Adventures, Kelley & Adam Style

I think it is impossible to drive through Connecticut in the fall and not think, "Man, God is cool." It is absolutely beautiful here! So, Adam and I went to our favorite park that we haven't been to since the trees changed to see if we could capture some of the beauty. Maybe God gives us all this beauty and perfect weather because He knows it will be dead and dreary soon after. All I know is that I am thankful for it right now. It makes me happy when I'm sitting in traffic on my way to work and relaxes me on my way home.


Now bear with me because we have been terrible about blogging lately and we have some catching up to do! I'll move backwards through the weekends...
Last weekend Adam and I finally got to go do some real NYC exploring. We had tickets for Manhattan by Sail, so we took the train out early to do some necessary playing. After arriving, we made our way through Times Square and on to Central Park. Since food trucks are becoming more popular and apparently have some great food, I had some mapped out. Lucky for us, 4 of them had set up shop in Central Park a couple days ago, and after our walk we were ready to dive in. I'd have to say that my favorite was the Rickshaw truck - fresh steamed dumplings, rock music playing out a small speaker, and "totally rad" painted on the side. We also tried the turkish taco truck right next to it, which were also delicious. We then made our way to the pier (ended up having to take the subway so we wouldn't be late...the subway system is confusing!) so we could catch our boat. Thank goodness God brought the sun out on what was otherwise a slightly overcast day - it was windy on that boat! But despite the wind, we had a great time and got to see the City from a cool viewpoint. What a fun day! And I have to say, I do like the trains. It's nice that after a long day of walking around a huge city you can just relax and let a train take you home.


Ok, last thing, I promise. A few weekends prior to this (we spent a couple weekends settling into our new home) we were able to go up to an orchard in Chesire, CT and pick apples. So fun. And cheap! (Adam has become an apple snob after tasting Honeycrisp apples, the most expensive kind, but these were all the same low price!) Equipped with a couple of bags to load up, we walked up to rows and rows of apples and peaches, all for us! You actually have to show a little restraint when you have all of those delicious apples hanging right over your head - I wanted to pick them all!












On our way home from the orchard we had to stop at a homemade ice cream shop, which was exceptionally delicious (and mine was somehow defying gravity).

We are having fun exploring up here! Feel free to come join us any time :)

The NY Shore

Alright, time to finally put a few words to the waves...

It is a little strange that by moving up north we actually became closer to beaches. I know that there is the East Coast (and were on it!), but beaches seem like such a southern, hot weather, Gulf of Mexico thing. I guess that is what happens when you live in Texas all your life. Beaches were not in my head when we first started talking about moving to Connecticut, but when I realized how close we were to them, I was slightly excited. Now, I have to admit, my first visit to a beach up north was, well, a little bit of a let down. Our friend Laurie had come for a visit, and we decided to check out the beaches that were no more that 10 minutes away from where we were living. What an exciting idea! We would go play on the beaches and in the water, and I would probably spend the rest of my summer there. Not so much (sorry, Laurie). Dont get me wrong, the sand and water were pretty, but where were the waves?? This was obviously before I realized that the Connecticut beaches were blocked off by the New York beaches (remember, I am a math major - geography is far from my thing). This left the Connecticut beaches looking more like lakes, and me deciding I need a stand-up paddle surf board. It wasn't really until my brother, who surfs every day that he gets the chance (check out surfingtheisland.com), told me I should go check out the waves rolling in with the hurricane. This sent me in search of where the real waves are...New York. So that weekend Adam and I packed what (unfortunately) little beach supplies we had up here and made the short drive to the New York coast. As you can see, there were some nice little waves rolling in that I'm sure would have provided some fun rides if my board were present. The beaches were beautiful, crowded as they were. It makes me excited to further explore and (and test out at some point) the surf spots and surf community up here. Who knows, maybe we'll go to the NY Surf Film Festival this weekend, or get to check out a competition.



This last picture was just to show that we found Honeycrip apples (the kind that turned Adam into an apple snob) at a farmer's market up here. We were excited. They have some great markets up here.

Home Sweet...Home?

I think that what a lot of people call home is where they grew up. You know, you might say that you're going "home" for the holidays. Well it gets a little confusing when you officially move away from home. Now I'm not just talking going away to college, or in mine and Adam's case, getting married and living five minutes from "home." I'm talking you now live very far from home (which is Houston). Let's say...Connecticut.

I had the opportunity to "go home" just recently for a little over two weeks, and Adam was able to join me for a short period of that time. I think I can speak for the both of us when I say that we loved being there. We were able to spend precious, meaningful and fun times with our family and friends, and of course squeeze some Tex-Mex in. However, when those two weeks at "home" came nearing their end, I found myself strangely ready to be home. Maybe it was because my husband was already there (and life is always best when you're with your husband), or maybe because that is where God has called us to be for the next however many years of our life, and He wants me to be happy there. Whatever it is, it felt good to be back up north. Literally. It felt good. Like 75 degrees good.

Luckily I got to fly in on a Friday night, which meant a weekend to spend with Adam and Jaida, who I had also been missing (poor puppy had to stay at Camp Bow Wow while we were gone). We of course had to take advantage of the amazing weather and head to our favorite park for some quality frisbee time.

It felt good to be cooking in our kitchen and sleeping in our bed (even if it is a temporary apartment). It is strange what God does in your heart when He moves you somewhere totally new, far away from "home," and you allow Him to give you peace about it. Now don't worry all of our friends and family, I still desire to live next door to each one of you, maybe on a giant cul-de-sac. But for now, you have an open invitation to come and stay with us in our home.

What I want to be when I grow up....

Yeah I'm 30, shut up. I can still dream right?? These are things I write down in my journal (the one that has a unicorn on the cover....well not a unicorn...a horse with a sword coming out his head...that guards my hopes and dreams). I want to be Guy Fieri. If you're not sure who I'm talking about, then you're probably a man who doesn't watch food network. Fine, I watch Food Network...what of it?? Guy Fieri hosts a show called "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives"...and this is my dream job.



First...a disclaimer. The way Guy bleaches his hair and wears his sunglasses on the back of his head and has 6 different rings on at one time typcially is a deal breaker for me. There is a term I would use for such an individual normally that I will not post on this blog because my wife does not approve of the aforementioned term. But dang it....he's likeable anyways.



Back to "triple D" as it is normally referenced. Have you ever wanted to go back into the kitchen of your favorite restaurant? Have the chef prepare a few special items just for you? This is the job. Travel all over the country to some of the best down home cookin' spots...meet the owners...watch the chef's make their specialities...and then eat them. Oh yeah and get paid for it. What the what???!!!?? This is a job???? Where was my high school counselor on this one? Where was the box on the personality test labeled "likes to get paid to eat good food on TV"? I would checked the crap out of that box. But I get to sit in front of a computer screen all day. Awesome.



I tried to think of the sports equivilant to this job. (Trying to redeem myself as a man now that I've admitted my love for Food Network). This is like getting paid to travel to the best college basketball schools and NBA teams in the U.S.; meeting the coaches and players, getting to play a few pick up games and run some of the plays out of their playbook, and taking home a jersey from each. Sign me up. I'm ready.

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