why i love my food processor

Exhibit A: almond butter
Pulse 2 cups of almonds (I like to toast mine), scraping down the sides periodically. It will eventually form a ball and then spread back into a liquid...about 4-5 minutes total. I drizzle in a little honey at the end. Yummy on English muffins or on a banana cut in half.

Exhibit B: hummus
Ingredients:
1 large head of garlic
1 tsp olive oil
2 1/2 cups canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
4 tsp tahini
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Slice off the top of the garlic head, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil and roast for 45ish minutes in 400 degree oven. Let cool. Squeeze cloves into food processor with remaining ingredients. Mix until smooth...about 3-5 minutes. Eat. I recommend in a pita pocket with avocado and red bell pepper slices.

Exhibit C: grain-free granola
Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts
1 cup almonds
pinch of salt
1/4 cup raw honey
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp cocoa powder (I used dark chocolate)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut (NOT sweetened)
2 oz dark chocolate

Preheat your oven to 200 F.
Using a food processor, coarsely chop the walnuts and almonds (I'd pulse only a handful of times). Leave the nuts in the processor and set aside for later use.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the honey and whisk occasionally. Once combined, add the cocoa powder, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Whisk together.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the nuts in the food processor. Pulse briefly, just until the chocolate is consistently mixed in. Add the coconut and pulse one more time.
Spread the mixture out over a baking sheet. Bake for 4 hours in the preheated oven.
Once the granola has finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely. Break the granola apart into small chunks. Also break apart or chop up the 2 oz chocolate and mix in with the granola. Try not to eat it all at once.

No, I am not going Paleo...although I'm very intrigued by it. Too bad I ate this with Greek yogurt while drinking a glass of milk, which is very un-Paleo...so was the pita bread and the hummus I ate all last week for lunch. Paleo peeps are missing out!

anniversary

I've loved you for a thousand years.

I'll love you for a thousand more.

I. Want. One.

Disclaimer: I know, know, know I am high risk of becoming a cat lady one day.
I volunteer once a week with some kitties who are up for adoption at a nearby Petsmart, which is how sweet, sweet Frank came to become a Loudermilk. I seriously think he's the sweetest cat on the planet who also never stops eating. But alas, the real reason for this post: munchkin cats!!! For. Real. The second strangest cat I've ever seen was at Petsmart on Sunday. His legs were about 2 inches long and because of this, he sort of looked like a ferret or a dachshund in a cat's body. I texted the lady in charge to find out what in the world he was and she introduced me to my newest obsession. Meet munchkin cats:

These hilarious things are SUPER rare; there are 2 available for adoption Texas (the one in FW was already swooped up) and only about 5 breeders with online websites. Told you: obsessed. I'd never buy from a breeder, but it just shows how rare these guys are. If you see one on the streets, call me! But not really...there's no more room in this house for any more 4-legged family members. Call my mom, she thinks they are awesome. ;) One day...

i heart food.

While my plate wasn't quite that pretty, it did taste as good as it looks. I'm back on an egg kick in a big way...breakfast, dinner, both meals. I figured this was a good recipe to try while my guy was out of town, and it didn't disappoint. It caught my eye because it's super healthy and has four (count 'em, four!) of my most favorite ingredients of all time: thyme, eggs, Gruyere cheese and shallots. I did my own thing with acorn squash, but I'm sure the accompanying recipe is great.

Poached Eggs with Spinach & Walnuts (serves 4...or less if you know eating only one egg for dinner will make your stomach rumble right before you go to bed)

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 (10-ounce) bag baby spinach, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 sliced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
3/4 teaspoon chopped thyme, divided (I put it all in at once)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, quartered (I bought already sliced)
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped and divided (I put it all in at once)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
8 cups water (I cut this in half for 2 eggs)
2 tablespoons white vinegar (did you know this keeps the eggs from separating?)
4 large eggs (I did 2 eggs since it was just me...1 egg wouldn't have been enough for dinner)

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil. Add spinach; sauté 2 minutes. Remove spinach from pan; drain, cool slightly, and squeeze out excess moisture. Add remaining oil to pan. Add garlic and shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add sage, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, salt, and mushrooms; sauté 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, 1/2 cup walnuts, red wine vinegar, and cheese; cook 30 seconds.

Combine water and white vinegar in a large saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Break each egg gently into pan. Cook 3 minutes. Remove eggs using a slotted spoon. Spoon mushroom mixture onto

plate(s). Top each serving with 1 egg. (Sprinkle evenly with remaining thyme, pepper, and walnuts. Unless you didn't follow the directions and put everything in the pot at once to save time/steps).

Just fab!

From Cooking Light, March 2012

home project

I fell in heavy like with this wine bar/cabinet from Pottery Barn...but alas, the asking price was a bit high as can often be the case with PB.
So my man (and a very handy friend) built, painted, and antiqued this beauty. I love, love, love the finished product!

Eat your heart out, PB (but I still love your towels and little silver bowls that are in our house).

__________________

For weeks, maybe even months, I've been thinking about what I would title this blog entry. I had faith that prayers would continue to be answered, and that for reasons all his own, God would heal my little mama. Now that I actually get to write, I am at a loss for words for a title that would encompass the emotions felt. I love using song lyrics for titles, but could not choose any that were worthy. I looked over quotes and Bible verses but again, couldn't find the perfect words. So, this entry is title-less, which says much more than words ever could.

You see, this little lady right here, she got the all clear yesterday from her oncologist. A little over seven months ago, she was diagnosed-out of the BLUE-with stage four cancer.

Our world was shaken, our faith was strengthened, and our friends and family swooped in like nobody's business.

Do you believe that lady in the middle had a golf ball-sized tumor removed from her brain on Monday and was on the dance floor on Saturday?! I mean, really... Those ladies surrounding her have done just that from the moment our world was turned upside-down. They are some of the most remarkable and loving women on the planet and I'm so thankful they are my mom's dearest friends.

I'm so thankful for the doctors and nurses who helped her, for my dad who was her rock, and for every single person who prayed for her and for our family. May she be a living example of God's goodness and his love and a testament to the power of prayer.

My sweet mama defied some really ugly odds and did it all with grace and a smile on her face.

XOXO

a hit and a partial miss

I tried out two new recipes tonight. One didn't turn out as pretty as the picture, but it was delicious. The other was so easy and so exciting to watch that I danced around the kitchen.

Dinner:

Um, yeah...mine did not look like that when I cut it. Unfortunately.

I caught an episode of my good friend, Giada, making this last week and ever since then it has been on my mind. I read the reviews of it online and decided that Sunday evening would be the best night to attempt this since it is pretty time-consuming, although not difficult.

Eggplant Timbale (serves 4-6)
2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound penne pasta
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian pork sausage
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups diced smoked mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the eggplant slices with 1/3 cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until tender and colored with grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and pork, and brown the meat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add the cheeses, basil, and cooked pasta. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a springform pan with the grilled eggplant. Be sure that the slices overlap and hang over the edge of the pan. Fill the pan with the pasta mixture, pressing down to make sure the pan is filling up evenly. Fold the eggplant slices up over the top of the pasta and add a few more slices on top to completely enclose the timbale. Bake the timbale until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes to set.

To serve, invert the timbale onto a serving plate and remove the springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the top. Slice and serve.

My notes:
*I did my research on Marsala wine. It is comparable to Port, which I find revolting. The recipe calls for such a small amount that I chose to use Marsala cooking wine instead of the real thing. I know this is frowned upon but I didn't want to buy a whole stinkin' bottle of wine to use a tiny amount and throw the rest out.
*Eggplant: I'd say three medium or two very large. I think I would peel it next time. Also-I heart my mandolin.
*It needs to cook for longer than 30 minutes; I'd say at least 45.
*The flavors were fabulous! While the presentation would be stunning (if it worked out well), I think I would just throw the filling in a glass baking dish and top it with eggplant or use the eggplant like lasagna noodles and just layer the whole thing up next time.

Any-time-of-the-day-goodness:


I bought a giant bag of almonds a while back during an overwhelming trip to Costco. I looked around online for almond butter recipes since I thought that would be a good way to use up some of those bad boys. All the recipes I found were pretty similar, but the one I ended up using had a fabulous description of the different stages of almond butter making, accompanied by pictures of what the mixture should be doing. I kept the website up as my little food processor went to work. :)

Almond Butter
2 C Almonds
1 T Raw Honey (optional)
1/2 t Sea Salt (optional)

Place almonds in food processor. Process for 8-12 minutes. You will need to scrape down the sides in the beginning. If you choose to use the honey and salt, stir in by hand after the butter is made as it will seize the mixture if you try to add it before.

Here's the website with step-by-step pictures:
http://www.rawmazing.com/raw-recipe-almond-butter

My notes:
*I toasted my almonds in the over for about 12 minutes and then let them cool.
*It only took about 8 minutes for it to go through the whole process.
*Your food processor will only sound like it's shattering for about 10 seconds when the almonds are first getting chopped.
*I stirred in a little drizzle of honey when it was all finished.
*I'm definitely not into the raw food movement, especially after looking at some of her recipes for things that are supposed to be cooked...like cinnamon rolls and doughnut holes. She hit a home run with this nut butter recipe, though.

your eyes whispered how we met

Wednesday night: Bobby very casually asks if I want to go see his new office in the old courthouse tomorrow since it will be kind of quiet down there with not many people working. I say sure.

Thursday afternoon: We go to said courthouse, check out his new digs, and he asks if I want to see a really neat view of the city. I say sure. We then proceed to go through a door held open by a fire extinguisher...which kinda freaked me out since that meant the door obviously would lock if it got closed. Bobby says that it's fine, it's always there. Ok. We begin to climb stairs in what looks like attic space, complete with all kinds of furry and scaly friends and insulation everywhere. As we're climbing over pipes, I ask him if he is taking me somewhere to murder me since no one would find me in this space. We go up more stairs and across a little bridge like thing and then another set of stairs to this scene:

I stopped walking and said something along the lines of "oh my gosh" while also being acutely aware that my heart was beating harder than it ever had before. Bobby came back and walked me up the few remaining stairs and then got down on his sweet knee, said the sweetest words to me and asked me to marry him! I'm pretty sure I said "really???" about 7 times after I said yes and then about 70 more times throughout our time up on the observation deck. The little observation room/deck was so romantic and so neat! The view of Fort Worth was really amazing once I actually looked at it.

He did a great job!! I was totally clueless although I should have picked up on his ever-so-fast pace once we left his office and headed to "see the view." :) He'd set everything up earlier in the day and a maintenance fellow and a bailiff were the only folks who knew what was going on.

I kept thinking of that line from Legally Blond when Reese Witherspoon says "....and she's wearing the ring on her bony unpolished finger!" I had literally just taken my nail polish off the day before and hadn't redone them, so I did a hasty at-home job before dinner.

We went to dinner at Silver Fox to celebrate and then met up with friends afterwards. Even Margaret's sweet parents showed up to celebrate!

It's sinking in more today but yesterday was the most surreal thing I've ever experienced. I know I am beyond blessed and that this sweet man was hand-picked for me.

He told me "now we get to be a family." :)

I get to keep him!!

these are a few of my favorite things

I hope Santa has Internet capabilities way up there in the North Pole. If you see the jolly gent, please pass along my list...I've been very good this year! :)

How can you not want to bake with this cute yellow hand mixer?!

A Lululemon yoga mat!! It is specially designed to keep my hands from slipping when I get sweaty (which would come in extra handy if I ever get to do hot yoga again....fingers crossed).

Oh...my liking of all things owls (cute owls, not creepy ones or ones with eyes too big) might be blowing into a full on obsession. Yeah. I think it is. How cute are these note cards?? I would opt for my own name, of course, to be on the front. I think I'd also choose bejeweled and rosybrown as my two color choices from this cute website: http://www.ohlouisedesigns.com/pages/Item%20Pages/OwlsFolded.html .

How did the owl thing come to be, you ask? Do you see any similarities between the pillow and the furry:

(When she gets really crazy, her ears go back and her yellow eyes get HUGE and I am certain that one time she is going to sprout wings and start saying "whooo.")

And just because sometimes Santa's in a really awesome giving mood, here's my most favorite thing with four wheels:

Merry Christmas!!

must read

Read this book:
It just might change your life. Or at least make you think a little more about life and people and kindness and relationships and what you didn't learn in history classes. It will run you through the gamut of emotions, all for the better.

Best of luck putting it down once you start.

just in case you've been wondering

This house: Was even cuter and better in person. I know, I know...how is that even possible??? A-the living room set up was better and cozier than the pictures were able to show. B-the kitchen was way bigger (and has a huge pantry) than in the picture. C-the owners had lit a little candle on the porch for ambiance...cute! D-I got to go inside and dream.

welcome mat

Yeah...I want to put one of those on this front porch reaaaaal bad. Like I look at this house everyday online bad. Like I tried to figure out how I could possibly live in it immediately bad. Like I drove by tonight(twice) and called Bobby to remind him how much I love it bad. Like we talked again 20 minutes later so I could reiterate my affection for it (and reiterate the cute neighborhood sightings I saw on my stalking trip: a group of little boys playing football outside, families at the park, men mowing their lawns) bad. Like I'm about as hyper as after I have a Mountain Dew bad. Like I told him I'm driving him by it tomorrow night so he can see for himself bad (that'd be 3 drive-bys in 24 hours...if you're counting). Like I'm counting on getting to see the inside on Wednesday night bad. Like my obsession with Adam Lambert bad.

How cute/darling/perfect/charming/lovely/warm/friendly/inviting is this house: Hello beautiful shade of purple, I'm in love with you and your chair railing. Oh and built-in white bar, I love you just as much.

Hello front living room where I would spend so much of my time watching jealous people drive by.

let it snow

It might have melted by lunch time, but this is what it looked like when I walked into work this morning:
Score. :)

good stuff

This is my newest obsession...well, obsession is kind of a scary word when you're speaking in regards to another person (don't wanna be considered a stalker)...so let's say, I like to look at this blog A LOT:

http://mycharmingkids.net

Precious kids.
Really neat photography.
Entertaining and witty, but also hearty and honest writing.
Every now and then a yummy "granola/hippie" recipe.

What more could I ask for in a blog?

i'm going under the knife!

Well...my eyes are, at least...and maybe it's more of a laser than a knife. But it's still scary and also exciting! I went for my initial consultation yesterday afternoon with Dr. Boothe. Little did I know that a mere 48 hours later I would be back there, taking a sedative, and having Lasik done. I'm currently wearing my 5+ year old glasses which is a joy that I can't even begin to express. Not. I'm also putting two different eye drops in my eyes every 4 hours; one of which burns like the devil. I stocked up on another set of eye drops at Target that I'll apparently need for several months after...and most importantly, I have my prescription for Vicodin ready to go!!

Also, because Deneise is so lovingly strange, she's somehow jealous of my surgery...which she has already had...with Dr. Boothe....and it went well...???

I saw the room where he does the surgery, I met him (I'll elaborate on that joyous event in a moment), and already had my eyes numbed so he could poke at them for some sort of measurement. They were oh-so-kind at the office and booked me a late afternoon appointment since we have 2nd grade luau day in the morning. My sweet mama is coming up to drive me there and back and stay with me for the weekend.

I had been warned by several people that Dr. Boothe and his kind are the most socially awkward human beings ON THE PLANET. His kind being complete geniuses with negative social skills. I thought I could assume just how awkward and uncomfortable it would be. NOPE. I have never heard someone speak in such a deep, monotone voice before. The expression on his face never changed and he didn't smile back at me any of the times I smiled at him to try and make it less awkward! It was like talking to a 2x4!!!! Or a deaf person.

Anyway, I'm just ready for it to be over and for me to not be the statistic that has a bad surgery. I think it's supposed to take all of about 15 minutes, so please cross your fingers and say a little prayer for me that I don't go blind between 4:00-4:15 tomorrow.

yesterday...was GREAT!

Woohoo!! Several spectacular things happened yesterday.

1. I took my last final for this semester. I'm free as a bird this summer and can't wait! So far, out of two classes, I have one secured A, and unless I did horribly on a book report, I should be good to go in the other class. Those of you who know about my nerdy nightmare, have no fear, it has yet to come true. :) I got to celebrate with some class friends afterwards, too! Only thing left now is my Practicum class in the fall...and hopefully a new job.

2. My future baby daddy ROCKED the stage! I especially loved his duet with my other Idol favorite, Allison. Those of you who are doubting that destiny is on my side...you just wait til he stops here on his Idols tour and comes looking for me. I know he wants to have a mohawked-hair baby with me. Meredeth's blog has the picture to prove it. 3. This little diddy came in the mail:

My car is mine all mine! Now those payments will go towards my eyes...Lasik, here I come!