Baby bump update

Ok, so it looks either sweet or very goofy, but this was a picture my sister-in-law shot of Matt and I (at Matt's request). The background is beautiful and it does show my baby bump, as of 2 weeks ago. Thought you guys might enjoy the update. Sorry I don't have a full post this time, but stay tuned--I have been brewing over a blog post idea the last couple of days. Happy Thursday!

Vegetable perfection

Vegetables: I would venture to say I am fairly normal when I admit to eating them because I know I need them. But if I am honest, I often find them lacking in the delicious factor. Well, I have found a cooking method that is a perfect marriage of healthy and tasty. Roasted vegetables is my secret. Cut up almost any of your favorite vegetables, toss them in olive oil, sprinkle on the Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, bake at 400 for 40 minutes. I promise you that you have never had such a tasty and healthy serving of vegetables in your mouth before.

I have to say I tend to be somewhat Mediterranean in my cooking style...I love to use fresh ingredients, simple seasoning, and even simpler methods of cooking the food. Roasting is a simple cooking method with little preparation required but drawing big flavor rewards. It draws out some of the moisture in the vegetables thereby concentrating the vegetables' flavor. The only really important thing to remember is that all the vegetables need to be chopped to approximately the same size for even cooking. The cooking time and temperature is really a guesstimate on my part. For a more exact recipe check out Foodnetwork.com and look under the show Barefoot Contessa. She often roasts vegetables in her shows. There are many delicious variations you can try, depending on your mood and the other dishes being served with it.

1. Italian mix- I make this mixture most often: zucchini, red onion, roma tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant, garlic cloves (whole).

2. Roasted Carrots- an elegant way to cook carrots by themselves.

3. Winter root vegetables- parsnips, carrots, butternut squash, etc. Excellent around the holidays.

4. Roasted Asparagus- our favorite way to eat asparagus. Roast this for about half the time of other vegetables.

5. Roasted potatoes- a great alternative to fries because roasting them will cause them to become crispy. I will often toss these in herbs for a little added flavor.

There, you have it. My current cooking secret to a satisfied tummy for me, my husband, and guests in our home. Enjoy!

Fun times

Matt and I have been so lucky this past week to have his sister Kelly visiting from Florida. We've shown her some sites out here in the great west, but for the most part we have relaxed and enjoyed each others company. It has been a great rest and rejuvenating experience for Matt and I, and hopefully Kelly hasn't been bored by the whole excursion. I wanted to post some pictures of the highlights. Kelly leaves on Tuesday, and we'll be sad to see her go. Dang those states separating us from family--any wonder why I named my blog From Coast to Coast?!

Oh how I love you...sushi!

In many ways Matt and I are opposites. He is a meat and potato man; I love more delicate flavors. He is an all-you-can-eat buffet man; I love to sit down and enjoy the ambiance of a restaurant where the meal is prepared specifically for me. He is a comedy central man, and I love a good foreign film. Ahhh, but there is something so wonderful and delicious that brings us together: our love for those tiny bundles of joy called sushi. Tonight we pulled out the rolling mat, wasabi, sticky rice, all the other trimmings and created a sushi feast for two. Who cares if we ended up eating it on t.v. trays while watching Matt's favorite show on Comedy Central...we shared a sushi meal! It was awesome. We've found out that this meal which is usually crazy expensive at local sushi restaurants can be made at home for a fraction of the cost. Check out Alton Brown's sushi episode on Food Network. Special thanks to my mother-in-law for sending us the Japanese dishes for my birthday...it provided the much needed ambiance (despite the aforementioned t.v. trays!)