Burned Artichokes and grey lumpy mush!

Last night was fun! Usually I am a really good cook but yesterday wasn’t my day!!

First…

I decided after work to come home and make something new for dinner along with some potato & leek soup. Now, I've eaten Artichokes before in dips and pasta and such but I've never attempted to make them before. So while I was at walmart getting the things I needed for dinner (sans leeks for the soup that walmart usually has but didn’t last night) I saw artichokes just sitting there waiting for me. I've looked at them before, even picked them up and almost put them in my cart a few times but last night I got them! I was so excited to get home and steam them and make a garlic butter to dip them in!I get home and google Artichokes and find a pretty simple (I thought) recipe. You fill the bottom of your pot with an inch or so of water, add a bay leaf, some lemon (which I didn't have) and a clove of garlic. Then you put your artichokes in a steam basket, bring the water to a boil and let it simmer for 30 to 45 min. until the leaves are easily detached. I do all of this except for the lemon because I don't have lemons lying around the house... Who am I, Julia Child or something?While I'm waiting on them to steam I decide to run to the store and get something I forgot at walmart and harps (yay me). Well, when I got back my house smelled like charred bay leaf and garlic! I took the pot outside and took the lid off (don't want the smoke alarm going off). I tested the leaves and they were indeed easily detached! I took a bite and they tasted smoky (go figure). I dipped them in the homemade garlic butter and ate about half an artichoke anyway!

I realize I still don't have everything I need (I'm going to start making lists) so I call Chris and tell him to run by the store and I start the soup.

I had gone to Harps after the walmart trip to get the leeks for the soup! So while Chris is on his way home I start chopping the leeks to sauté them with some butter and 4 (yes four) cloves of garlic. Then I cut up the mushrooms and potatoes for the soup and added them to the pot with the leeks and garlic and some water to boil. Once they were cooked I added some cream ( by this time Chris had come home) and started pouring the soup into the blender to puree it (since it’s a smooth soup) well... something went wrong with the blender and it went EVERYWHERE (I put the lid on before I started it but that didn't matter)!!! I was covered in this grayish green half lumpy soup that was boiling hot! I decided to let it cool off while I took a bubble bath.

After I cleaned up myself & the mess I decided to try my soup and it was awful! How does something with FOUR cloves of garlic have no taste???

I gave up and went to bed.

Chris and I haven't been kayaking in TWO WHOLE WEEKS! I'm ready to get back out there! I know we will get to next weekend because we are going camping!!! CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!

Another weekend is upon us

I have a little over two hours until my weekend starts and I am about to POP! It's been a long week and I need a good relaxing weekend! I want to go take pictures somewhere new this weekend!

Chris and I are going camping in a few weeks and I CAN'T WAIT! We are going with another couple that is in our Church small group. We aren't sure where we are going yet (places book up really fast) but we are looking forward to it!

I have been a cooking fool the last few weeks! I've tried new things and made stuff up! It's all been pretty yummy! I decided to try "stuffed tomatoes" and so I just picked a few things I like (Spinich, cheese and mushrooms) and stuffed them! They turned out better than I expected! I posted a picture on facebook.

Trying to be a blogger

Yeah it's Friday!

I'm reading the book "Julie and Julia" By Julie Powell. I'm not very far into it but I really like it! It's a true story about a girl that spends a year cooking everything in Julia Child's cookbook "Mastering the art of French cooking". It makes me hungry but it also makes me want to try cooking things I never would have tried.

Cooking and other fun

The last two days have been so awesome! Monday and tuesday I had the drive thru all to myself!
I made beef stew for the first time ever on Monday night... didn't care for the meat but the rest of it was good! I made Rosemary Tilapia for dinner last night and it was AWESOME! I had never made it before and it turned out so good! I had seen Rachel Ray make Tilapia yesterday on TV but she made a sauce to go on top and didn't add rosemary.
Chris and I have been using the Red Box to rent movies... I love it!! $1.09 a night for new releases! We rented "Yes Man" on Monday... FUNNY! Last night we rented "Bride Wars" and by the end of it we were exhausted! Too much girl drama and back stabbing! I guess it ended okay though.
Is it the weekend yet? I am ready to go kayaking!