Let me catch my breath…
What a grand month May was!
The Daring Duo is almost out of school for the summer, the garden is beautiful, the Moonflowers are BREATHTAKING…J.C. mastered the Mojito, Tater came home, The Fabulous Earl finally quit limping completely, (but still holds his paw up for cream- so cute!) and Mr. Wilson and I celebrated our very first wedding anniversary…sorta…I was sick so we are saving our plans for this month, but we did celebrate in the important way.
We stayed together.
May 30th marked our one year of being cigarette free… It’s been a time of blessings for us and we are SO looking forward to the rest of 2011, with some highlights yet to come. Dreams and plans, new friends and old, surprises from the most unexpected sources…we are constantly humbled by the kindness of the Universe.
June wings in over the horizon and brings with her thoughts of the beach, cookouts, and summer life as we know it here in Georgia. We spend even less time indoors and eat our dinners a little later in the evening…we follow a different schedule throughout the summer months, as I imagine most families here do. It’s one of the things I prefer about summer- the more relaxed pace of life during the work week when the boys are out of school. It enables me to concentrate more on cooking, gardening, writing, and some other projects I have in mind.
I hope that you are all taking advantage of the gifts of the season!
Make sure you stop by next Wednesday evening- The Dinner Belle is going to have a FANTASTIC FABULOUS WAY COOL HIP CHICK guest poster!! Can’t wait to share her with you!
Now, about that dinner.
Apples and Brie cheese… (Please excuse, I am on an “apple kick”. Hopefully it will be over soon.) Add some shrimp, and we are talking “food of the Gods”.
Pasta that’s complete with sun dried tomatoes, Brie cheese and shrimp, served up for dinner with just some simple apple slices. You wouldn’t believe how easy, or how incredibly pleasing this dinner is after a long day at work. While the cheese is supposed to sit for an hour, there is really no labor involved in that part of the process, so don’t let that deter you; it’s just a marinade of sorts. The most difficult step of this recipe (and I use the term “difficult” very loosely) is the peeling of the shrimp- which took about 4 minutes- and I bought them already deveined, so no worries there.
As far as price is concerned, this recipe is a little more expensive than some, but it still wasn’t more than you would pay for a family of four to go out to eat, really. Once you figure in the frustration factor minus the lack of nutrition, travel time and expense of gasoline, don’t forget to add tip…well, I think the benefits far outweigh the slightly higher price on this one.
It’s not a “drive thru alternative”, because it’s a little more expensive, but it sure beats a cardboard burger and some over-seasoned (and over cooked) fries.
Bain sult as! (Enjoy!)
The LIST
Biggest screw-up: Can’t believe I slept through GAME OF THRONES on Sunday…Mr. Martin is probably so disappointed in me…and it’s WEDNESDAY AND I STILL HAVEN’T WATCHED.
(Sniff, sniff) Sorry to see go: THE BORGIAS…did anyone else notice how incredibly HOT Cesare was???
Cool purchase of the week: My new “perfume shimmer stick” from T.J. Maxx- didn’t have my glasses on and thought it was a little sprayer…got home and popped the top only to find a shimmer stick. LOVE IT... AND it makes me sparkle-ee. Unicorns and glitter, Witches.
Listening to: Abney Park
Most persistent recurring pain-in-the-ass: 3 A.M….Has become “the witching hour”. I seem to have fallen into the routine of waking at this time. Really?? Ugh.
Snack of the week: Still holding steady- Apple, of the Cameo variety…but Vienna Fingers are running a very close 2nd.
Project of the month: Swap the dining room around, “shabby” the breakfast table…I guess technically that qualifies as two projects, but in my mind it’s all part of the re-invention of THAT room. Can’t wait to show you once it’s all finished!
Cube Brie and combine with next 7 ingredients in a bowl. Cover and let sit 1 hour.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Two minutes before pasta is al dente, add shrimp. Cook two minutes or until shrimp is done.
Drain pasta and shrimp, toss with Brie mixture. Serve immediately with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Tracy Wilson on Facebook
J.C. Wilson on Facebook (My sweet husband who brings nice people home to join us for dinner on BLOG NITE)
%20and%20Mr.%20Wilson%20and%20I%20celebrated%20our%20very%20first%20wedding%20anniversary%E2%80%A6sorta%E2%80%A6I%20was%20sick%20so%20we%20are%20saving%20our%20plans%20for%20this%20month,%20but%20we%20did%20celebrate%20in%20the%20important%20way.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWe%20stayed%20together.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMay%2030th%20marked%20our%20one%20year%20of%20being%20cigarette%20free%E2%80%A6%20It%E2%80%99s%20been%20a%20time%20of%20blessings%20for%20us%20and%20we%20are%20SO%20looking%20forward%20to%20the%20rest%20of%202011,%20with%20some%20highlights%20yet%20to%20come.%20Dreams%20and%20plans,%20new%20friends%20and%20old,%20surprises%20from%20the%20most%20unexpected%20sources%E2%80%A6we%20are%20constantly%20humbled%20by%20the%20kindness%20of%20the%20Universe.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EJune%20wings%20in%20over%20the%20horizon%20and%20brings%20with%20her%20thoughts%20of%20the%20beach,%20cookouts,%20and%20summer%20life%20as%20we%20know%20it%20here%20in%20Georgia.%20We%20spend%20even%20less%20time%20indoors%20and%20eat%20our%20dinners%20a%20little%20later%20in%20the%20evening%E2%80%A6we%20follow%20a%20different%20schedule%20throughout%20the%20summer%20months,%20as%20I%20imagine%20most%20families%20here%20do.%20It%E2%80%99s%20one%20of%20the%20things%20I%20prefer%20about%20summer-%20the%20more%20relaxed%20pace%20of%20life%20during%20the%20work%20week%20when%20the%20boys%20are%20out%20of%20school.%20It%20enables%20me%20to%20concentrate%20more%20on%20cooking,%20gardening,%20writing,%20and%20some%20other%20projects%20I%20have%20in%20mind.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20hope%20that%20you%20are%20all%20taking%20advantage%20of%20the%20gifts%20of%20the%20season!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMake%20sure%20you%20stop%20by%20next%20Wednesday%20evening-%20The%20Dinner%20Belle%20is%20going%20to%20have%20a%20FANTASTIC%20FABULOUS%20WAY%20COOL%20HIP%20CHICK%20guest%20poster!!%20Can%E2%80%99t%20wait%20to%20share%20her%20with%20you!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENow,%20about%20that%20dinner.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EApples%20and%20Brie%20cheese%E2%80%A6%20%20(Please%20excuse,%20I%20am%20on%20an%20%E2%80%9Capple%20kick%E2%80%9D.%20Hopefully%20it%20will%20be%20over%20soon.)%20Add%20some%20shrimp,%20and%20we%20are%20talking%20%E2%80%9Cfood%20of%20the%20Gods%E2%80%9D.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPasta%20that%E2%80%99s%20complete%20with%20sun%20dried%20tomatoes,%20Brie%20cheese%20and%20shrimp,%20served%20up%20for%20dinner%20with%20just%20some%20simple%20apple%20slices.%20%20You%20wouldn%E2%80%99t%20believe%20how%20easy,%20or%20how%20incredibly%20pleasing%20this%20dinner%20is%20after%20a%20long%20day%20at%20work.%20%20While%20the%20cheese%20is%20supposed%20to%20sit%20for%20an%20hour,%20there%20is%20really%20no%20labor%20involved%20in%20that%20part%20of%20the%20process,%20so%20don%E2%80%99t%20let%20that%20deter%20you;%20it%E2%80%99s%20just%20a%20marinade%20of%20sorts.%20The%20most%20difficult%20step%20of%20this%20recipe%20(and%20I%20use%20the%20term%20%E2%80%9Cdifficult%E2%80%9D%20very%20loosely)%20is%20the%20peeling%20of%20the%20shrimp-%20which%20took%20about%204%20minutes-%20and%20I%20bought%20them%20already%20deveined,%20so%20no%20worries%20there.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAs%20far%20as%20price%20is%20concerned,%20this%20recipe%20is%20a%20little%20more%20expensive%20than%20some,%20but%20it%20still%20wasn%E2%80%99t%20more%20than%20you%20would%20pay%20for%20a%20family%20of%20four%20to%20go%20out%20to%20eat,%20really.%20Once%20you%20figure%20in%20the%20frustration%20factor%20minus%20the%20lack%20of%20nutrition,%20travel%20time%20and%20expense%20of%20gasoline,%20don%E2%80%99t%20forget%20to%20add%20tip%E2%80%A6well,%20I%20think%20the%20benefits%20far%20outweigh%20the%20slightly%20higher%20price%20on%20this%20one.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%E2%80%99s%20not%20a%20%E2%80%9Cdrive%20thru%20alternative%E2%80%9D,%20because%20it%E2%80%99s%20a%20little%20more%20expensive,%20but%20it%20sure%20beats%20a%20cardboard%20burger%20and%20some%20over-seasoned%20(and%20over%20cooked)%20fries.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBain%20sult%20as!%20(Enjoy!)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20LIST%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBiggest%20screw-up:%20Can%E2%80%99t%20believe%20I%20slept%20through%20GAME%20OF%20THRONES%20on%20Sunday%E2%80%A6Mr.%20Martin%20is%20probably%20so%20disappointed%20in%20me%E2%80%A6and%20it%E2%80%99s%20WEDNESDAY%20AND%20I%20STILL%20HAVEN%E2%80%99T%20WATCHED.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E(Sniff,%20sniff)%20Sorry%20to%20see%20go:%20THE%20BORGIAS%E2%80%A6did%20anyone%20else%20notice%20how%20incredibly%20HOT%20Cesare%20was???%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECool%20purchase%20of%20the%20week:%20My%20new%20%E2%80%9Cperfume%20shimmer%20stick%E2%80%9D%20from%20T.J.%20Maxx-%20didn%E2%80%99t%20have%20my%20glasses%20on%20and%20thought%20it%20was%20a%20little%20sprayer%E2%80%A6got%20home%20and%20popped%20the%20top%20only%20to%20find%20a%20shimmer%20stick.%20LOVE%20IT...%20AND%20it%20makes%20me%20sparkle-ee.%20Unicorns%20and%20glitter,%20Witches.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EListening%20to:%20Abney%20Park%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMost%20persistent%20recurring%20pain-in-the-ass:%203%20A.M%E2%80%A6.Has%20become%20%E2%80%9Cthe%20witching%20hour%E2%80%9D.%20I%20seem%20to%20have%20fal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