FIRE! Andy

Well, more like a lower case 'fire'. Our washing machine blew up today. Luckily, I was working at home and was able to catch it. I think it's a blown motor, but I'm not going to plug it back in to diagnose it. The house smells like electrical smoke, but no scorch marks. Becky's pretty excited about getting a new washer... so I guess It ended up OK.

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update: hhgregg delivered a new washer this morning. Cammie said, "It's bigger!"

Recipe: Tushi Pasta Andy

I was at Harris Teeter today and they had a 1/2 price special on Sashimi-grade tuna steaks which means that it was handled with such care that you can eat it raw... or sushi style. Being in the mood for pasta and trying to eat healthier after a vacation, I came up with a sort of italian-blackened-sushi pasta dish.

Tuna steak, 3/4 inch thick. (I used a pound)
Chopped Basil
Chopped Green onion (I used 3 stalks)
Sliced and quartered zucchini (I used half a large one)
Can of chicken broth.
Olive Oil
Garlic (2 cloves)
Whole Wheat bowtie pasta.

I started by cooking the noodles. While the noodles were boiling, I pan fried the Zucchini, onion and garlic in a splash of olive oil while the pan was heating up for the "blackening." Once the veggies where cooked just right I set them aside and put some chicken broth over the top of them, as well as the oil they cooked in, trying to make a light sauce/dressing. I added a bit more oil to the pan and let it heat up some more.

I rubbed some dried chopped basil on both sides of the tuna steak. Since it was Sashimi-grade, I wanted the pan to be good and hot so it seared the outside without cooking it all the way through, in fact I wanted it raw in the middle. Just a quick minute or so on each side, and it was just about right. I pulled it out and sliced it up into thin strips and tossed it all together with the veggies and noodles. There was still a lot of good drippings and spices in the pan so I poured in some more chicken broth which quickly reduced and poured that with the drippings into the mix.

The Verdict:
It was so good I decided to start blogging my recipes.

Other things to try:
Next time I might include more veggies, perhaps mushrooms, maybe even some chopped stewed tomatoes. Maybe wine in the pan if I had any laying around for whatever reason.
It could probably be chilled and served as a salad.

Lessons Learned:
Be careful when flipping your steak. Searing of the skin could result if you aren't careful.

My Recipe Box! Andy

As those who know me know, I like to eat. But, I am going to let you in on a little secret. I'm what might be referred to as a bit of an experimental chef. I like to stare at the contents of the pantry and the fridge and come up with new and exciting recipes. The problem is, when they are good, they rarely get repeated. Partly because I don't measure anything, and partly because I just forget. Well I can't do anything about the first issue, I don't like to measure ingredients. It just seems to put the food in a sort of box.

What I CAN do is give a ballpark recipe here, as well as what I would do differently and what worked great. I might even log my dismal failures (if my pride isn't too much to swallow) as well, but mainly as a warning to myself, and other experimental chefs among you.

I'll be posting them here for all to see, and if you're brave enough, try for yourself.

Bon Apetit!

Kids Craft Blog Becky

Since I don't know how to add this blog. Here's a fun one if you have kids and are looking for fun craft projects to do: http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/

I need a Yellow Shirt! Andy

Devon Update Andy

Here's a quick little update for Devon. He's almost 8 months old, and has the build of a future NFL linebacker (or maybe a defensive end, too early to tell for sure). He Is crawling now and he is FAST! It's not a typical crawl though, It's kind of a frog swim on land I think is the best way to describe it. He's also able to set up after crawling. Becky and I can't remember ever seeing him do that before, so we're calling this the first time.

His verbal range is increasing, both in volume and vocabulary. He can say all sorts of words... none of them english except the occasional "dada" and "mama". I'm not sure what language he is learning, but it seems to consist of sequels, giggles, piercing shrieks, and coos. Maybe it's Dutch?

He got another haircut yesterday, and once again behaved like an angel!

He continues to show his love for Mommy by sneezing while she is feeding him. To bad he doesn't Love ME like that ;) !

Remind me I have to post some video of him crawling...

Cammie Turns 2! Becky

Cammie turned 2 on June 21. She loves Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street, so we used this opportunity for her to wear her fairy costume from Halloween again (which looks kinds like Abby's) and Andy found someone who customized a picture of Cammie and made a poster of her as Cammie-Cadabby (drawyouapicture.com). She thought it was funny as you can see! Cammie also loves to help us in the kitchen, so her cousins were ready to pass on their play kitchen with lots of great accessories and the Furrys got her a chef's outfit. She had a fun party at Nana & Papa's house with Chandler, Colby & Cassidy who also dressed up like fairies! Andy & I decorated an Abby cake, too.