music...the national

the national, "bloodbuzz ohio"

sushi corn...

summer is the best season for corn, and although it is perfect on its own with some butter, salt and pepper, this recipe for "sushi corn" is our new favorite.

ingredients:

corn

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 T soy sauce

1 t sesame oil

nori or rice seasoning

how to:

cook your corn as you usually would in boiling water.  in a bowl mix your mayo, soy sauce and sesame  oil.  brush on cooked corn and sprinkle nori seasoning on top of corn.  you will love how these asain flavors give your corn a makeover, also try this recipe as a dipping sauce for a steamed artichoke.  

this corn is also the perfect side dish for my asain style meatballs, i am pretty sure this is jarad's new favorite meal.  

wilfred speaks...

wilfred is a fast learner and has some new tricks to show off.

click here to see..

wedding cake...

now that we are "newly weds" and my wedding checklist is complete, i am ready to start sharing some of our unique ideas and money saving tips.  wedding cakes can be expensive, and i saw this as a place i could save money.  i decided to have a home made dessert bar instead, with a small cake for us to cut.  i asked some friends and family if they would be willing to bake (or buy) some bite sized goodies.  i got all my platters together and my caterer helped to set up the "dessert bar".

we had an assortment of brownies, rice krispies treats, lemon squares, mini cupcakes and cookies. 

our dear friend bought us a small cake from lido bakery in manhattan beach for pictures and cutting.

my mom and sister found some awesome candles that were day of the dead bride and groom skeletons, which is very suiting for jarad and i.  it was the perfect wedding topper for our mini cake.  as my mom said, "you probably won't see it in a bridal magazine, but it fits your style perfectly."

i kept the candles, and plan on getting a slice of the same cake from lido bakery every year for our anniversary. 

big bear weekend...

last weekend we went up to big bear for the night with a bunch of friends, it was a fun last minute adventure.

there were 6 couples and 3 dogs sharing a beautiful home just minutes from the lake.  we enjoyed a great dinner together and a fun game night, and we even got to take wilfred to a dog beach earlier in the day (he didn't really enjoy it). it was nice to get out of LA, even if it was only for a day and enjoy the mountain air.

garden box take 2...

last summer was so much fun watching our garden box take off and enjoy some of our own home grown produce.  we were late to start it this year, but we have re-planted it with, zucchini, snap peas, tomatoes, basil, jalapeños, thyme, dill, lettuce and chives.

here is our box, about 3 weeks after planting.

we recently started noticing some holes in our garden box, we thought it was the neighbors cat sleeping in it, until we discovered wilfred digging up the jalapeño plant.  fortunately our neighbors (who recently moved) have given us some pepper plants (not sure what kind), so those will go in its place.  

potatoes al gratin...

this recipe is so easy and simple and yet so decadent and delicious.  it is not figure friendly, so it is reserved for special steak dinners and guests only.

ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds potatoes
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 t. crushed garlic
1 t. thyme
1 t. rosemary
4 oz gruyere cheese (grated)
salt and pepper to taste

how to:

combine cream, milk, and all seasonings in a sauce pan and warm through.

peel potatoes and slice about 1/8 inch thick.

 in a greased casserole dish, layer the potatoes and cover them with the creamy mixture.

add grated gruyere cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 70 minutes or until mixture is bubbly, cheese is golden and potatoes are fork tender.