June 26, 2013

Photo Boo(b)ths


Lets be honest, photo booths at weddings are the shit.  At my own wedding in February it was a requirement.  Its the place where all your guests can let loose without the pressures of the photographer in your face. I mean seriously they provide props! Even the person normally shies away from the camera can be found in at least one photo in the booth.  Heck my own father who doesn't get the point and thought at first was a waste of his money can be found smiling and having a ball with my mom and his sisters.  I've never seen my dad enjoy taking pictures so much, and I'm totally bummed I didn't get in there with him.

HOWEVER there is one thing many wedding guests don't realize..... The bride and groom get digital copies of ALL the pictures.  It is also very common for the photo booth company to post all of the photos online for guests to view and order pictures straight from their website.

So I'm having a grand old time at my reception when a few guests come up to me giggling and state "we defiled your photo booth" thinking its their little secret. The best part is that I'm laughing my ass off like a banshee on the inside knowing that I'll get to see what the hell these people are talking about .   So we get our pics during our second day stuck in a U-Haul with a dog farting up a storm.  I'm looking though all of them thinking wow there are a ton of couples kissing, when I finally get to one of the pics I was looking for. Bwahahahaha! My husband is scared thinking that I've gone off the deep end but.... OMG these women showed BOOB! I'm not just talking side boob or a nip slip, I'm talking about full on areolas staring back at me.   Whats great is that I found a few of these scrolling through our pics... whats sad was no guys mooned the camera.

So the next time you're drunk as hell and there's a photo booth in sight just keep those sweater puppies covered.

For the sake of these individuals (and especially for their children) I will not be posting these pictures for your viewing (dis)pleasure.

June 23, 2013

Oyster Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto

I have a massive love affair with risotto.  We just joined a CSA and received some beautiful oyster mushrooms that just screamed out risotto.   Last night was the perfect opportunity to make some risotto as a side dish for lamb loin. 


Lamb Loin with Mushroom risotto, beets and asparagus

Oyster Mushroom and Parmesan Risotto 
serves 6 as a side or 2 as a meal

1 yellow onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
8 oz oyster mushrooms diced
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth 
1/2 cup grated parmesan


1.  In small sauce pan bring chicken broth to simmer and keep hot on stove.

2.  In large saute pan melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms are soft.    

3. Add rice to pan and coat with with butter, onions, garlic and mushrooms and stir until rice lets out a nutty aroma 2 minutes.  

4. Add in white wine and stir until absorbed. 

5. Ladle in hot chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time and stir until fully absorbed and continue adding broth and stirring until all broth is absorbed and rice has a creamy consistency.  

6.  Stir in remaining 2 tbsp of butter and Parmesan. 








June 11, 2013

Chicken Adobo


When the Hubby and I traveled to the Philippines last year, the one dish he asked if I could make was Adobo (eeek!).   Adobo is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines (if the Black Eyed Peas can mention it in a song you know it is) .  It consists of meat or vegetables simmered in a marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic.  Its one of those dishes that reminds me of home, and lets be honest, there is nothing wrong with the smell of 6 cloves of garlic cooking!

Before my self inflicted domestic bootcamp, I was not exactly known for my kitchen skills (also why I asked for cookbooks for my bridal shower).  Well four months in, things in the kitchen are looking up as told by our nightly food comas and our waist bands getting a bit snug.

So last night I attempted to make some chicken adobo.... Holy sh*t it was delicious!



Chicken Adobo:
6 chicken thighs (preferably with bone and skin)
1/2 c soy sauce
6 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp coconut oil (or as needed to coat the bottom of the pan)
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 c water
3 bay leaves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns


1. Marinate chicken in soy sauce and garlic for at least 3 hours. 

2. Heat coconut oil in large saute pan or dutch oven over medium heat.  

3. Once oil is hot, brown chicken for 3 minutes on each side

4. Remove chicken from pan and drain the oil from the pan.

5. Pour the soy/garlic marinade in the pan.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Once at a boil, add back chicken, bay leaves, peppercorns, and vinegar and lower heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 30-40 minutes until cooked though.    If you have a fat separator, remove chicken from pan and strain liquid and pour into the fat separator.  Pour liquid back over chicken and serve with rice (preferably jasmine)



I would have included a "completed" picture, but we were a bit over zealous and dug right in.  






June 10, 2013

Joining the Masses

It feels like everyone I know has created a blog of some sort or another so I figured ME TOO!!  

I just got married to my awesome, kick ass, very patient (emphasis on patient) husband 4 months ago and moved to Richmond, VA from Tampa, Fl  a week after the wedding.  So this is pretty much the journey into a new life, new place, and whatever random rants I'm bound to have!


Note: Moving to the north during the winter is a horrible idea.  

Warm Wedded Bliss in TPA (Feb 2013)
To Cold Frozen Tundra..  (March 2013)