Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Back to the Basics

As promised, today I have a food post. I've got pictures and I've even got a recipe for you!

Monday was a rainy day in Birmingham. Although it cleared up before I got home from work, I'd already set my sights on some soup and salad for dinner. I'm a huge fan of chicken noodle soup and so is Jason. I have adapted my recipe from a recipe that I found online almost a year ago. My version tends to send Jason into a blast from the past because he swears it tastes just like his grandma's recipe.

Chicken Soup with Orzo (serves 8):
Ingredients
  • 1 box of orzo
  • 1 lb.boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 can carrots
  • 4 chicken bullion cubes
  • 8 c. water
  • Nature's Season by Morton to taste
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. Add 8 cups of water to a large pot. Set on medium/high heat and bring to a boil.
  2. While the water is boiling, cube the chicken breast and saute it in a skillet. Add seasonings to taste.
  3. When water is almost boiling, add bullion cubes and stir in seasonings to taste.
  4. When water begins to boil, add whole box of Orzo.
  5. Let the soup boil for 7 minutes. 
  6. After 7 minutes, add the can of carrots (strain the liquid out) and the chicken.
  7. Let boil for 3-5 more minutes.
I served my soup with a side salad made with romaine lettuce, feta cheese, and balsamic vinegar. Perfect for a sort of rainy evening!

Last night, Jason and I needed a date. We are quickly coming to learn that we have to make time for each other without any distractions. In the craziness of the tour ending and Jason getting reacquainted with living in Birmingham full-time, traveling, Jason moving, wedding planning, and just living life, we've kind of made our "Jason and Jessica time" less of a priority. Even if we are together, we're usually with other people or we're constantly on our phones or computers.

Tuesday had to be date night. We discussed putting it off until Wednesday or Thursday since we had to do some more moving and we actually had small group. But honestly, if we put it off last night, we probably would have put it off until next week. We're also learning that putting other things on the back burner for time together is important.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that Jason and I enjoy being social together. We enjoy being together with other people. It makes life a lot easier, fun, and we love our friends dearly. I honestly never thought we'd be the type of couple that struggled with having enough time together, but another thing I'm learning is that time together (meaning in the same room) doesn't always equal time together (meaning with no distractions).

The point: last night we went on a date.

Jason had purchased a Groupon for The Fish Market in Hoover. Neither of us had ever been there before, so we were excited to experience it for the first time!

The food was DELICIOUS! I'm usually super hesitant about ordering seafood anywhere that isn't near a large body of water, but this was definitely an exception to the rule.

I attempted to be healthy, but I ended up just making last night my splurge night. I had grilled grouper, popcorn shrimp, steamed broccoli, a baked potato, and hushpuppies. Jason ordered a lobster tail with fries and corn on the cob.

I rolled out of there feeling quite full. I also ordered a Diet Coke to go and left it on the table. I hate it when I do that!

After dinner we went to Target because Jason had something to return, and well, I love Target (it's my happy place). While we were there we decided to look at some of their furniture. We walked away last night with a dresser and chest of drawers! Obviously, they both need to be assembled, but that's Jason's project for the next few weeks :)

I just love Target.

While we were there, I also tried the Light Mocha Coconut Frapp from Starbucks. Totally yummy, but I doubt I'll get it again any time soon. Maybe I should have held out for some froyo? Oh well, ya live and ya learn!

Official moving day is coming up quickly for Jason (tomorrow), along with a super busy (but super fun) weekend! Please keep us in  your prayers as we adjust to all of these transitions and changes.

I'm sure you're tired of me rambling on about my date last night, but what can I say, it was much needed and totally exceeding my expectations!

Happy Wednesday everyone - the weekend is just around the corner!

No comments:

Post a Comment