Dinner: Wasabi chicken soup with honey corn muffins

It really started to get cold yesterday.  Naturally when it was 81 degrees a couple days ago, I over-dressed, and yesterday I under-dressed.  All I could think of last night on my drive home was that whatever I made for dinner, I wanted it to be warm.

I love making soups.  Love.  They are so fun and easy to do!  My soup packed both kinds of heat last night, spice and steam!  It went so well with the sweet and light corn muffins I accompanied the soup with.  I hope you make it and enjoy it!



Wasabi chicken soup

2 TBS olive oil
1 stalk celery small chopped
1 small onion small chopped
1 zucchini small chopped
1/2 C chopped cabbage
8 mushrooms sliced
1 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS fresh oregano
1 tsp crushed red chili pepper
1 TBS wasabi powder (Asian isle of store)
2 tsp lemon pepper
salt
1 TBS dried dill
1 tsp dried basil
3 cans chicken stock (heated in sep bowl or measuring cup in microwave)
2 chicken breasts
1 small handful each of frozen: peas, corn, green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Add oil to large pot over med-hi heat.  Saute celery, onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and cabbage for about 6 minutes.  Add garlic, oregano, red chili pepper, wasabi, lemon pepper, salt, dill, and basil.  Continue cooking for about 5 more minutes allowing sugars to caramelize slightly.  Stir in hot chicken stock and bring to boil.  Add chicken and cover pot.  Cook for about 6 minutes.  Take chicken out of pot, shred using two forks and return to pot.  Add frozen vegetables and mushroom soup.  Stir and cook another 5 minutes.



Honey corn muffins

This is a semi-homemade recipe and is reeeeally good!

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 egg
1/3 C milk
2 TBS honey
1 small handful frozen corn

Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly mix all ingredients together.  Line muffin pan.  I fill each muffin almost all the way because I like the way the tops crisp up with the honey.  Your pref, though.  Cook for about 17 minutes or until tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in top of muffin.

Bon appetit, Natalie

Dinner: Sesame Beef & rice with sauteed cabbage

Here is another easy one for you!

I have been really tired lately, I'm sure lots of Christmas shopping and slow days have contributed to it.  So, easy dinners are sooo nice to rely on.  I didn't mention it in a post, but last week, I doctored up a frozen pepperoni pizza with fresh oregano, feta cheese, minced garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh cracked sea salt and pepper.  Most "easy" meals can always still be super good with just a little help!

Sesame beef & rice with sauteed cabbage

1/4 C peanut or vegetable oil
1 lb steak pieces (mine were a little on the big side, I would have preferred them a bit smaller, but was lazy!)
2 eggs
2 TBS corn starch
1 jar sesame sauce
salt and pepper
1 TBS butter
1 TBS olive oil
2 C green cabbage
1 small onion, cut in half and sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 C cooked rice (2 C rice, 2 C water or stock, brought to a boil, covered and heat reduced, cooked until no liquid remains)

In a large saute pan, heat peanut oil over med-high heat. Melt butter and olive oil in a med saute pan. In a shallow casserole dish, mix eggs and cornstarch and add beef. Season with salt and pepper. Chop cabbage into large pieces.



Add onion to med saute pan and cook for 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Add cabbage (it will cook down) and season with salt and pepper.  Add beef to large saute pan.

Continue to gently fold cabbage so as not to separate the leaves and brown the meat.  When meat is almost fully cooked, remove from pan and drain oil.  Place meat back into pan and pour 1/2 - 1 C of the sesame sauce onto it.

Cook meat until sauce becomes a glaze, about 6 minutes.

Once the sauce has reduced, you are pretty much ready to serve!  I serve the beef and yummy sauce over a bed of hot rice, and have the cabbage as a side.  Don't discount how delicious cabbage is!  I like it raw with salt all the way to very cooked with the edges a bit fried.  Any duration of cooking comes out really good!  You have to try it!

Bon appetit, Natalie

A Presidential Game

I saw President Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush!!

Well, so much for being a bit coy about it!  Ha ha....

Monday night, my mother and father-in-law and Matt and I went to the Houston Texan game.  It was the first NFL game for any of us to go to.  It was so much fun!!



We drove up on Monday and enjoyed a yummy dinner from Pappadeaux's, my mil's favorite, then went to the game!  I have to tell you, I was a little nervous about the crowd at first, as I had heard they could be a little on the rough side, but we had some killer seats and so I think that put us with a more friendly crowd.  If you haven't gone to an NFL game, I would recommend it!  It was quite fun!

The Texan's played against the Baltimore Ravens.  This is the team that Michael Oher, the man who "The Blind Side" is based on, plays for.  It was really awesome getting to see him play!

Mil and I kept our eyes peeled for Sandra Bullock, but we didn't see her.  Next time!

Touchdowns, Natalie

Baby dream #6,492

I have to share about a dream I had last Sunday morning.

The night before we had a small party with both sides of our families over.  La Posada, the lighted boat parade, was going on and it also happened to be my brother-in-law's birthday.



Matt grilled some really delish chicken and bacon-wrapped shrimp with jalapeno and cream cheese and I made basil and garlic hummus, a green olive tapenade, and pink salsa with chips.  I'll leave you my recipes at the end!



I also bought a variety of 24 baby cupcakes from Lollycakes.  I love that store!

But back to my dream...

I think the whole reason I had the dream is that my mother-in-law had been talking to us about my brother-in-law's birth story, since it was his birthday.  Anyways, I dreamed that I was in a hospital about to give birth myself!  Matt was there with me.  All of a sudden, it had already happened and I did not have a recollection of anything that had happened.  I kept saying to Matt, "I don't remember any of it!  ..did it really happen?"  ..and he would say, "You were amazing! It was amazing!  I can't believe you don't remember it!"  I asked Matt if they had brought the baby to my chest.  (Can you believe that?!)  Then we were in a room in a house I didn't recognize.  I was on a rocking chair with the baby in my arms and I knew I was going to have feed him or her.  I was freaking out!  Nobody had shown me what to do!  All I was thinking was, OMGosh, I can't believe I'm about to do this, that this is about to happen! 

..and then I woke up.

..with a really bad stomachache.

Ha ha ha...so I guess my stomach pains and the conversation the night before had triggered this very detailed dream.  I've had many dreams about babies before, but never a labor/birth one.  It was kind of scary that this could happen in the next year or so.  It certainly doesn't stop me from wanting it though!

Cupcakes and baby dreams, Natalie

Basil garlic hummus

1 can drained chickpeas

1 clove pressed or minced garlic

8 basil leaves

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 TBS parmesan cheese

1 TBS fresh lemon juice, or the juice from 1 lemon slice

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 C (or so-enough to get the consistency you want) olive oil

Blend all ingredients with a small food chopper or with a hand blender.  Serve with crackers or pita bread/chips.



Green olive tapenade

1 C green olives

1 TBS capers

1/4 C-probably less- olive oil (enough to get it to hold together, your pref)

Blend all ingredients with a small food chopper or with a hand blender.  Serve with crackers or pita bread/chips.

Pink salsa

I love this and it goes fast!

2 C salsa-homemade or store bought

1/4 C cream cheese

Place ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat for about 1 minute until warmed.  Stir slightly to incorporate ingredients, but not too much.  You will want small pieces of the cream cheese to still be seen.  Serve with chips.

Journey towards motherhood

My close friends and family know that I am so very excited to start a family with Matt.  I feel like I was born to be a mom and that it will be the best thing I do in my life.  Little does this future person know, but I already love him or her soooo much!

Because I know that this will happen hopefully sooner rather than later, for the last few months I have been trying to "prepare" my body for it.  I tried to take 1 400 mcg of folic acid every day for about 2 months, but then last month I found Belly-bar Prenatal chewable vitamins and so I ordered them and I have really liked taking them.



I also found a special tea called Fertili Tea that is supposed to be very good at increasing your chances at conceiving.

...let me quickly tell you this though, we aren't trying (gross, I hate using that term) yet.  I'm just trying to best prepare myself for it.  :)  (This may be a little TMI for some, especially my mother, but I will share that we are not "trying" too hard not to conceive either. ;) )

One of the things that I have read in my research is that you should have some type of workout repertoire.  You may have seen my picture on facebook of me doing the half marathon,



I have to share though that the race was nearly 2 months ago and I have not done anything since, ha ha.  Apparently being in better shape is just not quite enough motivation for me to start back up again.  However, when I change my perspective to instead working out as baby prep, I feel more inclined to stop procrastinating it.

I know I'm going to be a good mom.  I just do.  ..and I know Matt is going to be a wonderful father, I wouldn't have married him if I didn't.  I just can't stand the idea that there is this baby that God already has a plan for, and that is waiting to be conceived and born, and Matt still isn't quite "ready".  I have to remind myself that me not having a baby yet is probably part of His plan to. 

Patience, patience...

...but to my future baby, I look forward to looking back at this post with you in my arms, and being able to read to you how much you are already loved and wanted. 

Until then....

Love and hope, Natalie



Dinner: Rotisserie chicken with pepper jack pasta & spicy corn

I have a confession.

Sometimes after work, even though I sit at my desk a lot, my feet hurt as though I have walked on them all day long and I get a little moody with Matt on the way home.  On days like this when I reeeeeeeally don't want to do anything, I resort to very easy dinners such as this.

We stopped at HEB on the way home and picked up a mesquite Rotisserie chicken.  Surely you have had them at some time or another.
                                                        

(ah, Leslie Nielson, "..and don't call me Shirley.")

 

I especially love them because I make one of my favorites, Waldorf chicken salad, with whatever is left.

I'll include my recipe for that at the end.

This dinner comes together really, really quickly.  I had Matt trim the chicken for me while I got to dinner. 

Here you go:

SIDE NOTE:  I got the water boiling for the pasta first.

Spicy corn

1 C frozen corn

1/2 C water

1 TBS butter

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp Tony Chachere's

salt and pepper

You can really tailor the "spice" to however you prefer it.  Over med-high heat, warm corn and water.  Once corn comes to a light simmer, drain corn, placing corn back into hot pan, and add the rest of the ingredients.

Pepper jack pasta

2 handfuls whole wheat pasta (I used rigatoni)

1/4 pepper jack Velveeta cheese

1/4 C milk

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

In a medium sauce pot, boil about 5 cups of water.  When water comes to a boil, salt it liberally and add pasta.  In a medium bowl, add cheese and milk and microwave for 1.5 minutes, stir and continue heating for about 45 seconds at a time until it becomes an even sauce.  Add garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook pasta until al dente and, using a slotted spoon, place pasta into bowl with sauce.

We each had a drumstick, and some thigh and breast meat, but reserved most of the breast meat for the chicken salad.  Matt helped me make a salad and I made my vinaigrette substituting balsamic vinegar for red wine vinegar and adding dried dill.



We enjoyed our meal with iced raspberry tea with lemon and watch 'The Office', our favorite show.  Towards the end of our meal, I dizzled some of the pepper jack sauce on my chicken, it was really good!  I would also recommend blending the chicken with the pasta. 

Here is my Waldorf chicken salad recipe:

Waldorf chicken salad:

2 C chopped rotisserie chicken

1/2 C red grapes sliced length wise in half

2 green onions chopped

1/4 cup chopped pecans (you can also use walnuts, or exclude both)

1/2 cup dill relish

1/2 stalk celery diced

1/2 C mayonaise (we use the kind with olive oil)

1 TBS Worchestershire sauce

salt and pepper

1 tsp dried dill

Sometimes I like to serve this on toast, other times I love soft fresh bread.  It's even very delish on crackers. 

I can't wait for lunch today!

Bon appetit, Natalie

Dinner: Green & yellow "dirty" rice

Don't let the word "dirty" fool you, because in this case, the dirtier the better!!  :)
Matt had his first surf session in his new wet suit yesterday.  So while Matt enjoyed some friend time discussing the things avid surfers like him do-don't ask me-I started brainstorming. 
                                                         
We had some beef sausage in the freezer-the kind you can find at HEB by the Italian sausage, and we always keep a good selection of frozen vegetables.  I liked the idea of using a beef broth roux (like the one we used in the stroganoff) but making it into a deeper red, gumbo-y roux that was Cajun seasoned with Tony Chachere's.   Here is what I came up with:

Green and yellow dirty rice

2 links sausage (I'm sure any variety would work, the beef with cheddar was delish)
1 C uncooked white rice
1 can chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage
1/4 tsp cumin
1 TBS butter
3 TBS olive oil
1 TBS flour
1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's
1/4 tsp blackening seasoning
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 C beef broth (warmed in microwave in bowl for about 1 minute)
1 small onion chopped
1 zucchini diced
5 mushrooms sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup rough chopped cabbage
small handfuls each of frozen: peas, corn, french cut green beans
1 tsp green chili salsa
1 tsp salsa
1 tsp spicy mustard
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put all frozen veggies into a bowl to defrost on counter. Melt 1 TBS each of butter and oil in large saute pan at med-high heat.  Drizzle 1 TBS oil in medium sauce pot over med-high heat.  Pour rice in sauce pot and stir to coat with oil.  Place sausage on cookie sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.  Spray top of sausage and put into oven, cook for 10 minutes, flip, cook for another 10 minutes, take out of oven and set to the side to cool a bit.
Meanwhile, stir rice and sprinkle flour into saute pan that has the melted butter and oil.  Let cook for about 8 minutes stirring occasionally until it gets to be about brick red. 
Meanwhile, add oregano, sage, cumin, a dash of Tony Chachere's, and salt and pepper to the rice.  Stir around then slowly add one can of chicken broth.  Once in comes to a boil, drop heat down to med-low and cover with glass lid.  Cook until no liquid can be seen, about 8-10 minutes, and WITHOUT REMOVING LID and set aside with lid in place until you are ready to use it!  (This is a major step to keep rice good.)
Add broth to browned roux slowly and carefully and while whisking away.  Add Tony Chachere's, blackening seasoning, garlic powder, and a dash each of salt and pepper.  Pour gravy into the same bowl you used to keep the broth warm.
Add final TBS oil to pan add onion and cook for 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add cabbage and frozen veggies.  SIDE NOTE:  This is about the time the rice is ready to come off of the heat.
Stir all veggies together and cook for about 5 minutes at med heat. 
Meanwhile, slice cooked sausage (using tongs) into about 1/2 inch coins.  Add to veggies with about half, or all-your pref, of the rice...and yes, you may now remove the lid to do so. ;)
Pour gravy in and fold everything in together.  Turn heat down to medium low, stirring here and there until ready to serve.  Make sure the heat isn't too high so the rice will not burn on the bottom-but if it does...hello, texture!!  An assumed minus can always be a plus!

After I was finished cooking, I made my signature salad and added fresh oregano leaves and thinly sliced cabbage to it.  I also made a fresh lemon vinaigrette to go with it.

....and you know I was wearing this:

          

                                                         

...listening to this:

                                                          

(Bon Iver was my choice)

...and drinking this:

    

      

(Sometimes a glass of iced tea is all you need.)

I wrote this last night hoping to get it finished before today, so that last night's dinner was really last night's dinner...but then the clock struck midnight, and suddenly my well paced typing meant nothing, ha ha.  Oh, well.  Look for my "last night's dinner" from Tuesday night soon! 

Happy Wednesday!

Bon appetit, Natalie

Red wine & Russians

This weekend I went with my best friend Anna to her father and new bride's Christmas party.  Upon arrival, there were several unfamiliar faces, with only a handful of people we knew.  After saying hello to her father, we made our way to the cocktail area. 

I was feeling kind of  dehydrated and she was feeling very sleepy.  There were so many different liquors and liqueurs, we found ourselves overwhelmed with the options.  Now I know from experience that I don't like liqueurs...

..so I attempted to hydrate with a bottle of water, and snacked on some appetizers.  Before long, Anna had a full glass of red wine, Pinot Noir maybe?, at my finger tips and I began engaging in conversation with two older Russian friends of her father's.  I had met one of them before at Anna's father's wedding a few months earlier.  It's appropriate to say that they definitely had a head start on the wine.  We found ourselves going from 2003 to 2007 in our wine glasses and the conversation was sprinkled with many "cheers" by them, in which you had to make eye contact, unless you wanted to be called out for it.   

The conversations we had were flattering and fascinating at the same time, but the best thing they left me was a song I hadn't heard in years called 'Nathalie'.  It's very beautiful and you can't help but imagine yourself sitting in a cafe in Paris (Pa-ree) sipping on a luxurious hot chocolate.  The lyrics tell a lovely story and I can now listen to the song over and over as I have found it on YouTube and I am very hopeful to find an old record with the song on it as well.  After you hear it, know that hearing those Russians sing "Nathalie..." will never leave me, ha ha ha...

The video is below, but here are the lyrics:

Nathalie

ARTIST GILBERT BECAUD

Red Square was white

The snow made a carpet

And I followed, through this cold Sunday

Nathalie

She spoke in serious phrases

Of the October Revolution

Meanwhile, I was thinking

That after Lenin's tomb

We would go to the Pushkin cafe

To drink hot chocolate

Red Square was empty

I caught her by her arm, I smiled at her

She had blond hair, my guide

Nathalie

In their apartment at the university

A gang of students

Were impatiently expectant

We joked and laughed a lot

They wanted to know everything

Nathalie translated

Moscow, the plains of the Kremlin

And the Champs Elysees

We got them all mixed up

And we sang

And then they were opening-

And we were laughing in anticipation of it-

Some French Champagne

And we danced

And when the flat was empty

All the friends were departed

I was left with just my guide 

Nathalie

No more questions, sober phrases

Nor October Revolution

I am no longer there with her

Finished, Lenin's tomb

The chocolate in 'Pushkin'

It is-it was-long before

As my life seems empty to me

Still I know that one day in Paris

It is I who will serve as her guide

Nathalie

Nathalie 

Au revoir, Natalie

NATHALIE- BECAUD

How to: Cook after work.

There are many days that I just want to crawl upstairs after work and sink into my cool and inviting sheets and comforter, not answer my phone, and make the wonderful choice of either watching tv or closing my eyes.  From experience, I know that this does not earn me any good wife points with my husband, and while he cooks well, his food is usually jammed packed with jalapenos and Sriracha, and comes in the form of a stir-fry.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good stir-fry, and I love spicy food...but I know that I can be a little more inventive in creating our dinners. 

Now, this is very important:  before you even step into the kitchen to figure out what to cook, put on some good music.  We have an old record player and last night I chose Ray LaMontagne.  Pour yourself a glass of wine, I had Merlot handy, and put on a very girly apron...you'll appreciate how it makes you feel with the wine and music.  I wore my Vera Bradley one last night:

After investigating my pantry and refrigerator, a couple items popped out:  a package of stew meat, and sour cream.  I had planned to make this beef stew using red wine, but with my husbands help we decided, beef stroganoff!  It's always nice to have staple ingredients constantly in your pantry to have on hand for various meals, and fortunately we had everything we needed, with the exception of egg noodles, I substituted whole wheat medium sized shell pasta.  We also had roasted garlic and lemon asparagus and a salad with a homemade vinaigrette I had made a few days ago.

The meal comes together very quickly and is sooo good!  Here is my recipe: 

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound stew meat (or a boneless beef sirloin or top round steak cut into strips)

3 1/2 TBS butter

3 TBS olive oil

1 TBS flour

1/2 C sliced shallots

1 C sliced mushrooms

1 C beef broth

2 TBS dill

3 TBS sour cream

1 TBS Dijon mustard (mine has white wine in it)

salt and pepper

about 2 handfuls of medium shells (or egg noodles)

(SIDE NOTE:  If you plan on making the asparagus below, preheat your oven to 500 degrees.)

As you preheat a large saute pan to med/high, fill a med-lg sauce pot with water for your pasta.  Salt the water as it comes to a boil.  Cook pasta to al dente and put aside, drizzling it a bit with olive oil.  In the preheated pan, melt 1 1/2 TBS butter with 1 TBS olive oil.  Sprinkle in flour making a roux and cooking for about 2-4 minutes.  Stream in the broth, whisking away.  (I like to warm the broth in the microwave first.)  Once it comes to a boil, lower heat and cook for about 3 minutes, whisking slightly.  Pour sauce in a bowl (the same one you warmed the broth in) and cover to keep warm.  Return heat to med/high and melt another 1 TBS butter to pan and 1 TBS oil in pan.  Dry beef with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper ( I use a square Pyrex dish to hold the meat in).  Add beef to pan and brown all sides only for about 2 minutes, beef will still be pink in middle.  Put beef back into Pyrex dish-don't worry, you will cook it more later.  Melt final TBS of butter and oil in pan and add shallots, cooking them for about 4 minutes before adding mushrooms, cooking another 4-5 minutes.  Pour mushrooms and shallots on top of beef.  Lower heat to med and pour sauce into pan.  Add sour cream, Dijon, and dill.  Do not let sauce boil.  Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste.  Fold in beef mixture and pasta and reduce heat to low.  

Garlic and lemon asparagus

asparagus spears (I usually do about 4 or 5 per person)

1 lemon sliced thinly

1 tsp-1 TBS minced garlic

1/2 TBS olive oil

lemon pepper                                                    

salt

(SIDE NOTE:  I put these in the oven right before I combined the beef with the stroganoff sauce.)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.   Line a cookie sheet with foil.  Lay asparagus on cookie sheet and drizzle with oil, rolling them with your fingers. Sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper.  Rub minced garlic with your fingers onto asparagus.  Arrange in a row and sprinkle lightly again with salt and lemon pepper.  Lay lemon slices over bottom half of asparagus.  Cook for about 10 minutes.

Greek salad

romaine lettuce

cherry tomatoes halved or Roma tomatoes sliced

green olives halved

green onions chopped or red onion halved and thinly sliced

carrot shredded

pepperoncini

feta cheese

salt and pepper

baby pepperoni

(SIDE NOTE:  I made the salad just as I had mixed the meat and stroganoff sauce together.  By the time you are finished putting the salad together, the asparagus should be ready to come out of the oven.)

Use each ingredient in a quantity that you like the best.

Quick lemon vinaigrette

2 lemons juiced

splash of balsamic vineger

1 tsp Dijon

1 tsp Parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tsp lemon pepper

1/2 tsp dried or fresh basil &/or oregano

1/2 to 1 C olive oil

Add all ingredients except olive oil.  Mix with whisk.  Slowly stream in olive oil.  Taste with a spoon, not with your finger, as the olive oil will mostly stay on the top.  Season to your liking.  If you keep in the refrigerator, you may have to pop the dressing in the microwave for about 15 seconds, as the olive oil will become solid.  This is a delish and fresh, preservative free alternative to store made dressings!  It is so easy!

I served the meal with dinner rolls last night that we keep in the freezer, since the oven was already hot, I just turned it off and let the rolls sit in there for 5 or 6 minutes as we are serving our selves and getting drinks.  We like these the best by Sister Schubert:

                                         

I normally take pictures of most meals we make, but for some odd reason...we just couldn't help but eat as soon as we sat at the table!  If you make this, you'll see why.  :)

Happy eating and may your next cooking experience after work be fabulous,  Natalie

My first blog post!

Welcome..and thank you for your interest in my blog!

I realize that, 1-I have zero followers right now, and hopefully, 2-you may have read my many (setting the bar high) posts until you landed here!  If number 2 is the case, thank you again for reading!

I wanted to start this blog, because I have so many thoughts and words floating around my head, that I thought I might burst if I didn't get them out!  Fortunately, I have started this just in time, as you can guess I have not burst.

Two years, one week, and two days ago, I married Matt, the love of my life.  We began our love story in an amusing kind of way, but we'll save that story for another post. ;)  We've travelled and have made some pretty amazing memories in our two years so far; we honeymooned in the small Caribbean island of Granada, had our six month anniversary in Hawaii (while there for a wedding, sort of), enjoyed South Beach and the Gaylord in Florida this summer, and have had countless fun road trips to music festivals and weekend trips to be with our friends.  We live a blessed life and I am sooo thankful for it!

My husband and I live on North Padre Island in a beautiful house on a canal.  I love our home, and it is a wonderful place to have fun with our friends and family.  I love to entertain!  It is one of my favorite things to do!!  Usually at these gatherings you will find me with a glass of wine in hand, hardly sipped, and tending to my homemade hummus and olive tapenade, making sure everyone has a drink, making sure the music is perfect, etc.  This may seem a little tedious to some, but I genuinely LOVE  it.  A bit of a perfectionist in that department.

I am the Finance Manager at my husband's family dealership.  I love it and I am proud of the work I do here.  My husband is very good at nearly everything he does, so being confident that I do well at work means a lot to me.  You will see that there is a lot that I am not so good at and I'm sure stories of those encounters will snake (ugh, I hate snakes, but the word seemed so fitting in the way I visualize the encounters into my stories. Oh, well.) their way into my posts.

I'm starting to see that this post is getting a bit longer than I had intended, but before I bid it adieu, here is what is most important in my life:  My relationship with God, my husband, family, and friends, having a baby, and keeping balance in my life.  Soon, I would like to have posts addressing them individually.

Until then...
Your new blog friend, Natalie