Rossi Ramblings

Jones's Wedding

2011-11-11T10:59:00.001-06:00

Tea time

2011-11-06T10:01:00.000-06:00

Broke out the hot tea and the chiminea this weekend... Ahhh, the pleasures of fall!

Crawfish Pasta

2011-11-06T07:55:00.000-06:00

It started with finally getting the anniversary wedding cake out of the fridge. (Someone froze the whole top layer of the cake for us, not just a piece. And they wrapped it wonderfully, but it had taken up the bottom shelf of a side-by-side freezer for a year.) When I finally got it out, it set off some kind of cleaning-out-the-cabinets frenzy.

Last night was crawfish pasta, using the crawfish we had saved from crawfish boils all summer. And it was actually a recipe worth keeping!

1 ziploc bag of frozen crawfish (about 2 cups)
2 tbsp butter
Minced garlic
1 block cream cheese
1 cup milk
1 lb fettucine
Parsley
Parmesan cheese

Thaw the crawfish. Prepare the pasta as described on bag or box. Melt the butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven and add garlic and crawfish. Add cream cheese and melt. Slowly add 1 cup milk. (If you want it to be a thicker sauce, you can use half heavy cream and half milk.) Put the drained pasta in with the sauce and mix. Warm and serve with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese on top.

10/31/11 Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:33:00.003-05:00

First Halloween! (Well, really the second...but our first one doing trick-or-treat at the Mandarin house)

Shawn = She Devil
Quentin = Zombie
Quinn = Jason Vorhees (Fri 13th)

Breesy Beefy Mac

2011-10-30T21:40:00.000-05:00

Well, the Saints lost, but this recipe - Drew Brees' favorite pre-game carb loading dinner - won big at our house. Leave it to New Orleans to take a basic mac-and-cheese recipe and make it absolutely decadent! (But this is the kind of hamburger helper the adults will be just as thrilled with as the kids!)

Breesy Beefy Mac

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped andouille
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon flour
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeños
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar and American cheese (plus extra for topping)
3/4 cup uncooked macaroni or pasta of your choice, cooked and drained

Melt the butter in a hot skillet, add andouille and sauté. Once the andouille is crispy, add ground beef. Break up the ground beef, and cook until the beef is done all the way through. Stir in flour until smooth.

Add heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until mixture thickens. Add tomatoes, jalapeños, salt, pepper and cheese. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring slowly (about 2 minutes

Mix the cheese sauce with the cooked pasta, and place into a well-greased oven safe dish. Top with a layer of shredded cheddar and bake for 7 minutes or more at 375 degrees, until dish is heated through and cheese is golden brown.

[ via Times Picayune ]

Monster Cupcake Factory!

2011-10-29T17:12:00.001-05:00

Our new Who Dat nation flag!

2011-10-29T13:46:00.001-05:00

Our 1st anniversary photos

2011-10-28T19:49:00.000-05:00

The 1st anniversary photos were MUCH cheaper than the ones a year ago, for sure!

Anniversary flowers!

2011-10-28T19:47:00.000-05:00

Don't they make the mess on my desk look smaller?! ;)

In search of a winter beer...

2011-10-28T19:43:00.000-05:00

I started my search for a winter beer tonight, as the temps are dropping for the first time. (Which gave me an excuse to get that variety pack at the grocery store too.) I like this one. It's sweet without being too sweet and has a thick taste, which makes it good for winter, I think.

Dinner tonight... Mmmm breakfast for supper!

2011-10-28T19:17:00.000-05:00

Sausage and Cheese Crescent Squares compliments of Pilsbury

Along with...

Bird's Nests Breafkast (Idaho Sunrise didn't resonate much in Mississippi!) ;)

10/28/11 Friday night fun

2011-10-28T16:54:00.001-05:00

First truly cold night of the year. Shawn and I exchanged anniversary gifts (delivered to each other's office) and then enjoyed a Friday family night in front of the fire (and the computer, in Quentin's case.) Watching game 7 of the world series (Cardinals vs. Rangers). Looking forward to Halloween this Monday!

10/27/11 Zombie Crawl in Fondren

2011-10-27T19:03:00.001-05:00

Out to eat at Babalu in Fondren for Halloween weekend. Zombie crawl going on outside. (Maybe Shawn got some pics.) Lots of cool zombie makeup. Then our regular night out at the movies to see the remake of "The Thing."

10/23/11 Shawn making red beans & rice for tonight Saints game

2011-10-23T14:01:00.002-05:00

Just another Sunday watching the Saints play football. (My fantasy team is struggling as usual).

10/22/11 First Anniversary Dinner

2011-10-22T19:53:00.004-05:00

One year marriage anniversary dinner at Parlor Market.

It was kind of bitter-sweet tonight, because the owner, Chef Noone, passed away in a car wreck the week prior, and we weren't sure what to expect from "our restaurant." But, as usual, everything we ordered was excellent. (I had the bass and Shawn had the pork chop). One thing we noticed, though, was that the service was VERY slow. If anything, in the past, we almost felt rushed to order. But not this time. And we could tell our server was frustrated as well, because he was very apologetic about our wait. Shawn thinks one of our orders must have been messed up in the kitchen, because the tables next to us weren't waiting as long as we were. Regardless, we had some "specialty" cocktails while we waited for the food, and overall it was a very pleasant, romantic evening.

Happy Anniversary, My Love!

2011-10-20T10:41:00.001-05:00

Dear Shawn,

As we approach our first wedding anniversary, I want you to know that in the last year I have learned more about love, life and family than in all my of previous 30 years. Thank you for that. And thank you for loving me. I am a very lucky man, and every day I look forward to sharing new adventures with you and Quentin.

With your love, I have learned the true meaning of happiness. I hope that, with this weblog, we can share a little bit of that happiness with others.

Happy one-year anniversary, Shawn! I love you!

- Quinn