Autunm in England

Hello everyone! Now that we're back home in Bognor and not running around planning wedding things or showing my parents around, things have calmed down. This means I have time to blog regularly again-- which I hope will please all of you.

This past weekend was incredibly warm. Mick said when he left the house to come to the wedding ceremony, the temperature was 26C (79F). Saturday was nearly as warm, but then it rained most of Sunday and all of Monday. We returned to Bognor Tuesday night, and yesterday we woke up to a chilly, windy day. It's always a bit cooler here in Bognor than it is in the area of Kent we frequent, but that's mostly because we're right on the beach. However, the weather changed so quickly.  I took the bus into Chichester yesterday because I needed some passport photos taken in order to get my new passport with my new last name. I waited under the bus shelter and huddled against the chilly wind. After I had the pictures done, I waited for my mother-in-law outside her office to catch a ride home when she finished work. The sky was pearly grey in most places, with some darker, more ominous patches scattered about. I can't help but think that autumn must be here early this year. Apparently it's unusual for it to be quite so cool this time of year, so it may get warm again before autumn settles in for good. But autumn has always been my very favorite season- I love the colors and decorations, the spicy smells, and the hearty food. Not to mention Thanksgiving. Now, they don't do Thanksgiving here, but because I will want to do Thanksgiving when Mick and I have children (they should know both sides of their heritage), I figure I'll start practicing this year.

Anyway- having lived in the desert for the last decade and a half, I haven't gotten to see much to do with autumn. Growing up in Southern California surrounded by sycamores, we had beautiful colors. The leaves would turn dark red, fade to bright yellow, and finally fall, defeated and brown. I spent one weekend in October in Boston a few years ago, and was completely in love with those colors. I've also never had any reason or opportunity to buy warm woolen sweaters. Yesterday I bought my first gorgeous, wooly brown sweater. Adore it with me, yes?

Gorgeous, yes?

I just love toggles!

So! Autumn- the one season I haven't yet experienced in England... what will that be like? I decided to google some images of England in autumn and see what I should expect. I was NOT disappointed!

Autumn colors in New Forest. I've been once, but it was summer and very green. Image from dailymail.co.uk

 

Leafy street in London. Image from brooklynnomad.com

The Cotswalds in Autumn. Image from tourblaze.com

Autumn colors in New England, huh? Puh! Who needs New England? I've got Old England!
And while I know, for my Arizona family and friends, there's still a long way to go before autumn reaches you.... all I can say is come visit me if you want some nice weather :)

In other news, I've rediscovered my love of reading, thanks to Mick giving me a Kindle for my birthday a couple weeks back! I just finished reading Pride & Prejudice last night and have started Northanger Abbey.  I'm on a bit of an Austen kick. I've missed reading and am happy to be doing so once again.

Time to go work out. I'm back on that wagon again, for good this time!

September 2, 2011- Our Wedding Day

I woke up at 6:45am in my parents hotel room at the Village Hotel in Maidstone on Friday morning. My hip was sore from sleeping on the roll-away mattress. I looked at my phone and saw that Mick had text me at midnight. In order to follow tradition, we spent the night apart. Apparently, he wanted to open his wedding day gift at midnight, since, technically, that was our wedding day.

I took a shower and dried my hair and went to breakfast with my parents. Then I straightened my hair so it would be ready for Laura to come and style it for the wedding. We checked on the hotel's preparations for the reception that night. It felt like an incredibly unremarkable day, just another one, and the girls at the front desk commented on how I was the calmest bride they'd ever seen.

Laura arrived and got to work on my hair. It was a long process, but she did a beautiful job. The flowers arrived. I was so pleased with them- gorgeous pink, white and green roses that smelled like heaven. When the florist was done with the table and pedestals in the reception room I went down to check it out and it was like walking through a wall of sweet roses. I went back to my hotel room to finish my makeup while Laura did her hair. Around this time the photographer arrived and took shots of my jewelry and dress and me getting ready. My mom arrived at about a quarter to 3 (the wedding was at 3:30) to help me get into my dress. It took a good ten minutes, five of which were spent with my arms over my head while my mom and Neely, the photographer, tried to get the dress and all its layers straightened and down over my head. I was starting to get pretty hot (it was a really warm day!) and freaking out a little bit about time. "Get it together, one lady did this alone in the dress shop!"

We got out of the room at ten after 3 and the white Taxi Cab was waiting for me. I flopped in and off me, my mom and dad and Laura went. I think we arrived at the Archbhisop's Palace a few minutes late and I met with the registrar and the music began and Laura walked in. Then my dad and I went in. Of course I first looked to Mick, but he seemed really twitchy and was blocked by his groomsmen. He was barely able to look at me. By the time I got to the front of the room to stand with him he seemed a bit better though, and the further we got into the ceremony the better he seemed. I really don't remember much of the ceremony, but I remember looking into his eyes and trying not to sound like a little kid when I said my vows. I didn't realize how nervous I was until he took my hand to put my ring on and could feel my hands shaking. And then suddenly it was over and we were married.

We went outside and took pictures with all the family then everyone left for the hotel and we had our shots together. It was really hot and we both just kept on sweating. The car took us back to the hotel about an hour later and everyone was waiting in the garden patio area for us and we had a drink then went into the reception room. We ate, we drank, we sweated some more (the air conditioning was broken....), we danced. Mick and I danced to "Songbird" by Fleetwood Mac and my dad and I danced to "My Wish" by Rascal Flats. Later in the evening some of Mick's friends from school came for drinks and so did Rach and Josh. We visited and kept going outside where it was cool. Finally, around midnight, I could stand my dress no longer and Mick and I retired to our room. It was a very long, hot day, but a very, very good one. I don't really have any pictures but as soon as people start sending them to me and the photographer gets the disc to me I promise to post them. For now I'll leave you with this one- I adore the way Mick looks in it; so chuffed with himself. Like he's saying, "Yeah, I just got married. What did you do today!?"


We took my parents to the airport today. I hate to see them go, we had such a good time with them here. Now I may not see them until Christmas 2012 when Mick and I plan to go back for our first visit. 15 months- feels like a looooooooong time. But my siblings and their families should be coming to visit over the course of the next year so I have that to look forward to. And finding a job and looking for a place of our own when we save up enough.


Haha, I'm married. It's still so funny to think!

We did it!

Hello everyone! Just wanted to reassure you once again that I have not forgotten this blog. The weeks leading up to a wedding are the most insane weeks of a woman's life (until she has children, I'm guessing!) and for me, it's no exception!

My parents have been here since Sunday and we've been doing our best to show them a good time and get in some sights. Yesterday was, of course, the wedding. It was a fantastically sunny September day and rather warm- especially in yards and yards of fabric! The ceremony is a blur, but what I do remember was great and nobody cried or passed out. The reception was beautiful and the flowers smelled like heaven. The only thing missing was the rest of my family and friends back home- especially my brother and sister and their families. There are so many people I wish could have been there to share in the beauty and joy of the day, but I promise to share lots of pictures as soon as I get them.

I will give a more thorough entry on the day once things have slowed down a bit-- we have more family things to do today and quite frankly, I'm going to need a few days to recover.


Signing off, for the first time as Mrs. Aindrea White! :)

Busy Bees

Hey guys- sorry for the week of no posts, but things have been really busy and we didn't have internet for a few days last week. I promise to update soon with lots of events- my birthday (which was last Tuesday), the arrival of my parents in Merry Ole' England, sight seeing, and wedding events. Stay tuned!

A Very Cupcake-y Post

Wow, I didn't mean to slack on writing in here! Sorry for the absence, but things have been pretty busy in England. Mick had his stag weekend in London all day Saturday and stayed the night with his best man and some other friends. I took the train up to meet him (all by myself!) Sunday midday. He and his friend were in the middle of gorging on a giant fry up breakfast. We met up with his friend Gus, as well, and saw The Inbetweeners at a cinema in Piccadilly Circus. The Inbetweeners is a very popular sitcom in Britain. It just finished its last season and so they made a movie. We had a bit of stroll around the City- through St. James' Park and past Buckingham Palace down to Victoria Station. We caught an evening train home. It was a really nice day.
Today we woke up early and headed into Chichester because I had a dentist appointment, then we came back home. I crashed out and had a nap on the couch before heading back into Chichester for my final dress fitting which didn't really happen because the friggen seamstress who picked the dress up from the shop and brought it back a few days later DIDN'T ACTUALLY DO THE ALTERATIONS. I felt bad for the girls in the shop because it wasn't their fault and they were falling all over themselves apologizing. They had no idea she hadn't done the alterations. And Natalie (the girl Mick's mum and I got locked in the shop with. Remember?) had a nice little surprise for me. She remembered me mentioning when we booked these fittings back in July that this particular one was the day before my birthday.
"Tomorrow's your birthday right?" And she disappeared into the back room. "We wanted to get you something..." And she reappeared with a darling little cupcake wrapped in a tiny paper basket from a bakery down the street. I was ridiculously touched and gave both the girls in the shop a hug. "I guess, given the situation, it's a good thing we had a cupcake to soften the blow!"

I left the shop and called Mick's mum (who was leaving work early to meet me) then saw her walking towards me. I told her the news and that I was going back Thursday for my actual fitting. She saw my cupcake and decided we should go to the bakery where Natalie got it and have a snack. We each had a cupcake and picked out a chocolate croissant to bring home for Mick (one of his very favorite things in the world).



While I was walking from the bus stop to the dress shop before any of this had happened, I couldn't help but smile. The sky was a bit cloudy and I had time to kill, so I got a drink from a cafe and wandered around a few shops, dreaming about the day when I'm allowed to work and can actually have money, and looking for possible gifts for Mick's birthday. It's not for 3 weeks, but it's not often that I'm out without him so I thought I'd get a head start. I wandered the cobbly streets of one of my favorite British cities (so far) and just felt really, really happy. In that moment, despite my multiple worries about visas and not having a job or money or a car, it didn't matter, because I've done the right thing. I made the right decision. I left my world behind for a new one I adore in order to be with someone I love. Then, after Mick's mum and I had met up she went into one store while I visited a card shop to see what kinds of cards they had. By the time Mick's birthday rolls around we'll be married, so I headed to the Husband Birthday Card Section. It felt really strange to be looking at cards that say "to my lovely Husband" or "to my fantastic Husband" and "to my perfect Husband on his birthday." WTF? I felt like such an impostor, standing in that section, looking at cards that such grown up women by for their grown up husbands. I'm not a grown up woman, and Mick certainly isn't a grown up man. We're just kids playing at being grown up! At least that's how it feels, because really, no matter how old you are, you still feel like a 6 year old version of yourself wiggling your loose teeth out so you can get your tooth fairy money even if your tooth is barely loose (which I stole from Mick because I just learned today that he used to do this). Anyway! Point being, it was pretty crazy to be standing in a card shop in England where I now live looking for a card for my soon-to-be husband, who I'm marrying next week. Bonkers! But if there's anything I've learned in almost 25 years it's that life is just that--- bonkers.


Much love.

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Pita Bread

Soup is good food. And I think it's often under-appreciated. Hearty, warm, filling-- fantastic.

The lack of Mexican/ Tex-Mex food in England is starting to take a toll on me. A couple weeks ago I made soft tacos for dinner and last night I made Chicken Tortilla Soup. I know this isn't authentic Mexican food, but the flavors and influences are there and I miss them.
So- here's what I did. Again, pretty much all made up in my head. Or, going with the theme, my cabeza.

What you'll need:
3 cans of cream of tomato soup
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
Cumin
1 Cup rice
2-3 diced chicken breasts
1/2- 1 onion
Mozarella Cheese (grated)
Tortilla Chips

Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
In a large saucepan, empty 3 cans of tomato or cream of tomato soup. Add about a pint of vegetable stock (you can use canned, I use granules and boiling water). This helps thin out the tomato soup a bit. Heat on a medium flame. Add in a generous helping of cumin. Then, empty a packet of your average taco meat seasoning. The only one I've been able to find here is Old El Paso, but Mission or Taco Bell would even work, whatever you can find in the store. Mix in well. Add two cans of diced tomatoes.

While that is heating (try not to let it come to a boil and keep stirring), prepare about 1 cup of dry rice in another pan. I used a bit more than a cup for three people and had a bit left over, it's up to you. If you have a steamer, you can use that as well. Let that set up and set to one side.

Check on the soup mixture. Taste it and add more cumin if you want, possibly a bit of paprika.

Pop your pita bread in the oven, directly on the rack. Keep checking on it so it doesn't get too crispy or burnt. I did one pita for each person.

I bought pre-cut chicken breasts, but you can buy your own breasts if you want and slice them up yourself. Make sure they're in about 1 inch cubes or smaller. Fry them in a pan with diced onion. Mick is my designated onion dicer because my makeup gets everyyyyyywhere if I try to dice an onion. PAINFUL. Let the chicken cook fully and set to one side.

Make sure your soup mixture is good and hot.

Spoon a glob (however much you want) of rice into the bottom of a large soup bowl. Set the chicken in the bowl is well (I divided the amount evenly amongst the three bowls). Ladle the soup mixture on top and fill up the bowl. Break up a handful of tortilla chips and sprinkle over the bowl. Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozarella and enjoy! Oh, and don't forget about your pita bread!!!

And! I remembered to take a picture of the finished product!

Tonight is steak fajitas and nachos. Woooot!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Okay, time for another recipe! I tried this one last week and I thought it was pretty darn good. Stuffed Bell Peppers! It's taken most of my life for me to learn to appreciate the bell pepper. The crunchiness, the bitter flavor of the green or the sweet flavor or yellow and orange, the earthy red. I think my favorite thing about them is how much color they can add to the most plain and simple dishes.

I mostly made this recipe up as I went, but I did look a few things up online (temperatures and cooking times, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.
Here's how we start-- Wash and slice the top of your peppers (4-5 peppers) off and set to one side- save these! Remove the membrane and seeds from the inside of your peppers as best you can. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and using a slotted spoon, add your peppers. Let them sit in the boiling water for about 3-5 minutes, just long enough to soften them. While these are boiling, fill a glass baking dish with about 1/8 inch of water. Remove your peppers from the pot and let them sit in the cold water. You will cook them in the water at the end. While those cool down, get started on your filling... Start by using the tops of your peppers that you set to one side. Cut around the stem and chop up as much as you can salvage. You can also use an extra pepper if you have one handy- I didn't. Also dice an onion and a tomato.
Brown 1 pound of ground beef in a pan. Add your chopped peppers, onion and tomato. Add about 1 tablespoon of cumin, as well as 1 teaspoon of paprika. I love adding garlic salt to just about everything I cook, so I added that as well. Cook all of this until your veggies are soft and your meat is done. Using a spoon, fill up your peppers with the meat mixture and pop in the oven at 350f (180C) for about 15 minutes. Remove the peppers and add a sun dried tomato to each, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Pop back in the oven for 5 more minutes, then ready to serve.

I served mine with couscous, though some people actually use rice or couscous with the meat mixture. I'm going to try this next time.

I'm also going to really start trying to remember to take pictures of the finished product for you. I always think of this as Mick is coming into the kitchen and grabbing his plate, but he never has his phone on him and I never use mine in the kitchen. And he's always too hungry to find his phone and snap a photo for me. Tonight is Chicken Tortilla Soup with Pita Bread, which I'll chronicle tomorrow WITH A PICTURE!

Happy eats!