Happy Birthday P!

Happy birthday to the sweetest, funniest, most intelligent man I know! I just know that 29 is going to be an amazing year for you!

P as a little slugger 21 years ago

*If I don't blog for a while it is because P has refused to let me use his computer after posting this picture =)

Cooking Hits & Misses

In the past few months I have attempted la few new recipes. Some have been big hits and quickly added to my cooking repertoire and others have been fatal misses that will never be tried again.

The Hits:

• Skinny Taste Chicken Parmesan - This chicken parmesan recipe from Skinny Taste is so good and so easy to make. You most likely have most of the ingredients already on hand. I use a thin slice of fresh mozzarella instead of the shredded mozzarella that the recipe calls for and it is sooo good. The leftovers are just as good!
• Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Spicy Sausage - There are a couple of different versions of this recipe but this Shape recipe is my favorite. It isn't the quickest meal to prepare but it's so worth it. I love the kick that a spicy turkey sausage gives and the nutrients that the broccoli rabe adds. I think this would also be good with bigger pieces of onion and red peppers.

The Misses:

• Mozzarella and Cherry Tomato Salad - this should have been fool proof. I bought fresh mini mozzarella balls that had been marinated in olive oil and various herbs and planned to mix in some cherry tomatoes for a quick and easy version of a Caprese salad. I don't know if it was the herb mixture the mozzarella had been marinating in or the fact that the cherry tomatoes weren't quite ripe, but something about this tasted off. Next time I will stick to a traditional Caprese salad.
• Buffalo Chicken Pizza - I had such high hopes for this pizza recipe that I saw on Pinterest. It seemed so simple: blue cheese dressing, buffalo sauce, chicken, and mozzarella cheese. The first noticeable problem with this pizza was that the layer of blue cheese dressing combined with chicken that had been marinated in buffalo sauce was just way too runny. The dressing kept running off the sides of the crust before I even moved the baking sheet to the oven. The second major problem was that the mozzarella cheese just wouldn't melt. I have used reduced fat cheese before on pizzas and never had any issues until this time. I kept it in the oven for 7 minutes longer than the recipe called for and eventually gave up trying to melt the cheese so the crust wouldn't burn. P and I didn't even eat half of the pizza before we decided it was just no good.

It looks deceivingly good

Despite a couple of misses, I am still determined to keep building my list of go-to recipes and experimenting in the kitchen.

Packing Blues

Two weekends ago it hit me that our move was less than three weeks ago. While relaxing one evening I said to P, "I suppose we ought to start packing soon." After procrastinating another two weeks the packing will be in overdrive this weekend as we prepare to move next weekend. Since our apartment is pretty small (less than 650 square feet) we don't have that much stuff to pack, but the process is never quick and never fun. Ever.

It wasn't until I started moving to different apartments during college that I really experienced what it was like to pack during a move. Having grown up in a military family, we were spoiled by the movers coming in, packing everything up (especially the dreaded kitchen), loading the truck and meeting us at our next destination. I hate having to wrap every water glass, every plate, every frame, etc. in newspaper. This time it feels especially painful since we are only moving 0.3 miles to our new apartment.

Maybe a glass of wine or a Skinny Girl margarita will help cure my packing blues...at the very least it will make the process a little more fun!

Graduation Weekend

We kicked off P's graduation weekend with a Nats game on Friday night. Even though the Nats did not win, we had a fun night hanging out with friends at the game and celebrating at the Pour House on Capitol Hill.

P getting a picture with GW himself in honor of his new alma mater

Amanda and I - we had so much fun that night!

On Saturday P's parents came to town and the official celebrations began. That evening we all attended the Law School's Dean Reception at the Air & Space Museum. The museum was completely open so we had lots of fun walking around the exhibits while sipping wine and tasting yummy food

P and I on the second floor of the Air & Space Museum

Sunday started bright and early with the school-wide commencement on the National Mall. P's best man, Matt, had come down from New York to celebrate the graduation and joined us on Sunday morning. Before heading to the graduation area we stopped by the Capitol for a few pictures.

P and his best man, Matt

With the graduate

This year the graduation took place on the west side of the mall with the National Monument as a backdrop. 

It was a beautiful day for an outdoor ceremony

P on the Mall waiting for his degree to be conferred

After the ceremony on the Mall we were joined by P's sister and her fiance and my dad and his wife Sheila for a delicious brunch at Old Ebbitt Grill near the White House. Then we all headed to GWU's campus in Foggy Bottom for the Law School ceremony. By 5:30pm P had officially received his Juris Doctorate!

Us with P's family

Us with my dad and Sheila

While it was an exhausting weekend, it was one filled with lots of love and pride for the graduate. After four long years of working full-time and studying, it was an amazing feeling to hear his name called and see him walk across the stage. Congrats again P!

Wedding Wednesday

Since my last Wedding Wednesday post a very big check was made on our To Do list - I said YES to the dress! A couple of weeks ago my mom, little sister, and I went to look at wedding dresses in Old Town Alexandria. I left that appointment with a top pick in mind and thought for sure I would be going back.

On May 5th I had an appointment at J&B Bridal in Chambersburg, PA where my grandparents live. I was excited for the appointment because a lot of my favorite ladies were going to be there - mom, my older sister, grandma, aunt, cousin, and Aubrey! I went into the appointment thinking I would just get more ideas of styles and fabrics I liked but never thought I'd buy a dress from there since it is about 2 hours away from DC.

Much to my surprise I fell in love with the first dress I tried on. It was perfect and very different from the dress from the first appointment, but most importantly it made me feel like a bride. I tried on 5-6 other dresses before putting the first dress back on. As I turned to face my family in the dress, I looked at my mom and just like in a movie or TLC show, I started crying and said "this is my dress!" I don't normally make quick decisions when it comes to big purchases or even just ordering dinner, but I knew this was my wedding dress. Every time I look at a picture from the day (and thanks to Aubrey I have a lot!) I am 100% confident that I picked the right dress. I can't wait for my dress to come in and especially can't wait to wear it next April!

Monuments & Mom

It was a beautiful spring weekend in DC. On Saturday my little sister drove up to spend the day with us. We got lunch and ice cream in Old Town Alexandria before spending most of the afternoon walking around the monuments and enjoying the beautiful weather!

My buddy! 

Even though I pass the monuments everyday, I never get tired of walking around them.

After a much needed nap we headed out for dinner and margaritas at Tortilla Coast then finished the night at Standard Beer Garden.

The main reason Amanda came up to DC was to surprise our mom for Mother's Day. Mom thought she was having brunch with Meredith, Patrick, and I but we all surprised her with Amanda. Mom was so surprised to see her and so happy for all three girls (and Patrick) to be there.

Mother's Day 2012

I love my mom and sisters so much and am always grateful when we all get to spend time together.

Today marks the end P's law school career. He will submit his last paper and can officially say that his time at GWU's Law School is over. Of course he has 2.5 months of studying and preparing for the bar exam ahead of him but finishing law school is the first step.

I cannot even begin to express how proud I am of him for this accomplishment. For the past four years he has spent at least three nights a week in class, reading countless pages, writing papers, participating in law journals and moot court all while working full-time and this past semester he added an internship on top of everything. I know it has not been easy for him and he often gets stressed, but to me he has handled this grueling schedule with such ease.

I am very much looking forward to May 20th when he will walk across the stage and receive his diploma!

Happy May!

I'm so excited for this month! There are so many fun things to look forward to:

• A visit to Chambersburg to try on wedding dresses with my mom, older sister, grandma, aunt, and Aubrey
• Cinco de Mayo - there is nothing P and I love more than good margaritas and Mexican food
• Celebrating my awesome mom on Mother's Day
• P's law school graduation on the 20th
• Packing for the move - this may not be as fun but it puts us one step closer to being in our new apartment
• P's birthday on the 30th

So excited to celebrate him and his accomplishment this May!