Easter Weekend

Zach and I headed to Pensacola for Easter weekend to spend some time with his parents. We had a great time! Caryl has a wonderful garden. She is growing cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, squash, lettuce, and a variety of herbs. I picked some lettuce and basil to bring home with us!
Don't be fooled by this picture, Zach did not help out in the garden this weekend. Sonny completely rebuilt this tractor last summer, and it's now up and running!

However, Croom did help us out!
Picking basil for pesto!

The squash plants were HUGE!She had two different kinds of basil- sweet and african blue. We made pesto out of each to taste the difference. We determined that the afrian blue (picture on left) has a stronger flavor than the sweet (picture on right), but they have the same flavor. It would be ok to mix the leaves in the same batch of pesto.

African Blue Basil

Sweet Basil Ingredients

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, we used more because we love garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and mix in the cheese.

If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.

I also got a bike! Yay! That's two things off the wishlist! Zach got a new TV a few weeks ago, and now I have a bike that is new to me! Sonny and Zach made an awesome bike hanger for us to store our bikes in our Florida room. I love having handy men around!

My Favorite Things

So, I was thinking that I'd do a "My Favorite Things" blog every now and then. Thoughts? Pro? Con? Well, I've totally been digging everything on this list lately...

1. Green Machine Naked Juice. It DOES look really weird, but it is awesome! And I know there is broccoli on the front picture, but there are not veggies in this drink. It's a really refreshing green apple flavor Yum! I've been having these for lunch when I'm traveling.

2. KitchenAid Mixer. As you can probably tell from previous blogs, I've been baking a lot. And Zach even baked cookies the other night, too!

3. Five Fingers. Zach got a pair for Christmas and loves them. So I took the plunge and got some, too! My niece, Sierra, calls them "flippers". I haven't taken them for a run yet, but I've enjoyed wearing them around town.
4. Clinique Lip Smoothies. This is a treat for your lips! For me, a lot of glosses dry out my lips or aggrevate the situation, but this has vitamin C which apparently is a chapped lip remedy. I usually layer chapstick under a gloss but not anymore! It's a little stickier than I prefer, but I can apply and re-apply all day and have awesome feeling (and looking lips). Muah!

5. Fresh pasta. We eat pasta because it's fast, easy, and cheap. Publix has a BoGo deal every week on the pasta you boil. BUT if you can find fresh pasta (which you also have to boil) it will change your life. It doesn't even compare to the solid pasta you boil!
6. Lost. So I've caught the bug. I know I'm a few years behind on the Lost craze, but we started watching from season one and obsession is an understatement.

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

So, Zach and I undertook a home improvement project this weekend... the bathroom. The Greenes had done a wonderful and thorough job making the condo look awesome before Zach started med school. They re-did the laundry room and laid tile, painted all the rooms, installed hardware in the kitchen, and cleaned the place really well. A lot of hard work went into the place, and it looks great! Well, except for the bathroom-- a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Apparently ivy wreath wallpaper was "in" back in the 70's. We are getting it out of here! Check back later for the before and after!

Well, anyhoo-- I put a roast in the crockpot before we started first thing in the morning, and it was ready just in time for a dinner break while a coat was drying. I took a Martha Stewart recipe and changed it up just a bit...

Serves 8

• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• 8 medium carrots, cut into thirds (i peeled and cut whole carrots, but it would be a whole lot faster and just as yummy to used a bag of baby carrots)
  
• 1 lb bag of frozen white pearl onions (i LOVE these, but you are welcome to just chop up a couple medium onions)
• a few small whole potatoes (i added this to the recipe, but Martha has other roast recipes with potatoes)
• 1 beef chuck roast (3 lbs), trimmed of excess fat
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
  
• Sea salt (or coarse salt) and ground pepper.
  

1. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch with 2 Tbs cold water until smooth. Pour into Crockpot.
   
2. Add carrots, onions, and potatoes. Season with S&P and toss.
   
3. Place roast on top of veggies, and sprinkle with S&P. Drizzle with Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 10 hours
4. Transfer roast to cutting board, and thinly slice against the grain. Place veggies in a serving dish with roast, and serve with pan juices.
   

It is such a hearty meal and so easy to make! Zach gave it the husband-stamp-of-approval and can't wait for leftovers!

Alumni Recruitment Network

This past week was Honors Orientation at Mississippi State... I always remember that day and how special it was to me when I was a senior in high school. My mom brought me over to Starkville so that I could take a clep test, register for fall classes, see campus, and get my student ID. I did all of that and more! I distinctly remember meeting Rebecca Warden (now Rebecca Page) at what was once the Dawg House in the Student Union. Who knew she would be my college roommate for 3 (practically 4) years and the matron of honor in my wedding? Then, Mom and I gave Zach a ride over to main campus after some testing (she loves to say that she's the one who found my husband first)! Zach and I got engaged on the Drill Field and married in Starkville 5 years later...

Best friend and husband in one weekend! Yay for Honors Orientation!

Being back on campus this past weekend brought so much joy, so much pride, so much love. Mississippi State just does that. My parents now live there, and Starkville will always be a special place to us. We're hoping to get back there one day!

All this to say... even though we are living in Gainesville right now, we still have so much pride for our Alma Mater and love talking about it every chance we get! How blessed are we to still have bulldogs around us in this foreign place... my boss, our pastor, and a few dear friends from undergrad. I even got to host an MSU Alumni Association tailgate for the UF vs MSU football game last fall, and I think we all remember how that turned out... I wore MAROON to work all week!

I know most of you can relate to "bleeding maroon and white", "grindin' for my state", "vroom maroon" (I still giggle at this one each time), and "hail deal ol' state". I know a lot of you don't live in Starkville anymore... but you can still serve your university from where you are. I want to strongly encourage you to join the Alumni Recruiting Network.

This particularly spoke to the former Roadrunner in my blood. And it's endorsed by Jimmy Abraham- does it get more legit than that? It's writing letters to prospective students who live near you, visiting high schools, organizing events. It's not too much work for a single person, and you honestly get from it what you put in (wasn't that so true with roadrunner?). It can truly be rewarding to serve your university in this way. If you have questions about it, contact Molly Riley mer21@msstate.edu or call the office of admissions and scholarships at 662-325-2224 (yup, still have that one memorized).

And, really, are you going to be outdone by some 6th Grade Korean students? (Check out that video!) Share your Maroon and White spirit with students in your hometown!

Super Bulldog Weekend 2011

Had a wonderful weekend back in Starkville with the family (minus Zach, he had to study for a test. boo.) My parents, Kelly (my sister), Zach's parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and my aunt and uncle-in-law (is that a reall thing?) were all in Starkville for the annual springtime event, SUPER BULLDOG WEEKEND!!! I basically describe it as being a "spring homecoming". There is always an SEC baseball series, BBQ competition and football scrimage. This year, MSU played the University of Florida... I should have just grabbed a ride with the team! And for the first time (but not the last), the Greenes and the Terrys participated in the BBQ competition as Blackwater Bay Barbecue. They worked so hard but had a wonderful time! Here is a peak into their "pit":

They entered ribs and shoulder... I don't think any of us will be looking at pigs anytime soon. MSU beat UF Friday night, but UF won the next two games. Nevertheless, MSU's Left Field Lounge is still the BEST place to watch a college baseball game. Don't believe me? Sports Illustraed and ESPN think so! Annnnnnd the MAROON and WHITE game! This was exciting-- we broke the record for attendance at the spring game... over 36,000 fans! I was so happy to be counted in that! White team... Maroon team... The Egg Bowl trophy! We're so proud to have it for the second (but not last) year in a row! Anthony Dixon led the team in the Dawg Pound Rock before kick-off, and he stayed with the Maroon team for the game. Jerious Norwood was with the White team. Can I just say how excited I am for FOOTBALL SEASON????

I had such a wonderful weekend running into old friends, spending time with family, and cheering for my bulldogs!

banana split cupcakes

I have a confession... two of my four herbs have not made it. I have concluded that all of the traveling I have done for work has kept me from being an attentive gardener. And I blame Zach. (OK- it's actually entirely my fault and not Zach's) I WILL try again! If I am ever to attain my gardening dreams, I have to be able to master this simple container herb garden... I may not be the best gardener, but I am starting to love baking!! One of my favorite blogs, Annie's Eats, featured this fun recipe that was too adorable not to try! Can I just preface this by emphasizing (again) that I am not a cake person nor am I a banana person. I think I've been converted... While Zach and I were still dating, his mom got me a 3 and 4 ingredient cookbook. This described me perfectly! I like to keep things simple. My ideal recipe involves me throwing a few (not too many) ingredients into one pot, stiring it a few times, and that's it. Words like "folding", "dredging", "deveining"and "brining" scared me. If I don't know what two or more of the ingredients are the recipe gets tossed. Since being married, I have branched out from box cake mixes and frozen ready-to-eat meals. I know my husband is thankful for that! Normally I would look at a recipe like this for the banana split cupcakes and be really impressed (and I was), but I took it a step further and decided to tackle it all by myself! Have you ever filled cupcakes before? I swear I'll never make non-filled cupcakes ever again. Here is the recipe with a few of my own comments:

Yield: 30+ cupcakes

:cupcakes:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2½ cups sugar
• 6 eggs, at room temperature (place eggs in bowl of warm water for a few minutes)
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. buttermilk
• 1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana (makes sure bananas have a few brown spots)

Make cupcakes first. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and add in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in 1 the mashed banana until well combined. With the mixer on low speed alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing only until just incorporated. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 to ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. After you put the cupcakes in the oven, wash and dry your mixer bowl and place in freezer along with whisk attachement (this is a tip from mom, thanks!).

:filling:

• 1 lb. strawberries, hulled and diced small (you won't use a whole 1 lb)
• 2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar (give or take 2 Tbs, just add gradually until the berries are to your liking)
• 12 oz. crushed pineapple, drained (I used even less than this, and you could even omit this ingredient)

While the cupcakes are cooking, make the strawberry filling, combine the strawberries and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Toss well, smashing slightly with a fork. Allow the berries to macerate at least 20-30 minutes. AFter the cupcakes are cool and the berries have sat long enough, it's time to fill! To fill the cupcakes, cut a small cone out of the center of each cupcake with a paring knife or small biscuit cutter. I'd never done this before, but it was really easy. Take your knife and insert it into the top of the cooled cupcake. Cut a circle (careful not to puncture the bottom of the cup. Make it a generous sized circle. Once you've gone all the way around, tile the knife toa slight diagonal and scoop up the circle you just cut. It doesn't have to be pretty- you can dig out some of the insides with your fingers. (The excess cake can be discarded- OR it's the perfect bite-size piece, your choice!) Add a teaspoon or two of the strawberry filling to the center of each cupcake. Top with a teaspoon or two of the crushed pineapple, filling to the top of the cupcake.

:frosting:

• 1½ cups heavy cream, chilled (again, this makes more than enough)
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

While the berries are chilling in the fridge, make the frosting. Add the heavy cream to the chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until thoroughly combined and stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-beat! Blend in the vanilla extract with a spoon. Add the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe a swirl of the whipped cream onto each filled cupcake, covering the filling. Don't worry about it being pretty, you'll cover most of it with ganache in a little bit. Transfer the filled and frosted cupcakes to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

:ganache:

• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I found a bag of Ghiradelli chocolate chips)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. light corn syrup

While the frosted cupcakes are chilling, make the ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl (I just used a white corningware bowl). Bring the cream to a simmer over medium-high heat in a separate small sauce pan. Remove from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate; let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk together until a thick, smooth ganache forms. At first you will see chocolate specks floating in the cream, Blend in the corn syrup. Let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes so the ganache is not hot. This is really important! You'll know it's ready when it's gotten a chance to thicken up.

:garnish:

• Multi-colored sprinkles
• Maraschino cherries (with stems)

To finish the cupcakes, pour a spoonful of the ganache over the whipped cream topping of each cupcake. Immediately garnish with sprinkles and maraschino cherries before the glaze sets. Chill the assembled cupcakes until ready to serve.

up in the air and on the road.... again

So, just an update- starting tomorrow I'm going to hit 8 states in 3 weeks! I'll try to blog along the way, but here is what is on the agenda:

• Business trip to Little Rock/ Texarkana


• Memphis, TN to road trip to Bulldog country with my sister-in-law


• SUPER BULLDOG WEEKEND in Starkville!


• Business trip to Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio


• Easter in Pensacola with Zach's parents

If I get a chance, I would love to blog about this awesome treat I made over the weekend:

Banana Split Cupcakes- banana cupcake filled with fresh strawberries and pineapple, topped with whipped cream, chocolate ganache, rainbow sprinkles and a cherry (of course!). They are positively delicious (and adorable). And you read correctly-- I like banana flavored cake... this from the girl who didn't even have cake at her wedding because she doesn't like it. My taste buds must be changing again! What will be next...??? I did also make these wonderful roasted tomatoes (thanks, Jill!)- and liked them, too!

Sorry it's not such a great picture. I took it on my phone. I was not planning on documenting my first fancy cupcake recipe because I did not have high hopes. But look at this! Georgetown Cupcake should totally hire me!!