Dear Quinoa...

...I like you...a lot. You make such a great lunch! You provide me with energy to make it through the afternoon with your protein, not to mention your fiber that helps me stay full. I know my husband doesn't care for you, nor anything with a texture similar to couscous, but that's ok. I don't have any problem finishing you off.

-kelley


Lemony-Herb Quinoa
serves 4-6, depending on how you're using it

1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped (3/4 tbsp. dried, which is what I unfortunately had to do this time)
zest of one lemon
salt and pepper

Bring stock, 1/4 lemon juice, and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Cover and reduce to simmer, allow to cook for about 12-15 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. While the quinoa cooks, mix together the oil, 3 T. juice, basil, thyme, zest, and about a quarter tsp. each of salt and pepper (can add more later if needed). When quinoa is cooked, mix into herb mix, and enjoy!

Great served warm or cold. Feel free to add some roasted veggies, fresh cherry tomatoes, or grilled chicken to make it more of a meal, or it makes a great side.

simple, healthy, and quite tasty

I promise I will start taking real photos with my real camera...the iPhone camera is just so convenient though!

In a dinner bind? Only have about 20 minutes until you just give up and get Taco Bell? No worries, I'm sure you have everything you need for a simple, quick, healthy, and what I thought was quite tasty dinner.

The Menu: Grilled rosemary salmon, steamed Brussels sprouts, and fresh tomato and basil bruschetta. Chardonnay is highly recommended.

The Plan: Heat grill to medium high heat. While this heats, chop and combine bruschetta ingredients. Throw the salmon on the grill. Pour some wine and season sprouts. Flip salmon. Steam sprouts. Enjoy!

Grilled Rosemary Salmon (serves two Adams)
2 salmon steaks, 2/3 lb. each
1 large sprig of rosemary (dried may be substituted, but fresh is the way to go if you have it)
salt, pepper, garlic salt

Season both side of steaks with salt, garlic salt, and a generous amount of pepper. Sprinkle both sides with chopped rosemary. Spray pre-heated grill with cooking spray and put salmon on. Grill about 4-5 minutes on each side until just cooked through (you can use a fork to peek in the middle of one). You should have some nice grill marks on each side, and the fish should be fairly firm to touch.

Bruschetta with Fresh Tomato and Basil (serves two Adams)
7 1/2 inch slices of a french baguette
1 1/3 large vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped (feel free to use other types of tomatoes)
1 1/4 inch slice of a large red onion, finely chopped
3/4 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh basil (1 tsp. dried may be substituted if you must)
1 small garlic clove half

Preheat broiler. Toss ingredients (except bread and garlic) together. Toast both sides of bread under broiler until slightly browned, remove and immediately rub with cut side of garlic. Just before serving, mound each slice with tomato topping.

Brussels Sprouts (sub roasted asparagus if you're not a fan)
10 sprouts (the tighter they look, the better)
salt, pepper, garlic salt

Place steamer basket over half inch of water and bring to boil. Add sprouts and season with salt, garlic salt, and a generous amount of pepper. Steam about 5 minutes until bright green.

Feel free to follow with ice cream. Enjoy!

Not for the Faint of Heart

Ever heard of Phall? It is an Indian curry dish, supposedly the hottest one out there. According to a very small amount of searching on Google, I found that it is typically made with twelve habanero peppers (the good stuff probably has a few more different types of peppers mixed in there), a large amount of fresh ginger, and other delicious, warm spices. Think of the flavor of a really good Texas chili that has been cooking for hours, allowing those deep, warm flavors to meld...you get the same effect with phall, except that it sets your mouth ablaze.
Our waiter was kind enough to warn us about this when ordering, and then after we were able to dig into it a bit, he offered to bring us some raita to cool us down, but did we need it? Nah. We had delicious, slightly charred naan bread and basmati rice with peas and coconut.

"It's so angry!"






Next step: learn to cook this and many other delicious, warm Indian dishes

BBQ Exists in CT!

Ok, so we were a little worried, but now we can relax a little - we found barbecue. Adam and I lucked out and caught an episode of one of our favorite shows on Food Network (Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives) on which they featured a restaurant in CT that was only about 25 minutes away...and it was BBQ!
So we set out after church on Sunday with high hopes of finding some BBQ that was comparable to what you find in Texas. When Adam and I arrived at the tiny joint, Wilson's Holy Smoke BBQ, we could see the smoke rising about the rooftop, and we got excited. The place was packed, but luckily Adam eyed a picnic table outside that we were able to snag. And luckily, we weren't in Houston so it actually felt a little cool outside.
With a pulled chicken sandwich, a trio of pulled pork, Texas-style brisket (I guess you have to say "Texas-style" when you're not in Texas), and sausage, along with some baked beans, mac & cheese, and a huge piece of cornbread, we were happy. Not to mention the three sauces that we had to choose from to top off our delicious meal.
Now, granted, we have probably had some better BBQ in Texas, but this was pretty stinkin' good, and definitely satisfied our craving.

Next mission: Mexican food (Tex-Mex, that is). Wish us luck!

The Beginning of the Adventures

I was well aware of my love for my hubby and how much I enjoyed having him around, but being apart for so long, and now officially having joined him in our new home, has amplified my perception of just how happy he makes me. Now that I'm here...I feel right...I feel good. Not to mention the fact that I have been able to relax for the past few days and begin my adventures around CT.

One thing that I have quickly grown to love about CT is the abundance of parks. Adam and I did a brief exploration of this sweet part (Waveny Park) last time I was here for a visit, and that is where I naturally gravitated toward on my first two full days that I was here. This park sits on a huge piece of land that is encompassed by beautiful winding trails; it is a jogger's dream. Now as you may know, I haven't been much of a "jogger" over the past year, but I feel like I could run forever out here (though today my shins are telling a different story). Jaida and I were actually temporarily lost because we were feeling exploratory and were taking every little turn that looked like it would lead to a new stream or trail. But don't worry, I knew if we stayed on the trail and headed in the right direction, we would eventually make it out...and we did. Luckily I was in no hurry and was enjoying every minute of running in the cool air that smelled of fresh honeysuckle.

After we made it out of the canopy of trees, we made a quick stop by the dog park (another asset of Waveny that made me return). I have now been to this park at three different times of the day, and never does it fail to have a group of people there with their dogs. I like that. However, we didn't spend too long there, as Jaida was a little worn out from the jog.

Not a bad start to the day.

Talk About Ambience

First of all, this blog should have been written at least a week ago - sorry!

Finally, after a month of not seeing my hubby, I was able to make a trip up to my soon-to-be home in Connecticut. I was really excited about this trip for multiple reasons. First and foremost, I got to be with Adam. A month is way too long a period of time to go without seeing your hubby – I do not suggest it. On top of that, it was our 2-year anniversary, and I was getting to explore the place that I would soon call home. I had been up there before, but never with the mindset that this is where I was to be living. Adam showed me around a bit and we found some sweet parks, but there will be plenty more details of those adventures to come in the near future. For today, we stick to the anniversary.

New York City is only about a 30-40 minute train ride away, so naturally we decided to head over there for our celebration dinner. I have never been to NYC, so just the idea of it was exciting. To be honest, it just felt like a big city. I think I need to take a tour or something to really appreciate it. However, don’t let this statement mislead you – we had a great time! I am what my mom calls a foodie, so just walking down the streets and seeing the hundreds of restaurants and what not was fun.

side note: when I say walking down the streets, I mean there were about 42 blocks between us and our restaurant…we had to stop about half way and hail a cab because of the nice blisters I was getting from my heels...I wanted to admire the city as we walked the streets!

So we get to our restaurant, Milano’s (which Adam scored because he knows people), and it is this nice little place that people are packed in to, because according to some, it is the best Italian in NY. Soon after we are seated, our full-blooded Italian waiter that's dressed in tuxedo attire comes by to tend to us, followed by another that is carrying this huge round of fresh parmesan that he breaks onto our plate. This was accompanied by what was probably the best garlic bread you will ever have (garlic oil soaked into a perfectly crisped bread), what seemed to be carmelized zucchini, deliciously fresh bruschetta, and salami. And this was all before we had even ordered an appetizer! People arent kidding when they say Italians like to eat! Adam and I then enjoyed a romantic dinner together with a great bottle of wine (which paired well with our flourless chocolate cake), and then the same little man that brought us the appetizers was kind enough to come around and serve us an after dinner drink! What a treat! Never before have I experienced such ambience at a restaurant. The whole night made for a great anniversary!

(<--train ride home)

Glory-Strength

Check this out.

We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more of how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul - not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. Colossians 1:10-12 (MSG)

This is my goal: to seek and know Him more.

I love how this verse in the Message says that by learning more of how God works, we will know how to do our work (and not until then). He says this after referencing working in God's orchard - ministering to people and bearing fruit - but when I read about knowing how to do my work, my thoguts went directly to my job. Granted, this happens quite often these days when in the midst of my time in the Word or anything else since this has been a challenging year in so many ways, but I think it's good. I would not have gotten through this year had God not showed me how to do my work. And I'm not just talking about granting me wisdom in what I do and how to deal with different situations, but how to love and serve my kids and coworkers, and how to work in His excellence (which comes merely from Him and lots of answered prayers). There have been times of teeth-gritting when I was not focused on the Lord like I should have been, but for the most part I have experienced that glory-strength, the kind that you know could only come from the Lord, the kind that you look back on and you say, "Thank you, Jesus, for bringing me through that, and bringing me through it in a way that is glorifying to you." He is my joy, my strength.

Ok, a couple of quick notes...I was reading the Proverbs 31 blog, and they were talking about consistantly being watchful and prayerful. I know it's really hard when there are so many things going on during the day, but our every day is our orchard! And there are lots of seed to be planted and tended to out there.

Oliver :) Hopefully you saw the awesome picture below this blog. Im pretty sure I laugh every time I see it. That is my cool little nephew that I got to see last weekend, and he really brought me some joy. Good thing since Adam had left again for another month in CT without his wifey.

kell