Perfect Mimosa

The Perfect Mimosa

I love a crisp, bubbly Mimosa on a weekend morning!  Reminds me that weekends are a time for fun, family, and celebrating a few precious days away from the hospital.  Here is our recipe for the most perfect Mimosa.

Find your fancy champagne flutes, pull them out of the buffet, and dust them off.  It really does make a difference in how they taste! You only live once and that crystal is doing you no good in the china cabinet.  :-)

3/4 glass chilled Chandon champagne 

(Chandon is our favorite by a LONG shot!  It's dry and perfect.)

1/4 glass Simply Orange Pulp Free OJ

(No one likes fur in their Mimosa) 

Seems like it's heavy on the champagne but it gives just the right amount of bubble without being so sweet that it makes you feel sick.

CHEERS!

Thank you!

Words cannot ever begin to express the gratitude we feel towards each and every person who has reached out to us since Tripp has been born.  It goes without saying that we were in a pretty trying, terrifying situation filled with all sorts of emotions.  I never knew it was possible to feel happier and more in love than I ever have at the same time I was feeling a fear I never knew existed.

There was no amount of planning, preparing, reading, or discussion that could have possibly prepared us for the adventure of parenthood.  We were completely blind to the fact that things may not go perfectly smooth.  We certainly didn't expect an emergency c-section at 32 weeks due to severe preeclamsia. Parenthood has taught us many lessons we never thought we would be learning.  It's amazing how an event so huge, that you think you will learn so much from, does end up teaching you the biggest life lessons but lessons totally different than you anticipated. Of course we were instantly overwhelmed by the love we felt for Tripp.  It was and still is the greatest feeling we've ever had in life.  We've learned to survive on two hours of sleep for months on end.  We're experts at diaper changes.  However, we were also blessed to learn a few life lessons we didn't plan on.

Here are a few of the unexpected lessons we've learned so far.

1.  PLAN?? That's funny! 
We have learned this year that no matter how much you plan or prepare you will always be trumped by Gods plan.  Thank goodness because His plan always ends up being the best plan.  I'm sure it goes without saying that Brian and I are planners... almost to a fault.  I truly feel like our adventure with a premature baby and life in the NICU was a HUGE lesson in patience and faith.  The growth we have experienced by living God's plan has been absolutely amazing.  Far greater than we could have imagined.  We learned that it's ok to have a plan with the understanding that things may change and we have learned the being flexible is essential.  It's sad that it took a premie baby to teach us this lesson... but alas we have learned!  I've decided from now on in life I will try to be more of a preparer and less of a planner.

2.  PATIENCE.  
Having Tripp has been the most humbling experience of our lives.  The emotions of having our 2 pound 14 ounce baby laying helplessly in an isolette and knowing there wasn't a single thing we could do for him was unbelievably humbling and also unbelievable frustrating.  We kept asking the neonatologist what we could do to help and kept receiving the same answer.

DON'T RUSH HIM. GIVE HIM TIME. BE PATIENT.  

Ha!  Patience is not something that either of us were blessed with.  I always say that the hours in the NICU were so long but the days seemed to fly by.  We found ourselves wanting him to gain weight, eat from a bottle, wear real clothes, and sleep in a crib instead of an isolette NOW... we were being selfish.  We learned that he had to do these things on his time and when he was ready.  It was best for him to go at HIS pace not ours.  We learned that being patient made those milestones that much sweeter knowing he was ready and thriving.  We learned that rushing him led to set backs for him which was even more heartbreaking.  We learned very quickly that his needs came before our wants.  We would ask the neonatologist frequently what his "current goal" was and we were repeatedly given the same answer. 

TO EAT, GROW, AND LIVE.

This answer instantly brought us back to the reality of his situation and the fragility of his tiny life and body.

We quickly learned to be patient.

So patient that on his day of discharge, when we were being sent home with a 4lb 14oz baby, we were asking if they were sure he was ready!   They assured us that he was... I'm not totally sure that we were convinced WE were ready :-)  Talk about intimidating!

3.  ASK FOR HELP... IT'S OK!
I've always been the type to do everything on my  own. I refused to ask for help because I never wanted to inconvenience people.  This experience put me in a position that I was physically unable to do everything on my own.  I learned through this experience that it's ok to rely on other people and it's even ok to ASK for help sometimes.  I've finally realized that if people branch out and offer to help it's because they truly want to.  This was huge for me!  I was in a position that left me pretty helpless and forced me to depend on others.  Honestly, this was good for me.  I needed to learn that in life there are times I  need to depend on others.  I've learned that people don't help or volunteer things that they aren't happy to do!  One of my big fears in life is inconveniencing people so in turn I try to do everything on my own.  I've learned people truly enjoy helping.  I guess had I turned the situation around a long time ago I would have realized that when I help others its because I truly want to... I'm not sure why it took me so long to realize this but I'm so glad I did.  I learned that it's ok to admit that I can't do it all and that it isn't a sign of weakness.  I've also learned that sometimes it shows more strength to admit that you need help.

4.  REACH OUT TO OTHERS
I can't tell you how many times in life I've seen people in difficult situations, going through hard times, or just not acting their normal selves and I've watched from the sidelines.  It has never been because I didn't care but rather that I didn't want to make them feel uncomfortable and truth be told it was probably because I was a little bit uncomfortable myself.  Maybe because I didn't know them that well or maybe because I didn't know what to say or do.  I didn't want to overstep my boundaries.  I felt that if they wanted to talk about it they would reach out.  I felt like if they needed help they would ask and I would obviously be more than happy and willing to do whatever they needed!  Again, it was never due to the fact that I didn't care but because I didn't know if reaching out was the right thing to do.

I'll never watch from the sidelines again.  I've learned that it's always so great to know people care!  I received texts, calls, and visits from people I barely knew.  Now they are great friends.  People dropped off baskets with drinks and snacks.  There were lots of days that all I had time to eat was a granola bar and gatorade from those baskets.  I had days that the walls of my hospitality room felt like they were caving in and then I would get a text from a friend that just said "thinking about you" and all of a sudden I realized that I wasn't alone, our situation was temporary, and we were SO blessed to have a baby that was living, breathing, and thriving.  I received Facebook messages from people that I had no idea even knew what was going on in our lives.  I would look through comments on Facebook and realize how many people were behind us and how many people cared. That was so uplifting.

So from now on I'll send that text.  People don't have to respond if it's a bad time.  If they're sleeping I've learned first hand that they're so exhausted either it won't wake them or they'll go right back to sleep.  I'll be dropping of little necessities.  The last thing I was thinking about was running out to grab snacks, drinks, gum, or a hot meal.  Those little things were game changers and often totally turned our day around.  If someone says they don't need help I'm doing it anyway!  I understand that there are times when people don't want visitors... I've been there.  I can truly say though there was never a time when people stopped by that they left and I wasn't in a better mood and better emotional place.  There were several times people offered help, I declined, and they showed up anyway and I was SO glad!  We had meals dropped off on our porch with notes that read "Didn't want to bother you but here's dinner."  I can guarantee you that was the BEST meal we had in days.  People sent premie clothes... I'm sure they didn't realize that we had been holding our breath and waiting for the day they told us he could put an outfit on but of course ordering clothes online was the last thing on our mind and going out to a store was totally out of the question.  When we received those clothes in the mail that was truly the first outfits we had to dress him in!  There were numerous times people would drop off notes while I was in with Tripp and I would find them when I got back to the room.  The tiniest piece of encouragement changed the entire day!

So I learned that from now on to just do it!  If someone says no... do it anyway.  It's easier to ask for forgiveness later than permission now :-) Just to know someone is thinking of you can change your entire attitude.

5. POWER OF PRAYER AND FAITH
What did we do when we had a baby at 32 weeks, he couldn't eat on his own, he couldn't breath on his own, he was sleeping in an isollete because he couldn't maintain his temperature on his own, and we had this new, amazing responsibility as a parents but realized there wasn't a single thing we could do for our new baby.  We PRAYED!  We asked everyone we knew, everyone our parents knew, our friends and everyone they knew to do the same thing!  It's so hard for me to imagine how people who don't have faith get through these kinds of situations... because prayer was our only hope and only source of peace. I remember driving to the doctors office the day Tripp was delivered and praying the hardest, most gut wrenching prayer I have in my entire life.  He was born forty five minutes later at 2lb 14oz because it was safer for him to be here in this world than in my belly.  He is now thriving at 10lb 3oz.  We had people praying for this little boy all across the country and those prayers were certainly felt.  It was a completely humbling experience to realize that we had no control.  We could pray and we could have faith but ultimately Tripp was in God's hands.  It was pretty powerful and extremely tough lesson to learn.  However, this lesson has definitely been the most important of all.

6. WE HAVE A NEW RESPECT FOR OUR PARENTS!
There are so many times that we look at Tripp and think..."WOW... this is how our parents feel and have felt about us for years!"  We had no idea and I don't think there is any way to comprehend those emotions until you go through it.  The nights of no sleep, nonstop crying, and trial and error to figure out what is making Tripp so upset... they went through all of that with us!  Don't even get me started on how excited we get about poop around here.  We are only three months in to this journey and we are already so blown away to think that our parents did all of this for us.  The love we feel for Tripp is indescribable and to think this is how they've been feeling for years.  The fear we have that something may happen to him is a fear they've felt for over 30 years.  I'll never forget talking to my Dad on the phone while Tripp was in the NICU.  I told him that I felt guilty because I wasn't being 100% optimistic even though he had overcome every single hurdle and met every goal sooner than the neonatologist hoped and expected.  I told him I felt 90% encouraged and optimistic but 10% fearful that something was going to go wrong.  I felt like I had a pit in the bottom of my stomach 24/7 because I was terrified of something going wrong.  I was terrified that something bad was going to happen to him.  His words will stay with me forever.

"I'm sure a small part of that is his situation but don't get your hopes up that that feeling will go away.  It isn't because he's in the NICU.  That is how it feels to be a parent."

When we called to tell them we were having a c-section they were there immediately.  They dropped everything to come to Tennessee and now we can completely understand why they wouldn't have it any other way.  We're their babies after all and when your babies and their baby is in trouble you don't blink an eye- YOU JUST GO.  

We just had no idea.

7. IT'S OK TO NOT BE OK.

Brian and I both have a problem showing weakness.  We try not to complain and we try to see the positive side of things.  We put on a smile even when we don't feel like it sometimes.  Don't get me wrong... life is truly great about 98% of the time and we're generally very happy people but everyone has that 2% that they want to just say they're having a crappy day.

This experience has taught us that it's ok to not be ok because sometimes things in life really aren't ok.  I struggled admitting that this situation was so difficult because I felt like I was being ungrateful.  Here I was with a beautiful little baby, alive, slowly gaining weight... I should have been so thankful and I WAS absolutely so thankful!  I finally realized that even though I knew we were incredibly blessed that it's also ok to admit that this experience was hard.  I cried A LOT!  There were days that I sat for hours reading articles on the internet and scaring myself to a point of being nearly inconsolable.  I remember walking down the hall to the NICU seeing mothers being transported from labor and delivery with their husbands pushing a crib behind them filled with an 8lb baby and nearly bursting in to tears.  We were scared, frustrated, and at times discouraged.  There were days that just plain sucked.  I learned quickly that sometimes in life things aren't totally ok... and that it's ok to admit that.  Sometimes you need to admit that in order to receive the support you need.  Sometimes admitting things are hard, admitting that things kind of suck, or admitting you're scared can be so liberating.  It's human.  Plus most of the time people can see straight through the "It's OK" coming from someone whose eyes are welled up with tears, bright red, puffy, and it looks like they haven't slept in days. Come on now :-) 

People who care enough to inquire deserve for you to shoot it to them straight.  "I know I'm so blessed and I'm so thankful for how far we've come... but today kind of stinks." It's OK. 

____________________________________________________

As of December 30th we're back on the farm.  We just had the most incredible holiday season.  Brian's family was here for Thanksgiving and mine for Christmas.  It was just so special.  It's amazing how much a little guy can totally rock your world.

We have learned so much through this experience.  We've grown individually, grown in our marriage, and grown in our relationship with God.  We've developed new friendships.  We have a new appreciation for each other, our family, and our friends. We've learned to really lean on each other in times of hardship.  We have always tried to cherish every day and be present in life but recognize the importance of doing so much more now than ever.

There is no way Brian and I could ever truly express how thankful we are to have such amazing friends and family.  If you called, texted, sent a Facebook message, sent clothes or cards, dropped off food... THANK YOU!!  I want you to know that it truly did make our day!  We have been absolutely blown away by everyones generosity and thoughtfulness.   We've said numerous times throughout this experience that we couldn't imagine how people do it without a support system.  I'm trying really, really hard to work on Thank You cards... it isn't happening as quickly as I was hoping.  Babies require lots of time and energy :-) I promise they're coming!

More importantly, thank you to everyone who has kept Tripp and our family in your prayers.  It is truly the very best and most powerful gift you could ever give someone.  We have felt all of those prayers and the power of prayer is truly evident in our little man!  I'm posting this on our blog because I realize prayer is often silent. If you have been praying for us silently- Thank you!

We're looking forward to welcoming 2016 with full hearts and a chubby baby.  Tripp weighed 10lb 3 oz this morning and has stepped on to the full term baby growth curve.  He is rocking several leg rolls and several chins.  He is interactive and looking around.  He is noticing things, grabbing full fists of hair, and making tons of new noises.   He has started smiling when he hears our voices which makes the late nights, early morning, and all nighters totally worth every second.  He gave my Dad his first little baby giggle.  He has completely changed our lives and we are so thankful.  We have been totally humbled and we don't take a single blessing for granted.

Thank you all again for all of your love.  There are no words that could ever express our gratitude.

Now... I'm off to play with our sweet baby!

XO
Taryn

The BEST Spinach Artichoke Dip!

I get really down in the dumps when I find a great looking recipe, go to the store and buy all of the ingredients, stand on my head to figure out how to actually make the silly thing, and then take my first bite and it is totally underwhelming!  This happens quite a bit actually... maybe because I'm overly critical of the things that come out of my kitchen or maybe because after the hours it takes to make the dish it just seems like it should taste better.  Who knows. :-)  If anyone out there tells you that everything they make is to die for then either I'm going to call their bluff OR I may just throw in the towel, go move in with them, and just let them cook for me everyday. Not a bad idea, huh?

The point is that I have TONS of kitchen flops, dishes that just don't taste as great as they sounded, and straight up kitchen disasters.

I've been searching for a spinach artichoke recipe for years and have made several in the past. Until now I would always make the recipe and then wish I would have bought the TGI Fridays frozen dip because it was cheaper, easier, and WAY BETTER.

When I found this recipe by Ree Drummond (aka. The Pioneer Woman and one of my all time kitchen/life heroes) I knew it would be good!   However, I was wrong.  It isn't good- it is TO DIE FOR! The recipe is easy, so worth it, and will leave your kitchen smelling heavenly.

In fact, I just ate spinach artichoke dip for breakfast. Don't judge me.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

6 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons minced garlic

1 bag spinach

Salt and pepper (to taste)

2 cans artichoke hearts (rinsed and drained)

3 Tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cup whole milk

1 package (8oz) cream cheese

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

3/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

extra grated pepper jack cheese

pita bread or roasted garlic triscuits

1. Open cans of artichoke hearts, rinse them, and set them aside in a strainer.

2. Over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter.  Add 4 tablespoons of garlic and allow this to cook for 2-3 minutes.  Turn the heat up to HIGH and dump the bag of spinach into the skillet.  (It is going to look like it won't fit but it will wilt down really quickly). Sauté until the spinach is soft and turns dark green. Remove from skillet but leave as much of the garlic butter in the skillet as you can.

3. Turn heat back down to medium.  Add the artichoke hearts the same skillet with the remaining garlic butter from the spinach.  Let them simmer in the garlic butter until they start to turn golden brown. This will take 7-10 minutes. Stir them often.  At this point your kitchen will smell heavenly.  Once brown and once most of the water has evaporated, remove the artichoke hearts and set them on a plate.

4.  In a medium size sauce pan add the additional 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Allow butter to melt and then add 3 tablespoons of flour. This should form a paste. Stir continuously and allow this to cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 whole milk and stir until it thickens.  (This will take a few minutes but make sure you are stirring constantly and watching it.  It goes from very thin to very thick almost instantly).

5. Now add your cheese!  1 block cream cheese + 1/2 C feta + 1/2 C grated parm + 3/4 C pepper jack
Stir until all of the cheese is melted.  Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Chop cooked spinach and artichoke into small pieces and add to cheese mixture.

7. Pour into oven safe baking dish. Top with a bit more pepper jack cheese. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.  I turned my oven to broil at the end to get a nice bubbly brown top.

Serve with toasted pita bread or garlic roasted triscuits.

Mom's Banana Bread

I am the queen of buying bananas, with great plans of trying to eat healthier, and five days later we have fruit flies and my bananas are brown.  Oh well!  It gives me a great excuse to make my Mom's banana bread.  She's been making this bread for years and it was one of the first recipes I ever called her to get.

Mom's Banana Bread

1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (~3 bananas)

(I put them in my KitchenAid mixer so I don't have to do it by hand. Lazy, I know.)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 egg (beaten)

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 Tbs water

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Optional: 1 cup of blueberries

Bake at 350 degrees on the middle rack for approximately 90 minutes.  I set the timer for 60 minutes and then use the knife test. Just pull them out when the knife comes out clean. Let cook and wrap in foil to keep the bread moist.

There aren't any photos because every time I though of taking one I decided to eat the bread instead.  Shoot.

So I will leave you with this... Any guesses where this photo was taken?

Good Morning

I have a problem of feeling like I need to be doing something productive at all times.  I hate to admit this but I've had frustrating mornings of running errands because I get there so early the stores aren't open yet. Life in the past was so busy I felt like I had to utilize every single second to get everything done.

Since moving to Tennessee, I have made a real effort to slow down. I have to say that life is SO much better this way.  I may still be up at 6:00am every morning but instead of popping out of bed and running wild until it is time to go back to bed that night I've been taking the mornings for me.  Taking them slow. Relaxing.  I've found that my days are much better, I'm happier, and I get to have some "me time" before anything else gets accomplished.  As a woman, at least for me, "me time" is the first thing I sacrifice to keep things running smoothly.

Things I've learned:
1.  Coffee tastes better from a real ceramic mug instead of a travel mug
2.  Mens t-shirts are, for some reason, much more comfortable than any women's t-shirt
3.  Reading is so much more productive when you don't have Monday night football blaring in the back ground
4.  And most importantly-  Taking time for ME makes me much better at my relationships I have with others.

So stay in your robe, drink coffee, look around on Pinterest, read your book, check your email, do a little online shopping, flip through your favorite magazine, plan your day, and THEN go be productive!

Happy Tuesday!
xoxo

Must Reads

This summer was the perfect time to start reading again.  We took a few trips and I spent pretty much every morning on the front porch with a hot cup of coffee and a book.  Here are some great books if you're looking for a good read that you can't put down!

Sad, sad, sad! Great story of young love and experiencing life with illness but, man, it was sad!

Yes, I watch reality TV. Yes, I'm addicted to watching The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Yes, I bought this book. It was highly entertaining, raw, and I LOVED it.  I'm all about keeping drama out of real life but I am totally up for pouring a big glass of wine and watching the drama unfold on TV.  If you're a fan of the show, you need to read this book. Hilarious!

Maybe farmer Chris will write a book :-)

Quick, easy read. Apparently it is or is going to be a movie. I finished this book in two days and am getting ready to start the sequel, Where She Went.   

I've heard mixed reviews about the show and I've never actually seen it.  This book is actually really good! I've never been to prison, and really plan on never going,  but it seems to be a pretty unfiltered testimony.

Hilarious!  This book will cause you to humiliate yourself on a plane or in a waiting room because you will be laughing out loud.  Couldn't put it down.

If you love Charleston, South Carolina (which I do!) you will love this book.  The setting is on Isle of Palms and it has a perfect mixture of real life... work, family, and a love story. Given to me by my mother-in-law, this book was a home run!

I haven't read this book since elementary school, but since it is also going to be a movie I wanted to revisit the book before going to see the movie.  My Mom read this book to my classroom so it has, and will always have, a special place in my heart.  It really makes you think on a deeper level when you read it as an adult.  It has sparked some great conversations. If you read it as a kid, you should revisit it.

Next in line....

Enjoy!

xoxo

Life in Tennessee

Brian and I have officially relocated to middle Tennessee and have found what we consider to be "home".  We had several years of unknown, with Brian going through the match process, selling houses, buying houses, packing, moving, and then waiting to hear where we would be going next.

This time was very different. There wasn't a match process and for the first time in a very long time we were able to choose where we wanted to settle down.  We knew we wanted a city within close proximity but that we wanted to live out in the country and have some land.  This proved to be more challenging than we expected since Brian has to be fairly close to the hospital to take call.  Brian knew exactly what he was looking for professionally. Finding a perfect combination of these things things in one place was not an easy venture.

I'll spare you all of the details but after multiple interviews, trips, and house hunting adventures we finally found a town that seemed to meet all of our needs and more importantly fulfill all of our wishes for our new home and community!

Brian joined Mid South Surgeons in August and is currently practicing as a vascular surgeon.  It's a pretty crazy experience when you wake up one day and all of the training is over.  Finished.  It seems, for years, like it will never actually be over and then one day you wake up and it is.  He is loving his job and feels blessed to work with such an amazing group of colleagues.

I took a job working full time in the Maury Regional Emergency Department. It is so great to walk into the doctors lounge for lunch and be able to see my sweet husbands face, if only for long enough to say hello!  Though I'm working full time, I really feel like I work half as much as I did in Pennsylvania which is truly a blessing!  Thank goodness for working longer hours and fewer days. The people that I work with are amazing and I have, once again, been blessed with a group of amazing people.

We ended up finding a home that was just exactly what we were looking for. Brian really wanted to be somewhere without neighbors and I, after renovating our home in Pennsylvania, was really looking forward to finding a home that didn't require us to sleep on an air mattress for months.  God was really with us and blessed us with the perfect piece of property with a home that needed no work.  Such an answered prayer!  I'm a firm believer in having that mindset of "do what you have to do" but lets just say that we are REALLY glad we didn't have to renovate!

Over the past few months we have been settling in to what we consider to be "real life" in our new home.  We spend the weekends working outside, going on hikes around the property, fishing in the pond, making great dinners, reading, hanging out with friends, entertaining house guests, and occasionally venturing up to Franklin and Nashville.  We've become Titans fans (when in Rome!) and are learning the concept of being fans even when the team isn't doing so hot. :-)  Brian has become the master of tractor work. I've been able to get back to doing things I love... reading, cooking, running, and, finally, blogging again!  We're slowly starting to meet new friends and also cherishing time with old friends. Brian is finally able to embrace all of his manly hobbies and it makes me so happy to see him finally able to enjoy his free time again!  Now that he finally has some. :-)

We feel truly blessed for this life and are more than ready for house guests!  I can promise that the sheets will be clean, the wine glasses will be full, the Great Danes will be here to welcome you, and the table with be loaded with great food. Come visit us at the farm!

Date Night On Tuesday? Definitely.

I can't wait to see my sweet husband tonight!!  He has been in Wilkes-Barre doing an away rotation for the past two months and we are officially on the downhill slide.  He has six more days of apartment, bachelor living until he is home.for.good!  I try not to complain about him being away because, well, what would that help?  Let me just tell you though... I will be one happy chick to be living under the same roof again.  The best part is that after the end of this month there will be no more away rotations. Ever.

Residency and fellowship is all about flexibility and accepting whatever comes your way...  and to be very honest with you we have LOVED it.  Sure, there have been frustrating times, sleepless nights of nonstop pages, holidays spent away from family and even away from each other, and many plans that have had to be changed or cancelled last minute and unexpectedly... but ya know, at least we have been in it together.  This will be a phase and time in our lives that we will hold very close to our hearts.  I have LOVED this time.  We have been forced to learn to depend 100% on each other, to be flexible and understanding, and to appreciate every singe second we get to spend together, every date night, and every weekend off.  

As I decorate our home for Christmas, I've realized that this is pretty much it for our journey through residency and fellowship.  We're putting our home on the market next month and trying to plan for our next step of life.  Brian officially finishes fellowship in June... WOW time flies!  We're so thankful and so blessed to have had such an amazing journey so far.

Now... I'm off to shower and get all dolled up for date night :-)  I am amazed every day by my husband.  He works so ridiculously hard without complaints, does extra work because he wants to make sure things are fair, and really has one of the coolest and scariest jobs I could ever imagine.  However, somehow he still comes home and asks what he can do to help, has no fear of apologizing when he's wrong, makes me want to be a better person, makes me laugh until I can't breath, and makes me feel like the most important thing in the entire world.   His investment to our home life is twice that of his investment to work... which is a lot!   

All things that EVERY woman deserves!  

I'll definitely toast a margarita to that... and I plan to this evening!!

I stumbled upon this quote today and I think it's pretty amazing.  

“He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.” – Bob Marley

BOOK GIFTAWAY: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

One of my very favorite things to do is read.  I love it... especially when it involves cuddling up with my slippers, blanket, and puppies.  However, for the past several years I've come up with a million and one excuses to justify why I don't have time.  I need to clean the house.  I need to be reading for work.  I need to pay bills and run errands.  I need to exercise.  Blah, blah, blah. :-)  While all of those things are true, there is no reason I can't take 30 minutes a day to sneak away.  Thirty minutes always turns in to much, much longer but who's counting?

I love that feeling when you find a book that just sucks you in.  You know... the ones you just can't put down!  I recently finished what I could consider to be a "must read".

There are a few books that we will have forever... our Bibles, our Marriam-Webster dictionary with the cover falling off, my set of Grimm's Fairy Tales that my mom read to me as a child, my copy of Polar Express, and my collection of Herman Wouk novels that were given to me by Brian's mom.  They will all stay on our shelves forever.  I love all things with sentimental value!

However, since there are so many great books out there I think it's a shame to read one, put it on the shelf, and have it never be opened again because there are so many other great ones to read. So why not pass them along for others to enjoy?

Which brought me to my next idea... BOOK GIFTAWAY!

I'm a firm believer in paying it forward.  So this is how its going to work.  When I finish a great book, I'll post it on the blog with a short synopsis and if it's something you think you may be interested in reading then simply post something in the comments.  I don't care if we're good friends, have talked once in our life, talk every day, or are complete strangers.  I'm happy to send it to anyone that may enjoy it!  After one week, I'll put everyones name in a hat, draw randomly, and then mail you the book.  FOR FREE!!

The only thing I ask is that when you're finished that you pass it along to someone else that may love it.  Doesn't matter who :)

So here's the first book to be gifted.  Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.   This book was recommended to me by one of my best friends,  Carmen.  It has been sitting on my coffee table for the past year.  Shame on me!

This book turned me in to a crazy lady.  I was reading it at work, waking up much earlier than necessary to read, reading while pumping gas in my Prius (which takes 3 minutes) and then sitting at the pump to finish just one more page.  I was out of control!

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.

Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles--and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined.

Abraham Verghese, the author of Cutting for Stone, is also a physician. He did his internal medicine residency in Johnson City, Tennessee.  This is obviously a place near and dear to our family.  His history and background are incredible!  See the quote and link below to learn more about this amazing man.  

http://abrahamverghese.com/

“I wanted the reader to see how entering medicine was a passionate quest, a romantic pursuit, a spiritual calling, a privileged yet hazardous undertaking,” he said. “It’s a view of medicine I don’t think too many young people see in the West because, frankly, in the sterile hallways of modern medical-industrial complexes, where physicians and nurses are hunkered down behind computer monitors, and patients are whisked off here and there for all manner of tests, that side of medicine gets lost.”

This book is truly sensational!

If you're interested comment below within the next week and I'll let you know who will be receiving this gem!

Happy Reading.
xoxo

Gourmet Portobello Mac & Cheese

One of the most important things I've learned about residence and fellowship is that sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to get things done.  Brian and I are in the middle of a crazy stretch... his call weekend, my work weekend, his regular work week, my night shift stretch, etc.  You get the picture!  I wasn't willing to let a whole week pass without spending at least a few hours with my hubs which meant one thing... ROAD TRIP!  This long, crazy stretch will be so worth it when we're able to load up and head to Arkansas for a long weekend!  YEHAW!

I was able to find a few hours this weekend to sneak up to Wilkes-Barre.  After hearing for days that Brian was either at Panera or chewing on sunflower seeds for dinner, I thought it would be nice for him to have a real meal for dinner.  I've always heard that the way to a mans heart is through his belly :)  I loaded up the Prius with a few spices, a few bags of groceries, and Brian's cast iron skillet.

I'm a firm believer that macaroni and cheese should be it's own food group!  I love it.  All kinds. All shapes.  All combinations of cheese.

This dish is one that reminds me of something you would get at a fine steakhouse.  It's perfect for a dinner party but in all honesty is probably "too much" for just a normal date night for two.  This is mainly because the cheese can get a bit pricey and it makes way too much for just two people.  It would be perfect for a group of four to six.   I promise if you pull this out at your next dinner party your guests will leave full, happy, and begging for the recipe.  It doesn't hurt that it's baked and served in cast iron. Cast iron makes everything better!  We served this with Brian's pan seared scallops but it would also be awesome with a big, juicy, medium rare steak.  It's rich, it's savory, and it's delicious.  Mmmmmm.

My next project is to find some individual size cast iron skillets...  I see a dinner party in our near future!  Who's coming??

Enjoy.
xoxo

The iPhone photo DOES NOT do this justice :) 

Gourmet Mushroom Mac & Cheese

(recipe from leitesculinaria.com)

Ingredients

• Handful coarse sea salt, to taste
• 1 pound macaroni (a classy macaroni called cavatappi is shown in the photo above)
• 10 ounces portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed level with cap, gills removed
• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Leaves from a few sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Leaves from a few sprigs fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup tightly packed grated white Cheddar, plus more to taste
• 2/3 cup tightly packed grated Parmesan, plus more to taste
• 8 ounces Taleggio, rind removed, diced or sliced
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

• 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• 2. Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
• 3. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet, stem-side up, and brush with oil. Season lightly with salt, sprinkle with the herbs, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Remove and let cool slightly. Dice the mushrooms and set aside.
• 4. Preheat the broiler to medium.
• 5. Put the cream in a large saucepan and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat. Add the Cheddar and Parmesan and half the Taleggio, and stir well to melt. Taste and adjust the seasoning. (If a thicker sauce is desired, add more cheese to taste.)
• 6. Dump the drained macaroni into a large bowl. Stir in half the mushrooms and the hot cream sauce and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer the macaroni mixture to a 2-quart casserole or a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (be sure your baking dish is broilerproof; do not use a glass or ceramic dish). Top with the remaining mushrooms and Taleggio and a good grinding of black pepper. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is golden. Serve immediately.

**I made this is a large cast iron skillet. I poured just enough peanut oil to coat the bottom and prepared exactly as the directions suggest.  It was so good, so pretty, and SO easy to clean up!**