Welcome Home to us: Seafood & Duck

(I'll admit, I wrote this in mid-November...)
Welcome home to us! We've been traveling and have been busy for the last few weekends. In bigger news though, I have new sister-in-law! Mr. K's brother got married last weekend during what was a miracle and sign from God when it comes to Mother Nature. If you're on the east coast, you know how much rain we were predicted to get over the weekend. Between my friend Ryan's wedding in Maryland, and our family wedding in NC, I was a bit nervous for Saturday. We set up the chairs for the outdoor ceremony on Saturday morning in the pouring rain, hoping that the clouds would clear for the 3:30 ceremony. Low and behold, the rain stopped around 11, and held off literally the rest of the day and evening, even for clean up after the reception. We couldn't believe it. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, the bride was stunning, groom grinning from ear to ear, guests dancing all night, and an awesome bubble send-off. I can't wait to see the pictures, they are bound to be nothing short of gorgeous. Congratulations John & Mandy!

Now on to our weekend at HOME.... We spent our Saturday morning at Home Depot, finally getting blinds!! Yes, we put in our order for blinds. We've been living with paper shades for about 18 months since we moved into our house. So we can't wait for those to come in and finally get installed. One step closer to feeling completely settled. A weekend home wouldn't  be complete without a trip to Home Goods, of course. We surprisingly didn't get much, but I am definitely making a trip back there soon to get my holiday fix. The store was officially taken over by Christmas stuff. It was crazy.

Let's move on to the yummy part of this post...
A tasting of seafood and duck. That pretty much sums it up.

First up: Oysters Rockefeller 
Heat oven to 375 degrees, throw oysters on cookie sheet, 3-4 minutes until they open. Pull out, shuck 'em, dress them with whatever you're feeling. In our case, we took our own spin on oysters rockefeller, with stuffing! Put them back in the oven for about 10 minutes. Watch closely. You're looking for the breading to brown, turn into a crust.

Prepping for parsnip puree - base of the main dish...coming later

Second up: Clams w/a parsley, garlic sauce

• Handful of parsley, one pinch of garlic, half glass of wine of olive oil (aka 2 tbs). Blend until smooth. add what you need until you like it :) Consistency lighter than pesto. 
• Put wine (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) and another good pinch of garlic in a medium pan. Bring it to a boil, then put clams in (we had a bag of 12 from Harris Teeter), cover for about 10 minutes. Start paying attention though at about 8 or 9 minutes. You're looking for them to open by themselves. After 7 minutes, add half of green sauce. This is your first opportunity to see if the clams are opening. Mix everything up with the sauce. Cover that baby back up. 
• 3 minutes later (10 min total cooking time), take out the open clams and put them aside. 
• Wait another 30 seconds for the other guys to open. If they haven't opened, take them out. Don't wait for them to open. Throw 'em away. (this is our opinion, feel free to wait longer if you wish)
• Plate the clams, spoon remainder of sauce over the plate.
• Enjoy!

Third up: Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are, shall I say a staple in our house? This time, the stuffing was stuffing... typically it would be breadcrumbs. Tis the Thanksgiving season, right?

• Carve out the center mushrooms with a pairing knife (white button mushrooms... find the largest ones you can)
• Make stuffing according to package (we used the same stuffing mix for the clams and mushrooms), about a cup. 
• Mix half a cup of stuffing mixture with half handful of parsley, 2 tbs or green onions or chives (your choice), salt, pepper, 2 tbs of BACON. We found some Boarshead slab bacon on sale at Teeter, so we diced that and used it. 
• Put mushrooms on aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, spray mushrooms with olive oil, stuff mushrooms with filling. 
• Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Then really start paying attention. You're looking for is it to start browning and bubbling ("Bubbling is always a good sign" -Mr. K). Could be up to 15 minutes. 

*Chef's note: pour glass of wine, then enjoy Mushrooms.

Fourth up: Seared Duck on Top of My Two Favorite Foods 
Mr. K knows how much I love mashed potatoes and ramen noodles, so this was a surefire way to my heart (and stomach). This dish can also be called: Hoisin Duck & Sweet Potato Mash on Crispy Noodles

• Cook ramen noodles per package directions. Only cook the noodles though. After noodles are done, drain, then toss the noodles in the seasoning. 
• Divide noodles up into mini-muffin pan. We tried different levels of filling. 
• Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. 
• If you don't have mini muffin pan (we didn't until two days ago), you can use a regular muffin pan and make 6 bites, or just use an oven-proof skillet and make one big crispy pan-sized noodle (that actually sounds awesome). 

• For the potatoes, peel them, boil 'em, drain. Mash with 2 tbs of coconut milk for sweetness (or butter if you don't have coconut milk), and salt to taste. 
• Duck: The recipe we started to follow for this called for marinating the duck for 4-8 hours. We didn't do that. We marinated it for about an hour, and it still turned out flavorful. Either way though, this is what you should do: 
• Marinate duck in hoisin sauce, garlic and ginger for "some time." 
• heat oven to 400 degrees (yes, same as the ramen noodles) 
• use a medium or large pan, sear duck breast fat side down for about 1-2 minutes. Then sear the other side for 1-2 minutes. Place duck breast fat side up in a baking dish and roast int he oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the internal temp reaches between 140 (rare) and 150 degrees (medium rare). Fun tip from the recipe we were following: Roasting the duck breast fat side up allows the fat to melt down into the meat while roasting, keeping the meat succulent and juicy. 
• Allow duck to rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes before slicing, so as to keep the juices in. Slice into 12 bite-sized pieces for serving (or however many ramen noodle crispies you have). 
• Put it all together now! Crispy noodle bite on the bottom, then spoon a bit of potato mash on top, then top with a piece of sliced duck. Garnish with whatever you like - scallions, peanut or sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. 

Note: To be honest, we were really excited for this dish, but it looks a lot better on camera than it actually tastes. Give it a shot, but it definitely wasn't my favorite. The noodles aren't all that flavorful, but the combination of purple potatoes and the duck are pretty great, so try that together.

Happy (VERY belated) birthday, America!

We love July 4th over here in our house! Something about the holiday just screams summer. We're so fortunate to have met a great group of friends when Mr. K first moved to DC after he graduated from Elon (I still had a year left). Mr. K lived with a group of the guys for three years in a row home close to the National Zoo, and they threw some of the best parties. July 4th was one of the biggest, if not the party of the year! As everyone grew up and out of the house, we thought we should carry on the tradition. We decided to cut out bobbing for airplane bottles and setting off fireworks in trash cans, and instead went for chalkboard signs and corn hole. A "1665" party can never be complete without a singing of 'Happy Birthday, America.' Oh, and red, white and blue jello shots, of course ;) (Hey Nicole!)

Happy Birthday, America!

So, this year, we gathered with some family and friends from all walks of life, and it was a blast! I was able to tap into some creativity/Pinterest-love, and turned our tablescape into something fun.Oh, and yes, we built a patio at the beginning of the summer! I'm a little late on showing that part of the house transformation ;)

My dad saw me taking pictures of the house and said he had to take one of me in front of it. Here you go!

Hey Dev!

Pre-Ada!

Thanks, Pinterest.

I think he was enjoying the So Icey Boys cake from the wedding!

Date Night Dinner Series: Appetizer

Cooking in our kitchen, eating in our house is the highlight of our weeks more often than not. Mr. K is an amazing cook (can I say chef?), and he loves cooking. The kitchen is what really sold us on this house, and we've made every penny count since we moved in. One of the biggest ways is cooking new things at home instead of going out to restaurants for date night. Believe me, we do love a fun time out, but perusing Harris Teeter's specials, wandering the store for new things is exciting to us.

We're also finally in town for a few weeks together which is a joy, and makes me so happy. We've been traveling a lot for a few reasons and we haven't been able to spend too much time together at home. When we do get a night or two, we brainstorm fun dinners to cook (for Mr. K to cook, and for me to photograph and drink wine).

Tonight's wine of choice was Alamos Malbec in honor of Pope Francis being in town this week! My father's family is from Argentina, so having an Argentine Pope is even more special. My parents attended the Mass outside of the Shrine this week and they said it was so special. More on that later. Let's get to the food!

First course was mussels and gazpacho! We're channeling the summer weather that's slowly on its way out. Both were so delicious. Mussels were steamed in a lemon, wine, cilantro sauce.

All serving platters are most likely from Home Goods :) That's our go-to spot during our free weekends to try and find new things. 

Zest of one lemon 

3 cups white wine (2 for the mussels, one for you!)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons grated, crushed ginger

1/2 of one shallot

2 tablespoons of butter

A handful of Cilantro (once you pull the mussels out, toss the cilantro in and mix 'em up)

Melt butter in the pan, throw in the garlic, shallot and ginger. Sautee for for 30-40 seconds, add in the wine (don't forget to sip some along the way, too). Boil the wine. 

Throw in the mussels, channel your inner T Swift and shake it off (shake the mussels in the pan a bit). 

Toss in the cilantro, mix up a bit, and then put everything into a bowl, and serve. Don't forge to put the wine mixture in the bowl too. Enjoy! 

Appetizer #2: Gazpacho

In typical Mr. K fashion, he didn't actually follow a recipe. That's a large part of the reason why it either takes me forever to actually write a food post, or why I don't post them at all... because he adds his own twist to every single thing he makes, he combines a bunch of recipes, or just thinks of things on his own, and says he's going to tell me everything but never actually does ;) So let's give it a shot with the gazpacho... 

2 lbs roma tomatoes

1/2 vidalia onion

2 poblano peppers 

3 gloves garlic

1 cucumber peeled and diced 

1/4 cup sherry cooking wine (and some actual wine ;)) 

1/4 olive oil 

1 tablespoon Paprika (if you want it a little smoky) 

1 tablespoon of cumin (again, we really like this spice) 

Chop everything, put into a bowl, let is sit out for an hour, puree with a cup of whipping cream (we like it creamy, but if you don't, use water instead). 

Then put it in the fridge for 2 hours, up to a day (we didn't keep it in the fridge for two hours because we started late, but it was still good. It will probably be pretty awesome tomorrow, filled with even more flavor). 

Top with raw, fresh ingredients, like chopped tomato, cucumber and onion. Add croutons if you like, too :) 

Serve and enjoy! 

Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Muffins

All day long yesterday I was really in the mood for some sort of a muffin but after our vacation, I knew I had to eat healthy. To my Pinterest board I went, checked out the "healthy board" and saw this recipe. I edited it a little bit, but didn't take any pictures besides the final product because we had a guest over (hey Devon!). It goes to show how simple this recipe is (read: no Kitchen Aid required). If you look past the sugar that's in here, it's a pretty healthy breakfast option. Pair one muffin with a yogurt or banana, and you have yourself a delicious, hearty (and pretty filling) breakfast. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats (I used Quakers Old Fashioned Oats)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup sugar (I know, I know, it's a big much)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs + 1 egg white
3/4 cup oil
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
optional: 3/4 cup raisins (I didn't use these - I thought I had a box at home but I didn't. They still turned out really good)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and oil. Stir in grated zucchini and carrots. Add to dry ingredients and stir until combined.
3. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for about 15-20 minutes. They are done when a toothpick (or knife, or fork) comes out clean and tops spring back when lightly touched.

Enjoy for breakfast, afternoon stack or even dessert!

Wedded on a Train in Perth

I haven't kept up with this blog nearly enough as I wanted (and want) to. I've started to finally have a lot of good ideas to write about, but it's just finding the time. I finally told Mr. K the other day that I just need to "put up the darn food pictures that we always take with our nice camera, and then get around to writing the recipes when I can!" He insisted that he would help because, after all, he is the mastermind behind most of these recipes. But fear not, there are house updates to come, favorites I've started writing about, and lots of yummy food to gush over.

Until then though, I read the cutest article on Buzzfeed this morning about a couple in Perth who got married on a train. What the bride said really stuck - the train was moving during their ceremony, so their wedding took place all over Perth. How cool is that?

Image from Buzzfeed

How many people can say they've wedded on a train?

What's the coolest wedding you've ever been to?

Easter Weekend, Family & 30th Birthday Celebrations

Easter weekend here was a great weekend! My brother-in-law and his fiance came into town, and it was there first time here since our house had been finished. It also happened to be John's 30th birthday, which was such a fun celebration as well.

Being in DC means we have tons of brunch options... bottomless brunch options! We went to one of our favorite spots on U Street, called Local 16. Where else can you choose any entree, including (breakfast) pizzas, and bottomless mimosas, bellinis, Blood Mary's, beer, coffee and juice. The food is delicious, but the best thing is the bottomless part of it for sure! They come in big mason jars, and they keep coming.

After the brunch, we ventured downtown to see the cherry blossoms, however they hadn't bloomed yet. It's okay though, because we veered off course and stopped at Hotel Washington's P.O.V which is their rooftop bar that has by far the most beautiful view of the city, overlooking the White House and all the monuments. Such a great place to take visitors. This past weekend I had a couple girlfriends in town and we did the same thing - brunch and Cherry Blossoms - and they had peeked! They were beautiful, and I can't wait to share pictures.

Easter morning we had my parents and grandparents over for breakfast after Mass, and we had such a great, delicious spread! Didn't take any pictures of it :( We had some downtime (naptime and Parenthood marathon) for a few hours until it was time to go to my grandparents' house for dinner. We were so happy that the in-laws joined us, it made the family time wonderful!

My grandmother cooked the BEST ham that we had ever had. Everyone was raving about it, and we were so thankful that my grandmother drove to our house a couple days later and dropped off some leftovers that we didn't take with us.

One year in our home!

Mr. K, me, my parents

Hey Joe!

The Ks!

Breakfast Nook Update

I can't believe it's been so long since we put something into his bare room, but we love it! We wanted to find a casual, wooden circle table for this nook. Honestly, we had the future in mind when thinking about he functionality of this - kids doing their homework while we're cooking dinner right next to them, casual daily family dinners, and all that jazz. We found this great, perfect one on Craigslist! You could tell that the family we got it from used it for the same purpose with their two daughters that we look forward to. There's so much character on the table and chairs already so it's exactly what we were looking for for the space.

Before:

After