Friday Favorites

Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed, and are thankful for, this past week:

Box city

Our stash of empty moving boxes in storage has finally grown to outnumber the amount of full boxes in our new condo.  We still have a lot of organizing and decorating to do, but we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel (and through the windows, which are no longer covered up by a wall of boxes.)

First snow!

We had our first (little) snowfall last week.  It wasn’t much, but enough to accumulate and stick so it counts!  Pretty sure the novelty will wear off by January or so, but snow is still exciting for us Texas transplants.

Foyer

We hung our first piece of art in the condo.  This wall in our foyer is one of the few “done” parts of our new home, and it’s nice to have a little clarity amidst the chaos and clutter in the rest of the place.

Thankful

We hope you and yours had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as we did, filled with delicious food, love and fellowship with family and friends and countless blessings.  Life is good and we are grateful!

 

Weekly Menu (Nov. 23)

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Saturday

  • Shrimp Scampi, Cacio e Pepe (pasta with cheese & pepper), Salad

Sunday 

  • Chili

Monday

  • Pan-Roasted Chicken w/ Root Vegetables

Tuesday

  • Cheese & Onion Enchiladas w/ Chili Con Carne (leftover chili)

Wednesday 

  • Dinner Out

Thursday   Happy Thanksgiving!! 

Friday

Friday Favorites

Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week (short & sweet moving edition):

Before

All our stuff arrived safely at our new condo.  Although the movers unpacked a lot of the boxes, they (understandably) didn’t put anything away.  We tackled the kitchen first, which required laying everything out on the counters and floor, then trying to figure out where/how to put it all away.  Keep in mind that we went from a huge kitchen with tons of storage and a walk-in pantry to a regular sized kitchen with no pantry.  And that Dan is very fond of acquiring kitchen gadgets…

After

About 10 hours and 4 boxes of stuff to donate to Goodwill later, we have a beautiful and efficiently stocked new kitchen.  And I may or may not have burst into tears when I found yet another big box of kitchen stuff that had been mislabeled by the movers and will need to be unpacked and stored somewhere.

Kearney wine

We were excited to try the new wine by one of our favorite musicians, Mat Kearney, in collaboration with a Napa Valley winery (coincidentally, Napa is also one of our favorite places in the whole world.)  The red blend was really good and we love Mat’s message that “It’s full of life, love and a little music.  Turn it up and enjoy.”

"If the foundation is good..."

Back at the Dallas house, the foundation work we are having done is well underway.  It’s very strange to see the gameroom where we logged countless hours of TV time, wii games with our niece and nephew and friends’ kids and hanging out with family and friends torn up like a construction site.  But we will be so glad when the work is done, and the room can be an entertaining (and solid) place for some other family to enjoy while making their own memories.

Friday Favorites

Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week:

Helper

Anyone who has ever had a cat and an empty box in the same vicinity knows that this is the cat’s preferred method of “helping” to fill said box.  They do it with suitcases too.  My little assistant and I managed to get the bulk of the de-cluttering done, just in time for the movers to arrive and begin packing.  Not to worry, I kept her and her sister in a closed room and out of the movers’ way, lest they “assist” themselves unnoticed into a moving box and onto the truck to be driven to Chicago over the weekend.  Although I suppose that would have been one way to get them there, without the hassle and expense (and sheer terror) of flying with them.  Kidding!  (mostly)

Breakfast sammie

We’ve been splitting time between Dallas and Evanston lately, exploring our new condo neighborhood while preparing to leave our Dallas home.  It’s been a strange, stressful — yet exciting — time to say the least.  Last weekend we discovered a great little sandwich shop just one block from our condo.  We went for breakfast, and plan to go back for many, many more.  Lunches too.  The atmosphere is cozy and eclectic, and the breakfast sandwiches were amazing.  We both had one of the specials — pepperoni, scrambled egg, white cheddar and tomato served on a “bialy.”  If you’re not familiar with them, a bialy is sort of like a flat bagel.  Great bagel taste and texture, without as many empty carbs.  For a small sandwich spot, Delbe’s offers a very impressive variety, and the location could not be better.  Well played, Evanston.

Maiden voyage

Pretty much every time he moves to a new home, Dan decides it’s a good time to get a new grill (thank goodness we haven’t moved very often.)  For this move, a new grill was a necessity, since our old grill would have taken up the entire available space on our tiny balcony off the kitchen and living room.  So, in a fashion typical of us, we down-sized yet upgraded at the same time, reasoning that our new, smaller, but top-of-the-line grill would last a long long time, through this move and any others to come (IT BETTER.) If the first, perfectly cooked filets are any indication, we chose wisely.

Spelling BEAN!

Back in Dallas to supervise the movers while Dan slaved away at work in Chicago, our dear friends treated me to a home-cooked meal this week.  Dinner was delicious (P, write up your meatloaf recipe for me so we can post it!), but one of the very best parts of the evening was the post-dinner “Spelling Bean” with the kids.  Since it was a school night, the kids needed to practice their spelling words for the week.  Their mom came up with the genius idea of making this homework more palatable (quite literally) by offering the reward of a jelly belly for each word spelled correctly.  Hence the name, Spelling “Bean.”  Brilliant!  Both kids are excellent spellers and it was a super fun way to end the meal.

No turning back now!

So.  Nothing quite makes the reality of a move more “real” than seeing the truck loaded with all your belongings drive away.  The good thing is that we’ve spent enough time in Evanston to know that it is a great fit for us and we can see ourselves making a very happy home there.  The bad thing is, that home won’t be nearly close enough to our Dallas friends.  I haven’t quite wrapped my head (or heart) around not being able to meet up for lunches or dinners often and easily anymore, and I can’t begin to think about the “lasts” (last girls lunch, spa day or couples get-together in Dallas) without getting teary.  But these lifelong friends are just that — friends for life.  A little distance won’t alter that fundamental part of our friendships.  And we happen to know that Chicago is a great city to visit, just a quick flight away.  Also, this Texas girl won’t be able to go more than 6 months at a time without authentic Tex-Mex, so we’ll come back often!  All will be well.  (So why am I still crying?)

Penne w/ Roasted Tomatoes, Chicken & Mushrooms

We always appreciate the one-dish-wonder type of dinner — a meal that incorporates all the basics (protein, vegetable and starch or carb) into a single recipe.  Such meals are especially useful during particularly stressful and/or busy times, such as when one is settling in at a brand new job in a new city and state, preparing to move to said new location, and selling a house and many of its contents in the old job’s location.  Or maybe that’s just us.  Wait, that actually IS us, right now.  Hectic as things may be, all is going well and we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Amidst the chaos, it’s usually a lot easier to run out for a quick dinner at a restaurant or, even easier, order dinner delivered rather than cook.  But taking the time and making the effort to prepare a home-cooked meal is something we’re trying to make a conscious choice to do more often during these transitional times, as one kitchen gets packed up and the other is currently very sparsely outfitted.  For us, cooking and enjoying a meal together is what helps make a house feel like home, no matter the zip code (or fact that we may have to eat dinner sitting in patio chairs with paper plates on our laps.)  This recipe is a good reminder to slow down, spend some quality time in the kitchen, and enjoy the smells of roasting tomatoes and sauteeing mushrooms, onions and garlic.  Layering in some chicken, feta and parmesan cheeses and pasta adds comfort-food heartiness to the dish.  Finish with a little wilted spinach for color and nutritional value, and you’ve got a delicious and healthy meal that not only represents the major food groups in one pot, but also defines the “home” in “homemade.”
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