We are the champions, my friend.

I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I've come through
We are the champions, my friend
And, we'll keep on fighting 'til the end
We are the champions, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS...
No time for losers, 'cause we are the CHAMPIONS... of the world!

Ah, gotta love a good Queen song. And, this...

http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=15086

GOOOOOOO GATORS!!!!!!!!!!

C'mon Gators, Get Up and Go!

(I'm dying here... ahhhhhhhhhhh!)

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Yes, I realize Christmas is over, but tomorrow is the National Championship game, and my beloved Florida Gators are taking on the crimson and cream of the Oklahoma Sooners. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GATORS! I think I am going to be extrememly unproductive at work tomorrow... just a guess.

After tomorrow, it becomes the saddest time of the year, because college football is on hiatus for 8 months. But, the flip side is that it is also the most productive time of the year for me, because my Satudays are free. :)


Oh, preseason voters, how you underestimated us.

A New Year of Food and Fun

Matt and I love food... anything and everything to do with it from watching every good food show on TV (addicted to Gordon Ramsey, Top Chef, Anthony Bourdain, and too many Food Network programs), cooking it (mostly me, but he's a pro on the grill and is quite capable in the kitchen), and of course, EATING it. So, what better way to spend the coming and arrival of the new year than with food? Nothing, of course.

On New Year's Eve, we went to Redfish in Grant Park, which was awesome. We had the scallop appetizer, which included two very large seared scallops on a bed of creamed corn with peppers. Delish! I had the NOLA salad and crawfish cake as my entree and Matt had the three pepper catfish with red beans and rice and blue cheese grits. Again, delish and the portions were big! He brought home a whole filet of catfish. Before we left, we popped into the bar to use the restroom and check the score of the Peach Bowl. We struck up a convo with who turned out to be the executive chef and spent pretty close to two hours talking to him. He brought us dessert, and we talked about everything from food to restaurant ownership to politics and the economy. He was great. All you Atlantans head over to Redfish and tell Chef Gregg hi.

Yesterday, I spent the majority of the day in the kitchen. I made guacamole (recipe to follow) and served that with salsa and chips and crackers and pepper cheese for bowl game snacks. We had Matt, Jenny and Trevor over for dinner and I made roasted chicken, black eyed peas (for good luck, of course), and Jenny brought a nice salad. I also made red velvet cupcakes from scratch, and I was pleased with the result. Here are some pictures of our feast and my guacamole tutorial. :)

What New Year's resolution? (PS - I don't have one except to keep eating!) :)

Oh, how I adore a good bloody Mary.

Roasted chicken with onions, garlic and herbs (adapted from Good Things Catered )

black eyed peas - Southern tradition for New Year's Day

Kristin's Guac


2 ripe avacados
1 lime
a couple cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
handful of cilantro
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and cored
salt
Optional: seeded and diced jalapeno, diced onion


Halve the avacados and remove the pit. Use a paring knife to losen the flesh from the skin and squeeze or scoop into a bowl. Add the juice of the lime and the garlic and mash with a fork. Add the tomato (finely diced) and cilantro (coarsley chopped) and stir. Taste and add salt as needed. Garnish with diced tomato and cilantro.


Serve with corn chips. Enjoy!

KCMO Christmas

We had a wonderful time in Kansas City celebrating Christmas with Matt's mom and stepdad. They have two cats, and I am very allergic to cats, but I did pretty well. I don't know if I'm less allergic to their cats or Momma Kath just keeps a really clean house :) but I don't seem to have quite the reaction that I do at others' houses, which is a very good thing. Matt and I never had the discussion about what we would do if I couldn't stay there, and thankfully we didn't need to... because, I can't even fathom having to stay in a hotel to visit his parents!

We didn't end up getting much snow, so I didn't have enough to build a snowman. Oh well, maybe next time! It actually randomly got up to 68 degrees on Friday, but it was in the 30s or lower the rest of the time we were there. These huge storms rolled through early Saturday morning, and since I didn't sleep that night for some reason, it was pretty crazy to listen to it. At one point, I honestly thought the roof might blow off or that the window might blow in. The wind was absolutely howling! And, I thought weather in the South was crazy... thunderstorms as strong as that one was in the winter is pretty crazy!

Anyway, here's our Christmas in pictures and captions!

After Christmas Eve Mass.

Our Christmas table.

Tom carving up the turkey and ham.

Momma Kath with all the goods... yum!

One of the old train signs in Union Station.

The awesome toy train setup.

WWI Memorial and Museum.

View from the top of the WWI Memorial.

Cheese!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Kansas City, where we didn't get a white Christmas, but at least it's below freezing outside. It's in the 80s in Florida, which I think is just unconscionable on Christmas. ;) No matter where you are, I hope you have a blessed Christmas with family and friends!

We are here visiting with Matt's family, which has been so nice. I just love his parents, and I feel lucky to have been blessed with wonderful inlaws (and, no Momma Kath, I'm not just saying that because I know you read my blog). :) We got some very nice gifts, and Tom and Kath liked what we got them, so that's always a plus. I love giving gifts. Mom and my fam loved their gifts too, so we did good for our first married Christmas together.

Time to get back to cooking and drinking. ;) Looking forward to snow on Saturday, so I can make a snowman! xoxo

Calves

Not as in baby cows, but as in the lower part of your leg. Yes, calves. Mostly everyone has them, but some are skinnier than others. Mine apparently do not fall into that category. I am not normally a very trendy person, but ever since riding boots hit the scene last year, I have been dying for a pair (okay, not really dying, but maybe pining away). However, considering it took me a few years to find a pair of tall black boots that fit, I knew it wouldn't be an easy task. Now, looking at me, one doesn't immediately think, "Oh, she's got big calves." But, apparently I do. Big calves and small feet. Mind you, I am not a large girl - 5'3", 127 lbs, size 2-4 in clothes, size 6 in shoes... size "extra large shaft circumference" in boots.

I ordered three pairs of gorgeous riding boots from Piper Lime... none fit. These lovely Frye boots came reeeeeeeaaaaaalllllllly close.

And, they smell like heavenly leather. I think that's why they cost so much (don't tell Matt). I told him I was interested in some boots that were $300. But, that's what I was buying myself with my bonus and the rest was going into savings. He asked if these were the $300 boots, and I just said no. I think we can leave it at that. lol

I would need to have them stretched just a half inch or so to be perfect (right now, they slouch at the ankle because they don't quite come as high up on the calf as they should). However, I am expecting the arrival of a pair of J. Crew boots (at a much cheaper price) this afternoon. They make "extended calf" boots. Yes, that's right. What a horrible name. Can't we just call them boots for girls with athletic calves? Because, that would make me feel much better. I just hope they fit!

Disclaimer: I realize there are plenty of things going on in this world that beyond dwarf my inability to find boots that fit my "athletic" calves. But, this is my blog and I want to whine about boots. :) However, to do some good in the world, please go to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital website and make a donation (or to your favorite charity). In trying times like these and espeically at this time of the year, dig a little deeper to help those in need when you have been blessed with good fortune.

***UPDATE: They fit!!!! I'm pretty sure I can even wear them over skinny jeans. God bless J.Crew. lol***

Birthday

March 30, 2009. This is the date that my newest nephew will enter the world. I can't wait... the best birthday present a girl could ask for (mine is the 29th)! He remains nameless, and I don't even have a sonogram picture or anything to post. Instead, here's his big brother.

Not quite warmed up to the photographer, yet.

There's the personality!

Mangia!

I wanted to share a recipe I made the other night, because it was delicious! I am generally more of a primavera/marinara girl than a meatball/meat sauce girl, but I saw a recipe in Giada's Everyday Pasta cookbook that I had to try. I made some minor alterations to the recipe to suit my taste, so here it is.

Linguine with Turkey Meatballs and Quick Sauce

Meatballs
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 ounces pancetta, finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 lb ground turkey (I used 93/7 - I wouldn't recommend going much less fatty than that)
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper (1/2 to 1 tsp each)

Pasta and Sauce
1 lb linguine
1/4 cup EVOO
1 - 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, drained and cut into pieces with kitchen scissors
1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce
2 large cloves of garlic
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
freshly grated Romano or Parmesan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium skillet, bring olive oil to temperature over medium heat and saute pancetta for about 2 minutes. Add onion and saute until tender (about 4 more minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. In a large bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients. Form into meatballs about 2 inches in circumference and place on a foil lined, greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta until al dente (about 8 minutes). In a large saute pan, bring olive oil to temperature over medium heat. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Remove the meatballs from the oven and add to the sauce to coat. Plate the pasta on a platter and toss with sauce and meatballs. Add more water as needed to moisten (note: I didn't need to add any). Garnish with fresh basil and cheese. Enjoy!

Matt really liked this, and frankly, so did I. We had it for dinner Sunday evening along with a green salad with cucumber, tomato, green olives, feta and quick balsamic (equal parts EVOO and balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and a little bit of Dijon mustard). I had leftovers for lunch and dinner yesterday, and it was even better than Sunday night! I wish I had more, or at least a picture to share...

JW Photography

One of my dear friends, Jenny, has been doing photography for a few years now, and it has been so amazing to watch her growth. Her pictures have always been great, but I can definitely see improvement as she learns more and more about the camera and editing. She just moved up here to Atlanta and just started a blog to document her photography! She does all types of portraiture, but I would say her specialty is definitely babies. So, if I have any Atlanta readers out there, I encourage you to check out her blog (much more to come) and her website for more information. Not only are her prices great, but she's as cute and sweet as they come! :)