Happy 17th Anniversary!

Well, no recipes posted here today because 17 years ago, I married Mr. CEK (let's see if he notices this..heehee). Sure, it hasn't been an easy road. Marriage, or any commitment for that matter, takes work and patience. And for those of you that know our family, we've had many highs and even more lows... Cancer, Troubled pregnancies, Surgeries (my goodness, I could pay for an entire hospital wing with the amount of surgeries we've had combined alone!). But, we've persevered, have two beautiful children, and a great support system with our sometimes crazy but wonderful family and amazing friends. Who could ask for anything more?


So today, I'll leave you with these lyrics from a song that came out several years ago by Kelly Clarkson. To me, this is what marriage is all about. I love you Don~here's to many more years to come! xo 


P.S..Gotta love the 90's! Look at all that 'poof' and those glasses...my goodness! :)


"Thankful" by Kelly Clarkson

You know my soul
you know everything about me there's to know
you know my heart
how to make me stop & how to make me go
you should know i love everything
about you don't you know

that i'm thankful
for the blessing
and the lessons that i've learned w/you
by my side
that i'm thankful so thankful for the love
that you keep bringing in my life
in my life
Thankful so thankful

You know my thoughts
before i open up my mouth & try to speak
you know my dreams
must be listening when i'm talking in my sleep
i hope you know
i love having you around me don't you know

that i'm thankful for the blessing
and the lessons that i've learned w/you
by my side
that i'm thankful so thankful for the love
that you keep bringing in my life in my life

Don't you know that i'm thankful for the moment
when i'm down you always know how to make me smile
thankful for the joy that your bringing in my life

for the lessons that i've learned
for the trouble i've known
for the heartache & pain
that you've thrown my way
when i didn't think i could go on
but you made me feel strong
with you I am never alone

thankful so thankful

thankful for the blessing
and the lessons that i've learned w/you
by my side
that i'm thankful so thankful for the love
that you keep bringing in my life in my life
thankful so thankful

when i'm down you always know how to make me smile
thankful for the joy that your bringing in my life
thankful so thankful

Thyme & Butter Roasted Carrots

I recently received the newest copy of Cooking Light magazine and in it, they had a recipe for Roasted Carrots. Their recipe included butter and olive oil but I wanted to add some fresh herbs to mine, hence the thyme. I also omitted the olive oil as I thought the butter would be enough and it was. These carrots were extremely tasty and I've said it before, there's nothing like roasting your vegetables! The only key is to make sure you don't peel the carrots while the kids are nearby. I had to pry them away from their little hands as they were imitating Bugs Bunny running around the house with them yelling "What's up Doc?!" Yup, never dull around here. :)

Thyme & Butter Roasted Carrots
Adapted from Cooking Light
2 lb. Carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1/4"
1 tbsp. Fresh Thyme
2 tbsp. Butter, melted
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper


Steam carrots over a double boiler until they start to soften; approximately 10 minutes. Next, add them to a bowl and add in the thyme, butter, salt and pepper. Coat well then place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Serves 6. 


Points+=2pts. 


Enjoy! 

Week 11: Seafood Frenzy Friday

Welcome to Week 11 of Seafood Frenzy Friday where I select seafood recipes around 'foodie land' to showcase for all of you since I don't eat any fish myself.  Today I have ten new recipes for you to try. Simply click on the name of the recipe underneath the picture to be taken to the author's original post. 

I've also created a board on Pinterest called CEK's Seafood Frenzy Friday's and have posted each week separately...all in one place for you to access (you do have to follow my board in order to access it)! Now you can pin it, share it, comment, whatever you'd like. The link takes you back to my original post where you can click on each recipe individually and be taken to the original author. Happy Pinning!  

Enjoy!

Shrimp Tips: 

Click on this link from The Huffington Post on How to Prepare and Devein Shrimp, including a 5 Step tutorial.  

Buying Tips
When you buy your fresh shrimp, get it home as soon as possible and keep it over a bowl of ice in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook with it.

For Frozen Shrimp
If you're using frozen shrimp in the bulk bag, then remove the amount of shrimp you need a day beforehand to allow it to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. For a quicker method, you can place the frozen shrimp in a resealable bag and submerge it in a cold water bath until it's defrosted (it takes about one hour for one pound of shrimp to defrost).

Cleaning Tips
Most shrimp sold in the supermarket is already cleaned and possibly deveined. But now and then you may find shrimp sold uncleaned -- it's also cheaper. Or, if you're making a great seafood soup, you may want to buy the shrimp with the shells and heads still attached, so you can use it for the stock.

Handling Tips
When you're working with shrimp, make sure to keep them cold and put them back in the refrigerator if you're not using them immediately. When deveining, be sure to use your knife carefully or use a deveining tool.

Sumptuous Spoonfuls

Seafood Spinach Dip

Mia's Domain

Shrimp Rice Pasta Shells

The Bite Sized Blog

Scallop BLT

Rich and Sweet

Cowboy Kisses with Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Katie's Cucina

Lemon Pepper Fish Tacos

The Pioneer Woman

Seafood Pasta

Sunday at the Giacometti's

Cozze con le Peperoni (Black Mussels with Red & Yellow Bell Peppers)

ChinDeep

Whitefish Roulade with Pesto & Roasted Lemon Vinaigrette

Skinnytaste

Chilled Calamari Salad with Lemon & Parsley

Jo Cooks

Shrimp Scampi with Bacon

Speaking of shrimp, I thought I'd share one of my own recipes that I created several months ago for a Chopped Challenge held at Baking Bad's website(for all of you new people that probably didn't see it yet!). I personally didn't eat this (and the sauce I made wasn't that great, BUT the shrimp itself got RAVE reviews from my family, including my Mom and her husband who were in visiting at the time. 

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen

Potato Encrusted Fried Shrimp