Baked Fish with Cherry Tomatoes, Artichoke, and Olives

Ingredients

2 cups Cherry Tomatoes, sliced

9oz, artichoke hearts

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped

2 shallots

1/4 cup dry whit coking wine

4tsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 boneless, skinless fish fillets (I use Tilapia, or Cod)

2tbs. basil

Lemon wedges (for serving)

Pre heat to 450F

Toss- tomatoes, artichoke, olives, shallots, wine, 2tbs olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a 13-9 dish

Nestle fish fillets into baking dish and brush with olive oil.

Bakes 20-25 minutes, and serve with lemon wedges

Tilapia with Cilantro Hummus

Ingredients

Tilapia fillets

2Tbs. lime juice

2tbs. olive oil

tsp. paprika

salt and pepper

6tbs. hummus

2tbs. chopped cilantro

1tsp. lime zest

1tbs. mayo

Pre heat grill or oven to about 425F

Brush tilapia with olive oil, and sprinkle with paprika

cook for about 4-6 minutes per side

meanwhile

mix hummus, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and mayo.

place Tilapia on plates and serve with hummus mixture

Artichoke-Bakon Bites

Artichoke-Bacon Bites

Ingredient list

tortilla chips

1 can artichoke hearts, drained

4oz monetary jack cheese

1 plum tomato

1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, minced

1/4 cup mayonnaise

4 slices bacon, crumbled and pre-cooked

Preheat oven to 425F

Arrange tortillas on baking sheet

Finely chop artichoke

Grate cheese

Diced tomato and cilantro

Combine all in a bowel

Divide all evenly onto each tortilla chip

bake 9-11 minutes

Married Life

So it has obviously been a long time since I have posted anything new, so I got to thinking... and I decided to start blogging about what I have been cooking! I have somewhat surprised myself lately with the concoctions that I have come up with so I think that I will start sharing some of them. Daren and I have no kids to blog about, and I am pretty sure no one whats to hear about my days at work, so I decided what goes on in my kitchen was the next best thing. Hopefully I will actually follow through with this and there will be pictures and recipes to follow soon!

Almost a nurse

Well, it is official I have Aced my way through nursing school!!! So excited to be done with this phase and ready to move onto the next. I still have to pass my boards, and then I am officially an LPN! I feel so blessed to have such a great family and for God looking over me the past year. I never thought that I could have gotten all A's through nursing school, but with every ones help I did it!! ......... Now just a few more weeks and Daren will be home, I could not have asked for a better gift! Looking forward to our next chapter TOGETHER!

Update

So..... I passed my first semester of nursing school with an A!!! Along with an A in my computer class! So glad it is over, but really, it's just the beginning. No time to rest must keep the ball rolling.

Little Guys

Here are some of my new little buddies. This has been my hobby for the past couple weeks when I have a day off. Since Daren is gone I have to do something to fill my time. I really should be going to the gym, but this is more fun! Still learning how to use the camera, and have no idea to put it on black and white. Slowly but surely I will get there.

filling the boredom

Here are a few random pictures from the last couple weeks... The first two were at a wedding down in the Outer Banks. And the others are just me having a little fun and trying to figure out my new camera.

Thrilled

Ok, as I sit here waiting for these last two hours to past I am finding it harder and harder to control the excitement. Excited for what you ask, well just about everything: to see Daren, Sherri, and Jim, to get married, to go to Utah, to meet more of my new family, to gain 4 sisters (something I have always dreamed of), to go to Vegas, and the list goes on and on. Looking forward to all those things so very much. Guess I just feel so blessed to have all these blessings in my life!

Flowers

Just felt like posting a few pics... so here they are.

I Did It

I got into LPN school!!! I know that it is only the beginning, but at least it is a start right?

The Future

OK, so I really should be studying for my test but I am having a hard time doing that today. In less than three months I finally get to see Daren again, and well I just can not seem to contain the excitement!! June is going to be the best time of my life ever, for many different reasons, and I just wanted to share that with someone since I only have my parents here in North Carolina. Can't wait to see everyone, including this guy here! Miss ya monkey

Here are a few pictures from my afternoon downtown last week. I decided to enjoy the nice weather for the first time in many many months and sit down by the water. I also took a bunch of pictures of the wedding ceremony site (the gazebo). Also, are pictures of a couple small gardens just a few blocks away from the gazebo that I think will be beautiful for wedding pictures! Let me know what you think! Less than 3 months, whaoo!!!

Union Point Park

Ok, so today is a very exciting day for me... in about 2 hours I am going to meet with Rev. K, the man that I hope will be right for Daren and I's wedding! Also, I believe that we have decided on a location for the ceremony (as long as the weather cooperates), so here are just a couple pictures of the gazebo. Let us know what you think. My computer stopped downloading after only 2, so if you want to see more you can check it out... it is called Union Point Park in New Bern, NC.

It's Just A Little Snow

The last two days in Eastern North Carolina have been interesting to say the least. All day Monday the only thing on the news was the big saga of the snow that was to come the following day. Well, I guess in this state as soon as one weather man says "snow" everything begins to shut down. By Monday evening (before one flurry had even been detected) half of the town was closed for the next day. Since I work at the only place that never shuts down (the hospital) once Tuesday came I went to work and at that point there was still no snow to be seen. Around lunch time is when the hysteria began...

Yes folks maybe an inch of snow and the town is completely shut down. Now at this point everyone begins to worry about how they will get home, (for real, I am not making this stuff up). And it is at this point that cancellations and closings begin for the NEXT day... So all in all we got about 2 inches of snow and the town was basically closed for 2 whole days.
I was at work when I snuck these picures... nothing too exciting to photograph there.

A quick thought

Today I applied for nursing school! OK what I really mean is that even though it will be a few months until I find out if I am in the program or not I am very excited to be getting on with this education thing. I applied to the LPN program which only takes a year, that way if all goes according to plans I will be an LPN by the time Daren gets home from Japan! So here goes to the next two months of studying for the entrance test, ahhhh.

The Luckiest Girl

OK so I truly believe that I am the luckiest girl ever! This past week Daren did the cutest thing. On Friday morning while I was at work I got a very beautiful arrangement of pink roses. I was so surprised, happy, and excited to have gotten them. Then while I was at work the next day I got an amazingly beautiful arrangement of 2 dozen red roses and this time I was speechless. He really is the greatest thing to have ever happened to me! The sweetest part about the whole thing is that I get the beautiful surprises and its his birthday. Happy Birthday Monkey

My Roomate

This little guy has been hanging out in my shed for about the past week. Yes, I can get all set up and take a picture of him, but i just can't seem to get him OUT of my shed, the irony. As long as he stays on his side of the shed I guess I won't worry too much.