"Remember, we all stumble, every one of us.  That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand."
~Emily Kimbrough

"Don't go to bed angry."

I don't know who the first person was to say, "Don't go to bed angry," but whoever they were/are, they are wise. I always heard the phrase from TV shows, from other couples, and probably from several other places, but  I never really thought it was that big of a deal until now after I've gone to bed a couple of times angry and realized that it's not that fun the next morning.  I might not want to stay up later when I have to wake up for work the next morning and deal with an argument or unresolved feelings, but it's better than having a restless sleep and waking up thinking, "Ew," and, "I'm so angry." 

Every relationship is different and has it's own quirks that work well or don't work well, but I've found that saying, "I love you," and saying, "I'm sorry," (and showing these words through actions) is really important to do often.  Compliment each other and support each other in everything, even when you might feel less than complimentary or supportive.  The other person will appreciate it and, hopefully, will also return a compliment.  After being together for a while, people often forget how important it is to continue to treasure the person who is closest to you. As humans, we tend to get so accustomed to the fact that our family/friends will always be there for us, so we often show less patience with them and take things out on them.  It's great to feel like you can run around with a bad hair day or mismatched socks and know that your spouse will still love you, but also don't forget to treasure them and to continue to woo them. 

Hazelnut & Chard Ravioli Salad Recipe

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving one year, and Brian and our friends loved it. This website is a great one for many different kinds of recipes, too.

101 cookbooks

Choose a winter flavored ravioli, I used a fresh (but store-bought) sweet onion & red chard ravioli, but I suspect a butternut squash ravioli would be delicious as well. I sometimes precook the raviolis and keep them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet until I am ready to use them - this helps prevent the raviolis from melding into one another after cooking. I used a butternut squash version of the potato "croutons" shown here. Substitute butternut squash for the potatoes, you can make them a day ahead, but they loose some of their structure overnight. The flavor is still great, but you'll loose a couple points for eye-appeal. I sometimes do a big batch of the onions and keep them in a jar in the refrigerator to use in recipes like this one.

3/4 lb. raviolis (see headnotes)
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
fine grain sea salt
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch swiss chard, deveined and cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
1 cup butternut squash "croutons"
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup chives, minced

Into an extra-large pot of well-salted boiling water add the raviolis. After a few minutes, when the raviolis float and are cooked through, drain them and toss with one tablespoon of the olive oil. This prevents them from sticking together. Set aside.

To caramelize the onions, heat another tablespoon of the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed skillet with a pinch of salt. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions collapse and turn deep brown in color. You can do this ahead of time (or just before serving) - whatever you prefer. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Just before serving heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, again in a big skillet over high heat. Add the raviolis. Stir in the onions, and then the chard. Wait until the chard begins to wilt, then stir in most of the cheese and most of the hazelnuts. Gently fold in the butternut squash and lemon zest. Remove from heat.

Serve on a big platter garnished with chives and remaining hazelnuts and Parmesan.

Serves 6.

Links, recipes, advice, best wishes, etc.

To everyone who views this blog, feel free to share anything with Tina and Joey. If you have great advice about relationships, recipes, favorite links, advice on house repair, fun stories about either of them or of them together, please feel free to post!

A yummy and easy recipe

I  make this often.  I thought of Tina since she loved baked artichokes when we were little.  This recipe doesn't have baked artichokes, but it has artichoke hearts in it. In the past, I've omitted or added vegetables to this recipe depending on what I'm feeling like or have in the house.

Greek Vegetable Salad-Stuffed Pitas from Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Meals Veggie Meals

Serves 2 as a supper, 4 as a side dish or starter

-1 can (14oz.) quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained

-1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

-2 vine-ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

-1 small pickling (Kirby) cucumber or 1/4 seedless European cucumber, washed, peeled, and chunked

-20 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

-1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

(2 handfuls)

-8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

-Juice of 1 lemon

-A generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

-Coarse salt and black pepper, to taste

-1 cup of plain yogurt

-1 clove garlic, finely chopped

-2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

-A pinch of coarse salt and black pepper, to taste

-4 large pitas, warmed

-4 leaves of romaine lettuce, from the heart

Combine first 9 ingredients in a bowl.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  In a small bowl combine yogurt with garlic, dill, and salt and pepper.  Line a warm pita with a lettuce leaf, fill with salad, and top with yogurt sauce.