Ryan and I enjoy going to see movies. We don't really have a certain genre that we watch more than others. Sometimes we go see big blockbusters, sometimes its Indie films, sometimes its cult classics, etc. Last year we made an effort to see all the movies that were nominated for Best Picture and most of the movies that starred the Best Actor/Best Actress nods. So now we are planning to do the same this year. It might be a little more of a stretch though since they have upped the number of Best Picture nominees from 5 to 10 films for 2010.
Last weekend we saw the movie Precious. It has gotten a lot of buzz about Oscar worthiness and I believe it will win. Even Ryan leaned over and whispered "this will win Best Picture" half way through the movie. It is produced by Oprah and Tyler Perry and based on the novel Push by Sapphire. This movie is emotional and definitely for adults only. It highlights the life of a young African-American teenager girl named Precious. There is a lot of abuse, profanity, heartbreak and desperation but just when it seems so emotionally heavy the theme switches to humor and even hope. Thank goodness because without those breaks it would have been too much to deal with. We both thought it was a great movie and I would recommend it, just make sure you are in the right frame of mind!
This weekend we saw the movie Pirate Radio. I don't think this one will make the cut for the 2010 Oscars but it was still a fun, funny and light-hearted film. It tells the story of 1960s British DJs who were unable to play rock n roll due to the governments restrictions. So they set to the seas to play rock n roll 24 hours a day aboard a boat where they aren't regulated. I was a little afraid it was going to be more political but it was more based on the sex, drugs, and rock n roll of the 60's and was much funnier than I thought it would be. Its probably not a must see but I would still recommend it, either at the theater or waiting til the DVD.
Next up I want to see the Pixar movie Up and Clint Eastwood's Invictus which are both buzz worthy Oscar contenders.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thankful
Ryan and I had a pretty good Thanksgiving. Even though it was just the two of us, I still cooked the standard Thanksgiving dinner. Our menu was:
Starter:
Cheeseball with crackers
Main Course:
Cider Apple Glazed Turkey
Sides:
Mashed Potatoes and gravy
Green rice
Glazed carrots
Stuffing
Rolls
Dessert:
Fall Harvest bars
Pumpkin roll
Grape cream
This is my 3rd time cooking a turkey with a full Thanksgiving meal so it doesn't make me that nervous anymore. Ryan has been watching some cooking shows on TV lately so we watched some of the holiday ones to get some ideas. After watching Sandra Lee on the Food Network I decided to do a brine for the first time. I chose her Apple Cider Brine and it was really good. The turkey was very moist and the flavor was great. It was not too overpowering with apple cider flavor either. We let the turkey soak in the brine overnight for about 12 hours and then cooked it around 2.5 hours for a 12 lb turkey. YUM!!! I can't wait to have some leftovers too!
Before
After
Thanksgiving is such a great holiday. I love that the basis is spending time w/ family, friends, and FOOD!!!! Sounds perfect to me! Even though we were not able to spend this holiday with our family and friends we still have so much to be thankful for. This year alone has been such a blessing, its gonna be hard to name just a few but hear goes.....
-my family. Especially my mom who is so patient, kind, nurturing, and loving.
-my husband. He is my one constant and my true best friend. Since all we have is each other down here in TX, we really have to rely on each other and we find a way to make it work and still love each other too.
-health. I can only pray that we are blessed with healthy, long lives.
-my friends. I have some of the best friends EVER. Even my best friend whom I have had for over 20 years so you know we must like each other! I live in different states than a lot of them and we still maintain strong friendships. It is so nice having wonderful, supportive, fun, beautiful girlfriends!
-my furbaby Cricket. She is not the best behaved but she is so darn cute and she makes me smile all the time.
-my in-laws. I have been blessed with the best in-laws anyone could ask for. They truly love me and always have our best interest at heart.
-our jobs. It has been pretty shaky with this economy and our fields were hit really hard but thankfully we both kept our jobs and Ryan has even been blessed with a new job opportunity.
-being married. I got to have a wonderful, dreamy wedding day in June and am so glad I could share the day with family and friends.
The Grays on Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Starter:
Cheeseball with crackers
Main Course:
Cider Apple Glazed Turkey
Sides:
Mashed Potatoes and gravy
Green rice
Glazed carrots
Stuffing
Rolls
Dessert:
Fall Harvest bars
Pumpkin roll
Grape cream
This is my 3rd time cooking a turkey with a full Thanksgiving meal so it doesn't make me that nervous anymore. Ryan has been watching some cooking shows on TV lately so we watched some of the holiday ones to get some ideas. After watching Sandra Lee on the Food Network I decided to do a brine for the first time. I chose her Apple Cider Brine and it was really good. The turkey was very moist and the flavor was great. It was not too overpowering with apple cider flavor either. We let the turkey soak in the brine overnight for about 12 hours and then cooked it around 2.5 hours for a 12 lb turkey. YUM!!! I can't wait to have some leftovers too!
Before
After
Thanksgiving is such a great holiday. I love that the basis is spending time w/ family, friends, and FOOD!!!! Sounds perfect to me! Even though we were not able to spend this holiday with our family and friends we still have so much to be thankful for. This year alone has been such a blessing, its gonna be hard to name just a few but hear goes.....
-my family. Especially my mom who is so patient, kind, nurturing, and loving.
-my husband. He is my one constant and my true best friend. Since all we have is each other down here in TX, we really have to rely on each other and we find a way to make it work and still love each other too.
-health. I can only pray that we are blessed with healthy, long lives.
-my friends. I have some of the best friends EVER. Even my best friend whom I have had for over 20 years so you know we must like each other! I live in different states than a lot of them and we still maintain strong friendships. It is so nice having wonderful, supportive, fun, beautiful girlfriends!
-my furbaby Cricket. She is not the best behaved but she is so darn cute and she makes me smile all the time.
-my in-laws. I have been blessed with the best in-laws anyone could ask for. They truly love me and always have our best interest at heart.
-our jobs. It has been pretty shaky with this economy and our fields were hit really hard but thankfully we both kept our jobs and Ryan has even been blessed with a new job opportunity.
-being married. I got to have a wonderful, dreamy wedding day in June and am so glad I could share the day with family and friends.
The Grays on Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Therapy...
Physical therapy that is. I went to the physical therapist for the first time today since my foot incident. I got an ultrasound and my cuboid "manipulated" so hopefully it will get me back on track sooner. The physical therapist agreed with my podiatrist that I could keep running as long as I quit if it started to hurt. The only problem with that so far is that when I run my foot starts to hurt dang it! But I am gonna give it a try again tomorrow. The last time I ran was on Saturday and I was feeling major discomfort just 3 miles in to the run. My goal is to try the 3 miles tomorrow and not push it for speed but just an easy 3 miles. Hopefully the results will be better this time around. I see the physical therapist again on Friday so here goes nothing!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
I swear this is not a food blog!
But, I tried a new recipe tonight that I wanted to share. I have been doing much more cooking lately. I don't know if it's because I'm a married woman now, or because I'm getting "older", or because I wanted to have a better diet instead of eating out all the time but cooking has kind of grown on me. I now have a dinner spreadsheet that I set out menus for weeks in advance and I try at least one new recipe a week. It keeps things interesting and I really have learned a lot from it and I dare say, I have gotten pretty decent at it (in a low level difficulty way-I mean I am not making roux's or using double broilers or anything yet) but I'm working on it.
Since it finally got below 70 degrees this week in Dallas, I thought a good soup recipe would hit the spot. I am a soup person year round so I'll be adding this recipe to my regular rotation.
Poblano Chicken Chowder
courtesy of Paula Deen
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large onions, chopped
5 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/8 cup minced garlic
2 to 3 small poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
3 quarts chicken broth (96 oz)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Directions
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin and thyme. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cilantro, and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through. Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly.
When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the hot sauce, then the cream, and serve.
****Next time I will use less chicken broth, probably 2 1/2 quarts.
****My chowder did not really get thick before adding the flour mixture but after the flour mixture was added it thickened up to a good consistency.
Since it finally got below 70 degrees this week in Dallas, I thought a good soup recipe would hit the spot. I am a soup person year round so I'll be adding this recipe to my regular rotation.
Poblano Chicken Chowder
courtesy of Paula Deen
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large onions, chopped
5 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/8 cup minced garlic
2 to 3 small poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
3 quarts chicken broth (96 oz)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Directions
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin and thyme. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cilantro, and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through. Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly.
When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the hot sauce, then the cream, and serve.
****Next time I will use less chicken broth, probably 2 1/2 quarts.
****My chowder did not really get thick before adding the flour mixture but after the flour mixture was added it thickened up to a good consistency.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Celebrate!
This past week marked a new milestone in our life. Ryan has accepted a job offer with Darden restaurants. I feel so blessed and lucky in this economy that he was able to come across such a great opportunity! He is set to start Jan 4th and shouldn't be between jobs for long, if any time. So now that all the waiting, nervousness, traveling, and interviewing is done, I wanted to celebrate!!!
Darden is a big restaurant chain which I am sure everyone has had some experience with. They own Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, Smokey Bones, and...........one of my fave restaurants THE CAPITAL GRILLE!!!! Ryan and I used to frequent the one in Kansas City and thank goodness they also have one here in Dallas too. So when all of his 8 interviews were going on, I told Ryan that if he got the job we were going to celebrate with a dinner at the Capital Grille and he agreed.
We had a great time last night and the food was delish as always. One of my favorite things to eat when I go to splurge at nice restaurants is lobster bisque. I absolutely love it and the Capital Grille has one of the best recipes. They even bring a side of sherry to your table in case you need to cut down on the richness, YUMMO!!!!! I am now having withdrawals today :)
Here's a pic of us from after dinner:
And since I can't have fancy dinners out all the time, I have found a lobster bisque recipe to make at home that is really good and of course I will share it with you all now!
1 medium onion chopped fine
1/2 c butter
3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 (11 oz) can frozen lobster meat (or fresh lobster meat can also be used.* I like to use a little more since I like a lot of lobster in my bisque.)
3/4 c sherry (do not use cooking sherry)
3 cups light cream
2 Tablespoons tomato paste for color
1. Saute onions in butter until onions are clear, 2-3 minutes
2. Stir in flour with a whisk and stil well until smooth. Add chicken broth and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add lobster meat and cook 20 minutes, or until done, on medium-low heat.
4. Blend in sherry, cream and tomato paste.
*If using fresh lobster, reduce cook time to about 5 minutes or until done.
Hmmmmm, now I am craving it all over again!
Darden is a big restaurant chain which I am sure everyone has had some experience with. They own Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, Smokey Bones, and...........one of my fave restaurants THE CAPITAL GRILLE!!!! Ryan and I used to frequent the one in Kansas City and thank goodness they also have one here in Dallas too. So when all of his 8 interviews were going on, I told Ryan that if he got the job we were going to celebrate with a dinner at the Capital Grille and he agreed.
We had a great time last night and the food was delish as always. One of my favorite things to eat when I go to splurge at nice restaurants is lobster bisque. I absolutely love it and the Capital Grille has one of the best recipes. They even bring a side of sherry to your table in case you need to cut down on the richness, YUMMO!!!!! I am now having withdrawals today :)
Here's a pic of us from after dinner:
And since I can't have fancy dinners out all the time, I have found a lobster bisque recipe to make at home that is really good and of course I will share it with you all now!
1 medium onion chopped fine
1/2 c butter
3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 (11 oz) can frozen lobster meat (or fresh lobster meat can also be used.* I like to use a little more since I like a lot of lobster in my bisque.)
3/4 c sherry (do not use cooking sherry)
3 cups light cream
2 Tablespoons tomato paste for color
1. Saute onions in butter until onions are clear, 2-3 minutes
2. Stir in flour with a whisk and stil well until smooth. Add chicken broth and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add lobster meat and cook 20 minutes, or until done, on medium-low heat.
4. Blend in sherry, cream and tomato paste.
*If using fresh lobster, reduce cook time to about 5 minutes or until done.
Hmmmmm, now I am craving it all over again!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Dislocated Cuboid
I went to the podiatrist yesterday for my foot pain and she said I had a dislocated cuboid bone. Ever heard of it? Me neither, but here's a pic to show you.
She also gave me a prescription for an anti-inflammatory and wanted me to do some physical therapy to get the bone back in to place and feeling better. I thought the appointment went really well overall. There were some positives too--
1)I can still run but need to stop if my foot starts hurting
2)She verified that I am in good running shoes for my feet/stride
3)She said I should be fine to train for the marathon
I am supposed to go back in two weeks for a follow-up with the podiatrist and I hope everything will be on the up and up by then!!!! When I was scheduling the appointment for the 2 week follow up I noticed that date was Thanksgiving. I can't believe its less than 2 weeks away now. This year is flying by!!!
On another note, today I had lunch with my good friend Janet and her daughter Avianna. It was nice to have today off work, which I guess is the only benefit for working on a Saturday, you get another comp day off during the week. It was really good to see her and her baby but it also made me realize how much I miss having my girlfriends closer to me. Ryan and I really like Dallas but its hard living away from "home" sometimes. I wouldn't necessarily say that I get homesick but just nostalgic for my friends and family. Thank goodness Christmas will be here soon and I will make the trip to good ole KC to see everyone!!! I can't wait!
She also gave me a prescription for an anti-inflammatory and wanted me to do some physical therapy to get the bone back in to place and feeling better. I thought the appointment went really well overall. There were some positives too--
1)I can still run but need to stop if my foot starts hurting
2)She verified that I am in good running shoes for my feet/stride
3)She said I should be fine to train for the marathon
I am supposed to go back in two weeks for a follow-up with the podiatrist and I hope everything will be on the up and up by then!!!! When I was scheduling the appointment for the 2 week follow up I noticed that date was Thanksgiving. I can't believe its less than 2 weeks away now. This year is flying by!!!
On another note, today I had lunch with my good friend Janet and her daughter Avianna. It was nice to have today off work, which I guess is the only benefit for working on a Saturday, you get another comp day off during the week. It was really good to see her and her baby but it also made me realize how much I miss having my girlfriends closer to me. Ryan and I really like Dallas but its hard living away from "home" sometimes. I wouldn't necessarily say that I get homesick but just nostalgic for my friends and family. Thank goodness Christmas will be here soon and I will make the trip to good ole KC to see everyone!!! I can't wait!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Thank you!
Thank you to all the Veterans. Today is the day set aside to honor you but you bring honor to our country everyday. Thank you for your sacrifice, your courage, and your desire to fight for our causes and freedoms!
Special thanks and love to my personal veterans:
Michael Milligan
Wayne Milligan
Jean Packard-Milligan
Lee Smith
Russell Privett
and to my brother in law, David Bowman who is currently active in the Army.
Special thanks and love to my personal veterans:
Michael Milligan
Wayne Milligan
Jean Packard-Milligan
Lee Smith
Russell Privett
and to my brother in law, David Bowman who is currently active in the Army.
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