Quick Italian & JVM

Starting now I have four days off : ) Yes! Yes! Yes!
I have a little recipe for you but it is another fast recipe. I guess I shouldn't be ashamed of this because plenty of people appreciate a fast, delicious recipe. I just love making a big elaborate meal but have not had time lately. Hopefully soon : )
Anyways this recipe is a mix of creativity and convenience (mostly convenience). I got the idea from a dinner I had out with my friend Katie last week before we went to a concert (see more about this after recipe : )  ).
And as you may have guessed...it's not gluten free...that's not going so well most days. Haha. Oh well!

White Wine Pesto Tortellini

 Ingredients:

• 1 package of Tortellini of your choice (cheese filled, chicken filled, whole wheat, spinach....anything!)
• 2 Chicken Breasts, grilled (we use the George Foreman)
• Seasoning rub for Chicken Breasts (I got a tomato, basil, and oregano rub from Homegoods)
• 1/2-1cup of white wine (we used a Riesling but something a little less sweet would be good too)
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Homemade or packaged pesto (pine nuts, basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and garlic all mixed in a food processor....or any packaged kind for a faster meal)
• Optional: Peppers, onions, broccoli

1. Cook Tortellini and grill chicken (add seasoning before grilling chicken)
2. Strain Tortellini
3. Mix Tortellini, pesto mix, garlic, wine, and parmesan cheese
4. Slice chicken breasts, serve, and enjoy your fast, easy, and delicious meal : )

As I think I said last week or the week before, I hope to have a more ''from scratch'' meal/recipe up here next week.
Last week when my friend Katie and I went out for the meal that inspired this recipe...we were on our way to a concert that was just fabulous. If you haven't heard of this guy, you need to download his album...or at least listen to a few songs on YouTube to make sure you like them...and THEN download them!
James Vincent McMorrow is a super mellow but utterly amazing artist. He was just as amazing in person. He is an Irishman so throughout the concert when he was talking to us between songs he would say ''Emm" intead of ''Umm" and "Feck it" instead of...well you know. I love it...a sucker for accents I guess.
I guess his music reminds me a bit of Bon Iver and maybe even a little bit of Ray LaMontagne. Like Bon Iver's frontman, James VM secluded himself in a cabin for months and recorded his entire album himself. It's so beautiful. Haunting. Story-like.
His album is called Early In the Morning:

Here is a sample of his music:

I love this song a lot but the video is kind of strange...haha:

And then he sang a cover of this song which was so great....I love his twist on it.

If you haven't heard of him...check it out. You won't be disappointed : )

Happy Wedding Day to Angela Kemp and Ryan Berreth! I am sorry I can't be there. We are heading out of town very soon here. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Overcommitted?

I probably shouldn't be blogging right now but rather dragging myself to my bed and sleeping as long as possible.
I remember that I was busy last fall when I taught clinical, and that hasn't changed this year...not sure why I thought it would. Working my regular nursing job+teaching clincal+taking pictures+grad school=busy Bri. And I did this all to myself. But guess what? I love it!
Over the years I have discovered that I am much happier and more productive when I have a full schedule. If I don't have enough to do, I get really lazy and therefore, depressed or down in the dumps. This week has just been a bit hard so far because Jason has had to work a ton and I have too so we haven't seen each other long enough to do more than say goodnight and give each other a kiss.
That's why I'm looking forward to this weekend! We are going to Saint Louis....just the two of us! Jason has always wanted to see the Cardinals play in their stadium and check out the city so this is his belated birthday gift. We got the plane tickets disgustingly cheap this summer (I think they were $20 each way?!) when Southwest was having some kick-ass sale...so it isn't even an expensive get away! I'm pretty excited. I am going to bring a few pretty dresses and get all sexified to go out to dinner...can't wait!

insert Nelly song...

The bad thing is, when we come back I have COMPLETELY overcommitment myself to working all these extra hours at work for an event they have going on. It always seems like a good idea the month before when you only think about the extra money you'll make...but then today when I counted the number of days in a row I will be working when I get back from St. Louie I kind of wanted to cry. Oh well. I'm focusing on the future...South America-a-a-a-a-a (in an echoed voice) and keep telling myself that after the next few weeks of craziness I will have some time to sit down and research more about where we should go and places to eat while we are there. If anyone has any suggestions please send them my way!
Anyhoo...I guess I just needed to write all that down which was likely rather boring to read but it made me feel better. And I guess it is MY blog so I can do what I please!
So I better go to bed... I have to get up in the morning to go to a meeting to talk about teaching clinical again in the spring...I am still debating. Hmmm...wonder what I'll choose??? ; )

South America and Tuna Casserole

I realize that title is kind of strange but it's the two topics I plan to cover in this post!
Jason and I have been talking about taking a big trip somewhere this winter. Just recently, I came across a really great deal to go to South America. It has always been my dream to go to Peru, specifically Machu Picchu. I am not sure why I want to go there so bad. I mean, obviously it's beautiful there and full of ancient history which is very interesting but besides that I am not sure what the draw has been for me...but I have always felt compelled to go there. It's a bucket list sort of trip. It's one of the things where I have always said...''if I can go to Peru before we have kids, I will be satisfied that I traveled somewhere unique and different"...I just can't believe it's happening! I feel SO lucky that we are able to do this.
We will be there for almost 2 weeks, traveling to different parts of Peru and then to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. I feel like I might pee my pants I am so excited!

I think I might cry when I get there...

Galapagos

We will be going right after Thanksgiving so it's coming up fast! In my limited free time between now and then, you can bet I will be researching and reading all about our destinations   
: )
It's pretty hilarious because we've only told a few people we were going on this trip and almost every single person has already asked us if we are going to have babies after we get back. The answer is...who knows but probably not! Ha ha. We have no idea what we went to do about babies and this is MY dream trip, Jason still has to have his turn. Although, he does not have a destination that he is so obsessed with like I did. Anyways, who knows. Time will tell.

And now on to the next subject which is a little less exciting but still delicious. Tuna Casserole. Doesn't get much more Minnesotan than Tuna Casserole...or casseroles in general I guess! Earlier this week when it was so chilly, I decided to whip out the recipe. It's one of Jason's favorite winter meals...and for good reason. It's my mom's recipe and I promise you won't be disappointed! We made a double batch but I will list the recipe as a single batch...we just like having leftovers!

Tuna Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 package frozen egg noodles, cooked
• 1 can of tuna, drained
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 yellow onion
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup, cooked
• 1 empty (Campbell's) can of milk
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 bag of plain potato chips, crushed

1. Cook noodles, melt butter in fry pan, and chop onion.
2. Saute onions in butter until browned and soft, add peas after onions cooked and cook until peas are warm.














  
 3. Mix soup and milk in saucepan and cook until creamy and hot.

4. Take a drink...honey whiskey is recommended...this step is optional

5. Combine cooked noodles, drained tuna, and cheddar cheese soup mix in large pot.

 
6. Add peas and onions to mixture and pour into glass cookware.

7. Bake at 350 * for 20-30 minutes or until bubbling hot.
8. Add parmesan cheese and crushed potato chips to top of casserole, replace in oven for 5 minutes.

 

9. Serve and enjoy!! (May need salt!)

It tastes better than it looks, I promise!!

Easy Spice

It's going to be a busy week, but luckily I got to be on-call for my last 4 hours of work today so I got my homework for the week done and a bunch of other stuff on my to-do list. That's a good feeling : )
Tonight we had tacos for dinner, not really an advanced recipe worth sharing but I am going to share the extra appetizer recipe I made last night for the football game. It's super fast and easy...as you may have figured out by now...I like easy meals!

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Ingredients:

• Rotisserie chicken, shredded
• Buffalo sauce, as much spice as you like (frank's red hot sauce)
• Slider buns or dinner rolls, sliced
• Ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping

1. Shred rotisserie chicken

 







2. Mix in buffalo sauce
3. Put chicken on buns, serve with sauce, and enjoy!

That's pretty much all I've got for ya. I'm making a loose promise to myself to make a complicated, fun, tasty meal on Thursday that requires more than three steps to make   : ) We shall see if I follow through. Have a great week!

Appetizer Friday & Much More

It was a great weekend off. We started off Friday night as our first official Appetizer Friday. I want to thank my friend Monica for inspiring this idea. She told me how a lot of Fridays her and her hubby put their little boy to bed, cook appetizers together, drink wine, and hang out on the patio or watch a movie. I for one love that idea. I am a sucker for traditions of any kind and was giddy while planning it last week. It turned out great despite the fact that I fell asleep not too long after our movie started...hey I can't control everything! I think this is a tradition we will continue as often as possible.We weren't even hungry enough for our last appetizer so we are eating that tonight...stay tuned for that recipe! Forming traditions like this before we have kids seems like such a great idea because it can be something we continue after we have kids and always have it to look forward to. Time just for us! So thanks again Monica for the great idea : )

Here's what we made:

Mini Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 bunch of basil, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 loaf french bread, sliced

1. Mix tomatoes, basil, & parmesan cheese. Slowly mix in olive oil & balsamic vinegar.

2. Slice french bread, toast until brown

 










3. Top toasted bread with tomato mixture, enjoy! (This was 10x more tasty than I ever expected!)

Jason clearly liked them as well:

Mini Tater Skins

Ingredients:

• 6-8 mini red potatoes
• cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon, cooked & crumbled
• 2 green onions, diced
• salt to taste
• sour cream, any other potato skin topping you like (ranch dressing if you're Jason)

1. Bake potatoes in oven at 375* for 30 minutes

 
 2. Cut potatoes in half, core out part of each half

 
 3. Add cheese and bacon to cored out potatoes, bake at 375* until cheese is melted, top with green onions

 4. Enjoy!

 




 Again, he enjoyed it:

We also ate some different kinds of cheese with our wine as we cooked : )

I think we will definitely do this again, as I said...it was really fun!

Yesterday we went out boating on Lake Minnetonka. It was a gorgeous day...so warm! Got me a little sunburn but it is likely the last one of the year which is mildly depressing. But regardless, we spent all day at Big Island, met a bunch of new people which I always like, and went out for a nice dinner on the lake. After the kidlets got off the boat, we went back out on the lake after dark with Jason's aunt Lisa and uncle Craig...the moon was so bright it lit up the whole lake...we met up with some people on Big Island again for a bonfire...it was such a fun time!
Though it is the end of the summer, we were given a totally gorgeous sunset last night to lessen the pain just a bit...take a look!

And today, as promised (the opening day of Sunday football) Jason made a killer breakfast...and let me say he really outdid himself this time! He made steak, eggs, hashbrowns, and more! We have spent all day in our pj's on the couch without an ounce of guilt. It's great! I'm also whooping Jason's uncle's ass in fantasy which adds to my satisfaction as well : )

I'm spoiled!

And last but not least, as you may have noticed, I got a new logo for my blog! I spent most of the day so far re-designing where stuff is on the blog. Please let me know your opinions on colors, layout, etc. I hope you enjoy it but am always open for suggestions!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

Oh Today...

Today was good...and bad only because of my own laziness. I accomplished a ton this morning...I started up a class this semester (my online master's program) so I did my homework for that, got some other work stuff done, and accomplished a few other things on my to-do list. But as soon as it got to go to boot camp time, I conveniently fell asleep and missed it. I always get a little crabby with myself when I miss a workout, especially when it's been almost a week since I last hit the gym. I have been working a ton since then so I haven't really had time...but still. Fortunately, my crabbiness was cured by Jason coming home early from work, us cooking a spaghetti dinner together, drinking some wine (getting a buzz...which I still have), and having a good talk.
Right now we are sitting on the couch in the basement because it is obviously the first day of football but most importantly the first day of fantasy football. This means good things for the most part. This coming Sunday morning will bring some awesome breakfast food home-made by Jason followed by sitting around in our pj's all day watching football. However, just a few minutes ago, I heard Jason call his brother-in-law and congratulate him on his championship win for the year...already...and it's not even halftime in the FIRST game of the year. It might be a long 17 weeks.
When I was out weeding/watering/fertilizing my veggie garden today I think I had my biggest harvest of the year. If anyone has any good recipes that include peppers...please send them my way! Because good lord....I have a butt load!

Another successful yield was that of cat nip. Louie loves it. Pierre does too but not nearly as much...Louie pretty much humps it whenever I bring it in the house. It's the only thing that distracts him enough to not try to escape when we open the door to go somewhere. As you can see...it's his girlfriend.

Louie spooning his lover

Ah romance...

This video will really provide the full affect if you are interested...

A little recipe I'll share before I get off my butt to pour myself some honey whiskey is a quick lunch recipe. I love this recipe because it reminds me of Jason and when we first started dating. He was working for his dad's catering company at the time and made me this wrap for work one day. It's f'ing tasty.

Jason's Wrap Yo

Ingredients:
-Tortilla
-Cream Cheese
-Dill Weed Seasoning
-Deli Turkey
-Cheddar Cheese
-Lettuce or Sprouts (i love sprouts!)

1. Spread desired amount of cream cheese on tortilla, sprinkle on dill weed

2. Add cheese, turkey, sprouts and/or lettuce
3. Wrap up and enjoy!

Well, I better get back to ''watching football'' which tonight will involve drinking honey whiskey....(highly recommended...jack daniel's tennessee honey) and reading the stack of 8 or 10 magazines that I have been meaning to read. Should be a good time.
I also want to thank everyone for the incredibly nice comments about my pictures lately. It's so encouraging and flattering. Thank you so much!!!

First Official Photo Shoot!

Earlier today I was lucky enough to photograph an awesome family who also happen to be the first family to officially hire me as their photographer : ) (so exciting!) The momma in this family works at Children's with me and I really appreciate her giving me a chance to take pictures of her absolutely adorable family. It was a great time. Though having three kids under the age of five does present its challenges for the amateur photographer...their adorable faces and personalities made it so worth it! We met at Como Park and walked around and then ended the session exploring the zoo for awhile. It was a fun morning! Thanks again for giving me this opportunity, I hope you enjoy the pictures!

The monkeys on the monkey