August 21, 2011

Fierce & Fabulous Make up Ideas

adventures in married life Sunday, August 21, 2011 0 Comments

So I am planning another fabulous photo shoot. Here are some of the ideas I would love to try this time. These are not my photographs.

August 12, 2011

Baked Drumsticks Apple-Honey Sauce

adventures in married life Friday, August 12, 2011 0 Comments

I found drumsticks on sale and I decided that it was time to break in my grandmothers baked chicken recipe. But I thought I would spice it up with this delicious apple honey sauce. Oh my word it was so amazingly delicious. Christian gobbled up two of them. Haha when a 5 year old says that you are an awesome cooker you gotta feel a sense of pride.

Baked Drumsticks Apple-Honey Sauce

Ingredients

12 skin-on chicken drumsticks
3 Tbsp flour
salt & pepper to taste
seasoned salt
Parmesan *if desired
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Put flour and seasonings in pan and roll drumsticks in flour mixture. Put the drumsticks on the rack. Bake 30 minutes; flip the drumsticks and continue baking until golden and crisp, about 30 more minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Bring the apple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. I added a Tbsp flour to the mix to thicken a little. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the sauce is syrupy and coats the back of a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside until the chicken is done.

Stir the sesame seeds into the sauce and warm over medium heat, if necessary. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Add the sauce and butter and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a platter and drizzle with any remaining sauce from the bowl.

August 11, 2011

Olivia turns two

adventures in married life Thursday, August 11, 2011 0 Comments

I started this photo shoot with Olivia but my battery died and my back ups were dead too. HAHA! Yup I'm a pro!

Orange Shrimp with Rice Noodles

adventures in married life Thursday, August 11, 2011 0 Comments

Orange Shrimp with Rice Noodles (or rice)

Ingredients:
Shrimp
1 lb shrimp devained and tailed, wash & dry
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 eggs (beaten)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Oil (for frying)
Orange Sauce-
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ginger root (minced)
½ teaspoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons green onion (chopped)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip shrimp in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Deep fry shrimp in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or use a wok) until completely cooked.

Step 2: Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.

Step 3: Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded shrimp and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions.

Step 4: For Rice noodles soak for 30-45 min, then heat oil in a skillet and warm noodles. serve hot

and enjoy!!!

August 9, 2011

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

adventures in married life Tuesday, August 09, 2011 0 Comments

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

12 oz bag Tortelini any flavor
4 oz bacon (about 4 strips bacon)
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp sea salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp basil (dry or fresh) I prefer fresh.
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Neskowin Village: A lovely place to live

adventures in married life Tuesday, August 09, 2011 0 Comments

I just love coming here to Kelly's beach house. It is so much fun. There is no internet so its just about relaxing and having a good time with friends.

Thanks again Kelly.

You are the best!