The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

As a former travel agent, I still receive emails about great deals. Universal Orlando is offering a GREAT package deal for the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Package

If you are as big of a Harry Potter fan as I am, I am sure this is on your list of things to do! Contact your local travel agent for more information, or I would be glad to put you in touch with someone.

Happy Valentines Day!

This blog is supposed to be about food and travel, as a way of figuring out what I want to do with my professional life. I had a very nice Valentines with my husband and wanted to share two recipes I "used" for our dinner. I say "used" because I like to find recipes and tweak them to be my own.

I made Marshall his favorite steak, a filet. And while I was going to make twice-baked potatoes, I decided to make MY favorite, mac and cheese. I also made roasted asparagus. For dessert, I wanted creme brulee, but most recipes make 6 to 8 servings, and that is just too much.

I found a recipe by Emeril Lagasse for a Lemon Scented Creme Brulee for Two. I substituted vanilla for the lemon zest, using about 1 teaspoon. I also omitted chilling the custard before baking, since it did not need to be infused.

Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, is a favorite of mine, and I looked to her Truffled Macaroni and Cheese for guidance on baked mac and cheese. I was unable to find the truffle butter, so I mixed Ina's recipe with my own. I omitted the mushrooms from this recipe, but used her choices for cheese, gruyere and white cheddar. I also used my secret ingredient, horseradish mustard, that Marshall and I get in Gatlinburg. To make eating mac and cheese more friendly to the waist, I do not use milk. I use a couple tablespoons of half and half, and then use chicken stock for the rest of the liquid.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

Food doesn't have to be pretty

So, I had been planning to make stuffed poblano peppers for a few days, and with thawed chicken and leftover cornbread, I figured last Friday would be the perfect time, just needed to pick up the peppers on our grocery trip. That was my first mistake: PLANNING to make dinner based on our grocery list. By the time Marshall got all his paper packed up, and ready to go to FedEx, which he decided to do BEFORE the store, it was after 7PM. So much for trying to make a meal that was going to take an hour to cook, when I knew we weren't going to be home from the store before 9PM. (On a side note, Marshall felt bad about taking so long, and took me out to dinner. Yummy Southwest Tacos from On The Border!)

Saturday rolls around, and I have spent most of the day working on school work. (I know, my bad, I really try and get the school work done during the week.) So, 7PM rolls around, that is usually when I start dinner, and I realize that I haven't cooked the chicken! Okay, plan B, again! (Can't even remember what I made now, it was that unremarkable.)

Sunday was Superbowl Sunday, and Marshall had been bugging me for a while to make pizza, so I decided to put the peppers on the backburner once again, to make my hubby homemade pizza. (I made two individual pizzas and used the thawed chicken for my Chicken, Artichoke and Pesto pizza, and took another breast out of the freezer to thaw, for the stuffed peppers.)

(This is a homemade pizza I had to "fix" when the crust stuck to the pan)

Monday, I made the stuffed peppers! I took and braised the chicken breast in chicken stock and spices, then shredded it up, crumbled leftover cornbread, grated quesadilla cheese, then added three beaten eggs, and two packages of green chiles. Then I realized that my stuffing would be way more than enough to fill my poblano peppers. I was talking to mom on the phone when I made this startling discovery, and she said "Hey, you can make patties tomorrow with the leftovers!" Go mom! So the peppers turned out really good, and Marshall liked the way the stuffing tasted (me, too), so I thought, what the heck, I will take mom's advice and make patties. I've got some asparagus I need to cook, so I could make a cheese sauce to go with it. Yay! Tuesday's dinner was figured out!

(Stuffed Poblano Pepper)

So, last night I get all my ingredients together, and I am trying to figure out how I am going to cook the patties, boil the asparagus, and make the cheese sauce all at the same time. The asparagus will only need a few minutes, as well as the cheese sauce, but the water will take a while to boil. This may seem like a weird dilema, seeing as I have four burners on my stove. I don't know why, but I am really only comfortable using 2 at a time. (We have a glass cooktop.) I fought the urge, and used three burners. Water is boiling for asparagus, pan heating for patties, butter melting for cheese sauce. Eveything is going as planned. Add the chicken goop, formed into patties. Check. Asparagus into boiling water. Check. Cheese sauce made. Check. Turn over patties. Oh, crap! They look burnt, and aren't really holding their shape. Marshall comes in, I say "Not really sure if dinner is going to work out." Loving hubby says, "we can always get Subway." Gotta love him.

Finished cooking the patties, I knew they were done because I used my trusty thermometer Marshall got me as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago. Plated up the patties and asparagus, and tried to cover up the extremely ugly looking food by drowning it in cheese sauce. Did not help the aesthetics at all. Oh well, Marshall did say we could go get Subway. Oh, and did I mention that he said we could always blame mom if it was inedible? Again, gotta love him!

Long story short, the chicken stuffing patties covered in green chile cheese sauce were delicious! Of course they were, I made them! Just kidding, and the credit all goes to mom, because it was, afterall, her idea!

(No picture of the patties, because I did not want to scare small children away from eating.)

Happy New Year!

Taking a break from school work, namely Statistics (which I actually think I may like), to wish everyone a late, but Happy New Year. So far 2010 has been pretty good. Rang in the New Year with my mom and husband, (I think we watched movies?); went to Orlando to see one of my best friends; started my second semester of grad school; and have tickets to see a couple of the BIGGEST concerts coming to Atlanta. While 2010 looks like it is going to be suffering from residual effects of 2009, namely, the economy, I am optomistic. I have to find a professional internship for this coming summer, and while Monique has convinced me to apply with Disney, even they don't appear to have openings. Oh, well. I will not let the residual effects of last year wear on me.

What I am happy and excited about this year:

• Sea World! I finally got to go to the one in Orlando, and I am in love! Orca whales are on my absolute favorite animals, and I got to see tons of them!

• Monique has Pompe disease! This may not seem like something to be happy or excited about, but her illness has a name! Which means doctors can create a treatment plan. Someday I know we will be climbing the myriad of steps to Dover Castle, again! (Well, maybe not, since after we climbed the steps we realized there was an easier way to get up there, but you get my drift!) (Side note: Go see Extraordinary Measures, it's a great movie, about Pompe disease.)
• Clarisonic- My mom got my sister and I each one of these face brush thingies, and I love mine! It is expensive, but probably so worth it! I have only been using mine for about a week, but if it does what it promises, it (and my Clinique Youth Surge night cream) will keep me looking 25 for another 10 years. (Yes, I know I am 29, but I really don't think I look it.)

• Disney, this goes back to Monique, but now that she is a Floridian, Bill's gate passes are mine! Hahaha! I really hope that we can figure out a time that Genie and I can both get down there, and hopefully when...
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens! I am a Harry Potter FREAK, and not afraid to admit it! But that is okay, I am sure I am in good company. I am so excited to get to walk through Hogsmeade, and Hogwarts! This will be a dream, that once upon a time I didn't know I had, come true!

• An internship, hopefully in New Mexico with the Department of Tourism or Cultural Affairs. Definitely somewhere where I can help preserve and promote cultural heritage. What does that mean, I am in the process of figuring it out.

Well, I am sure there is more that I am happy and excited about, but that is the short list for now. Of course spending time with my husband, but that is a given!

Happy New Year, Ya'll!

Merry Christmas, a few days early!

A lot of people take time around the holidays to list what they are thankful for. I agree that we should be thankful all year round, and not just when the weather gets colder. There is so much I have to be thankful for, people and tangible and intangible things. Here is my list, and I should say in no particular order, since it would sooner be easier to list my favorite music, than to try and list what family and friends out rank eachother.

• Marshall, my best friend. He keeps me grounded and the same time my head is in the clouds. He loves that I am scatterbrained, and even though my pickiness at organization drives him crazy, I know he appreciates not having to look for something when he needs it. :)

• Mom and Dad, it has taken us a LONG time to get where we are today, but I wouldn't change a minute of our past. You have taught me how to be strong, how to bend, and how to say shove it! You are the reason I am the way I am, and I blame you every day! I love you dearly, I hope you know that.

• Tres, you are such a surprise. Who would have ever guessed that you would be the kid who calls to check up and make sure everything is going okay? You always end your calls with "call me if you need anything," and while I haven't figured out how you can get me batteries or reach that high shelf from 1000 miles away, I know that if I really needed something, you would figure out how to do it. I love you bro.
• Reed, I am so proud of the man you have become. I sit back in amazement at the person, and father, you are. Talking to you on the phone brings a smile to my face. It's kind of like you and I are in the old married folks club, and Tres and Traci just don't get it. But that is perfectly fine. You have built a life for you, Katie and Kailee, and I am envious of your bonds. I hope to someday know the happiness you exude from being a parent. I love you Deed!
• Traci, you are amazing. The strength you have, emotional and physical, I don't think you even realize that you have it. You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, and while you don't need to, I believe that that weight is what drives you. When you finally figure out what we all know, that you are a strong, vibrant, and can be independent WOMAN, you will be unstoppable. It's hard for me as the oldest to see your bond with the boys, but I know that you and I share something that they will never quite understand. Unfortunately, that is an X chromosome. Just kidding. You are my kid sister, and one of my best friends. Love you always, TURD. :)

• Monique, who would have ever guessed over 9 years ago that at an after bid-day dinner at TGIFridays would turn into one of the best friendships I have ever had. You have been by my side ever since, hell, I even followed you to England. We share a bond of sisterhood, and undiagnosed ailments. Heres to your diagnosis, treatment and recovery! I look forward to many, many, many more trips with my traveling buddy.

• My Theta Eta Sig Kaps! You ladies taught me that I could be friends with girls, and that was no small feat. I love my Upsilon Sisters, but there are a few of you Sigma girls, you know who you are, that I would not be the same without.

• Sigma Kappa in whole. I have met so many interesting people through the years due to my affiliation with the best sorority. You ladies here in Athens helped me to establish myself in this town, and I will be forever greatful. One Heart One Way.
• Kitchenaid- I love it all! I have the mixer, blender, mini chopper, and food processor (thanks Mom! I think you started and added to most of my collection), can opener, scissors....
• My DVR, for without which I would be subjected to watching commercials, and until they pay ME to watch them, I should not have to :)
• Walt Disney World, it really is the Most Wonderful Place on Earth!
• Las Vegas, while many people call it Sin City, it is my home away from home, away from home. :) I love the people there, but the city itself is magestic
• Cookbooks, I have so many, and could have many more. There is something about reading recipes, and trying to figure out how I can tweak them, that is relaxing to me
• My cats, Pickles and Spatula, you are so spastic and crazy at times. I sit and watch you and wonder what you are going to do next.

• Country Music, you and I go WAY back. No matter the mood I am in, you have a way of bringing me up, pushing me down, making me remember the happy, making me remember the sad. Only really good music can bring out every emotion. Thank you for being loyal and always there when I need a friend.
• Movie theaters, DVD players, and Satellite TV, I LOVE MOVIES, and anyway I can get them. Thank you Hollywood for giving me an escape. I can retreat into a 2 hour movie and completely forget my problems, and the world around me.
• My health, I am sure some people would ask why this is not at the top of the list, but I guess that is because for the first time in a long time, my health is not at the forefront of my mind. I am so very greatful to be in remission, and have made it the 5 years to possibly cured. But I don't want to let my health define me. It is a part of my past, not a part of me.

I am sure I have forgotten something, but that is my list for this year!

Julie and Julia

After watching this movie for a second time, I am reminded how much I love food and to cook. I was talking with Marshall and my Mom the other night about wanting to go to culinary school when I finish my Master's degree. Do I want to be a Chef? Not particularily. I love watching the Food Network and the Next Top Chef, but I feel like Next Top Chef is so pretentious. I like good food, that is not difficult to make (from scratch, if possible) and tastes incredible.

Not too long ago, I made chicken with a buerre blanc, with is a classic French sauce. Sure, you could consider that pretentious, but it was SOOOO good. But how could it not be, butter and white wine vinegar? Yum.

With my background in Hotel Administration (Bachelor's degree), Sustainable Tourism (soon-to-be Master's degree) and love of cooking, I have thought (and been told many times by Mom) that opening a Bed and Breakfast would be right up my alley. Not one of those cutesy ones with weird names for the rooms and flowers or porcelin dolls (going from my memory of Lorelai's rant on Gilmore Girls), but classy, homey and fun. I think I would be good at running a B&B or even an Inn, only question is, is that type of business viable?

Anyway, back to Julie and Julia. I love that Julia pushed to get into Le Cordon Bleu, and to get her diploma. I never really watched Julia's cooking shows, I grew up on PBS cooking shows, though. The Frugal Gormet was a staple in my house. It used to freak me out how I would say outloud something like, "What about the corn?" and then Jeff Smith would say to the viewers "Now don't you worry about that corn." It made me feel like he heard me and was answering my questions. Kind of spooky! I learned to cook from my mom, dad, and grandma. But i really believe that taking culinary classes in school at New Mexico State and UNLV pushed me to that point where I make my macaronni and cheese from scratch, every time. I have learned the health benefits of cooking, instead of reheating, or going out, Now only if I could learn portion control! I really love macaronni and cheese! :)

Anyway, I think I am procrastinating on finishing my final paper for this semester, by dreaming about culinary school and food. Back to the grindstone. I will put my ideas about culinary school and owning a B&B back on the shelf, for now.

Looking for the silver lining

I have had four friends die this year. All four of these people were under 30 years old, and very lively spirits. I just don't understand how God can take such beautiful people home with him when they have such a life to live here on earth.

The first death was Howard. He fell and hit his head one weekend while goofing around. Less than a week later he was in a coma, and then passed away. I had not seen or spoken to Howard in years. I knew him from my association with the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at UNLV. He was such a fun guy, I asked him to be my date to my sorority's Spring Semi-Formal my freshman year. We had a great time, and I remember he always had a smile on his face. One of the worst nights (booze-wise) of my life, I always blamed on Howard and his insistence to swing dance with me. It had nothing to do with the copious amounts of alcohol I mixed that night, I blamed the puking (all over my new Lil Bro's shoes) on the swing dancing. That is how I will remember Howard, as the big teddy bear who insisted on swing dancing with a drunken Lonnie.

The second death came less than a month after my 10 Year High School Reunion. I met Myra as a freshman in high school. We were in the same gym class. She transfered to Belen from St. Mary's with a handful of other students, including a person a could not stand in elementary school. Turned out that person, Rachel, would become one of my best friends from 9th-11th grade. Rachel and Myra were good friends, and that is how I got to know her. She was this little imp of a thing, but had a personality of a two-hundred pound 6 foot rock star. She was just the kind of person you couldn't help but like. We were in the same Math and Science Club for most of high school. After high school we lost touch, but through technology and Myspace we were able to get back in touch. She was even very helpful in getting her boss to photgraph the reunion with no charge to the class. She was killed in a head on collision in August. I will always remember her spirit and larger than life outlook on things.

The third death I found about a while after the fact. I met Sarah through Monique. They worked together at the Wynn, and when Monique came back from China, they invited me into their Wednesday night Happy Hour, while I was living in Vegas. She was so fun and lively. At the time I did not realize she was battling a real demon. After moving back to Georgia, we kept in touch through Myspace and Facebook. I was so happy to hear she had sobered up, and that she thought she had found true love. I enjoyed looking at her pictures of her trips, and she was usually one of the first people to comment on my pictures from trips. Monique found out from a mutual friend that she had been shot and killed in her home, by her fiance, in September. She came from a prominent family in Baltimore, and reading the notes on her Facebook after her death made me realize I truly didn't know just how special she was.

The most recent was a childhood friend. Virginia and I were in the same class in 5th grade, maybe even before that. We spent a lot of weekend at another friend Janeice's house. Playing with New Kid on the Block dolls and watching the original Saturday morning Saved By The Bell. We were friends through Middle School and I remember being happy when we discovered we were in the same World History class as high school freshman. I really can't remember the last time I saw or spoke to Virginia, it was probably after her brother died, when we were junior's. Her body was found this summer on the West Mesa in Albuquerque, and I guess recently identified. I will remember those days of complete innocence playing dolls and watching TV. They really were the good ol' days.

For a person that was not supposed to live to be 24, much less 29, it kills me that these people were taken in their prime. I know that I am here for a reason, I guess I really need to start living life to the fullest, and appreciating every day that God has given me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is truly my favorite time of year! And for my family it includes a great meal on Tuesday night, and then traveling to the Smoky Mountains on Thanksgiving Day. This is our 8th Thanksgiving together and probably our 17th trip to Gatlinburg.

Many people wonder why on earth we go to Gatlinburg every year. It is a highly commercialized area now, but there is just something special about the area to Marshall and I. There are some very unique restaurants that we frequent each time we go, and a great crafts community. One of these days, we keep saying we are going to make it out to Dollywood, probably not this year, but someday.

This year, I am very thankful, because it has been a very trying year, to say the least! We have had many trials, and many blessings this year.

• Marshall FINALLY opened his own business (which could be a trial and blessing both!)
• Mom finally came to visit, and we had a great time together

• I was laid off from the travel agency due to the economy
• I spent a week with one of my favorite people in the most wonder place in the world

• I decided to apply to Grad School
• I celebrated my 10 Year High School Reunion, and got to meet up with some great old friends, who I miss dearly, I wish more of them could have made it!

• Got accepted to Grad School, and spent another fun (and very busy) week with my mom in Washington DC

• I turned 29, which means I made it to the 5 year mark in remission, an accomplishement that 6 years ago seemed like it may never happen
• Getting to spend over 10 days with my family in New Mexico, thanks to not having a job

When I list them all out like that, the good really does outweigh the bad, and that is why I am thankful!

I plan to use this blog to help me realize the good, in times when it seems the cloud does not have a silver lining. Hopefully, I will be able to realize what my true objectives are in life, so I can plan out the next chapter in both mine, and Marshall and I's lives.