"A" Stands For "Awesome"

Yes, it's true.  I'm not humble in my opinion of myself.  Most people that know me personally, can vouch for that.  But really, today, I feel real awesome. 

Why?  Well, turns out, we got our Spanish tests back today and there were only 2 A's in the class, with the average being a C.  Guess who was one of those A's?  Yup... this girl.  And the other A?  Well... that was my sister.  And I got a higher score than her (yes, I like to rub it in), so guess what that means.  Yup.  I got the highest grade.  Go. Me.

Okay, enough of my gloating. 

Just thought I'd mention a few wedding-related things:

- We got the date we wanted!  We'll officially be married on April 28, 2012 @ the Green Building!
- We're doing a semi-DIY approach at decorating and stuff. 
-  I'm purchasing a few sets of paper lanters (in black, pewter (these are the colors of my bridesmaids    dresses), and white - I'm not a very colorful person, so I figured this color scheme was fitting). 
-  I'm also going to purchase a few sets of "natural branches" and I'm going to enlist my friends and I to make origami cherry blossoms to kind of make a backdrop-of-sorts (there's a vision in my head that I have trouble explaining, but I'm sure it'll work out)
-  Speaking of my bridesmaids dresses, while I have a color (pewter - kind of a grayish silver), I'm letting them all pick their own style of dress... each girl is different in her own way, so I mean, let them express themselves!  And plus, this gives them an opportunity to buy a dress they'll actually like and want to wear again.
-  I have to keep stressing this out to my mother (we're already clashing heads!)... but I don't want a "cookie-cutter" wedding!  I'm not a "cookie-cutter" kind of gal so why should we not express our individuality in one of the most important days of our lives!

Okay... so yeah.  I've definitely got the wedding planning bug.  Anybody want to tell me any cool DIY ideas?  I'm open to suggestions or tips!!

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Okay, big news.  Well.  Many big bits of news.

#1.  We went to check out the Green Building this morning and we love it!  They're internet was offline so Stephanie, their event coordinator, couldn't tell us for sure if they were booked for April 28, 2012, but she was pretty for certain they were open.  So hopefully I'll get an e-mail either later on today or sometime this week saying that it's a-go!  Then it'll be wedding planning madness from there on out!  Well, maybe not.  We're going for a simple, but elegant affair, so I'm trying to tell myself it'll all be fine.

The Green Building - Practically the entire first floor of this building will be our space!  With the white building (their courtyard) reserved for our ceremony!  We are uber excited!

#2.  I'm running a race.  Yup, it's been 2 years since I ran my last race (the Run for the Knobs 4 miler - which I did AWFUL in, let's not even talk about my time), and I know a few people doing the entire Louisville Triple Crown (it sort of marks the start of Derby season, with a 5k, a 10k, and 10 miler in successive weekends).  While I'm not crazy enough to do the entire 3 races, I'm willing to bust out a 5k.  And turns out... I'm extremely out of shape.  My sad pathetic one mile run this past Saturday proved it.  Usually, when I go to the gym, I focus more on strength training and toning up, but apparently I need to focus on my endurance.  I mapped out a 1.15 mile run through my neighborhood on Saturday (the weather was beautiful, it was in the upper 50's) and I thought it was going to be an easy and brisk task.  Nope.  I was dead wrong.  I couldn't even make it to the half way point without stopping to take a walking break.  Although it was in the 50's, it was still cold to me, and I couldn't get my breathing down.  Pathetic, huh?  Well, I have until the 26th to get my butt in gear, so any helpful running tips would be of great appreciation!  My goal is just to finish, without stopping to walk.  Kind of sad that I used to run cross country in high school, but can't even do a half a mile now?!

Gettin' ready that last race - I've noticed I was a lot more in shape then!

I made a bunch of bread dough this past Sunday to use throughout the week, it's definitely more helpful and quicker!  So the two loaves I made this morning kinda came out funny looking, so I thought I'd share! 

I love the "rustic" look

And it's rainy and gray outside today, so the dogs are being kind of lazy.  Little Zappa has been posted up under Andy's desk all morning!  Must be the life, eh?!

Have a great Tuesday guys!

Herb-Braised Chicken Halves

What a weekend!  It seems that we'll be able to check out our potential wedding venue next Tuesday!  We're pretty sure this is THE one!  We had breakfast at Toast on Market, which happens to be right next door to the venue... so we just walked around it a bit, and you know, I just got that feeling.  That it was the right choice.  Am I crazy?  Or do I just have that wedding-planning bug?  Either way, the fact is... we're so close to settling on a date, a venue... which means that this wedding is sooooo gonna happen!  Not that I didn't think it was, but you know, the more that is set in stone, the more real it all feels!

And we committed to a photographer this weekend too!  It's my friend Adam who does some awesome work, and he's cutting us a great deal, so it was extremely hard to resist! 

So our tentative date is April 28th of next year, so hopefully we'll be able to book that date next Tuesday when we check out the whole place!  Cross your fingers!

I sound like an elated school child don't I?  I just can't help it!

Anyway, let's talk chicken.  A while back, Sommer, over at A Mama With Flavor, posted a recipe about how she cooked a chicken in a dutch oven.  I'm sure this is somewhat common, but to me, it was a totally new way of cooking chicken.  I was quite intrigued.  Especially since my favorite part of a chicken is the crispy skin!  This would have no crispy skin, but it would definitely render a tender and moist chicken, that rivals even the best of the crispy-skinned chickens that I've cooked!  So thanks for planting that seed in my head Sommer, because I finally took the plunge and cooked a chicken in the dutch oven, and I quite possibly may never go back to the regular roasting method again!

Ingredients:

Didn't want to get all that chicken juice on my new cutting boards!

4 lb. whole chicken
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup madeira wine 
3-4 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
5-8 sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle both sides with salt.  You can be somewhat generous, but don't overkill here.  Place chicken in glass bowl or dish and cover.  Refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours.

Take chicken out of refrigerator and wash off salt.  Pat dry.

In a large dutch oven (big enough to fit the whole bird and cover it) under medium high heat, add olive oil.  Add chicken and sear until both sides are a golden brown, about 10-15 minutes total.  Remove chicken and set aside.

Add garlic, celery, carrots, and onion to dutch oven.  Cook until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes or so.  Stir in tomato paste and cook for another minute.  Add madeira wine and cook until it is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.


In a small bowl, combine butter, sage, and thyme in a small bowl.  Spread the butter mixture underneath the skin of the chicken and on top of it.  This will ensure good flavor throughout the meat and keep a little moisture too.

Carefully place chicken back into dutch oven and pour about 3 cups of chicken stock into the pot.  Cover and place in oven.  Roast for about 1 & 1/2 hours or until chicken is white throughout. 

Carefully remove chicken from pot and let rest on cutting board for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring liquid from pot to a boil on stovetop.  Remove about 1 cup of the stock and mix it with the flour in a small bowl.  When flour is dissolved into stock, slowly pour back into dutch oven.  Whisk until mixture has thickened slightly.  Strain the vegetables from the pot, and at this point, you can either save them, throw them out, or use them as a side.  I don't like wasting things so I just served the vegetables alongside our chicken. 

Cut chicken in half and serve alongside vegetables or chosen side.  Spoon gravy over top, if desired.

Seriously, this was a great idea.  The meat was probably the most tender I've ever had, and the flavor was just amazing!  Definitely try roasting a chicken in a dutch oven if you get a chance!  Enjoy guys!