wedding – Page 4 – forEVR and always

Chowdahhh

October 15, 2013October 14, 2013Leave a comment

Since it’s started to get cold here I keep having cravings for soup. Anyone who has ever met Jay knows he is obsessed with soup (it’s weird) so it works out when I get the urge to try out a new one! This weekend, while Reggie was visiting (!!), I decided to try out a clam chowder crock pot recipe, and oh man, so good. I did make some changes to the recipe and thought I would share what I did…

CLAM CHOWDER in the CROCK POT

WHAT YOU NEED

4 – 6 1/2 oz cans of minced clams (with the juice)
1 cup chopped onion
5 potatoes chopped up
2 cups water
1 cup chicken stock
3 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup half & half
3 cups milk (I used skim)
5 tbsp corn starch
Parsley for garnish

(The recipe called for 8 potatoes, 3 cups water (no stock), 1/4 tsp pepper, 4 cups half and half, and 3 tbsp corn starch…I read a bunch of the comments and ended up using the mix of recipes and it came out perfect. I can’t imagine fitting more than the 5 potatoes in the soup!)

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop up your onion

2. Chop up your potatoes (I left the skin on)

3. Cook your bacon in a pan until it is nearly done. Then add your onion to the pan and allow to cook until soft (about 5 minutes) with the bacon. Then remove from heat and crumble/chop up the cooked bacon.

4. Add the clams, bacon, onion, potatoes, s&p, water, & stock to the crock pot. DO NOT add the milk or corn starch. Allow this to cook on high for about 4 hours.

5. Once the soup has cooked for 4 hours, mix 1 cup half & half with the cornstarch and add it to the soup. Continue to cook for another hour.

6. My crock pot by this point was completely filled to the brim, so once I had allowed the corn starch mix to cook for an hour I poured the soup into a big pot and added the remaining 3 cups of milk then. I allowed it to heat up on the stove for about 15 minutes.

7. Cut up some bread and enjoy! I ended up loading a ton more black pepper and hot sauce into my own bowl, but each person likes their own level of spice so I didn’t add it to the full pot.

If you have the time on a Sunday to chop things up and wait for this to cook, it is totally worth it!

xo – j

Panda

October 11, 2013October 10, 2013Leave a comment

When I told you we have had visitors every single weekend, I wasn’t kidding. It has been awesome having all our friends come to visit our new place. It also makes us (I’m guessing Jay too) feel really special that everyone is willing to travel here to see us. We love you guys!

Last weekend Amanda came to visit from DC! We’ve been friends since 1st grade which is basically forever! We went on a hike to the top of Blue Hills on Saturday morning. Rondo was in heaven!

(i made almond croissants (ok i heated them), she bought us the amazing stamp you see in the corner there!)

Love you Panda! Thank you for coming!

xo- j

Easy Bean

October 9, 2013October 9, 20132 Comments

I have said this time and time again, my Mom is the most amazing cook. She makes the simplest things beyond delicious. This is one of the easiest recipes to make on a weeknight and it is not only healthy but really tasty! Mom, I’m sorry to tell the world that you are the queen of easy cooking…but it’s all so good who cares!

BEANS & VEG RECIPE

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 cans of beans (sometimes I use kidney sometimes black, other times a combo, does not matter)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion salt
A bunch of vegetables (different every time, but ALWAYS diced tomatoes):
Frozen broccoli
Frozen greenbeans
Can of corn
Water chestnuts (seriously anything you have)
Can of diced tomatoes
Cooked Rice (I use trader joes ready rice that you cook in the microwave)
1 cup or so of mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat up all those vegetables…that’s right, throw them in a pan together frozen or canned who cares and cook them. The only thing is make sure anything canned has been drained. This will take about 5 minutes.

2. Add the beans (make sure they are drained)

3. Stir it all up and add the garlic & onion salt (do this to taste, I use more like a tbsp of garlic salt, and I use a lot of red and black pepper)

4. Let that cook up for about 10 minutes or until you see some bubbles. And in the meantime cook up your rice. Trader Joe’s is seriously amazing for this, it’s 2 minutes in the microwave. Once you see bubbles, do a taste test to see if you have the right amount of seasonings. Then mix it all together…

5. Now top all that mixture with cheese (again, I use a ton)

6. That is it! It seems like it would be bland or boring but it is hearty and extremely delicious!

Enjoy this amazing weeknight meal!

xo- j

New York

October 8, 20132 Comments

All these posts are so behind! Last week I was in NYC to train for my new job all week and before last week mania with visitors, wedding, and a really sad loss in our family.

As far as the new job goes, there is a lot to learn! It was so fantastic to spend some time with my family and see my friends while I was down in NYC. Luckily for this new position I will be back in NYC quite a bit so I won’t have to miss anyone too much!

(lunch with lunch bff, and dinner with my girls (and tom!))

(following my babes to dinner…and on the way we saw Taza’s husband! Adie and I are in love with them)

(drinks in bryant park)

See you in a few weeks NY!

xo – j

Blueberry Cake

October 3, 2013Leave a comment

I am not a dessert eater. I love an oreo, but otherwise, it isn’t my thing…blueberry cake is the exception. My Mom and Aunts have always made this and it is simply the most delicious thing you will ever eat!

RECIPE

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
3 cups flour
3 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp sugar & cinnamon & nutmeg
1 box blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix together sugar and shortening, then add eggs and beat well

2. Add vanilla and mix some more

3. Add dry ingredients and add the milk gradually. Now mix it up even more

4. Flour your blueberries

5. Fold the blueberries into the mixture

6. Pour the batter into a greased pan and top with cinnamon/sugar/nutmeg (I always use more than a tsp)

7. Bake for 1 hour at 350* and then enjoy!

I promise this cake will become one of your staples. A hint: use whole milk so the blueberries don’t sink! xo- j

Surprise (& cornhole)

September 19, 2013Leave a comment

Last Thursday I went out with an old friend for lunch and had so much fun catching up. We talked about weddings, life in Mass, how our friends are doing, and had maybe a few too many brews for lunchtime. Anyway, we came back and were hanging at my house waiting for Jay to get home. Jay came in like everything was normal, taking off his shoes, talking about work, and then suddenly the doorbell rang. I went to answer and it was TOMMMM! I have been whining for him to visit since we moved and he told me he couldn’t come for months because of busy weekends, but there he was. I was so excited I cried (seriously cried). We ended up having such a great weekend together staying in our new town, enjoying the house, and even going to a cornhole tournament. Tom, I love you bud, thanks for making me so happy and being such an amazing friend to both of us.

(cornhole!)

(ron’s favorite is jumping on backs, and homemade picklebacks with tom!)

(our house ready for fall)

(our little turtle i finally let go, and nash helping me walk rondo)

(attempting to use the force to get my banana…he’s obsessed with them)

(our beautiful backyard!)

This weekend I have my best friend coming to visit! I couldn’t be more excited to see her!!

xo-J

Horrible at keeping up

September 9, 20131 Comment

I have been horrible at keeping this updated! I thought when we moved I would have a ton of time to do nothing, but that couldn’t be less true. Between visitors and the wedding, I’m busier than I was in Brooklyn.

(Mike and Ashley came for the weekend! We had so much fun enjoying Boston and having them around. Move up here guys!!)

(Rondo in his favorite nap spot, and our beautiful backyard)

(Mom and Dad visited the next weekend and we spent the weekend eating way too much with all our family up here. And look at this picture below my Aunt had of my Mom in the 70s…I love it!)

(My first time to Fenway! Spending time with the best girl on the planet, Jay’s God Daughter Grace, at her brother’s Christening. Rondo and his new friend!)

(I ordered these matches, in my wedding colors, and was so excited when they came in the mail!)

(Jay found a turtle and we decided to keep her. Turns out she is endangered in Mass and we are supposed to turn her in, but I don’t want to let her go!).

I have been trying new recipes and have a bunch I want to share. Plus I have been doing a ton of wedding crafts that I will share too. Just have to get myself on here and posting.

xo-j

Julie is amazing

August 20, 2013Leave a comment

We were in Newport last week with Jay’s family and as you can see I posted some (meh) pictures below from my phone. Julie just posted all her pictures and they are so fantastic (she’s an amazing photographer). I am so lucky to have her as my future sister-in-law and, regardless of Jay, one of my favorite people on earth. Anyways, here are some of her pics that I love…

xo-j

Lately

August 15, 2013August 15, 2013Leave a comment

If we thought life was going to calm down moving out of the city, boy were we wrong. We have been running around seeing friends, getting our house together, planning the wedding (we have a date!), Jay started his new job, we went to Maine and Newport, we’ve been hiking, we have had visitors (and have more this weekend), and we’re getting in the swing of things up here. Overall, it has been a really great transition and we are loving it up here (plus, I can go to the grocery store and buy more than 5 things at at time…say what!?)

Here are too many pictures from life lately. I have to get better at updating this!

(blue hills hike. rondo was tired at the top)

(a little wedding venue preview!)

(double rainbow all the way, illumination night fun, and a crazy squash from the local farm)

(my ❤ in newport)

(vineyard visit outside of newport)

(beach day with julie, doug, & family in newport)

(cliff walk!)

(ohhhh yea)

xo-j

New York I Love You

July 15, 2013Leave a comment

I can’t believe that tomorrow night I will get on a train, leave my job, family, the city, and go start our new life in Mass. I’m beyond excited and wildly nervous all at the same time. So many huge changes are ahead of us…

The past couple weeks I have been trying to appreciate New York as much as I possibly can. Walking to work instead of taking the subway, looking up at buildings, and pretending to be a tourist everywhere I go. New York, thank you for everything you have given me…my first real job, where, hey, I ended up meeting my future husband, my first apartment, meeting some of my best friends, the crazy weekends and weeknights out way too late…if I named everything I love we would be here for a month. NY, I will miss you, but it’s time to go…