Kasie & Kyles Blog

Garden Update

2010-06-26T16:00:00.001-05:00

Our garden has finally started to take off. I was worried that the plants wouldn't fertilize because we planted them so late. A few plants are moving slower than others, but most of them are starting to produce vegetables.

We have a total of 4 cherry tomatoes growing right now. We still don't have any big tomatoes starting yet, but I'm hoping they'll start to grow soon.

These are going to be red bell peppers. Here's a picture of our two biggest ones. We also have yellow and green pepper starting to grow.

JALAPENOS!!! I can't wait to make my Aunt Molli's jalapeno jelly.

Run Away Dog

2010-06-02T14:16:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we brought Dixie with us to my cousin's graduation in College Station. We decided she would be fine if we left her in the backyard during the ceremony. I made the mistake of not walking around the yard to check for holes in the fence, but I didn't think it was a big deal because Dixie had never run away before. Well I guess there's a first time for everything, because when we got back to the duplex Dixie was gone. Kyle and my dad automatically took charge and started calling for her and knocking on neighbors doors. I was in complete shock and just stood there with my mouth hanging open. Luckily, the neighbors had her. So she was only missing for about 2.5 minutes.

One of my favorite things about the new house is the backyard for Dixie. I was under the impression that she loved being back there.....until yesterday. I came home from work and walked to the back door to let Dixie inside, but she was nowhere to be found. Once again, I was in complete shock and my body went numb. I called Kyle, sobbing hysterically to come home and help me find her. I mustered up the courage to knock on a few neighbors doors, but I just started crying every time anyone answered. Our neighbor to the left of us graciously helped me until Kyle got home in my search to find my beloved dog. Just like last time, Kyle got right down to business. He was running around the neighborhood, stopping cars, knocking on doors, anything he could to find Dixie. In the meantime, I went inside to make missing dog flyer's. I had never done that before so I had no idea what to put on it. I printed a few out and Kyle started posting them where he could. While he was out, someone rang our doorbell. At first, I thought he locked himself out (I've done it before), but it was someone with a picture of Dixie on their phone. Praise the Lord, she was alive!!! I called the number he gave me, and sure enough, someone had our little dog. I jumped in my car, wallet in hand (in case they were holding her for ransom). As I turned the corner, I saw Kyle hugging another man. What the heck was going on? As he turned toward my car, he was holding our precious, terrible, run away dog. After thanking the kind man for taking good care of her, we took our stinky, but much loved puppy home.

Needless to say, Dixie is staying inside until we find a way to keep her in the backyard.

Home Sweet Home

2010-05-23T19:55:00.001-05:00

I can't believe we've been living in the house for over a month and this is my first post. To give you a little bit of background, Kyle and I bought our first home on April 15th. It's a four bedroom, two bathroom house in Round Rock, Texas. I'll be totally honest, there are things about the house that I don't like, but it's slowly growing on me. I'm SO thankful that we are out of the apartment and finally have a place to call our own. I don't have a lot of pictures of the house, because it's still pretty empty. However, here are a few unique things about the house that make it our home.

1) Our vegetable bed. Kyle built me this vegetable bed and few weeks ago, and I absolutely love it. I wake up every morning and water the plants before I go to work. We planted regular tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red, yellow and green bell peppers, jalapenos and a variety of herbs. I'm finally starting to see some buds on our jalapeno plants. I can't wait until they start growing so I can make some jalapeno jelly.

2) Our first painting. We bought this painting a week after we moved in at the Austin Art Festival. It's called, "The Tree of Life". We both really loved the artist and hope to purchase more of his work in the future. Right now it's hanging above our bedroom door, but we might move it somewhere else eventually.

3) A surprise flower in our front yard flower bed. I'm not a huge fan of our current flower beds. I came home from work one day and found this beautiful flower. I was planning on pulling everything out because I thought it was all just weeds.....but I'll let this one stay.

4) Dixie, of course!!! Dixie now has her very own backyard. She was skeptical at first, but now she guards the fence like a prison guard. She's even made a very distinct path around the entire yard where she patrols.

P.S. Hopefully I'll get around to updating the background soon. I'm getting kind of tired of Valentine's Day theme myself.

The Pork Tenderloin Showdown

2010-03-23T20:23:00.000-05:00

I have an ongoing love-hate relationship with the pork tenderloin. I love it because it is sold two per package. Who doesn't love things that are sold in pairs. Earrings, shoes and reeses peanut butter cups.....all sold in pairs. Secondly, the pork tenderloin is pretty inexpensive. In fact, when I buy it, it's feels like I'm getting a buy one get one free deal. Lastly, it's a very versatile and a relatively lean piece of meat.

I hate the pork tenderloin, because I can't seem to cook the damn things right. It's either overdone or too rare.
(The too rare part is probably a result of our smoke detectors. I can only sear it for a couple minutes before the alarm goes off. I know for a fact smoke alarm in our apartment is overly sensitive. Seriously, the siren will blow when banana bread is baking in the oven!)
No matter what method I try, it just doesn't seem to come out right. However, I'm determined to master the pork tenderloin. I have had the best results using this cooking method. It's still not perfect, but showing signs of improvement.

Pork Tenderloin with White Balsamic Pears: (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
1 (1 pound) Pork Tenderloin
6 cloves Garlic, pealed and cut in half
2 Ripe Pears (cored and diced)
1 Tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 1/4 cup White Wine
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 425F.
2) Make 1 inch slits all over the tenderloin and insert one halved garlic cloves into each slit. Season with salt and pepper.
3) Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottom skillet.
4) Place the tenderloin in the hot pan. Brown the pork on all sides (about 10 minutes).

5) Remove from heat and place in an oven-safe baking dish. Pour 3/4 cup of white wine over the pork and place uncovered in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature is 155-160 degrees.
6) Leaving the pork skillet over medium-high heat, pour in the remaining 1/2 cup white wine. De-glaze the pan by stirring until all the browned bits from the bottom are removed.
7) Add pears, white balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard. Saute until pears are tender and caramelized, about 5 minutes then remove from heat.
8) Remove the tenderloin from the oven, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves while carving.

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

2010-03-18T10:42:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted a recipe on here. I have been cooking a lot lately, just too busy to take pictures and post the recipes. However, this one is too easy and yummy not to share.
Recipe serves 4

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tbsp butter
1 (10 oz.) can biscuits, torn into pieces
3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
Seasonings (salt, pepper, cumin, poulty seasoning, garlic powder)
Fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

Please the chicken breasts, onions, butter, cream of chicken soup, chicken stock and seasonings in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
Season the biscuits with salt and pepper and place in the crock pot. Turn the heat to high and cook for an additional 1.5-2 hours (until the "dumplings" are cooked through).
Serve hot with fresh chopped parsley

What a Weekend

2010-03-01T18:27:00.001-06:00

Kolaches, gambling and wedding invitations. This past weekend was filled with a little bit of everything. Friday afternoon, Kyle and I drove to El Campo to go gambling at Coushatta on Saturday and order our save-the-dates and wedding invitations on Sunday. My friend, Tiffany, even came to EC to go with us on Saturday.

Saturday morning I woke up earlier than any human should be awake (4:00 A.M.) I had to get ready early enough to go get kolaches before we loaded the bus at 5:45. Every time we go to EC, we get kolaches from Daylight Donuts. I am addicted to them. The dough is sweet and buttery and the ham to cheese ratio is perfect. After our breakfast stop, we made our way to Wal-Mart for a day filled of bus riding, free drinks and money risking fun.

I was a little skeptical about riding a bus all the way to Louisiana. I think the 2.5 hour trip to EC is long enough. Being seated for 5 hours straight was going to be a challenge. Before I start describing the trip, I'll give you an overview of how it was supposed to be. The bus we were riding was SUPPOSED to be a private bus, and it was SUPPOSED to leave Wal-Mart at 5:45. There was another bus in front of us that other people from EC were riding on. We were to make one stop in Rosenburg to pick up some more people to be seating in the other bus. After that, it was full speed ahead to Coushatta.

Here's how the trip really went. We didn't pull out of the parking lot until 6:00 A.M. After making the 45 minute trip to Rosenburg, we discovered that the other bus was overbooked, so they seated the overflow of people on our bus. That didn't exactly go over very well with some of the people from our group. After all the confusion, we finally got back on the road and were headed for the casino. I was taking a nice little nap when I realized we stopped AGAIN. Once again, because of the other bus. Gggrrrr!!! It had to change drivers. I had never been on one of the bus trips before, so I had no idea how everything worked. If you ask me, they make the entire process way too complicated.

Finally, we made it to the casino. Time to get some free drinks and watch other people lose their money. I am not a gambler. I don't think it's enjoyable to put my money in a machine or on a table and have someone take it. I'm not hating on the people that are risk takers. More power to ya. There's a reason they say, "You can't win if you don't play." That statement is totally true. However, I rarely win, so I don't like to play :(

My friend, Tiffany, is a risk taker. She headed straight for the poker tables. Kyle is the same way, but he plays the craps table. We started by standing at a table and just watching people play. I guess the waitress thought we were playing, because she kept bringing us drinks.....score!!! After watching other people for a while and doing a google search, Kyle was ready to play. He actually did pretty good. He started to gain some money, but then he lost some too. Overall, I think we had a great time at the casino. The bus ride home was another story. The other bus that was in front of us starting have engine problems on the way home. Of course, our bus had to stop and "help them". By "help them", I mean park behind them and sit on the side of the road for half an hour. After sitting and waiting, the bus drivers solution was to let 10 people from the other bus onto our bus, and then we could leave. I mentioned earlier that our bus was SUPPOSED to be private. Once we heard their "solution"......I'll just say that shit hit the fan. I was sitting next to Tiffany, so Kyle was sitting by himself. A fowl smelling man tried to sit next to Kyle. He turned around and looked at me with absolute terror in his eyes. It was hilarious. There was a cooler in the isle, so Kyle was trying to explain to the man that he had to move it. Luckly, there was a communication barrier between Kyle and Mr. Body Odor, so he moved to a different seat. Crisis averted!

The next morning, I went to get some more kolaches for breakfast. Yeah, I think they are that good. Before heading back to Austin, Kyle and I ordered our save-the-dates and wedding invitations from a girl I went to high school with. I was super excited, because they cost much less than I had anticipated. I can't wait to see them. We should be mailing our save-the-dates at the end of the month, so look for them in the mail.

White Wine & Garlic Mussels

2010-01-27T19:38:00.000-06:00

Every year Kyle and I go out on a "Christmas Date". It usually consists of Christmas shopping (mostly for ourselves), a movie or outdoor activity and a special dinner. Since we've been pinching our pennies lately, I decided to have a date-night-in this year. It was wonderful. I made us a great meal and we didn't have to fight traffic or any crazy Christmas shoppers.

This recipe has to be one of my all time favorites. Who doesn't love wine, butter and garlic.....all in the same dish? My favorite part is sopping up all of the rich delicious sauce with a nice piece of crusty bread. This is definitely my kind of comfort food.
NOTE: I would recommend buying the mussels at the very last minute. They have to be stored in a cold, damp and airy environment.....or they'll die and you won't have anything to cook. I bought mine in the morning, and some of them didn't make it to dinner time.

White Wine & Garlic Mussles (recipe from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:

3 pounds mussels
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots (5 to 7 shallots)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (5 to 6 gloves)
1/2 chopped canned plum tomatoes, drained (or you can just buy 1 plum tomato)
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup good white wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Method:

Clean the mussels! Put them in a large bowl with the flour and 2 quarts of water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the mussels, then remove the "beard" with your fingers. Scrub any mussels that look dirty and discard mussels whose shells aren't completely shut. (To test if they are alive, give the mussels a little tap. If they close right up, then they're still good. If not, chunk 'em)
In a large non-aluminum stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Add the mussels, stir well, then cover and pot and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes (until all the mussles have opened). Throw away any mussels that remain closed.
With the lid on, shake the pot so the mussels on the bottom don't burn.
Pour the mussels and heavenly sauce into a large bowl and serve immediately.

Serve with a good crusty french bread to soak up all of the saucy goodness. It's the best part!

Knock Your Socks Off Dinner Rolls

2010-01-24T20:35:00.001-06:00

Raise your hand if you go to Texas Roadhouse just for the dinner rolls.

*Hand raised!

There rolls are amazing delicious and surprising easy. That's because the main ingredient is (drum roll).......frozen dinner rolls. That's right. No flour, eggs or self activating yeast, just plain ol' frozen dinner rolls.

*Please excuse the super dark photo. I don't have good lighting in my kitchen.

Ingredients:

Frozen, Unbaked Dinner Rolls
Melted Butter, Unsalted
Fresh Rosemary, Chopped (If you're not a fan of rosemary, lemon zest and chopped thyme would work great)
Coarse Sea Salt

Method:

Spray a small cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray (or rub with olive oil).
Place frozen rolls in the skillet, leaving plenty of room for rising.
Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 3-4 hours (until the rolls have doubled or more in size).
After rising, brush the rolls with melted butter, sprinkle with rosemary then sprinkle with course sea salt.
Bake according to the roll package directions (I baked mine at 350 degrees for 15 minutes), until rolls are golden brown.

My First 5k

2010-01-20T19:51:00.000-06:00

This past Sunday I participated in my first 5k. I was SO nervous, because I wasn't exactly prepared. Who am I kidding? I wasn't prepared AT ALL! Prior to the race I'd been doing some working out in the gym, but not nearly enough to prepare me to run 3.2 miles......without stopping. Despite my lack of readiness, I did a lot better than I thought I would and had a great time.

Sunday morning we (my sister, Chelsea and myself) woke up at 4:45 so we could be downtown by 6:00 a.m. The 5k didn't start until 7:30, but they started closing the streets at 6:00. After parking we walked over to the George R. Brown Convention Center to wait for the race to start. It was freezing outside, so I wasn't about to stand outside any longer than I had to. Around 7:00 we started to make our way over to the start line. It was really cool to watch all of the half-marathoners start their race.

Did I mention earlier how nervous I was? We were so close to the start line, I just knew I was going to get trampled. Right before the start of the race they started blaring Bruce Springsteen "Born to Run". After hearing that my adrenaline started to race and I was ready to GO! I almost jogged the first mile without stopping (that's pretty impressive for me). Since I was the shortest one in the group, I was left behind to run by myself. I was really worried that I wouldn't push myself if I was by myself, but that wasn't the case at all. I ~~ran~~ jogged longer and harder than I ever have before. My official time was 45.11 minutes. In reality, that is a terrible time, but I was just praying that I would finish in under an hour.

Overall, I had a great time. I'm going to really start training now so Kyle and I can run another 5k this Spring in Austin. Here are some pictures from the Houston EP5k.

El Campo girls getting ready to run!

Sisters.....waiting at the start line.

Jennifer, myself and Chelsea (Ignore the puffy eyes. We woke up at 4:45 a.m.)

The start line. We were SO close.

After the race with our finisher medals.

Happy New Year

2010-01-09T21:04:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!!! Better late than never, right?
2009 was a great year, but 2010 is going to be even better. Kyle and I are hoping to buy our first home, we're getting married in October and I'll be getting a new car (not by choice). I was hoping ol' green would last at least another year or two, but now I'm praying she'll last a few more months.

On a lighter note, wedding planning is going great! We booked the officiant, Mike Rinehart, before Christmas. He is absolutely wonderful. The ceremony is going to be perfect. I scheduled a cake tasting for next week, and I'll rent the linens the first week in February. I think the only thing left to do is the invitations. I hope the next 9 months fly by. I can't wait to see how everything comes together......and to get married, of course.

This year (this past year) for New Years Eve, Kyle and I went to Houston to ring in the new year with some of his old friends from Livingston. We went to dinner, then to a sports bar, then back to Daniel's house for the "after party". I was SO proud of myself this year. I'm usually a weenie and can barely stay up til midnight. This year, I made it all the way til 2:30 am. Even though I was still the first one to go to bed, I felt like such a trooper for staying up that long. Anyways, here are some picture from the night.

The guys at the bar

Luke and Angie

Kyle and I before midnight

The whole group in 2010!

All the guys around the beer pong table

First pic together in 2010 :-)

Christmas Vacation

2009-12-30T11:25:00.001-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Christmas vacation. Kyle and I were fortunate enough to spend the holidays with both of our families. We headed to Livingston Wednesday morning to spend some time with Kyle's family. We played lots of games and opened lots of gifts. After lunch on Christmas day, we hit the road and headed to El Campo. My dad grilled burgers (not my favorite, so I had chicken). We visited with my Uncle Gary and Aunt Molli and played my favorite dice game my dad made.

The next day we had Christmas with my mom's extended family. Everyone came to our house this year. I really enjoyed that, because we had already done a lot of driving. My dad made pork chop fricassee and everyone brought lots of yummy snacks. Too many yummy snacks that I couldn't say away from. Another wonderful part of the day was visiting with my grandma. She's a feisty 89 year old that still plays a mean game of dominoes.

2009 has been an amazing year. Kyle and I are very blessed to have such amazing family and friends.

The family picture we took for my grandma's Christmas present. As you can see, my dad isn't very photogenic.

Grandmo Sab., me and Jennifer

Kyle got in on this one. After all, he'll officially be part of the family soon.

Grandmo Sab. opening one of her Christmas gifts. My Aunt Linda got a family picture from everyone and had them framed. She LOVED it!

My adorable godson, Ryan.

Jen and I, goofin' around while everyone played Chinese Exchange.

Sisters :)

My First Original Recipe

2009-12-21T14:37:00.000-06:00

Yay, This is my first original recipe......kinda.

It's a cross between a turnover and a brie en croute. I'm not even sure what to call it. Maybe walnut, jam and brie turnover, or amazing delicious melted brie wrapped in puff pastry. Either way, it's FABULOUS!!!

Ingredients:
1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (thawed in the refrigerator)
1 wedge brie
1 jar of jam (raspberry, apricot or fig would be good)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Roll out the puff pastry until it's 9-inches by 12-inches. Cut the pasty into 3x3 inch squares
3. Place the pastry squares on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Whisk the egg, then brush the edges of the pastry squares.
4. After that, place a small piece of brie on one half and the pastry square. Then, top the brie with 1/2 teaspoon of jam and chopped walnuts. Fold over the squares into a triangle shape. Use the prongs of a fork to crimp the edges. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Add a little water to the egg and whisk together. Brush the tops of the pastry with the egg mixture, so the turnover come out nice and brown.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and puffy. Allow the turnovers to cool for 20 minutes.

Can be served warm or at room temperature.

I hope the pictures look a little better. Kyle and I got a new camera for Christmas. Yes, I know Christmas isn't until Friday, but I'm impatient and I couldn't wait. Plus, if we already know what we are going to buy, why wait?

I'm also becoming familiar with photoshop. I really have no idea how to us it, but I know a few little tricks. Look at this before and after.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday from Kasie & Kyle!

Chicken Chili

2009-12-09T19:21:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 (35 oz) can stewed tomatoes, crushed
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it really spicy)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 - 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
Sugar (optional)

Method:

1. In a large, heavy-bottom pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, jalapeno and green pepper and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes and cook for few more minutes. If needed, add more olive oil.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, beans, chicken meat, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for about an hour.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add 1-2 teaspoon of sugar to lessen the acidity of the tomatoes (if desired)

Garnish with chopped onions, cheddar cheese, or saltine crackers.

SNOW: from Austin to El Campo

2009-12-06T21:51:00.001-06:00

There is something magical about snow that makes me act like a giddy little kid. Maybe it's because I've only ever seen it a hand full of times in my life. When I heard the weather man forecasting snow in south Texas, I was a little skeptical. After all, if they forecast snow like they foercast rain, our chances of getting any would be pretty slim.

Before I left for work on Friday morning, I checked the radar. To my surprise, it looked like it was actually going to start snowing around 11:00 a.m. The weather man must have gotten pretty lucky this time, because right at 11:00 a.m. I starting seeing snowflakes outside my office window. It didn't snow enought in Austin to stick on the ground, but I did see a few good flurries at my apartment.

A few snowflakes sticking on Dixie.

Trying to take a picture of Dixie and myself, but she didn't want to look at the camera.

Because the weather is so unpredicable in Texas, Kyle and I decided to head out early to go to El Campo. We didn't want to take our chances and get stuck on icey roads. It started snowing in El Campo at 7:00 a.m., and it was actually sticking to the ground. The last time that happened was Christmas Eve, 2004.

The snow was about 2.5 inches in my front yard in El Campo.

Kyle and I in my front yard

Here's a video of Dixie running in the snow. She wasn't nearly as thrilled as I thought she'd be.

Our first snowman together. I know it's a little small, but we didn't have any gloves.

This is my snowman from Christmas Day, 2004. The picture is a little grainy because I had to scan it on my computer.

After we finished playing in the snow, we went to the Bolcik's to see my two little nephews. My Godson, Ryan, just turned two in November and Zachary is three months old. They are just the cutest little boys I've ever seen.

Ryan telling Kyle how to color.

He is SO precious!!!

Ryan and Nana being goofy.

Holding baby Zach. Before I know it, he's going to be bigger than me.

He's such a big boy.

Our snowman was still standing the next morning............

...........until Kyle kicked it down. I think this is a pretty cool photo.

Thanksgiving Festivities

2009-11-29T19:58:00.001-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. This year Kyle and I spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Livingston. We left Austin early Wednesday morning so we could make it to Livingston by noon. For the rest of the afternoon we hung out at the house with Kyle's family. Later that night, his family from California stopped by to visit. I haven't seen them since we went to California for spring break in 2008, so it was great to catch up.

On Thanksgiving day we drove to Silsbee to have lunch with Kyle's dad's side of the family. I especially enjoyed this, because I haven't met a lot of Kyle's family. The food was great, and it was nice to meet some of my soon-to-be extended family. The rest of the day was filled with games, cocktails and Fightin Texas Aggie Football. Even though we didn't win the game, we put up a hell of a fight. GIG 'EM AGGIES!

Dixie sitting on her riding pillow on the way to Livingston

Kyle and I on Thanksgiving day!

Oates Family Photo

Kyle and Dixie watching the Cowboy's game

Fightin Texas Aggie Football + a fire + champagne = a GREAT night!

Kyle and I watching the Aggie vs. Texas game

I hope y'all like the new background and banner. I did the background all by myself, and Kyle helped me with the banner. Before you know it I'll be a pro.

Mexican Chicken Soup

2009-11-16T20:48:00.002-06:00

Soup season is finally here!!! The first real cold front of the year finally blew in today. That can only mean one thing, a nice hot bowl of Mexican Chicken Soup is soon to follow. The warm flavors of cumin and the spicy bite from the jalapenos make this soup one of my all time favorites. In fact, it's one of the few things that I make that Kyle will just gobble up.

This recipe is slightly altered from Ina Garten's, Barefoot Contessa at Home, Mexican Chicken Soup. It yields 8 to 10 servings.

Ingredients:

4 split (or 3 very large) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
2 yellow onions, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
4 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 quarts low sodium chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
Salt and pepper
6 (6-inch) white corn tortillas
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, avacado, tortilla chips or sour cream

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan lined with foil. Rub the skin with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast chicken for 35-40 minutes, until cooked through and skin is lightly golden brown. Once chicken has cooled, remove skin and bones and shred into bite size pieces.

3. While chicken is roasting, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven. Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until the onions have started to soften.

4. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and cilantro (if using). Cut the tortillas in half, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste.

Engagement Pictures

2009-11-08T19:04:00.006-06:00

Yay, our engagement pictures finally game in. We took them 3 weeks ago and I've been checking my e-mail like crazy in anticipation to look at them. Our photographer was Stephen Ward with Inphocus Photography. He is absolutely amazing. I was so nervous before we started our session, but he was so laid back that my jitters went away pretty quickly. The first location we shot at was the Administration Building at Texas A&M University. Kyle and I met at school, so we thought it was only fitting to have some pictures taken where we met and fell in love. The next place we went was Kyle Field. If you haven't noticed, Dixie is the star in most of our pictures. My sister stood behind Stephen while he was shooting and would say, "treat". The second Dixie hears that word her ears poke up and she smiles with excitement. I was so glad we actually got a few good shots with her looking at the camera. After being on campus, we traveled to Independence, TX to take the rest of our pictures. There is a lot of really cool scenery around there that makes for some really good pictures. Here are some of our favorite photos from the session.

Check out our web album on Picasa for more of our favorite photos. Click here!

Theme Design

2009-11-07T21:55:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone! (This is Kyle.) You may notice some design changes going on. We're still new to the blogger scene and getting used to using all the tools available. One of the tasks I volunteered to spend some time on was putting together a fall themed banner. I'm no artist, and barely know my way around Gimp, a photo editing software suite, so I was a little slow getting started. I played around with some ideas for awhile and really wasn't getting anywhere. I turned to Google and The Shabby Shoppe came to my rescue. Yes, I know what you're thinking... "you paid for art" ... I must say they do a very good job, and hey I still had to put everything together (to my liking and Kasie's). Now that the banner is done, I'm thinking about designing a cool background. Stay tuned.

Wedding Venue

2009-10-28T20:35:00.001-05:00

Kyle and I are getting married on October 23, 2010 in Round Rock, Texas. We got engaged on February 7, 2009 in San Diego, CA. I get asked pretty often, "Why are you waiting so long to get married?" I have several responses to that question. 1) I'm very easily overwhelmed. I want more than enough time to plan every detail just the way I want it. 2) Money. We want time to save our own money to pay for some of the expenses that aren't cover in our parent's budget. 3) I LOVE FALL!!! I love the warm fall colors and the anticipation of the holiday's that fall brings. After doing a little bit of planning, I realized that my primary color was going to be orange. Being an Aggie, I just can't stomach having an orange wedding (no matter how much I want to be surrounded by pumpkins) Instead, I decided to go with red and brown. I think the wedding will still have that warm cozy feel and look beautiful.

Here are some pictures of our venue, Casa Blanca on Brushy Creek. This picture is of the entrance to the venue. It's actually an old house that the owners expanded by adding a huge great room and outdoor decks.

This is the view of the great room from the front entrance and outside.

I absolutely love the Bridal Suite. It's the

master bedroom of the house. There is a very comfy bed (pictured on the right), a fire place (pictured below), enormous bathroom w/ lots and mirrors and most importantly, a mini fridge for coctails! My sister's friend from El Campo, Holly, is going to do all the girl's hair and makeup. We are going to be fully pampered without having to drive all over Austin.

THE MAN ROOM! I don't know if you call it the groom's room, but the room where the guys hang out isn't too bad either. It has a big screen TV, video games, oversized leather couches, easy outside access and a mini fridge. I'm sure all the guys won't get bored while they're waiting for the girls to get ready.

Lastly, the venue has an outdoor pavillion. We originally thought about having the dance in it, but quickly realized how far away it is from the bar. I am open to suggestions if anyone has any ideas of how we can utilize this space.

Pumpkins

2009-10-27T22:18:00.001-05:00

This past weekend Kyle and I attended Ryan's Annual Birthday/Halloween Celebration. Actvities included coctails, carving pumpkins and Master Pankcake Theater at the Alamo Drafthouse. We thought it would be fun the theme it up, so we chose The Nightmare Before Christmas. Here is a picture of our pumpkins side-by-side. Not too bad, especially since Kyle sketched them free hand!

Kyle carved the main character, Jack.

I carved Jack's trusty companion, Zero!