Date Night

A few weeks ago Ivan and I planned date night, but I cancelled because I was not feeling well. So tonight we are going out for our favorite meal- a cheese plate. 

The Belmont has our favorite cheese plate in town, it is accompanied with onion relish, olive oil, green beans and okra, grilled zucchini, and mustard: the flavor is amazing, especially served with fresh cut bread. We usually pick 4 cheeses { cows milk, gouda, blue, and goats milk } and 2 meats, usually a salami and lamb prosciutto.

The Belmont also has really amazing mixed drinks. I always get The Porch Swing, it has pink grapefruit juice and is just delicious!

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Pasta Carbonara

-------------INGREDIENTS------------

1 box vermacelli pasta

1 lb bacon
1/4 lb ham (lunch meat)

1 yellow onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 eggs

8 oz fresh parmesan, grated

salt

pepper

parsley

oregano

---------PREPARATION--------

Cook bacon in your oven for 45 minutes, until crispy. I usually cut the bacon before I cook it so I don't have to chop up steaming hot bacon.

Cook your onion and garlic in 2 tbsp of bacon fat.

Cook pasta until al dente. Turn off heat. Pour 1/2 cup of the pasta water into your skillet with the onions and garlic. Drain the rest of the pasta and return back to the stovetop.

Pour you onion and garlic over pasta mixture over the pasta, then add your eggs one at a time. Add bacon.

Season the pasta accordingly, and stir in the parmesan.

:) Enjoy!

This meal is one of our favorites,  It's easy- cheap- flavorful. I hope you enjoy this as much as Ivan and I do. :) 

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers

-------------INGREDIENTS------------

2 cans of black beans

1 can corn

1 can garbanzo beans

1 tomato, diced 

2/3 C breadcrumbs

1/3 C crushed walnuts
2 garlic cloves

1 yellow onion

2 Tbsp cumin

2 Tbsp Adobo

2 Tbso Badia seasoning

salt

pepper

parsley

oregano

avocado

sour cream

buns

cheese { I used cheddar and provolone } 

---------PREPARATION--------

Mince garlic and onion and place in a bowl.

Add breadcrumbs and seasonings.

Blend together the corn, black beans, and garbanzo beans. Add nuts.

Place your blended beans and corn into the bowl with the onions and garlic.

Stir in the diced tomato. 

Mix all ingredients together and form into patties. This mixture will make about 8 patties.

Fry in a skillet with just a little bit of butter. Once the patties are golden brown, Cook on both sides { this takes about 7 minutes each side}. top with cheese.

Place patties on buns and top off with avocado and sour cream

Enjoy!!

I'm....G.R.A.D.U.A.T.I.N.G!!!

So today I officially picked up my graduation tickets. On May 11th, I will officially be a college graduate. It has been years in the making and there have been a lot of bumps, breaks, and accidents along the way. I haven't had the best track record with my higher education and it has taken many years to finally complete. Maybe it's because I am untraditional and have a hard time seeing the big picture in taking Spanish and Biology classes, maybe it's because I needed to take the long road to get to be where I am today, or maybe it's both.

Either way- I am done. Well I have two weeks remaining of class left, then I am done. I will finally have a Bachelorette in Accounting.

Want to hear a  cool { well I think it's cool} little story in how I fell in love with accounting and decided to get a degree in it? ...
Well it begins in 2009 when I met Ivan. I was very young as I had just turned 22 that month. I had been living in Charleston for a few years and pretty much right after we met and began dating we moved in together. We were inseparable so it just made sense for us to take the next step. Once I moved in to his apartment, I started getting an itch for going back to school, getting a good job, and bettering our current situation. Two years later we were in the position to buy a house.. it was during that process that I realized how much I loved numbers. While the stress of not knowing whether the deal was going to go through and the inspections etc were not the most fun, I had a blast working numbers and figuring it all out. My mortgage broker told me that I had a niche for the industry and said I needed to major in accounting. With much consideration and thought- I changed my hospitality major to accounting. So here I am today, 1 year later- graduating. It's crazy.

Next up..

My Masters of Science in Accounting

then maybe?

 My PHD?

California Club Sandwiches

California Club Sandwiches

-------------INGREDIENTS------------

1 Loaf of your favorite breach { 3 slices per sandwich }

1/2 Lb. Boars Head Turkey

4 Pieces Boards Head Swiss Cheese

1/2 Avocado

1/2 Tomato

4 Eggs

Bacon

Garlic

Mayo

Frozen Fries

---------PREPARATION--------

Layer garlic, then mayo on one slice of bread. Top off with swiss cheese then cooked bacon.

On the second piece, add avocado and tomato slices

On third slices, add a little more mayo, turkey and cheese.

Place your first slice, then second and top off with the third.

Cook in a skillet with a little bit of butter.

Cook fries according to package.

WaLah!

Split Pea Soup topped with bacon

Split Pea Soup topped with 

bacon

-------------INGREDIENTS------------

2 carrots, peeled

2 onions, cut in large slices

3 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. olive oil

6 C chicken broth

2- 16oz bags of frozen peas

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

oregano

salt

pepper

basil

3 pieces of bacon, cooked

---------PREPARATION--------

Drizzle olive oil on baking sheet and cook Onion and Carrots in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Add Garlic in the last 5 minutes.

Bring chicken broth to a boil and add the peas. 

Add the veggies and seasonings.

Stir in lemon juice

Puree with immersion blender. Top with bacon.

enjoy!

Chorizo Cheddar Broccoli Quiche

Chorizo Cheddar Broccoli

Quiche

-------------INGREDIENTS------------

6 Eggs
1 C Milk (or heavy cream)

1 Yellow Onion, diced

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

Chorizo { 1 small sausage } 

1/2  Bag Frozen Broccoli
 Vermont Cheddar, shredded { as much as you please }

1 Frozen Pie Crust

Salt

Pepper

---------PREPARATION--------

Cook Onion, Garlic, and Chorizo in a pan until thoroughly cooked. Add your Salt and Pepper.

Whisk Eggs and Milk.

Cook Broccoli. Once cooked, mince.

Add together your chorizo onion mixture, eggs, cheese, and broccoli.

Pour into your pie crust and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes

:)

Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese

Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese

-------------INGREDIENTS------------

1 Box of Medium Shells

1 Yellow Onion, diced

Chorizo

2 Tbsp. Flour

2 Tbsp. Butter

1 block Vermont White Cheddar, shred or cut thin slices

1/2 block Yellow Cheddar, shred or cut thin slices

[Do not use pre-shredded cheese]

1 C Milk

1/2 C Chicken Broth

Salt

Pepper

Oregano

Parsley

---------PREPARATION--------

Boil salted water and cook shells.

Sauté onion (make sure onion is chopped up really well so it

Doesn’t make sauce to clumpy) in butter until translucent.  Add your chorizo and cook for another two minutes

Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the cheese, milk, and broth.

Simmer sauce and stir occasionally so that the cheese doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.

Add seasonings.

Sauce will be ready once all cheese is melted.

Pour cheese over noodles :)

Four Cheese Lasagna

Four Cheese Lasagna

--------------INGREDIENTS--------------

Lasagna noodles

1 Jar pasta sauce

1 Lg. container ricotta cheese

1 Bag shredded mozzarella

½ bag parmesan

½ bag shredded provolone

1 onion, diced

1 Lb. beef

2 cloves minced garlic

Salt

Pepper

Parsley

Oregano

Italian Seasonings

Bay Leaf

---------PREPARATION--------

Cook onion in a little bit of olive oil until translucent.

Add Garlic and Cook 2 minutes longer

Add beef and cook until browned.

Add seasonings.

Cook pasta according to package.

Let the sauce simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Once the noodles are cooked, drain the water.

In a large mixing bowl mix together all of your cheeses.

Layer lasagna starting with meat sauce, noodles, meat sauce, and cheese.

Do this for 3 layers.

Top off with remaining cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes in a covered baking dish. I usually take the cover off with 5 minutes left on the clock and broil the cheese.