Countdown to 2010!

Dec 31...Corndog Chili (fun recipe for New Year's)
Dec 30...Pumpkin Pudding (Prav loves pumpkin)
Dec 29...Oven roasted Spicy Potatoes and Glazed Carrots (mom made the meat)
Dec 28...Twice baked potato fritters
Dec 27...Turkey Vegetable Chili
Dec 26...Frank and Beans Casserole
Dec 25...Eggnog syrup and pancakes
Dec 24...Eggnog Bake (OMG...this one rocked!)
Dec 23...Ham and Swiss lasagna
Dec 22...Fruit and Nut Scones
Dec 21...Cheesy Hashbrown Chili (cheap and fast!)

Wedding Day Bliss

We did it! Prav and I are officially married!!!

My wedding day was everything I had ever hoped and dreamed it would be and more! I was surprisingly calm and not stressed or nervous at all. Everything went as planned...well, almost. :) I guess every wedding has those little mishaps that become great memories. Ours was no exception, but I wouldn't have changed a thing!

Yes, I was able to make my RR recipes yesterday and today thanks to my mom!
I made Lunchbox Chicken Tender Salad the day before the wedding and Skinny'ed Up Sour Cream and Onion Dip on my wedding day. My mom helped me set up a fabulous spread of fruit, veggies, and the RR dip in her suite for all my girls to enjoy before the wedding. Today, we made Mom's Olive Spread (not my mom, Rach's mom, I assume...lol). I'll be cooking from my mom's house from tomorrow until Prav and I return to our home in North Carolina. I'm looking forward to getting back to our own kitchen and starting our life together! I'm so lucky to be married to the absolute best man I know!

So, to recap the recipes:
Dec 18...Lunchbox Chicken Tender Salad
Dec 19...Skinny'ed Up Sour Cream and Onion Dip
Dec 20...Mom's Olive Spread

Dec 17...Spinach-Artichoke Hummus
Dec 16...Bacon Wrapped Taters
Dec 15...French Onion Soup (we had lots of onions in the bag, lol)
Dec 14...French Onion Dip Pizza (really good!)
Dec 13...Guilty Pleasure Cheesy Toast (sooooo delicious)
Dec 12...Sloppy Dawgs
Dec 11...BLT Dip (seriously, we ate this as dinner it was so yummy)
Dec 10...Chicken Caesar Pizzas
Dec 9...Individual Chicken Pot Pies (my favorite meal so far)
Dec 8...Mini Philly Cheesesteak Crostinis (made a meal out of them)
Dec 7...Frozen Fruit Sticks
Dec 6...Mac n Cheese Jalepeno Poppers (big enough for a meal and so good)
Dec 5...Ham & Cheese Waffles with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (sounds bad, but not)
Dec 4...Chili Cheese Potato Armadillos
Dec 3...Ricotta Pie Calzones
Dec 2...Tangy, Sweet BBQ Gravy with chicken tenders
Dec 1...Tomato Ginger Chutney (Prav devoured this with naan)

A December to Remember!

Wow...it's 3 days before my wedding and I am so excited I could just burst! Prav and I are back in Florida and will be heading to the Keys tomorrow to start all of the celebrations! I've been told that our hotel room has a stove/oven, microwave, fridge/freezer and cooking supplies. I'm a bit nervous about getting my challenge meals cooked, so I've planned some "no cook" dips for the next few days. My mom has volunteered to help, thank goodness! I know Rachael told me to take my wedding off, but I just can't! I've been so dedicated to completing this..how could I stop? :)

This month has been crazy! I had to work lots of crazy shifts in order to afford myself the days off around the holidays. As a new nurse, I'm so grateful to have the next 2 weeks off during the holidays. I had to work lots of other holidays to earn this! Plus, during my initial interview with my manager, I told her I would need this time off and she still hired me! Whew!

I know a lot of people like to cook holiday recipes around this time of year, but I must admit, I have been literally cooking whatever is easiest in order to meet my challenge goals and maintain my sanity before the wedding. I've been making lots of RR snack recipes and dips this month. I'm looking forward to cooking more challenging meals next month when things settle down.

I did manage to learn some new things this month while cooking. I've learned that you can put lemons, limes, and oranges in the microwave for a few seconds in order to help get their juice out. You should always squeeze these fruits with the cut side up in your hand so the seeds don't fall out into what you're cooking. Oh, and I've learned about gremalatas!...avery fancy word for "all-over seasoning." :)

I used a carving knife for the first time in my life this month too! I have a set of knives, but never really used more than the steak knives in the set. I was surprised at how much better the carving knife works for slicing meats!

So, for now, I'm just looking forward to the next few days of celebrating! I will post my December recipes and wedding day updates soon.

November recipes

Nov 30...Butter Me Up pasta with shrimp (see pic on the side)
Nov 29...Grilled Chicken and Eggplant Parm
Nov 28...Turkey pasta (leftovers can be great)
Nov 27...Turkey Empanadas
Nov 26...Teri Hatcher's Ginger Sweet Potato Mash
Nov 25...Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Nov 24...Buffalo Chicken Chili Mac (another great one for freezing)
Nov 23...Not Tuna Casserole
Nov 22...Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes
Nov 21...15 minute paella (Prav didn't like it, but I did!)
Nov 20...Individual chicken pot pies (oh so good!)
Nov 19...Cinnamon Apple Strata (brought this one to a friend's house for dessert)
Nov 18...Baked Shells Casserole (so good and easy that I made it again)
Nov 17...Cheesy Stuffed Cherry Peppers
Nov 16...Milk Mac n Seafood (the fiance was not a fan)
Nov 15...Chili Con Queso Mac (great for freezing)
Nov 14...Chicken Caprese
Nov 13...Grilled Eggplant Roll-ups
Nov 12...Egg Calzone (still working nights)
Nov 11...Bacon and Egg Quesadillas (breakfast for dinner because I'm working nights)
Nov 10...Quesadilla Casserole
Nov 9...Butternut Bowties (first time cooking with butternut squash...love it)
Nov 8...Tater Tot Casserole (OMG!!! Yummy)
Nov 7...Spinach Feta Greek Pizza
Nov 6...Super-sized 7 Layer Casserole (great for freezing)
Nov 5...The Ultimate ham and Cheese Sandwich
Nov 4...Mashed Potato Soup (perfect for the cold day)
Nov 3...Sweet and Spicy Thai Noodles (again because my fiance loves it)
Nov 2...Cowboy Spaghetti with Cheddar Cheese Sauce (very easy to make)
Nov 1...Creamy Spicy Citrus Corn