A few weeks ago, Nathan and I invited a couple friends over for a low-key birthday bbq. We had burgers, brats, beers, and a few mean games of BAGS. It was a rockin good time, of course, but my favorite part of the day had more to do with cooking/preparing a few scrumptious dishes than playing bags. Is that weird?
Awesome Buffalo Chicken Dip (serves 15)
2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained*
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1 box/bag of crackers/tortilla chips, whatever you'd like!
Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and cook on 300 until hot and bubbly (about 20 minutes). Serve with celery sticks and crackers/tortilla chips. *I've made this recipe using chicken that I've boiled and shredded and using canned chicken...and I couldn't tell the difference between the two...
Aunt Dorothy's August Tomato Salsa (variation) (serves 15)
8 tomatoes, diced
2 onion, finely diced
3-4 jalapeno peppers, finely diced*
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely diced
3 teaspoons kosher salt
2 limes, juiced
In a large bowl, mix diced tomatoes, onion, peppers, cilantro, garlic, salt, and lime juice. Then, process half of the mixture in a food processor and add back to the bowl. Chill for 2 hours before serving. *Depending on your heat tolerance, either seed the jalapeno or leave unseeded.
Grilled Veggie Sandwich
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cup sliced red bell peppers
2 small zucchini, sliced
2 red onion, sliced
2 small yellow squash, sliced
1 large loaf of french bread, split horizontally
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Preheat the grill for high heat. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on both sides of bread, and sprinkle the bottom half with feta cheese. Layer vegetables and top with more feta. Wrap sandwich in foil and place in 350 degree for 20 minutes.
to protect or not to protect...that is the question
Nathan and I have been going back and forth with the idea of password protecting this site or leaving it open for anyone to stumble upon (i.e., via a search engine). And, after much debate, we've decided to leave the site open...at least, for the time being.
Blogger, our blog provider, isn't very user friendly for the "everyday reader". In order to protect our site, first we have to make our blog private, then we have to send out email invitations to read our blog, then if an invited reader doesn't already have a Google account, that person will have to create one, and only then is that person able to log onto our site. It's a cumbersome process that might actually deter our family and friends from reading - and we don't want that!
So for now, enjoy signing onto our site without any roadblocks.
XOXO,
Colleen and Nathan
Blogger, our blog provider, isn't very user friendly for the "everyday reader". In order to protect our site, first we have to make our blog private, then we have to send out email invitations to read our blog, then if an invited reader doesn't already have a Google account, that person will have to create one, and only then is that person able to log onto our site. It's a cumbersome process that might actually deter our family and friends from reading - and we don't want that!
So for now, enjoy signing onto our site without any roadblocks.
XOXO,
Colleen and Nathan
outdoor living
A few weeks ago I posted about our pitiful attempt at creating an outdoor oasis full of flowering plants and comfortable seating... Well, as you can see from the photo below, 4 plants and a table does not make an outdoor living space - clearly!! However, we've made several improvements in the last couple of days...
We've added a few more plants, some comfortable seat cushions, a small outdoor rug (not quite in the picture) and bamboo shades. I think we're well on our way to a comfortable outdoor living space! Don't you?
We've added a few more plants, some comfortable seat cushions, a small outdoor rug (not quite in the picture) and bamboo shades. I think we're well on our way to a comfortable outdoor living space! Don't you?
summertime fun...in our backyard!
We are gearing up for summer around these parts - especially since we moved into our new place which boasts tons of outdoor space (a private deck as well as a semi-private backyard!!!)! I'm anticipating bbq's and birthday parties and generally enjoying having our friends and family over for some summertime fun! With that said, we've been testing some fun, summery beverage recipes: sweet tea, perfect lemonade and white peach sangria.
Sweet Tea - Serves 8
Sweet Tea - Serves 8 1 pinch baking soda*
2 cups boiling water
6 tea bags
3/4 cup white sugar
6 cups cool water
*the baking soda apparently takes the bitterness out.2 cups boiling water
6 tea bags
3/4 cup white sugar
6 cups cool water
Perfect Lemonade - Serves 10
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
4 cups water
3/4 cup lemon juice
4 cups water
3/4 cup lemon juice
White Peach Sangria - Serves 10
1-1/3 bottles dry white wine
1 cup peach flavored vodka
1/2 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup white sugar
1-1/4 pounds white peaches, pitted and small diced
1 cup apples, small diced
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1-1/3 bottles dry white wine
1 cup peach flavored vodka
1/2 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup white sugar
1-1/4 pounds white peaches, pitted and small diced
1 cup apples, small diced
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
flowers and shrubs and trees, oh my!
Nathan and I spent entirely too much time at our local garden center yesterday. Their seemingly endless variety of flowers, plants and garden accessories kept us there for over 2 hours, but ultimately, we only bought 4 plants for our "container garden" on our deck! Four plants! Pitiful, I know! Hopefully our next trip will be more successful. Until then, take a look at some of the photos below - what a selection!
You can't really tell by this photo, but Gethsemane Gardens is over 2 city blocks long and 1 city block wide! This place is HUGE!
Even the median across the street is beautiful!
You can't really tell by this photo, but Gethsemane Gardens is over 2 city blocks long and 1 city block wide! This place is HUGE!
Even the median across the street is beautiful!honeymoon heaven
Our honeymoon was absolutely fabulous! It was the definition of relaxation; exactly what we needed after months of hard work. For the most part, we didn't leave the resort except for one excursion to the famed, Xel-ha, a natural eco-park (more on that below). We had decided early on that we wouldn't make our honeymoon an exploration vacation, our typical m.o., but rather we'd do our best to relax and unwind. So, we spent our days lounging on the beach, sipping mango daiquiris (me) and cerveza blancas (Nathan), and the evenings eating delicious, delicious, food at one of the seven restaurants on the resort.
Nathan and I enjoying our first evening at the resort.
Above is the outside of our suite. We've decided that we're investing in these Yucatan "Adirondack chairs" - they are the most comfortable chairs we've ever sat in! Nathan has also decided that a hammock is a MUST HAVE for our new home (who knows how long he'll have to wait to get one!) Below is a photo of the "Casitas", free standing guest suites. If we ever go back to our resort, we are DEFINITELY staying in one of these. One word, luxury!
Above is a shot of the main pool at the resort. While there were over 10 pools, this is the one that got the most traffic - undoubtedly due to the HUGE attached bar. And, below is a shot of one of the resort's pets! There were dozens of these guys!
Here is the gorgeous resort chapel. There were 3 weddings that took place during our stay, but strangely, none took place in the chapel.
Here is the outdoor massage facility! Two words - a-mazing! :) Below are a few shots from our one "cloudy day". We were blessed with really beautiful weather, so we couldn't complain about the one day of massive waves and clouds - the remnants of Hurricane Paloma off of Cuba. Instead of lounging on the beach that day, we explored the resort's miles of coastline. Even while covered under a blanket of clouds, it was still gorgeous!
Our feet in the sand:
Because we were on our honeymoon, the resort gave us a romantic candlelit dinner on the beach. It was absolutely wonderful, except for this saxophonist playing Kenny G (literally, Kenny G), but that was easily tuned out by the sound of the waves and good conversation with Nathan.
Look at how happy we are!
A local artist visited the resort to sell his gorgeous "finger" paintings. Yes, he used his fingers to create these masterpieces. We totally got caught up in the moment and bought two of the
"Mexican village" paintings.
Nathan and I enjoying our first evening at the resort.Above is the outside of our suite. We've decided that we're investing in these Yucatan "Adirondack chairs" - they are the most comfortable chairs we've ever sat in! Nathan has also decided that a hammock is a MUST HAVE for our new home (who knows how long he'll have to wait to get one!) Below is a photo of the "Casitas", free standing guest suites. If we ever go back to our resort, we are DEFINITELY staying in one of these. One word, luxury!
Above is a shot of the main pool at the resort. While there were over 10 pools, this is the one that got the most traffic - undoubtedly due to the HUGE attached bar. And, below is a shot of one of the resort's pets! There were dozens of these guys!
Here is the gorgeous resort chapel. There were 3 weddings that took place during our stay, but strangely, none took place in the chapel.
Here is the outdoor massage facility! Two words - a-mazing! :) Below are a few shots from our one "cloudy day". We were blessed with really beautiful weather, so we couldn't complain about the one day of massive waves and clouds - the remnants of Hurricane Paloma off of Cuba. Instead of lounging on the beach that day, we explored the resort's miles of coastline. Even while covered under a blanket of clouds, it was still gorgeous!
Our feet in the sand:
Because we were on our honeymoon, the resort gave us a romantic candlelit dinner on the beach. It was absolutely wonderful, except for this saxophonist playing Kenny G (literally, Kenny G), but that was easily tuned out by the sound of the waves and good conversation with Nathan.
Look at how happy we are!A local artist visited the resort to sell his gorgeous "finger" paintings. Yes, he used his fingers to create these masterpieces. We totally got caught up in the moment and bought two of the"Mexican village" paintings.
Finally, at the end of our trip, we got off of our butts to go to Xel-ha, a eco-park created from a fresh water river and lagoon and the Mexican Caribbean. I know, it's a bit controversial, creating a type of a theme park from nature and exploiting the history and resources of Mexico, but if they hadn't opened it to the public, Nathan and I would have never had an opportunity to see such a magnificent place! We swam with dolphins - number 34 on my list of 100 things to do in life. We floated down the river flanked with cliffs and mangroves. We snorkeled with schools of colorful fish (by we, I mean Nathan, because I'm too squeamish to let fish touch me) . We explored the ancient, underwater Mayan caves. And, while we didn't have time to lie in the hammocks, we admired the idea of a "forest of hammocks" from the sideline. The entire experience was AMAZING! We highly recommend it to anyone going to Riviera Maya... Note: you're not allowed to use regular sun block. You have to purchase biodegradable sun block, so to preserve the ecosystem.
Our honeymoon was absolute perfection. As you can imagine, it was difficult to leave paradise and return to regular life. However, we're comforted by the daydream of vacations to come and, or course, the daydream of our future together!
Travels: Yosemite
I know our trip to Yosemite National Park was quite a while ago, but we had such a fantastic time that I thought I should share our experience.
In late 2007, Nathan and I took a super short camping trip to Yosemite National Park. We camped at the foot of Half Dome, hiked to Vernal Falls (and part-way to Nevada Falls), took a driving tour of the Valley Floor, and explored Mariposa Grove.
The trip was far too short, so we're already planning another visit in the near future. In the meanwhile, feast your eyes on this eye candy!
Below was our view of Half Dome from our tent. It was surreal to wake up to this view; it kind of felt like being in an Ansel Adams print.
Our campsite.
Then, we went to Mariposa Grove and I saw real giant sequoias. Too funny...
In late 2007, Nathan and I took a super short camping trip to Yosemite National Park. We camped at the foot of Half Dome, hiked to Vernal Falls (and part-way to Nevada Falls), took a driving tour of the Valley Floor, and explored Mariposa Grove.
The trip was far too short, so we're already planning another visit in the near future. In the meanwhile, feast your eyes on this eye candy!
Below was our view of Half Dome from our tent. It was surreal to wake up to this view; it kind of felt like being in an Ansel Adams print.
This was the gorgeous stream that ran through our campground. I know it may seem like a waste to have such a beautiful landscape in something like a campground, but this is Yosemite - gorgeousness everywhere!
Our campsite.
On our driving tour through Vosemite Valley, I snapped this shot of El Capitan (on the left).
On our hike to Vernal Falls, I thought that the "giant sequoias" were incredible!
Then, we went to Mariposa Grove and I saw real giant sequoias. Too funny...
new recipes!!!
Every year I find myself slightly unprepared when Nathan and I host out of town guests. There's never been a comical disaster (except for our first Thanksgiving, but that's a story for another time); I've just never been at ease with the decisions we've made regarding meal choices, sleeping arrangements, etc. So this year, I decided I would be start preparing well in advance.
I'm beginning my hostess preparations with meal ideas, specifically, breakfast ideas, because I can't imagine anything more welcoming to a guest than waking up to the smell of a something scrumptious baking in the oven! Besides, breakfast is sometimes the only meal you eat at home, because you're so busy sightseeing and showing off local restaurants?!
Up until this point, I've stuck with recipes I knew: waffles (with our trusty waffle-maker, of course), french toast casserole, a variety of crostata's... But I need some new breakfast/brunch recipes in to my repertoire; enter: Williams-Sonoma online recipes search. I'll spend the next couple of months trying to master a baked apple pancake, a classic dutch baby, homemade sausage, and three different types of filled pancakes: cinnamon glaze, banana/graham cracker, and lemon/marscapone!!! I'm hungry...
I'm beginning my hostess preparations with meal ideas, specifically, breakfast ideas, because I can't imagine anything more welcoming to a guest than waking up to the smell of a something scrumptious baking in the oven! Besides, breakfast is sometimes the only meal you eat at home, because you're so busy sightseeing and showing off local restaurants?!
Up until this point, I've stuck with recipes I knew: waffles (with our trusty waffle-maker, of course), french toast casserole, a variety of crostata's... But I need some new breakfast/brunch recipes in to my repertoire; enter: Williams-Sonoma online recipes search. I'll spend the next couple of months trying to master a baked apple pancake, a classic dutch baby, homemade sausage, and three different types of filled pancakes: cinnamon glaze, banana/graham cracker, and lemon/marscapone!!! I'm hungry...
We've Moved to a new home and a new blog!!!
FINALLY! Nathan and I have a real home!
Well, kind of. It's still an apartment - but it's an entire floor of a 3 flat - and it's over 1,200 sq ft. That's ENORMOUS compared to our tiny 720 sq ft, 1 bedroom in the Gold Coast. And, with our new home, we've decided to create a new website - a kind of continuation of our uber-popular wedding website.
Please come back often and see what we've been up to!
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