Another One Bites the Dust

Trust me, I know that this blog entry is LONG overdue. I had good intentions to fill you in on what's been going on in my life at the end of summer break, during fall break, again over winter break, and even at the end of our first week back to school this semester; unfortunately things didn't quite work out the way I'd intended. Things like meeting my Matron of Honor and her husband in New Orleans for a weekend getaway, going to California to see Kevin's cousin get married, celebrating my five year anniversary with Kevin, delivering my first official gold crown and full set of dentures, spending Christmas and New Year's Eve in Southern California, and turning a quarter of a century old all required me to be present in their respective moments, so blogging just fell to the wayside. Is it too cliché to say that I was too busy living life to write about it?

Nonetheless, my sincerest apologies to you all. But, fear not, because I. AM. BACK. And, I'm here to fill you in on all those little moments that have been occurring in my life over the last six months. Are you ready? I promise I'll try to keep it short...

JULY
New Orleans, LA

After mentioning to Kevin about how ridiculous it was that I'd grown up in Texas, but somehow never managed to visit Louisiana, we decided that at the end of summer clinic we would take a weekend to go to New Orleans. Kevin and I made plans to drive the 7 hours from Dallas to NOLA and meet my life-long friend and Matron of Honor, Ashley, and her husband, Josh, for a couples' vacation. We felt very adult! We left a little after lunch on Thursday, but due to some unforeseen traffic at the Texas-Louisiana border, we didn't make it to our hotel until almost midnight (we barely beat Ashley and Josh, despite the fact that their drive from San Antonio was longer than ours and they left after work).

St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. Crossing the TX-LA border. The St.Charles Street Car.

It took a lot of research and asking around, but thanks to Frommer's Guide to New Orleans and one of my lovely classmates, Vivi, Ashley and I created a very manageable itinerary for our 2 days of sight seeing.

FRIDAY:
Jazz Brunch at Court of Two Sisters
Walking Tour of the French Quarter
Lunch at Central Grocery
Ride the Canal St./Algiers Ferry
Dinner at the Acme Oyster House

SATURDAY:
Breakfast at Cafe du Monde
Walking Tour of Garden District
Lunch at Tracy's
WWII Museum
Dinner at Vincent's Italian Restaurant
Dessert at Creole Creamery

Architecture of the French Quarter and the Garden District.

Despite all of our planning, things didn't really go according to plan (which we should have expected after the fiasco Kevin and I went through trying to get to Seattle last Spring Break). Friday morning, the Court of Two Sisters was closed for a private event during brunch. Friday afternoon the St. Charles Street Car seemed to stop running, leaving us at the stop we were at, and Friday at dinner time, the wait for the Acme Oyster house produced a line that went down the block. But, we made the best of it. We skipped brunch and jumped right into our walking tour of the French Quarter (but, we did it in reverse so that we could get lunch before the humidity and hunger made us all crabby and mean). We soaked up the eclectic NOLA culture by browsing the street art surrounding Jackson Square and listening to Jazz bands playing on the street corners, we tried the original muffuletta at Central Grocery, we drank Hurricanes and Mint Julips on the patio of Pat O'Briens after strolling down Bourbon Street, we escaped from the sun and heat and rode the ferry across the Mississippi River (doesn't it remind you of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?), and at the end of our long first day of vacation, we let our exhaustion take over and grabbed a deck of cards, drinks, snacks, and aloe vera from the Walgreens across the street and had a relaxing night in Ashley and Josh's hotel room.


Since we'd missed out the day before, Saturday morning we woke up early to guarantee a table at the Court of Two Sisters, and we gorged ourselves on their amazing buffet (Ashley was the only one brave enough to try their turtle soup. Although now that I think about it, she might have succeeded in convincing a very reluctant Josh to taste it as well...). With our bellies full, we hopped on a street car and rode to the Garden District where we did another walking tour. This time we wandered around the graves and mausoleums of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, grabbed a Po' Boy at Tracy's for lunch, and stopped for coffee and a snack to escape the occasional rain at The Rink. We completed our lazy Saturday afternoon at the World War II Museum before heading back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Our last night in New Orleans, we treated ourselves to a nice dinner at Vincent's Italian Restaurant and sampled exotic ice cream flavors at the Creole Creamery. Sunday morning arrived way to soon for all four of us, but before we headed out on the long drive back to Texas, we made our way to the French Quarter one last time for coffee and beignets at the ever popular Cafe du Monde.

AUGUST
San Luis Obispo, CA

As the fall semester crept closer and closer, Kevin and I found ourselves traveling one more time before school started again. This time, to see his cousin get married. We flew from Dallas to the cursed San Francisco airport where we changed planes to fly into San Luis Obispo. Lucky for us, there were no major complications with our travels. My only complaint was that the plane we took to SLO was so small that it had PROPELLERS. Now, many of you may not know, but I am a bit of a nervous flyer- the fact that I am putting my life in someone else's hands and that I have no idea what the pilots are doing up in the cockpit stresses me out. I might have some control issues.

How do planes with propellers still exist? That can't be safe.

This trip to CA was really short, but I don't think we could really complain since it was our second trip to CA during summer break, and the third weekend getaway of the season. The brevity of our stay didn't stop us from enjoying our time with Kevin's family, though. As usual, everyone was amazing and weddings are always such a fun and happy time (at least for the guests who are ignorant of the hard work going on behind the scenes- which we' have come to appreciate as we are in the midst of planning our own wedding). Of course, leave it to me to be more interested in befriending the cats that roam the wedding venue than socializing with the other guests!


SEPTEMBER
Anniversary Celebration

A little over a month into the semester, Kevin and I made quite the milestone in our relationship. Although already engaged, as September 27th rolled around we were still very happy to celebrate the five year anniversary of our first date. It was almost bitter sweet knowing that come May 30th, our "anniversary clock" will restart itself back at zero. Since it was our last first date anniversary, we treated ourselves to some delicious Mexican food at Pepe & Mito's in Deep Ellum, and then headed downtown for drinks and dessert at the top of Reunion Tower at 560 by Wolfgang Puck; we finished the night off watching Imagine Dragons perform at the South Side Ballroom. It really was an unforgettable night.

OCTOBER
School, School, School

October is notoriously bad as far as school is concerned. It's the month of midterms and its right in the middle of the semester when you desperately want a break. It also happened to be the busiest month for me in regards to treating patients. I officially delivered my first set of dentures and cemented my first gold crown!

Any dental student will tell you it's no surprise I almost threw these things across the room while making them.

NOVEMBER
Engagement Photos

The highlight of November was getting our engagement photos and sending out our "Save-the-Dates." It felt like we were finally making some progress on wedding planning. After all, with November, came the 6 month mark until the big day! Words cannot express how grateful Kevin and I were that my classmate Spencer was willing to not only take our photos for us, but drive all the way to downtown to do it on a Saturday morning. He is so talented- and humble. And of course, one of the best parts of taking our engagement photos was getting to bring Rosalind along to one of the locations. The photo of our little family at Klyde Warren Park was my absolute favorite; you can see how cute it is down below! And, just in case you haven't had the chance to browse our wedding website, you can take a look at it here: Stephanie & Kevin's Wedding Website

One thing I was certainly thankful for this Thanksgiving season was an ENTIRE week off from school. It was so glorious, and much needed! Of course, since we spent Thanksgiving in Texas with my family, it meant we'd be in California for Christmas, which my dad was not totally thrilled about since we spent Christmas with Kevin's family last year. But, it just made sense. There was no way we'd be able to take care of all of the wedding necessities in 1 week, especially when things are closed for the holiday! I guess we already know where we'll be spending Christmas the next two years...

Kevin and I with our baby dog, Rosalind.

DECEMBER
Finals & Wedding Planning

I had been warned long ago that the fall semester of D3 year was the worst semester in all of dental school; I have to disagree. Nothing comes close to the hell of first year (although the D1 curriculum got changed this year and it seems like it's much better now; those D1s don't even know how lucky they are). I'd also been told that the finals week of D3 fall semester was an absolute killer, and that was absolutely true. We had ELEVEN finals in 5 days. Eleven. Now, when I told people who weren't in dental school that we had that many finals, they were really confused. I guess it's hard to believe that we're taking eleven different classes in a single semester (we actually took 12 classes, but 1 of them didn't have a final because it continues into the Spring semester, but that's just semantics at this point). And really, eleven classes is nothing compared to what our schedules looked like the last 2 years. I mean, we only spend 9 hours in class a week as D3's, but we spent nearly 40 hours in class a week first and second year. Needless to say, anyone who complains on Facebook about their meager 3-5 undergrad finals gets no sympathy and an angry glare from me. Luckily though, the rest of dental school is supposed to be smooth sailing. We recently got our exam schedule for the Spring semester, and we only have eleven exams the entire semester!

The weekend after finals, Kevin and I were on our way to California. Again. We spent the entire 3 week winter break in sunny SoCal, and I was so happy that my mom got to join us for a week to help with wedding details. Even though it was her first trip to California, she was not in the mood to do much sight-seeing. Mama bear was on a wedding planning rampage, and it was a good thing, because we got a ton done. We finalized our contract with the venue, planned the dinner menu, met with the florist, found an officiant, picked out paper for the invitations, picked out the suits and ties for the groomsmen, went cake tasting, and did a bunch of wedding crafting. It was a very productive three weeks, and we even managed to go wine tasting, squeeze in a trip to San Luis Obispo, and visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library before my mom left.

JANUARY
Quarter Life Crisis

As the clock struck midnight and the calender rolled over to January first, another year bit the dust. It was hard to imagine how 2014 could possibly top 2013... in the last year, I got engaged to the love of my life, received my white coat, went to Seattle for the first time, adopted a beautiful dog, started treating patients in the dental clinic, went to New Orleans for the first time, and rang in the new year in Los Angeles! Of course, 2014 isn't off to a bad start; the first month of the new year included my "golden birthday," and I turned 25 on the 25th. I guess you could say that my reckless and impulsive quarter life crisis behavior is to get married this year; only 115 more days until we say "I do!"

Other than the wedding and honeymoon trip to Grand Cayman Island, I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the year will bring... And despite the fact that we have done a fair amount of traveling together over the last 5 and a half years, hopefully I can convince Kevin to squeeze in a few more places before 2015! 

Vacation Destinations:

Seattle, WA
Los Angeles, CA
San Luis Obispo, CA
San Jose, CA
San Francisco, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Albuquerque, NM
Carlsbad, NM
Oklahoma City, OK
Abilene, TX
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Galveston, TX
Austin, TX
San Antonio, TX
New Orleans, LA
Atlanta, GA
Jacksonville, FL
Charleston, SC
Portland, OR
New York City, NY
Boston, MA
The Keys, FL

Recipe: Slow Cooked Buttermilk Ranch Pork Chops

Last summer, this recipe easily sealed a spot as one of our new favorites. How did it do that, you ask? Well, it's partially because it is ONLY THREE INGREDIENTS and also because it is SO GOOD! Of course, nothing we cook is complicated, but this is probably the easiest recipe on the planet, and quite possibly one of the most versatile. I wish I could properly explain to you how amazing this dish is. Whenever I tell someone about this recipe I feel this need to go on and on about how easy and tasty it is; I guess that's because those traits are usually what convince me to try something new!

The recipe below is for "Buttermilk Ranch Pork Chops," but we have used chicken breasts with equal success and different flavors of ranch for a slightly different flavor pallet. Have I managed to convince you yet?

SLOW COOKED BUTTERMILK RANCH PORK CHOPS

INGREDIENTS

2 Boneless Pork Chops
1 Buttermilk Ranch Seasoning Dry Mix Packet
1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup

DIRECTIONS

1.) Place all of the ingredients in the crock pot.

2.) Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, or on HIGH for 4 hours.

3.) Enjoy.





Just in case you need a little Pin-spiration, here's the link to my Pinterest Boards: http://pinterest.com/stardustbabey/boards/

Recipe: Honey Sesame Chicken & Egg Drop Soup

Now that summer is officially over, I've decided to give you one final foodie blog post, and to make it extra special, its another double feature. Before we get started, I promise that neither of these recipes require a slow cooker (although if you don't have a crock pot, you should definitely run to the store and get one. Right now).

Next time you are in the mood for some Asian flavors, I hope you remember this post and give each of these recipes a try; both are really easy, and they make a great combination for dinner if you're in the mood for Chinese. Honestly, the only change K and I made to the Honey Sesame Chicken after we made it the first time was to double the sauce- it was delicious and the original Pinterest recipe did not make enough for the two of us. As far as the soup, we didn't need to make a single change, but I do remember the first time we made it, K and I were really impressed with ourselves; as soon as we added the eggs, they instantly became gorgeous, feather-like ribbons floating in the broth. It made us feel like we had mastered the art of Asian cuisine! Are you hungry yet? Don't bother ordering take-out from the Chinese restaurant down the street, just walk to your kitchen and get to cookin'!

GLUTEN FREE HONEY SESAME CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

3/4 Cup Rice
6 tbsp Honey
4 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
2 tsp Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
2 Chicken Breasts (cut into 2" pieces)
3 Scallions (cut thinly)

DIRECTIONS
 
1.) Cook rice according to package instructions

2.) In a small bowl, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic. Set aside.

3.) In a large bowl, season chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Then, toss chicken with cornstarch.

4.) Over medium heat, cook chicken until done, turning occasionally (6-8 min).

5.) Add sauce and scallions to pan, cook for an additional minute. Serve over rice.

EGG DROP SOUP

INGREDIENTS

4 Cups Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp Ginger
2 tbsp Water
1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Eggs (lightly beaten)
1 Cup Frozen Peas and Carrots
1 Scallion (cut thinly)
1 tbsp Cornstarch

DIRECTIONS
 
1.) Bring broth, peas and carrots, ginger, and soy sauce to a boil.

2.) In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 2 tbsp water. Stir until dissolved. Slowly pour mixture into stock until thickened a bit.

3.) Reduce heat to a simmer, slowly pour eggs into broth while gently stirring in one direction.

4.) Once the peas and carrots are cooked all the way through, take soup off heat and add green onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Just in case you need a little Pin-spiration, here's the link to my Pinterest Boards: http://pinterest.com/stardustbabey/boards/

Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie

If you can’t already tell, I LOVE my crock pot. There is nothing better than throwing a bunch of ingredients into your slow cooker in the morning and then coming home hours later with dinner cooked and a delicious aroma in the air. I don’t know if my parents have ever given me a more practical gift, and it continues to deliver with this dinner option. This recipe is super easy, super tasty, and it smells like my childhood; I definitely remember my mom making chicken pot pie when I was growing up, and unfortunately, it’s something I hardly ever have as an adult. Not to worry though, with this recipe we discovered last summer, that has changed!

 

CROCK POT CHICKEN POT PIE

INGREDIENTS

4 Potatoes, Peeled and Cut into Bite Sized Pieces
1.5 Cups Baby Carrots, Cut into Halves
1/2 Onion, Diced
1 tsp Minced Garlic
1/2 tsp Salt
Pepper to Taste
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut into Bite Sized Pieces
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Frozen Peas
Biscuits, Toast, or Pie Crust
Flour or Cornstarch for Thickening

DIRECTIONS
 
1.) Place all of the veggies into the crockpot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2.) Place chicken ontop of veggies and cover with soup. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours.

3.) Add frozen peas and cook for 20 more minutes. If the ingredients seem a little runny, add either cornstarch or flour to thicken it to the desired consistency.

4.) Serve over biscuits, toast, or pie crust.





Just in case you need a little Pin-spiration, here's the link to my Pinterest Boards: http://pinterest.com/stardustbabey/boards/

Recipe: Slow Cooked Mac & Cheese

Slow cooking macaroni and cheese in a crock pot is a strange concept, and it seems like every time I mention this recipe to people they think I've lost my mind by trying to destroy this amazing comfort food. I mean, really, how exactly does heating milk and cheese to over 150 degrees for several hours result in an edible dish? I don't know, but I promise you that the end result is super tasty. Also, I know what you're thinking, but gluten free pasta works just as well with this recipe as regular pasta; therefore, I am not slowly poisoning my future husband with the natural proteins found in grains. In fact, K was super excited last time I made this, which means it's a big hit; and I know that I love this recipe too because it's more than simply cheese and pasta.

So my hungry friends, go dig out that slow cooker from the pantry or cabinet where you keep it, embrace the oddity of slow cooking mac and cheese, and get to cooking!

SLOW COOKED MAC & CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cup Milk
2 Large Eggs
1 can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk (this prevents the milk and egg from curdling in the slow cooker)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Unsalted Butter, melted
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 lbs Macaroni
1/2 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Italian Seasoning (I simply use Thyme, Oregano, and Basil)
Salt and Back Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
 
1.) Cook pasta for about five minutes and drain

2.) Spray or grease the inside of your crock pot, then combine the milk, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and salt. Whisk until smooth.

3.) Add the pasta, Pepper, Paprika, Italian seasoning, and shredded cheese (NOT the Parmesan Cheese) Stir gently to mix.

4.) Sprinkle the Parmesan on top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes. Then, turn slow cooker to LOW and cook for an additional 2.5 hours.

5.) Serve hot (Top with bread crumbs to make it a little fancier) 

Just in case you need a little Pin-spiration, here's the link to my Pinterest Boards: http://pinterest.com/stardustbabey/boards/

Recipe: Jambalaya

Probably our absolute FAVORITE discovery last summer was this jambalaya recipe. It's easily tailored for those with the very mild taste buds (which is what we have here at our home) to those that want a fire burning kick. Although, relatively simple, we discovered that for people out in the West coast, it's a little bit more complicated to make since grocery stores don't seem to carry the frozen vegetable blend the original recipe recommends. Nonetheless, this delicious dish is too good not to share; especially after our trip to New Orleans last month!

JAMBALAYA

INGREDIENTS

2-4 Chicken Breasts
1 lbs Sausage (K and I like to use either sweet or Italian)
1 Can (15 oz) Diced Tomatoes (Undrained)
4 tsp Minced Garlic
1/4-1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (We use 1/4 tsp and it gives us just the kick we need, but if you like your jambalaya spicy, use closer to a full tsp)
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Cilantro (Fresh or dried)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2.5 tbsp Tomato Paste
3.5 cups Water
2 cups of Rice
12 oz Pictsweet Frozen Seasoning Mix ***

***This Pictsweet onion, bell pepper, and celery blend is a lifesaver. Of course, if you can't find this in the frozen vegetable section (or something similar), you can use a 1/2 cup of chopped onion, 1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper, and 1/2 cup chopped celery instead.

DIRECTIONS
 
1.) Slice sausage and chicken and cook in a large pot over medium heat until thoroughly cooked (about 5 minutes). Remove the cooked meat.

2.) Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to pot and cook in the meat drippings remaining in the pot until soft (3-5 min).

3.) Add dry rice, red pepper flakes, paprika, and tomato past. Stir together and cook for 1 min.

4.) Add 3.5 cups of water, diced tomatoes, thyme, pepper, and salt.

5.) Add the meat back to pot. Bring to a simmer, add lid, and reduce heat to low. Let sit for 30 min. Stir in cilantro and serve.





Just in case you need a little Pin-spiration, here's the link to my Pinterest Boards: http://pinterest.com/stardustbabey/boards/

Recipe(s): Slow Cooked Cheesy Chicken and Rice & Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Despite having the last 3 weeks off from school, I somehow managed to not write a single blog post (I did have two separate weekend get-a-ways to Louisiana and California during that time, but more on that later); does that make me a failed blogger? Let's hope not... I mean, better late than never, right? To make up for my nearly month-long hiatus I am gonna give you DOUBLE the pinterest-approved recipes. Surely dinner and dessert will leave your belly happy?!

So ladies and gents, I hope you are hungry, because today I bring you (...drum roll please...) Slow Cooked Cheesy Chicken and Rice for your main course and Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins for that sweet tooth! And since they are muffins they also make a good breakfast to-go, especially since they are high in protein and (if you make them with Stevia) low in sugar.

These two recipes are a big hit at our place, because they are both gluten free! Any time we find tasty GF items, we can't help but celebrate. Luckily, the gluten free diet fad has made buying products almost too easy, but cooking and baking from recipes are still sometimes a chore. But fear not my gluten and gluten free eaters, everyone is sure to love both of these recipes!


SLOW COOKED CHEESY CHICKEN AND RICE

INGREDIENTS

2 to 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 Large Chopped Onion
1 (8 oz) Box of Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix (cooked according to directions on box)
1.5 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 (10.5 oz) can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 (15 oz) can Whole Kernel Corn (drained)

DIRECTIONS
 
1.) Chop 1/2 of a large onion.

2.) Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon the cream of chicken soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

3.) Cook rice following the directions on the box.***

4.) A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, drained corn, and the cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

***The rice takes a little over 30 minutes to prepare, so cooking it in advance is both helpful and preferred.


TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHUNK MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 c Oats
3 Egg Whites
3/4 c Unsweetened Cocoa
1/2 c Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 c Plain Greek Yogurt (or regular plain low fat yogurt)
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar (or 2 tsp vinegar)
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 c Hot Water
1/2 c Sugar (or sugar substitute like Stevia or sweetener of choice that measures like sugar)
1/2 c Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
12 to 24 Foil Cupcake Liners or Non-stick Cooking Spray***

***Paper liners tend to stick to muffins, so splurge on the foil ones. Of course, you can skip the liners all together and just spray the muffin tin.

DIRECTIONS
 
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil cupcake liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2.) In a blender, (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth. ***

3.) Add the chocolate chips to the batter and stir in by hand.

4.) Fill muffin liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 12-15 min, or until tooth pick comes out clean.

5.) Cool muffins before removing from pan, and enjoy.

 
***The batter will be fairly liquidy, but I promise that the muffins will turn out just fine.





Just in case you need a little Pin-spiration, here's the link to my Pinterest Boards: http://pinterest.com/stardustbabey/boards/