So for anyone who knows me knows that well, I don't normally cook. I don't really know how, I'm not one of those who can grab this and that out of the cupboards and fridge and throw it together to make some wonderful masterpiece. Well I thought I would give it a shot tonight. Um not the grab this and that part, I actually consulted an iPhone app with tons of great recipes. I found one for Filet Mignon, which I bought Rib Eyes instead due to the lack of meat in the meat department of my small grocery store...but anyway it also had a great garlic shrimp cream sauce. I wandered through the grocery store, making sure to get calls in to my mom and Connie Shirley to be sure to get all of the correct ingredients, I mean if it calls for heavy cream, why don't they just call it heavy whipping cream, since you know, that is what they call it in the store...hmph.
After all ingredients were collected I headed home to begin to prepare my findings. I marinated the rib eyes in a mix of red wine, soy sauce, garlic powder and some salt and pepper. I then soaked cut up green, red, yellow, orange peppers and onions in an olive oil with some garlic, salt and pepper. I prepared the shrimp by removing the tails and cutting them in half. Things were ready so I began the cooking process.
I heated up the skillet to cook the rib eyes in and once it was warm I placed the rib eyes in the skillet and let them begin the sizzle. I then melted some butter and olive oil in another pan letting each ingredient melt before adding the next for the sauce. I added some Chardonnay, garlic, salt, pepper, more butter, olive oil and shallots. I then added in the shrimp and let them cook until they became a nice pink color. I placed the peppers on a banking sheet added a little more salt and pepper and placed them in the oven at 400 degrees. The kitchen was starting to smell good!!!
I kept an eye on the rib eyes and kept them turned so as to not overcook one side and cut into one to make sure they had a nice pink color in the middle, yum! The sauce was almost done so I heated up the potatoes and checked on the peppers in the oven. Everything was coming together nicely! Once everything was done I prepared each plate. The rib eyes were topped with the shrimp sauce which ended up not thickening as much as I thought it should so it basically ran all over the plate to mix in with the peppers and mashed potatoes, but thankfully it worked out perfectly and complimented both the peppers and the potatoes. Bryan & Todd (Bryan's brother) were thoroughly impressed and very full at the end of the meal! HA cooking success!
Very good for my first time really cooking a dinner...if anyone heard my last cooking baking story they would be impressed. I mean no one else I know has mixed up flour and powdered sugar, but I can tell you first hand it can be done! At least the second batch of cookies turned out! So I think I am going to continue to try and cook dinners on Monday nights, so stay tuned for more delicious updates!
If anyone wants the recipe click here!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Fall Colors & Winter Ideas
So as we have been settling into our new barn and show season has geared down we have all found a new passion...TRAIL RIDING! I can't believe the weather and how trail riding cooperative it has been. Elysium Farms has many many trails nearby, also located right down the road are the Polo fields which we have our own races against one another. Quite fun! Both of my girls are hairy, well fed (fat...) and enjoying their pasture at the new barn! Wheelock Whitney's 600 acres of perfectly groomed trails are right down the road as well where we enjoy trying to navigate and learn our way around the area.
Everyone heading out to hit the trails!
One of the many wonderful trails!
Stopping for a quick bite to eat at the Ox Yoke!
Lucy enjoying her new life as an eventer!
Our pile of mostly Charles Owen helmets while we went in to the Ox Yoke for lunch!
As we all are getting settled in for winter and waiting for the time to change tonight, I'm trying to brainstorm ways to stay motivated to "move" this winter and not just begin my hibernation of couch sleeping and tv watching so I joined InFit, a local gym that offers a variety of classes. So far I've taken a spin and yoga class, looking forward to kettlebell classes, kickboxing and many others! Winter volleyball has started and I play on a team with Bryan and four others on Wednesday evenings - so far undefeated, hope to keep the trend going!
Oh & I took up hunting this year! One of my students asked me if I enjoy killing things...sort of an awkward question but I'll answer anyway, it is the whole experience that is enjoyable - not necessarily the taking of poor defenseless animals lives...BUT I do enjoy eating meat, and somebody has to put dinner on the table! (HA if anyone knows me you know that I am NOT that person!) So I went up North to Remer, MN with Bryan, his uncle Larry & cousin Justin. Yes I got to kick back and be a guy for the weekend - it was quite fun! We ate a lot of meat and drank some beer of course. We headed out hunting each day in our camo and orange tromping through the woods looking for grouse. We spotted some and of course Bryan the hunting master shot the first one, Larry got the second and thanks to my hunting guide (Bryan) I was able to get one as well! Check it out!
That is the extent of my killing thus far...we went out bow hunting for deer in a few different tree stands and the ground blind but nothing came in. We spent one night down in Fairfax but again nothing close enough. Missed rifle opener this weekend but am enjoying my time at home relaxing for once!
So I've decided to try and keep up a winter blog as much as possible...things to do in the fall and winter: (if you're not lucky enough to go south for the winter season....)
- Shave horses. Of course this is as much fun as you make it. Last year we decided shaving letters and shapes into our horses rumps was a good way to make this more enjoyable!
- Trail ride while the weather holds. Of course as you can see we have been doing plenty of this so far! Who knows, maybe even when the snow flies we will make it out on the trails!
- Indoor group jumping days. So far we have this planned Thursdays after school and it has proven to be a blast! It is great to get all the kids at the farm at the same time and watch everyone struggle through the gymnastic exercises and circle torture bettering their riding!
- Plan a party. Hopefully we will be planning this before Holiday season - stay tuned for updates!
- Work out...well we all know how fun this can be in the winter but coming into the slow season and holiday season we all know to well how easy it is to pack on the pounds! Join InFit with me and we can take some classes together! I also am hoping to do the WARRIOR DASH early this summer so better get started training now! Trust me if I can get myself to the gym you can too! Rumor has it sports bras are on sale at Target too!
- Stalk Eventing Nation. http://www.eventingnation.com/
- Stalk Liz Lund Eventing . www.lizlundeventing.blogspot.com
- Join something - indoor volleyball team, rec hockey league, a book club, take a cooking class.
- Get your Holiday shopping done early - also making gifts can be more fun and personal to those you care about!
- Read - Well for me I typically read horsey books - one of my favorite sports psych books is Mind Gym - check that out for the winter and get your head ready to get in the game next show season! Other favorites are exercise books - 101 Jumping Exercises will keep you entertained in the indoor! As well as the Dressage book.
OK Now onto the real winter activities:
- Get a group together & have an ice skating party!
- Go sledding!
- Go skiing/snowboarding!
- Build a snow fort & make snow angels!
-My personal favorite is to go for a sleigh ride - I mean most people should go to a place that offers sleigh rides in exchange for money, but I like to keep it cheap and jerry rig my own contraption and attach it to Hannah and enjoy being pulled about in the snow!
-Another one is go on a road trip & video tape it Well if you can't go on a road trip just make a video...here are two of my favorites!
Florida 2010 & Janelle & Aanya :) (You may need to be friends with Aanya in order to view that video...but it is a great one!)
- Start a blog and try and find ways to entertain yourself by writing meaningless thoughts and posting them publicly not knowing really if anyone is actually reading them...hey I have fun doing it!
- Attend your Association's banquets! Tomorrow we kick off banquet season with Lead Hound Pony Club's year end banquet - looking forward to seeing everyone in the same place one more time this year! We will also have the CSDEA banquet coming up and I would love to attend the USEA Banquet one of these years!
- Well that is enough to keep you busy for awhile...I'm sure I will be back with some more random thoughts & ideas shortly! Trying to plan a Liz Lund Eventing party too - so stay tuned for more information on that one! Enjoy the weather while you still can!!!
As we all are getting settled in for winter and waiting for the time to change tonight, I'm trying to brainstorm ways to stay motivated to "move" this winter and not just begin my hibernation of couch sleeping and tv watching so I joined InFit, a local gym that offers a variety of classes. So far I've taken a spin and yoga class, looking forward to kettlebell classes, kickboxing and many others! Winter volleyball has started and I play on a team with Bryan and four others on Wednesday evenings - so far undefeated, hope to keep the trend going!
Oh & I took up hunting this year! One of my students asked me if I enjoy killing things...sort of an awkward question but I'll answer anyway, it is the whole experience that is enjoyable - not necessarily the taking of poor defenseless animals lives...BUT I do enjoy eating meat, and somebody has to put dinner on the table! (HA if anyone knows me you know that I am NOT that person!) So I went up North to Remer, MN with Bryan, his uncle Larry & cousin Justin. Yes I got to kick back and be a guy for the weekend - it was quite fun! We ate a lot of meat and drank some beer of course. We headed out hunting each day in our camo and orange tromping through the woods looking for grouse. We spotted some and of course Bryan the hunting master shot the first one, Larry got the second and thanks to my hunting guide (Bryan) I was able to get one as well! Check it out!
That is the extent of my killing thus far...we went out bow hunting for deer in a few different tree stands and the ground blind but nothing came in. We spent one night down in Fairfax but again nothing close enough. Missed rifle opener this weekend but am enjoying my time at home relaxing for once!
So I've decided to try and keep up a winter blog as much as possible...things to do in the fall and winter: (if you're not lucky enough to go south for the winter season....)
- Shave horses. Of course this is as much fun as you make it. Last year we decided shaving letters and shapes into our horses rumps was a good way to make this more enjoyable!
- Trail ride while the weather holds. Of course as you can see we have been doing plenty of this so far! Who knows, maybe even when the snow flies we will make it out on the trails!
- Indoor group jumping days. So far we have this planned Thursdays after school and it has proven to be a blast! It is great to get all the kids at the farm at the same time and watch everyone struggle through the gymnastic exercises and circle torture bettering their riding!
- Plan a party. Hopefully we will be planning this before Holiday season - stay tuned for updates!
- Work out...well we all know how fun this can be in the winter but coming into the slow season and holiday season we all know to well how easy it is to pack on the pounds! Join InFit with me and we can take some classes together! I also am hoping to do the WARRIOR DASH early this summer so better get started training now! Trust me if I can get myself to the gym you can too! Rumor has it sports bras are on sale at Target too!
- Stalk Eventing Nation. http://www.eventingnation.com/
- Stalk Liz Lund Eventing . www.lizlundeventing.blogspot.com
- Join something - indoor volleyball team, rec hockey league, a book club, take a cooking class.
- Get your Holiday shopping done early - also making gifts can be more fun and personal to those you care about!
- Read - Well for me I typically read horsey books - one of my favorite sports psych books is Mind Gym - check that out for the winter and get your head ready to get in the game next show season! Other favorites are exercise books - 101 Jumping Exercises will keep you entertained in the indoor! As well as the Dressage book.
OK Now onto the real winter activities:
- Get a group together & have an ice skating party!
- Go sledding!
- Go skiing/snowboarding!
- Build a snow fort & make snow angels!
-My personal favorite is to go for a sleigh ride - I mean most people should go to a place that offers sleigh rides in exchange for money, but I like to keep it cheap and jerry rig my own contraption and attach it to Hannah and enjoy being pulled about in the snow!
-Another one is go on a road trip & video tape it Well if you can't go on a road trip just make a video...here are two of my favorites!
Florida 2010 & Janelle & Aanya :) (You may need to be friends with Aanya in order to view that video...but it is a great one!)
- Start a blog and try and find ways to entertain yourself by writing meaningless thoughts and posting them publicly not knowing really if anyone is actually reading them...hey I have fun doing it!
- Attend your Association's banquets! Tomorrow we kick off banquet season with Lead Hound Pony Club's year end banquet - looking forward to seeing everyone in the same place one more time this year! We will also have the CSDEA banquet coming up and I would love to attend the USEA Banquet one of these years!
- Well that is enough to keep you busy for awhile...I'm sure I will be back with some more random thoughts & ideas shortly! Trying to plan a Liz Lund Eventing party too - so stay tuned for more information on that one! Enjoy the weather while you still can!!!
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