Monday's Adventures

This morning I had to be at the Doctor's office at 7:30 to get blood taken. I was there for about 1.5 hours. It really wasn't all that bad...not nearly as bad as the last time I had blood taken. Shannon couldn't watch though. It was cute.
We then went for breakfast...tried the other Diego's. We took our burritos home to eat. It wasn't near as greasy as the other Diego's. I think I've decided I like the one on Ave. N better because of this.
It was then decided I would take a nap and get some rest before I went back to work.
Shannon drove me to work. I didn't want to drive just in case something happened...so who knows when I'll get to go home.
I'd really like to go home now. My head hurts and I'm not all together here (at work) at the moment. I'm just kind of drifting. My arm has also decided it's going to bruise. It's not huge...but it's still a bruise.
I've got 3 hours before I go home. I should be ok, but I think a nice cup of tea would do me well. A nice cup of tea and a dark room.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

This week I made gnocchi. It was my first time. Even though it was my first time...I decided to experiment with it by using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose. Being my first time I think they turned out well...(i.e. they didn't dissolve when put in boiling water). They were a little mushy though...that is my only complaint.

The next day I decided to make Chicken and Dumpling soup. Instead of the dumplings I used the gnocchi I had just made. It was incredibly good!! I will definitely make it again.

With any soup you make don't be afraid to add wine. It adds so much flavor; flavor that nothing else can give it.

Gnocchi Recipe

Scant 2 pounds of starchy potatoes (2 large russets)
1/4 cup egg, lightly beaten
scant 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
fine grain sea salt

Fill a large pot with cold water. Salt the water, then cut potatoes in half and place them in the pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender throughout, this takes roughly 40-50 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the water one at a time with a slotted spoon. Place each potato piece on a large cutting board and peel it before moving on to the next potato. Also, peel each potato as soon as possible after removing from the water (without burning yourself) - I've found a paring knife comes in handy here. Be mindful that you want to work relatively quickly so you can mash the potatoes when they are hot. To do this you can either push the potatoes through a ricer, or do what I do, deconstruct them one at a time on the cutting board using the tines of a fork - mash isn't quite the right term here. I run the fork down the sides of the peeled potato creating a nice, fluffy potato base to work with (see photo). Don't over-mash - you are simply after an even consistency with no noticable lumps.

Save the potato water.

Let the potatoes cool spread out across the cutting board - ten or fifteen minutes. Long enough that the egg won't cook when it is incorporated into the potatoes. When you are ready, pull the potatoes into a soft mound - drizzle with the beaten egg and sprinkle 3/4 cup of the flour across the top. I've found that a metal spatula or large pastry scraper are both great utensils to use to incorporate the flour and eggs into the potatoes with the egg incorporated throughout - you can see the hint of yellow from the yolk. Scrape underneath and fold, scrape and fold until the mixture is a light crumble. Very gently, with a feathery touch knead the dough. This is also the point you can add more flour (a sprinkle at a time) if the dough is too tacky. I usually end up using most of the remaining 1/4 cup flour, but it all depends on the potatoes, the flour, the time of year, the weather, and whether the gnocchi gods are smiling on you. The dough should be moist but not sticky. It should feel almost billowy. Cut it into 8 pieces. Now gently roll each 1/8th of dough into a snake-shaped log, roughly the thickness of your thumb. Use a knife to cut pieces every 3/4-inch (see photo). Dust with a bit more flour.

To shape the gnocchi hold a fork in one hand (see photo) and place a gnocchi pillow against the tines of the fork, cut ends out. With confidence and an assertive (but light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight "C" shape, their backs will capture the impression of the tines as tiny ridges (good for catching sauce later). Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them. This step takes some practice, don't get discouraged, once you get the hang of it it's easy.

Now that you are on the final stretch, either reheat your potato water or start with a fresh pot (salted), and bring to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches by dropping them into the boiling water roughly twenty at a time. They will let you know when they are cooked because they will pop back up to the top. Fish them out of the water a few at a time with a slotted spoon ten seconds or so after they've surfaced. Have a large platter ready with a generous swirl of whatever sauce or favorite pesto you'll be serving on the gnocchi. Place the gnocchi on the platter. Continue cooking in batches until all the gnocchi are done. Gently toss with more sauce or pesto (don't overdo it, it should be a light dressing), and serve immediately, family-style with a drizzle of good olive oil on top.

Serves six.

Another Day at school...(not really about school)

Today hasn't been very long yet...but this week? This week has been extremely long. There was the possibility of being pregnant...but we're not. If we were then I wouldn't have been able to get health insurance and our life would've been made incredibly difficult even though we would've wanted the baby.
We now don't have to worry about that. I go today to go get birth control once more. Next week I should be able to get insurance...so all is good.
We have decided to start trying once Shannon's finished with basic though. I'm excited.
Shannon makes me very happy. He's so cute when he doesn't want to tell me something because he feels ashamed. He hides and boroughs under my arm so I can't see his face. It's adorable. (I'm sure he'd hate for anyone to think that of him...oh well...)
I think this weekend I'm going to retry Glen Meadows as they have a new pastor...and then later on maybe the methodist church that's just down the road from us. I'd like to try a presbyterian church as well....but we'll see.
Things are happening for a reason!

Sister Tale

I'm very proud of my sister. She's off traipsing the world like I did. For a while I was glad that I wasn't at home because I didn't have to be around my family all the time (even though I really love them). It was just nice to be able to get away from them. Then Lara moved down to San Angelo for school. It was like we were able to get to know each other again. She got to know Shannon as well. Now that she's gone...we miss her like crazy and can't wait til September to see her again. It helps that I get to chat with her every once in a while. I love my sister. I just wish I could be there with her.

Warm Potato Salad With Dijon Vinaigrette

6 servings

Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

Salad
2 pounds new or red bliss potatoes, skin on
2 cups diced tomato, including skin, seeds and juice
1/2 cup minced red onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon or finely sliced basil

Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.

Put the potatoes in a big pot of well-salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until tender when pierced, about 15 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Cut into quarters.

Add some of the vinaigrette to the potatoes and toss; you may not need it all. Add the diced tomato, onion and tarragon, and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The potato salad will probably need more salt.

Per serving: 302 calories (54 percent from fat), 18.6 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 4.3 g protein, 31.9 g carbohydrates, 3.1 g fiber, 299.4 mg sodium.

Weekend Plans

So last nite I went to bed early because my head was killing me (aka...Migraine). Bedtime last nite was around 9pm. I enjoyed the sleep though and shannon tickled my back til I was in dreamland. It felt nice.

I feel better today. Although my head did start hurting again when I sat down in my chair in the Mmedia Lab. So I dimmed my screens. It's helped a lot.

I think tomorrow morning Shannon's gonna take me shooting and then we're going to go to the lake and grill...just the two of us. It should be fun. (I guess I should figure out what we're gonna eat other than Steak.) I'm thinking of a good potato salad...or a pasta salad. I think i'll do a potato salad....I need to use my potatoes before they go bad. I'm just going to make a simple potato salad...nothing real fancy but at the same time nothing real common. I'll post the recipe I decide to use when I find it.

11 Days

Shannon and I have now been married for 11 days. It's still so weird to call him husband or to hear him call me wife. That is what we are....but I guess it's just getting used to the new titles. We've come so far in the past year. Shannon's changed a lot. There used to be a time when he was uncomfortable with a loving touch, massage. He wasn't used to it. Now I can rub him down with a salt scrub and he loves it. He's also broadened his eating horizon a little bit. It's not so narrow as it used to be. For that I'm very thankful. I enjoy a wide variety of foods. Yes, there are still things I'm afraid to try...but there's a lot I will try.

I can't wait to see what challenges come our way and how our lives will pan out together. :) It excites me.

A lot has happened since the last time I posted.

Everything is practically in place for the wedding. I just need to decorate the church...but that can't be done til the day before. We're in good shape.
After school today Shannon and I will be on our way to Midland. There's another shower that'll be taking place. I'm excited.

Right now, I just really don't want to be at school...I'd like to be anywhere but where I am. Maybe it's the lab I'm in...maybe it's the lighting. I don't know.