Happy Memorial Day!

Hope everyone had a fabulous Memorial Day! It is raining here in Kathleen, but we had our Memorial Day festivities last night, so all is well. Above is crudite and crackers with roasted red pepper hummus. A great way to start off the evening!



Our meal consisted of large hunks of prime rib (oh yeah....), steamed broccoli, and roasted fingerling potatoes. Twas delicious!

And then there was dessert... I made individual trifles (brownies, chocolate fudge pudding, snickers bars, and cool whip) that were ridiculously easy!

So, happy times to everyone!

~ Mari

Penne with Arugula, Ham, and Orange Wine Sauce

I just created my first dish as a married lady, and I'm quite happy with it! I had plans for flank steak, but didn't feel like driving to Kroger. So, instead, I used some stuff we already had and created...

Penne with Arugula, Ham, and Orange Wine Sauce

1 lb. Penne pasta, cooked (al dente, of course)
2 handfuls fresh arugula
4 slices of honey ham (from the deli)
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
grated parmesan cheese, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:
1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. white wine
1 clove garlic, smashed
3 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

In a small sauce pot, melt the butter. Add the wine, dollops of orange juice concentrate, Italian seasoning, and garlic clove. Allow to simmer until it has reduced to half of its original amount.

Slice the ham into strips and saute in a little olive oil until caramelized.

In a large bowl, toss the warm pasta with the fresh arugula, caramelized ham, orange wine sauce, and salt and pepper. Top with freshly grated parm and serve!

Enjoy! Ryan did... :)

~ Mari

Arugula

Oh Happiest of Days!

Of course I will write more later (many details and photos to come, I promise), but I just wanted to say that Ryan and my wedding was as wonderful as a fairytale. I couldn't be happier!

As I said, more details later! Now, I need to organize our house!

Beautiful Beaufort

Well, we're here in Beaufort, SC prepping for the wedding. I can't believe it's already here! Only a few days and I'll be a married lady. Hot dog! The weather is gorgeous and there are no bugs to be found! Yahoo! But, anything can happen between now and Saturday, so keep your fingers crossed! Each time I check the weather for Sunday it says something different. Ugh. One minute it says partly cloudy and the next is shows that ominous dark cloud icon that I hate so much. But, che sera, sera, right?

It will be a little while before I post again... you know... I'll have a few things going on. Hehe. So, arrivaderci for now and wish me luck!

~ Mari

Splendid Ice Cream, Indeed

It arrived! Our ice cream from Jeni's Ice Cream (in Ohio) arrived in the mail yesterday. And first, can I just say how ridiculously satisfying it is to receive ice cream...on your front doorstep? Amazing.


We opened the box and... there they are! Four pints of delicious-ness (but, we didn't know that yet)! We ordered Queen City Cayenne, Meyer Lemon Yogurt, Dark Chocolate, and Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Cherries. OH my goodness.

First, we tried the Dark Chocolate. It was like eating a creamy frozen brownie... bittersweet with a dry mouthfeel afterward. Hands down THE best chocolate ice cream I've ever eaten.

Then we tried the Queen City Cayenne. When you first put it in your mouth, it tastes like a ligh chocolate cinnamon ice cream with rich undertones... and then you feel it: the back of your mouth and your throat are on fire with sweet cayenne! Genius!

Then We tried the Meyer Lemon Yogurt. You know how really ripe Meyer lemons smell? Well, that's how this ice cream tastes. It is creamy, yet light, and has the perfect amount of sour lemon flavor. I want to eat some again just talking about it!

And how about that splendid flavor combination above? I could barely contain myself over this one. GOAT CHEESE... in ice cream? Holy guacamole, it was delicious! You could taste the goat cheese, but it wasn't overpowering. It was like cheesecake, but with goat milk. Then - there were huge, succulent roasted sour cherries... it was almost too much to take.

In summation, if you want to get someone an AMAZING gift (namely, me. just kidding. not really.), I would send some Jeni's Ice Cream her/his way. I still can't choose my favorite. Each one I taste at that moment is my favorite... in that moment. I can't wait for lunch...so I can eat dessert!

~ Mari

It's Official!

Me, Kate, Chrissy, and Lanna

We're official graduates of the Rel Maples Institute for Culinary Arts ... and I've got mixed emotions. I'm so happy to have completed the program, met an amazing group of people, cooked my tushie off, and become a real live CHEF. But, I'm also really sad to leave such an amazing place that was my home for the past 1.5 years.

Chef Joe Cairns and I

That's Chef Joe (aka: my big brother twice removed). I learned a lot about cooking, life, and all kinds of other random tid-bits that I shan't share on this blog from that man. I would definitely consider him my culinary mentor. Man - I'm gonna miss him dancing in the kitchen!

graduates of 2010

It's just hard to believe that it's over! I'm an ACF certified chef. Me. The girl who, before culinary school, hadn't cooked anything other than Easy Mac & grilled cheese. Now I know all the cool culinary terms: veg, parm, mise (en place)... the list goes on.

Well, now that I'm a chef, I have to get a job, right? Haha... we'll see!

~ Mari

Springtime in Middle GA

There she is! Can I just tell you how ridiculously exciting it is to have your own yard? I never quite understood why people would work SO hard planting things until I did it myself. It's so satisfying! I can't take credit for those gorgeous rose bushes in the photos (thank you, previous owner), but I will post pictures later of the things that I did plant.


I can't wait to get down there and spend some quality time in our yard and on our porch! It won't be long now... the wedding is in TEN days! I can't believe it myself. I'm crazy excited! So, if the posts slow down (or stop) for a bit, don't fret! I'm just becoming wed! ;)

~ Mari

The Best Mother's Day Gift Ever

Photo courtesy realsimple.com

Too bad I already got my mom something for Mother's Day or I would be all over this... artisan ice cream from Jeni's Ice Cream in Columbus, OH. Not only do their flavors sound amazing (recommended on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network), they SHIP the homemade ice cream to your house! I can't even stand it!

Photo courtesy The Flirty Blog

So, though I didn't get any ice cream for mom for Mother's Day, I might have ordered some... just for the heck of it. :) Check out some of these flavors:

Salty Caramel

Queen City Cayenne

Thai Chili

Dark Chocolate

Goat Cheese with Roasted Cherries

Meyer Lemon Yogurt

Yummers, right? I know. So, if you're looking for the best Mother's Day gift ever, or just want some darn good ice cream (on your doorstep, no less), I would check out Jeni's Ice Cream. I can't WAIT to get ours in the mail! I will post pictures (if I remember to take them before I eat it all) and tell you about the amazingness as soon as they arrive!

~ Mari