October!

I think I blogged a grand total of two times last month. I have to do better, but I promise that you didn’t miss much --- most of what I was doing was unpacking, moving furniture, painting furniture, watching football, adjusting to my new commute, cooking dinner, grabbing the occasional happy hour with friends. Nothing worth writing home about, just living life, all the good, bad and ordinary moments! I am hoping to get back on the blogging bandwagon after a few months of writing inactivity!

October is here -- and goodness, it sure is glorious. Where last month, we had doubts whether the new season had officially arrived, October make's Fall official. Leaves are starting to change and temperatures are dropping. Mild afternoons are followed by chilly evenings. I truly hope to soak up all the glorious early Fall days where both a breeze and sunshine kisses your cheeks, where the leaves make their fantastic colorful farewell for the year, where simple hay seems charming, when you consider Pumpkin as an essential food group and you want to borrow someone's kid so you can take him to a pumpkin patch! Fall gives you the best of both worlds - indoor fun and outdoor fun! You can enjoy a warm-ish afternoon outdoors, followed by a hot bowl of chili, fuzzy socks and throw blanket inside on the couch. I will admit that I have already cooked Chili and worn tights exactly once  - and I have worn boots twice, but now I feel free to unashamedly wear, eat and enjoy all the wonderful treats that make fall fun.  I understand that there are memes and buzzfeed articles all over facebook and pinterest making fun of how white girls, middle class girls, sorority girls, etc obnoxiously LOVE fall -- and that's fine, I am 100 percent okay with being this stereotype or generalization.

(for the record, I don't think I even own a pair of yoga pants, although I do own leggings)

Ok October obsessive talk over -- Moving on the monthly goals.  I accomplished most (but not all) of my September goals, but I am choosing to see the glass half full (of Chardonnay of course!). The good news is that I did get a lot accomplished. And I can move whatever I didn’t accomplish to October!

SEPTEMBER GOALS

·                     Finish unpacking and organizing after our move! Well, we are almost there – but in the midst of projects, decorating, company and you know, life and work, we still have a few boxes of winter clothes to sort through. Hoping to finish that this weekend.  Then we will be done. Luckily for me, the boxes are tucked into the hallway closet so they aren’t annoying me daily with their presence!

·                     Give away/throw away some clothing as we unpack.   We have a few boxes of clothes and books packed up for the Jr League “Tossed and Found” sale this spring.  I am hoping that as I finish sorting through the last couple boxes, I can find a few more things to get rid of!

·                     Complete 3-5 apartment projects on my own. I hung pictures, polished a few wooden pieces of furniture and finished up psome pieces my mom helped me paint by applying a final coat of wax. But, alas, I did not hit my goal of 3-5 projects!

·                     Complete 3-5 apartment projects with my mom.  1.We set up kitchen shelving units (ok my dear hubby set them up) and organized them. 2-4. we painted (and I later waxed) 3 night stands. 5. We set up the guest bed and my mom started a bed skirt which she plans to finish and bring me next weekend.

·                     Pray for others! I hate to even cross this off my “to do” list as an accomplishment  because yes, I did pray for others, but I still don’t pray for them enough – and probably never will pray enough, in general. It’s something I always want to work on!

·                     Read 1-2 books off my list.  Kindof. I read Divergent this summer (it was on my reading list) and on my list, I mentioned that I wanted to read the 2 other books in the series as well--- so I did!

·                     Cook 2 "Bread and Wine" recipes.   I did try a few new SIMPLE dinner recipes, but none were “Bread and Wine” recipes.  Sadly, trying any recipe that was more than 5 ingredients did not mesh well with the whole unpacking, decorating, organizing framework of my life this month. Hopefully, I can try a couple recipes this month!

·                     Start buying our Christmas gifts for others and Dave's birthday gifts.  I made a small start to this goal, buying Dave his birthday gifts and one Christmas gift. Time to start tackling that list a bit more aggressively this month!

·                     Work out 3 times a week. Boom. Really proud of myself for being able to cross this one off the list!

·                     Eat in most nights.  We got out of moving/vacation mode by cooking meals this month. I have a longer commute and Dave gets home a lot earlier, so we have come up with a great system. Basically I put together the casserole or marinade for the meat in the morning and Dave cooks it when he gets home.

·                     Buy a mum! My mom bought me a mixed plant with mums and other flowers to sit on my balcony. But, I would like to buy one for our front door as well. Maybe this weekend…

·                     Decorate our guest room.  The guest room is basically done – just need to hang a couple more pictures which is on the agenda for tonight – and put the bed skirt on.  Of course, there are things I would love to do to the room – like replace the walmart bookcase with a nicer one or replace the desk legs with hairpin legs, but its presentable for now! And ready for guests! However, while I have been cleaning out our clothes, the guest bed has served as a catch all, so while it may be decorated, it is also quite messy at the moment!

·                     Save a little each week for an IKEA/Home Goods/Target shopping trip with mom when she comes.  Saved and Spent. It was a long day at Ikea, topped off with one of their delicious cinnamon rolls!

·                     Put a little money into our "One Day Europe" jar each week. Sadly, nope, no money went into our Europe jar. It all went to Ikea.

·                     Enjoy our balcony as much as possible! We have enjoyed our balcony and we have spent a lot of time outside on the balcony painting furniture, ha! Probably one of our favorite things to do is open the sliding balcony doors and let a little cool air in while we eat dinner or watch tv. I am ready to get a grill and enjoy the balcony a little more!

OCTOBER GOALS

• Hang up a Gallery Wall in our living room. I have a pile of art, prints and other decorations to put on the gallery wall. Just waiting until we have everything framed and ready to hang.
• Purchase dining room chairs. That is being done this weekend! We had some old cheap ones that still serve as desk chairs/extra seating BUT we need some new chairs for the dining room table.
•  Cook 1-2 recipes from “Bread and Wine” Let’s try this goal again….
• Hang Pictures in my office. It's a little bare...
•    Paint our bedroom bookcase and my dresser gray.
•  Paint our kitchen stools.
•   Finish unpacking and organizing the closet. (moved to this month from last month, almost done!)
• Order a wedding Picture for the dining room. Yep, we never ordered a print, but I am going to order one on canvas to hang in our dining room.
•    Read a book (preferably one from my book list, but I’ll just be proud if I read a book during this busy month!)
• Celebrate D’s 30^th birthday!!
•  Add a few fall touches to our apartment. A pumpkin, another mum, a burlap wreath – heck, even just a bowl of candy corn. We need a little fall décor to liven the place up!
•    Make an effort to do 2 fun fall activities – farmer’s market, pumpkin patch, winery visit. And, no, doing 2 winery visits will not count as 2 fun fall activities.
•  Enjoy our two sets of visitors this month!
•  Halloween Costumes! Eek, it’s so close and I have yet to search!
•   Buy several Christmas gifts! (ongoing goal so that it does not hit me all at the last moment!)
•  Put a little in our Europe Jar.
•  Go to the gym before work 1-2 mornings a week. Dave and I have recently committed to this goal, but we have done it twice in 2 weeks, so obviously we need some pre dawn motivation – and quite possibly, an earlier bedtime.
• Blog More.  I almost forgot that one!

So…what about you? Have any goals for the month? Projects, financial goals, fitness goals? New recipes or books or crafts? Habits to break? The beginning of the month is a clean slate – a whole new 31 days to get things done!

Fall Wish List

Today is the first official day of fall. In the DC area, we have been experiencing chilly mornings, pleasant afternoons and even have some trees kissed with just a few red and orange leaves. But now, it's official - the days are getting shorter and cooler and bitter cold winter days are inevitable - but, through God's goodness, we get to enjoy 2 lovely months of sweater weather, cool breezes and sunshine and tons of fall yumminess, beauty and decor before settling in for colder months.

And, almost on cue, summer knew it's days were soon ending and blessed us with a warm front this weekend before cooler temps returned today. I was able to enjoy windows open, sunshine, shorts and t shirts - to properly say goodbye to sweet summertime. All enjoyed, of course with a glass of wine and my current favorite warm weather drink, a Mississippi Mule. (If I could sum up summer 2014 with one drink, it would indeed be the mule. But time to pick a fall beverage of choice!)

D and I have been talking about fall - and enjoying DC and the surrounding area. We both love being outdoors and experiencing the area-- and we both know these pleasant days are limited.**   We came up with a few fall "to do" goals (Let's be honest, we discussed it, and only I was nerdy and am making a list.

OUR TO DO LIST:

1. Lots of football watching

2. 1-2 "fall" activities - pumpkin patch, corn maze, apple picking

3. Fall winery visit

4. Dress up for Halloween! 

5. Driving around NOVA to see fall foliage

6. 1-2 fall day trips -- while the weather and scenery is gorgeous, we thought we might explore some nearby towns. We plan on going to Harper's Ferry and hopefully one other town!

7. Eat lots of chili - already started!

8. Thanksgiving/Macys parade in NYC

9. Take time to do/see a couple things we have yet to do in DC since moving here (particularly outdoor activities) - wonder through the art garden, go to the botanical garden, etc.

10. Do a haunted ghost tour, etc. (There is one in Alexandria we are eye-ing)

11. Go to the Falls Church farmer's market.

12. Fall Premiers (Judge away, I love having a few weekly shows to keep up with!)

Our First Official Chili

BONUS TO DO: Explore our new 'hood. While not as cool as the last neighborhood (but 250 extra square feet is cool, I tell myself), there are fun restaurants and shops nearby. We want to explore this area. Obviously this is not a FALL GOAL as it has little to do with the autumn months, but nonetheless, this goal will be tackled this fall.

A few personal Fall goals:

1. Buy a mum (I still haven't, although that's a September goal too, so I better hurry up!)

2. Add a few small fall touches to our house. (I have tons of Christmas decor, but not many fall decorations) If I start buying a couple decorations a year - then by the time we have young kids, it will feel warm and "fall-y" for them.

3. Cook a few NEW fall recipes -- pumpkin, soups, grilled cheeses, different chilis as mentioned above!

4. Sweatshirts and wine and good talks with D (or friends) on the porch. (it's really a patio, but being the southerner that I am, I often refer to it as a porch.

5. Finish getting our new place decorated enough to have friends over for football or cooking out at least once this fall, hopefully more!

6. Buy a new pair of boots or booties -- many of my boots need to be replaced, so time to start watching for deals!

7. Read more books...on the porch when its good weather, curled up on the couch as it gets cooler.

8. Buy a grill.

9. Decorate a pumpkin - carve it, paint it, do something!

10. Buy sunflowers for our apartment!

Of course, I will gladly add some other traditional activities in to the mix like cider drinking, smores making, wearing crazy amounts of scarves...but these things will happen so naturally that there is no reason to add them to my personal list.

It's going to be a good fall-- one of the best things about living in this area of the country is having 4 full seasons. I feel blessed to witness beauty in every stage of the year.

**I know, I know, I whine about winter a lot...and I am not a fan of frigid temps and lack of sunshine, but even I enjoy having a couple months after the busy and fall/holiday season to stay in, invite friends over, cook warm soups, cuddle, binge watch tv shows on netflix, drink cocoa and go to the movies. Alas, even winter has its own blessings - but I am glad I get Fall first!!)

Fall Love and September Goals

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??? September has officially arrived. While we were packing, moving and vacationing, the summer season came to an end -- I know, I know, it doesn't technically end until 3rd week of September, but it's essentially over.  Kids are back in school (I say this as if I have kids.....), lovely fall mums have appeared at grocery stores and farmer's markets, college football has returned (PTL) and Starbucks is already selling their pumpkin spice lattes.

Just ignore the 92 degree weather today.... :)

But seriously, after a vacation in Canada where I had to wear pants and long sleeves a couple afternoons, I feel I have had a lovely brief taste of what's to come -- crisp mornings, pumpkin patches, fleece jackets, chilly runs and leisurely evenings spent in sweatpants on the balcony, drinking wine or cocoa. However, a return to HOT DC left me grateful for a few more warm days ahead.  We had a brutal winter last year and word on the street is that we are in for a similar winter this year.  Fall is my favorite season, but winter certainly is NOT, so I don't want to usher in the colder weather just yet.

I know FALL won't completely arrive for another 6 weeks or so. Until then, we will do that awkward yet wonderful dance between chilly and hot, never quite sure if you should put on a sweater or tank top. And as frustrating as this gets -- constantly checking your phone's weather app to make sure you dress appropriately and wondering if you should be eating watermelon or pumpkin muffins, I love that for about 6 weeks each fall and spring, we get to say hello to one season without quite saying goodbye to the old season yet. Until late October, I can enjoy sunshine AND chilly winds, boots AND short sleeves, chili AND snow cones (who am I kidding? There are hardly any snow cones in DC which is ridiculous! add that to the short list of things I don't like about this area)

I have a ton to do this month, so I am glad we still have warmer weather and longer days! I thought I would join in blogger land fun and make a few September Goals!

SEPTEMBER GOALS

• Finish unpacking and organizing after our move!
• Give away/throw away some clothing as we unpack. 
• Complete 3-5 apartment projects on my own. I have a ton of furniture I want to paint, a table I want to stain, artwork to frame, a baby door hanger to make (for my nephew arriving SOON!), etc
• Complete 3-5 apartment projects with my mom.  My mom is stopping by to visit me/help with projects for a few days later this month on her way to meet my nephew, so I hope we can tackle a few decorating projects when she comes!
• Pray for others! I used to be faithful about praying  and used my time on the metro to pray for others, but life got hectic and I fell out of routine.  I want to make a prayer list and start praying for friends and family during my commute a few days a week!
• Read 1-2 books off my list. My goal for my summer reading list was to finish 10/16 books. Instead I finished 7 of the books-- but I have a decent excuse: my kindle died halfway through summer and all these books I had purchased or borrowed from my parents were irretrievable. Although I had the kindle app on my computer, I was not going to drag my computer to work every day, so my reading time was limited. However, I have now downloaded kindle on my phone and hope to tackle the rest of these books this fall!
• Cook 2 "Bread and Wine" recipes. 
• Start buying our Christmas gifts for others and Dave's birthday gifts (so they don't hit all at once!) 
• Work out 3 times a week. Wow, I can't believe that I have to make this a goal -- I used to LOVE working out and would even do it a couple times a day sometimes. But, commuting and working and moving has changed my habits the past few months and I make it to the gym 1-2 times a week-- so it's time to get back in a routine. Starting small with a goal of 3 times a week this month.
• Eat in most nights.  We usually cook in most nights, BUT the past couple weeks, we have packed, moved, unpacked and traveled- so almost all of our meals were at restaurants or take out. That really dents the budget and hurts the waistline, plus I miss cooking. 
• Buy a mum!
• Decorate our guest room.  We have 4-6 sets of visitors this fall (yay!) and we are so excited to finally have a guest bedroom for them to stay when they come (instead of on our couch)  So, my first goal is getting the guest room in order so that it's comfy for guests! I'm using an old bedding set of my mom's, painting some furniture, buying a headboard and hanging art, so this should be an achievable goal!
• Save a little each week for an IKEA/Home Goods/Target shopping trip with mom when she comes.  I have a bistro set picked out for our balcony, plus some picture frames, cushions and a lamp I am eyeing. Time to pocket a little spending money each week!
• Put a little money into our "One Day Europe" jar each week. (yes we have a jar, like a grown up piggy bank)
• Enjoy our balcony as much as possible! I had patio envy all last year, so it's time to enjoy my own balcony!

I am hoping to report back that I accomplished two thirds of these goals!! What about you, what are your September goals? Anything Exciting???

Our Wedding, Part 5: The Real Reason (Ceremony and Vows)

SLOWLY BUT SURELY FINISHING UP THE WEDDING SERIES

Few things are more exciting than the moment you walk down the aisle towards your soon to be husband. And although, let's be honest, the party portion of the evening takes a lot more planning, the ceremony is the most important 30 minutes of the entire day....and it's the part you will remember.

Practicing for my walk down the aisle - in my mom's veil, sometime during the late 80s

I love that wedding ceremonies are usually extremely private and public all at once. In some ways, it felt like Dave and I were alone because the promises and vows were said by us alone and the relationship is exclusive to us. But, in a very obvious way (400 guests watching us), the wedding was very public, for all to see. What a perfect way to begin our marriage - both intimately and publicly. Our marriage is primarily a relationship between the two or us, but in so many ways, it's a relationship so closely related to other relationships. It's a relationship supported and challenged by friends, family and church community. We are truly blessed to have so many people who rejoiced with us and will encourage, challenge and pray with and for us. 

The front of our "church"

I always wanted a bouquet of peonies.

When you get married at 29, you've been to enough weddings and been in enough weddings that you know what you want. It's not like I planned for the past decade, but every time I attended a wedding or was a bridesmaid and heard a solo or processional I liked, I mentally noted it. So, when we got engaged, I knew (mostly) how our ceremony would go. Dave and I both wanted two preachers to perform our ceremony - one from his church, one from mine. We wanted traditional vows. We didn't want a unity candle. Although we wanted a religious ceremony, we weren't set on having it a church (thus we had it at the warehouse where the reception was going to be) We wanted conservative music (okay, I wanted conservative music, Dave wanted Journey, but I won that debate......)

And so the ceremony went mostly how I always envisioned it -- and probably not too differently than most other ceremonies. As I have shared earlier, we were very nontraditional about many things, but when it came down to the important stuff, we were pretty traditional - and the ceremony went just I had planned. Piano and Violin. Congregational Hymn. Christian and classical music. Presbyterian vows. The cutest little ring bearer who was promptly escorted out by my sister's in laws. An adorable flower girl carrying a "hear comes the bride" sign. Girls in blue dresses with gorgeous green flowers. A bridal bouquet of peonies like I always wanted.

This pretty lady got married 6 months to the day after our wedding....and 

thankfully for her, I did not sing in her wedding.

My friend Madison married this pretty lady several years ago and since I first heard her 

play her violin at church, I knew one day I wanted her to play in my wedding.

My niece did her flower girl duties perfectly. She's 

been in several weddings now -- she is an expert!

SO SO Excited to walk down the aisle.

This would have been a great pic if my dad had looked!

We had an actual homily, not just a few sentences of advice (although the homily was cut a little shorter than I wanted...due to a certain someone's nerves that day....) It was important to me that our service be a worship service, a presentation of the gospel, so I wanted something meaty, not just a couple quotes and then vows.

I'll never forget Dave's nerves on our wedding day. He was absolutely adorable. I was the opposite -- mostly calm or jittery with excitement, but Dave looked like he was about to pass out at any moment. I asked him if he was nervous or having second thoughts and he said he was certain of me, but anxious because it was such a big step, such a serious moment and we shouldn't take it lightly. I love that he was thinking about our commitment and vows, not just the party, and that he understood the seriousness of the day. (Sidenote: he was also nervous about standing in front of so many people!)

And although we had done a super early first look and then a first look, walking down the aisle was still so incredibly special. So much emotion and gratitude. Seeing my precious groom at the end of the aisle -with his pretty blue eyes and nervous look. Trying to hold back tears each step of the way. Holding tightly to my daddy's arm. Silently repeating "thank you, thank you" over and over as an unavoidable prayer of gratitude to God for this blessing I do not deserve. Catching Dave's eyes during the service, smiling at him and seeing him finally start to relax.

I love this picture. This man makes me so happy.

First married kiss

One of the sweetest parts of the day was when we walked back down the aisle, finished with the ceremony and being showered with confetti, and Dave grabbed me, kissed me and said, "We're married" His demeanor changed for the rest of the evening.  Preparing for such a commitment was serious and caused nervousness, but once the commitment was made, he was no longer so nervous. My father in law then found us and gave me a huge hug and welcome to the family -- followed by my mother who hugged me and said "I told you so" (aka, I told you that you would get married one day), followed by, "I've been waiting for years to tell you that." A little motherly commentary, that's all.

Confetti was thrown at us as we left.

Hugging my Father in Law right after the ceremony

Final thoughts on our ceremony: The theme of the ceremony was God's faithfulness, complete with the solo, "He's always been Faithful" and verse: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)  As thrilled as I was to marry Dave, I wanted to remember that it was God who had been faithful to us. A wedding is almost always a happy occasion, a time to rejoice, a picture of God's faithfulness and goodness, but for me personally, it was a reminder that the Lord redeems horrible circumstances and "restores what the locusts have eaten."  God is faithful to me daily, but walking down the aisle was personally, a very real tangible picture of his faithfulness to restore, heal, redeem! 

Before my wedding, a friend who had recently been through some hard circumstances told me she found encouragement is seeing how the Lord was faithful and brought redemption in my life because it meant He could redeem hard things in her life time.  That was probably one of the most touching things any one has ever said to me....I want my life to be a testimony for our faithful Lord. And, goodness, sometimes wouldn't we all choose a different testimony, one with fewer tears and painful moments, but the hard things he brings us through can be used to show His goodness and glory. That was what I hoped people saw as I walked down the aisle to my sweet groom: not just a happy bride and nervous groom, but God's faithfulness to me and to Dave. Through heartbreak and brokenness and in many many joyful times, the Lord has remained by my side -- and continues to do so in marriage. 

Cooking Through Bread and Wine, Recipe 2: Mini Mac and Cheese

Mini Mac & Cheese

(Once again, picture is not mine, it is stolen off of pinterest 

because I am still without my Iphone and all my pictures!)

Moving through "Bread and Wine" with my attempt at recipe #2.  This recipe did not turn out nearly as well as the first one -- I melted the cheese a little too long, but we learn from our mistakes right? Even so, the mini mac and cheeses were delicious, oh so gooey and plenty cheesy! (so I can't wait to try them when done correctly!)  Also, they turned out well enough to bring (along with the goat cheese biscuits) to an outdoor cookout/dinner party at a friends out. Since it was casual, mini mac & cheeses were perfect - for cutting into -OR- eating with our hands!

I have recently reverted back to eating mac and cheese - particularly the cheap Kraft, made from a box, kind.  I somehow associate mac & cheese as a comfort food which is funny because I actually have very few memories of eating mac & cheese as a kid. Tacos? Sure. Make your own pizza night? you betcha. Cook hot dogs over the fireplace because Mom's out of town? Absolutely. (I think we now know where my random love of hot dogs comes from. Thanks dad) But, not many memories of mac and cheese. Whatever the reason, since college, I have turned to this kiddie staple whenever life is busy, stressful or unnerving. So the past 6 crazy months have included a ton of mac and cheese for me!! And, honestly, I tend to prefer the boxed noodles with the powder/milk/butter sauce to homemade macaroni casseroles. (Although my mom does make delicious homemade mac and cheese at holidays, a tradition that came about per my brother's request)  I enjoy the homemade deliciousness but I can't eat much of the heavy thick sauce in the casserole versions. Sometimes its just too rich for me! Maybe that's why I enjoyed the mini mac and cheese so much.  Although there was plenty of butter and cheese and homemade goodness, the individual bites weren't too heavy with that thick creamy delicious but make you feel sickly full sauce.  Plus, I love Parmesan (to an obnoxious point, ask my family) - so I loved that this recipe had a tiny bit of Parm cheese in it. :)

Ingredients

1/2 lb. elbow macaroni (or 4 cups cooked)
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp. butter, plus more for pan
1 Tbsp. Dijon
2 dashes Tabasco
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Smoked Paprika

Instructions

1. In a pot of boiling water, cook the macaroni for about 5 minutes, to just al dente, which is just a touch firmer than how you’d like to eat it. Drain.
2. Brush mini muffin pan with melted butter, then sprinkle half the grated Parmesan into the muffin cups.
3. On medium-low heat, warm butter and cheddar cheese, and whisk till smooth. Off heat, add Dijon, Tabasco, egg yoke, and whisk again. Add macaroni and mix until well coated with cheese. 
4. Spoon into muffin cups, making them slightly rounded and packing them lightly. Top with grated Parmesan
5. Bake at 425° for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden on top.
6. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving, because they will set as the cool.
7. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

**Step 3 is where I made my mistake -- just warm the cheese until it is melted and sticky  but still looks like grated cheese. I warmed mine until it was FULLY melted which made a globby mixture which was hard to properly mix into the noodles-- thus you could easily take a bite into cheese or a bite into noodles, but not always both at the same time.

**This recipes makes 20-24 small bites. If its a small dinner of 6-8 or so, that's enough, but if you are having more than 8, double the recipe as many people eat 3,4, even 5 bites!

Final Verdict: I would make this again (minus the overcooking the cheese part). This is perfect for dinners, parties, chicken, beef, pork, kids, adults.  It takes a classic that almost everyone loves and makes it a little more exciting and glamorous without changing the integrity of the dish. People have been eating cheese and noodles in some form or fashion for years, so why quit now?

Cooking through Bread and Wine: Goat Cheese Biscuits

My first recipe from "Bread and Wine" (in case you missed it, I am cooking my way through this deliciously wonderful book of essays, stories and recipes!) was Goat Cheese Biscuits which turned out quite successful if I do say so myself (but you didn't taste them, so you just have to trust me!)

Dave and I were going to a summer dinner party at a friend's house and I decided to give this recipe a try. It was the perfect appetizer and since we were eating brisket, the leftovers made it on to our dinner plates as well. A perfect soft bite after a delicious mouthful of barbecue. I left some with the host and am happy to report that these little biscuits make a delicious breakfast with a little jam :)

First off, small disclaimer -- this lovely picture is not a picture of my biscuits (although they looked about the same) I am currently using a temporary phone so I don't have access to my photos. But, this gives you an idea of how the biscuits turn out when you are finished.

The goat cheese makes the biscuits fluffy and light, adding a richness to a traditional item.  However, it's goat cheese which is known for it's tangy-ness, so expect the biscuits to have a little different flavor. The author (and I) suggest you serve with strawberry preserves or marmalade or some other type of sweet jam or preserves. I don't particularly love goat cheese, but I loved these biscuits, particularly when smeared with strawberry preserves. I felt the sweet and tart mixed together nicely.

Goat Cheese Biscuits

From: “Bread & Wine” by Shauna Niequist

Ingredients

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup plain yogurt
6 tablespoons cold butter, divided
4 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a 10-inch cast-iron pan into the oven while it’s preheating.

Pour flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Cut 4 tablespoons of the butter into small pieces and add it to the bowl, with the goat cheese and the yogurt. Stir until the mix is moistened, adding an extra tablespoon of yogurt if needed.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and place a tablespoon of butter into it.

When the butter has melted, divide the batter into 12 biscuits, each about the size of a golf ball, and then nestle them into the pan —tuck them in snugly, maybe a ring of 9 around the edge, then 3 in the middle.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with one tablespoon of melted butter. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until browned on the top and bottom. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.

MAKES: around one dozen biscuits

This recipe is perfect for breakfast, finger foods or a bread/side dish. I loved this dish - just make sure you have some type of preserves on hand!

Cooking my way through Bread and Wine

I loved the book Bread and Wine -- short essays/stories on love, family, hope and community - and how it all often happens around the table.  I grew up in a family that usually had home cooked meals and ate our meals at tables (for the most part...that became less consistent when we were in high school and had ballgames and play practices, etc.) We still enjoy sitting around the table whenever we are all home for a holiday or visit -- and usually, our request is for a cookout (What can I say? Southerners through and through.....)

This book challenged me to think about how I want mealtimes to look in our family (both now and with munchkins one day....) Dave and I cook most of our meals, but we don't always sit down at the table...part of this stemmed from necessity as we did not have a dining table for the first 4 months we lived in DC and it's been covered in boxes for the last month. Although we do usually sit down for dinner, it is often at the couch -- and I want to change that. Goal for the new apartment -- more meals at the dining room table.

And, hopefully, our dinner table can be the type of place that feels safe for our family - a place to unwind, laugh, vent after a long day at work; a place to hear stories of kindergarten, tests, soccer practice, art projects; a place to say evening prayers and discuss the Sunday sermon; a place to set out candles and grocery store flowers for our anniversary dinners and date nights after kids have gone to bed; a place for Saturday morning pancakes and pajamas; a place to decorate Christmas cookies and eat as many toppings as we can while decorating; and a place to blow out birthday candles and make wishes as each year goes by.

A childhood birthday

29th birthday -- if you compare the two birthday photos, apparently 

my mom's cake decorating skills improved as I aged :)

Saturday Morning Pancakes (my husband's family 

has a tradition of Saturday Pancakes)

Sweet Nephew decorating Cookies 

I also hope that it's a place that feels safe to others...that it's a place for church visitors to come eat Sunday lunch; a place for girls in dress up clothes to gather for tea parties; a place where family and friends stay up way too late catching up when they come to town; a place for teenagers to laugh and eat pizza and drink way too much soda; a place for those who can't go home for the holidays to come spend it at our house; a place for our kids to bring friends home from college; a place for wedding showers and baby showers and all type of celebrations; a place for girls nights and bottles of wine; a place where people feel free to cry, laugh and share.

Thanksgiving one year with family and friends - 

I've always been known to invite others over...and 

sometimes my last minute additions stressed my mom

out but it always worked out!

Our meager thanksgiving set up this year in DC

The Christmas table being set at my parents one year

It probably won't always be the same table. It certainly won't always be the same home.  And, as it happens now, sometimes these communal meals might take place in the living room or on the patio or curled up in pajamas with trays in bed (anyone else grow up with the occasional birthday breakfast in bed?) - but hopefully, the feeling created is the same. This is a busy, rushed, sometimes harsh world we live in, but for this short (or long) time each day, we sit down and this table and refuel - both physically and emotionally. (And you are welcome to come refuel with us!)

A NON TABLE meal: during the fall months, we spend a lot 

of meals in the living room, around the TV with tailgate snacks!

Another great aspect of Bread and Wine was that it included 20+ recipes that related to the stories she was telling. I have decided to make it my goal this fall/winter to cook through every recipe. (Something tells me my husband and our friends won't have a problem being my taste testers) These recipes vary from casseroles to soups to main dishes to desserts. Some recipes are healthy and some recipes are oh so deliciously not healthy.

And, while I am cooking my way through these delicious recipes, I plan to blog about these delicious foods, how to make them and whether we enjoyed the final results! I'm already two recipes into this challenge (both were amazing) and I can't wait to share!

(In case you were wondering (and you know you were...jk), my 

dream table would look something like this -- modern, hairpin legs, 

Eames-like chairs...so simple right? Yep, but super pricey!) And 

no worries, I would hang artwork on the walls!