Remember I declared last summer the summer of shrimp? Well, I think it’s on again. There’s something about summer that just screams shrimp to me. And it’s legit one of the easiest foods to cook. You can do so little with it and have it be simply divine. I got the idea for this recipe from a Martha Stewart one (she’s totally been my go-to again lately!), but made a few variations. But really, how many alterations do you need to make when a dish contains ingredients like lemon, garlic, and parsley? Light, refreshing, and so, so versatile.

It’s Tuesday. Which normally wouldn’t be such good thing. But considering Monday went by in a flash, I have a feeling the rest of the week is going to fly, too. Don’t get me wrong; I love getting to the weekends quickly, but doesn’t it seem like time just flies so much? I’ve barely had time to take a breath lately and sitting down to a dinner like this is exactly what I’ve needed.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Parmesan (serves 3-4):
Print this recipe!

• 3 T butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. medium shrimp
• 1/4 C freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 C chopped parsley
• 1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

(serve with rice and a vegetable)

Start by melting your butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic and let cook for about 3 minutes, until garlic is fragrant.

Now add the shrimp to the pan and toss it all around.

Let it cook for about 5 minutes, until shrimp are cooked through and pink.

While shrimp are cooking, combine lemon juice, parsley, and parmesan cheese in a large bowl.

Toss the shrimp in the mixture to coat.

Is that not the easiest thing you’ve ever heard in your life? I served my shrimp over a bed of delicious wild rice blend and paired it all up with some sautéed spinach. Seriously, I sautéed an entire bag of baby spinach and barely had a serving for one. Doesn’t that always just boggle your mind? Where does it go??

But you could serve this shrimp with absolutely anything you want. Or all on its own. Of course, it will feed fewer people if you serve it all on its own. But considering I could eat an entire pound of shrimp on my own, that’s not saying much.

And especially this shrimp. It’s funny how a little lemon, garlic, parsley, and parmesan can have such a HUGE impact. This shrimp was crazy flavorful and, though it was quite simple, it tasted like something I’d be thrilled to be served in a restaurant. I cooked it in under 15 minutes and gobbled it up even more quickly.

I hope you don’t hate me for not playing around with any super complicated recipes lately and not coming up with many of my own from scratch. But I promise AFTER the wedding I will be back in action! And the wedding is less than 4 weeks away, so you don’t have to wait too long.

In the meantime, I think everyone can appreciate a super easy, in-and-out of the kitchen recipe. Right?? I mean, when I think about where I was when we first started this blog, I’ve come a long way. I think I found cooking shrimp intimidating back in the day. Now, it’s my simple go-to! Who would have thought?

Maybe next year my simple go-to will be pain au chocolat. Which, by the way, was my New Year’s resolution to learn to make. But I haven’t yet. Because I’m nervous that I’ll fail. And I need more time. After the wedding…

That’s how everything in my life is going right now. After the wedding. After the wedding, perhaps I’ll have more than 30 minutes to spend in the kitchen. And after the wedding, I will learn to make pain au chocolat so well that I can make it in under 30 minutes, too.

But for now, I will stick with simple shrimp and a little helping hand from Martha Stewart herself. And I am perfectly OK with that.

What would you make if you had endless time in the kitchen?

[Sues]

When I saw this recipe from Martha Stewart, I immediately knew I’d be making it. Sure, it makes the perfect brunch. But it also makes an incredibly speedy and easy weeknight dinner. Plus, I’ll never say no to eggs for dinner. Never ever. I’ve had a crazy busy week, packed with teaching, work events, and wedding-related activities. No free nights mean not much cooking and a lack of blogging going on. But I didn’t get home too late last night and decided a home-cooked meal was just what I needed. Home cooked doesn’t mean hours slaving over the stove… This was done in 10 minutes! Which is grand because I’ve seriously only been home for 10 minutes this week. So, that worked out quite well.

Egg in a Red Pepper is a take off of egg in a hole, but it’s a bit healthier and (I think) more fun with the red pepper. This is the kind of meal I thank the heavens for during weeks like this one. Feed me. But don’t make me work too hard for it. I’m not Super Woman, after all.

Egg in a Red Pepper (serves 2):
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Print this recipe!

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 T olive oil
• 4 large eggs
• Ground salt and pepper
• 1 T freshly grated parmesan
• 4 slices nice crusty bread, toasted

Remove seeds from pepper and 1/2-inch thick rings. It’s not totally important that all the rings be the same thickness. Mine clearly were not.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan or skillet.

Place peppers in olive oil.

Then one-by-one, crack an egg into a small dish and pour it into the pepper.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let fry for about 3 minutes.

Some of the egg may leak out from under the pepper, but for the most part, you should be OK.

Once eggs are mostly set, flip the entire pepper over. This has to be a quick movement, or else you risk the egg/pepper falling apart.

After you flip all of the peppers, sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Cook for one minute.

And place pepper egg on a piece of toast. My bread was a little larger than the pepper, so it didn’t fit perfectly. Obviously, Martha’s pepper fit on her bread and looked fabulous.

I also took Martha’s advice and served my eggs in peppers with a side salad. Some simple mixed greens, sprinkled with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper. It was the perfect side!

This was the perfect, “I have no time, but still need to eat” dinner. And one that I can definitely see myself making again. But really, it would make the perfect brunch, as well. It’s super easy to make multiple ones at the same time. And once they’re made, they’re pretty easy to transport. You could literally layer a platter up with them and have everyone serve themselves.

The only thing that could have made this dish better? Next time, I may need to layer the bread with bacon before placing the egg on top. Seriously, not sure why this didn’t cross my mind before making it. I guess I was too busy thinking about bacon in cookies.

And that, my friends, is a deliciously simple meal. And now I need to get some sleep, so I can gear up for the rest of my super busy week (thank goodness tomorrow is Thursday!). Today marks the official 1 month mark until my wedding and there is SO much to be done. Being busy is good, but I need to take a deep breath and try to enjoy it, too.

What do you do when a busy schedule leaves you with little time in the kitchen?

[Sues]

Can I just say I can’t wait to get married? Like really, really can’t wait. This weekend was packed with wedding-related activities and, while I could do without all the appointments (seriously… they take up A LOT of time!), it’s all generally exciting and I know I’m going to miss them when they’re over. Yes, I’ll miss trying on my dress for the however many-ith times and looking at it in the mirror. Though we’ve been engaged for almost a year and a half, Chris and I finally did our engagement photos yesterday. Maybe it’s a little crazy, but a session was included in our photography package and we knew it would be a good way to spend some time with our photographer and get comfortable posing for a camera. We were both a little nervous since we decided to have our session in busy Coolidge Corner on a Sunday afternoon, but we ended up having a ton of fun and getting some awesome shots (I think!) in front of some of our favorite neighborhood spots. Since we’ll be moving out of our ‘hood soon (sob!), I have a feeling these photos will be very important to us. Plus, we had a fabulous time with our wedding photographer! She had us feeling quite comfortable behind the camera, even when kissing on Beacon Street. Yay! It was a wonderful afternoon, which concluded in a cocktail and a burger from one of our very fave neighborhood spots, The Regal Beagle.

Now, let’s talk about bacon. I can’t believe this hasn’t happened on We are not Martha yet. But it WILL be happening again. Like lots and lots of agains. Because I really, really liked this combination. And have a feeling that, though some may shy away from it at first, they’ll really need to try it to believe it. And believe it. I know bacon is pretty much overplayed by now, but it’s still delicious. And it still helps to make the perfect meal and dessert. Plus, maple is one of my favorite flavors of 2012! And come on, I’m still making cupcakes, despite they’re over-saturation in our world. A little too much bacon airtime is not going to have me quitting it.

Bacon Maple Cookies (makes about 2 dozen cookies):
Print this recipe!

• 8-9 slices bacon
• 7 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 C granulated sugar
• 1/4 C packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 t pure maple syrup
• 1 t maple extract
• 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 3 T sour cream
• 1/2 C chocolate chips

For glaze:

• 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 2 T real maple syrup
• 1/2 t maple extract

(pre-heat oven to 350 degrees)

First things first, let’s fry that bacon up! Fry it until it’s nice and crispy.

In a mixer, beat together the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar, until fluffy.

Now, beat in the egg, maple syrup, and maple extract, until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

Now, add half the flour mixture into the batter, followed by the sour cream, and then the rest of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. I LOVE Martha Stewart’s method of adding sour cream to cookies instead of milk. It adds a nice light fluffiness that makes for a fantastic cookie. And I want to do it with pretty much every cookie I make now. Try it. You’ll see.

Pour 1/2 C chocolate chips into the batter and crumble up your crispy bacon to toss in. Reserve abut a slice or two of bacon, so you have some leftover to top your cookies with.

Stir with a spoon, until combined. How delicious does this look?

Pop this dough in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm it up. Alternately, you could put it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

When you’re ready to get baking, line baking sheets with parchment paper. Now, drop dough onto baking sheets in about 1 T balls. Place them about 2 inches apart from each other.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are nice and golden.

Let cookies sit for about 5-10 minutes before moving to cooling racks to cool completely.

And get started on the maple glaze. This one’s really simple- just whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, and maple extract. Taste it and add more of whatever you think it needs. But it should be pretty perfect!

When the cookies are cooled, spoon a little dollop of maple glaze onto each cookie. Make sure you lay a paper towel under the cooling rack as the glaze will get a bit drippy.

Top with a little piece of bacon.

And, if possible, put cookies in the fridge to chill, so the glaze will harden.

And then indulge in that mapley, bacon goodness. Make sure to keep these in the fridge, though, since there is obviously bacon involved.

I brought these cookies, along with my very favorite s’mores cookies, to Jay Peak for my Bachelorette Weekend! Sadly, I think they were mostly ignored during the weekend, likely because they were stuck in the fridge and not hanging out on the counter waiting to be snacked upon. But I did make sure Chels (the resident bacon expert) sampled them and she proclaimed them delicious. Yay! And I will most definitely be whipping them up again!

If you think about it, there really isn’t any way you can go wrong with the sweetness of maple syrup, the chocolateyness (yes, that is a word) of chocolate chips,  and the saltiness of bacon. A flavor match in heaven… I don’t care if you are scared of eating meat in your cookies (OK yes, that sounds kinda gross, but just trust me, it’s not), so long as you love salty-sweet, you will be obsessed with these.

Tell me, are you so over the bacon “trend” or are you still willing to combine it with your other favorites?

I also just realized I never chose a winner for the America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School 6-week scholarship! So without further ado, the winner is Laura from Mother Would Know! Congrats Laura- I’ll be in touch to let you know how to take advantage of your scholarship. And I’ll be giving away another 6-week scholarship soon, so stay tuned if you still want to be schooled by the very best of the best in culinary teachers!

[Sues]

If I had this bowl of Mango Coconut Fried Rice in front of me right now, I’d tell you to load on the Sriracha. As in, pour a whole bottle on. Because, as Chels mentioned in her previous post (about our GLORIOUS weekend!), we’re both feeling a little bit under the weather this week. OK, A LOT BIT. Truth be told, I haven’t been in the kitchen in over a week. As a matter of fact, tonight was the first time I ate anything of any sustenance since Sunday afternoon. Which basically means anything that wasn’t tea, water, or broth. And even broth was questionable as the thought of it began to make me feel sick to my stomach. You know, I was thinking I might need a detox after the last couple of weekends of fun. And I certainly got one. One that was quite easy to follow. Because I had no choice. I was always under the impression you were supposed to feed a cold, but this one did not want nourishment.

Last night I sent my wonderful fiancé (who has been taking loving care of me in all my coughing glory) to 7-11 for, “Please. Something cold. Something sweet. But fruity sweet. It can’t be chocolate. Or cream. No ice cream. Popsicle. Sherbet. Yes, sherbet!” A small tear may have run down my cheek as I’m quite dramatic when I’m sick. Anyway, you should know that they don’t sell sherbet at my local 7-11. But they do sell these:

When was the last time you had one of those? I haven’t had one since back in the days when they teamed up with The Flintstones. And despite the fact it says, “orange treats” on the side of the package, it was really the only thing I could bear to stomach. It gave me a few calories and got me through a few more hours. You might say that Push-Up Pop saved my life.

And if you’re feeling a bit congested or under the weather, maybe this Mango Coconut Fried Rice can save yours. If it does, let me know. I’d probably want to consider myself a hero.

Mango Coconut Fried Rice (Serves about 8):
Print this recipe!

• 1.5 C brown rice
• 14 oz. light coconut milk
• 3 mangos
• 1/4 C Sriracha, plus more for seasoning
• 2 T lime juice
• 14 oz. extra-firm tofu
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 3/4 C chopped carrots
• 1 C frozen peas
• 2 large eggs
• 4-6 green onions

I forgot to include the eggs and the garlic in my ingredient photo. Two of the most important ingredients in any fried rice dish, if you ask me! You can ignore the habaneros in the first photo, too… I wasn’t quite aware of how much Sriracha I was going to be adding to the dish when I started it… and it totally canceled out the need for habaneros.

Start with your rice. Now, all fried rice recipes call for “leftover rice.” But if you’re me, you don’t ever have leftover rice in your house. At least, not enough to do anything with. After all, I don’t eat a ton of rice and when I do, it’s usually in takeover and I don’t have cups and cups left over.

I wanted to make it from scratch anyway because I wanted to make a special coconut rice. Which basically means that I brought 1.5 C brown rice to a boil in 14 oz. of light coconut milk and 1 C water. Then I lowered it to a simmer, covered the pot, and cooked until water/milk was dissolved and rice was fluffy. I made sure to put it in the fridge right when it was done.

I try to eat brown rice whenever possible, instead of white. 1) because I think it tastes better and 2) because it’s healthier. But you can do whatever you want!

The next step is to make the tofu marinade. I peeled and pitted one mango and put it in the blender, along with 1/4 C of Sriracha and 2 T lime juice. Blend it all together until smooth.

Drain tofu, pressing out as much water as possible and then chop into bite-sized cubes. Place tofu in a dish and mix with marinade. Pop into fridge for at least 2 hours and up to overnight for even more flavor impact.

Once tofu is done marinating, bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Then, remove from oven, flip tofu, and bake for another 20 minutes.

While the tofu is baking, make sure all those vegetables are chopped up. You’ll also want to peel and chop the remaining two mangos, as well.

In a wok or frying pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and then toss in the garlic, peppers, and carrots. Cook for about 7 minutes, until veggies begin to soften.

It was at this point, I realized my little tiny wok was not going to get me through this meal.

So, I got out another frying pan and acted like I was a line chef in my very own restaurant.

And here I added the rice, mango, and tofu and tossed everything together, cooking until the rice was heated through.

It was here that I added in the peas, too (I hate overcooked peas, so like to wait until close to the end) to add them in.

Now, in the center of the rice (or the center of each of the rice dishes!), make a well. And into the well, crack the eggs(s). Scramble the egg with the spatula and mix into the rice. Here’s where you can add a little more Sriracha on top if you desire. And why wouldn’t you? Sprinkle the green onions on top.

Dig into this light but super flavorful dish!

I loved how summery it felt with a little bit of citrus and fruit, but a whole lot of spice. In fact, you probably want to stay away from this dish if you don’t like spice (or just use mango instead of Sriracha… with soy sauce for seasoning!), but it sure does help when it comes to clearing out your sinuses.

Plus, it’s just plain tasty. Though I let my tofu marinate for quite a while, it wasn’t overpowering my any means and I definitely would have eaten it on its own if needed. But I wouldn’t say no to a little fried rice either. Never would.

This post was a joy for me to write for several reasons. For one, I’m psyched that I’m actually craving this rice right now and would eat a big bowlful if I had it in front of me! Food! Is good! Yay! And the other reason is that Chris and I got a beautiful large All-Clad wok as one of our wedding shower gifts. Which means the next time I make this dish, I can make it in one glorious wok.

Also, tomorrow is Friday; but that should speak for itself, yes? Let’s hope I can work on making myself 100% completely better over the next couple days!

How are you feeling this week?

[Sues]

If you’ve been reading We are not Martha for longer than a year, you might remember the trip Sues and I took up to Vermont last January thanks to Cabot Cheese and Ski Vermont. We stayed in a luxury condo and learned how to snowboard. We had such a blast and at one point (maybe at multiple points?) we said how great of a trip it would be for a bachelorette party. While we loved snowboarding and being outside, the best part was hanging out and relaxing in the condo, getting massages, and nearly falling asleep in the hot tubs. It was the perfect setting to let go and unwind!

So, when it came time to plan Sues’ bachelorette party, I immediately remembered that trip to Vermont and how much fun we had. I reached out to our darling friends at Cabot Cheese to see if they could help me plan this undercover trip. They sent me a list of a few resorts in Vermont and told me to take a look at them all. When I saw Jay Peak’s website, I knew right off the bat that this resort would help make for the perfect girl’s weekend. And it was very Susie. Full kitchen with granite countertops, fireplaces, decks, sweet views, and great restaurants. Plus, they just went through a multi-million dollar renovation so everything is brand new. Not only that, but the resort plays such close attention to the details. Like working with local Vermont companies to outfit the rooms, using actual ski lift pieces and parts as functional decorative accents, and using local ingredients at their restaurants.

There was a group of 9 girls who went up for the weekend, all childhood friends, and Sues’ friend Kyle from UNH, who is easily friends with all of us by now. It’s kind of neat how everyone has been able to stay in touch and come together for such big moments in each other’s lives.

The ride to Jay, Vermont is about 3.5 hours from Boston. And of course it started snowing as we arrived! Kate and I got up there first (wearing ballet flats, woops) and took a tour of the resort with Chelsea, who works at Jay, and helped make our entire stay at Jay possible! She showed us all of the new conference rooms, that has more than 5,000 square feet of space, which brings the resort to over 37,000 square feet of conference and meeting space. Insane.

The conference spaces also feature state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment which would be perfect for a conference!

The amount of windows in some of the conference spaces is absolutely stunning! Definitely a great spot for a wedding!

Once we were finished touring the conference rooms, Chelsea took us up to some of the guest rooms to take a look at some different layouts. Months ago, she hooked us up with a 3-bedroom suite, which at this point we had already checked-in to, but it was still fun to see the other options for lodging. Hotel Jay offers nearly 176 suites, which include a mix of studios, 1,2,3, bedroom suites and 4 bed lockouts.

Now, I’m definitely not a hotel person at all. It’s become a joke between our group of friends by how bugged out I am by hotel germs. Hotel Jay was completely immaculate. Spotless. Perfect. Not to be cheesy, but it kind of felt like home. The beds and linens were divine and I cozied right up to them! You couldn’t find anything wrong with the rooms if you looked. And trust me, I always look

Once the guest room part of the tour was over, we went to take a look at the restaurants at the resort. There’s The Foundry Pub & Grille, which is where we ate dinner Saturday night. They offer “char grilled steaks and meats, fresh pastas, and locally sourced vegetables.”

Then we went over to Alice’s Table, which was closed the weekend we were there, which offers “mountain views as well as a menu with local meats, cheeses, and fresh seafood.”

We also stopped by Tower Bar. This is where we ate dinner Friday night. More on that below!

We then went over to The Pump House Indoor Waterpark, which is about 50,000 square feet! The average air temperature is around 86 degrees and the water temps are 84 degrees.

The park also has a retractable roof which helps with cooling in the summer. “The Pump House includes Big River, the longest indoor Activity River in the country, The Mill Pond children’s play structure and splash zone, Big Falls climbing wall, multiple tube slides, The Double Barrel, a double-surf wave, and La Chute, which is one of only 2 indoor Aqua Loops in the world.”

In the waterpark, you’ll also find The Drink, which is a poolside bar.

Connected to Hotel Jay, you’ll find the Tram Haus Lodge, which is an even more luxury option for lodging, if you can even believe that!

Once the tour was over, it was time to relax and get pampered at Taiga Spa. We booked Sues a massage appointment, I got a much-needed deep tissue, and Kate got a pedicure.

Cabot gave ALL the girls who attended a $100 gift card to use at the resort to put towards spa treatments, dining, or any activity at the resort! This was such a treat And just one of the twelve million reasons why we love Cabot.

Once we were done at the spa we went back up to the rooms to settle in while Beth got her massage.

Kyle had arrived by that point, so while we waited for the rest of the girls to get there, we went to dinner at The Tower Bar. We ordered delicious wings.

And had our first experience with poutine, a dish that consists of french fries, cheese curds, and often sauce or gravy, which originated in Quebec. Jay Peak basically borders Canada, so why wouldn’t we order this!? So good.

By the time we were done with dinner the rest of the girls had already arrived and were hanging out in the suite. I think the thing you need to understand about our friends is that we’re not typically a wild bunch, so our idea of fun is mostly sitting around chatting with a good cocktail in hand and playing silly games. Plus, life has been so hectic for all of us lately, it was just nice to be able to catch up in a relaxed environment with some good tunes in the background at a level soft enough where we could actually hear each other speak!

Please note, we were only in Vermont for two nights and this is what we brought for adult beverages. No clue why we thought the weekend would require all of this! I guess it’s better to be prepared??

Oh, and this was the view we woke up to on Saturday morning:

Not too shabby at all!

On Saturday, we headed down to Cabot, Vermont to take a tour of their visitor’s center. What’s a trip to VT without seeing our favorite friends!?

We took a tour of the facility and saw where the cheese is made, packed, and shipped. We also watched a video about the farmers and the history of Cabot and participated in a tasting, which is the best part The Cabot Cheddar shake is actually quite addicting on popcorn. We all kept going back and were being little piggies

The smoky bacon cheddar was delicious as was the chipotle. Some all-time favorites are the Cabot vintage, Tuscan, and sage blends. Who am I kidding? They’re all my favorite.

The ladies who guided our tour were gems. They even gave us lunch recommendations and called a few restaurants for us to check their hours. Vermont hospitality!

And the fridge filled with just Cabot products is something dreams are made of. Sometimes my fridge at home looks a little something like this when Cabot sends us huge boxes of cheese, hehe

Kyle had the idea for all of the girls to bring a piece of clothing in one of Sues’ wedding colors (yellow, purple, or gray), so we could take a group photo. I sent an email out to everyone to let them know the plan and was so excited everyone remembered!

We made a quick pitstop on the way back to grab lunch then headed back to Jay Peak to relax before we went to dinner at The Foundry. But before dinner, Sues and I had a quick social media session with our friends who aren’t on Twitter! We went over the meaning of hashtags and how Twitter can benefit just about anyone as long as you’re following interesting people! They were sold and (almost) all created accounts! Here’s Lib, Kate, and Nina tweeting. Or as one of them who will remain nameless said, “tweetering.” I even got Kate to sign up for Instagram. Love it!

We enjoyed a fantastic group dinner at The Foundry and yes, some of the girls tweeted about it using the hashtag we created for the weekend, #JayPeakBach.

[Liz and Neen]

[Kate, me, and Lib]

[Erin and Kyle]

[Neen, Beth, and Sues]

[Grilled Sliced Sirloin, Apple Cider Herb Marinated , Roasted Shallot Marchand de Vin, and polenta]

[Caledonia Gin Cobbler]

[Foundry Pasta Primavera. Cavatappi Pasta, Herb Grilled, Seasonal Vegetables, Roasted Garlic Jus, Smoked Cabot Cheddar Cheese]

After dinner we headed back up to the suite and stood around the kitchen and living room chatting for hours about who-knows-what. This is just what we do. Which very clearly explains why we’ve all been friends since forever.

The weird thing is that even though this was such a low-key weekend, three of us are now currently so sick. Katie, Sues, and myself are all struggling hardcore this week trying to fight off whatever it is that we caught! No appetites, achy bodies, congestion, etc. Thankfully I didn’t have to work on Monday because I could hardly move but I did have to call out of work yesterday and got sent home early today. And Kate and Sues both had to call out of work earlier this week. We actually had a discussion at dinner on Saturday night about how we never call out of work. Go figure. I’m a firm believer in having bachelorette parties a significant amount of time before the wedding just to be safe and you want to give yourself time to heal, haha. I said to Sues the other day thank goodness we didn’t go away the week before her wedding because there’s no way we’d feel okay for it! Now we have plenty of time to recuperate and get some meds

Next stop: WEDDING!

What’s your ideal bachelorette party idea? It’s always fun to hear what other people did!

[Chels]

Our stay at Jay Peak was 100% complimentary. The $100 gift cards were given to us from Cabot Cheese and our tour at the visitor’s center was also complimentary. As always on We are not Martha, all opinions and statements our entirely our own and we only work with companies that we absolutely adore. Thank you SO much to Jay Peak (Chelsea!) and Cabot (Candace, Cheryl, and Roberta) for giving us the perfect setting for a wonderful weekend

No, I’m not talking about Snapple Iced Tea. It’s Snap Iced Tea. As in Snap. Another spirit from my new favorite distillery, Art in the Age. After I wrote/raved about Root a couple weeks ago, the lovely people at Art in the Age contacted me and asked if I’d like to try Snap and Rhuby. Um, you have no idea how much I wanted to try them. Basically, yes times a million.

In case you haven’t been able to tell, I am a HUGE fan of all things ginger. Yes, that means ginger snaps. But that also means that whenever I get sushi, I eat half the raw ginger on the plate. I totally understand it’s an acquired taste and one that some don’t love. But I’ve found that when people like ginger, they really like ginger. I really like ginger. And yes, ginger snaps, too.

That’s why I was incredibly excited to try Art in the Age’s Snap- it’s based on the original 1600s recipe for the ginger snap.

Snap, like Root, comes in an incredibly-designed bottle that makes me want to display it on a shelf in my living room.

The back of the bottle is even prettier, displaying all of the ingredients in Snap. So, what’s in this one? Blackstrap molasses (yum!), clove, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, rooibos tea, and vanilla. Once again, a plethora of ingredients I can’t get enough of.

By the way, Nix Besser means “None Better.” Agreed.

If you want to learn even more, check out the fabulous Snap video Art in the Age created. I’m seriously obsessed with Art in the Age and can’t get over how creative all their marketing material is. They also sent me their press kit and it was one of the best I’ve ever seen.

While, again, I am of the mindset that this spirit is best enjoyed as simply as possible- on the rocks or mixed with a little bit of soda. But there are all kinds of fun concoctions you can make with Snap.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to try this St. Paddy’s Snap Shake despite the fact that St. Patrick’s Day is long gone. I mean, it involves a carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream, milk, Snap, chocolate cookies or ginger snaps, and whipped cream. Heaven in a mug. I also need to make ice cream with Snap.

I went the route of refreshing and decided to make Snap Iced Tea. I was recently sent several cases of Honest Tea (more on this later next week… I promise! It will also involve a giveaway for Boston-area readers!) and decided to go with the 2 oz. Snap and 4 oz. “Not Too Sweet Tea.”

The result?A little bit spicy; a little bit sweet; and a whole lot of awesome. Snap definitely felt more “alcoholic” than Snap, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing… Especially if you’ve had a rough week. It really reminded me of rum; but a much spicier and more interesting rum. I tasted much more of a molasses note than a ginger note, but really found both.

The flavors definitely aren’t that sweet ginger snap flavor you’re used to- they’re more rustic and strong; the way ginger snaps were originally supposed to be. And the way I like my liquor! I am a fan of Skyy Ginger Vodka, but the sweetness can be a little too much. Snap just feels natural and PACKED with molasses!

I’m pretty sure you’ll be seeing Snap and Root on the blog again in the future. I definitely want to experiment and utilize these spirits in some more drinks. Plus, I still get to try Rhuby; Art in the Age’s rhubarb inspired drink.

Thank you SO much to Art in the Age for giving me the chance to try Snap and Rhuby! I haven’t seen them in my liquor stores yet, but I’m hoping they appear soon. These are the kinds of spirits I need to always have in stock in my liquor cabinet.

I’m off to get ready for my Bachelorette party weekend!! I’ve been held in suspense and have no idea where we’re going or what we’re doing. I just know that I’ll be picked up shortly and am spending the next couple days with my nearest and dearest friends! The weather has been so weird lately and I have a feeling it’s going to be a cold weekend wherever we go (it’s within driving distance!), so I’m basically packing my entire closet. Chels also sent this to me for a little extra help:

I can’t wait to spend the weekend hanging out with my favorites and I’m sure I’ll be updating Twitter every so often, so follow along if you want! And have a wonderful weekend!

Are you a lover of ginger or could you do without? Gingersnaps?

[Sues]

I’m back. And yes, I’m still blogging. Yes, I’m still alive. Yes, I’ve missed you, too. All answers to questions I’ve been asked over the last several weeks. I did not die or fall of the face of the Earth.

I was talking to a friend the other day about how I felt guilty about not blogging for so long. But I’m also torn because as much as I love blogging, at the same time, it’s nice to go out to dinner with someone and not snap photos of every morsel of food. It’s nice to not write blog posts in my head when I should be listening to the person sitting across the table from me. It’s nice to whip up a quick dinner and not have it take three times as long because I’m photographing every step. It’s nice to just be present. After I was done with my rant, my friend simply said, “Sounds like you just needed a break”. Which was true. Regardless of how much you love doing something, sometimes, you just need a break to find the time to discover other things you love and to just sort things out in your head.

So, what have I been up to?

I’ve spent more time at the gym, which is something I haven’t done in a while. I just completed a 6-week suspension training program called TRX. Feeling strong is a wonderful thing! I always found reasons not to commit to things like this because I had to get home and blog or cook dinner while it was still light out, so it was nice to actually have some time to take care of myself and get back into a routine at the gym.

(source) [This is just a random brown lady doing TRX. Don't get too excited, it's not me ]

I also took a trip down to Texas. My sister and brother-in-law moved to the Dallas area, so I visited them over Easter weekend. I actually purchased my plane ticket before they even bought theirs!

AREN’T THEY SO CUTE?!

[No clue why I'm standing like a body builder.]

It’s kind of crummy not having them live in the same state anymore, but it makes me happy knowing I can visit a lot and when I need a change of scenery I can hop on a flight down to visit them. This will come in handy in the winter.

Heck, I even have my own room:

Let it be known that I did not have a single bad meal while in Dallas. This city knows how to cook! One of my invitation clients travels to Dallas for work a lot so she recommended we try Screen Door, which is a modern southern restaurant. It blew my mind.

(Grapefruit 75)

(Fried Chicken and Baked Mac & Cheese. Clearly what dreams are made of.)

My first night there, we went to Urban Taco which is a modern Mexican kitchen. We went on a Thursday evening and they were having 1/2 off drinks and appetizers and also had a live band outside on the patio. Sooo, we ate and drank a lot. Obviously. The restaurant also had complimentary valet parking, which to most people might not sound like a big deal at all, but when you add up how expensive it is to park in Boston, you could probably put two children and your dog through private school.

Over Easter weekend, we wandered around the Fort Worth Stock Yards.

And now I want a pair of custom boots from M.L. Leddys. And I probably need a custom saddle to match, although I can’t even remember the last time I rode a horse These boots are stunnING. They take 10-12 months to make which I kind of love. A complete labor of love.

My sister made a delicious Easter dinner in her new kitchen!

The rest of the trip was spent walking the lake Des and Ab live on, catching up, goofing around, and driving all around town with my siblings getting a feel for their new home. I loved it there and can’t wait for my next trip!

Some other things I’ve been up to?

Spending quality time with my co-workers! We had a cupcake decorating night and made some adoooorable lil’ guys!

[Mine)

[All of ours together!]

My friend Missy is dating a guy who has adorable daughter’s so I’ve spent some time with them, too! One of them made me this drawing and I CAN’T STOP LOOKING AT IT. How stinkin’ cute are kids!?

I also joined a CSA through Maya Papaya! I’m THRILLED to know every week this season, I’ll receive some beautiful bounty from Vermont. I’m splitting the share with a co-worker, just because we’re both single and don’t want to be wasteful. We did the math and it comes out to about $6/week worth of produce. So pumped to see what we get each week The nice folks at Maya Papaya dropped off some farm fresh eggs for us recently, too. Delicious.

I’ve also been glued to my computer and craft table designing invitations, which is just plain neat. Here’s a peek at Sues and Chris’s wedding invitation:

And Sues’ shower invitation. I created a custom painting in her wedding colors and incorporated the culinary theme into the invite. ‘Twas a fun one to work on.

Last Thursday I went to one of my most favorite events of the year, Taste of the Nation. Our very dear blog-friend-turned-real-life-friend, Susan, does PR for the event and so kindly invites us every year. It’s a wonderful cause, to raise awareness to stop childhood hunger.

[Mass Girl's Pint Out mugs!]

[Discovered a new favorite beer: High & Mighty's XPA]

Besides spending the night mingling with some of Boston’s greatest chefs, I got to spend quality time with some of the absolute best people I know, Julie and Becca, who we met many moons ago through blogging. Which brings me back to the point I initially made. Sometimes you just need a break from what you love to realize how much you miss it when its gone.

I’m back Woop!

If you’re a blogger (or not), have you ever just needed to take a break to focus on other things in life? Do you feel guilty?

[Chels]

I’ve always been of the mindset that the more chocolate, the better, when it comes to ice cream. Give me a triple chocolate chocolate chunk ice cream and I’m happy as a duck in a puddle. But the older I get, the more I find myself gravitating away from chocolate and toward the lighter fruiter things in life. I have very mixed feelings about this since I have always considered myself a huge chocolate fanatic and a “keep all fruit away from my desserts, please” kinda gal. But tastes change and obsessions come and go and I’m embracing it. And thus, I’ve been eating a Strawberry Shortcake Skinny Cow every night for basically the best 3 months (p.s. do too many Skinny Cows make you a fat cow?? If so, help). Because they’re absolutely what I’ve been craving. But please, don’t get me wrong; I’d still take a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food ANY DAY. That is a given.

In the midst of my strawberry shortcake ice cream obsession, I decided to attempt my own similar homemade ice cream. Since I knew I wanted more than just a vanilla ice cream base, I decided to attempt a white chocolate ice cream. It was simple to make, with the waiting and chilling the worst part. As always. But it was an absolute dream and everything I hoped for and more. Unfortunately, there is nothing “skinny cow” about this recipe and it’s not all packaged up in single-servings either. Which means you might eat a lot.

Also, because I know someone will ask, yes, I do use raw eggs in my ice cream. It’s a personal preference and I’ve made ice cream MANY different ways and think the recipes with a raw egg base truly taste the best. It’s only two eggs in two pints of ice cream and I always make sure to use farm-fresh, organic eggs when using them raw. And I always keep them in the fridge until ready to use. If you prefer not to make ice cream with raw eggs, you can definitely make this same ice cream with a custard base, no problem!

White Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream (makes 2 pints):
Print this recipe!

• 10.5 oz. high-quality white chocolate
• 1/4 C whole milk, plus 1 C
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 C granulated sugar, plus 1/8 C
• 2 C heavy whipping cream
• 1 T vanilla
• 3 C sliced fresh strawberries

My grocery store only had one variety of white chocolate in stock. ONE. I almost overlooked it because “Green and Black’s” made me think of, well, not white chocolate (yes, I blatantly ignored the “WHITE” scrawled across the top of the packaging). But I’m glad I found it because it’s not my favorite white chocolate ever. Must try ALL of Green & Black’s chocolate now (it’s organic AND fair trade!).

FYI: You absolutely cannot use white chocolate chips for this recipe. I know it’s all tempting because they’re cheap and easy to find, but they just will not melt correctly. Did you know that chocolate chips actually contain a hardening agent so they can keep their shape? Well, they do. And it makes it tough to melt them smoothly. I’ve always noticed this with chocolate chips, but especially with white chocolate. Invest in a high-quality chocolate. It’s worth it.

To start the recipe you’ll need to melt the white chocolate. Break the chocolate bars up and place them in a double broiler or a heat-proof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Add about 1/4 C milk to the bowl.

Isn’t that some pretty chocolate there? Those little specks are Madagascan vanilla. YUM.

Stir the chocolate until it’s all melted and then remove from pot of boiling water and set aside to cool.

Now, whisk the eggs and 3/4 C sugar together in a large bowl, until light and fluffy. Set aside.

Whisk in the cream, 1 C whole milk, and vanilla to the egg mixture.

Stir the cooled white chocolate into the mixture and put in fridge to chill. I always try to chill my mixture overnight, but 4 hours should suffice.

Before you’re ready to process your ice cream, slice your fresh strawberries. Yay! I love strawberry season.

Add 1/8 C of sugar and mash the strawberries into what I’ll call a chunky puree. Let sit for a few minutes.

Using your ice cream maker, process according to manufacturer’s directions. I simply poured my cream mixture into my chilled Kitchen Aid ice cream maker and let it churn.

When the ice cream began thickening and was nearing the end of the churning process, I added in my strawberries and blended together a bit more.

Then I popped the ice cream into my handy dandy Zak ice cream containers. I get SO much use out of these things.

Again, I like to let the ice cream chill in the containers overnight. But it’s not totally necessary. You’ll just notice that the longer you let it chill, the harder and less soupy it will get. It all depends on how you like your ice cream.

I thought it was pretty fantastic like this. Close to perfect, in fact. Despite my great desire to make this, I have to admit I’m not the biggest white chocolate fan (again, I used to be OBSESSED. But I think one day, I ate too much….), but this white chocolate favor was mild, creamy, and definitely not sickeningly sweet.

This is like the best of both worlds… Sure, it’s chocolate, but it’s white chocolate… Which isn’t reallyyyy chocolate. At least not the kind you generally think of when you hear “chocolate ice cream.”

I loved the chunks of fresh strawberries in this recipe and thought they leant the ideal spring flavor. Really, the only thing that could have made this ice cream better is if it maybe had some white chocolate chunks in it. Or if it was fat-free. And calorie-free. But still tasted exactly the same. I’m allowed to dream, right?

Even though I made ice cream all winter long, I have a feeling I’l be making quite a bit of it this summer and maybe even experimenting with some lower fat versions. Though those never seem to photograph quite as well. I bought Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams cookbook almost a year ago and really want to start digging into it. I’ve been reading it as a bedtime story every night recently (it’s SO pretty!), but have been struggling with what to make first since all of the recipes look like heaven in an bowl. Jeni is awesome. Why can’t I just be her? Guess I’ll go drown my sorrows in a bowl of ice cream…

Do you like your ice creams fully loaded with chocolate or are you happy with fruit?

[Sues]

First of all, so many of my relatives came, from as far as Texas. It was so wonderful to see them and I feel SO SO lucky that they made the trip for the occasion. Especially since they’ll be doing it all over again in about 6 weeks for the wedding. I guess they must love me

When I came downstairs, I was a little nervous about what I’d find. I knew next to nothing about what the shower would consist of and I spent a couple hours before the shower up in my sister’s old bedroom with the door closed while everything was finalized. Chels and Katie finally came upstairs to get me, a little bit before all of the guests arrived (I didn’t want to walk in with 60 eyes on me!). Everything looked absolutely amazing, but I wasn’t sure what was being so hidden from me… Until I walked in the kitchen.

This is what my face looked like as soon as I turned the corner:

Why? Because HE was standing in my parents’ kitchen!

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you’ll recognize him as Chef Brian Poe from the Rattlesnake Bar and Grill. And basically the best chef ever. Chels and I have written about the Rattlesnake many, many times and Brian threw us our We are not Martha 2-year anniversary party a couple years ago.

Rattlesnake has some of my favorite food in all of Boston and I never expected to see Brian Poe standing in the kitchen of my bridal shower. My mom, sister, and the rest of my bridesmaids finagled him into setting up shop in the kitchen and catering the event. They somehow managed to keep this secret from me for months! And yes, that means my shower had the best food ever!

Like Poe’s famous grilled cornbread that I could literally eat an entire pan of. Really.

Stunning quesadillas.

Another all-time favorite: lobster avocado spoons.

The most deliciously spicy meatballs that I think I ate about 20 of (including several cold ones long after all the guests left).

And the nachos that started it all. Seriously, way back in July 2009.

So obviously, the three of us had to get a shot with the nachos prior to them being devoured.

There was also a bar area that I absolutely could not get over. I mean, check out the details:

Plus, the girls made cocktails straight from the pages of We are not Martha!

Really, every single detail at the shower was totally well-thought-out and just perfect.

My mom and bridesmaids thought of EVERYTHING. From the glitter balls in our wedding colors:

To the personalized napkins.

And, of course, some fabulous m&ms designed just for us!

I mean, even the water was kicked up a major notch to stunning.

Dessert also came straight from the blog:

And included my Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Filling and Baileys Frosting…

And Lemon-Blackberry Cupcakes.

(I think these are actually way prettier than the ones I made!!)

Can’t forget the beautiful heart sugar cookies in our wedding colors!

Of course, the people at the shower were also absolutely fabulous! I feel incredibly lucky that my nearest and dearest were all there celebrating with me.

In case you couldn’t tell, I have the BEST friends/bridesmaids.

Along with an awesome group of high school friends. One of which (ahem, Libby) came straight from the airport after her flight being delayed in Germany overnight! That’s impressive.

And lots and lots of family friends and fabulous relatives who came for the weekend from all over.

Somehow we lucked out on having the most beautiful weather possible… Especially a miracle considering what the last couple days in Boston have been like!

The nice weather also meant we could spend some time on the deck that my dad spent a lot of time staining… And in the yard he spent a lot of time working in and planting beautiful flowers in!

There was a crazy amount of presents and I am very impressed that all 30+ guests sat and patiently watched me open them all… I’m not known for my speed in situations such as these.

At least there was a little entertainment going on beside me… A slideshow with photos from all different periods in my life!

I won’t make you watch me open all our gifts either, but I will say we got some very exciting new kitchen fun stuff and we are so honored to have received such special gifts!

And I have to show off the beautiful and touching gift Chris’s mom gave me (with a handkerchief from Chris’s grandmother inside).

And because it’s totally appropriate to the blog, the amazing book Kyle’s mom gifted to me. If you can’t see, it’s Martha Stewart Weddings straight from 1987! How appropriate, right? Even more appropriate is the fact that Kyle’s photo happened to be up on the slideshow as this photo was taken

And the bridesmaids got Chris and I an entire honeymoon related gift, including tote bags… Mine with my new initials on it! First time I’ve seen that…

And flip-flops that will leave “Just Married” footprints as we walk on the beaches of Mexico

Another super thoughtful touch that we can keep forever? The girls bought these beautiful plates and had everyone write messages to us on them… Once we get a home, we can hang them all on a wall and read all our lovely messages whenever we want.

And I definitely can’t forget the wedding favors… Homemade vanilla for everyone! How absolutely perfect? And it’s not the vanilla I usually use in baking out of my giant vodka bottle; it’s beautiful! And quite useful, too.

My dad was going to take the boys out for a late lunch during the shower, but considering a famous chef was in his kitchen, he decided it would be best to stay home and enjoy the food Poe was cooking for us. Which meant Chris stuck around for most of the shower, too (besides playing some golf). He made sure to wear his “wedding color shoes!”

I also have to give a HUGE shoutout to my Texas cousin, Angela, for acting as the most fabulous photographer for the day. She is credited for all the shots on this blog and did such a good job capturing the whole day. THANK YOU, Angela!

I think I was pretty much in shock the entire shower; it was all a bit difficult to process. I felt like I was in a daze the whole time, like, is this really happening? Even looking back at these photos, I can’t quite believe it happened. Can we do it again??

No matter how much I say “thank you” and talk about how much fun I had and how lucky I feel, I don’t feel like I’m doing the shower enough justice or giving everyone enough credit. It was THAT amazing.

But I’ll try one more time, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to my mom and my bridesmaids, including my sister, Beth, and friends Liz, Kyle, Katie, and the other lovely blogger you know as Chels. And to the fabulous Brian Poe for cooking (he also happens to be quite busy opening a couple new Boston restaurants!). And to each and every person who attended! I’m the luckiest girl in the world. Not to mention, all THIS just because I’m marrying the man of my dreams and my best friend!

And now I just have a few work days to go before I have another very exciting weekend consisting of a bachelorette party!! Once again, I am being held in suspense and have no idea what we’re doing (or what I should wear!). I’m sure I’ll be filling you in soon… And it’s also likely that Chels will be blogging about some of the details of the shower since I know she worked super hard on them.

Yay for getting married! And having the best wedding shower ever!

[Sues]

Is April flying by for anyone else? Because it’s already the 19th and I want to know what y’all did with the first 2.5 weeks of the month. Not that I’m complaining; I mean, I do have an awful lot to look forward to. BUT, if you want any month to last, it’s gotta be April. Simply because it’s Grilled Cheese Month. I obviously wasn’t about to let April pass without another grilled cheese on the menu. And since I’m all about the quick and simple dinners these days, Grilled Cheese Month couldn’t have come at a better time. Not that I don’t enjoy a good grilled cheese every single month of the year…

This one ties in my love for Greek salad and more specifically, FETA CHEESE. Which is definitely in my top 5 cheeses. I’ve never had a feta grilled cheese and it doesn’t seem to be such a common thing, probably because feta doesn’t get all melty and ooey-gooey. But don’t discriminate because of it. This grilled cheese was honestly one of the best I’ve had. And that’s saying a lot a lot. I added a nice roasted red pepper spread to the Greek Grilled Cheese and it was definitely the perfect touch.

Greek Grilled Cheese (makes 2):
Print this recipe!

• 2 T olive oil, divided
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 6 oz. roasted red peppers, drained if in water
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 T lemon juice
• 4 slices good bread
• 2 T butter
• 4 oz. feta cheese
• 1-2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 C baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 C kalamata olives, sliced

Start by pouring a little olive oil into a frying pan and heating over medium heat. Add red onion and sauté until it’s a bit caramelized… or however you like it.

While the onion is sautéing, add the roasted red peppers, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil to your blender.

Blend until smooth. My spread was a little watery because I didn’t drain the water from my peppers first. But no big deal! Next time, I’ll probably drain them and put them on a paper towel for a bit before blending.

Slice tomatoes, chop olives, and slice feta cheese. Mmm I love Greek food so much!

Heat a griddle or hot surface over medium-low heat. Butter one side of all four pieces of your bread. Set bread on griddle, butter side down. On two slices of the bread, spread the roasted red pepper spread. On the other, layer feta cheese, tomato, spinach, olives, and onions.

It was at this point, I absolutely knew this grilled cheese was going to be heavenly.

Place red pepper spread bread on top of other slice of bread and press down. Cook until bread is nice and browned, about 1 minute, and then flip.

Flipping this fully was the toughest part about this whole recipe. There was such much going on inside the sandwich and since the cheese wasn’t super melty, it was tough to hold it all together.

But I managed OK.

And thank goodness because I would have been really sad if I had to pass up on this grilled cheese due to flipping disaster.

The best part of this? I can’t name one. So, please don’t make me. I honestly cannot do it. I love everything about this.

But seriously, one of the keys here is to get some good bread. After all, this is A LOT of sandwich. And if you try to squeeze all this goodness between two little wimpy slices of bread, you likely won’t have great success. When buttered, this bread grilled up reallyyy nicely, held up incredible well, and had a beautiful crispy crunch to it.

The only thing missing from this Greek Grilled Cheese was cucumbers. Cucumbers are always a must in a Greek salad, but I just couldn’t envision them on this sandwich. But don’t worry because I had some on the side.

Another grilled cheese that WILL be made again.

And now I’m off to get through a couple more days of work before WEDDING SHOWER weekend!! I can’t wait to see all my family traveling here to see me. And I’m also quite curious to see what my mom and bridesmaids have been planning. I’ve been totally left in the dark, but I do know for sure that it’s going to be a fabulous weekend!

So, have you made any grilled cheeses for grilled cheese month?

[Sues]