# 49 - Get dressed up and go to a really fancy dinner....

So for our anniversary in June, Ryan bought me a gift package for the spa that included - back massage, facial, pedicure, hair and makeup. I didn't want to use it on any given day, as I didn't want to come home with my hair and makeup all done just to cook dinner and do dishes, so in other words I was saving it up for a special occasion. My birthday was last friday so I decided in advance that this would be a good opportunity; so I took the day off work and off to the spa I went. Since I was going to be all dolled up, I told Ryan that I wanted to go somewhere really fancy for dinner, not just fancy, but really fancy cause I wanted to get a nice dress. He made reservations at the Chateau laurier and Jen and I went on the hunt for dresses. It was beautiful, there were very few people there so we had the restaraunt to ourselves, we weren't overdressed and had a great evening. I had ceaser salad to start, prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies, with a delicious chocolate desert! We went out after and stayed the night in a nice hotel. All in all, a great evening, but so much fun to get dressed up!

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Flipped through a slow cooker recipe book when I came across this recipe. The BBQ sauce contains 3 cups of root beer, which caught my interest. I loved loved loved these sandwhiches, as did the rest of the household!
Ingredients
1 boneless pork rst (approx 2lbs)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bigger garlic cloves, minced
3 cups root berr, divided
1 bottle chili sauce
coupls shots of hot sauce
approx 8 buns

Directions
1.) Place roast in slow cooker, add onion, garlic, and 1 cup of root beer, cook on low for 8 hours.
2.) In small sauce pan, combine remaining root beer, chili sauce, and hot sauce. Let boil and then turn to a simmer, stirring often until thickened. (approx 20min)
3.) While the sauce is simmering, start shredding the pork. Add sauce to pork and stir, serve on bun :)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Somebody at work brought in some hard oatmeal cookies and they were delicious, and they put me in a baking mood. I had never made oatmeal cookies before and found this recipe online for soft oatmeal cookies, and I added the oatmeal chips. Tasted just like the ones my grandma used to make, except she used raisins instead of chocolate.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups quick cooking oats

*raisins and chocolate chips optional, I added approx half a small regular sized bag of chocolate chips, but just use your own judgment.

Directions

1.) In a medium bowl, cream together butter and both sugars. beat in eggs 1 at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour.

2.) Preheat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut size balls and place 2 inches apart from each other. Sprinkle a little sugar on each cookie and press down with fork.

3.) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

4.) Enjoy :)

#76 - Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween

So Jen and I literally dragged our boyfriends to go get our pumpkins to carve. We didn't even go to a real pumpkin patch, we went to a house that had a field of pumpkins in front of the house and let not-so-shy Jen ask the owners if we could pay them and pick out some pumpkins in their field. When we got back, Jen and I cut our traditional pumpkins together, and we finished Ryan and Kenny carved their not so traditional pumpkins. So much fun!!!

Turkey Bacon Soup

I got this little magazine of all soup recipes by Company's Coming, and they all look so delicious. I made the Turkey Bacon Soup recipe first and it was amazing! Very comfort food like. It was supposed to be more like a soup, however mine turned out more like a stew and it was still delicious. Very easy to make, and taste great leftover. Picture doesn't do it justice. Next recipe from the soup magazine I want to try is spicy sweet potato!!

Ingredients

5 slices bacon, diced

1/2 lb lean ground turkey

2 1/2 cups sliced fresh white mushrooms (I diced mine fine)

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

5 cups turkey or chicken stock

3 cups chopped, unpeeled red potatoes

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper (I am a pepper lover and add a lot more)

1/2 cup frozen kernel corn

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tbsp dijon mustard

3/4 cup skim evaporated milk

Directions

1.) Cook bacon until crisp, drain on paper towel and set aside to cool. Heat 1 tbsp. of bacon drippings in saucepan on medium and add turkey. Cook turkey until no longer pink.

2.) Add next 5 ingredients, stir. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring often, until vegetables are softened. (after this step I transferred everything to a pot but I doubled the recipe)

3.) Add next 5 ingredients. Stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, simmer covered for 15 to 20 min, stirring occasionally until potato tender.

4.) Add corn and bacon, stir.

5.) Combine mustard and flour in small bowl. Stir in evaporated milk until smooth. Slowly stir into soup. Heat and stir on medium heat for about 5 min or until boiling and slightly thickened. Makes about 9 cups.

Book #29, again?

I am setting down The Shack as I find it to be boring and have been reading it FOREVER!! Starting to read this book this aft:

"Is the life you're living all you imagined?

Have you ever asked yourself, "What if??" Here, four women face the decisions of their lifetimes in this stirring and unforgettable novel of love, loss, friendship, and family.

Anna Geneva, a Chicago attorney coping with the death of a cherished friend, returns to her "speck on the map" hometown of Haven to finally come to terms with her mother, the man she left behind, and the road she did not take.

Cami Drayton, Anna's dearest friend from high school, is coming home too, forced by circumstance to move in with her alcoholic father . . . and to confront a dark family secret.

Maeve, Anna's mother, never left Haven, firmly rooted there by her sadness over her abandonment by the husband she desperately loved and the hope that someday he will return to her.

And Amy Rickart—thin, beautiful, and striving for perfection—faces a future with the perfect man . . . but is haunted by the memory of what she used to be.

Kristina Riggle's The Life You've Imagined takes a provocative look at the choices we make—and the courage we must have to change."

Maple Balsamic Salmon

Ryan's birthday was on October 25th and we had my mom and Greg over for dinner on Monday. My mom loves new recipes, and I am always looking for something to please Greg ;). Found this recipe on Kraft Canada, and it was simple as can be, and tasted awesome :)

Ingredients

3 tbsp. Kraft Balsamic dressing

2 tbsp. maple syrup

4 1/2 tsp. dijon grainy mustard

2 tsp. soya sauce

4 skinless salmon fillets

Directions

1.) Mix first 4 ingredients; pour over fish in shallow baking dish. Turn to evenly coat fish and let marinate in refrigerator for 30 min.

2.) Heat oven to 450, take fish out and put on foiled cookie sheet. Pour the remaining marinade into pot.

3.) Bake fish 8 to 10 min or until flakey. Bring the marinade to a boil and let simmer on medium, stirring often (for about 2 to 3 minutes or until thick). Pour over fish.

*I suggest doubling the marinade

*To garnish, sprinkle fresh minced chives over salmon

...

I have clearly been neglecting my blog as of lately :( My dearly beloved grandma passed away at the end of September, and then we put an offer on a house (which meant we had to fix our house up for sale {ie. painting doors/trim/and a lot of decluttering) but we ended up not getting the house :(. I've also been working like crazy and am working on knitting a christmas stocking :) But I have made a couple of new recipes, and will be posting them momentarily!!