Family

Two Years Ago Today…

May 23, 2009 was not an ordinary day. And that was fine by me!

I woke up early and went for a run. Then I hung out with five of my good friends at home and got my hair and makeup done by another friend. It was a fun and relaxing morning.

Then, I put on a pretty dress…

and at 4:30 p.m., walked down the aisle to marry this handsome fellow.

May 23, 2009 is a day I will never forget.


Our wedding was full of family, friends, laughter, and good food

We served breakfast for dinner. For serious. Homemade by our fabulous chef who was a cook at the first IHOP when it opened in 1958 near L.A. For the cake, we served three types of cupcakes: confetti, lemon raspberry, and marble.

It was truly a wonderful day.

As special as our wedding day was… the two years that have passed since then have been even better, thanks to the love, support, and grace given to me daily by Ben.

I love being your wife, Benny. Happy Two Years! I can’t wait for many more. I love you.

[most photos courtesy Ian Michael Green Photography]

Menu Plans

Menu Plan

Week of May 23

Monday: anniversary dinner! Chicken Breast Royale 🙂

Tuesday: Ben fends for himself…I have class.

Wednesday: ham and cheese panini on pretzel bread

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Chipotle Orange Glazed Pork Chops, roasted potatoes, and spinach-green apple salad

Saturday: Hawaiian Chicken

Sunday: breakfast for dinner

Menu Plans, Musings

Menu Plan

Hello! I’m back! We got home late yesterday afternoon from rainy Cleveland, Ohio where I had the awesome experience of running 3:49:12 for my second marathon! This time is 18 minutes faster than my first marathon, back in 2008. I’m so excited and still pretty exhausted and sore, but I plan to share more about our trip and my race in the coming days. Until now… here’s a look at our eats for the week, sparse as they are. For now, real life awaits. 🙂 Hope you had a good weekend!

Week of May 16

Monday: [belated] leftovers… I had cake and ice cream and an apple, Ben had pizza.

Tuesday: Ben fends for himself, I have class.

Wednesday: lemony kale pasta

Thursday: chicken tenders

Friday-Sunday: out of town [again :(] for  a wedding 🙂

Guest Post Links

…and I’m off!

Leaving tomorrow for Cleveland… the marathon awaits!

I can’t wait to bring home another medal to add to my collection, which is now displayed ever so nicely thanks to my wonderful husband’s birthday gift to me this spring! [Runners: I highly recommend these medal displays from Allied Metal Displays. They’re great!]

I’ll be back next week with some delicious recipes, but in the meantime, here’ s a post I wrote today about my baking hopes and dreams for post-marathon. 🙂 Let me know what you think I should make first!

Happy weekend!

Breakfast, Recipes, Waffles

Sweet Potato Waffles

Making waffles at home always makes me feel fancy. There’s something special about food that can only be shaped in a mold. They remind me of going out to breakfast when I was growing up since my mom used to always order waffles when we’d eat out. Sometimes I would order a big Belgian waffle too, which is something I haven’t had from a restaurant in years. Nowadays when I go out for breakfast I usually order a fancy omelette or pancakes. And that’s because I now make my waffles at home!

These Sweet Potato Waffles are the newest waffle recipe I’ve tried and I am so glad to say that it’s a keeper! I loved the subtly-sweet flavor of the sweet potato complemented by orange zest, cinnamon, and vanilla. It reminded me of a ligher version of everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole. My husband, like Lindsay’s was initially skeptical of the sweet potato inclusion in a classic breakfast dish, but he turned his frown upside down after a bite of these delicious waffles. We enjoyed them as a quick dinner after a workout last week alongside some orange slices and bacon but I see no reason why they wouldn’t be equally delicious for a lazy Saturday morning. You could also prepare a batch in advance, freeze them, and then defrost as needed during the week. I used to do that all the time and love it… the toaster oven works best for re-heating, though if your toaster is big enough [or the waffles small enough] then that works too. I haven’t done that in awhile, I should definitely jump back on the frozen waffle bandwagon. Move over, Eggos! The Pajama Chef is here. 🙂 Enjoy!

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Sweet Potato Waffles [adapted from The Lean Green Bean]

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • zest of 1 large orange
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Peel and dice sweet potato. Place in a large measuring cup and add a little water then microwave on high for about 4-5 minutes to cook. Add butter and mash [or pre-cook in the oven, I just was pressed for time]. Let cool for a minute or two while you turn on your waffle iron to preheat. Then, add milk, sugar, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla and stir to combine. Fold in flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Scoop by 1/3-1/2 cup increments onto hot waffle iron [I used about 1/3 of a cup while Lindsay used about 1/2 of a cup]. Batter will puff up a lot but don’t worry, these will be well worth the mess! Cook until golden brown and serve with butter and syrup/brown sugar.

Click here for the printable version: Sweet Potato Waffles