Salmon in the Summer

Man, has it been a long time since my last update! I'd like to blame it on a tough class schedule (18 hours)... but I'd be lying if I said it was anything more than a bout of laziness. It's been so long that I had even forgotten my username/password...

But, without further adieu, here we go!

Here's a little recap:
In March, I said yes to the dress!!! I absolutely cannot wait for Jacob to see me on our big day!
I rounded up some pretty special girls to be my bridesmaids! I'll be making a special post just about them :)

The bridesmaids invitations I made :) 

We went on a wonderful camping trip with our church in Norman (Rest Retreat)

Jacob graduated from college! Woohoo!

And I'll be going to Costa Rica in July for a 3 week Study abroad trip!! I'll be posting more about that later :)

Things seem to be changing more and more, and I can't help but be thankful for everything and everyone in my life. It's finally less than a year until we make our vows, and I am SO excited to see what God has planned!

So far, this summer has been glorious. Lazy day after lazy day, full of good food, lounging, and...video games. Sure, I'm actually really excited to start summer classes (I'm taking a beverage survey class that's sure to be quite interesting), but right now, I'm reveling in the lack of responsibility. 

And now, to make up for the lack of posts recently. How about an AMAZING salmon recipe? I found this recipe on Pinterest, and I was assured it would be a great one for dinner parties, or just if you don't have much time. It definitely lived up to it's reputation! If you don't know, salmon is chock full of omega3 fatty acids, iron, protein and is simply a deliciousbutterymeltinyourmouth fish. The difference between a fish considered to be fatty, and one that is leaner, is where it swims. Bottom dweller fish who mostly feed on plants, shrimp, and krill are slow moving, less aggressive fish. The fat stores therefore are concentrated mostly in the liver. In fattier fish, such as salmon, the fat is stored throughout the fish due to the higher amount of movement in the water. Salmon are athletes, and they need the fat for energy. The reason so many people advocate for this beauty is due to the higher levels of the fatty acid that is present throughout this fish than others. Not only is this polyunsaturated fat essential- unable to be synthesized in our body- it is needed in order for vitamins such as A, D, E and K to be absorbed into the body. This fatty acid is also great for maintaining metabolism! It is needed in order for your body to process fats, proteins and everything else you eat. If you REALLY want some of those omega3s, how about snacking on some sardines? haha only kidding, but really, they have higher levels of this fatty acid than any other fish!

I hope you enjoyed that little science lesson! Now, onto the actual recipe! 

FYI: I usually NEVER make fish at home. While it is probably my favorite thing to eat, I'm always afraid it will leave my house smelling....fishy. However, this recipe is INCREDIBLE. Easy to prepare, quick to bake.  And NO fishy smell! 

Parmesan Crusted Salmon

4- 6 oz salmon fillets (I tried 8 oz. fillets and they were too much to eat)

2 1/2 Tbs. mayonnaise

2 1/2 Tbs. plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbs. chopped chives

3 Tbs. shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly oil foil (just for good measure). Mix last 6 ingredients together. Lay out fillets onto foil skin side down (I think you can ask the fish guy for fillets without skin, but I don't mind it. Once it's cooked, the meat comes right off). Top with Parmesan mixture and spread evenly over top. Bake for 10 minutes. You don't want to over cook these babies, but you can stick a fork in the thickest part of the fillet just to be safe. Mine were 8 oz. fillets, so I ended up cooking them for 13 minutes, then broiling them for 2 minutes to get a beautiful golden brown from the cheese :) 

Note: The original post says 5 Tbs. mayonnaise, and the pinner before said she halved it with the greek yogurt to cut down on fat/calories and add a bit more protein and vitamins. I don't know what the original tastes like, but this comes out beautifully, with a slight tang from the yogurt. If you want more tang, you could probably swap out all the mayo for yogurt. Personally, I think this is the perfect combination.

Hopefully, I'll have more time to write this summer. I have more recipes, ideas, things on my mind that I'd love to share! If there's something you'd like me to write about please comment or message me!

God Bless,

Megan

Spring Break

I can't believe Spring Break went by so fast! It was so much fun and so much happened!! Soooo, let's recap! 

Thursday I drove to Norman to see Jacob, who I hadn't seen for 3 whole weeks! (3 weeks too long if you ask me...) Friday, we went on a double date with some friends to BJ's Brewhouse and then Starskate where we showed the disco who's boss. 

Me and my fiance, Jacob :)

While there, we were told we were the cutest couple in the entire face of the universe -their words, not mine- by a couple of middle school girls. Then they asked what "our relationship status" was. We told them we were engaged, and pretty much gained our own entourage for the evening.

Jacob gave me my birthday present a little early, and good thing, cause a good cast iron skillet needs time to be seasoned ;) He knows me too well! 

Naturally, I used it to create a wonderful sauteed steak that's finished in the oven with compound butter with chives.

I drove back Tuesday afternoon so I could start my shadowing at Maggiano's the next morning at 5:45. 

Pros for 5:45 A.M.- no traffic.

Let me tell you, it was INCREDIBLE! I followed the Executive Sous chef around for the morning while he did inventory, helped make huge quantities of marinara and Alfredo sauce and got to taste EVERYTHING. If you know me at all, you'd know I was in culinary heaven. 

At 9:30, we had 'family breakfast' where some of the cooks made a meal for all the other cooks. This morning, they made pollo con mole y arroz! That's chicken with stinkin awesome spicy cocoa sauce and Mexican rice for all ya'll non Spanish speakers ;)

I got to know the ins and outs of being a kitchen manager, became fluent in spanish- as I'm sure ya'll have already figured out- and what's that? Oh yeah, I got to learn some amazing recipes! 

So if you've never been in a restaurant kitchen before- like me- there's something you may have never guessed. You see, when I make a dish at home, it may take me, say, an hour- hour 1/2, depending on the recipe. I have to make the sauce, cook each ingredient, yadda yadda yadda....

BUT, in THESE kitchens, they've basically already made all the ingredients up and have them in large coolers, ready to be put together, into amazing, mouth watering dishes.

So when I made chicken Marsala, it probably took me, maybe 5 minutes, most of that was dedicated to grilling a perfect piece of chicken. Somehow, I never guessed their secret to speedy dishes...

Also, I've decided that I'm going to get one of these kitchens for my house...

The second day was much like the first, except I didn't have to wake up at ungodly hours this time. I got to talk to the banquet manager and beverage manager some more and ended up going home a little early. 

My time there was so informative, enlightening, and really fun! The chef offered me a job to start off as a cook there if I wanted- if only I lived a tad close- and now, I also have a really awesome experience to take with me!

My birthday weekend. Was. Awesome.

Friday, my mom and I went to the Dallas Arboretum, and it was fantastic! 

Tulips, tulips, everywhere!!

Jacob came into town, and Saturday, we went to a couple's shower for my friend Jessica & David.

Then, me, Jacob, my friend Haley, Amy, and Amy's sister and friend went to Billy Bob's to celebrate my birthday at midnight! I love getting to dance with my man :) 

The others may or may not have been asked by random weirdos to dance, including creepy old hip-thrusting man, choke-hold man, and smelly arm-pit man...sorry, guys!

The next day, me, Jacob and my parents went to Bonnie Ruth's to have brunch with Mimosas :) so fun!

We ended the night with dinner at Razoo's, The Other Guys, and hot tubing! 

I am SO incredibly blessed by all my friends and family in my life!!

Overall, my spring break was filled with lots of friends, love, and new experiences! 

What are some of your favorite spring break memories?

Feel free to comment!

With much love,

Megan

Joy. Opportunity. Food.

March has been quite a wonderful month so far, minus the tests, projects, and papers...but it's finally spring break!! WHAT WHAT!? I've been thinking over the past couple weeks of what I should write my next post about, and by the time I've finally had time to write it, I could write so much! So here is the plethora of things that have been going on in my life:

Joy.

Have I mentioned before that me and Jacob have set a date for May 17, 2014 for getting hitched?! Eeek! At first, it seemed like a daunting amount of time to wait; however, God has been using little things to show me that it's not only the perfect TIME to get married but that I will have plenty to do before the big day arrives. Note: did ya'll know that it can take up to 8 months to get a wedding dress made and altered? I sure am glad I have enough time! 

I may have mentioned before that Jacob goes to OU, which is about 145 miles from the big D (in my world, that's Denton, ya'll). This semester, I haven't gotten to see him as much- which is probably a good thing considering he has a lot of work to get done- but I sure do miss him. And while, deep down I am so sure that this IS His plan for us, it doesn't always stop me from being impatient. Then I realize, here I am, I get to marry the man of my dreams and have plenty of time to plan a fabulous wedding, and I have no joy to show from it? 

I've come to realize- mostly in the past week or so- that God is also using this time to bring me closer to himself. To find joy in HIM rather than my circumstance- which really, isn't that bad. While Jacob will be spending the last couple months or so finishing his film before he moves back to Texas, I'll be spending that time learning to be content in my circumstances and praise Him for his perfect timing. 

Opportunity.

Upon switching to Hospitality Management, I've been so blessed in getting to receive opportunities to learn what my passion is. I know I love food. I love cooking, using fresh, whole ingredients. I love serving and teaching people about food. I also love delighting people with an exquisite tasting experience. In order to get to spend more time with my roommates (and save on gas), I decided to resign from Oil and Vinegar. I'll still get to work holidays, and I'm actually planning with our manager a time for me to come in and do a cooking demo in the store! My big debut! It's going to use some of the products from the store, so chances are, it'll be my famous broccoli, let's be honest. 

For Christmas, my fiance's mother gave me the opportunity to shadow some of the managers/chef of Maggiano's and this week it's going to happen! I am so blessed and excited for this, even if it's going to mean an early morning 5:30 start time! Yikes! I'll be sharing my experiences I'm sure late next week. Prayers for a fun learning experience would be wonderful!

Foodie Friday! 

Last but certainly not least, the moment you all were waiting for...right?! Foodie Friday! Now, this week's recipe is seriously, one of my all-time favorites, because it involves everyone! Let me explain. A couple weeks ago, my roommates decided to have a pizza night and I was in charge of ingredients. It was WONDERFUL! So easy, tasty, and very gourmet! ;)

This is just a glimpse of how they turned out

We used already made naan bread from Kroger that was infused with garlic, so it was really flavorful! The key, is to use simple ingredients, and preferably ones that won't make it soggy when cooked. They are only in the oven for about 5-8 minutes, and the best part is, everyone can make their own! Everyone did different toppings, but personally, I think mine was the best :) 

I used a sun-dried tomato pesto (can be found on pasta aisle), a little bit of mozzarella, goat cheese, mushrooms and spinach. After this beauty finishes in the oven, I drizzled it with my California Novello olive oil, and black truffle salt. It. was. incredible! The goat cheese has a slight tang and becomes creamy, the olive oil brings out all the wonderful flavors, and the truffle salt gives it that extra shut-the-front-door taste. 

Naan pizza:

2 naan bread (Found ours at Kroger)

4 tbs of sun-dried tomato pesto

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella 

handful chopped spinach, stems removed

handful white mushrooms, chopped & stems removed

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (if you can, get your hands on an unfiltered olive oil, it'll rock your socks off)

dash of truffle salt

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Place naan bread on baking sheet and spread on pesto. Add cheese, spinach and mushrooms. Bake for about 5-8 minutes, until cheese in center is melted. Drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of truffle salt.

Happy weekend everyone!

What's your favorite recipe that's a MUST DO with friends? I'd love to hear!!

Pilot

You know when a new show has it's VERY first episode? Well...here it goes! My first blog. Wowza! Before we get into the hot and heavy...

A little bit about me: 

I am a daughter of the King

I'm a college junior studying Hospitality Management

I LOVE cooking

I'm a flavor connoisseur 

I drink my chocolate milk on the rocks

I've been skydiving...twice [someone, hook me up with the dough to get certified!!]

I am crazy about nutrition, healthy eating, and an overall healthy lifestyle

I am redeemed

I am recently engaged!!!

Yeah, I know, pretty exciting right?! I still look down at my hand every now and then and think 'is this real life?' I Don't think it's hit me yet. Anyway, if you MUST know, his name is Jacob, and we've been together for almost a year and a half. He is truly a man after God's own heart, and someone I really respect and admire. He's wise beyond his years, humble, and seriously the wittiest person you will EVER meet! Five minutes with him will leave you shaking your head with his clever play on words. He's my best friend, and did I mention, he's the most handsome and adorable guy, Ever?! Maybe I'm biased...but probably not. He asked me to marry him about two months ago, and it went a little something like this: 

Let's be honest, you know that was the cutest thing you've ever seen. Handmade outfits, months of preparation, my dad's permission, and all my friends and family in on it? I am one incredibly blessed girl!

So you're probably thinking to yourself, "self, what is she even doing here?" Well, I'm so glad you asked! You see, I've started the whole planning process for the BIG day, and there is SO much to do! Everything from getting the PERFECT dress, to centerpieces, the venue and all that jazz. There are so many details to think about, and then I realized...it is going to be ONE day. 24 hours. All that planning and then it'll be over. So, what about the day after? and the day after that? 

You see, so many women plan for a wedding, but many completely forget about what comes after. During this time of preparing for my big day, I know God has been and will be preparing me in even bigger ways for when I walk down that aisle. 

I have so much to learn about marriage, money, leaky faucets and mortgages. Even parenting, one day. I don't know everything that God will be teaching me through this time, but I am prayerful, excited and will [hopefully] be listening to everything he has to tell me. 

I deeply desire this blog to not just be a place to archive my story, but to invite accountability. I'll be sharing with you the lessons I'm learning, from money management techniques, to learning to live selflessly. Honestly though, I will probably be posting tons of spectacular recipes. Sorry, not sorry.

I will do my best to update this regularly, but I want your feedback! I believe God puts people in our lives to encourage, motivate, and bring each other closer to Himself. 

To Him be the Glory

Megan