Wedding Pictures

We received our wedding photos today.

It really was a beautiful day.

I guess this means we need to write the rest of our thank yous.

harvest

We harvested the first veggies from the garden today:

Swiss chard!

They were just a little young, but we wanted to eat some before we left on our trip. They are so colorful and delicious. And very good for you. Better than kale, which is why we chose to plant chard.

Here is how I prepared it tonight: on medium heat, I put a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan and added 1 coursely chopped garlic clove. I put the colorful chard stalks in first, let them saute for a minute, and then added the leaves, which I had cut in 1/2. When it seemed it was getting dry, I added a sprinkle of water. I also added salt and pepper. I let this cook until the leaves were wilted, but not much longer. That's it!

Delicious!

I'm a firm believer in vegetables tasting like vegetables.

We also picked some of these hot mommas. I'm no slouch when it comes to heat, but man, these are spicy. We'll have to use these with a lot of caution.

My Husband, the Published Scientist

Let's all give it up for Aaron and congratulate him on getting published!!! His first publication, "Mechanical and tribological investigations of sol–gel derived SiO2 optical coatings," (whew) was in the science journal Wear, Volume 265, Issues 3-4, 31 July 2008, Pages 411-416 in print, and full of sciencey-goodness.
We're proud of you, Aaron.

Independent and Old

I am officially on the bad end of my mid-twenties. Gah. It's all down hill from here.

My birthday is always a strange thing. I come from a place that celebrates the 4th for a whole week, so that basically can't be topped. However, we gave Bessemer a run for its money this, our first 4th in Morgantown.

First, Aaron made omelets and home fries. They were so crispy and perfect. I could never do that.

Mmmmm...
I always wanted nothing more than a simple cookout for my birthday, which was no easy task living three flights up with no yard in Boston. So this year for my birthday, Aaron threw me a proper cookout. We cleaned the front porch (and strung some Christmas lights), had a couple of friends over, and did it up right. We had mojitos, steak tips, grilled veggies, a beautiful potato salad (recipe below), and dogs. And: two kinds of cake! Aaron made a decadent flourless chocolate cake (from scratch). It was so fudgey and yummy. Our friend Sarah brought over the quintessential 4th of July dessert: Jello cake decorated like an American flag with strawberries and blueberries. There are very few birthdays where I didn't have this cake, it is such a guilty pleasure, I'm so happy she made it. Sarah is from Kentucky and calls it a "Poke Cake." She has a beautiful southern accent: the most flamboyant and expressive I've ever heard in my life. I feel like I'm in Steel Magnolias every time we get together. I love it.

The best part was that Aaron did all the other cooking for the day. It was wonderful and exactly everything I wanted (even if it was pouring rain, whatever, that doesn't stop us).

Aaron's Dill and Horseradish Potato Salad

A week or so ago, we noticed some wild dill growing near the compost pile, so when Aaron mentioned he was making potato salad, I asked him to make a dilly one. This is what he came up with and it is just delicious.

Per pound of potatoes

Ingredients:
1 pound potatoes, preferably red
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoon celery, chopped

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon or brown mustard
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped

1/8 teaspoon paprika

salt, black pepper to taste

Preparation: Boil potatoes with salt until cooked through. Allow potatoes to cool slightly before cutting into 1 inch cubes. In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add potatoes and mix well. Make sure not to over mix or else potatoes will become mushy.

Picnics: No Excuses

Meghan directed me to this incredible list of 101 picnic foods to make in 20 minutes or less. There are so many great recipes that can be made with what you have in the fridge.
Lovers: take some time out to share some sun and food together.
Singles: impress that certain someone with the perfect afternoon.
No excuses.