Cobb Pasta Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

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Is there such a thing as wedding brain? You know like baby brain, where pregnant women get to say silly things and can unapologetically forget information? I know that baby brain is actually a thing, you know, since you’re body is changing and yada yada. But I really think that wedding brain should be a thing too. I’m just not with it lately. All I think about is wedding stuff and it completely fogs my usually clear mind. I actually believe it’s making me lose brain cells.

Case in point. I was absolutely certain that our wedding day was exactly eight weeks away from this past Saturday, but was brought to the harsh reality by my father that it was actually seven weeks away. I emphatically told him he was dead wrong, proceeded to take my phone out and count the weeks on the calendar to prove it. See one…two…three…four…five…six…seven…seven…Oh crap.

Yep, definitely seven weeks away. This wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but the planner in me has pretty much everything in this wedding planned down to the minute. I was going to send the invitations out 8 ½ weeks before the wedding so that people would receive them seven weeks before – giving them plenty of time to accept or decline the offer. So instead of calmly stuffing envelopes and diligently checking every name off my spreadsheet, I spent the better part of this week like a mad woman, rushing back and forth from the calligrapher, to my parents, to home, to work, back to the calligrapher and so on.

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I have literally had about 2.5 seconds to cook this week so I was more than happy when Kevin offered to do some grilling instead of me cooking a whole entire meal which at this point just sounds horribly time consuming. His job, the meat; my job, the side. Even though pasta salad shouldn’t really be in my vocabulary or diet right now that’s all I could think about to accompany our grilled chicken…A little bit can’t hurt, right?? Everything in moderation… Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

Pasta

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Strawberry Tart with Mascarpone Filling and Almond Shortbread Crust

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I’m a self-proclaimed sodium addict when it comes to food and nearly all of my distinct food memories pertain to the savory. I can still remember the very first time I realized I loved red meat when I tried a filet mignon from Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and I’ll never forget when I tasted homemade ravioli at Lidia Bastianch’s restaurant in Kansas City for the first time. In these defining food moments, my perspective changed. Now, I crave juicy steaks that are charred on the outside, pink on the inside and always prefer fresh pasta over dry.

Unfortunately, I only have a few select dessert experiences that were unforgettable, but since I do only have a few, those are some of the ones that are engrained in my mind the most. One in particular was during my study abroad time in college. On a very chilly and rainy day in Florence, Italy my classmates and I took shelter in a small bakery in the middle of the city. While the outside of the city was nearly abandoned, inside, the store was full of lively chatter and masses of locals enjoying espresso and various pastries. After drooling over the hundreds of different choices of desserts behind the glass case for the better part of a half hour, us girls settled on what appeared to be a simple fruit tart that was anything but.

A buttery, almond crust encased a velvety smooth pastry cream that had just the right amount of sweet vanilla flavoring, and was topped with some of the biggest, juiciest blackberries I’d ever seen in my life. In that moment and that first bite, I was in pure dessert heaven. Just as we finished inhaling our tarts, the rain cleared and we went on our way, promising to come back to that very spot the next day. Unfortunately, we never made it back to the Read more»

Ricotta Pizza with Crispy Pancetta, Asparagus and Shrimp

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Today marks the third installment of Monday’s homemade ricotta. In my homemade ricotta journey, I’ve brainstormed a million different ways to utilize it in creative ways; a necessity since I might otherwise be sucked into it eating it straight from the bowl day after day. I went the … Read more»

Ravioli with Homemade Ricotta & Spring Veggies

PS1

Rav--ee--oliii…. How I lovvee theee… I’m singing these words if you can’t tell. Most times I’m singing to my dog Ravioli (yes we named our dog Ravioli) but today I’m singing to actual raviolis. Perfect little raviolis… Perfect little raviolis that melt in your mouth… Perfect … Read more»

Homemade Ricotta with Lemon Zest, Crispy Rosemary and Chargrilled Ciabatta

PS3

Homemade ricotta. Why would anyone time the time make homemade cheese? What’s the point? Can’t you just buy it at the store and save yourself the hassle? At least that’s what I would have previously said before I actually tried homemade ricotta at one of my favorite restaurants. … Read more»

Cinco De Mayo Recipe Roundup

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It doesn’t even seem possible that it’s May and I’m painting my nails neon pink (you know, because its spring and all) while simultaneously watching snow accumulate well past an inch in my front yard and covering any trace of green that may have been. The only thing keeping me from curling up … Read more»