Week's Eats

Back to the kitchen armed with new and improved cookware and dishes, compliments of my overly generous friends and family members. It's amazing how a really great pot and a few snazzy tools can turn cooking into an effortless activity. After a week of dining out in Disney, I was ready for some good home cooked meal. Lucky for me, Thanksgiving was right around the corner!!

Thanksgiving 2010

We gathered round the table and enjoyed all of the traditional fixings. Year after year, green bean casserole takes the blue ribbon no my plate! The great white pitcher is filled with Rudolph Spritzer from the 2008 December issue of Southern Living. This is a great recipe to try for Christmas dinner!

RUDOLPH SPRITZER

Ingredients:

• 5 cups orange juice
• 2 cups chilled lemon-lime soft drink
• 1/2 cup cherry juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Garnishes: lemon slices, fresh rosemary sprigs

Preparation

1. Stir together all ingredients; serve over ice. Garnish, if desired. Note- You can also add in 1 1/2 cups of vodka to make this recipe tipsy. I don't like liquor but do enjoy mixing in a little Riesling.

Cranberry Bars

I made these tasty treats for Thanksgiving dessert. They are super moist and so sweet that you only need a small piece. This weekend we're going to whip up another batch to take to the neighbors. I'll take any excuse to bake!

Turkey Cranchiladas

A perfect recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers! Two of the most popular Thanksgiving fixtures make a surprising guest appearance in this dish. The sweetness of the cranberries contrasts nicely with the spiciness of the enchiladas. This will definitely be a permanent fixture to our post-holiday menu.

Turkey Cranchiladas

Better Homes and Gardens

nonstick cooking spray

2-2 1/2 cups shredded turkey

2 cups whole-berry cranberry sauce (or 1 16-oz can)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups salsa

1 1/2 cups shredded Pepperjack cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

3-4 scallions, chopped

1/4 cup lightly-packed chopped cilantro

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

10-12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, 1 cup of the cranberry sauce, the beans, sour cream, 3/4 cup cheese, 1/2 cup of the salsa, green onions, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Spoon filling into each tortilla, and roll tightly. Place seam-side down in the baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining cranberry sauce and 1 cup of salsa. Stir to combine and pour over the enchiladas. Cover the dish with foil, and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Continue to bake, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with additional cilantro and scallions, and serve.

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Basil

I found this recipe in this month's Bon Appetit. I had a few butternut squashes hanging out at home and immediately knew that I had to make this. I have never had leeks before and was quite pleased with their understated taste. Some leftover turkey paired nicely with this dish!

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili

The chilly December weather calls for a big hot bowl of soup! This chili is my favorite of the season! I was just talking with a couple of friends tonight about how much we love the squash. It tastes like a close cousin to the sweet potato. Paired with a cheese quesadilla, this meal reminded me of a fancier version of grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Bon appetit!

Festive weekend!

Isn't this the greatest time of year? I am in total holiday spirit! This year, we hosted our first Thanksgiving at our house, celebrating with the Evans and Dineens. It was so exciting to decorate the dining table and use all of my new dishes. We had quite the feast, featuring all of the traditional classics. I'm pretty certain that if I had to sum up this year in one word it would be "thankful." Beyond so.

Black Friday was spent in Raleigh, visiting Jarrett's awesome extended family. I had a wonderful time getting to know everyone! There were lots of kids, the younger of which thought I was a princess, since the only time they had met me I was in a beautiful gown. Precious! We hit up the mall on the way home to join in on all of the madness. I treated myself to Jim Brickman's Disney CD. Ever since the honeymoon, I have had quite the Disney bug and absolutely loved Tangled, the new Disney movie. I also picked up Jackie Evancho's Christmas album. Jackie has the voice of an angel (a petite one I might add).

Saturday I set off on an 11 mile run, thanks to a last minute plea from my body to train for Mistletoe. Post run, I relaxed to the tune of a miserable football game (my poor hoos!). This football game has traditionally been one of my favorites, although in recent years I've learned to dread it... As soon as the game ended, Jarrett and I went to get our Christmas tree. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out with family and decorating our frasier fir with "Miracle on 34th street" playing in the background. It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

The next morning was our first Sunday morning back at church since the wedding. It was great to see Father Steve and attend service as a newlywed couple. On my last day off before taking the dreaded plunge back into work, I decided to do exactly what made me happy. I went to Starbucks with Jarrett and Preston, cooked a couple of meals, went to spinning, and lounged my little heart out. A perfect ending to my perfect vacation.

It hasn't been too bad being back at work. I could totally get used to not working, but look forward to my evenings off. Last night I went to hot yoga which was the most intense workout I've had in a while. Whenever I go more than a week without yoga, it always turns around and kicks me in the butt. I really give each pose my all and sometimes forget to pace myself. My balance was right on and I was incredible focused, which helped alot in the balancing series. I still managed to leave class completely wiped out and drenched from head to toe!

Tonight is one of my favorite nights of the season- The Lighting of Rockefellar Plaza! I can't wait to get home to bake for the neighbors, cook turkey cranchiladas, and watch the show! On my way home, I'm going to go shopping for Janet, my four-year-old Angel Tree girl. This always puts me in the holiday spirit! Tis the season!!

When You Wish Upon a Star

Honeymoon Top Ten!

#10- Making it there! Thanks to Conner's good advice, we had already worked in a "chill" day after the wedding. Thank heavens! I was still pretty sick and couldn't imagine traveling or doing much exploration. We called Disney and the airlines to come up with a back up plan in case we weren't able to make it. I laid in bed for nearly 20 hours, minus a couple of breaks for some chicken noodle and ginger ale. When I woke up on Monday, I felt like a human!! I couldn't have been more excited. A car, two planes, and a bus ride later we were officially on our honeymoon!

#9- The Animal Kingdom Lodge! We were so pleased with our accommodations. We were welcomed at the door and shown to our beautiful room, which was decorated for the newlyweds :). Our room overlooked the savanna and we enjoyed sitting on our balcony to watch the animals. Jarrett sprung for the concierge service so we had a private floor for lounging and around the clock food and beverages. We also got to go on a private safari in Africa for a behind the scenes tour of the animals up close!!

#8- My husband! I couldn't stop giggling the whole week when I'd refer to Jarrett as my husband! I love the new title and enjoyed coming up with a variety of ways to get to say it. "My husband needs more water.... I'm looking for a shirt for my husband.... My husband and I are from North Carolina." I love it! I nearly flipped out when I saw a place card for us that said "Dineen Family." This was our first vacation together and it couldn't have been more wonderful.

#7- The princesses! Even though I'm 26, I couldn't help but to be captivated by the princesses. Although Belle is my favorite Disney princess, I was most excited to meet Cinderella. We ate lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table where all of the princesses came to our table to introduce themselves. I kept thinking that they would break character since we were adults, but there was no chance of this happening. It's not every day that a girl gets to brush shoulders with royalty ;) .

#6- Food and the "Flying Fish!" Between the concierge service and our generous meal plan, there was an abundance of delicious food up for grabs. My appetite finally kicked in on Wednesday and I had no problem making up for lost time. My favorite dinner was at the "Flying Fish" in Disney's boardwalk. We appetized on the best cheese platter before enjoying the most amazing seafood entrees. Other hits include the African stew in the Animal Kingdom and the Mediterranean platter in Epcot. Needless to say, good food was never hard to find.

#5- The Shows! This was probably one of the best things about Disney. There were so many fascinating and impressive shows to see. I'm pretty sure that we saw them all, since there was practically no wait for anything. "Fantasmic" was my favorite with its cirque-du soleil meets futuristic approach to animation. Mickey was at the pinnacle orchestrating the powerful water fountains, whose jets created the backdrop for the animated extravaganza. "Little Nemo" was remarkable and practically off-Broadway caliber. The "Electrical Light Parade" was a spirited event followed by the magical firework show above Cinderella's castle. We were quite the captivated audience.

#4- Creativity! It's so hard to imagine that the park is a result of man's creativity and effort. The visions and ideas of Walt Disney live on through the hard work and artistic talent of others. Jarrett and I took an animation class where we learned what goes into the creation and design of the Disney characters that we so classically love. I was in awe to watch the animator draw with such relative ease. Behind every production, ride, character, and park was a plethora of imagination busting at the seams.

#3- The Parks! Thanks to the short lines and non-existent crowds, we were able to see and do everything of interest in all four parks. Each park was so unique and had tons of good rides, shows, food, and entertainment. The Animal Kingdom was hands down our favorite! We loved the fireworks in Magic Kingdom and enjoyed soaking up the Disney spirit. Hollywood Studios was exciting with the Indiana Jones show and Tower of Terror. Epcot gave a unique perspective of various cultures, lending itself to some great photo opportunities. Each day was a new adventure, fit to the liking of two very happy newlyweds.

#2- Vacation! All in all, I took a total of 10 days off from work. Hallelujah, my first real vacation as a working woman! It felt incredible to get away from work for both a mental and physical break. It was absolutely amazing to spend that time with my best friend and husband, the best company a girl could ask for. The worst part about taking a vacation is getting back to reality, which I absolutely dread! The trip left me daydreaming about where we'll go next!


#1- "Where Dreams Come True!" Disney's popular slogan just about sums it up. I couldn't help but to reflect on how blessed I am. My dream wedding with a loving family, incredible friends, and a top of the line husband. A perfect honeymoon with memories made and adventures shared. Only in Disney could you legitimately feel like a princess living a fairy tale life. I'm living my dream thanks to the Lord's blessings and truly, truly couldn't be happier!

Wedding picture preview!