Book Review: Emily and Einstein

I just adored this book! Normally it will take me a month or more to finish a book and I had this one done in under a week. So cute, so well written. Highly recommend it.

From Amazon:

He was a man who didn’t deserve a second chance. But he needed one…

Emily and her husband Sandy Portman seemed to live a gracious if busy life in an old-world, Upper West Side apartment in the famous Dakota building. But one night on the way to meet Emily, Sandy dies in a tragic accident. The funeral isn't even over before Emily learns she is on the verge of being evicted from their apartment. But worse than the possibility of losing her home, Emily is stunned when she discovers that her marriage was made up of lies.

Suddenly Emily is forced on a journey to find out who her husband really was . . . all the while feeling that somehow he isn't really gone. Angry, hurt, and sometimes betrayed by loving memories of the man she lost, Emily finds comfort in a scruffy dog named Einstein. But is Einstein's seemingly odd determination that she save herself enough to make Emily confront her own past? Can he help her find a future—even after she meets a new man?

http://www.amazon.com/Emily-Einstein-Linda-Francis-Lee/dp/0312382189

Die Cricket Die!

Saturday night a cricket started chirping outside of our master bathroom window. It was so hard to get to sleep. I went outside to try to find the little bastard with no success. I tried to ignore the sound and fall asleep. I shut the bathroom door hoping to drown the noise. No way he would still be in the same spot the following night.

Sunday night the bastard reappeared. You have to be kidding me. I managed fall asleep until he woke me up at midnight. I put a bathroom on, grabbed a flash light, and headed outside to kill the cricket. I grabbed a shovel and started moving the tall ornamental grass around in the landscape. Surely that little bastard would show himself. The chirping stopped when I was searching for him. Then I heard chirping in the back ground. He must be talking with another cricket in the distance. I felt defeated and headed back inside. I woke Tony up and he lay in bed laughing at the sound of me going to war with the cricket.

When I got back to the bedroom there he was again. Chirp, Chirp, Chirp. You have to be f*ck*ng kidding me. Tony suggested he probably is in the house. We opened up the lower half of our Jacuzzi tub. There he was. That little bastard. I wanted to kill him right there but instead turned the job over to Tony. I am not afraid to kill bugs but if I missed I would be mad at myself for letting him get away. If Tony missed then it is not my fault. My hero, hit and killed the cricket on the first try. Finally, peace and quiet. Back to sleep we went.

Roasted Cauliflower & Orzo Salad

I love being back in the cooking grove again! Tony and I went to Earth Fare today and they had chicken and steak on sale. We decided to make the rib eye for dinner. We just used a spicy marinade and cooked it on the stove over low heat. For the sides, I found the recipes in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.

Roasted Cauliflower with Goat Cheese and Lemon

I recommend adding more goat cheese to this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower cut into florets,

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon EVOO

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon crumbled goat cheese

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. In medium bowl toss cauliflower and 1 tablespoon EVOO. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed banking sheet. Roast until tender and spotted brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool for five minutes.

Put cauliflower in a large bowel. Add parsley, goat cheese, 1 teaspoon EVOO, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Toss and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.  122 calories, 6 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of carbs.

Corn and Zucchini Orzo Salad

This makes A LOT! I cut the recipe in half and it still is too much for me and Tony. The only recommendation I have here is to not use as much lemon juice as the recipe asks for. I forgot the Basil which I am sure would have added a lot more flavor.

Ingredients:

6 medium zucchini, diced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound orzo

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 cups corn kernels (from 6 ears corn)

1 small red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)

1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

4 ounces feta, crumbled (2 cups)

Directions:

Place zucchini in a colander and toss with salt. Place colander in sink and let sit 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking; transfer to a large bowl.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 minutes. Add to pasta along with zucchini, 3 tablespoons oil, onion, jalapeno, and lemon zest and juice; season with salt and pepper. Stir in basil and feta. Transfer 4 cups salad to an airtight container; refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Serves 6. Calories 330, Fat 10 grams, 12 grams of protein, 52 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of fiber.

10 Year Wedding Anniversary

Last Thursday was our 10 year wedding anniversary. It is a rare occasion when Tony gets me flowers. I prefer not to spend the money on it since we grow our own roses. I was surprised when there was a huge, beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting on my desk when I got back from a meeting. It had my favorite flowers in it - lilies and Gerber daisies.

We did not have our vow renewal on the beach in Aruba like originally planned but Tony is here and alive and that is what counts. We still wore the outfits we bought for our vow renewal out to dinner. After Tony's accident I emailed Bahama Breeze to see if they could help us out with reservation - They do not accept reservations. I told them what happened to Tony and that we were supposed to be in Aruba for our anniversary but a deer had different plans for us. The staff at Bahama Breeze was amazing. The head chef helped personally design a menu for me and Tony.

When we arrived on Thursday they had flowers on our table and a nice candle. Our personalized menus were on the table. They blocked off an entire section of the restaurant for us so we could have our private dinning. The food at Bahama Breeze is always amazing and so are the drinks! It was the perfect anniversary dinner.

After dinner we went home to relax for the evening. Tony also bought chocolates for after dinner. Not like we could fit anything else in! We normally do not get each other gifts on our anniversary since we take a trip. Tony felt bad this year for me since I had to take care of him after his accident that caused us to miss our Aruba trip and my birthday was spent in the hospital. Tony surprised me with spa treatments.

We went through our wedding photos and pictures from our first year of marriage. Wow does time go by fast. It was a lovely evening and I look forward to many anniversaries that have yet to come.

My First Earthqauke

Yesterday while I was at work the whole building started shaking. I had to grab onto my drink so it would not tip over. I sit on the 14th floor of one of the sky scrapers in downtown Raleigh. It was pretty scary not knowing what was going on. For a second I really thought there was something wrong with our building and it was going down. If the shaking had gone on for another few seconds I probably would have pissed myself. After the shaking was over with I realized it was an earthquake - in North Carolina! I am glad no one was harmed during this event. The earthquake happened in Virgina about 2.5 hours away. The earthquake in Virgina measured at a 5.8. One of my friends from Japan that has experienced many earthquakes estimates we felt around a 3.0 - 3.5. At least next time I feel an earthquake I will know what it is and not be scared the building is going down!

Chicken with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette & Creamy Parmesan Orzo

This dinner was so fabulous! I never made orzo before and also found this great chicken recipe in Real Simple magazine. Orzo is really easy to make and this recipe tastes wonderful. So many flavors in these recipes. It was a party in my mouth. HA! I recommend doubling the vinaigrette dressing. It is so good! The chicken did not call for any marinade. I did marinate it in Tastefully Simple's Balsamic and Basel dipping oil. It did add extra flavor. I served it with focaccia bread and steamed broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese. Tony normally adds BBQ and hot sauce to every thing. I think it takes away from the spices I add to meals. This meal he did not have to and enjoyed every bite. 

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup orzo

1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cups water

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

 

Preparation:

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve immediately.



Orzo



Chicken With Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1⁄2 cup)

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split horizontally

kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup of the olive oil, the parsley, and crushed red pepper; fold in the goat cheese.

Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the chicken until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with the orzo and goat cheese vinaigrette.



Chicken marinated in the Balsamic and Basel dipping oil



The final products! YUMMY

Concert Fun

We went with our friends to see Journey in concert. With Tony's injuries we were pushing it a little.

Wine Cork Cage

I found this fun wine cork cage at total wine. It should look pretty neat once I start filling it with wine corks. Only problem is I see this as a challenge now.

Cream Cheese Crab Sushi Rolls

Tony got a little ambitious this weekend and wanted to try to make his own sushi. I do not eat seafood so he was on his own looking for recipes. I bought Tony every thing he needed to attempt to make sushi. Some how I knew going into this it would be a challenge for him. He is no Bobby Flay and gets frustrated easily when it comes to cooking. I do have to say when it was all done I was pretty proud of him.

The recipe is below. We did make a few modifications. Tony does not like cucumbers so he put avocado on it instead. He made me a vegetarian roll with cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, and carrots. Hint for the cream cheese - if it gets too soft to cut length wise put it in the freezer for a few minutes. For our first ever sushi experiment it turned out pretty well. I made Pad Tia noodles on the side.

Cream Cheese and Crab Sushi Rolls
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked white rice – sushi rice!
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sheets nori seaweed sheets
1/4 cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthwise
2 pieces imitation crab legs
1/2 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, sliced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

Directions:
1. Cook rice according to directions on the package. Stir in rice vinegar and salt. Allow to cool completely.

2. Lay out seaweed sheets. Moisten hands with water, then spread the rice evenly on each sheet, leaving a 1/2 inch gap along one edge, lengthwise. Arrange strips of cucumber, imitation crabmeat, and cream cheese in a straight line along the side opposite of the gap. Roll the sushi from the toppings to the exposed end of the seaweed sheet.

3. Using a sharp wet knife, slice each roll into 5 or 6 pieces. Serve with minced ginger on the side.

 
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=169856&origin=detail&&Servings=2

BBQ Turkey Breast

I made this the other weekend. I had a Shady Brook Farm turkey breast in the freezer I bought on sale for $5.68. I dethawed the turkey and put it in the slow cooker. I topped the meat with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce. It only took about three hours to cook all the way through on low. Shred the meat, top with more BBQ sauce, and serve. Super easy, super healthy, and cheap! I served it with a side of Pasta Roni and rye bread. You can also turn it into BBQ sandwiches.

Tony's Says Good-Bye to his Baby

We went to Harley on Saturday and stripped the bike of the custom parts. Tony sends his baby off.

Job, Accident, and Vacation Updates

This week I was transferred to the integration team as a project manager at work. I still have to perform my regular job duties as well. This new role I will also be assuming is going to be an awesome experience and great for my resume. We basically are building a new bank and I am part of it. So happy. My work has been so amazing too with all the support they gave me during Tony's accident.

Tony is back a work now. We are lucky he has a desk job or he would be out of work for a really long time. He is not as tired as he used to be. We were able to go out to dinner this past weekend. I have to do the yard work for another month and a half. With yard work and housework it is really exhausting!

We decide to go to Florida in October when Tony should be feeling much better. It is not Aruba but it will do for now. We may also take a long weekend somewhere local but are not sure where yet.