Guilty Pleasures

Today I am going to shake things up a little bit and share guilty pleasure tidbits about myself.



Soap Opera


I watch The Young & The Restless every single day. I have been watching this show since I was born, literally. My Mom's side of the family all watch Y&R, even my Uncles and Grandpa! In our family we call it "the show." I was home-schooled during elementary school so I watched it with my Mom and Grandma during the day, usually while we were in the swimming pool. My Grandma has a small black and white TV that she would bring out to the pool and we would lounge on rafts and watch "the show." FAST FORWARD. I still watch "the show" today, with my DVR of course so I can ignore the commercials. Mr. Foodie even watches it with me most of the time.

More Guilty Pleasures.....


Pickle Juice

I don't think this needs much explaining, but I really love pickle juice from the jar.


Extra Anchovies on a Caesar Salad


Project Runway and The Next Food Network Star I tell myself that because these shows include a "real" competitive element that they aren't "Reality TV." Delusional.

Parking my car and seeing my cats in the window sill ready for me to walk in the door and give them some love.


Freshly Laundered Sheets are my Fave


Back Scratches from Mr. Foodie. I'll take one any time any where.


Facebook Stalking my friends and people from high school and college I don't talk to anymore.

Tomato Soup

Last night I made one of my favorite easy/go-to recipes: Tomato Soup. The recipe is from a recent issue of Cook's Illustrated. This soup is super easy and is basically made of pantry staples. The recipe makes enough soup for 2 dinners, especially if you pair it with a nice green salad. This soup is a unique recipe because it uses bread to thicken it instead of cream which adds fat and calories.

Mrs. Foodie's Variations: I definitely used the red pepper flakes and brandy in this recipe. I did not add additional olive oil in step 2. I added a pinch of Hickory Smoked Sea Salt I recently purchased in Charleston, SC from The Spice and Tea Exchange.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion , chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
Pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional)
1 bay leaf
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread , crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Instructions
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain. Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

2. Transfer half of soup to blender. Add 1 tablespoon oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil. Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in chicken broth and brandy (if using). Return soup to boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

Oysters

Oysters are my favorite culinary adventure. I have been eating oysters raw and steamed for a long time. Until a couple of years ago I had only enjoyed Apalachicola (Gulf Oysters). My love of food has opened the door to many new and interesting treats.

As usual, I always get super interested in a topic and then I proceed to read books about the subject. I have since enjoyed two great oyster titles. Books on oysters may seem dull to you, but those I have had the pleasure of reading combine history with science and a dash of personality. Food is something we all have in common. Reading about families who have been in the oyster for centuries entertains me. I wouldn't consider myself an oyster expert, but I have a good knowledge of the different types, growing regions, and the politics involved. Oyster politics? Yes..... I am serious.

Reading List:
A Geography of Oysters by Rowan Jacobsen
Check out his Notebook for interesting Oyster happenings across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Newlyweds

Newlyweds: Thoughts on the subject....

1. Things do change once you get married. My husband and I have been in each other's lives for 10 years. We even lived together for several years before we got married. I thought I knew exactly what to expect after the "I Do." Fortunately or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, marriage brings a whole new set of goals, issues, demands, etc. I think change is a good thing, especially in a marriage. As individuals we are constantly growing up (or down, or sideways). At the same time we are growing as a couple. The key to success is to keep growing toward each other.

2. I swear my husband got dirtier once we got married. He has always been a messy person. I thought I had accepted this. Unfortunately he has regressed once he started wearing the wedding band. All those habits you thought you had accepted seem to surface again.

3. There are many times when I think I couldn't possibly love him any more than I do. It seems that I love him more and more every day. I know it sounds cheesy but I can't help it.

4. Compromise, known as the "C Word" in our house is critical to a good marriage. How do you think I end up watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from start to finish?

5. When does one stop being a newlywed? After 1 year, 2, or 5? I think a couple should always stay newlyweds. Mr. Foodie and I regularly look at our wedding photos and gush about how perfect our wedding day really was. We can both say that it was the best day of our lives and we wouldn't change a thing (except maybe the weather). Talking about you wedding day and looking at photos helps to keep the spark alive.

6. Food nourishes the soul. Make time to eat dinner together. Turn the dang TV off and actually have dinner together at the dining room table. It sounds so simple, but can be a powerful thing. On days I feel stressed and overwhelmed I make a nice dinner and invite Mr. Foodie to sit at the table with me and enjoy our food together.

7. Speaking of TV. I think that television is the downfall of family and marriage in the United States. Mr. Foodie spends way too much time in front of the TV. It hinders him from doing all of the things he is supposed to do (i.e. housework, paying bills) and from achieving his personal goals (i.e. working out, obtaining his private pilots license). I have to admit that I have considered breaking our TV, disconnecting the cable, etc. on several occasions. My personal fantasy is a home without a television in it. Any good ideas for limiting TV intake?

8. I am obsessed with everything wedding. I would love to be a wedding planner. I am seriously considering a wedding planning side business. Mr. Foodie's cousin is getting married next spring. I want to ask her if I could assist with the planning (especially the day of) to get some experience under my belt. I just might do it, and see where this goes.

Weekend

The photo above was taken in Big Sur, California during my recent trip. I love the texture of this photo. I took about 800 images while we were there and 15 videos. The highlight of the trip was enjoying the beautiful landscape.

This weekend ranks pretty low on the totem pole. Mr. Foodie worked all weekend (he is still working at 1:00 PM on Sunday). I had to go to a birthday party alone yesterday which was sad... We couldn't go out last night because he had to be at work at 7:00 AM this morning.

I will overcome!

I spent the weekend cleaning and relaxing. I am trying to spruce up the house with new design ideas so I have been brain storming. One of my main problems is that I have too much stuff in my kitchen. My cupboards are over flowing with essential kitchen items. I must find another solution for the madness! I am thinking about moving some least often used items into the cabinets in the laundry room. I am going to be purchasing two wall decor items mentioned in a previous post for the house, as I have gotten approval from Mr. Foodie.