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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

move over, beethoven

So this used to be my favorite salmon recipe, sans puff pastry. It's easy, healthy, contains one of favorite ingredients on the planet: pesto, and was introduced to me by friend Giada. Tough competition in my opinion.
Salmon with Pesto and Puff Pastry (but minus the puff pastry)
4 pieces salmon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup purchased pesto
2 tomatoes, sliced

EASY: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil. Place salmon on foil and top with almonds. Cook for 10 minutes. I spread pesto on top of the fish and then top with tomato slices.

Then I bought salmon yesterday and was looking around online for an easy recipe with ingredients we already have in the house.

BINGO.

I have kinda been in love with coriander for about six months now, so I was initially excited it was an ingredient. Then I read the reviews, checked our pantry and fridge, and realized we had a winner.

Salmon with Honey-Coriander Glaze
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1/4 cup honey
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
salmon (I bought a pound)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

EASY: Mix first four ingredients. Brush mixture onto one side of salmon. Heat oil in a pan and cook salmon 1-2 minutes per side. Then I wrapped the salmon in foil and put it in the oven for about 8-10 minutes (the recipe calls for cooking on the stove top the whole time, but the oven was already on and cooking cute little potato gratins in muffin cups, so I figured I'd throw the salmon in there). I reduced the rest of the sauce and drizzled it over the cooked fish. One of the tastiest things I can remember making!!

I thought about it all day today.

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.

expanding our family...

...with a furry friend: Frank. :)

Here is Frank's short life story (he's lived a lot of life in 5 months!):

-Frank was dropped off at a church. A kind man who lives near the church traps strays, gets them fixed, and then releases them. He found a tiny kitty and contacted a rescue group who said he was too little to take just yet. Frank lived with this man and his wife for a week or two until he wasn't too teeny tiny to lose his man parts.
-Frank got all fixed up and taken to Petsmart to be put up for adoption.
-I go on Sunday to volunteer with kitties (alas, I made it a year without actually bringing one home) and send Bobby a text and picture saying this is the strangest cat I've ever seen:


-Frank is terrified at Pestmart.
-The following Sunday I warn Bobby that if said kitty is still there, there's a 90% chance I'll bring him home. Frank was not there.
-Frank got adopted and then returned a few days later because the people were allergic (seriously?! How do you not already know you're allergic to cats?).
-I emailed cat lady (contact at rescue group) about Frank. She can't keep him at her house and must take him back to Petsmart.
-We go to California for a wedding and I worry that Frank will be adopted before we get back.
-Frank is so scared/anxious/unsure that he licks his nose too much and the cat lady can't take him to Petsmart.
-Frank is better a week later. We go to thrilling Wichita Falls for the night where again I worry that he is going to get adopted before we can see him.
-We go to see him on our way home from WF and pick him up the next morning after church.

The end.

-I swear Frank is part-squirrel, part chipmunk, and part something-with-a-ridiculously-long-tail-and-big-ears.
-Frank kept his name because Bobby thought it was funny.
-We are now outnumbered and Traveler is still afraid of the two cats. Can you say "never a dull moment at our house"? :)

be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it all

our wedding!

It happened!!!!!! :) And here are a few pictures as well as a phenomenal slide show that I've already watched a handful of times today:

http://lightlyphoto.com/blog/mary-bobby-married-at-christ-chapel-community-church-and-colonial-country-club-ft-worth/

Thank you to our wonderful friends and family for making that night the most magical and special thing we've ever been a part of...it went far above our expectations and I had more fun than I've ever had in my life!

love for my sweet mama

One of the song choices at church this morning couldn't have come at a more perfect time; here is the chorus which spoke right to my heart:

Oh No, You Never Let Go
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

This week stands to contain both the highest of highs and lowest of lows thus far in my life. I think I'll hum this tune to myself all day tomorrow as we wait for the amazing doctors to work their magic on my sweet mama.

If you're the praying kind, my family would be most grateful for any you care to offer up.

m and m

To say I'm thankful for these two amazing friends isn't enough. Blessed, thankful, forever grateful and appreciative just begin to scratch the surface. I got to spend a full day with each of these lovelies as they stepped in to help me finish wedding tasks so that I can go be by sweet mama's side for two days (those two days just happen to be the week of our wedding-hello, stress and expletives and tears and no sleep and endless praying). Anyway, sweet Meredeth and Margaret took the reins as wedding planners and ran around with me in the 256 degree heat trying to finish things on the never-ending wedding to-do list. Meredeth went to 400 stores with me to find a rehearsal dinner dress, she tried on dresses that they didn't have in my size just so I could see what they looked like on, she befriended the saleslady in order to make sure my overnighted dress would get here in time, and she made me laugh the whole time, which was very much needed. Margaret and I went to a few less stores looking for jewelry and other day-of necessities. ;) We managed to find multiple pieces that would work and then came back and worked on the ceremony program for hours. Man, she is ah-mazing on the computer! It was so nice to get those things accomplished with friends alongside for the fun/stress.

More important than all of the items bought and tasks scratched off the lists, these two souls are the truest definition of what a friend is. They stepped in and required that I accept their help, they've made me laugh and they've listened. They've shown love in the most outstanding way and I will forever remember that while in the midst of heartache and uncertainty combined with the craziness and excitement that comes with finalizing wedding plans, my friends displayed loved that I've never seen before.

a cat and her cardboard

**Disclaimer: I realize this post puts me fully into the category of being a cat lady.**

I'm ok with that because:
1. I love her.
2. Her love affair with biting/playing in/jumping in/hiding in it is mind-boggling.
3. She has made packing a very entertaining event, which is a miracle.
4. I can't truly be a cat lady if I'm getting married in a month, right???

P.S.-Instagram is the coolest app!!

hello, home

She is ours! Isn't she cute:
We're running out of things to sign away, but for now this will suffice as signing our lives away.

The first child is going to the band for our reception.

The second child is going to the wedding photographer...really, the wedding photo album/book.

At this rate we're going to need to have more kids than we've discussed.