Ski Bunnies

Hey everyone! I'm kinda keeping up right?!?  Well, we have been a little busy lately.  Stud has finally emerged from the back hole that was his November / December schedule and we have been trying to do as much as we can in his few days off! He worked all the holidays, and I went home. He was working 12 hr shifts and told me he would be more miserable if I was in RI alone, so home I went.  My time home in December was great!! My office is CLOSED for the week between Christmas Day and New Years Day, so it makes it so easy for me to have a nice break home where I can relax.

When I made it back to Providence, the mild winter had ended, but so had Stud's miserable schedule!  We have been able to get out of Providence and go skiing twice this month, both times to Stowe, VT.  Stud has been skiing forever, and I am just getting started, so the more I am out there, the better I am!! I can aaaalmost keep up....on the bunny slopes.  We were able to go with a big group of friends one weekend and then just the two of us the second weekend.

We have recently discovered that there is some pretty good skiing only about an hour from Providence at Wachusett Mountain!  I have been able to get up there once and Stud is heading up soon.  I can't think of a better way to get out and actually be active this winter.  I am hoping we will see the end of the single digit temps soon as well so we will be able to go more often!

I am so glad Stud has been able to enjoy winter, even though I think we have about a million months left of it.  I am ready for the warmth!!!!!

Chips...veggie style

Last weekend, we had an appetizer dinner that began at my friend Noe’s house.  She fed us these delicious baked zucchini chips with a BASIL dipping sauce.  I love all things basil and this sauce did not disappoint.  Stud was also a huge fan and declared right then that we needed to make them for his family because they would love them!  It so happened that they were coming over the following night for dinner and we had planned on making pigs in a blanket, but these were a much lighter, healthier option to preface the beef stroganoff for dinner.  I hovered over Noe’s shoulder paying close attention to what she did!

Zucchini Chips

3 zucchini, sliced evenly (I liked a little thinner, a mandolin would be good for consistency)

1 c. Italian bread crumbs

1 T. cumin

½ c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 c. milk

Salt

Pepper

Preheat the oven to 450.  While it’s warming up, line a cookie sheet with tin foil and place a cooling rack in the middle.  That way, the chips don’t really require flipping.  In one large flat casserole dish, whisk together the egg and milk.  In another, combine the bread crumbs, cumin, parmesan, salt, and pepper.  You can use smaller, deeper dishes, but with flat ones you can do more at one time.  Dunk the zucchini in the egg milk mixture and then cover them in the bread crumb mixture.  When they are sufficiently coated, lay out on the cookie sheet.  They can be close, but I would make sure none are touching.  When you have done them all, bake for 30-45 minutes until the top is browning.  Serve hot!

 You all have to wait until tomorrow for the basil dipping sauce.  The chips got a little soft after they had been out for a while, but they were still delicious.  Maybe if we had baked them a little longer (closer to 45 minutes), they would have dried out some more and been a little stiffer.  We still had zero left by the end of cocktail hour, so I would say that they were a success!

Ringing in 2011

I already recapped what a year 2010 was and therefore, 2011 has an uphill battle ahead to beat out 2010.  So Stud and I decided to give it the best start possible by celebrating with all of our college friends in the nations capitol.  We spent last weekend touring, tasting, and tearing up Washington DC.  We have a ton of good friends, and even a little family in the city, so we had a free place to stay and an ample supply of tour guides.  We crashed with Stud's cousin Haudge and he was an impeccable host.  His freezer was stocked with tater tots and his apartment was in the center of pretty much everything.

The weekend kicked off with a staff led tour of the capitol with my friend Caro, who gave us a very educational and VIP tour.  We even got to walk through the tunnels from the House office buildings into the new Capitol Visitors Center (SO Dan Brown) and then had an amazing lunch at Good Stuff Eatery.  Spike from Top Chef and me, pretty much BFFs.  In case you are curious, I had the "Sunnyside," a burger with bacon and a fried egg along with a side of the rosemary thyme french fries.  Drooling?  Me too.  The afternoon was spent watching Studs' inner child emerge as we toured the Natural History Museum.  He wanted to see the dinosaurs, I wanted to see the gem room.

Our tour guides Caro and Haudge

Friday was pretty low key, we had a big night ahead.  Stud and I met up with our whole group from college and walked around the American History Museum.  I bee-lined it for Julia Childs' kitchen, the foodie in me wanted to see where the master worked.  We had a late lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill, rubbing elbows with past presidents and other really important people.  New Years Eve was spent at a bar with amazing food and drink, and the New Year was rung in with Stud and many of our friends.  Then they played Whitney Houston.  Pretty good start I'd say!

Sunday was spent on an epic walking tour of DC.  We started in Dupont, worked our way through Georgetown and then down towards the Mall to see the monuments.  Someone (ahem Stud) was fading rather quickly so we took a cab it home from there.  That night we had one final night with the whole group relaxing and hanging out, then it was off to bed.  We had an early flight the next morning so we could be home in time to pick up our precious angel from the kennel.  Then Monday morning, back to work and for Stud, the beginning of his surgical rotation.  I'll see him again early March.  It was a great weekend spent with good friends and we even squeezed in some good food stops and amazing sights.

One for the record books....

Whew, looking back on 2010, it was an amazing whirlwind of a year.

There were vacations.... 

Burlington, VT

Chicago

Captiva Island, FL

And other adventures....



Learning to Scuba!

Red River Gorge

We settled into our house....



Then friends came to visit... 

Derby 2010

I had one day of wild fame...


Thanks Pillsbury!

Then there was a proposal.....

AND A WEDDING....

Finally, a honeymoon....

And to top it all off, a nephew....

Cutest baby on the planet.

And throughout it all, Beau managed to get impossibly large and Stud and I had some good eats.  For the first time, I started to make recipes that my mom had not tested and perfected.  I gambled.  And I learned this year that the best way to rid myself of kitchen fear is to experiment.  At worst it's going in the trash, and at best, we have Asian Noodles.

HAVE A VERY SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEARS!

  

The Wedding that Finally Happened

I thought I would do a little recap of what I have been up to since I went on my blog vacation two weeks ago.  As I have already mentioned, Stud and I got married!  Wedding planning came to a peak those last few days before the wedding, but everything went smoothly.  Here are a few happenings from the wedding:

• Weather - it rained.  Not all day, not all night.  Pretty much just during the ceremony.  Oh well.  We still did get to take pictures outside.  And the ceremony turned into a giant cocktail party so things got moving a littttle late.  Please appreciate the ominous black clouds.  And then check out our ride.

• Ceremony - was amazing.  Even though it wasn't outside, I loved the casual laid back feel.  Standing room only, the only people with chairs were parents and grandparents.  And my uncle officiated the ceremony and he kept everyone laughing and dried up Stud's tears.  He broke our pact.  NO TEARS.
• Bridesmaids! - my heroes for the day slash past seven months.  And then they danced with the band.  Amazing moments.



• Food - Of course my mother the gourmande planned the entire menu (lets be honest...along with most of the details) and she did, along with the chef, an AMAZING job.  Pates, a delicious cheese spread, fresh bread, sirloins, roasted veggies.  YUM.  I did get to eat some, but I wish I could have hovered over the cheese for a good hour.  Oh how the bride suffers! 
• Reception - It flew by.  Everyone told me it would but I was convinced I would remember every moment.  I have no recollection of who I talked to, what I said or really where I spent all my time.  And I only had a wee bit of champagne! There were so many friends there that I don't get to see all the time and I wish I could have actually held an entire conversation with them.  The biggest surprise - Stud actually danced with me.  In public.  I guess it's a perk of the whole being married together forever thing.  
  
  

Go Deacs!

• Band - They were so much fun!!  I went to a wedding where they were the band last summer, so I knew they were the band I wanted to use because they can get the crowd dancing.  And that they did.

• Late Night - Having chicken fingers served at 11pm was one of the few things I insisted on during the wedding planning.  I have a sick obsession with them and have since I was about two... Fried food, of course I love it.  Stud and I left soon after, it had been a very long day and our flight for the honeymoon left bright and early the next morning!

And a special thanks to all of my friends who took all of these pictures.  Especially Haudge becuase I know he will appreciate the credit.

Things I Have Learned About Weddings

So wedding planning has been an experience and I thought I would share my many insights with you readers.

• People assume you have been mentally planning your wedding since you were five.  I am not one of those people.  Who knew I was in the minority.
• At the same time, I was shockingly picky.  It's hard to find a wedding dress without bedazzles and that has straps.
• Wedding planning is not awful.  Especially when you have no preconceived notions of what you want.  Then you can always find something you like.
• They are stupid expensive.
• Ten months is a short time frame to plan a wedding.
• Order of planning - venue, date, dress
• Venue is the hardest part.  Especially if you aren't getting married in a church.  My wedding was almost in my parents backyard.
• I let Stud pick out what he and the groomsman are going to wear with some veto power.  He said no to tuxes and I said fine.  I was even stoic when he told me he got pleated pants. Now he feels like he had a say.  Brilliant!
• Wedding politics exist.
• I am crazy excited to see all my friends from out of town.  It's actually one of the things I am looking forward to most, besides marrying Stud and all that jazz.
• I hate being the center of attention.
• Wedding etiquette is ridiculous.
• The differences between weddings now and weddings when my parents were married are immense.  Example - my parents think RSVP cards are trendy.  Therefore my invitations do not have them.  I have no idea how people will RSVP.  I had to ask my parents what people will do.  FYI - Apparently guests need to write my parents a RSVP letter on their own stationary.  Emily Post says nothing about this on her website.
• Emily Post is the Goddess of Wedding Etiquette.
• My parents also think Save the Dates are trendy.  I won that battle.
• Registering for wedding gifts is fun - like, really, really fun.
• I am sad I have to be a part of my wedding and not a guest.  It's going to be an AMAZING party.  Is that weird?

Prettttyyyyy.

A KY Weekend

This weekend, Stud and I decided to take advantage of the below 95 degree heat and one of his few remaining free weekends. On Saturday, we packed up a day pack and drove the two hours to hike in Red River Gorge. It’s part of the Clifty Wilderness. It’s pretty amazing. So off we went to spend the day with nature. We hiked about nine miles with Beau and our hike included getting lost, being mauled by a spider, some cliff climbing, and some views. You can see the "trail" we were on while lost below.  It was a little tight.  Every time we go, we do one trail, and then always end with a four mile hike that takes you to Courthouse Rock and back. It’s always where we sit, relax, eat some snacks, and become one with the trees and all that woodsy nature-y stuff. We are tree people.  And I am now proudly sporting some massive blisters.  And chigger bites.

And then we spent Saturday night on the river. Forecastle Festival was this past weekend on the waterfront, and we were lucky enough to cruise down and appreciate some of the music from the River. For free! Days like these, I can’t imagine wanting to live anywhere else.

And I spent Sunday by the pool - gooood weekend!

A New View

Last weekend, Stud's aunts and uncles hosted an amazing party at Churhcill Downs.  I think had it been Derby, we would have been on Millionaire's Row.  At least that's what my wristband told me.  The wristband gave me unlimited access to food and drink.  I tell you, dieting for a wedding is a breeeeze.  Especially when followed with Taco Bell for dinner.  Yeah!  Just one of the many perks of Millionaire's Row.  We had a huge suite and there were thirty of us in there and it never felt crowded at all.  There were plenty of TV's so we could watch the US lose to Ghana in the World Cup.  That defeat sent many people back to the bar.  Being up that high gave us a great view of the track.  You could see the horses as the came all the way around, not just the stretch like you can from most seats.  And we had AC - huge perk in this lovely KY summer humidity.  The party also made the twinsies come back in town (since their parents were hosting), and it is always fun to see them.  By the end of the day, people were cashing some tickets and winning money!  Stud and I did some bets together and we ended up with a successful trifecta and exacta.  We are such professionals.  Made up for my losing morning - I was only down $8 at the end of the day.  Pretty good if I do say so myself.  Winning is always better, but being out $8 after that great day - not too shabby.

Good day with great friends.  I was also toutured by Churchill Charlie.  It was awful.

And back to the track tomorrow for some more crawfish!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND TO EVERYONE!  I love this holiday.

Wedding Practice

These here are two of my good friends.  The blond gentleman is my soon to be cousin-in-law.  The lovely brunette is one of my good friends from college.  Two people from different parts of my life.  And now, they are friends thanks to ME.  I make the world a better place.

So over the weekend they were attending Taste of the South in DC (I have a theory that everyone under the age of 26 lives in DC).  They sent me this little photo.  I asked what they were up to (knowing full well they were having fun without me) and Caro redeemed herself with the response "practicing for the wedding."  GOOD ANSWER.

RECAP

I know I promised pictures from my beach vacation - so here you go!  I am so sorry to have kept you waiting.

The beach was amazing!  We did not have a single rainy or cloudy day and the ocean was a balmy 82 degrees, so everyday was spent on the beach using the ocean to cool us off.  I wish I had remembered to take more pictures!  We went down to my grandfather's house on Captiva Island off the coast of Fort Myers, FL.  It's a tiny little island that really does not have much going on - PERFECT for a relaxing beach week.  One day there was someone sitting within 100 yards of us on the beach...it was weird.  It's like you are on your own personal private beach.  And the pool is the same way, although why go to the pool when the beach is so ideal!  We drank a lot of Bloody Mary's and ate a LOT of food because sitting on the beach is so hard...you just work up such an appetite. Ok enough of me being evil and telling you all the details of my vacation....

Next stop - Burlington, VT!

May 24 = Big Day

Today is my parent's 30th anniversary.  They have been married for three decades. Wowzers.  So tonight, they are feeding me dinner because I am by far the best thing to have come out of their lovely marriage.  The Broski is third after Sadie Belle, the parents Labradoodle and Beau's BFF/Cougar.

And today is also the 24th birthday of Noe!  We have been friends since we were in middle school and is one of my Maids.  She made me stay out until 5:30am over the weekend, and there are not many people for which I will sacrifice sleep.  Birthday girl is in the pink.  She's so preeeeettty.

So Happy 30th Anniversay to the Parentals!

And Happy Birthday Noe!

Daily Fluff

Blog world, please meet Dublin.

Dublin belongs to my friends in Nashville and I am so pleased that their time in Louisville over Derby with Beau did not deter them from puppy parenthood.  Dublin is a cockapoo, so Beau and Dublin are BBFs by genetics.  Although the size difference might cause a bit of a problem...

And here are just a few things they can look forward to as puppy parents!

But really, we all know my obsession with Beau despite his antics. Dublin will be a great dog and I can't wait for Beau and Dublin to have their first play date!