countdown to paradise and an award...

10 days to go...

10 little days before we leave on our honeymoon to Greece.

10 long days until my first vacation in exactly three years.

It has been so good to have something tangible to plan and look forward to following our wedding and I'm so glad we planned it this way. Still, the final countdown is a bit tortuous! I've been doing some shopping over the past few weeks in preparation and think I have pretty much everything I need...including a teal bikini purchased yesterday (at my DH's request). One more bathing suit and I should be fine in that department. Just need to dig out my cover ups and see if I have a pair or two of yoga pants to wear around the house balconies and on the beach in the cooler evenings. Ahhh...doesn't that sound divine?

DH however... He's nowhere near ready. His job has been all-consuming lately. Read: 6 days a week for 12-16 hours a day. Not good at all. Now, our mission this Saturday will be to completely prepare him and gather/buy everything he needs in one day.

On the blog front, my lovely friend Tania gave my blog this Ladybug Blog Faves award... thank you Tania!!!

The rules for this wonderful little blog award are as follows:
1. The winner may put the logo onto their blog
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 10 blogs
4. Put links to their blogs.
5. Leave a message for the nominees.

I do plan on nominating my favorites but, need some time to go through my Google Reader and pull out the addresses for my faves so, bear with me!

my equipment...

"What camera and lens do you use?"

I get asked this question a lot so, I figured I'd just post it here. Since August 2005, I've been shooting with the Nikon D50 D-SLR. It's 6.1 mp and, at the time I bought it, was the camera of the moment. Capturing roughly 12,000 images over the past few years, it's been a true workhorse. I've learned to shoot really well with it and this baby launched my part-time photography business. Sadly, it's quickly become professionally irrelevant and I'm in need of a megapixel upgrade but, I still love this camera and would highly recommend Nikon. If you are just starting out and are intrerested in an equivalent, great starter DSLR with a small pricetag, I'd contact B&H Photo Video and look at the D40 (maybe only refurb now?) or D90. My favored lens is the Nikkor 1.8/50mm. It rarely leaves my camera because it's light, quick, great in low light and gives great depth of field. A necessity, in my opinion, and very affordable (under $100). These Trash the Dress photos were all shot with the 50mm. Love, love, love it's versatility and super sharp images.

recipe: taco skillet

Not a gourmet meal or a stretch by any means, but I spotted this recipe while flipping though the latest issue of Cooking Light and figured - inexpensive and quick...why not? It cooked up in less than the stated 20 minutes and was pretty tasty, with a few of my own additions/changes (in italics). DH really liked it and asked for a repeat. I think it could still use a few more things to spice it up and add more color so, I'll try them next time I work this in the rotation. Beef Taco Skillet
(adapted from a Campbell's recipe)

1 lb. ground beef (I used lean ground turkey)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1 can Campbell's tomato soup (I used Healthy Request)
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup water
6 flour tortillas (6"), cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
steamed brown rice

1. Cook beef (or turkey) in a 10" skillet until well browned, stirring to break up meat. While cooking, add garlic, chili powder and hot sauce to flavor through. Pour off fat.

2. Stir in soup, salsa, water and tortilla pieces. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Top with cheese and allow to melt. Serve over brown rice and add a dollop of sour cream to each serving. Yield: 4 servings.

(* Next time, I plan to saute a diced onion and green pepper before adding the meat to brown and will also add another 1/2 tsp. hot sauce along with the soup, etc.)

favorite things...

We live in condo and the kitchen is, well, small. The main living spaces are open floor plan, which gives the illusion of more square footage. The kitchen appliances are well laid out and, between the available counter space and the occasional use of our dining table, I do generally have plenty of room to prep and cook. DH bought this condo about a year before we met and completely furnished and decorated it on his own.

When we merged homes last year and I moved in we had conversations about the addition of some of my belongings and the subtraction of some of his. One of the major points of conversation was over dishes. He thought his $10 special dishes were just fine and saw no reason to oust them in favor of the FiestaWare I had started collecting (and planned on adding to).

Let's face it. On certain issues, there really is no compromise:
Over the past several days, NY has experienced an early taste of summer. Weather in the 90's had all of the local dogwoods prematurely busting into bloom. I snapped this shot on our walk up to the library book sale on Sunday. Aren't they beautiful?
I generally use my camera far less during our long winter months, other than for holidays and other indoor occasions. It felt good to have the strap around my neck again and my shutter clicking away. Good practice for what's to come next month ;-)

recipe: warm balsamic potato salad

I've been searching for new side dish recipes that are easy and more flavorful than the usual steamed brown rice or baked potatoes. While visiting my parents this past weekend, my mom mentioned that she had picked up a new cookbook so, I flipped through and picked out this recipe. It was the perfect accompaniment for our grilled steak and portabello mushroom caps last night. Super fast, easy and packed with a ton of flavor. While cleaning the dishes, DH was already asking me to make it again sometime - now that's a stamp of approval!
Warm Balsamic Potato Salad
(Cooking Light, Fresh Food Fast)

1 pound mixed baby potatoes (such as fingerling, purple and red), cut into wedges
1 Tbsp water
1/4 cup light balsamic vinaigrette
1/2 cup chopped bottled roasted red peppers
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (*I used 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled goat cheese

1. Place potato wedges in a large microwave-safe bowl; add 1 tablespoon water. Cover with plastic wrap, vent (do not allow plastic wrap to touch food). Microwave on HIGH 7 minutes, or until tender; drain.

2. Stir in vinaigrette, bell pepper and basil. Top each serving with cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size about 3/4 cup potatoes and 1 teaspoon cheese)
Cal 131, Fat 4g, Protein 3.7g, Fiber 2g

menu monday...

Figured I'd post each menu here, so that I have a record, and just update the sidebar with the latest. Good? Here goes:

4.27 - Grilled Steak and Portabello Mushroom caps, Warm Balsamic Potato Salad, salad
4.28 - (dinner at my in-law's)
4.29 - Grilled Pork Chops, Steamed Veggies, leftover potato salad
4.30 - (out to dinner)
5.1 - Taco Skillet, Steamed Brown Rice
5.2 - Shrimp Stir Fry, leftover rice
5.3 - Peach Mango Salsa Chicken, Steamed Veggies

I've committed to trying at least one new recipe each week and there are two above. Once I upload photos, I'll post the recipes and our reviews.

when shopping goes well...

Approaching the departure date for our Greek honeymoon - three weeks from today! - has created the need to shop. Summer skirts, tops, light dresses and, of course, bathing suits. I'm leaving the latter until the (very) last moment possible but, the clothing search started this week. On Thursday, a friend took me to her new favorite bargain mecca, Nordstom Rack. If you have one of these slices of retail heaven anywhere near you, run to the store and be amazed:

I saw. I shopped. I believed.

I walked out with two dresses that will pack well, keep me cool and can be dressed up or down (plum and black) and a lightweight, short-sleeved cardgian (lilac) that I may end up wearing on the plane.

On Friday night, while upstate visiting my parents, my mom and I took a run to the local Target. Apparently I had forgotten to pack appropriate shoes for the baby shower we attended on Saturday and, Target was the fastest solution and one that was open late. Found these green gems:
Then, browsed the sale racks and came up with this fabulous top (in both black and grey) - cute, flattering AND on clearance! If I end up finding it in teal, I may just grab that one, too:
Finally, this black cotton skirt that was out of stock in my home store.
Just need a bunch of lightweight tees I think I'll be all set. As for bathing suits, I have some very specific needs: underwire, no halters and not too skimpy. Feel free to send any shopping suggestions my way!