Let It Begin

So after some coaxing from my loving sister, I've finally decided to open an Etsy shop for quick and easy printable invites. It took me a bit, and there's only eight invites in stock right now, but it's something. We'll see where this leads I suppose, but feel free to check it out!

doodle dew designs on Etsy

Easy Alfredo Sauce

This only came about because of one lazy Sunday and the site that made it difficult to save the recipe. So in an effort to keep this delicious and easy recipe around, I'm now sharing it with you. I originally got it from here but after some changes (mostly because I forgot to add some ingredients) I've now adopted it as my own. I've posted the modified recipe below, so enjoy!

Easy Alfredo Sauce

Serves approximately 6

4 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable is fine)
1 cup shredded Italian cheeses (Mozzarella, Romano, etc.)
1/2 cup Parmesano Reggiano cheese (or plain Parmesan)
3 tablespoons fresh or 1-2 tablespoons dried parsley
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

4-5 slices of ham, sliced (optional)

Directions

1. Melt butter and add flour, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes to cook the flour. 
2. Add milk and broth and blend well. 
3. Add cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. 
4. Add ham and serve over cooked pasta.

And it's as easy as that! So delicious and quick to make, I'd definitely make it again. The ham is definitely optional since I only threw it in as an attempt at protein. You could substitute for sliced chicken or shrimp if you really wanted to. As for the extras I just put them into individual containers and popped them in the freezer for easy meals! Sounds like a success to me.

Happiest Place On Earth

Alright, alright. I know this blog took a dramatic nose dive into the inactive but in my defense I couldn't think of anything to write about. Not to mention wedding stuff took over my brain and the blog was shoved into the back of my mind. But now, fresh off the honeymoon, I actually have something to talk about! A story even. Partly because I don't want to forget this hilarious story and because it needs to be shared. Seriously.

Not part of the hilarious story, but important for context.

So we went to Walt Disney World in Florida for our honeymoon. We expected it to be fabulous and a lot of fun and it definitely was. We got the 'Happily Ever After' buttons to announce our newlywed status and to subsequently gain any benefits because of it. That was incredibly successful, almost detrimental. Sure we enjoyed the pleasure of free dessert one night and a free day of parking, but we also appeared to be targeted by performers. Enter our day at Hollywood Studios.

I'm still not completely sure what they were other than hilarious.

We were just minding our business enjoying their skit in the middle of the street, when the 'police officer' noticed our buttons and began to yell at the top of his lungs 'ARE YOU GUYS MARRIED? DID YOU JUST GET MARRIED? OH MY GOSH YOU'RE MARRIED'. The lady quickly latched on to whatever idea he was running on and they flocked to us. Notice my apprehensive laughter due to the fact we had no idea where this was leading. After asking about the wedding the police officer then asked us if we'd mind reenacting his favorite part of the wedding, and without much else to do other than go along with it we agreed. To walk to the aisle. In front of an entire group of people.

I couldn't stop laughing the whole time.

Not only that though, but they insisted on providing the music themselves, as well as grabbing a few randoms from the crowd to be the officiator and my maid of honor. My maid of honor was adorable and promptly wished us well. I love cute old ladies.

They rolled out the red carpet, started humming the wedding tune and I had to walk towards Adam while trying to keep a straight face. Incredibly impossible, but so much fun. I have to give props to these actors that just wander around Hollywood Studios because they are so downright hilarious and manage to roll with whatever they want. Sure it's embarrassing but it definitely made our day as well as a fun memory documented thanks to the Photopass worker with her quick trigger finger. So much fun though, I'd recommend the trip to anyone that doesn't mind hopping from park to park. Just keep an open mind and who knows what you end up getting involved in.

We also met an Oscar winner. I got to hold his umbrella.

The Best Kind of Heart Attack

I know, two food posts in a row. What kind of person am I? But after a long-awaited trip to the good ol' Tubby Dog I knew I had to write something about it. Now, I'm sure by now you've looked at the above picture, puzzled at what exactly it is you are seeing. That, my good friend, is what Tubby Dog calls the 'A-Bomb' and it's probably the most unhealthy and yet delicious thing I've had in a while. A while being since last year when I had it before. You see, Tubby Dog is unfortunately a sometimes food, but with that amount of belly-bursting toppings it's easy to see why.

Yes, underneath all of that there is still a hot dog. What initially begins as a simple dog and a bun evolves into some sort of other worldly creation. Crushed potato chips, nacho cheese and bacon bits top of this beauty and cause it to be so ginormous it's practically impossible to pick up with your hands. Unless you're in the mood to get yourself dirty.

So yes, Tubby Dog is worth it all. Of course I can never finish an entire A-Bomb but maybe one of these days. Or perhaps it's better that I don't. Who knows, really.

Lasagna with Sausage and Kale

Oh look, a recipe! How inventive. I made this on Monday night with the Beau and I have to say it was quite delicious. Only complaint was it dirtied quite a few dishes, but I'm sure with some tweaking I could scale it down a bit. With a side of tabbouleh salad it was just delicious! I'll definitely make it again. It was like all the fantastic parts of  lasagna without the complication of having to layer and what not. Highly recommend it.

Lasagna with Sausage and Kale
12 ounces spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)
1 to 2 bunches kale (1 1/2 pounds), thick stems removed
4 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces lasagna noodles (about 9 noodles), each broken crosswise into 4 to 6 pieces
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 5-quart pot, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in onions; cover, and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add kale and 1/2 cup water to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain; coarsely chop. Transfer to bowl with onions.
3. Meanwhile, cook noodles 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain; rinse under cold water.
4. Add noodles, tomatoes, and ricotta to the bowl; season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; smooth top with a spatula. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Found here on MarthStewart.com

For auld lang syne my dear

So another new year rings in, and I suppose it's that time of the year were New Years resolutions are suppose to come about. I'm always awful with New Years resolutions, usually 'resoluting' to something lame and easily attained. But this year I think I'm going to try a little harder than usual, mostly because now I have Adam to hold me accountable for things. I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

1) Exercise and become more physically fit - Ah yes, the typical resolution. I, with the hundreds of others looking to lose weight, will flood the gyms and anger the more religious patrons. But I need and want to stick with it, mostly because fitting in a wedding dress isn't achieved by sitting around. Unfortunately.

2) Take more (nice) pictures - This involves hijacking Adam's nice new camera and hounding him to put them on the computer. I blame the fact that this blog is so unexciting picture-wise for this resolution.

3) Post here at least once a week - Whether it's simply a random thought or a recipe I recently found, writing down my thoughts should be a regular occurrence. I'm not a big journaling person, but this is kind of almost the same thing so I think it should count.

And that's that really

The Dark Knight Rises.

So last night was an interesting night. After having stumbled upon the viral campaign for the newest Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises, I found myself standing in line with the Beau with the prospect of seeing the seven minute 'prologue'. It had been screened in Los Angeles a few days prior, but now we were among the first few fans to actually get to see it before it was released along side Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. Now, I'm not going to call myself a 'movie buff' or anything like that, but the idea that I could nerd out with fellow fans and my fiance was enough of an excitement for me. So we waited. And waited. And eventually after two hours were ushered into the theatre to see what the host dubbed 'the best seven minutes of our lives'.

I have to say, it was pretty fantastic. Those seven minutes were probably the most intense and exciting seven minutes I've experienced in a while. Ignoring Bane's slightly muffled and occasionally indistinguishable accent, I was still able to follow what was going on and it was quite stunning. Hans Zimmer's score set the mood perfectly and made me wish the release date of July 2012 was that much closer.

The free t shirt was a nice touch as well, despite it's three-sizes-too-big appearance. But I suppose that's why we have sewing machines.