10 Months

My how time flies... Tyler and I have been married 10 months (today) and I really couldn't tell you where the time has gone. Having that said, I also can't believe all that we've done and all that has changed over the past year, or 10 months really.

I've taken on a new role at Perceptive Software, which has been quite the ride. I've been involved with several recent acquisitions as well as a multi-million dollar project which has taken most of my time and energy since mid-June. I've been to Chicago, Scottsdale, Lexington, the UK, Dallas and Minneapolis for work. Tyler and I also spent 5 days in Cabo with friends in April as well as a long weekend in California (Los Angeles and La Jolla) in August. We still have Vegas and New Orleans on the docket before the end of the year. It doesn't feel like a lot of travel, but when you add a honeymoon in St. Lucia last December, I guess that's quite a bit of traveling for a ten month span. Traveling is something Tyler and I both have a passion for, and we are already planning trips to Nashville, Austin and Colorado next year.

Ty started a new job in May with Ceva, a companion animal pharmaceutical company. It's been a great transition and he's really enjoying the new gig.

Our house is a work in progress, but we've come a long way. So far we (and I use "we" loosely, I really mean Tyler) have completed the following projects:

-Knocked down the popcorn ceilings in the living room and kitchen
-Added can lights and updated all light fixtures
-Put in a new sliding door
-Painted the kitchen
-Refinished the cabinets
-Installed new backsplash
-New kitchen appliances
-New cabinet hardware
-Redid all cabinet shelving
-Redid the kitchen countertops
-Painted the living room
-Painted our bedroom
-New bedroom furniture
-Redid all shelving in Tyler's closet
-Mounted a TV in our room
-Turned our third bedroom into my walk-in closet
-New driveway
-New stamp and stain patio
-New vanity in the bathroom
-Painted the bathroom

Here are some photos of our bedroom, it's pretty much finished (is anything really ever done??)

We still have quite a bit to do, but our house really feels like a home and I am so impressed with all the work Tyler has done.

Tyler is quite the cook! The other night he made his famous Gumbo and it was delicious. As I mentioned, we're going to New Orleans in November, for our anniversary trip. I surprised Tyler with the location, because he surprised me with our honeymoon location. Ty loves Cajun food, and the Gumbo Festival happens to be going on while we are there. So we're getting excited for Cajun culture and more importantly, Cajun food. Here is his recipe in his own words:

Tyler’s Cajun Gumbo

This recipe feeds about 4-6 people.  Double for larger groups.

Ingredients:

Meat

This is where you can add/omit anything that you don’t want.  I have found that sausage can make or break this recipe, so make sure you find a decent andouille for this recipe.

·         1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch chunks (I prefer chicken thighs, but you can use chicken breast if desired. Just note that dark meat will be more tender in a stew)

·         ½ lb of shrimp, deveined w/ the shell off

·         ½ lb cured andouille sausage, sliced. Smoked and cured andouille works well.

Roux

·         ½ cup flour

·         ½ cup vegetable oil (I put a few tbsp of sausage grease in the measuring cup, then fill the rest with veggie oil)

Stock

·         6 cups LOW SODIUM chicken stock (Anything but low sodium will turn out too salty)

Vegetables

·         1 large onion, diced (white or vidalia – whichever floats your boat)

·         4 ribs celery, sliced

·         2 bell peppers, diced (I like to use green and red for color, but any color will do)

·         1 small head of garlic, peeled and minced

·         1 red jalapeno, minced (leave in seeds and ribs if you want to turn up the heat. If you use a green jalapeno, I would suggest removing the seeds and ribs)

·         ¼ lb okra, sliced (I leave this out – the choice is yours)

·         Small bit of freshly chopped parsley – optional

Spices

You can also change up your spices to get the flavor you want, but I have found that this blend gives a great authentic taste.  Note – I leave salt of the mix (other than a little celery salt) because I get enough sodium from the broth and Cajun seasoning blend)

·         3 tsp Cajun seasoning (I use a blend of a couple seasonings – I would suggest Old Bay and the Weber Cajun seasoning.  Taste these before you add, so you know how much heat, salt, etc. you want the Cajun blend to have)

·         ½ tsp celery salt

·         ½ tsp dried basil

·         ½ tsp dried oregano

·         ¼ tsp dried thyme

·         1 dried bay leaf

·         Freshly ground black pepper

For Serving

·         Long grain white rice, cooked

·         Sliced green scallion and/or fresh parsley for garnish (I leave out, but it tends to add a little freshness and visual appeal)

·         Tabasco

I like to chop all my veggies and mix my spices before I start. At the very least, make sure your veggies are chopped and ready to go before you start your roux.

         

Methods

1.      Brown meat – Heat up about a tbsp of veggie oil in a large skillet and brown the sausage over medium-high heat.  Just get the sides a little crispy and brown then throw them in a bowl, toss in Cajun seasoning, cover with foil and set aside.  Steal a few tbsp of sausage grease, set aside and brown the chicken in the remaining sausage grease.  Just cook the outside – DO NOT cook all the way through.  Same drill – remove chicken to a bowl, toss in Cajun seasoning, cover with foil and set aside.

2.      Make roux – First things first… take your bio-break, turn on some tunes, grab a beer/glass of wine and set aside at least 30-45.  Making a good roux isn’t hard; it just requires attention and patience.  If you have a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, use it.  Add the veggie oil to the Dutch oven and cook on low to medium-low.  Let oil heat up, and then slowly add the flour. Constantly stir – I use a wooded spatula so it doesn’t burn. Take it slow and don’t add too much flour at once. Once all the flour is mixed into the oil, keep stirring for about 30-45 minutes. The best roux for gumbo is a dark brown roux – it will be a chocolate color.  It usually takes me about 45 minutes to get it dark enough. Don’t move on too soon, you want this roux to be a chocolate color before you go to the next step. Note – if you see black specks in the roux, you have burned the roux – throw out and start over. If you smell burning at any point, turn your heat down.

When your roux reaches the right color, turn off the heat and add the onion, bell pepper and celery all at once. Keep stirring until the roux cools down.

                        

3.      Assemble and cook the gumbo – To the roux and veggies, add your stock, chicken and sausage (with any juices that accumulated in the bowl while resting), scallions, garlic, jalapeno and spices.  Bring to a Boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Stir occasionally. Add the okra and cook for another 30 minutes, partially covered.  Taste and adjust your seasonings then add your shrimp (or other seafood) and parsley.  Remove lid and simmer for an additional 20 minutes or longer to thicken the sauce. 

  

                       

4.      Serve – Pour gumbo over rice. Garnish with Scallions and parsley if desired.  I like to add garlic French bread or cornbread on the side.  

                

  

Store

Like all stews, gumbo thickens and improves over time. If you have leftovers, refrigerate for up to a week – your second meal will be even better!

Extras

·         I like to serve my gumbo with French bread.  Slice fresh, spread butter on one side, sprinkle garlic salt on top and broil in the oven until golden brown.

                              

·         You can also serve with cornbread. Let a stick of butter soften for about 30 minutes, then mix in some honey and serve with the cornbread.

·         For less slimy okra, give it a water/vinegar bath for about an hour.

·         Don’t feel like you need to season the gumbo all at once. If you think it might have too much heat, wait for your first tasting (after the chicken is cooked through) and adjust accordingly.

·         If you have never made a roux, watch a couple videos on YouTube so you will know what to expect – it helped me my first time.

·         Serve a salad with the gumbo (with a light dressing).  It will help lighten up the meal.

·         Change up your seafood – you can substitute crawfish or crab for shrimp.

·         Make your roux ahead of time – you can make your roux in advance. When you get your roux where you want it, just keep stirring with the stove off until it cools down. Store covered in the fridge up to a week. When you are ready to cook your gumbo, just heat up the roux and you are ready to go. 

·         Make it yours – add or omit ingredients to make it your own and bring out the flavors you like best.

I  I also have to add this picture for what Tyler is typically doing while the gumbo simmers: 

In this picture you can see our new light fixture above the table and the new sliding door. All that's left is the floor!

Until next time...