wife-in-training

Sometimes I feel like I'm already a wife.  Actually, I have felt like a wife for the last 2 years.  I actually enjoy doing laundry and cleaning bathrooms and cooking and grocery shopping, so I have no problem doing those things for myself and for Payton.  Some people get the wrong impression when they find out that I've been doing those things for him for years now, but I am quick to correct them.  Payton does things for me every single day that I probably don't appreciate enough or give him enough credit for.  He takes out the trash every single week, no questions asked.  He takes care of our yard- he mows, sprays weeds, waters plants.  He can fix anything- the TV, the internet, the faucet, the dresser, my car.  He builds furniture- a beautiful bar, a big matching pantry with custom spice racks, stairs for Scout so he can get on our bed... I could go on all day listing the things he does for ME.  After hearing that, what's so bad about me doing his laundry or packing his lunch?  Payton takes care of me.  He has taught me how to be smart with my money (those of you who know Payton know what I mean...), which is something I am eternally grateful for.  I am so lucky to be marrying a MAN like him.  A man exactly like my dad.  They think the same, act the same, and take care of me.  Sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming- like when they team up on me and make fun of me- but I am so glad that I found someone to spend my life with that is just like my favorite guy in the whole world!  And I'm sure my dad feels better knowing he'll be giving me away to someone just like him...

I had so much fun this past weekend visiting with my family!  Mom and I drove to Burlington to watch my cousin's lacrosse team win the semi-final round of the Conference Carolinas championship on Saturday, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon with them, laughing non-stop.  We drove back to Burlington with Payton on Sunday to watch them win the whole thing!  I was so impressed with my cousin's coaching and with the team.  Being a lacrosse fan is in my blood, I suppose!  Oh, and PS.. my cousin was named coahc of the year.  Just saying.  

Although it's been years since we've all been together like that, it felt like no time had passed at all.  I just wish the rest of the Fisk Clan could have been there with us!  

Aunt Donna sent us home with some Hoffman Coneys (pork hotdogs).  Hoffman's is a hotdog company out of New York and my parents grew up eating them.  My mom has always told me stories about going to "the stands" in Oswego to get her "coney hot" and chocolate milk after track practice in high school.  I can't believe I had never had one before this weekend!  They are delicious and I'm going to demand my NY family bring us some for our wedding - just don't tell my mom because she'll eat them all.

I put mustard and coleslaw on it.  Don't disown me, I had to bring the south to my coney! 

I also made this delicious reeses cookie pie for my mom's birthday.  It speaks for itself... "Recipe" here: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/peanut-butter-cookie-pizza

We ate junk all weekend, so we have been eating good this week.

Monday:

Mongolian Beef Stir Fry

http://www.ommynoms.com/2008/11/mongolian-beef-stir-fry.html

I got to use my new wok!  Our first wedding gift from my wonderful Aunt Nancy :) 

I couldn't find beansprouts, but other than that I didn't change a thing!  I served it with rice noodles, which I have never had before, and they were soooo yummy.  I soaked them in hot water for 30 minutes and finished them with the rest of the stir fry in the wok.  It turned out perfectly and this is a must re-do!

Tuesday:

Turkey Chili

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-turkey-chili/

Super easy, and really delicious!  I've made a bunch of different chilis, but nothing compares to my dad's.  This actually stood a chance up against the best!  It was really flavorful with almost no fat.  I followed the recipe exactly and I will definitely be using this as my family chili recipe!  I had a simple salad with it.

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/05/lemon-blueberry-yogurt-loaf/

Oh my.  This is sinful.  I have made muffins very similar to this before and they were a huge bust.  This turned out PERFECTLY and it is unbelievably good!  It's a bit time-consuming with a lot of steps, but oh so worth it.

This week is triple coupon week at Harris Teeter (triple all coupons up to$0.99 face value), so maybe I can actually report on some good couponing next week.  That gets me very excited!  I haven't been getting my big impressive deals lately, so I can't do much bragging...

Thanks for reading!  

food & family

Typically I don't cook every single night of the week, but this week was an exception I suppose!  I need to remember to take pictures of my meals for a more aesthetically pleasing blog!  But anyways, here's the menu:

Monday:
Grilled Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Sandwiches
http://livinglight58.blogspot.com/2012/03/our-favorite-sandwiches-ever.html

Now these are delicious! I trimmed and pounded out 3 chicken breasts and then cut them in half so they would fit on the buns better.  I used pineapple slices from a can, but I would definitely recommend going with the fresh stuff!  On a side note, the first can of pineapple I opened was jet black on the inside.  It was the weirdest thing!  It still smelled like pineapple, but it looked like motor oil!  Needless to say, I threw it out and got a new can that was the appropriate color...
I used a mandolin on thin to slice the onion.  This was a really easy recipe and it is perfect for a summer barbeque! *note to self*

Tuesday:
Mushroom Risotto
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/gourmet-mushroom-risotto/

It turned out great just as it was written, but I wish I would have cut the recipe in half.  It makes a ton and we're only 2 people!  I also didn't love it as leftovers (bummer).  It's much better the first day.  Warning: If you don't like mushrooms, you will NOT like this!  And remember, risotto is always time consuming.
I served it with roasted asparagus, which I make by laying it on a cookie sheet, drizzling it with olive oil and soy sauce, sprinkling it with Camp Mix (or S&P) and roasting it in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning once.

Wednesday:
BBQ Ribs
1 rack baby back ribs
1-2 onions, chopped
1 bottle BBQ sauce of your choice
1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
Combine spices and rub on both sides of ribs.  Cut rack in half.  Place ribs in a crock pot and cover with BBQ sauce.  Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

Talk about easy and delicious!!  I found this recipe in my crockpot booklet.  The ribs fell off the bone before I could even get them onto a plate!  Payton and I devoured them and we can't wait to make them again.
We made steamed broccoli and sweet potato tots with this, but we kind of filled up on the ribs before we got to the sides.  Oh well!  Good for lunch the next day!

Thursday:
Super Easy Buffalo Chicken Tacos
http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/979683/buffalo-chicken-taco-recipe

I'm a sucker for anything with buffalo or hot sauce.  This recipe could not be easier and it was absolutely delicious!  I cubed up 3 chicken breasts and followed the recipe as is.  We topped our tacos with avocado, celery, chives, red onion and shredded lettuce.  I put some more blue cheese dressing on top, but you really don't need it.  These are definitely a repeat!
Payton roasted some zucchini and squash slices to have with the tacos that were also yummy!


That takes care of the food portion of my blog - now onto family!  I had a fun Saturday planned with my friends, including a tailgate lunch and watching NC State's spring game.  I live for days like that because we all have full time jobs and just don't get to spend as much time together anymore.  There is really only one thing that will pull me away from my friends on a weekend, and that's family.  The 4 of us (mom, dad, Eric, me) are the only members of our semi-large family that live in NC.  The rest are spread out from Texas to Massachusetts.  I envy my friends that get to see their grandparents, cousins, Aunts and Uncles on a regular basis.  I'm SO thankful to be joining a family that has that luxury - everyone lives close!  That's one of my favorite things about Payton's family.  I love our get-togethers at Momaw and Popaw's house.  It's so refreshing and fun, but it makes me miss my own family that much more.  It's really funny to think about how much my priorities and my definition of fun have changed in just the last few years!
Anyways, my mom called the other day with the best news!  My Uncle Bill and Auntie Donna (one of her 4 sisters) are driving from Oswego, NY to Burlington, NC this weekend!!!!!!  Their son/my cousin Scott coaches women's lacrosse at Limestone College in SC and they have a tournament in Burlington!  As much as I wanted to hang out with my friends on Saturday, nothing is more important to me than spending time with family that I get to see once every 5 years (if I'm lucky).  And I know my mom is so excited to share all of this wedding joy with her sister face-to-face, not just over the phone.  Donna has 3 boys, so wedding talk from a girls perspective is much more fun :)  I just can't wait to spend time with the Tuckers and enjoy some damn good lacrosse!

Flashback Friday - The Tuckers, the Fisks, and the Camerons.  

I'm the blonde with the white cowgirl boots...

Have a wonderful weekend!

spring is here to stay!

Boy, am I glad we can finally say that spring is here- and it looks like it plans on sticking around!  What a beautiful weekend it was.  I made Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese on Friday night and it was a big winner!

http://nutritionella.com/2013/01/butternut-squash-mac-cheese/

This recipe is rather time consuming, but it is so worth it!  We've been eating it non-stop since it came out of the oven.
I cheated and bought the already cubed butternut squash at Harris Teeter.  Hey, it was on sale!
This dish has a really great texture and the flavor is out of this world.  Those 3 cheeses are magical, I swear.  Don't skip out on them!  And did you know that HT sells fancy cheeses already shredded now?  Finding a bag of shredded Gruyere for $3.00 made my day.  It's the little things...
I don't have an immersion blender, so I put the squash mixture in my food processor after it cooled down for a bit.  I had to do it in 2 batches because it would have overflowed otherwise.  It worked just fine!
Definitely follow the broil step.  It gives it a perfectly crusty cheese layer to top it off.  Yumm!

I could chat about food forever, but the rest of my weekend was even better than that mac&cheese, believe it or not!  My MOH and I took a quick road trip to Fayetteville on Saturday to visit another one of my bridesmaids and her daughter- my flower girl!  We went to the spring fling at her school and had too much fun watching her play (and playing a bit ourselves...) and I even won a cake at the cake walk!  Talk about a good day!  I just love getting to spend time with Libby and Ava since they don't live close!

Me, Meredith (Libby's sister), and sweet Ava!

Payton and I spent Saturday night watching episode after episode of Walking Dead on Netflix.  They aren't kidding when they say that show is addicting!  We kept saying "one more" until it was 2am.  We finished the season on Sunday night, so now we don't know what to do with ourselves.  Pathetic?  Now when I see people walking on the side of the road, I automatically think they are walkers.

Sunday was like, the best day ever.  Payton and I took Scoutie for a long walk, which is when I remembered how much I love spring time.  We also went to Diamonds Direct Crabtree to take advantage of their big designer showcase sale!  We got out WEDDING BANDS and I also got my wedding jewelry!  I love it there.  We both got exactly what we wanted - maybe even more, and for a fantastic price!  Then we had lunch in the mall while we talked for a long time about our future and kids.  I love that Payton likes to talk about kids.  Some guys are terrified of it, but he's just excited.  And the good news is, we're on the same page about everything (for now...)!  I really can't wait to be married to him.  But don't worry, we're many years away from being ready for the little ones!  It's just fun to talk about it :)

From the time I was about 12 until Snowy moved to New Hill in November 2011, I only lived about 10-15 minutes away from him.  At one point, I only lived a mile from him!  I was spoiled with the fact that I could go visit him whenever I wanted.  I miss that luxury SO much that it actually makes my heart hurt sometimes.  There are days when all I want to do is throw my arms around his neck and hug him.  He is 35 minutes away from me now and with my work schedule, I only get to see him on the weekends.  Most of the time, I only get to see him for 5 minutes when we have Sunday dinner with my parents.  I finally had the chance to go spend some time with him yesterday afternoon.  I called his name and he whinnied at me just like he always has.  He hadn't forgotten about me!  Mom had given him a bath the day before, so she got to be the bad guy for once!  I did pull his mane, which isn't his favorite thing, but he took it like a champ and I rewarded him with an hour of grazing on the bright green clover.  I curried him and shedded him until my hands were numb.  The ground looked like it had a fresh layer of snow (ha, get it?).  It's amazing how much hair comes off of those animals when spring time hits.  It's never ending!  I was covered from head to toe in white hair, but I didn't care one bit.  I was so happy to just be with him and I felt better than I've felt in weeks when I left.  It's hard to put into words how much joy he brings me, but all I can say is I'm lucky to call him mine.

And we can't forget about Mason the donkey.  He and Snowy are fence friends :)

Happy Spring!

i love love!

Yesterday was one of my favorite days of my life.  Payton and I had our engagement photo shoot with the BEST photographer in the world (trust me, I ain't lying)!  The weather was unbelievable - a perfect spring day!  We chose to have the shoot on NC State's campus around the Bell Tower because it meant a lot to Payton.  We decided to take a risk and have my mom bring Scout for a little while because we really wanted to get a nice shot of our little family.  Those of you who know my dog know that this could have been disastrous.  He is loud, bad on a leash, has severe ADD, and I can't trust him to not run away and get squooshed by a car.  HE WAS NONE OF THOSE THINGS!  He was a little blonde angel and I was SO proud of him.  He was such a ham and literally stole the show.  I am so happy that Renee agreed to let him tag along!  As adorable and sweet as those pictures were, we had to send him on his way and get the real party started.  Shout out to my incredible mom for being his taxi driver and for ironing our clothes since I am iron challenged.  I know for a fact that I have the greatest parents in the world, but we'll save that for another day...
Payton and I are not an overly lovey-dovey couple in public (at all), so we were both a bit anxious about the photo shoot.  Renee is THE BEST there is and she made us feel more than comfortable.  We were nothing but ourselves and it almost made me cry a few times.  I have never been so happy!  I know Payton didn't enjoy it as much as I did, but he was such a trooper and it made me love him that much more for agreeing to do that with me.  By the way- sometimes I forget how handsome he is.  I look at him everyday, but Renee let me sneak a peak at one of his individual pics and my heart nearly skipped a beat!  I got me a good one!  I certainly hope our babies look more like him than me!
We went to our favorite sushi place for dinner after the pictures and man, was that a good idea!  It was delicious and the perfect way to end a perfect day.

Renee was nice enough to send me a few pictures!  I cannot wait to see the rest!

LOOK AT MY BABY!!!!!!!!! 

He hadn't quite calmed down yet at this point... but don't you just LOVE this concept? 

Renee is a genius, I tell you!

My mom and I had a meeting at our florist yesterday also, and that was so much fun.  We mostly talked money (boo) but I just adore the people at the English Garden and I can't wait to see the beauty that they come up with on our wedding day.  It's very possible that I have the greatest combination of wedding vendors ever.

Ok, so now I will end with a yummy recipe.  I made a "skinny" chicken fried rice on Tuesday night and it turned out great!  Here's the recipe:

http://skinnymom.com/2013/03/01/skinny-chicken-fried-rice/

The only thing I did differently was the way I cooked the chicken.  I just pounded out 2 boneless skinless breasts so they would be more even, put about 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and cooked them for a few minutes on each side.  I let it rest and then cut it up in small chunks.  Voila!

monday blues

Sigh.  How is it already Monday again?  "The first five days after the weekend are always the hardest."  Ain't that the truth...

We had a great time celebrating Payton's birthday this weekend!  We went to the Pepper's ChiliBrew Festival at Koka Booth Amphitheater on Saturday with some friends.  The weather could not have been better, which was the icing on the cake.  We tasted lots of different beers and chilis - my favorite being the chili mac & cheese from  a restaurant called Relish.  I think if I had to pick a favorite beer from the day it would be the Innis & Gunn Rum Cask.  But, I can't turn my back on the local classics...  I admit I found myself at the Carolina Beer Company table for their Carolina Strawberry a few dozen times.

A decent picture of us?  Say it ain't so.

Happy happy men!

We continued the birthday celebration and went out to lunch yesterday with some of our wedding party.  Two of his guys got fitted for their tuxes, also.  They acted like it was painful, but I know they will look super snazzy come wedding day!  We ate at Taqueria del Sol and it was a disappointment.  Good queso, decent tacos, terrible service, no drink machine.  I give it a 4 out of 10.

Payton was mad that I forced him to take above picture with me since our engagement photo shoot is this week (yay!).  He said, "won't you get enough of these on Wednesday?"  He just doesn't understand, but I guess that's a boy thing.  Personally, I cannot WAIT for our engagement shoot with our WONDERFUL photographer!  I can't say enough good things about her and I am so honored that she agreed to work with us.  In my opinion, the pictures are the most important thing - next to the person you're marrying, of course!  But we all know I've got that one in the bag ;)  We decided to wait until spring to have our pictures done, so this is long overdue.  We have some fun things planned!  I really don't think Payton will hate it as much as he thinks he will... 

Thanks for reading!

six more months!

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!  I woke up this morning (late) and heard this song by my 2 favorite child stars...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=brnwugU6yso

Umm... could you die?  I could.  They are so talented.  Anyways...

I look forward to the 5th of every month now because it means we're getting that much closer to wedding day!  Today is a big one- we've hit the 6 month mark!  I absolutely cannot believe how fast it has gone by.  I got all of the big stuff out of the way very early on, so now I get to focus on the fun details :)  I know I'm going to miss all of this planning when it's over, but we have SO MANY weddings coming up, it's hard to think about that!  Including our own wedding, we have 6 weddings to attend in the next 6 months.  My bank account says "ouch!"  But, it's so much fun being surrounded by so much love - it's worth it.

Payton and I met my parents at Mia Francesca's on Wednesday to celebrate Payton's 24th birthday.  We will be having our rehearsal dinner at this restaurant, so we thought it would be a great excuse to try it out.  I loved the atmosphere and the food was delicious.  It is literally connected to our wedding venue, so it couldn't be more perfect.  My dad and I both ordered our seafood linguine hot, but mine was WAYYYY hotter than his - even Payton agreed!  It definitely hurt, but it was still yummy.

I really didn't feel like cooking last night.  It rained all day and that makes me lazy.  I decided to try a kale salad because I really love kale, but I've only ever eaten it made by someone else.  And I don't think I've ever had it raw.  The salad had strawberries, avocado, walnuts, feta cheese and a lemon poppyseed dressing.  I liked it, but I found out that raw kale is really tough.  Kind of like what you would imagine grass to be like.  Next time I make it, I'm going to either roast it or cook it down for a little while so it's more pleasant to eat.  Or just use a different kind of green.  The flavor and combination of toppings were great, though!

Lemon Poppyseed Dressing:
-2 Tbsp. olive oil
-2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
-1 tsp. honey
-1/8 tsp. salt
-1/8 tsp. pepper
-1/2 tsp. poppyseeds

Payton's birthday is this Saturday, and he decided he wanted to go to Pepper's ChiliBrew Festival in Cary.  It looks like the weather will be perfect for an outdoor event, so that makes me happy (since I get to be the chauffeur... boooo).  I'm sure it will be a great time and he deserves to have a fun birthday!

Thanks for reading - Have a great weekend!

here goes nothing!

One year ago, I was a (technically) single, broke, unemployed college student in my final month of school. I was just counting down the days until graduation and I couldn't wait to begin the next chapter.  After graduation in May, I hit the ground running!  By Thanksgiving, I was an engaged, financially independent, employed young woman counting down the days until my wedding - and once again, I can't wait to begin the next chapter.  I really wanted to start this blog to document this time in my life since I just recently realized how quickly it is flying by.  I am going to write about my boring life, yummy recipes, couponing tips, wedding plans, and fun things Payton and I are experiencing as almost-newlyweds!  Feel free to join me or ignore me... but here goes nothing!  I'll start my first blog with a DELICIOUS recipe we made last night, followed by a photo montage of my favorite 2012 moments and the start to 2013 - AKA the craziest, best year of my life!

Skinny Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo:
http://www.celebrations.com/content/skinny-chicken-broccoli-alfredo

The oven-roasted broccoli is KEY in this dish!  Here's how I do mine:

-preheat oven to 400 degrees
-chop up 2-3 heads fresh broccoli
-toss with olive oil, salt & pepper (or McCormick's Vegetable Medley seasoning is great, too)
-place broccoli on rimmed baking sheet
-bake for about 10 minutes - I usually just eyeball it - and then flip broccoli so both sides brown
-bake for another 10 minutes (again, I just use my best judgement)
This is one of our favorite things to eat as a side dish as well. The flavor is awesome!

For the chicken, I pound out 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts so they are even (if you get them from Harris Teeter, 3 is too many in this dish because they are so big).  I pour a little olive oil in a pan, sprinkle the chicken breasts with Camp Mix (a delicious seasoning found at the Meat House) and brown it up.  I am grill challenged, so this works just as well when Payton isn't home.

Make the broccoli and the chicken before hand so they are ready to go.  One of the best (and most obvious, you would think) things I've learned in my cooking adventures is to prep before you start - it makes the biggest difference.

Enjoy!

Undergraduate Research Project - Freshwater Turtle Population Study in Raleigh, NC (this is a female yellow bellied slider)

My MCGs - Senior Year

Meredith College Class of 2012 12th Night

Payton and I, Meredith College Graduation - May 6, 2012

Graduation Party - check out that cake! (Sweet Memories Bakery)

Our First Home! Garner, NC

New Car!

Employed! June 2013

 Engaged! November 13, 2012 - Freeport, Bahamas

 Christmas/Engagement Party at our New House - December, 2012

Future Mr. & Mrs.

 Bridesmaids (minus Libby) February 2013