Move over, Beethoven!

So I've always wanted to learn to play the piano. I started playing flute in the band in 7th grade and played until graduation. In the past few months I have realized how much I miss being "musical". It's a creative outlet that is almost therapeutic. Granted, it is frustrating to learn a new instrument, but it makes it easier when you have someone to teach you. Since I'm not in school anymore, and since I don't have money for piano lessons, I have decided to resort to a new method of learning. I consulted YouTube for videos on 'How to Play Piano'. I found this guy (user name Lypur) that, although annoying, is really helpful. I am watching refresher videos on how to read music, time signatures, note values, etc. I haven't looked at this stuff in over 5 years, but it's kind of like riding a bike.
Last night, I how to move my hand up and down the keys to play different scales. So, I may not get very far in my endeavor, but I hope I stick with it.

:)

Happy Birthday, Jimbo!
Love you!!

Shut Up, Steve!

Yesterday afternoon I decided I wanted a snack. I open the pantry door and scan my options. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice something on the side of my Special K cracker box. Below the nutrition facts, neatly written in a black sharpie...the box said, "Shut up, Steve". Obviously this was the work of my husband, but I still got a good laugh out of it. What really made me laugh was the fact that there was a box of Cheerios sitting right beside it...so why in the heck did he choose the crackers?
(If you have no idea what I'm talking about, it's from the new Cheerios commercial.)

By Request...

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes (2 large ones)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
48 square wonton wrappers
2 large egg whites, beaten until foamy
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) Butter
1 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. thyme

Preparation
-Pierce potatoes w/ fork and cook in microwave until soft throughout. Cool Slightly. Cut in half scoop 2 packed cups into mixing bowl. Mix in brown sugar and nutmeg. Season w/ salt and pepper.
-Line large baking sheet w/ plastic wrap. Place a wonton wrapper on work surface. Brush egg white onto wrapper.
-Place 1 tbsp. filling into wrapper and top w/ another wrapper. Press edges together to seal. Transfer to baking sheet. Repeat using all wrappers.
-For sauce: Melt butter over medium heat. Cook until butter begins to brown, about 4 min. Remove from heat. Mix in vinegar and thyme.
-In batches, boil ravioli for about 3 min. With slotted spoon, transfer raviolis into butter sauce. Coat w/ sauce completely. Repeat until all batches are coated.
-Serve hot!

On an Asian kick...

In my latest cooking ventures, I've found this incredible teriyaki sauce. I bought it at Kroger, so I'm not sure where else you can find it. World Harbors teriyaki sauce is good, too, if you can't find this particular one. I buy the Birds Eye steamfresh broccoli florets which take about five minutes in the microwave. Cook the broccoli and mix in a little of this sauce for the perfect side dish to pineapple chicken or to top off a bowl of brown rice. It's really good to boil a pack of ramen noodles and mix it in with the broccoli. It's super cheap and ridiculously easy! Highly recommended.

Potato Basil Soup

So I have started to enjoy cooking. I try to step outside of my comfort zone and cook things that are normally not on our weekly menu. I like trying completely new recipes, but I especially love improvising and updating old recipes with new or different ingredients. Last week Jamey was feeling a little under the weather. When I was little, Grams would make me potato soup, and she would mash up the potatoes so there would be no chunks. I hate chunks.

So I took on her potato soup and modified it a little bit, and this is what I came up with:

Potato Basil Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Baking Potatoes



• 1 tbsp. dried basil



• 1 heaping tbsp. of flour



• 1/4 c. milk

Preparation

Wash, peel and cube potatoes. Put into a pot and add enough water to cover potatoes. Boil until soft (approx 8-10 min). Mash with large spoon (I use a spatula) until desired consistency. Slowly whisk in flour and milk. Add basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir and remove from heat. Serve with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, bacon bits, chives or sour cream!

It's delish!

Gossip Girl

So I've been feeling a little under the weather today. I think it's my annual visit from those little sinus monsters in the Mucinex commercial. I've decided to entertain myself on the couch by watching the Gossip Girl season box set that I got for Christmas.
I thought it would be the usual cheesy teeny bopper series, and it ways it may be....
I'm really hooked now, though. It took a few episodes, but it is well worth the watch.
-Raylan-

A few pictures of the house....

This is the new centerpiece on my table. Pretty plain and simple.

We hung this in the dining room. It's simple, and I like that. It looks somewhat Asian..but kind of vintage at the same time. It doesn't really come across in the picture well, but it looks like an old worn piece of tin. I love it.
These are the new pillows. Our couch is a dark sage, so a lot of the colors I like seemed to clash with it. I'm satisfied with these, though. The green chenille ones are especially comfy.
I put candles in the fireplace instead of using it to burn wood. It is much more romantic and serene.

These are hanging on the wall behind the sofa. They are pretty subtle against our beige walls, but I like that. I just really like that it is one solid piece of carved wood.

So those are a few little snippets of what we accomplished this weekend. Let me know what you think!
-Raylan-

The Holidays

It was fun decorating the new house for the Holidays. This was our second Christmas together! Time flies by so fast. It seems like the older I get, the harder it is to really get into the Christmas spirit. I'm not a scrooge or anything, it just always felt "Christmas-y" when I lived at home, and I guess that's because it was all about receiving. I not only got my usual family gifts, but I still got Santa presents up until I got married. Now that I'm married, I realize it's not about the receiving. I love giving gifts! I love shopping months in advance and trying to find just the right present. Anyways, it's not that giving of gifts that has taken away my holiday spirit....I just don't have that child-like feeling that I used to. Writing this makes it sound so much more dramatic I guess that just thinking it in my head ....
I tried for weeks! I would light cinnamon candles. I baked...which is a rarity for me. I played Christmas music all through the house. We watched a few Christmas movies. Still....nothing.
Maybe when I have kids, being Santa will make it feel more like Christmases used to when I was little. Maybe not. Maybe I have realized that this is just another sad truth about becoming an adult.

It's not just a house anymore...

It finally feels like home!
My mom is a pretty savvy when it comes to decorating. When I do it, I seem to always hit a one note. Everything ends up blending together...which looks rather bland and boring, which I feel is completely not age appropriate. So my Mom came down Saturday night to go shopping with me. We went to Tiger Town for a few hours and then went to a late dinner. It was fun spending time with Mom. We stayed up til like 4:30 Sunday morning. My grandparents came down at lunch Sunday. My grandmother is a seamstress. She makes drapes, duvets, etc for one of the interior decorators in Alex City. Anyways, she's really handy when it comes to hanging stuff and measuring and all the technical nonsense. I just slap a nail in the wall and hope it's centered. So, needless to say, I needed her help.

Of course all of my drapes still have to be made....oh and I forgot to mention that my grandmother is also an artist. She is working on a painting to go over my mantle. I had a hard time deciding what she could/should paint. I tried to think of things or places with sentimental value...or just places that I loved to visit. I decided nothing could be more appropriate than the Lake Martin shoreline.

So it will still be a couple of weeks before everything is completed, but I will try to post pictures of my latest decorating endeavors ASAP. Let me know what you think!

-Raylan-

Just getting started.

So, I'm new to this whole "blogging" thing. This is mainly just a way for me to keep in touch with folks. I hope to be able to update people with pictures of us, our dogs, our house, vacations, etc.
Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check back for updates!

-Raylan-