What I Miss....

John and I had a couple over the other night for dinner.  Lauren has lived down south her whole life.  She asked if I had ever been to NYC.  Immediately I felt nostalgic.  Being close to NYC is one of the reasons I loved living in the Lehigh Valley.  So, I got thinking about some of the other things I miss about living in Allentown.

I miss.....

- Being a 2 hour ride away from NYC
- Ocean City, NJ
- Bookstore Speakeasy...especially that Bookstore Burger
- Allentown Brew Works...especially the Bacon me Bleu Burger:-)
- SkyLounge
-My family
- Sunday afternoon lunches at my mom and dad's house
-My job.... oh how I miss this!  I would be getting my classroom ready this week....
-STeelStacks
-Allentown Fair
-Musikfest
- Cedar Crest BFC
-My friends!!!!!!!!!!!
-Driving through the city
- Spontaneous road trips....   SHout out to my Lisa
-Merge
-Small group
-Singing on worship team

I miss ALOT, but I am incredibly blessed with a man who loves me so much.  John is such an amazing husband, and has stood by my side during the crazy transition.

Grace Manor Inn, Richmond Virginia

John and I took two days to drive down to South Carolina after our wedding.  We stayed in Richmond, VA at the Grace Manor Inn. Lovely, Lovely, Lovely.......

We arrived at around seven in evening. Albert, the owner met us at our car and helped us carry in our luggage.  As we walked through the back gate, we were surrounded by a beautiful in-ground pool as well as a jacuzzi.  The backyard was absolutely beautiful.  There were lounge chairs, a patio with table, and gardens.   We walked in the house through the sun room into the grand parlor.  Albert gave us a brief history of the house.  We walked through the living room, music room and dining room.  Each room was beautifully decorated and had a very colonial feel to it.  The house was actually built by a man who wanted to give his wife a memorable 50th wedding anniversary gift.

Our Suite, the Fensterer-Davis Suite,  was located on the second floor.  Decorated beautifully in red hues, it was extremely inviting.  In one room was the queen sized bed, graciously decorated with a ton of pillows!  There was a flat screen TV as well as a Cd player, stocked with many great jazz tunes.  Love!
There was also a sitting room, that was connected to the bedroom by a small powder room.  The sitting room was also red, accented with royal blue chairs and an ivory couch.  The best part about the sitting room was the 3 ring binder that had at least 50 restaurants in alphabetical order.  EAch page told about the restaurant; what kind of food was served, how many miles from the Inn, hours.  On the back of each page was a menu for each restaurant.  This was extremely helpful!  We ended up eating at the Boathouse, which was located on the water.

Breakfast at the Grace Manor Inn was amazing.  Albert himself made the breakfast.  OUr first course was a berry medley with heaving cream served in a Martini glass.  The second course was a scrambled egg concoction served on a piece of bread.  We also had asparagus wrapped in prosciutto.   Yummy!  Our last course was two mini cream puffs.  Not to mention, we drank coffee, tea, and mimosas, and bellinis.

Albert's wife, Dawn, owns Carytown Cupcakes in Richmond, VA, so on our way out, we stopped to buy half a dozen cupcakes.  They were delicious.  The theme of the week at the shop was Italian deserts. You can only imagine......

Check out the Grace Manor Inn the next time you are in Richmond.  You will not be disappointed.
www.thegracemanorinn.com

I'm back! Smoky Stuffed Peppers

So... it's been awhile since I have posted, but I am back!  I just got married on Sunday and have moved away from my home town.  I have a little more time on my hands, so I thought I would try and get back into blogging.
I made a slammin' recipe last night for John and I.  It was the first dinner I made as a married women, and let me just say.....I knocked it out of the park!   This recipe comes from the recipe book "Eating Well, Serves Two" from Jim Romanoff.  If you find that cooking for two is hard, this cookbook is fantastic! The portions are perfect!

Smoky Stuffed Peppers

2 large bell peppers, tops cut off and seeded

4 ounces hot Italian sausage, removed from casing (about 1 link) 

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 large plum tomato, chopped 

2/3 cup instant brown rice

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup finely shredded smoked cheese, such as mozzarella, Cheddar or Gouda, divided. 

1.  Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

2. Place peppers cut-side down in a  large, microwave-safe dish.  Fill the dish with 1/2 inch of water, cover and microwave on High until the peppers are tender-crisps, 7 to 10 minutes.  Drain the water and transfer the peppers to a roasting pan.

  

3.Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Stir in broth, tomatoes and rice; bring to  simmer, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon.  Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice is softened but still moist, about 10 minutes.  

4. Stir basil and half the cheese into the rice mixture.  Divide the filling between the peppers, then top with the remaining cheese.  Broil until the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.  

I served the peppers with an Orange and Avocado Salad with a Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette.  Yum! Enjoy!

My creation!!!