Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Candied Almonds

Ingredients:

1 LB of raw un-roasted almonds
1 egg white
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well, then add almonds to coat completely. Place on a baking dish with wax paper on the bottom.



Bake in a 250 degreee oven, turning every 15 minutes to prevent burning. Delicious.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Our wedding - Photo highlights

Okay, so our wedding photos have been in for awhile, and I just have to post a few of my favorites, (we had over 1,500 photos!) so you all can see how fantastic our photographer is!

You must use her for any of your photography needs! Not only was she a great photographer, but she is a great person, and someone I'm so glad to have met.

Her name is Kristie Hill and she owns Hillside Studios. www.hillside-studios.com

Getting Ready.... I really loved my dress, and I'm glad we got plenty of shots of it!


These were my "something borrowed" my Great Great Grandmothers pearl earrings. Such a special moment getting these!


Josh and my nephew getting dressed.


My girls getting ready...




This photo cracks me up - a little moment of panic while trying to zip my sisters dress up :-)



Our ceremony site - at the top of Mt. Joy cloud in Estes Park - the view overlooks the City, Rocky Mountain National Park was behind us. It was a breath taking beautiful day with fantastic weather. Apparently it snowed the next day!


Our kiss - Isn't Josh so romantic! Made for a great shot!


Our guests "showered" us with rose petals as we made our way down the aisle as husband and wife.


Details: The lodge we rented for the wedding had great photo opportunities.


 Our cake - Made by our friend and baker Corinne!


The bar 


 Our rings on the wedding programs I made:


Great shot of the firefly lanterns I made and we strung around the reception pavilion and our table centerpieces. 


Our first dance - Ray LaMontagne's You are the Best Thing


We had a "honeymoon Dance" and one of our groomsman made it rain! lol
Dancing with the kids in our wedding party.


 Laughing with my girls...


Party Time!


Okay we did a first look for our photos . Some people don't like this idea, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. We got a private moment to ourselves before the craziness started, and we could see eachother without the time constrictions of the after ceremony photo shoot, which I think resulted in better photos, and best of all, we were alone!


Love these shots - reminds me of vintage photos.


 Great shots with our bridal party




Our families


Just us...



 Showcasing our rings together. I really love both of these shots.




Probably our most favorite shot - us standing at the very top of the mountain, showcasing the vista that was the reason we chose this location to marry. 


 It was an amazing perfect day for us.

The Perfect Prime Rib Roast and Au Jus


The Perfect Prime Rib Roast
Ingredients
  • 1 10-12 pound prime rib roast
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 2 tablespoons california style garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4-5 minced fresh garlic cloves
  • 1-2 plum tomatoes
  • 1 small onion quartered
  • 1 can beef stock
Instructions:
Take your prime rib roast out of the fridge 2 hours before cooking and let it sit and dry on the counter. It must come up to room temperature before cooking to ensure it will cook evenly. 

Preheat oven to 200°F.   Rub the roast all over with mixed seasonings liberally, then top with minced garlic.  Place roast, fat side up, on a rack set in large roasting pan. Place plum tomatoes sliced in half and quartered onion in the bottom of the roasting pan, along with beef broth. Place in the oven and cook until center of roast registers 120 F on an instant-read thermometer. It averages to about 11 minutes per pound roughly. 


Remove the roast from oven and tent tightly with aluminum foil.  Place in a warm spot and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes, and up to an hour and a half.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500°F.

When the oven comes up to temperature, remove the foil tent and place the roast back in the oven.  Cook until browned and crisp on the outside, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven, carve and serve immediately.

To make the Au Jus take the pan drippings, add 1/4 cup of red wine, a box of beef stock and some sauteed mushrooms. Season to taste and serve on top of the carved prime rib.

Don't forget to serve with some creamed horseradish for the ultimate prime rib taste!