The Last Hurrah

Five parties, seven months and more happier moments than I can count later, the wedding season officially draws to a close.

New Hampshire welcomed us with open arms!   (Home truly is where the heart is.)

Here's to celebrating and picking up where we left off!    Time and space occur, but love and friendship remain.  

To great food prepared by great people.   (If you are in New England, check out A Day to Remember... can't recommend highly enough!   They made our day seamless and are true professionals in every sense.)

To new friends who look fabulous in black and white and whom I'd love to drag along with me on my next trip to Italy!

To two of my favorite men.    (that allowed me to pose with them and have given a permanent and unstated consent to have their pictures posted in my blog :)

To family friends who loved my mother dearly and shared this with me in a way that no one else could.   (I didn't capture pictures of all of you, but you know who you are, and thank you... your words and memories mean so much to me.   And for those that are pictured below, if you squint real hard and look to the upper right...)

To early summer outdoor dining with dear friends and neighbors, great food and lots of laughter and celebrating!

To my kitty babies, who still recognize me after all these years and even offered a pose or two. 

To my husband, who indulges my need to take cheesy pictures of myself and loves me anyway. 

Cheers to it all!  A special thanks to our parents for all of your love and support and lots and lots of fun along the way!   We appreciate and cherish each and every moment. 

I couldn't have asked for a better visit to New Hampshire.   It's been a great week, but I'm ready to return to my new home where I know I will be welcomed by another set of open arms that made all of this possible.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

Magical Powers (White Bean, Potato and Lots of Healthy Vegetables) Soup

It is probably one of the most beautiful days of the year.     Finally, September is here.    Bright Carolina blue skies are back.    I should be happy.    Why, why me?

Every muscle in my body hurts.    Every.  Single.   One.  

I could blame it on Jillian.   I could blame it on the yellow fever vaccine shot that I'm convinced is doing me in.   I could probably find a bunch of other reasons if I think hard enough, but I'm too tired.     I am admiring those gorgeous blue skies from inside on the couch because I'm sick, and therefore crabby, and very sad I'm not frolicking around outside on this beautiful hurricane free weekend.     Poor me.

It is a soup night.   A throw together whatever I can find in the kitchen kind of soup night.   Yup, I made this one up and it is really good.

Tomorrow I am supposed to go to the beach.    First time this summer.   I simply must feel better.  I have high hopes that this soup will work its magical powers over night and I will bound out of bed fresh and ready to take on the world and perhaps even the remnants of Earl in the form of super crazy waves that will knock me down to the ground over and over until I get wiped out and want to go home and take a super long nap and do it all over again on Monday.    

So, wish me luck and try this soup if you are ever in the need.   Actually, you can try it even if you are feeling healthy.   It is good like that.    As a bonus, it is not at all bad for you either and super easy to make.    Good use of all those end of summer vegetables hanging around.  

Magical Powers (White Bean, Potato and Lots of Healthy Vegetables) Soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
4 small red potatoes, chopped (skins on)
1 can Northern White Beans, rinsed
1 large tomato, chopped
2 cups baby spinach, rough chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped rosemary
juice of 1 small lime

Heat olive oil in large stock pot on stove.    Add chopped onion and saute gently for 10 to 15 minutes on medium low heat until translucent.    Add chopped zucchini and cook for 5 minutes.   Add garlic and cook another minute or two until aroma is released.

Pour in the chicken broth.   Stir in chopped potatoes.    Cover pot and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes soften.  

Stir in white beans, tomatoes, spinach and rosemary.    Cover and simmer another 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.    Stir in lime juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.   Serve warm.   (PS - If you are feel extra special, I would imagine a little Parmesan would be good in this too!)

I know what your thinking.    Lime juice.   It is actually not a weird addition at all.   It adds the extra brightness that makes this soup taste super healthy and fresh.    I like to think of it as the Magic in the Magical Powers.

Maybe I'll see you at the beach tomorrow...  if not, wishing you a relaxing and happy long weekend with friends and family!

Blueberry Boy Bait

Anyone else out there in a relationship with a workaholic?

I can't be the only one.

My then boyfriend, now fiance, soon to be husband falls squarely into this category.    It is all very admirable and I respect him greatly for the care he puts into his profession, however, I've also learned that sometimes I need to employ special tactics to lure him away.

Sometimes it takes really REALLY special tactics.     The big guns.

Like last summer.    I ran across a special girly lotion called Blueberry Boy Bait.   Interesting name, right?   I read a little and found out the lotion was based on a special recipe by the same name.    Created in 1954 by a young girl in the Pillsbury Bake Off junior division who recognized the special effect it had on young men and named it accordingly.

Well, sold, seems like this might do the trick.   I added yet another bottle of pretty girly lotion to my collection in the already overflowing cabinet.   Yes, I have a lifetime supply, in probably every flavor imaginable.  I know I am not alone in this either.

Flashback to last year.  Late summer evening.   John's working in his kitchen on the laptop.   I proudly prance into the room all lathered up in my special boy bait.  

"What's that smell?"

"Me!  Don't you love it?"

"Um.   No.   Gross."

Crushed I tell you.   That lotion never saw the light of day again.   It is hidden in the back now, buried under other goodies awaiting a true dermatological emergency.

Needless to say, the story stuck with me and when I ran across the recipe recently from Smitten Kitchen, I sensed it was time to give it, hopefully, a more successful shot.    I've been good on my no sugar, minimal carb diet all week in preparation for this attempt.    The blueberries have been resting in the fridge since Thursday.

Last night, we're making dinner.  

John says, "I am going to put blueberries in my salad."

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!"

I think the hint worked.    I received a one line email from him from work today asking if he should pick up ice cream after work.

He thinks I am making pie.   Little does he know, I'm making Boy Bait.

Here's the recipe, adapted from Smitten Kitchen's version who modified the Cook's Country magazine who adapted it from the original boy baiter in 1954.


Blueberry Boy Bait  (serves 12)

Cake Ingredients
2 cups plus 1 tsp all purpose flour
1 tbls baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 sticks softened butter (yes, two!)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup fat free milk (original recipe calls for whole or even buttermilk, but this was all I had)
1 1/2 cups blueberries (original recipe calls for 1/2 cup, fresh or frozen, but we reallllly like blueberries)

Topping
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Use a 9x13 glass pan.   Butter sides and bottom.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, blend together softened butter and the two sugars.    Blend for about two minutes.    Add one egg at a time, blending until incorporated.    Add 1/3 of flour mixture and blend.   Add 1/2 cup of milk and blend.   Add another 1/3 of flour and blend.   Add final 1/2 cup of milk and blend.   Add final 1/3 of flour and blend.   The mixture should be light and creamy and fluffy at this point.

Toss blueberries with teaspoon of flour and gently fold into the large bowl.    Be careful to leave the blueberries in tact or you will dye your batter prematurely.

Carefully spread mixture into the your greased pan.  

Mix topping and sprinkle all over top.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes.    Cool for 15 minutes.   Eat warm or at room temperature.

PS - It worked.   

Early this evening.    I hear the garage door open.   The suspense is killing me.    Shoes on the floor.    I tense up a little bit. 

"What's that smell?"

"I made it for you."

"Really?   It smells amazing."

"Wait until you try it."   (I can say this because I've already eaten several scraps that conveniently broke away.)

And the rest is history.   He loved it.   Boy bait worked. 

This is one fabulous recipe.   A keeper.   As a bonus, it is edible at any time of the day. Seriously.   Bon Appetit!