Almost Wedding Time!

It's almost wedding time! All I have to say to both of you, Tina and Joey, is to enjoy every moment of your wedding day, because it's fun and it goes so fast. Of course, the days after the wedding are the ones that are really about marriage and coupledom.  You will have days  that are more difficult and tiring, but there will also be days where you realize how wonderful it is to have someone by your side whenever you need it.  Actually, remember to live every moment in the present in your life, especially in your marriage. Men and women don't always get along, but it's important to be patient and cherish it, because years go fast.  I can't believe how long it's been since Brian and I started dating let alone how long it's been since we were married.  I still feel like you, Tina, were with me just yesterday at our wedding.  So enjoy it and have fun.  Love each other and smile.

How do you know Tina or Joey?

Like I said in my initial post, Tina and I met when we were three and four years-old, I think.  We were pretty young.  We used to live a few houses away from each other. Tina, her sister, Kelly, my sister, Kristin, and I would play together during the summers.    My sister used to create different imaginary places where we would ride our bikes and pretend to be in those made-up places.  As we got older, Tina and I continued to hang-out together almost everyday, especially in the summer.  She would come down to my house sometimes before I had gotten dressed or finished my breakfast, but neither one of us ever cared, because we just liked hanging out all day doing whatever.  We would ride our bikes and pick up food for Tina's mom from a nearby grocery store; we felt so grown-up doing that.  Tina and I would, also, eat at each others homes a lot.  I still remember our fixation on eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  Tina got me hooked (still to this day) to their three cheese macaroni with the shells. I could always tell Tina anything; we could say the silliest things to each other and we wouldn't care. Tina and I went to different schools and as we got older, we had different groups of friends and I moved away.  However, she's one of those friends where you know they will always be there and you can start right up where you left off.    Tina is one of the most loving, sweetest, most fun person I've ever met in my life and I'm so happy for her and for Joey.  He's a really lucky person. Actually, anyone who ever gets a chance to be part of Tina's life is a lucky person.  

Feel free to post how you know Tina or Joey and/or any favorite memories you have with each of them.

Pictures from Tina's wedding shower and bachelorette party

Thank you, Kelly, for sending me some pictures from Tina and Joey's wedding shower and from Tina's bachelorette party. It looks like it was really fun, and I can't wait to see everyone next week!  Thanks, Kelly, for putting together some great parties!

"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!