bought 12 place settings of all of the Royal ladies' personal china patterns. Ok, not really (wink wink), but it was truly great to see so many sights I had always heard of but never experienced. I was really hoping for a Duchess sighting, but no such luck.

I think that's the long and, well, long of it. Glad we could (finally) share the fun!

An elemental love

2011-10-19T22:39:00.002-04:00

Last evening my fellow Texas-transplant pal and I headed to a special event at Boston's Longchamp store hosted by one of our favorite bloggers, Erin Gates (elements of style). It was a great night of champagne, appetizers, shopping (ok, at least browsing) and of course meeting the lady behind the blog.

The best story of the night is when the photographer asked us what we did and why we were there.... after a moment's hesitation: "we're home enthusiasts!" Not sure where that came from, but it's totally okay with me.

Via Boston.com

Well, cheers to home enthusiasm!

And cheers to Erin Gates, Longchamp and InStyle for such a fun night - hope it's the first of many in Boston!

Europe Part III: Barcelona and Nice

2011-10-18T23:12:00.000-04:00

Let's get on with our Europe trip already!

Departing Valencia we headed straight to Barcelona. The city was nothing short of amazing from the architectural wonders of Antonio Gaudi, to the beaches, to Las Ramblas and oh-so-much more. What struck me most about this city was our incredible journey inside La Sagrada Familia - the city's famous cathedral which is still under construction, which originally commenced in 1882. No longer can we complain when home renovations take three weeks instead of three days! Continuing with the Gaudi theme, Parque Guell was another sight I'll never forget. Have you ever experienced an escalator on a hiking trail? Yeah, me neither - it was equally weird, mesmerizing and much appreciated at the same time... and I found myself still strangely exhausted upon reaching the peak, even though I had taken full advantage of our modern "trail." It was rewarding to reach the top and bask in the view of the sprawling and crowded city spread out for miles. It was a lovely sight at sunset, only fading into the bright Mediterranean... just waiting for us to come swim the next day.

And swim we did. In Barcelona:

and... flash-forward one train ride... in France:

Behold, the French Riviera. Maybe it is beacuse I am a life-long Grace Kelly enthusiast, but traveling to the French Riviera has always been a dream and something I'd imagined since I learned of a land called Monaco. Not far down the coast, we had our own Riviera experience in Nice. Nice was nice, let me tell you. It was like a gorgeous Pantone color palette for my eyes - everything bright and beachy, while at the same time subdued and natural - my mind was feeding on the colors like candy... if only my stomach had done the same. Instead, we found much more sustainable fare, from the expected pastries and gelatos, to a lovey foie gras dinner at a little mom-and-pop shop where we became like family with the owners after just one dinner.

And this is our highlight story - perhaps of the entire trip. Route du Maim - seemed simple enough to make a little dinner reservation at this well-reviewed locale in Nice, so we did. Had to borrow our English friend's phone number to secure the confirmation, but that is beside the point - we were in. We knew we better be on time for our reservation, but by pure accident we re too early, showing up at about 7:45 for an 8:00 p.m. reservation.... in France. How embarrassing! We tried to play it cool by bypassing the restaurant at first, however, clearly standing out as tourists and finding ourselves in a very.. em.. local looking neighborhood, we decided it would be best to head on over. Outside sat a lady and a man. Both smoking. Both sweating. Both speaking loudly.

"Alo?" they said to us.
"We're here for a dinner reservation at 8."
"You book through Top Table?"
"Yes!" (thank goodness they speak English!)
"Oh, we have cancelled dinner tonight. No reservations."

Our look of confusion and disappointment must have resonated because almost as soon as we started to sulk away, the lady pulled herself into hostess mode and said "I kid, I kid," and brought us right inside. Well, that is another story. Inside were approximately three tables, set for 4-6 each. One young couple was already there, enjoying some yummy olives. We naturally started heading toward an empty spot, but to our surprise, we were escorted right next to the other couple - visiting from Russia, we learned.

No sooner did we sit down than the lady pulled up a chair right in between us couples, whip out a notepad, give us hand-written menus (only two options... hot or cold foie gras). She explained that her husband, the chef, was going to make us our dinner and we should have some wine in the meantime. So we did. We chatted with the Russians, played with the restaurant owner's puppy, Sushi, and finally received massive plates of the local fare. It was quite possibly most delicious and intriguing meal of our lives. Mid-way through dinner, Hubby and the Russian husband joined the chef outside for a smoke, while us ladies stayed inside and talked about plans for travel and babies - "you must make beautiful babies" we were instructed. Noted. I was also told that I reminded the lady of her daughter - we shared a touching heart-to-heart, a hug, and a promise to stay in touch if we returned.

Awwwww. Now. On to Provence, Annecy and London! Coming later this week :)

Europe Part II: Valencia

2011-10-04T22:24:00.000-04:00

Good morning, Valencia.

I was so glad to get a first-person tour of the city Hubby lived in while we fell in love. Valencia is equal parts historic, bohemian, natural and delicious - a pretty good combination I think!

Those roofs!

Aquarium.

Great colors everywhere.

Paella - Valencia's pride and joy (this pan is about 2 feet wide, btw).

Gorgeous Mediterranean.

What more could a girl ask for? The great story from this city is our dinner with one of Hubby's former study abroad professors. Augustin met us at a true Valencian locale for a traditional dinner of cured meats, cheese, omelette, pan y tomate - the list goes on. We decided on 9 p.m. to meet for a leisurely dinner (we were so proud of ourselves for being so cultured as to wait until 9 p.m. to eat dinner!). Upon arrival, we were both interested to see that the restaurant was fairly empty. We didn't give much thought, however, because we were so excited to meet Augustin and catch up on the past four years of life. Meanwhile... our dinner commences and after about 1.5 hours, couples started pouring into the restaurant for date night. We were clearly baffled, because it was nearing 11... post-dinner drinks? Gelato? Augustin later told us that he was trying to accommodate us by choosing an early dinner time - what a champ for catering to our Western ways!

Off to Barcelona next!

Europe Part I: Cuenca

2011-09-21T22:17:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Cuenca. This darling medieval town nestled in the countryside cliffs between Madrid and Valencia was understandably one of Hubby's favorite study abroad locales back in the day. It was such a favorite that it was our first stop on our trek through Spain and France.

I was a big fan of the colors, cliffs, doors, architecture, food and so much more. The highlight of this town for me was our quaint picnic dinner of local fare atop the cliffs overlooking the city. We went on a hunt through the tiny town's wine and cheese shops to find our spread. Ultimately, a couple of Cuencan sisters (owned the wine and cheese shops, respectively) guided us in our selection and we were set to hike to our 'dining room.' This was truly an amazing way to kick off our vacation and get in the Spanish spirit :)

Hoping to get through all of our cities and share some fun stories coming up!

Next stop: Valencia!

Cheddar and Onion Scones

2011-09-16T05:00:00.000-04:00

A savory breakfast lover's dream, these creamy biscuit-like scones are simply divine. The best news is that the recipe is totally interchangeable, so you can tailor it to your liking day by day.

Props to Smitten Kitchen for a convincing me that scones can be a cinch to make. My worry melted away as I saw that the steps were quite simple, the ingredients were quite few, and after a few quick pulses on my Cuisinart, these dreamy creamy scones would soon be mine.

When out of town guests headed were headed our way last weekend, I knew I had to prepare the perfect something for a morning pick-me-up. Inspired by one of our favorite Cambridge bakeries, Darwin's Ltd., it was clear I would need to go with something savory - perhaps a remake of Hubby's and my ultimate Saturday indulgence: the cheddar and onion scone.

My cousin actually said to me, "I wasn't too excited when you told me you made scones, but I didn't realize they could be soft and moist!" Or something to that effect... :) I took it as a compliment - but it was the empty service platter that further validated my assumption.

Without further ado, the recipe. As I mentioned before, please replace our cheddar and onions with your favorite treat - chocolate chips, blueberries, bacon, etc...

America's Test Kitchen Cookbook, via Smitten Kitchen
(with, of course, our own personal cheddar and onion rendition!)

Ingredients
2 C all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 T sugar
5T chilled unsalted butter (cut into little cubes)
*1/4 lb cheddar cheese
*1 red onion, caramelized
1 C heavy cream
(*if using another filling, something in the 1/2 C range is a good measure)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425
Place dry ingredients in Cuisinart (flour, baking powder, sugar, salt)
Pulse six times (if doing by hand, just mix together quickly)
Add cubed butter to Cuisinart and pulse until meal-like (not too many times...use forks to press into dry ingredients if doing by hand)
Add cheese and onions
Add heavy cream and stir for 30 seconds until dough-like
Flour a clean dry counter top
Place dough onto floury surface and quickly mold into desired shape (for me, I molded by hand into a 1 in high square; also consider using a 9" round cake pan as a mold, or a biscuit cutter for a round shape)
Next, cut your dough into the desired shape - I simply used a sharp knife to create 3x3 squares (in retrospect it would have been cute to then cut the squares into more scone-like triangles)
If using the round cake pan method, turn dough out and cut into wedges
At this stage, it is safe to freeze your unbaked scones - I transferred mine to a freezer-safe plate and covered tightly with plastic wrap, then foil (when ready to bake, place right onto baking sheet and add a few minutes to baking time)
Place on baking sheet and bake until light brown for 12-15 minutes
Remove from oven, let cool and serve to a hungry audience :)

Where were you?

2011-09-11T10:02:00.000-04:00

The New York Times has a fantastic interactive map so we can all tell our stories of where we were on 9/11/01.

Where were you?

I was at ESD in my second period study hall - I remember crowding with classmates into our Headmaster's office and watching the tragedy unfold. Our lives were forever changed that day.

Praying for the fallen, their families and the brave men and women who fight to secure our freedom every day.

Sneak Peek

2011-09-09T08:13:00.002-04:00

Well, I managed to make a certified mess of our kitchen this morning... but I think it will be well worth my pending adventure in clean-up.

Cheddar Onion Scones (in the making)

Recipe here :)

Oh, hello!

2011-09-06T22:09:00.000-04:00

Where do I begin?

We took a little hideout this summer in sunny California and I was a bit too distracted to be blogging. Understandable, right? More on that later.

To win you back, I'm offering a shameless bribe: new iPhone backgrounds.

Shallow?

Maybe. But consider that these are inspired by our recent European vacay (more on this later too) - particularly our stint in France - and I think you'll be quick to (forgive me and) download them as your own little piece of Provencal prettiness.

Here's the inspiration from a darling shop in Nice:

And now a version for you:

Happy September!

Enjoy :)

Wifey Wednesday

2011-04-06T05:00:00.001-04:00

We are in love with our Colquitt pecans! We are trying every excuse to eat some more, so here is another yummy recipe we whipped up (remember our brie en croute??).

Easy Pecan Pesto

Ingredients
1 C Colquitt pecans
1 C basil (or more!)
1/2 - 1 C Parmesan cheese
2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Throw all ingredients in Cuisinart
Pulse until fine
If too chunky, add more olive oil
If too oily, add more pecans, basil and cheese
Add salt and pepper to taste
Serve as an appetizer, over chicken, or as a sauce for pasta
We recommend microwaving the pesto ever-so-slightly (under 10 seconds) because it is SO yummy when warm!

Enjoy!

Snow in Stowe

2011-04-05T20:24:00.003-04:00

Slightly overdue, but when we were planning our ski trip to Vermont, all I could think about were scenes from one of our all-time favorite movies (and movie on our first date!), White Christmas.

And, while we may not have been in the same train car as Bing Crosby ... or even in a train for that matter ... it didn't stop us from having a fantastic time in the quaint little ski village of Stowe for a long weekend!

Both first-time east coast skiers, Hubby and I had a great time making our maiden voyage up to Vermont and enjoying all that accompanied the trip. The maple syrup shops, the cozy towns, and finally, the esteemed ski terrain. Stowe totally surpassed our expectations - we just loved it! However, skiing here is different. I found it quite chilly and overall not as powdery - but the lack of powder is not for lack of snow! We attributed it mainly to the freeeeeeeeezing temps that left us running for hot cocoa a bit earlier than usual in the day :)

As you can see... we had a mix of clear and foggy days. Stowe is a great town - perfect mix of food, culture and cozy ski lodge feel - a true apres ski must!

Skis up!

White Christmas photo from: http://soundofthunder.wordpress.com/2009/12/24/white-christmas/

Why, happy birthday!

2011-03-08T06:41:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday, Life as a Wife! Welcome to the (hopefully-not-so-) terrible two's...

I also want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who passes a glance here at my blog (hi, Mom!) - your readership is much appreciated and I am grateful for your loyalty and encouragement. I'm excited to enter this third year of blogging, and hope it will be fun-filled and that I'll be able to share some new and exciting adventures with you, so don't be a stranger! Follow along and please, pretty please, leave me some notes! Have I ever mentioned how much I love when you leave comments? :)

In the meantime, let's celebrate with brie en croute! Thanks for the inspiration, Paula Deen.

Ingredients
1 8 oz wheel of brie (or a large wedge like I used)
1 sheet puff pastry
1/2 C COLQUITT pecans (thank you Sass and JB!)
1/4 C brown sugar
1 T butter
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg

Directions
Preheat oven to 375
Remove puff pastry from freezer and let thaw for 15 minutes or until soft
Melt butter in warm skillet and add pecans
Saute until golden, just a few minutes
Add cinnamon to pecans and coat thoroughly
Once puff pastry is thawed, roll out over flour if necessary to achieve a flat surface (my Pepperidge Farm puff pastry arrived in a tri-fold, so I did have to roll out with a pin)
When pastry is flat, place brie in the center
Pour toasted pecan mixture on top of brie
Sprinkle brown sugar on top of pecans
Now, wrap up your brie! You'll see I made a very simple envelope fold below. Typically I would add some cute shapes (hello, Shamrocks for March!), but Hubby was taking this to a Scotch night party, so I didn't want to overdo it :)
Beat the egg and lightly brush crust with egg wash
Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until golden (just imagine how all that brown sugary goodness is getting ooey gooey melty inside!)
Serve and enjoy!

Wise words from my Dad: Keep in mind that brie melts fast in the oven. Especially if you are using a wedge like me, you'll want to keep a close eye on it.

It's March

2011-03-07T05:00:00.002-05:00

For the first fully-March week of 2011.... some hydrangeas :)

iPhone and Blackberry users can both join the fun this time... select the right size for your phone and enjoy! There are like 89628374 models of Blackberry, but I hope the variety of dimensions below gives you what you need :)

Blackberry

iPhone

Dixie's View of Boston

2011-03-02T22:09:00.000-05:00

Humor me and please enjoy this (well at least I think) hilarious video of Dixie playing in the snow. This is what we do about 4x/day, and I forget how funny it must look when it is snowy, so I figured it was finally time to catch it on film! This is from the most recent mini-storm on Sunday. Thankfully, most of the snow you'll see is melted by now... about which we are quite thankful!

*Jacket by Petco :)

Oh, and happy Texas Independence Day!

Image via http://www.texasflag.us/texas_downloads/Texas-Flag.gif

Spring Has Not Yet Sprung

2011-02-27T20:20:00.002-05:00

My hopes and dreams for an early spring have been shattered. Just when it seemed like we were well on the way to sunshine and snowbank-free sidewalks, a (should-not-have-been) surprising snowfall last night and this morning racked up about 4ish pretty inches... and is now melting into sloppy slush :(

Despite the freezing temps outside.... in my mind it's already Spring!

Hope you're enjoying this Oscar Sunday :)

Be Mine!

2011-02-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

From my heart to yours... some lover-ly iPhone wallpapers:

So won't you be my Valentine? Your choice of Gingham, Honeycomb, PolkaDot or Vintage.

Happy weekend!

She Knows Me Too Well

2011-02-09T22:03:00.002-05:00

A good friend notified me of this blessed book this afternoon:

Could be the best springtime read ever! Thanks to Lucky for spotting. Thanks to The V&A Museum for selling.

Yes, the binding is actual pink cloth. Need I say more?! Clicking. order. now.

Speaking of well dressed... I will be in NYC this weekend - the trip happily corresponds with NYC Fashion Week 2011! Can't wait to ooh over some fun new garb to get me out of this frumpy winter rut :)

Cha-Cha-Chalupas

2011-02-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so we have a Mexican food problem. I can't say I didn't tell you so.

Chalupas have always been a staple meal for me. Growing up, my mom would make them practically by the dozen for me to chow down on after soccer practice or cross country training. Not to mention, they were a big-time Friday lunch favorite at girls' camp. Did I mention our camp had the best food ever? We always joked that "some people eat to live... we live to eat." Little did I know how telling this would be of my food-loving future :)

The best part is, chalupas couldn't be easier to make. You could probably tell me how to do it based on the picture, so here's a quick grocery list:

Ingredients:
flat crispy taco shells (we fried some corn tortillas - so, so good!)
shredded cheese (again, your fave - we used cheddar)
refried beans, warmed
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
jalapenos (opt)
salsa (we love our spicy El Fenix salsa shipped straight from the Big D!)
guacamole, sour cream, etc are all great extras :)

Directions:
Assemble, silly!
(aren't you glad this doesn't involve cooking? we've worked hard enough this winter)

TGIF my friends. If you did not get a chance to download a fun iPhone wallpaper yesterday, check it out!

Presents!

2011-02-03T05:00:00.004-05:00

For you, of course!

Who doesn't love presents? Especially free presents?

The truth is, by accepting this present, you're really doing me a favor. Please humor me in my quest to learn graphic design :) Hubby kindly obliged with Adobe CS5 for Christmas and I've been truly smitten ever since.

So, without further ado, let me present my first presentable project: iPhone Wallpapers! Here is my Sunburst print, available in chartreuse, coral, lavender and turquoise.

I made you four cheery colors to choose from because, as Groundhog Phil said, spring is on the way! These downloads are free - obvi - so please enjoy. I recommend right clicking on your fave image and choosing "save image." Then email it to your phone and download. Or if you are viewing my blog on your phone right now, just click and choose "save image." You can then change your phone's wallpaper under settings by simply selecting the saved image of your choice. Please comment or email for troubleshooting.

My hope is to have some new wallpapers for you every so often, so keep checking back for more.

For those with alternate mobile devices... I am working on a solution for you, so just hang tight!

Cheers ;)

Be a pal and please don't reprint or alter my designs :)

Tortilla Soup

2011-02-01T21:07:00.001-05:00

If you lived here:

...and some of us do...

Wouldn't you like some hot and delicious soup to warm up?

Try our slightly twisted version of tortilla soup - the carrots remind us of our all-time Dallas favorite, Veracruz Cafe :) If you're not a carrot fan, just swap for bell peppers - or try both! The beauty of tortilla soup is that it is super easy to alter to your liking. I hardly ever make two batches the same, depending on what we'd like that day (or what's in the pantry!).

Ingredients:

1/2-1 lb bone-in chicken breast (again... this is a time where you could buy a pre-cooked rotisserie)

Chicken broth (1 box your favorite brand)

2 carrots, finely chopped (here's a trick: avoid having carrots roll off the chopping mat by giving them a vertical slice to make a flat edge)

1 large white onion, finely chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

2 jalapenos (whole; optional if you're not into spicy)

3 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 stick butter

1/2 packet taco seasoning (we bought McCormick's)

Cheese (we used cheddar this time, but feel free to get crazy - melty varieties are best and monterrey jack and queso fresco are other excellent options)

Tortilla chips

Avocado, sliced

Lime (opt)

Sour Cream (opt)

Directions:

Sautee onions, carrots and garlic in butter in a large sturdy pan (I used my Le Creuset dutch oven).

Sautee for a long time... if you think you're done, wait 10 more minutes. You don't want any bite in your soup, after all.

Meanwhile, cook the chicken by placing it in a large stockpot and covering with water. Bring to a boil for 15ish minutes, until meat is cooked through. Remove from water and let cool.

Add tomatoes to the onion base.

Shred chicken using a fork and add to onion/tomato base.

Add taco mix and salt and pepper to taste.

Add chicken broth to onion base until desired thickness achieved. I like my soup pretty ingredienty... if you'd like yours to go further or be a little more brothy, feel free to add water. All that simmering will bring the water up to speed with the other flavors.

Add jalapenos (whole) and let simmer for 45 minutes to 3 or more hours (of course, the longer the better). Season as needed during simmering process.

Now, my favorite part: fill the bottom of a bowl with lots of tortilla chips and a little cheese.

Next, ladle your soup right in.

Top with avocado, sour cream, cheese and more chips - to your liking, of course!

Don't you feel warmer already?

Chicken Souvlaki

2011-01-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

Want to make the easiest/healthiest dinner of all time? It requires only about 1%* actual cooking (none if you plan ahead) and is seriously delish and nutrish (pushing my luck?).

Try our Chicken Souvlaki.

As the experts say, a Mediterranean diet is healthful and nutritious. This recipe is inspired by one of our favorite dives in Princeton: Olives.

Have you been?

It's a quick little Greek market with tasty treats like chicken parm, lots of baked goods, breakfast egg dishes - and of course - Souvlaki. Olives' chicken souvlaki was legitimately responsible for 75%* of Hubby's nutrition during his undergraduate years. I can't blame him.

Here's our version.

Ingredients**
1 lb chicken (buy a rotisserie and you'll never touch a pan!)
1 head of lettuce, shredded
1 tomato, sliced
1 red onion, very thinly sliced (who wants a big chomp of red onion? sick.)
Tzatziki sauce (nothing fancy here - we bought a tub from Whole Foods)
Pitas (1 package will have 4-5; you'll want 1 pita per person)
Oregano
Salt and Pepper

Directions
If you bought unprepared chicken, season it generously with salt and pepper
Cook in a frying pan with about 1-2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat (5 minutes per side, or until golden); remove, slice and let cool
Spread Tzatziki sauce on pitas
Layer all the good stuff!
Might I recommend this order*?
Tzatziki Sauce
Lettuce
Chicken
Tomato
Onion
*It ensures the least amount of spillage and mess, because if you haven't figured it out yet, you'll be eating this with your fingers, and if you're anything like me, you're having a tiny panic attack.

Want my advice? Go heavy on the sauce.

Because this sandwich is low in calories, you'll want to supplement it with a side or two. We used tabouli (prepared sides from Whole Foods), but anything you like will work!

Serve and enjoy!

*Percents in this post are approximate.

**You know what else would be awesome in this Souvlaki? Pickles. And/or hot peppers.

Wifey Wednesday

2011-01-12T05:00:00.001-05:00

I know I'm supposed to be taking the household by the horns and sharing some healthy recipes to get your 2011 started off on the right track, but how could I possibly overlook what I am about to show you...?

My new cousin (!) Mallory showed me the ropes.

Seriously. You should make these cookies. Even if you don't ever make it to the actual baking, I can't blame you. The dough alone is worth whipping up just for raw cookie dough's sake. These cookies are simple and maybe that's the beauty of them. The cinnamon flavor is undeniable, though, and incredibly festive for enjoying on a cozy New Year's Day night - just like we did last week!

Ingredients

2 1/4 C flour

3/4 + 3/4 C granulated sugar (another option is to use 1/2 granulated and 1/2 brown - your choice! Our brown sugar was past prime, so we made a game-time substitution for another serving of granulated - still delicious!)

2 tbsp cinnamon (or more... don't be shy!)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

1 stick butter

1 12 oz. package milk chocolate chips (we got these extra-large chips at Whole Foods)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

Combine flour and sugar

Melt butter, add to mixture

Crack eggs and add to mixture

Add baking soda, salt, vanilla and cinnamon (use a lot of cinnamon - it should thinly coat the other ingredients siting in the mixing bowl; see how the batter has a brownish tint? That is solely from the cinnamon, if that gives you an idea of quantity)

Add chocolate chips (the entire bag!)

Bake for 8 minutes and promptly remove from oven to cool on baking sheet

Serve and enjoy!

Do you even want to see what we ate for dinner before this decadence?

Wish I was kidding just a little bit.

Thankfully, over the course of the weekend, we developed a timely and special motto: diet starts Monday.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

2011-01-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

In case it hasn't been made clear enough in the past, we do love a good meat and potatoes dish. The latest from Hubby's kitchen: Braised Beef Short Ribs.

In short, we are obsessed.

No pun intended :)

Do you like tender meat and rich, flavorful sauce? I thought so. This dish made me forget all about my snowy walk home from work. Surviving the freezing temps just got a little more bearable.

Ingredients
Serves 4
4 boneless beef short ribs - approx. 2 lbs total (we have gotten bone-in as well... we found boneless was just as delicious and tender! And - dare I say it? Boneless = healthier)
1 onion
2 carrots
2 celery ribs
1 tomato
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 C dry red wine
Olive oil
Vegetable oil
Salt, Pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp oregano
Rosemary (sprinkle; can be fresh or dry)
Flour (for dusting the beef, about 2 Tbsp)
Beef broth

Directions
Preheat oven to 325
Very coarsely chop onion, carrot and celery
Put in Cuisinart and puree to coarse paste, remove and reserve
Cut tomato into large pieces, puree in Cuisinart, remove and reserve
Generously salt and lightly flour short ribs
Put 2-3 Tbsp oil in dutch oven (we used 1/2 EVOO and 1/2 veg oil because VO has a higher smoking point) and bring to medium heat
Sear short ribs about 2 min/side or until nice brown crust forms - don't overcrowd your pan! You may need to do do it in 2 shifts
Remove short ribs and drain pan of oil
Put a fresh 2-3 Tbsp of same oil mixture and bring back to med. heat
Add in vegetable paste and spread in pan
Cook 5-7 min or until light brown crust forms at bottom of pan
Scrape, respread, allow crust to reform; scrape, respread, allow crust to reform (do this 3 times total... crust will develop more quickly with each repetition, so watch it closely)
Add tomato puree, stir and cook for a few minutes
Add tomato paste, stir and cook 3-5 minutes or until mixture starts to turn brown
Deglaze pan with dry red win and stir until it forms a smooth mixture
Add pepper and oregano
Add salt to taste (about 1 tsp)
Cook down until mixture halves itself
Add beef short ribs back in and spread out in pan
Pour beef broth until short ribs are almost covered
Add 2 bay leaves and a sprinkle of rosemary
Put lid on and put in oven
Braise for 3 hours, turning and re-basting every hour
For the last 20 minutes, remove top completely to allow mixture to reduce and meat to brown
Remove and let cool for 20 minutes

Serve atop mashies for maximum deliciousness!

Wonderland

2011-01-09T18:18:00.000-05:00

I realize I'll eventually have more pictures than I care to imagine of Boston and Cambridge in the snow, but here's a smattering of our strolls around town after these first couple of storms.

Oh yeah... Happy New Year!

King Ranch Chicken

2010-12-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

Waldemar girls - get ready to drool, because you know what I'm talking about. Growing up, King Ranch Chicken was an absolute star dish at girl's camp on Saturdays. Soupy would ring, and girls would sprint to the Dining Hall, hoping to be first to enter the screen doors to get a break from the Texas heat. Back for siesta we would walk, stuffed, and ready for a mid-summers nap.

Am I right?

Well today, in the spirit of Texas nostalgia, I couldn't get this dish out of my mind. Though it's anything but a hot Texas summer day here in Cambridge today, King Ranch Chicken was calling my name. I needed to make something warm... cozy... comforting for my Hubby who was feeling under the weather. What better dish than this? It's equal parts creamy, spicy and delicious. Sure to satisfy hungry tummies everywhere, any time of year.

Warm it up in the winter with soft flour tortillas. Cool it down in the summer with a crisp wedge salad.

You just can't go wrong with this. From Hubby's Southern Living cookbook.

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp veg. oil
2 C cooked chicken, chopped/shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup (shhh!)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (double shhh!)
1 can Rotel (tomato and green chile)
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cumin (my special addition)
6 flour tortillas (this is where SL and I disagree... flour is much more hearty for this big-flavor dish. Plus, that's the way we ate it at camp)
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
Pat of butter to grease baking dish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Cook chicken (however you want... make sure it is seasoned and tender).
In large skillet over medium heat (maybe even your dutch oven), saute green bell pepper and onion until tender.
Chop/shred chicken once cooked (I used my shears to get it down to small bites) and add to onion/bell pepper.
Add cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, Rotel, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin to the chicken/onion/bell pepper.
Stir together over medium/low heat.
Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish.
Tear tortillas into 1" strips and line the bottom of the baking dish.
Next, add 1/2 the King Ranch Chicken mixture and then cover with 1/2 the amount of cheese.
Repeat this two times (to make two total layers).
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Serve and enjoy! SL says you can freeze this for up to a month, which rules, so take advantage! As for me, no more cooking till we get to Dallas later this week. This recipe makes a ton!

Weekend Warmer

2010-12-17T05:00:00.002-05:00

Sometimes you just have to make something decadent.

We are big mac and cheese fans here. I think it runs in my family, as a kind of genetic trait that will inevitably pop up in generations of Broaddus/Roe/Lewises to come. One of my cousins (you know who you are) has dedicated a significant portion of her life to searching for the best mac and cheese on the planet. This is serious business. All that to say, we don't take mac and cheese recipes lightly and extensive research was conducted to ensure maximum deliciousness results from the below recipe.

The secret is simple: it's all in the cheese and the rue. Choosing a quality cheese is key for making sure your mac has enough savory flavor. Use this simple method below (adapted from Southern Living and Pioneer Woman) as a dish - or a starting point - for making an awesome creation. Think: diced ham, green chiles, shallots, bacon, broccoli. Your choice completely.

You'll notice we baked our mac and cheese at the last step - this is certainly not required. It is a good idea to bake it if you won't be serving it immediately. It also makes it very easy to transport and would make a fantastic delivery meal for a friend who has a new baby or needs some extra TLC. If you choose not to bake, then you can serve a creamy rich portion to your guests right when you finish stirring in the cheese.

Ingredients
4 C macaroni noodles (cooked till just before al dente)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C butter
1/4 C flour
2 1/2 C whole milk
2 tsp dry mustard (I did not use and it was totally fine)
1 lb cheddar cheese (we used Australian cheddar - OH so good)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 seasoned salt (I did not use, totally fine)
1 tsp pepper

Directions
If you're like me, measuring out your ingredients before you start makes cooking much easier, and even more fun! Sometimes I forget an ingredient or step here or there, so this step ensures I do everything to the T.

Preheat oven to 350 and butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Cook and drain the macaroni. Set aside.
Beat egg in separate bowl.
In dutch oven, melt butter and add flour; whisk together (medium-low heat) for five minutes. Whisk constantly so it doesn't burn.
Add the milk.
Add mustard (if you're using) and whisk until thick (5 minutes).
Turn heat to low and temper the egg (add some of the hot butter/milk to the egg and stir to bring it up to temperature... we're not making scrambled egg mac and cheese, silly).
Pour egg into dutch oven with other sauce and stir.
Add cheese, reserving 1/2 C and stir till melty melty.
Add S&P. Taste test and correct as needed.
Add cooked macaroni.
Now you have two choices:
A - Serve immediately.
B - Spread in buttered baking dish and pop in the oven (add remaining cheese on top, obvi).
If you choose B, bake for 20ish minutes until top cheese is bubbly and delicious. Option B allows you time to prep other parts of the dinner/clean your house/round up the kids/set the table. Option A allows you to tame the masses immediately!

Good luck!

My little helper fell asleep on me!

Roasty Toasty

2010-12-15T08:02:00.001-05:00

It's a good day for a roasty toasty recipe today, because as I told you, it's COLD!

We find ourselves needing a Mexican food fix often. Quite often. Okay, daily. And as you might know, we have a weekly fajita ritual that brings us back to earth and is really a highlight of the week (well, meal-wise). Recently we've made the switch from regular bell peppers to poblano peppers and b-o-y we are not looking back anytime soon.

The tricky part here is: We have an electric stove. And we have no grill.

However shall we roast?

Fear not, we've confirmed this oven-roasting method for you apartment dwellers that is sure to deliver that straight-from-Mexico flavor in no time. Roasting is necessary and key for removing that waxy skin, and also getting your pepper as soft and delicious as possible.

Ingredients/Materials:
1 poblano pepper
Baking sheet/Silpat (remember Silpat? Not to say I told you so, but... )
Paper lunch sack

Directions:
Preheat oven to 550 (or max temp without broiling)
Place pepper on Silpat on baking sheet and place in the oven
Roast your pepper for 6ish minutes per side until the skin turns black and blistery (you will think it is burning, but its probably not... but for goodness sake, please call 911 if it really is burning)
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately use tongs to place your pepper into a brown paper bag and seal it tightly
Let it sit in the bag for 3-5 minutes
Remove the pepper from the bag and peel off the skin - easy as that! (If it's not peeling off easily, it might be because you didn't roast it long enough in the oven. Go ahead and toss it back in for a few more minutes until really black.)
Now carefully slice open the pepper and scrape all seeds off of the pepper
Cut the pepper into long thin slices and voila!
A welcome addition to any fajita menu; we toss ours in with sauteed onions and sliced, seasoned chicken (salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin).

Brrrr!

2010-12-13T05:00:00.003-05:00

So I was naively skeptical when folks told me the Charles River would freeze over. How could it possibly get that cold?! Well, my friends, it got that cold. The good news is, I'm still alive to tell you about it.

The bad news is, we haven't even had our first snow yet (though it has already dropped to 11 degrees, as I noted on Facebook after walking little Dixie that morning), and I'm told the stuff could stick around until April. Gross.

Now, I'm no expert, but I hope you'll enjoy these cold weather tips from a Texas girl:

Do not expose your skin in any form or fashion
Tory Burch flats are not appropriate cold-weather footwear
Earmuffs are much more forgiving than wool or knit hats for keeping hairdos intact
Down > wool (but makes a mighty duo paired together)
You can wear anything under a down coat (imagine trolling around town in a sleeping bag)
Get gloves with the popover mitten thingy (JCrew "glittens")
Give yourself 7-8 extra minutes to bundle up and get out of the house
It's hard to be cute and warm
Learn to love pale skin
Keep wearing sunscreen - I still dab SPF 55 on my face daily
And finally... stay in the house!

I know you won't believe me, but I'm truly trying hard to embrace this weather as "part of the experience."As I turn into an ice cube on my walk to the office, I just imagine those long, hot summer days in Dallas, with no end in sight to 105+ temps. Why must I always live in a city that produces temperature extremes? Let's see if we can get California on the agenda :)

So far, I've handled this first true cold bout well... but I'll give you permission to go ahead and ask me again in April when the river is still frozen. Then let's see how I've fared.

Here's to staying warm!

It's the little things

2010-12-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm so loving a big cup of coffee this morning in our new mugs! We didn't bring quite as large a mug supply as we ended up needing here in Boston, so it was Williams-Sonoma to the rescue with these delicious basketweave treats:

They are ever-so-slightly more of a bluish-white than our creamy-white everyday china, but that is okay with me because they still look fab with our blue willow and manage to hold a quite large cup o' joe to help us ease into another day. The generous size allows optimal holding for early morning coziness. Plus, I'm really digging the basketweave and would be totally fine accumulating the rest of the set when we inevitably need more place settings (wink, wink). Close competition: Wedgewood Nantucket Basketweave, obvi.

Would you believe me?

2010-12-10T08:00:00.002-05:00

If I told you these were both pictures of Dixie?

Poor little Dixie had to get a pretty major haircut because she's so darn fluffy, its easy to get tangles! Hopefully it will grow back fast because we sure love our little fluffball... in the meantime, Hubby and I think this new 'do is pretty funny!

We're taking Dixie back to Dallas with us- on the plane. Any pet carrier/pet travel tips are welcome :)

Have a great weekend!

They're here!

2010-12-07T20:39:00.003-05:00

Oh What Fun Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Happiness and Cheer

2010-12-07T06:00:00.012-05:00

Christmas time is here! These are a few of my favorite things (in no particular order):

Poinsettias

Sparkly ornaments

Festive Dishtowels (please note the brown/yellow cuteness Hubby's momma made for me! I love it so much that I force my other linens to match it, regardless of season)

And the sure-tell sign it is Christmas at our house...the arrival of Mrs. Hanes' Moravian Cookies! It is always the first treat to arrive and signals the official start to our season. They are sent each and every year (for as long as I can remember in my 25 years!) by my sweet Aunt Barbara. The delicate stacks of cookies come wrapped in tissue paper inside a bright red tin. I always imagine that Mrs. Hanes has made them just for me! What could be more cheerful? Sugar crisps, ginger crisps... I'm not sure which is my favorite, but what I do know, is that they never last quite until Christmas between Hubby and me - these cookies + a sip of eggnog make our favorite midnight snack :)

Look who already settled down for a long winter's nap!

P.S. Shutterfly notified me that our Christmas cards are almost here!!! We received the return address labels, so here's a little preview of what's to come...

Can't wait to get the actual cards off and in the mail to our fams :) Remember last year's l-a-t-e card connundrum?

And no, that's not our real address, don't worry. Though it would be cool to live in unit 007.

What could be better?

2010-12-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

...than a slow Saturday morning with pancakes and bacon?

Can't think of anything at the moment :)

Meatloaf

2010-12-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Do you like meatloaf? I sense it can be a polarizing dish. As a child I felt the need to hide my love for this notorious cafeteria food... but thankfully, I can come clean with my love for meatloaf because comfort foods have truly made a comeback. I've been pleased to find this hearty course on many a modern menu.

For an easy dinner, here's a meatloaf topping that is easy and delicious - and I bet you have all three ingredients in your pantry right now. We buy our meatloaf "ready to bake" from the grocery store (Whole Foods for us here in Cambridge, but Dallas people, CM has these prepared loaves near the butcher's area). Obviously, homemade is probably better, but the ready to make version is just fine when you want minimal involvement with dinner preparations :)

Personalize yours with this super easy topping from Paula Deen:

Ingredients:
1/3 C ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp prepared mustard (I used Dijon because that's what we had on hand, and it tasted delish)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375
Mix topping ingredients and spread on your meatloaf
Bake for 1 hour

Wifey Wednesday

2010-12-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

Every wife needs to have the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe up her sleeve - especially now that it's December 1: Baking Season has begun.

I'll let you in on my little secret. It's been in the works for years, and is really the single recipe that made me fall in love with baking (and subsequently cooking). Starting back in high school, I got the itch to bake and a certain group of boys (future Hubby, cough, cough) made frequent trips to my parents home to see if by chance a fresh batch had been baked.

Many nights we I spent baking.... and we would eat... and eat... and eat the dough before the cookies were baked, and then eat the next batch before I could even get them onto plates. I would guess that if you went to high school with me, or knew me at that time, you have tasted this recipe first-hand. For the rest of you, I'll do my best to distribute the goods around, but in the meantime, you can try your hand at these:

Hallie's Homemade Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C brown sugar (pack super tight and measure a heaping amount)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (heaping)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (another heaping amount here)
1 large egg
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (I think too many makes the cookies hard to eat)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt) into a large bowl
In a separate bowl, add granulated sugar and brown sugar
Melt butter in microwave-safe bowl
Whisk egg with hand-mixer or stand-mixer
Combine egg with sugar mixture
Add melted butter and vanilla to sugar/egg mixture and combine thoroughly (I recommend a stand-mixer, but can be done by hand if very thorough)
Once smooth and mousse-like, add this mixture to the large bowl with the flour mixture
Combine thoroughly, careful to mix in all flour
Add chocolate chips and distribute evenly
Cover the dough bowl tightly with saran wrap and chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (can be overnight, too)
Once chilled, scoop into spoon-sized balls and place on Silpat on baking sheet (I can fit 16 cookies on a sheet) **It should be noted that a Silpat mat is one of the best baking investments you can make. It ensures an even, clean bake and allows you to get really soft edges and lovely texture, even on the bottom of your treats
Bake for 8 minutes, and rotate the tray 180 degrees at 4 minutes (to ensure even baking)
Remove cookies from oven promptly at first sign of cookedness (8 minutes... I guarantee you will not think they are done)
Let cookies cook ON baking sheet for another 10-15 minutes ** this is crucial out-of-oven bake time
Gently transfer cookies to cool china plate
Serve and enjoy!

Sending your cookies to-go?

I've developed a trusty packing method that will ensure they arrive intact and just as good as can be. First gather your supplies: a sturdy paper plate, aluminum foil, and wax paper.

Line your plate with foil and secure around the edges. Place one layer of cookies, flat and not overlapping, and then cover with a sized piece of wax paper. Repeat with another layer of cookies covered with wax paper. This can be repeated to make 3 layers with about 6 cookies per layer.

On the top layer, place wax paper and then a final foil covering, secured around the edges.

See, even the HBS kids like getting treats at school!

My Try at Festive Pie

2010-11-30T06:00:00.009-05:00

Paula's pie was a success. It's just too bad my crust decorations weren't quite up to par... let me tell you what I'm talking about.

I got over-ambitious when preparing our pie and decided to add a little decor.

First, I decided to add a some festive holly:

So far, so good. I think I'll make a turkey. A pilgrim turkey!

Yikes. Is it obvious this started off as a baby bird? I decided that looked a little too Spring-ish, though, thus the turkey transformation.

All was (fairly) fine and well...

Until I popped it into the oven and realized: I should have baked the topping decorations separately. But it was just too late.

So it really could have been worse, but as you can see, many of my painstaking details were lost. As the pie expanded, the unbaked crust did not. It didn't get that nice golden crispness that the rest of the crust has. In a perfect world, I would've baked the hollies and turkey on a baking sheet and placed atop the pie once both were baked fully.

You can also notice some sinkage:

Anyway, I don't mean to undermine the deliciousness of Paula's Pumpkin Pie. It's a cross between cheesecake and pumpkin pie, which gives it a nice richness you pumpkin pie-phobes might desire, while adding a special savory element to the classic version. And, of course, the perfect pie crust worked like a charm.

We had a great time visiting our family, nonetheless! We had a beautiful and delicious meal prepared by my Aunt, and even celebrated three special birthdays. Good thing we didn't actually put 91 candles on the cake...

Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving too! Dixie sure did and she's still recovering from our big touch-football game last Friday.

Rough life!

*Addendum* Please note my BFF Emily's masterpiece:

Now we're talking!

**Addendum 2** no fair using cookie-cutters/do we have the same Emile Henry Auberge Pie Dish?? LOVE! I am working my way to a complete set of the line :)

Cards for Christmas

2010-11-27T06:00:00.005-05:00

If you can open your eyes yet from your cozy Thanksgiving nap, I'd love to hear what you're thinking and planning for holiday cards this year. Time to shift gears, because a little birdie friend kindly reminded me a couple weeks ago that, 'tis the season, as she searched for a darling card of her own.

Bright colors and merry wishes are everywhere, and it will be such a decision! Of course I will try to utilize a holiday savings - after all, this is Life as a Wife: Business School Wife Edition.

Last year we went with Snapfish and it really was great. I felt we could maximize our budget and get a quick, fast turnaround because let's face it... it's hard to be on time!

I'm normally a fan of photo cards for Christmas, but you know I can't resist pretty paper... Paper Source has some adorable notes and you can even customize to make your own envelopes and notes. Kind of sounds like a lot of work (as if tracking down addresses and stamps isn't enough work!), but look how cute! I might just have to make an exception:

All cards and photos are from Paper Source.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

Be joyful and give thanks today! As Hubby and Dixie and I drive to Uncle Mikey's house for our East-Coast Thanksgiving, we are thinking of our families and friends back home and in other states and send our love to you all.

"Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." Ephesians 1: 3-4

Perfect Pie Crust

2010-11-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

After Hubby and I got married, one of the first Lewis recipes that was shared with me is Hubby's mother's pie crust recipe. The recipe was taught to her as a child, and she tells stories of sitting on the counter top, learning to make crust and homemade pies. Though, at 25, we're too big to sit on the counter, maybe one day our future little Lewises can have the same memories of baking tasty treats.

What perfect pie crust wouldn't start with shortening and butter? The original recipe is 100% shortening, but Hubby and I normally use half of each.... for no reason other than it's a little hard to put any shortening at all in a recipe these days :) But if you're up for the risk, it certainly is delicious. You will have a dreamy, flaky crust... but if it is the rich, buttery flavor you are after, then butter is your best friend. Well, Hubby and I just can't decide what is better, so we just do both. So here's the rest of the method.

Ingredients:
For one single pie crust*
1 1/2 C sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 C butter
1/4 C shortening
4-5 Tbsp ice cold water
*Double if making two pie crusts, for top and bottom

Directions:
Sift flour and salt into large mixing bowl
Add shortening and butter, cut into small pieces
With a fork or food processor, quickly and gently stir, being careful not to over-stir
The dough should take a mealy, course texture
Work dough into thick disc and wrap tightly in saran wrap (if using doubled recipe, make 2 thick discs)
Refrigerate for 30 minutes
After 30 minutes, flour a flat surface and carefully roll out the dough, so as not to create any new cracks (this is really hard)
Roll out the dough until it is just larger than your pie dish
Place dough in pie dish, careful not to handle it too much
Shape the edges how you like (we used the thumb method below, but another idea is to crimp the edges with a fork)
Bake the bottom crust until light golden color (maybe 15 minutes at 350)
Let the crust cool completely, and then add your filling
If making a crust for topping, add it now and take care to cover the edges so they don't burn; we use aluminum foil, but you could get fancy and buy a reusable one (note to Santa: this would be a great stocking stuffer - oh, shameless - on with the recipe!)
For a flaky and beautiful presentation, paint your crust lightly with water (use you pastry brush) and then dust with granulated sugar
During baking, of course keep the oven door closed without too much peeking, but if you must, then check to ensure no portions of the crust are burning; if something looks fragile, cover it with foil
Enjoy!

As you can see, this is from when we made our apple pie a couple weeks back, but you can use it for just about any of your crust needs. It would've been excellent with our chicken pot pie, and we plan to make it again on Wednesday to go with Paula's Pumpkin Pie. This pie is really divine if you're looking for a (decadent) pumpkin pie recipe for your Thanksgiving table. I'm planning to bring mine to Uncle Mikey and Aunt Diana's house for our East-Coast Roe Thanksgiving celebration. More on that to come!

Friends and Chicken Pot Pie

2010-11-18T06:00:00.004-05:00

Good friends in town warrant a good meal to share.

Here we are, the ESD ladies in the Boston Common! Well, we're actually in the Public Garden if you want to get technical. After our quick very-mini-tour of town, we headed over to my place to enjoy a big cozy bowl of chicken pot pie. I did a major no-no and cooked PW's pie (told you I was obsessed with her recipes) for the first time ever while these sweetly smiling girls waited patiently and we caught up on life.

Thankfully, it was good! (hopefully I'm not overestimating myself, M and V?)

I totally cheated on the crust and used a Pillsbury roll out crust - as expected, it did not disappoint. (See Hubby's mother's perfect pie crust method here)

Want to give it a try? It really is satisfying and super easy to get together! Will warm up your gang in no time on a chilly night.

Ingredients:

1 whole bone-in chicken breast (can use entire fryer if you want, but I prefer white meat)

1 bag of frozen peas

3 medium carrots, diced

1 onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 C heavy cream

1/2 stick butter

2 C chicken broth

Splash of white wine

1/4 C flour (may need to add more to reach desired thickness... I probably landed somewhere in the 3/4 C neighborhood)

2 pie crusts (top and bottom; handmade is always best, of course, but if you're in a time pinch, Pillsbury pie crust in a can works wonders)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

Cook chicken by placing in a large pot, covering in water and bringing to a boil (should cook in about 20 minutes)

While chicken is cooking...

Place the bottom pie crust on your dish in preparation to be filled

Saute carrots, onion, celery in butter in a dutch oven until soft and translucent

Remove chicken from water and pull off as much meat as you can with a fork

Add chicken and stir, then sprinkle flour over mixture

Add the broth, stir, add heavy cream (no need to use it all if it freaks you out)

Add plenty of salt and pepper to taste

Add flour if needed to thicken

Add mixture to your pie dish

Cover with other pie crust and cut slits on top for ventilation

Bake for 30 min until bubbly and golden

Let cool slightly, serve and enjoy!

Like I told you, this recipe is from The Pioneer Woman cooks, and you can find a similar variation here. Would be an awesome idea for getting rid of turkey and leftovers after Thanksgiving.

Taste of Home

2010-11-16T06:00:00.007-05:00

Hubby made my favorite meal this week... a nice little trip back home to Texas! Cheese enchiladas (Dallas-style, with chile con carne) and homemade refried beans :)

You can see our recipe for New Mexico style enchiladas here.

Mark's Dallas-style Enchies

Ingredients
1 dozen corn tortillas

Sauce:
1/2 lb ground beef
2 C beef broth
1/4 C vegetable oil
1/4 C flour
4 Tbsp chili powder
4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

Filling:
Cheddar cheese (1/4 C for each enchilada)
1 onion, finely diced (2 Tbsp in each enchilada)

Directions:
Brown beef in skillet and set aside
Heat oil in skillet on medium heat and wait until fully heated
Once hot, sprinkle in flour and stir with spoon until smooth; cook for a couple minutes until turns golden/blond color
Add in all spices and mix until smooth for a couple minutes
Add beef broth a little at a time until it thickens (continue this until you've used all broth)
Next add the ground beef you set aside earlier
Cook and stir until desired consistency (too thick? add some water)
Now, your sauce is ready.

To assemble the enchiladas, first fry a corn tortilla quickly in oil (for about 7-8 seconds/side; tortillas should bubble but not turn into crispy chips)
Next, place plenty of cheese and chopped onions in the tortilla and quickly roll and place in baking dish

Continue this assembly until you have used all your tortillas. You'll want 2-3 enchiladas per person.

Once baking dish is full, pour on the sauce, add cheese on top, and bake at 450 for approx. 10 minutes or until bubbly.

...when we go home to Dallas for Christmas, I will be highly disappointed if we don't eat Mexican food at least once-a-day.

Apple Pie

2010-11-14T22:02:00.004-05:00

Everyone in New England loves to go apple picking. I, for one, had never even heard of the activity until we moved to our new home in Boston. And alas, with weekend trips, cases to read and football games to watch, we were hard pressed to find time to head out to the orchards.

But meanwhile, my alma mater football team is... emm... rebuilding.

Sad yes, but interestingly enough, this provided Hubby and me the perfect opportunity to forgo ESPN Game Day watching head out to do some picking. Per a work pal's suggestion, off to Smolak Farms we drove, eager to gather ourselves a bushel or two of crispy deliciousness.

We drove down the highway and then through some winding roads lined with foliage and paneled houses with porches cluttered with the last hydrangea blooms. We eventually made it to Andover, MA. Andover is the most charming little town and home of some fantastically old prep schools, too.

At last, we arrived.

The farm was beautiful. Instantly, I felt like I was back at Efurd Orchards in East Texas to pick peaches, only this time, I was bundled up in a scarf and given a crazy orange picking tool that looked kind of like a lacrosse stick.

So we got to picking. Well, searching for apples to pick that is. At first, all we saw were millions of empty trees and lots of apples on the floor. Surely these are not the ones we take, right?

Right.

A few rows back and we found the trees ripe for pickin'.

Little did I know, apple orchards are gorgeous. Blame my non-regional ignorance. I'm sure it's made even by someone else who thinks I ride a horse to the office and collect tumbleweeds in my yard.

So finally, we had our batch.

About 50 apples later, we were ready to head home out of the cold to start fixing our pie.

Ahhh, the pie.

People. It was so good! And such fun to use apples we had hand-selected just hours earlier. And I know what you must be thinking... "I've never seen a lattice-topped apple pie?!" Well friends, neither have I, come to think of it. Turns out I got a bit overzealous and didn't have the foresight to realize that my apples wouldn't steam properly without adequate cover. So... if you like a crisper apple pie, you can copy me... But I suggest not copying me if you're looking for that classic melty, gooey, apple pie. If so, then cover it all up tight and consider cooking the apples down prior to placing in the pie.

Nonetheless, Hubby made his famous crust (his mom's recipe from childhood) which was just outstanding.

I used the remaining crust to weave a topping. Takes a little patience, but sure is pretty and definitely worth the finesse to add a pretty finish (but remember... not ideal for this kind of pie, I learned the hard way).

Into the crust went some filling - a simple mix of apples, cinnamon, flour, sugar, lemon and nutmeg. I used Martha Stewart's Double Crust Apple Pie recipe.

Bake, serve and enjoy!

I of course think any pie is best with a healthy side of homemade whipped cream.

I'm rambling far too much, but I'll have to share Hubby's crust recipe soon. I'll do my best to get it posted before Thanksgiving.

Here's to a great week!

Cambridge in the Fall

2010-11-13T11:15:00.000-05:00

Just can't get enough!

Up next... our very New Englandy experience at Smolak Farms...

And the pie that resulted!

Wifey Wednesday

2010-10-27T21:36:00.001-04:00

Normally sports isn't a main topic of Life as a Wife (obvi), but tonight we make an exception for my favorite home team, the Texas Rangers! Sometimes being a wife means being a sports fan, but in my case, I would much consider this to be my sports treat for the season.

In case you live in outer space, the Rangers are currently playing the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series. This series is particularly special because it is the Rangers' first trip ever to the series! We just couldn't be more proud of our team :)

Some of my best childhood memories involve going to Rangers' games as a kid with my Dad, sitting in our same seats behind the on-deck circle, and even wearing my T-ball team cap and bringing my glove to catch foul balls. To this day our game ball stash sits proudly on a bookshelf in the living room and overflow is stored in my old room amidst concert tickets and high school homecoming mums. Long and patient we've waited for this day to come, and here it is!

There's not much else to say, but: go Rangers... it's time!

Thanks to atssportsblog.com and footballfanatics.com for the images :)

How to Get a Husband

2010-10-24T20:45:00.002-04:00

It's simple, really. And Jane Austen's Mrs. Bennett would be proud, I think, of the scheme I'm going to show you. I'm certainly not in the market for a husband, but if I were, I'd make this. Hubby pretty much melted out of his chair when he ate this last night (and then again tonight).

It is the ultimate love recipe - slow braised beef, creamy mashed potatoes, savory-smelling kitchen... all things good.

My brother and sister-in-law and their three sweet kiddos gave me an excellent birthday gift, which was really so generous - it was such a treat to receive. Without further ado, The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Since September, I haven't put this cookbook down. If you're not familiar with the Pioneer Woman (PW), I highly recommend you click immediately over to her blog, which is awesome, I must say.

This weekend, the temperatures were a little bit cooler, which left Hubby and me feeling a little cold and sorry for ourselves. But no fear, pot roast and mashed potatoes were on the way. The Pioneer Woman's pot roast and mashed potatoes, to be accurate.

You can see the recipes I used from her here and here. I could not recommend this dish more highly for a satisfying and cozy treat on a crisp fall day. Plus... pot roast atop mashed potatoes? Need I say more?

We bought a 3 lb. chuck, and it heartily fed us for two dinners, and I still get to bring a little to the office for lunch tomorrow (did I mention how much Hubby eats? This is saying something).

Happy cooking!

Yankee Foliage

2010-10-07T07:00:00.004-04:00

Yes, it is Maine again. Though I've never been to Maine in my life prior to being a Texas-transplant-in-New-England, I had the great pleasure to visit the state twice over the past month.

The first visit, I just shared - we saw miles of sunny beaches, cheery cottages and overflowing ice cream cones! In my laundry I even found sand and sunscreen slathered t-shirts.

Now, seasons have changed. Our second trip to Maine showed us a side of the state we had not yet seen. This time, we were greeted by a sea of color unlike anything we'd ever seen.

So this is true fall, I suppose! I hope you enjoy. I'm told the foliage will only get more beautiful as the month of October continues. Just pretty-please don't remind me what comes after this picture-perfect fall.

A simple thought, yes, but as my fellow southern friends can attest, we grew up hearing about Northeastern "fall." We were told that even though we went back to school in August when the thermometer read 106, it was still kosher to call this time "fall." So if you're sitting at home sweating today in Dallas, Austin or El Paso, you can totally relate to my state of awe that there is a season after all, happily squished in between scorching summer and frigid winter :)

Hopefully we'll be able to venture up to Vermont in the next couple of weeks for what yankeefoliage.com predicts to be the weeks of "peak foliage" for the region (I know what you're thinking... yankee? foliage? But it's a pretty great site, you have to admit).

Maine

2010-09-29T22:50:00.003-04:00

How overdue is this post?! Hubby and I took a trip up to Maine for Labor Day weekend, and I wanted to share some of our favorite pics. We went to some crazy-named places and each was more beautiful than the last. From York Harbor to Ogunquit to Kennebunkport to Portland and even Portsmouth, N.H. - we traveled all around in a few quick days to get a taste of this true Northeastern gem.

We saw lobster rolls on every menu, sweeping sapphire ocean views, charming homes, darling shops, friendly people and even a glimpse onto the grounds of our favorite First Family's vacation home on Walker's Point :)

Meanwhile, back in Cambridge, we're packed tight in between school and work, doing our best to keep more than pasta and microwave Pad Thai on the menu! Perhaps I'll have to write about "real" dining solutions for super busy schedules... in the meantime... I hope you'll enjoy pictures of our new surroundings since I can't promise much on the cooking front ;)

Mr. Mom

2010-09-06T21:39:00.007-04:00

It's been a nice ride, but tomorrow Hubby's life as Mr. Mom (for one whole month!) will end. Back to real wifedom I will return, as he heads across the Charles River for countless hours of full-time business school courses... leaving me to fend for myself once again - making lunches, folding laundry, cooking dinner, walking Dixie...

For the past month, I've been living in luxury with my own personal stay-at-home-husband. Nice, I know :)

Not a single meal have I prepared since moving (do I even admit this?!). I can't lie - it's been excellent...!

Let me share one of the delicious reasons it's been so wonderful. Did I mention Hubby loves cooking? This really works to my benefit most of the time... especially if he's experimenting with a recipe. Recently, he's really perfected homemade pizza.

Mmmmmm.....

Though our little apartment oven only peaks out at 550 degrees, a solid 300 degrees below what Hubby would prefer (in his dream wood-burning pizza oven, nonetheless), he's made do to develop a truly delicious pizza pie. Want to try?

Ingredients
Yields enough dough for 2-3 large pizzas)

Crust
3 C flour
1 packet active dry yeast
1/8 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 C water

Sauce
San Marzano tomatoes (can is great)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Toppings
Use your favorites...
We love: mozzarella cheese, salami, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, capers, basil, Kalamata olives (not all together, necessarily - I always think simpler combinations are best)

Kitchen Tools
pizza stone (cookie sheet is fine if you don't have one)
cookie sheet
Cuisinart (or Kitchenaid mixer with dough hook attachment)
large mixing bowl
parchment paper
nonstick cooking spray
fork/potato masher

Directions
Preheat oven to 550 degrees
1 C warm water, approx. 100 degrees (think hot-tub temp... too hot kills the yeast, too cool, yeast doesn't activate)
Stir in 1/8 tsp sugar
Sprinkle packet of yeast on top of water-sugar mixture
Wait 5-7 minutes until you see bubbling action on top
Then mix it all together

Meanwhile...

Place your 3 C flour and1 tsp salt in Cuisinart (or Kitchenaid mixer with dough hook) and turn on Cuisinart
Pour water-sugar-yeast mixture into the Cuisinart atop the flour/salt mixture
Pour in olive oil
Mix until dough-like consistency
Take a large mixing bowl and lightly spray with nonstick spray
Take ball of dough, lightly spray with nonstick spray
Put dough in bowl and place a dry, clean cotton cloth over bowl
Set bowl in warm location (near window, near preheating oven)
Allow dough to rise approx. 1 hour, or until doubled in size
Then punch dough down and allow to rise another 1/2 hour, or until dough doubles in size again

Once dough rises...

Roll out dough and stretch it out on parchment paper over a cookie sheet (have flour handy to keep the dough from sticking)
Brush olive oil over center of crust, and not quite to the edge... leave about 1 inch on the edge untouched
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
Spread crushed San Marzano tomatoes (make sure you crush them with a fork or potato masher first for sauce-like consistency)
Top with desired toppings and transport pizza on parchment paper to preheated pizza stone
Flip oven to broil and cook for about 4 minutes
Eat right away

That's it.

Let's have another close-up of that crust:

...great... now I'm hungry :)

Nantucket

2010-09-02T20:56:00.002-04:00

Nantucket: the land of hydrangeas and seersucker. A few of my favorite scenes still linger in my mind: Men dressed in summer suits smoking cigars outside a restaurant; Lily-clad ladies peering through shop windows at monogrammed treasures; children drenched in ice cream from a special after dinner treat - life in Nantucket is simple and good. I was amazed at the ease which with people strolled along the cobblestone paths, taking full advantage of a well-deserved vacation with families and friends.

In Nantucket, it was a joy to admire natural beauty different from what we know in the Texas Hill Country. A testament to God's grace and power shown through creation, was manifested to us once again in this captivating seaside retreat. As you can probably guess, our visit to this Northeastern gem was right up our alley.

Let me explain...

Let's just say we hope this is the first of many special trips to sweet Nantucket :)

We're alive, no worries

2010-08-30T22:41:00.000-04:00

Just getting our newly-Northeastern selves acquainted :)

Can't wait to tell you about....

...Nantucket
...Maine
..."Big" city life
...Life as a b-school wife

and our other Boston whereabouts. We made it!

xxoo

Gray Malin Photography

2010-07-14T23:45:00.002-04:00

I was so excited to see my high school friend-turned-pro photographer, Gray Malin, on One Kings Lane today! Admittedly, I dropped the ball last time his work was for sale (I know, he is seriously SO good), but now I want to make sure you all check out his great photos for sale. They would make any room just a little more complete :)

So remember... Gray Malin.

One Kings Lane.

Photos for sale from Gray's A Timeless Pursuit series.

Go!

PS - You will die when you see the Oscar de la Renta dress Gray uses for this series.

PPS - If you aren't familiar with One Kings Lane ... you'd do yourself a favor to sign up immediately. Just click here.