North Carolina Coast!

After the farmer's market this morning, Michael and I headed out to the beach. The sand is really warm and water is cool, but it is definitely warmer than the ocean water I'm used to. I love going to the ocean. I always have.

One of Michael's friends lives right on the coast, so we just went to his place and walked to the ocean from there. I was hoping to see some turtles because evidently we were in an area considered a turtle sanctuary, but we didn't.

The water felt so good on our feet!

There were lots of pelicans flying around.

There was this crazy gift shop that had a giant shark as it's entrance. Ha!

Well it's been a good day so far, but it's only going to get better.... because Michael is finally taking me to see Eclipse in a little bit. I need to go get ready!

Cookin' and Cleanin'

Ah, yesterday I was in a really good mood and I got a lot done. I got up at 4 am with Michael and started cleaning the house after he left. I love a clean house.

The neighbor's horses wandered to the front of their property yesterday, so I got to watch them from our kitchen window as I worked. This doesn't happen very often, but I love it when they do. They are beautiful horses and so well taken care of. They probably have 10-15 of them. I get so bummed when a loud car drives by and they get startled and run off. During the middle of the day, though, the vehicles that drive by mainly consist of slow moving farming equipment and the mailman.



I've been cleaning my sink and counters with a vinegar/water solution more and more lately. I started to wonder how effective this is, and if I could completely switch to it. I did a lot of research online. There are a lot of people who explain how to make cleaning products at home, but few actually back up their effectiveness with data. I needed data. I needed to see scientific results. So I searched using one of the sources I commonly use for chemistry. And good new, there is positive research out there. I was interested in one article in particular which looked at the effectiveness of both lemon juice and vinegar, called Effectiveness of household natural sanitizers in the elimination of Salmonella typhimurium on rocket and spring onion by Sengun and Karapinar. When they combined vinegar and lemon juice then left it on the vegetables for 15 minutes the amount of salmonella on them decreases to undetectable amounts.

This article inspired me to make a new cleaning solution, one in which I tried to match the pH of their cleaning solution. I simply combined:

• 1 1/4 cups of white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of water

I mixed it up on a bowl and poured it into one of my old cleaner bottles. When I use it, I spray it on the surface I'm cleaning, set the timer for 15 minutes, and after timer goes off I wipe it off with a damp cloth. I've already used it a few times and I love it.

I also made oreo cream cheese swirl brownies yesterday for Michael to take to work. They turned out great. Very fudge-y and delicious. He was pretty excited and has been telling the guys all week that I've been planning on making them.


For dinner I made chicken enchiladas (Dinner #2 from the roast chicken) and I was really pleased how they turned out. I used crepes instead of tortillas because I'm weird and sometimes I really hate the taste and smell of tortillas. It sounds a little weird, but it is so good. I also snuck in some orange bell pepper, tomato, and green onions into the filling. Yum Yum Yum.

In fact, I think I'm going to warm up some dinner leftovers for lunch and enjoy the crazy thunder that is happening right now.

Let's Roast a Chicken!

So we bought a whole chicken from the Whispering Dove Goat Ranch and Apiary stand at the farmer's market last Saturday. I've been wanting to roast a chicken for a while, but it was new to me. And slightly intimidating. So, I studied up on how to do this here and here.

We let it thaw in the fridge for about a day, seeing that it was frozen. Before the chicken came out the fridge I cleaned out the sink and got all the other parts of the meal ready. I served this meal with homemade mashed potatoes and corn. So I got those ready. Actually I made Michael peel the potatoes, while I did every thing else. Which included getting the rub ready for the chicken and slicing up a lemon and onion to stick inside the chicken.

So after all that was done, we set it aside and pulled the chicken out of the fridge. We plopped it into the sink and gave it a good cold rinsing. Then you have to pull out the giblets (heart, neck, liver) that are inside. From my experience with grocery store chickens and turkeys these are inside a bag, inside the bird, which makes this step fairly simple. Ours were not. So we had to fish them out, no big deal. Kinda gross. This is also a good opportunity to feel around for ice crystals, which would indicate that it was not thawed enough. Then we placed it on a cutting board, and at this point you dry it off with a clean cloth and stuff it with the lemon/onion slices. I only used 1/2 an onion and 1/2 a lemon.

Then I recruited Michael's help to rub the chicken with a oil and herb mixture. Ours consisted of fresh parsley, thyme, dried rosemary, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. I washed my hands, so I could take pictures. I just spooned it on and he made sure it got all over the chicken.

He did a really good job.

Make sure you rub the bottom of the bird, too, before placing it in the pan. Then wash your hands really good, as Michael is demonstrating in this picture:

It is now ready to go into the oven, which was preheated to 450. The legs of our chicken weren't sticking out too far, so we didn't worry about getting out the twine or cutting slits in the skin to stick them through.

Then we put it in the oven for 65 minutes and scrubbed down everything the chicken may have came in contact with. While it was cooking I made the mashed potatoes and corn, there was plenty of time for this, I didn't feel rushed at all. Once the timer went off we pulled it out of the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. I utilized this time to use the dripping to make gravy, which turned out tasting awesome. I just spooned the drippings into a pan, added enough flour to make a paste and cooked it on med-low heat until bubbly. Then I slowly added water until it was the right consistency and seasoned with salt and pepper.

It was such a great meal. We both ate a leg and thigh for dinner. I carved off the breast meat and saved it for later in the week.

While cleaning up the kitchen I used the chicken carcass to make soup, which I'm also going to use for a future dinner. :)

Yum!

List-Oh-Mania.

I've got lots of things on my mind right now and therefore a list the easiest way to post:


1. I'm sad that it is Monday and the weekend is over because it brings me yet another week closer to getting on an airplane for the fall.


2. I let Michael take a five hour nap (gasp) on the living room floor (second gasp) on Friday after he got home from work. This is not surprising on Michael's part. I'm pretty sure he would do this on a regular basis if it weren't for moi. (I wake him up because I NEED attention. What's a girl to do?)


3. We had a good time at the farmer's market on Saturday. We got another assortment of veggies and bread this week along with some meats. We skipped breakfast and bought strawberry cream cheese croissants at the market instead. Best idea EVER.


4. Our meat this week is from Whispering Dove Goat Ranch and Apiary. We ended up buying a whole chicken and pork sausage.

5. I used the pork sausage to make this awesome pasta dish for company Saturday night. I also made apple dumpling for dessert. They were gooey and buttery and sweet and amazing.


6. I plan on using the rest of the sausage to make meatballs later.


7. I also plan on roasting that chicken tonight. I hope to get three meals out of it. I think that deserves a post of its own and you should check back later for it.


8. I just finished vacuuming.


9. Michael is the stand-in squad leader this week. I'm praying that it goes smoothly for him.

10. He also got one of those cool phones that do lots of different things, along with a new plan on Sunday. So, if you have Verizon Wireless, you can call him for free now. :)

11. We're trying to learn how to play tennis. Its fun and makes me wake up sore the next day.

12. An ant bit me for the first time in my life this weekend. It hurt.

13. I really want to go to the beach.

14. Michael is the most amazing husband in the world. He is so loving, understanding, patient, outgoing, brave, honest, entertaining... I could go on, but I think you get the picture.


15. Now, go give someone you love a compliment. Anyone! Your mom or brother or friend or aunt or spouse. Where would we be without the people we love?

That's all for now. :)

Pasta and Scones

So, I had half of the green onions I bought last week still hanging out in my fridge still and I was looking for a good recipe for them. I came across this one for bacon cheddar scones and minus the bacon thought they would be delicious!

I decided to make them with dinner last night. Thankfully, our green onions are holding up really well in the refrigerator.

So I chopped them up.


And then threw them in the scone batter. I baked them a bit longer than it said to, because I wanted them to brown up a bit more on the top.

They were SO good and went really well with our pasta with vegetables. A very yummy carb filled dinner. We do love carbs here. Its okay though, we went to the park afterwards and got some needed exercise.

Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwiches

After dinner yesterday, I made some chicken salad for Michael's lunch. So, naturally, I made enough so I could have a chicken salad sandwich too! I forgot how good chicken salad sandwiches are. Yum yum yum. I like to put grapes in my chicken salad, but we didn't have any on hand so I diced up an apple instead. What a great substitute :).

I also finished off the giant cucumber I got at the farmer's market with my lunch. Michael got celery sticks with peanut butter instead, and some chips with salsa. He's doing a lot of physical activity at work this week and needs a good lunch to keep him going. I almost always use a lunch cube to pack his lunch:

It has thee convenient compartments and stops me from using ziplock baggies for his lunch items. Michael likes it because he can smash his lunch box into his bag and not worry about his food getting squished.

Onslow County Farmer's Market

Michael and I checked out the local farmers market yesterday and we really really enjoyed it! The produce looked way better than what we've been buying at that grocery store. There was a lot more variety than we expected. There were several varieties of the following: melons, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, and peppers. We also saw some peas, peaches, blueberries, corn, carrots, and onions. I'm sure there was more produce, but I can't recall any more right now. :)

Here's what we ended up getting for the week:

Four ears of corn, a big ol' tomato, a green bell pepper, a bundle of green onions, a bundle of carrots, a cucumber, and a zucchini. Don't they look great?! We some of the corn for dinner last night and it was delish!

This is the sprite melon we got. Its supposed to be really sweet and taste like a mix of honeydew and a pear. We're excited to see what it is like. :)

We also got a loaf of whole wheat bread. There were lots of local baked goods, including some tasty looking pastries. I used it to make french toast this morning.

The last thing we got was 24 free range chicken eggs. The man we bought them from was selling different types of goat cheese and he sells these eggs from his neighbor who owns a pecan farm. He was really funny and nice, after he sold us the eggs he showed us a picture of the chickens that they came from.


There was lots of other things at the market, including different types of crafts, live music, a snow cone stand, fresh flowers, plants, honey, ciders, and jams.

We're definitely going to make this a routine trip. :)

You are what you eat.

So today I realized I haven't posted since we've gotten Netflix and I feel kinda bad about it. Oh goodness. I really like documentaries. I watched a few too many and now I'm a little paranoid about a few things. Like food. Ugh. I really want to start buying meat from a local farm. One where the animals are humanely treated. I'd like to try to eat more organically grown produce and cut out some of the processed stuff. It is really concerning how the food industry is so driven by greed that what is good for our bodies, the animals, and our Earth is not their main concern. I'm really intrigued by farmers who practice sustainable farming and really do care about those three things.

I've done a little research about the local farmers market and good news. We're pretty close to one. :) It will be interesting to see what they offer. I know that at least one farm sells meat on Saturdays, so we're waiting until then to check it out. We're lucky that they are open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday.

I'm surprised that there are quite a few things I like about North Carolina. I mean, don't get me wrong, Washington is definitely my favorite place on the planet, but in North Carolina I get to watch fireflies at night. Michael's friend from Mississippi insists that they are only called lightning bugs. Ha. The lightning is awesome, and it rains enough here enough that I don't miss it. We live pretty close to an big county park with a walking trail, volley ball court, tennis courts, baseball fields, soccer fields, and picnic areas. All the wives/fiances/girlfriends of Michael's friends that I've met are very friendly and sweet. I feel so blessed to get such a relaxing break from school!

On a another note, any Glee fans out there? I really like glee, I used to just watch it because Fox offers full episodes for free online. Our favorite character is the adorable Emma Pillsbury played by Jayma Mays {picture from Eliza Magazine}:

Her wardrobe on the show is equally adorable as her character. It makes me want to buy an outfit like this {all from modcloth.com}:

Michael's Birthday Weekend Begins!

He was definitely suprised when he saw all the decorations and the cake!!! We went to go see A-team and then we had pizza for dinner. We're going to eat cake at midnight tonight because Michael wants to blow out the candles on his actual birthday. :)

Surprise!

I got up with Michael this morning and never went back to sleep (I usually do, I promise!) and am now working on like 2.5 hours of sleep, but I wanted to surprise Michael the day before his birthday.....I've been hiding this birthday stuff for a while.

After Michael left, I baked a cake. Yellow butter cake.

I got his present ready!

I hung lots of blue streamers! (And left a few blue finger prints on the wall.. oops!)

I put up the happy birthday banner!

Made cream cheese filling for the cake, put it all together, and frosted it with chocolate frosting!

Sprinkled the cake with dark chocolate shavings! And put on the candles!

And then I did all the dishes.

Now I am waiting for him to get home.

I think I'm going to take a nap.

Will update with his reaction! :)

Super Soup and 4th of July (Epic) Scones

So, I'm a huge fan of allrecipes.com, like a HUGE fan. I spend way too much time on that site just looking around, but I've found some really good recipes on there. Betty Crocker's Cookbook, however, is definitely an essential in the kitchen. I used it just as much as I do allrecipes.com. I just spent way too much time making all the guys in Michael's platoon raspberry white-chocolate scones from Betty Crocker's Cookbook. They are AMAZING. I'll elaborate on them a little later in this post.


First off, I wanted to share what I made for dinner yesterday because it was so good and I will definitely make it again. I found a recipe for Zuppa Toscana on allrecipes.com. It is supposed to be a copycat recipe for the soup that Olive Garden serves. I haven't had Olive Garden's version in a while, so I can't really judge how they compare, but this soup was surprisingly delish.

I halved the recipe, which was supposed to result in three servings, but there was probably enough for 4-5 people. I omitted the bacon, it really wasn't needed, and I used 4 potatoes because mine were so small. I didn't want to use spinach, most reviewers said to use kale, which I was familiar with and really wanted to use. There is a pretty large selection of greens at the supermarkets here, but oddly enough we couldn't find kale. I used mustard greens instead. They were pepper-y and perfect in this soup. And for only cost 17 cents for the bundle!

Michael and I loved it! Which surprised me a little, I was concerned that he would be turned off by the greens. The crushed red peppers in this soup give it a little spice, which you could definitely adjust to your liking. I highly recommend trying it out! :)

Alright, here it goes... I wanted make something for Michael's friends at work for the 4th of July. They seem to really enjoy it when Michael brings left over muffins or cornbread to work. So I say, "Should I make snicker doodles or scones?" and then Michael says, "Scones!!!" So I found myself making scones, from scratch, instead of sugar cookies.

And then, I found myself multiplying all the ingredients by three so he could give one to everyone in his platoon. I guess I was feeling generous. And you can't just have a scone plain without butter or jam, but that wasn't really an option for the setting. So I decided to follow the recipe for raspberry white chocolate scones. We already had white chocolate chips and frozen raspberries in the freezer.

It felt like it took me an hour to cut all the butter in the to 6 or 7 cups of dry ingredients. I used two butter knives because I don't have a pastry blender.

Someone should gift me a pastry blender. I've definitely earned it.

It was totally worth all the work though. They are moist and buttery and yummy. The guys are going to love them. And now I need to thank my trusty little timer, I think I overworked it today.

I really need to go to bed now. I have to get up early tomorrow! I'm going to surprise Michael for his birthday and he only has a half day and will definitely be home by lunchtime. shhhh....