Introducing...

We love him.



// His birth story post is in the works.

Oh Happy day.

This is our future grad, but we have a real university graduate on our hands - as of yesterday.
We are all so proud of him!! Chad works so hard for all of us and has always had our future as his number one priority. I love that about him. Our boys are lucky to have such a good example. We still have a long way to go til we get to our "final" destination, but we will enjoy every step, every challenge and milestone in between.
>>We love you, Daddy! Thanks for all you do for us. xoxo

 

Pesto Chicken Sandwich [PLUS] Two Delicious Soups.

I haven't posted a recipe in a while...I feel like I've been stuck in a rut lately. BUT when my Bestie came to visit last month, we just had to cook together, just like the old days. I guess you could say that lifted me right out of my "rut" >> and so you get THREE delicious recipes, not just one.

If you are looking for a quick delicious lunch option, look no further than this pesto chicken sandwich - on a french baguette with avocado, fresh mozzarella and baby arugula. YUM. I'm drooling just typing this up. This is how you make it:

- 2 small-med chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, the fresher the better
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayo, optional
- Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1 baguette, cut into 3 pieces
- fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced ~1/4" thick
- sliced Roma tomatoes
- baby arugula
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced

Mix up chicken, pesto, yogurt, mayo, and salt/pepper in a medium size bowl.
Serve sandwiches on toasted baguette layered with arugula, tomato, mozzarella, chicken and avocado. Slather extra pesto right on the baguette for added flavor.
Enjoy the sandwich by itself, or with one of the soup options below...

SOUP option #1:

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup
It's creamy, velvety, and pairs perfectly with this lovely, fresh sandwich!

-2 tablespoons butter

-1 medium onion, chopped
-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 can evaporated milk* - or double the regular milk
-1/2 cup regular milk*

-2 cups chicken broth* 

-1 ~ 2 cups water*(to desired thickness)
-1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
-1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-1/2 ~ 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

-Bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 cup water (add the rest later adjusting to desired thickness); add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape, but cover with papertowel/cloth to avoid splashing of hot liquids), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and slowly add 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Optional: Garnish soup with remaining cheese and crumbled bacon.

SOUP option #2

Tuscan Tomato Soup
Use up the left-over pesto in this favorite soup of mine!

- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 (14.5-oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, I sometimes substitute evaporated milk or just regular milk
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- Salt and Pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a medium soup pot. Add onions and cook over med-low heat until translucent. Add tomatoes and chicken stock, bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. Add pesto.
Blend to desired consistency in a food processor or blender. Return to pot. Add cream or milk, then adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

An Anniversary.

Thanks to some fabulous friends and family, we were able to have the best anniversary weekend we could have ever dreamed of...kids-free. It's been a long time since we have been able to spend just a few hours with each other without interruptions for diaper-changes or temper tantrums, let alone a whole night or an entire day. We are so grateful and appreciative of the people who made this weekend possible. I feel so blessed. and loved. 

Marriage hasn't and won't always be easy...but with my man, it's always going to be worth it. Every hardship and speedbump. Every time I'm in need of a pick-me-up, he knows how to cheer me up and make me smile. He knows exactly what I need every time it counts. So to my one-and-only, the love of my life, and my better half:  Thank you for always being by my side, supporting me, loving me. I love you more than life.

Coming April 2013

The day that started a little muddy. literally.

2/23/13・My birthday

My birthday was a day I was not particularly looking forward to because I was turning a year older... another year closer to the age 30...but it was a day that I was going to get to spend with my boys, all. day. long. SO it was worth waking up for. It started with an early morning car ride to Dillingham Ranch, where the much anticipated Warrior Dash was taking place. On the way there, we counted more than 5 rainbows, even a set of double rainbows. It was shaping up to be a great day.
We knew to expect a little mud, a lot of people in crazy costumes, and people in costumes covered in mud... but the added downpour that morning put the muddiness of the whole event up to a whole new level - as in for us, the spectators. It was the sticky, build up on your shoes and stroller wheels kind of mud. Once the race was over, and after a complete shower down at the beach park, it was off to town.
We ate, shopped, and ate some more. The kids were wiped out by the end of the day. Delicious food, fun time with my boys, town date, and shopping - the best kind of day I could have ever asked for.

Chocolate cake with a name I can't pronounce.

This decadent, rich, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake is called Gateau au Chocolat Fondant de Nathalie...yeah, it's French. And it tastes as fancy as it sounds. My friend (that lives in France, of course) from Coconuts&Cardamom posted this recipe a little while ago and I was determined to try it for a special occasion. What better occasion than the chocolate-lover's holiday, Valentine's Day? This recipe did not disappoint. It really is one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had/made. It is like a dark, gooey brownie meets a rich, moist chocolate cake. The one thing that was surprising was how easy and fast it was to make. You have to give it a try!

Gateau au Chocolat Fondant de Nathalie
(original recipe found here on C&C)

7 ounces best-quality dark chocolate
7 ounces unsalted European-style butter (the high-butterfat kind, I used Challenge European Style butter), cut into ½-inch cubes
1⅓ cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the base of the pan with parchment, and butter again.
2. Chop the chocolate and melt gently with the butter in a double boiler. I used a glass bowl placed over a pan of simmering water on the stove. Once melted and smooth, add the sugar to the chocolate-butter mixture and stir until combined. Set aside to cool for a few moments.
3. Add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each egg, and then add the flour. The batter should be smooth.
4. Pour batter into the buttered cake pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the center of the cake looks set and the top is shiny and a bit crackled. A tooth pick entered will not come out completely clean, but batter should not be too wet.
5. Let the cake cool in its pan for 10 minutes; then carefully remove the cake and allow to cool completely. (the cake will deflate)
6. Serve in wedges slightly warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with powdered sugar or served with a dollop of fresh whipped cream drizzled with caramel sauce (shown below).