Soggy Dogs

So I watched the most recent episode of Top Chef last night, and Erik got booted for trying to serve corndogs more than 2 hours after they had been fried. Soggy, 2 hour old corndogs... Bobblehead. Let me say that first, I know I could never come close to the talent that is on this show. But sometimes the mistakes they make are just so.... I don't know, easy. I mean, think about it, even if you go to the county fair, the guy in the booth fries up your corn dog when you order it so it is nice and hot and crispy! C'mon, Erik. I know my culinary instructor of life, also known as my Dad, would agree. The man was king of the corndog back in New Albany. He could make a perfectly battered, perfectly golden corndog like non other.

But speaking of dogs, if you haven't been to The Dog of Nashville on Nolensville Rd., I highly recommend a trip. I am not a huge hot dog lover, but I get cravings, and this place can satisfy any and all hot dog requests. And to top it off, their fries are heaven. Sadly, I am insanely addicted to fries, and have no problem polishing off a big basket of them with Ranch on the side. Check 'em out.

On another note, one of the other chefs botched a perfectly good pasta salad. One of the judges actually told her that you could buy a better pasta salad in a box in the store. OUCH. That one I could have stepped in on. My mom is the queen of great pasta salads, and thank goodness she passed on a few secrets to me.
My favorite is her tuna noodle pasta salad, and in the summer time I crave it almost weekly.

Tuna Noodle Salad
1 large box Shell Pasta; cooked, drained, and rinsed in cold water
1 large or 2 small cans tuna, drained
3-4 scallions chopped
1 can pitted black olives, chopped
1 small bag frozen peas (not thawed or cooked)
1 red or yellow bell pepper, optional (mostly for color - or 1 small can chopped pimentos)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Oregano
1/4 teaspoon celery salt (this is the secret!!)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or salt)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder (or about a teaspoon spicy brown mustard)
Salt and pepper to taste
Mayonnaise - enough to make it creamy

Mix all together - chill.

Happy Monday!
D

Feeling Springy

So the blog got a spring fever makeover- what do you think?

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter... We went to an incredible church service this weekend, and then just enjoying hanging out around the house. Easter brings a special time of reflection and rejoicing like none other for me, and I hope it brought some of the same for you as well.

Speaking of spring fever, we went to Lowes and Home Depot, and will probably be stopping by our local lawn and garden guy's place this week to check out options for our (ok, Ben's) dream garden. We're talking flowers and fountains and shrubs galore. I love the idea, but thank goodness I married someone with a talent for that part of our house, because besides my herbs I love to use for cooking, I kill almost everything that comes in my path. Anyway, before and after pics coming soon.
Sunday I spent a few hours in the kitchen cooking up a Sunday lunch. It was a lot of fun for me since I don't get to do it often, so some good fried chicken, potato salad, deviled eggs, and homemade banana pudding later, we feasted.
And since that feasting this weekend I have decided on a lighter and healthier fare for dinner tonight =) Thought I would share-

Lemon Thyme Tilapia

4 Tilapia Filets
1 bag fresh spinach
1 lemon, sliced
4-5 springs fresh thyme
1 small bunch fresh oregano
1-2 dried cayenne peppers (or you can use crushed red pepper)
s&p

Tear off four large sheets of foil. Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray, (or you can place in a 1 t. of butter.) Make a small mound, about 1 cup, of spinach leaves. Place a filet on each. Lightly salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/4t. cayenne flakes or red pepper according to taste. Place two or three slices of lemon on each filet. Place 1 or 2 sprigs of thyme on top of lemon, and severel oregano leaves. Wrap the filets gently in the foil, tenting on top and sealing. Place on your preheated grill or 375* oven for 15 minutes or until fish is white and flaky.

I serve it with steamed rice.

Happy eating!
D

CAKE!

Last Friday was Stormy's first birthday, so in true obsessive dog-love fashion, we had to celebrate!

Not one crumb of angel food cake or peanut butter treat was leftover... that's my girl!

For the love of dogs,

D =)

It has begun!

This is the show I will be obsessed with over the next several weeks. I was glued to every second of this week's episode. Oh my gosh, this season is going to be sooooo good!!!

If you at all love food, or anything related to restaurants or cuisine, you must watch this show. I promise you will not be disappointed.

First, they are in Chicago, which I absolutely LOVE. Ben and I went for a friends' wedding and stayed through the weekend a year or so ago, and I cannot wait to go back. It is everything they say it is.

Second, the chefs this season are ridiculous. I mean, putting peaches and sweet tea reduction on a deep dish pizza and making it taste good makes you a pretty darn good in my book.

Well, ok, most of the chef's are ridiculous. But I have to admit when the first contender got kicked off for too much salt on her shrimp, I was rolling my eyes. I mean, you're on Top Chef and your very first mistake is too much salt???? C'mon. I also love the different opinions of the judges, but mostly Tom Colicchio. He does not hold back when he judges food or technique. I guess you could say his is kind of the Simon Cowell of the food world, and he is also my favorite on the show.

Anyway, let me know if you tune in...

Here's to lots of drama and divine dishes on this season's Top Chef!

D

~2~

Yesterday marked 2 years of being married to my favorite person on earth!



After exchanging gifts (funny story to follow, butI gotta take a sentimental moment here) and going out to eat at Bonefish Grill where we had our first date, it was nice to just sit back and take in all that God has given us in life and in our marriage. It really does just keep getting better and better! When I think about what we have together it really does take my breath away. It's so awesome to have a encompassing, unconditional, confident, spiritually sound love like this. If you have it, you know what I mean, and if you don't, wait for it. Its worth every second.
I want to say a huge thank you to all of our beautiful friends and family who have inspired us, encouraged us, celebrated with us, and supported us.


Now, about those gifts. Well, not so much the gifts, but the presenting to one another of the gifts.


One thing that Ben does very well is crack me up. Another thing that Ben does very well is pick out great gifts. One thing he attempts to do well is wrap those gifts. But somehow, things always botch up on him. Its like a bad gift-wrapping karma or something. And we usually end up laughing hysterically over it at some point.


So yesterday, I get home from work, and have Ben's gift all wrapped and ready for him (Sidenote: Traditional 2nd anniversary gift is cotton- do you know how ridiculous it is to try and just give someone something made out of cotton?!?!Exactly.) Anway, so I get in the house and give my sweet hubs his gift:

And he gets this smirk. And says "Okay, so I wanted to wrap your gift up all fun and colorful, so I went to Target, got a cool looking gift bag, thought I was doing really well, y'know??" "Okay..." as I think to myself I can just feel it coming... "That was sweet, baby!" I say.

"So I get your presents and the gift bag out, and get everything ready, and I'm really excited", he says, and about that time he walks out with my gift, "and then as I'm opening it, this stinking gift bag just KEEPS COMING OUT! Its like the never-ending bag!" And this is when the hysterical laughing starts. I just can't help it. And he says, " I mean, what IS this???"

Need I say more? =)

xo

Dae

Breathin' Easy

What a weekend.

Snow on Saturday morning, and Stormy went NUTS... confession time- so was I. That evening was our annual Awards gala at work, and at 7:30am I got the news the band couldn't make it because of the weather, and all sorts of other details that had me wanting to throw my cell phone out into winter wonderland. But, long story short, it all worked out, we had a blast, and I slept better last night than I had all year!

Here is our guard dog keeping watch after sniffing up half the snow,

Then defrosting in front of her space heater,

our yard...

and us all dolled up at the gala...

my event planning partners in crime!

Happy Monday!

D

Easter Max

I have the best mother-in-law in the world. Let's put that on record.

Let's also put on record that there is one member of the family that endures humiliation and torture from her hand each holiday season for our entertainment. Here is the latest portrait of the youngest of the White Family, trying to keep his self-respect as a man in check. Happy early Easter from Max! The look says it all.

Can I Brag?

Two more random facts about me - 1) I am a ridiculously proud and protective older sister, 2) I think my brothers are the coolest kids on the block.
With that being said, I just wanted to share a little about them... if you are interested, read on.

I was talking to my mom on the phone last night, and as many of you know, my parents and two younger brothers live in Japan. My parents are missionaries, and they have lived there (this trip) for I think around 4 or 5 years.
So Mom and I are catching up, talking about our latest recipe creations and how much our dogs shed, and I ask how Ian and Zack are doing and what they have been up to. (Ian is 18, Zack is 15)
Zack had recently been accepted into a pretty well-known high school over there that has an excellent basketball program. Perks are that he got a full scholarship, the coach is great, and he looooves it there. Downside is its 2 1/2 hours away from home. I didn't like that part so much, but since I can't be there to obsessively annoy and visit him, I made my mom and dad promise that they would. Plus it was really awesome to see how God just had control over the whole process of Zack getting this opportunity at this school (high school over there is pretty tough to get into, kind of like some colleges over here. Lots of tests, interviews, that kind of thing). So, the latest on that, Mom said, is that even thought he officially doesn't start school there until April, the coach called last night and asked if he would be able to play in their upcoming tournament next week. Big tournament, and no other freshman are playing. But they want him on the court. This kid rules the court. Dominates. Big sister grin here.
Well, these are my brothers so I can brag... they are modest about it, so they may kill me, but whatever.
This is all hearesay for me, and I can't wait to see for myself, but his coaches, teammates, and the fam are pretty impressed he has cultivated this talent to what it is.

Then there's Ian- this one rules the turn tables. He got into the music scene over there a couple of years ago, and the rest is history. As much as I love hip-hop, dancing, and beats, I don't have the talent to create it. He does. I just thought it was hilarious that Mom said they would be walking around downtown Nagano, and all these random people would know my brother not as Ian, but as 2Young, which is what his mentors deemed him when he started spinning for them because he was the youngest one around. It just cracks me up. He has loved music as far back as I can remember, and it just tickles me to death that he has this chance to do what he has a passion for. He works in a urban clothing store over there too, and has ousted me as the one in the family with the most shoes. Makes me proud...

Anyway, getting all sentimental..these are the two boys that when we were growing up made me laugh so hard my stomachs and cheeks would cramp up, and had the biggest hearts ever. Like when I was sick or after my car accident, and they hadn't even lost their first tooth yet, they doted on me more than my Mom did. Ian made me a shaker with a bell in it out of popsicle sticks once that I still have, and told me if I needed anything to ring it, so I wouldn't have to get up. And they they forgave me when I was a mean, moody, bossy older sister. I know I am partial, but so be it. I think they are amazing.

So I guess whenever Ben and I can make it to Japan, we will be taking in a few basketball games and hitting the clubs. Right now if my brothers are reading this they are rolling their eyes and groaning. And I love it.

xoxo
Dae

ps- My incredibly talented and phenomenal little sister will get her own bragging post later. Didn't want her to think she was getting out of this easy!