Day One...
Today marks the 62nd day of wedded bliss. (Ten days away from beating out Kim Kardashian's marital misadventure I might add) Just a short time ago I was on a beautiful beach on the Island of Maui marrying the man of my dreams...celebrating with a Mai Tai or 2 or 7, then jetting off to Kauai where we filled our days with sun, sand, sunset cruises and helicopter adventures... We dined at only the finest restaurants and when returning back to our fabulous suite on the ocean every evening only to find champagne and orchids strewn about our room, which was tidied when we woke up and turned down before we went to sleep. Ah, it was pure honeymoon bliss...Two weeks later and we're back to reality. We're arguing over who gets to make the bed, who is the lucky SOB who gets to clean the bathrooms and what we should order in for dinner. To return home to all the new appliances, the dishware and gadgets that at one time I couldn't wait to use...I now look at them as foreign objects wondering why I wanted them at all. What happened to the girl who during our engagement had promised Jason, weekly gourmet meals, a pristinely clean house and a wife that would be dressed to the nines to greet her husband after a hard days work with a martini of half vodka, half gin, shaken, never stirred. It is so easy to fall into the habit of dressing in your sweat pant best, waiting a day if at all to shower and ordering dinner in.
I think after the dust settled and we had finally set up house, I regained my motivation for all of those things. Furnishing and decorating a new house takes alot of time and efforts not to mention the organization of setting up a house in general. You have all these bedrooms, ample closet space and when each of our things was moved in, suddenly the rooms didn't seem so big anymore and the closets became all too small. Thank you to my dear Husband Jason for gladly giving up ALL of his closets in the Master Bedroom and kindly allowing me to house my 200 pairs of shoes in a room all of their own. :)
Thanks to a fabulous Mother who is the Queen of entertaining and a Domestic Goddess herself, I like to think I fell into her shoes quite quickly. She created fabulously delish recipes growing up and she made food so much fun. So now that I have a great kitchen to call my own and a eager sous chef, I have no reason not to create recipes of my own! Rather than the basics of a registry I opted for several sets of dishes, a plethora of charges in all colors and shapes, napkins, and glassware to serve a party of 50. Which is exactly what I plan to do! Jason and I both love to cook and food is such a great way to bring people together. That and a great glass of wine or a fabulous cocktail. So Day 1 begins with the fabulous friends and family and the food that makes entertaining completely worthwhile. Let the weekly meal plans and fabulous dinner parties begin!!!
Bisous et calin!!! (Hugs & kisses)
Nikki
-Lauren, you have showed me how much fun pre-planning meals can be not to mention taking the stress out of that age old question, "So, whats for dinner?"
Check out Lauren's amazing blog:
http://dumbblondedoesdinner.blogspot.com/
My family in their entirety came over for their first dinner hosted by Jason and I. I started the meal with my Shrimp Salad in Mini Phyllo Cups. The flavors were spot on and they were absolutely delish! A perfect compliment to a glass of Sauvignon Blanc with citrus and grassy notes such as Woollaston's Sauvignon Blanc. My hubbykins then made his famous Tangy Spicy Chicken over Basmati Rice with Roasted Asparagus. Baked in the oven, this chicken comes out perfectly moist and tender. It's a crowd pleaser every time!
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
2 cups shrimp, cooked peeled and finely diced, about 1 pound
1/2 cup finely diced celery, about 1 1/2 stalks
1 tablespoon minced green onion
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package mini phyllo shells
chives for garnish
Directions
Combine the shrimp, celery, and green onion in a medium bowl, stir together the lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Pour over the shrimp and stir gently to combine. Season additionally to taste. Pour a spoonful into each of the phyllo shells. Garnish with chives.
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