In honor of another wedding Saturday, I thought I would post a few shots of bridal up do’s and down do’s that I’ve seen over the past few years.  I was actually planning on going to cosmetology school up until my senior year of high school, so I’m always interested in the hair and make up of the day.  If there is one piece of advise I can give to my brides, it is to have your make up and hair done for the day.  I also cannot say enough about adding in some fake lashes, they make such a difference in pictures.  A lot of my brides are nervous while getting their make up done, saying it is too heavy or that it doesn’t feel like what they would wear.  I always try to reassure them, a little heavier than normal is good.  You will thank yourself once you see the photos.

I found this recipe in Cuisine Tonight Quick & Easy book and changed it up just a little.  It was fairly easy to put together and tasted great!  The rice was easy, with a hint of sweetness to it.  Enjoy!

Thai Chicken Skillet with Coconut Rice:

Slurry Mix:

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. worcestershire sauce

2 T. lemon juice

3 T. brown sugar

2 T. corn starch

combine well and set aside.

Skillet Mix:

4 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into strips

4 T. olive oil

2 cups fresh green beans

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 bulb fresh garlic minced

1 jalapeno, thinly slided

stir fry chicken in 2 T. olive oil until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.  remove to a plate, cover and set aside.  heat 2 T. olive oil in same skillet over high.  add beans, bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic, stir fry for 4 minutes.  re-add the chicken with juices and continue to cook on low.  stir in slurry mix and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.  serve over coconut rice.

Coconut Rice:

2 cups jasmine rice

2 cups water

2 cups coconut milk

bring liquid to boil over high heat, add rice, cover and reduce heat to low.  simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Every year it seems that one specific color dominates the wedding scene.  Last year, 2010, it was orange.  I loved seeing that awesome pop of color throughout the wedding season, it always looked great pictures.  I thought I would share a few of the pictures today.  Enjoy!

Ray and Rosa, first I want to say thank you so much for choosing me to be a part of your special day. I believe it was meant to be when you found me through Google. The love you share with each other is inspiring and it extends from you both to everyone around you. I’ve never seen a closer family and I completely fell in love with all of you by the end of the night. I’ve decided I want to be a Minerva sister too ☺ And even though the day did not go completely as planned (thank you Lord for the gazebo, it wasn’t much protection, but it was enough), your love for each other was the glue that held it all together. May God bless you both as you begin this awesome journey together as husband and wife. Enjoy!

Florist:  Horrocks

Reception Venue:  English Hills Terrace

Ceremony Venue:  St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church

DJ:  Me ‘N’ Mrs. Jones Mobile Music

Videographers:  Sunrise Video Productions

To see the beautiful slideshow, click here.

I had a few ears of fresh corn left this weekend and decided to make a batch of corn and black bean salsa.  I love corn in my salsa, so this worked out great.  I also love some sort of fruit.  I wanted to use fresh peaches, but I have not been out to get my peaches yet this summer.  So I pulled out a can of pineapple rings and pan grilled them to add.  The results were awesome!  I doctored it up a little on the hot side, but you can add as much or as little heat as you want.  Of course, I was out of gloves to cut my peppers, so I had to don a plastic bag.  It did the job.  Enjoy!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa:

4 ears fresh corn, cooked and cut off the cob

1 can black beans, drained

1 can ring pineapple, pan grilled and diced

1 red onion diced

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis

1 jalapeno pepper diced

1 habanero pepper diced

2 tomatoes diced

lawry’s salt to taste

dash of pepper

dash of kosher salt

dash of crushed red pepper flakes

juice of 1 lemon

I found these Crayola paints at the grocery store one day, they reminded me of the ones my sister and I used to use when we were small.  Actually, I remember a time when Dad was babysitting and my sister Sara ate a pack of these paints.  We have a picture of that somewhere, but I think it’s at Sara’s house.  Anyway…here are some pics of my boys painting and loving it.  They don’t quite understand that you need to clean the brush after every color, after awhile all the colors start to look the same.  So I just run the pack under water and washed it up, ready to use again.

So, this is a recipe I found in Cuisine Tonight For Two.  I actually made four of them and they turned out delicious!  They were not the quickest thing to throw together, but definitely worth the time and effort.  Yummy!  Enjoy.

Apple Pastry Tarts:

1 frozen puff pastry sheet thawed

1 T. butter

4 small granny smith apples, peeled and chopped

3 T. apple liqueur or brandy

2 T. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

1 T. honey

Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

2 T. brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

3 T. apple liqueur or brandy

Preheat oven to 425.  Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.  Cut the pastry sheet into 4 squares.  Fold each square into a triangle (see pics below).  Cut a 1/2″ wide band  from the edge, but leave attached to the inside corner; transfer to prepared baking sheet.  Unfold triangles.  Fold the outer corners over to the opposite inside corners.  Pierce insides with a fork.  Bake until golden brown, about 13 minutes.

For the filling, heat butter in a skillet.  Add apples, liqueur, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Cook apple until tender, about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mascarpone and honey.  Set aside.

While apples are cooking, Boil cream for sauce, brown sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan until reduced by half, about 8 minutes.  Stir in liqueur.

Divide the mascarpone between the pastry shells.  Spoon apple mixure over the mascarpone and drizzle with the sauce.

Don’t even ask me how many calories or fat are in this dish.  All I know is that it was well worth it, they tasted divine!

In honor of another wedding Saturday, I am showcasing some of the engagement pictures I have taken over the past two years.  Engagement sessions are a fun way to meet the couple before the wedding day and get to know them a little better.  Many couples ask me when they should do the engagement pics and I always tell them whenever they feel like it.  Most people do them about one year before the wedding, but if you have a short engagement, you can do them as soon as you get engaged.  I’ve also had couples do them up to 18 months before the wedding.  All personal preference.  The first photo in this bunch of pictures is my wedding couple for today.  Looking forward to your special day Ray and Rosa!

I bought three dozen ears of corn this week from the local farm market here in Byron Center, Kapteyn’s Farm.  My mom always bought her corn on the cob from Kapteyn’s and so do I.  This week I took my boys and they had so much fun helping me.  I cooked up two and a half dozen and froze it for this coming winter.  With the remaining half dozen I made corn chowder.  I was going to make lobster cakes to eat with it, but ran out of time, so I actually threw the lobster into the chowder.  It turned out quite yummy and I will definitely make it again this winter.

Corn Chowder with Lobster:

6 ears corn cooked and cut off the cob

1 onion chopped

1 can mushrooms

1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped

3 lobster tails cooked and meat pulled off

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon lawry’s salt

3 T. corn meal

3 T. water

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.  Cook onions, mushrooms and pepper until soft.  Add corn and stir well.  Cook for another five minutes.  In a large saucepan, mix stock, heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper and lobster meat.  Add the corn mix.  Stir well.  Make a slurry with the corn meal and water.  Add to the soup.  Stir well.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.  Serve with fresh bread.

Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product!  I did get one of the boys getting ready to eat.  Enjoy.

While trying to come up with something to blog about today, I was going through old pictures and kept seeing ones of my sister and I.  I’m so glad my dad took so many pictures of us together as we were growing up.  We pretty much always got along growing up; sharing clothes, jewelry and a love of family.  I still remember my mom telling us (quite often) that we should not fight with each other, because some day we may live far apart (like her and her sisters) and not see each other often.  Luckily, my sister and her family live only ten houses down the street from me in the same subdivision.  We talk almost every day and see each other at least twice a week.  I’m so thankful that God saw to bless me with such a wonderful sister, confidant and best friend.  I love you Sara!