Showing posts with label Lexington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lexington. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Cinnamon Pumpkin Cookies


Sheesh, you guys. I knew last week was going to be crazy, with the holiday and all, but not nearly as hectic as it was. I feel like I've had 2 seconds to myself in the last 7 days or so. Besides hosting Thanksgiving at our house, I had the funky cold from Hades, we had a water leak the day before the holiday, I had more MRI's done, and finally, the hubby got the new iPhone he's been dreaming of after we drove 256 miles to get it. Needless to say, it's been cray-cray around here. 

Update:

Cold is gone. Yippee! 

Water leak was fixed and Thanksgiving prep was finished. Thank goodness.

MRI's were completed. They weren't fun, but they are done. I loathe whoever created those detestable machines.

The hubby loves his new phone 😁

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Recipe Redux: Chile Garlic Shrimp


Ah, the shrimp. That tasty little crustacean that usually lives at the bottom of the ocean. 

Shrimp has always been, and will probably always be one of my favorite foods. It was tradition in our family home growing up to have a shrimp ring on special occasions. I can still remember sneaking into the kitchen, gazing into the fridge, grabbing a few of those suckers, and devouring them on the spot. Of course, growing up in Oregon and 60 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, there was way more access to fresh shrimp than here in landlocked Kentucky. I depend on frozen shrimp here, which isn't technically my favorite but I take what I can get. Not to mention that shrimp is expensive, so it's a once-in-a-while treat too.

I take it when I can get it, and I love it.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Classic Pecan Pie

-plus tips on making your own pie crust!



Another Thanksgiving recipe!

Pecan Pie is a serious favorite around these Southern parts. People around here, and especially the hubby's family, love anything pecan pie. Anything pecan, really. Pecan Pie Cake? Yes, ma'am. Pecan Pie Shortbread Cookies? Oh, yes. Pecan Pie Milkshakes? Bring it on. So needless to say, I've been working on perfecting my classic pecan pie.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Zucchini Cookies



If you're alive and have a pulse, you've likely seen these Zucchini Cookies floating around on FaceBook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. This is an extremely popular recipe right now, and seeing how it's zucchini season, I just had to give it a whirl. And I'm glad I did! These aren't your mama's Zucchini Cookies. They taste more like an oatmeal spice cookie than the traditional fare. Soft, moist, and deliciously spice-y from the cinnamon and nutmeg. I gobbled up these cookies with and without the frosting. 

A couple of tips- I didn't want my cookies to fall apart due to moisture, so I shredded my zucchini and let it sit in a colander for an hour or two before making the cookies. Just to let some of the water drain. Also, these cookies do not spread. I was able to bake 12 to a cookie sheet. Unless you want little round ball cookies, you might want to press them down a smidge after putting them on the cookie sheet. The dough is pretty crumbly when you are done, so I chilled mine in the fridge for about an hour before rolling the dough. Although the dough was crumbly, the dough remained in balls after rolling them. I baked mine just until they were brown around the edges. You know me and overdone cookies :) I ended up with chewy, moist cookies. So yummy.


So, funny story. The hubby had decided that the screen protector on my iPhone needed to be replaced. After cleaning the phone, and then replacing the screen, he left the phone sitting on the counter. It was an odd night where he was working, which means we would be talking on the phone sometime later that night. When that time came and the hubby called, my screen wouldn't light up. It was just dark. I couldn't get the screen to come on. When I finally did get the screen to come on, I got scrolling black lines. Never a good sign. After some finagling, I got the screen on and was able to call the hubby. He advised me to turn the phone off and he would look at it in the morning. 

I had a bad feeling...


The next morning, the hubby examined the phone and was definitely reluctant to tell me that he thought the screen was broken. After my sullen reaction and some time spent on the phone with Apple, we up and decided to drive to Lexington. Only a 2 hour drive on a random Tuesday. We went on the off chance that whatever happened to my phone was covered under warranty and they would replace it for free. And guess what? 

It sure was! Apple replaced my phone for free! I was only phone-less for less than 24 hours. Pretty darn good if you ask me. The hubby and I stopped by Whole Foods while we were in town, which I was stoked for. We scored a major haul, leaving with fish, lots of specialty cheese and pasta, condiments I can't find in my area, some snacks, and the absolute best find of the day, cheese rinds. Yep, you read that right. Cheese rinds. They were selling Parmigiano Reggiano rinds in their own containers! About 8 cheese rinds for $5. Normally, each rind is attached to $11 piece of cheese so you can see how much money I saved to get my rinds! I was soooooo excited.


After the excitement of my rind-find, we decided to celebrate. We stopped in a little pub called Saul Good. We were really impressed with this bar. The decor was strange upon walking in, so we weren't sure what to expect. The dining room looked like a fancy ballroom with chandeliers, yet everyone in the restaurant was wearing jeans and t-shirts. The patrons all wore jeans and t-shirts. The menu was bar food. We were intrigued, and decided to stay. It was definitely worth staying for! Local craft beer to wash down Chicken and Waffles and a Blue Cheese Burger. Everything was quality, and really not like the standard frozen food the restaurants around our area sell. For such an impromptu day, it felt festive. A date day instead of night, if you will.

A brand-new FREE iPhone, gourmet ingredients to play with for the blog, dinner and drinks with the partner in crime, and a beautiful, scenic drive in from the country. Yeah, it was a good day :)


And just like that, we are on the cusp of another weekend. How does that happen? This summer has been hectic. I've been running around like a crazy person trying to get everything done most days. It makes me wonder how people with jobs and kids get everything done. It's just me, the hubby, 2 dogs, and 1 job between the 2 of us, and I still don't have enough time to do everything I want to do. I really admire those of you that do it all. Supermoms. I don't know how you do it. 

On that note, I'm leaving you :)

Happy Thursday!


Ingredients (makes 3 dozen cookies):

Cookies-
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 1/2 cups quick oats

Frosting-
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp vanilla creamer

Garnish- nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour through nutmeg. Whisk to combine. 
2. Cut in shortening. Add egg and mix well. Fold in zucchini and oats with a spatula. Place dough in fridge. Chill for 20-30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Remove dough from fridge.
4. Using a 1-tbsp cookie scoop, drop 12 cookies onto cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven 7-10 minutes, or until edges are just brown. Remove from the oven, and cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting. 
5. To make the frosting, combine butter, sugar, and creamer in a large mixing bowl. Mix on medium-high until frosting is creamy and fluffy. Spread unto cookies, dust cookies with nutmeg (if using). Store in an airtight container.


Recipe adapted from Chef in Training.

Looking for other zucchini recipes? Try these!







Friday, September 30, 2011

Mom and Dad's Kentucky Visit

Last week, my mom and dad came to check out where I now live. We had a great time! We were able to check out quite a lot of sites and I was able to introduce them to most of Jerame's family. Jerame and I took Mom and Dad into Huntington to check out Marshall University and have lunch at the Marshall Cafe. We also took them to Lexington to check out the UK-Florida football game (it's no secret my mom loves football!). Jerame's aunt and uncle, Martha and Ron, also hosted an amazing dinner at their house which gave my parents the opportunity to meet them as well as Jerame's mom and dad. It was a fantastic trip and my parents took some good photos, thank goodness :)

Lunch at the Marshall Cafe

Dad and Mom checking out the historical items

My parents and I outside a wine store we found in Huntington

Dad loved this little shopping center that was once a train depot

Jerame and I with Mom outside Commonwealth Stadium

Dad and Mom at the game

View of Lexington from Commonwealth Stadium

Dinner at Martha and Ron's house. Good pic of Joyce, Mom, me, and Martha

I love this picture! Jerame and his parents and me and my parents. This is the only picture of all the in-laws in existence :)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Visitors from the West Coast

The parents and I at our first SEC football game. Kentucky vs. Florida at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington
My parents just wrapped up their first trip to Kentucky yesterday. They spent a week out here, discovering all the idiosyncrasies of the Ohio River Valley that I have. The worst picture taker in the world (i.e. me!) needs a sticker pasted to my forehead to remind me to take them! The good news is I believe my parents took quite a few good pictures which I will post once they have had a chance to upload. I have to give them a break since they did get into Portland at 10 pm last night :)