January 2014

Happy New Year, y'all! Did you miss me? My apologies for taking an extended hiatus. September brought our first anniversary, and we also bought a house, which we spent a few weeks fixing up. Unfortunately, I was too busy to blog, and plus we did not unpack our pans for a few weeks. Needless to say, we ate a lot of sandwiches. But I'm back and better than ever! I am doing one post a month that will detail our meals, as well as a short review of my New Year's goal. I plan to read a book a week, so 52 books a year.

We decided to also resolve to try new foods this year, and to do that we are attempting to stick to using the two cookbooks I got for Christmas. Therefore, all of the recipes from this month come from either Better Homes and Gardens ultimate low calorie cookbook or Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast weeknight meals. They were fairly inexpensive as far as cookbooks go, and the recipes so far have been very good, with a few exceptions.

Teriyaki Salmon with Pasta and Snap peas

Verdict: Ok as far as salmon goes for me (I'm not the biggest fan) and the teriyaki sauce covered some of that intense fish flavor.

Shrimp Stir Fry with peas, broccoli and water chestnuts

Verdict: tasty, but I overcooked the peas so they were very stringy. Be sure to add them with only about a minute to go.

Herbed chicken with roasted potatoes and asparagus

Verdict: OK, we took this recipe from another cookbook (Food Network) but we love the recipe and it's quick and easy.

Shrimp Po Boys with pickle chips and brussel sprouts

Verdict: This was from our Cooking Light magazine and we wanted to try it because it met our resolution of trying new things. Unfortunately the bread was not wide enough so it was difficult to eat. I was skeptical to try brussel sprouts but they are actually amazing. We roasted ours with basting oil, salt and pepper and they're so good. Pickle chips on the other hand...well, that's one I'm not willing to try again. You may like them if you like pickles, but as an ardent pickle hater, they were not very good. 

Cranberry chicken with turnips and rice

Verdict: this was supposed to be pomegranate chicken, but have you seen the price of pomegranate juice? We deemed it not to be cost effective to buy a 7$ bottle of juice, of which we would use about 1/4 cup, and substituted cranberry juice. It came out fine. And I tried wild rice and it was...ok. The turnips I was expecting to be crispy, but they were soft and mushy. I would try them again and bake them longer, but Ryan was not having them.

Pot Roast with Red Wine gravy and noodles

Verdict: Don't, just don't. This was cooked in a crock pot, and the beef was so overcooked, but the vegetables (parsnips, carrots, onions) were basically still raw. No happy medium could be found. 

Polenta, Zucchini and beef casserole. 

Verdict: Although skeptical, this was so amazing I wish I could make it all the time. It not only combined two things I had never tried/liked before (zucchini and polenta), it was easy to make, had little clean up, and made for amazing leftovers. If there is one recipe I would have to recommend this month, this is the one. 

Baked Catfish with sweet potato fries and beans

Verdict: not very memorable, fairly bland. Meh. 

Turkey tomatillo burgers

Verdict: this was also not from our books (we get Real Simple, and this was a recipe for this month). Ryan loved them. I thought they were good, but not great. 

Beef stir fry with edamame and peppers

Verdict: the edamame (I had never had cooked before) gave this dish a great flavor. I totally would have had seconds. A+

Chicken Scaloppini with Kale Chips (not pictured)

Verdict: the chips are not pictured because they took well over the hour my recipe said. So we ate the chicken, which was good, but used a lot of dishes and was messy to make. We then tried the kale chips, and at the beginning they were crunchy and salty and good, but then when you went to swallow they were chewy and stringy and not fun. We are planning to try kale again but just need to find a different way to cook it. Suggestions?

Turkey Roll Ups

Verdict: very easy meal to make if you are in a hurry. It's basic lunch meat, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and a make your own sauce. Not much to write home about but cheap and easy for a week night. 

Pork chops with Tarragon Onion Gravy, brussel sprouts and potatoes

Verdict: So super good. We actually had these twice this month, once by ourselves and once when my parents came for dinner. Easy to make, amazing flavor (don't forget the gravy, the onions with the pork make for a great flavor). The potatoes were easy to make too since they are microwaved. Just add milk and a couple more ingredients, 169 calories per serving!

Barbecue Salmon with potatoes and broccoli

Verdict: I'm not gonna lie to you, there was no recipe for this. We just had leftover potatoes and no ideas. Steam up some broccoli and let some fish sit in sauce all day, and dinner is ready in under 10 minutes works for me. 

Turkey Tenders with sweet potatoes and broccoli

Verdict: This too is not from any book (it's from my own personal collection.) I accidentally bought the wrong kind of turkey for the turkey burgers, so I had to find a recipe to use the turkey cutlets. It's basic breaded turkey with buttermilk and panko, very good with honey mustard sauce. 

Orange Glazed chicken thighs with rice and broccoli

Verdict: I wish I had bigger breasts. Chicken breasts, that is, because this was so good. 

Cod with salad and gnocchi

Verdict: the breading fell off the cod, so it was not very photogenic, but it was still tasty. The Gnocchi, another new find, was so good and not what I was expecting. I knew it was potato but was expecting it to taste more like pasta (kind of like how you expect orzo to taste like rice). Pleasantly surprised, and it was quick and easy. 

Now on to the books.  I'll try to keep these as short as possible. 

Claudia Silver to the Rescue, by Kathy Ebel

It's Girls the HBO series in the written form and set in the 1990's. Not my style but an interesting read about a girl who has no job, terrible relationship skills, a poor family situation and a sister who she tries to help. 

Dad is Fat, by Jim Gaffigan

A hilarious story of a comedian and his family of five children, his everyday challenges of living with his brood in a 2 bedroom NYC apartment, and his wife, who should be pretty proud because he makes her sound like a saint. Overall, some really funny jokes and one-liners and a quick read (it took be under 30 hours to finish). 

The Light Between Oceans, by M.L. Steadman

I don't know why but I was shocked this book was written by a woman. Probably because it was told from the perspective of the husband, and I felt it would have been drastically different from the wife's perspective. It's the story of a man and his new wife who are the only human inhabitants of an island. He is the commander of the light house, and for years he and his wife struggle to have children until one day a baby and a dead man wash up on shore on a small boat. His wife convinces him to not record the incident, and all seems well until the couple and their child return to the mainland to find a local child and her father disappeared. He wants to do the right thing but his wife insists to keep the secret. You've got to read it to find out what happens next. 

Joyland, by Stephen King

A kind of stupid story by Stephen King. It was 90% back story, 5% love story, 5% suspense that turns out to be really stupid. The story begins with a college boy who takes a summer job at an amusement park and of course he is the hardest worker there and everyone loves him. He decides to stay and take a year off from school, and while there he meets a mother and her handicapped son. He finally convinces the mother to come to the amusement park he works in and the boy sees the ghost of a woman haunting a ride. The boy uncovers who murdered that woman years ago, but not without putting himself in danger. Mediocre at best. I expected more from you, Stephen King!

Lookaway, Lookaway, by Wilton Barnhardt

Want to feel better about your dysfunctional family? Read this book then. This book took me the longest to read and it was really hard to get into. There was no real plot line, just following individual family members in their free-fall into disaster. I won't elaborate because I did not like it, but if you ever think you have a crazy family, read a couple chapters of this book. Trust me

Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein

I know this is a kid's book but it was recommended to me. It's the story of a dog's life, told through the words of a dog. It was heartbreaking at first, mainly because I am still in denial about my own dogs ever dying. But just thinking about it, which is what this book did to me, made me overly emotional. If I ever have children I think it will be an excellent book for them to read to explain the loss of a pet. Racing in the Rain refers to the profession of Enzo's owner, a race car driver. He fights to save his daughter after his wife dies of a brain tumor. 

Early Decision, by Lacy Crawford

Gosh, was getting into college this difficult? I really need to go back and see if I can find my admissions essay. Anne is a private tutor of sorts, hired by wealthy families to help get their kids into WASPy colleges. She has about four students who she follows during the course of this book. But man, did I really wonder what I wrote in my college essay to make myself seem awesome. I ended up going to a small local college (I graduated pretty high in my class and had great grades) but can't for the life of me remember what I wrote about that made other, bigger colleges want to accept me (I was accepted at College of Charleston, Syracuse, Miami of Ohio, UVA, Vassar, and a handful of other local schools). Someone remind me why I turned UVA down?

Well that's it for January. Stay tuned for the books and meals February has to offer!

Hardin goes to Washington

I'd like to apologize for anyone who is just reading this blog for the food and recipes. This summer we went on two amazing vacations, and I want to share them with everyone. Our first trip, covered in this post, was a reunion trip to Washington, DC. We met up with all our friends from grad school and had a great time. Our second trip, which I will cover in another post within the week (I promise!) was to Atlanta for Ryan's cousin's wedding. So please enjoy our pictures and descriptions of Hardin hall's visit to the capital! Also, I find it ironic I am posting this today because Barry O himself is visiting Buffalo today. 

****DISCLAIMER**** Washington in July is hot and humid. Like so hot that not even all the baby powder in the world will keep you dry. I was sticky and wet by 9am. So if we look absolutely awful in these pictures, this is what our excuse it. Or we're just ugly. You pick. 

We flew in on Thursday July 4th and were able to figure out public transportation from the Baltimore ariport all the way to Georgetown. Since I am all about saving money, this was by far cheaper than flying in to Dulles or Reagan (thank you Southwest). We took a bus to a subway station, then the subway to our hotel. Of course doing this while carrying luggage was an instant recipe for pit stains and sticky thighs, but we made it! 

We stayed at a hotel that is on the National Register of Historic Hotels, called the Hotel Lombardy. Below is a picture of our lovely view of Georgetown. We also got a king bed and OH. MY. GOD. I had so much space to sleep it was amazing. If you are married to a person who sleeps in the middle of the bed no matter how big it is, I highly recommend a king bed. 

Our hotel was also next to the Washington home of James Madison, pictured below. 

We unpacked our stuff a little and then headed to the zoo, mainly to see the Pandas. Since the zoo is part of the Smithsonian, there is no charge to go, but there are an absolute ton of people there. It was also very hot, so most of the animals were inside or not moving. Ryan loves pandas and really wanted to see them, and it was pretty disappointing since those lazy bums were snoozing inside. So we settled for a picture of Ryan with a panda statue. 

The lions were pretty active, mainly because they were munching on a big old dead leg with a bone. I actually got a pretty cool video of the male lion roaring on the top of the exhibit, but for some reason I can't post a video.

Here I am with my pal sexy Rexy. 

After walking around the zoo my feet were thoroughly destroyed, so I was really looking forward to the next three days of walking. I ended the trip with 4 blisters per foot, and a split toenail (it got run over once by a baby stroller, another time by a bicyclist, and stepped on by someone the size of Chris Christie pre-surgery.)

On our walk back to our hotel, we passed the Mexican embassy. Check it out. I could not make this up, I promise.  

We then met up with everyone from Clemson and went to the history museum. I am not posting anyone's picture here because I did not ask permission, and I'm sure they would not mind, but the first rule of blogging is to always ask. Here is our view on the walk to the museum. 

We saw a couple of cool exhibits there, but some of the lines were pretty crazy. I was hoping to see Clark Gable's (AKA Rhett Butler) WW2 uniform, but there were just too many people. There were some pretty strict regulations on pictures in here, so I don't have a ton. Check out this gem of me at the Presidential exhibit though. Again, please keep in mind I had just come in from 95 degree temperatures with 100% humidity. 

We stopped and got dinner before watching fireworks on the mall. I think it's something every American should experience, but I really don't think you need to experience it more than once. We were not sure exactly where the fireworks would be, over the capitol or over the Washington Monument. So we took a seat where we could see both. It was over the Washington monument, FYI. John Williams was conducting an orchestra at the capitol, which we did not hear, but I was not too upset about that. 

The crowds were unreal. We saw some dude get his by a car. And getting back to our hotel was impossible. The line to even get IN the subway station was over 3 blocks. So we walked back to the hotel. It was probably about 2.5 miles, but we made it. I had never been so glad to take off my shoes. 

Here is my only good picture of the fireworks. By this time of night, my cell phone was dead and my little point and shoot camera does not take great pictures. 

From what I hear from locals, the best place to watch these fireworks is across the Potomac. Good advice for someone who plans on going or if we ever decide to go again. 

Friday we did a bunch of cool things. We started the day off with a shameless selfie,

then I struck a Miss American pose while waiting in line to get into the National Archives. 

Then we waited in line for an hour to see the Constitution. Obviously I do not have a picture of that. Security threatened incarceration and the like if I were even to touch my camera. National Treasure made it look sooo easy to just stroll on in, take a peek at the document, write down a few letters, and get the next clue to finding America's hidden riches. Hollywood lies. 

We then headed over to the Library of Congress, a building with so much beautiful architecture. I tried to show a little of it in this creative shot. I was actually hoping there would be more actual books we could access, but apparently you need advance privileges. There was an interesting exhibit on the Civil War, as well as Thomas Jefferson's actual library on display, so it was completely worth going to. 

A girl who loves books in a massive building of books. 

Next we headed to Ford's theatre. Last time John Wilkes Booth was there, he killed it! See what I just did there?

Here's the private box where Lincoln was shot. The tour was pretty simple but actually seeing where Booth was and how he did it was pretty neat. 

Saturday we started our day at a relatively new attraction to the area, Lincoln's summer cottage. I highly recommend this to anyone who is visiting the area and likes history. It was a bit of a hike from the closest subway station, but it was really interesting. Lincoln apparently spent a great deal of his time here during the summers he was in office. He also wrote the Emancipation Proclamation in this house. It was very "Lincoln," small, simple, nothing gaudy or over the top. But you could actually walk in the house and on the grounds, so you literally walked where Lincoln walked. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and informative, and you could totally tell how passionate she is about Lincoln's life. 

Here we are on a bench outside his cottage. 

On our way back we stopped for lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl, famous for staying open during the race riots. Since I don't like chili, and rarely eat a meal our of a bowl, I opted for their hot dog. It was a really neat place that probably has changed very little from 1958. Famous people who have eaten there include Bill Cosby and Barry O. Do I recommend this place? Sure why not. Do I recommend hanging out in the area after dark? No. 

Here is an obligatory picture of the subway station we spent so much time in. If i could bottle the scent of garbage and sweat, blow that subway breeze at you, and make everything you touch sticky I would, because that's essentially what the subway is like. 

After we went to another newer exhibit in DC, the Newseum. Basically, and entire museum filled of news. They had some really neat exhibits, including the JFK family pictures, serial killers in history, and Presidential dogs. This alone made it a definite we were going to spend the 18$ each ticket to go to this museum. The JFK pictures were amazing, further adding to my intrigue of this epic family. The serial killer exhibit had a ton of pretty cool stuff, items such as the shoe bombers shoes, and the ACTUAL unabomber's cabin in the woods. Now they didn't tell you if was the real cabin until you had already looked inside, touched it, and all that fun stuff. So now I have unabomber germs. Sweet. 

Here is a picture of the Presidential dog exhibit.  Although Millie was pretty cute, I can't condone the breeding of dogs, especially in such a public place. So here's a picture of Truman's puppy.

Another neat thing about the museum was the 6th story patio deck, where you could go out on and get a great view of the entire city. For anyone who knows me, I am absolutely petrified of heights. I mean pee my pants scared. I can't go over bridges or even go on the second story of a mall. I was really scared but managed to pose for one picture up there before running back inside, tail between legs. 

A great view of the Capitol. 

The newseum also had the cell door that Martin Luther King was in when he was arrested. I refrained from going up for a picture with it because I know how many people touch that per day, and I doubt it's cleaned often. 

Sunday Ryan and I spent the day in Alexandria, VA, a short subway ride from our hotel. We did some shopping and had lunch before our flight left. There is also a really pretty area by the river there that we managed to take some really fancy pictures. One of them is so good it might make it on our Christmas Card!

There was also a nest of some baby Peregrine falcons there too, which was really cool to see. 

Well, there you have it, our DC trip! 3 days condensed all into one post. I had a wonderful time and can not wait to meet everyone again.