Kitchen Talk and a Confession

So, first the confession, as you can see I missed Kitchen talk yesterday but I had good reason. I like to blog while I'm at work...on my lunch break, don't judge me! But yesterday our IT guy was fixing our computer system and so I didn't have access for the last half of the day. Boo!

Now, here is the REAL confession, you are probably thinking "Malissa, why not just blog from home?". The answer to your question is "because we don't have the Internet at our house", *GASP*! It isn't that we can't afford it, more so it is because we both sit in front of computers all day and we want the time we spend at home, together, not to be consumed by the Internet. Sure it is inconvenient and we will eventually break down and get it, I'm sure. Buuuut, when we do I don't think it will consume every minute of our time at home because we have gone without it for two years now.

Now, on to Kitchen Talk. This week I'm going to review the Adjust-a-Cup. The name may be strange, like something a baseball player would use, but it is just so darn handy!

Why not just use regular old measuring cups you ask? Well, when you are measuring something sticky, gloppy, slimy, or just plain weird, this thing is SO perfect. It has different measurements for wet and dry ingredients as well as cups, ounces, milliliters etc so it is really handy for recipes with non-American measurements and baking. Plus, if you have a recipe that calls for LOTS of those sticky kinds of ingredients it is particularly nice because you don't have to keep washing out your cups. You see, you slide the black plunger down to the desired measurement, fill up the cup and when you're ready plunge it right into your mixing bowl or pot. Then, scrape off the plunger with your spatula and you're ready for the next ingredient. I will say that it isn't ideal for powdery things like flour or powdered sugar, it seems to make a mess with those items.

Mine was given to me as a gift but they are available everywhere from Crate and Barrel to Bed, Bath and Beyond and I would say you shouldn't spend more than $10 on it.

Also, if you're a fan of Food Network's star Alton Brown, you know that he uses them all the time. He even has one of his own. Check it!

Summer Evenings

I love summer nights, it stays light for so long. Last night I got to watch Trevor play softball. He plays for a church team for fun, he has made some really good friends through this team. Last night he made a great hit and when he got on base he gave me a little wave. Things like that make me so happy to be married to him. I didn't take any pictures, mostly because they always look weird through the chain link fence. Maybe next time.

A new weekly feature.

First an update: Trevor and I had a wonderful anniversary celebration last night. We went to a great restaurant called Polo Grill and it was so good. I had the Salmon "tamale" but really it was stone ground grits with a lime, cilantro and corn sauce and a piece of grilled salmon on top of it. Trevor had a steak and we were both VERY pleased. It was such a cozy little place, we felt like we weren't even in Tulsa anymore.

Now, for my new feature. As you can see above, I love food. I love to cook as well so every Wednesday I'm going to feature a cooking gadget, spice or spice mixture, really anything pertaining to food or cooking and talk about it here. Some weeks I might even have a recipe to go along with it. I'm going to call it "Kitchen Talk" and here we go!

This week we're talking about the Vegetable Chop and Measure.

Photo Courtesy of: www.williams-sonoma.com

I love this little guy. I got it as a birthday present two years ago and it is wonderful. I have this exact model, and I would recommend it but I know that other stores sell similar items. I don't use it for chopping EVERY little thing. If I only need to chop half an onion, I'm going for my chef's knife but if I'm making soup, spaghetti sauce, chili, a salad etc. I'm grabbing this puppy. You can go to Williams Sonoma's website and see the instructional video if you're interested. The really great part is it comes with two different blade inserts, one is for chopping and the other is more for mincing. They also have a smaller blade on each insert for slicing mushrooms and mincing garlic. It can be a little tricky to clean but they give you a little pick for pushing food out of the holes and while I believe the box says not to wash it in the dishwasher, I do and haven't had any problems with it.

Happy Anniversary to US!

Today, it has been raining. Two years ago, on this day, it was sunny and bright and so very HOT! Haha, besides it being a beautiful wedding, good food etc. etc. everyone tells us they remember how hot it was!

I am so blessed. My husband Loves the Lord, he loves me unconditionally, he is honest, sweet, funny, smart, talented, wonderfully kind and compassionate to others, a dependable friend, a hard worker and so many other wonderful things.

To remember our special day I'm posting some of my favorite wedding pictures. Enjoy!

The Program I made to celebrate Trevor's love of the Wall Street Journal, haha!

The venue.

I love the way he is looking at me :)

My Bouquet, I LOVED it!

Our yummy cake, it was my Mom's recipe and it was SO good!

Holiday Weekend

I love long weekends, don't you? We have been super busy lately, as you can see by my lack of postings. We went to a wedding in Washington State and then came back for 2 days and left again for another wedding in Dallas, whew!

Trevor and I were ready for a nice little "Staycation" haha. We slept in, did laundry, hung around and did nothing, watched movies (more to come on those) and went to watch fireworks with some good friends. Here are a few pictures from our trip to see fireworks at the Riverwalk.

The Freshberry yogurt and conversation we enjoyed before the show. Trevor is very interested in the story he's telling :) I love him!

Some of the fireworks, this picture doesn't do them justice, it was a really nice show. They even had fireworks that burst into the shape of a heart!

Katy pointing to the Riverwalk's sign that states, among other things, NO FIREWORKS! Haha.

The fourth of July is always an exciting time for me because it reminds me of the weekend we got married. We got married July 7th, and all of our family started to trickle into town that weekend and so we had a party at my parent's house. Tomorrow is our two year anniversary! I can't believe it has been two years! It has been the best two years of my life. We are staying in town this year, partially because of all the travel we've been doing and also because it is in the middle of the week but we are still going to celebrate.

Weight Loss Challenge

I WON! This month I was the big winner a.k.a the biggest looser! Total, I have lost 24 lbs. We are starting our third month but unfortunately we have lost two of our competitors. That just means it will be even more intense between Kris and I.

I'm so proud of her! She is working really hard and doing a great job and actually, we are tied for total pounds lost right now, but she lost one more in the first round and I lost one more than her in this last round. This month we are playing for a massage, looser buys, and yet we both win because we will go together ha ha.

Here are Kris and I last October, this can serve as our before picture...ew.


This is Trevor and I last weekend in St. Louis. Not so ew.

I don't have a recent picture of Kris but when I get one I will add it to this post.

Also, more on St. Louis to come!

Being more transparent.

From reading other blogs I have come to realize that I want to be more transparent in the things I share. Not just for the sake of being open, but because I want to journal more of my thoughts and feelings and maybe someone can identify with them. That being said I want to share something that is important to me.

Recently a number of people who are close to me have gone through or are about to go through a divorce. My in laws divorce was just finalized last week. My best friend's husband decided to end their marriage last year. My cousin, who is only 20 is considering a divorce because her husband has been unfaithful.

I am beyond blessed. I have a wonderful husband. He loves the Lord, he is kind to everyone he meets even if they don't seem to "deserve it", he is patient and loving, he cares for me deeply and always tries to make me happy and I know he loves me more than anyone or anything else in this world. But even though he is wonderful, my marriage is successful and I am happy, I feel like it is important to learn more and constantly work to make our relationship even better, especially in light of the people around me and the way the media portrays marriage.

I'm not talking about nagging my husband so that I feel better about our relationship, I'm talking about learning. I read books about relationships. Not all the time, not constantly or obsessively, but just when I come across something interesting. I read Love and Respect and it changed the way I speak to, treat and think about my husband and I shared that in an earlier post. Now I'm reading The Love Dare.

If you have heard of it, you probably saw the movie Fireproof.

If you didn't see the movie, go see it. Then, if you are married, are about to be married, or someday hope to be married, go buy the book. I have been going through it slowly. I am not on the 40 day plan because sometimes I feel like that passage is something that I already do pretty well and other times I take a few days and really work at and think about the challenge. The other night I read one passage titled "Love is Unconditional". Sounds simple enough, right? I suspect that everyone would have an explanation for this phrase. Something along the lines of "loving someone no matter what they do", "loving someone who isn't kind to you", "loving the unlovable" etc. BUT the way that this book explains what loving someone unconditionally means, rocked my world. Here is what it says:



"If someone were to ask you, "why do you love your spouse?" What would you say?



Most men would mention their wife's beauty, sense of humor, kindness, her inner strength. They might talk about her cooking, knack for decorating or what a good mother she is.



Women would probably say something about their husband's good looks or personality. They'd commend him for his steadiness and consistent character. They'd say they love him because he's always there for them. He's generous. He's helpful.



(This is the part that rocked my world) But what if over the course of years, your spouse stopped being every one of those things. Would you still love them? Based on your answers above, the only logical response would be "no". If your reasons for loving your spouse all have something to do with his or her qualities-and then those same qualities suddenly or gradually disappear-your basis for love is over.



The only way love can last a lifetime is if it's unconditional. The truth is this: love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love."



Think about that, then think about what you are going to say to your husband the next time he asks "Why do you love me so much?" My answer has changed.