pretty chairs and massive projection screens

mushroom risotto with oven roasted chicken thighs

This past weekend, Josh and I went to check out the venue where I always imagined our wedding.  This place is gorgeous.  I imagined an outdoor wedding followed by an indoor reception surrounded by a lake and acres of beautiful landscape.  For those of you who have already planned your wedding, you can understand my shock when we saw the price tag.  We were thinking of getting married in the fall of 2013.  We had harsh reality splashed in our face when we were told that there would be a $15 K min for a Saturday night in September.  Uhhh, I did not know this.  I know the guy sent me a bunch of brochures with prices, menu options, this, that and the other thing.  Who really reads through all that stuff.  I GUESS WE WERE SUPPOSE TO.  So now, we are talking about an April wedding which fits our budget a little better. 

But no worries.  I am not one to stress out about stuff like this.  The most important thing is that Josh and I will be marrying each other in the company of family and friends who love us.  That is what is most important right? Not what kind of table clothes cover the tables or if we get the pretty chairs or if we upgrade to the massive projection screen.  Who cares about all that?  I certainly don't care about that.  Do you?

Back to food and what I made.  I completely forgot that I was on a diet and made all kinds of goodies this weekend.  I didn't really forget, I chose to ignore.  As you have already seen, I made lobster mac & cheese, red velvet doughnuts, and biscuits and gravy with deep fried pork.  To add to the list, I also made mushroom risotto with an oven roasted chicken thigh.  I really went all out this weekend and I must learn how to control myself.  On that note, I will try to refrain from cooking anything deep fried or unhealthy in general for a minute ( I don't know how long it will last? ) and I am also limiting my trips to the market this week.  I am challenging myself to only cook with what is in the freezer.  I think I may have made 3-4 trips to the market last week.  YIKES! That will be difficult because I look at our freezer full of food and I always think, "I have nothing to cook."  I must have self control!

Cooking is like therapy for me.  It's just me in the kitchen (most the time) with a bunch of ingredients.  I can be creative or stick to a recipe.  Whatever I want.  It's really amazing to see what can be created from a bunch of raw ingredients. My therapy is becoming an issue because, I see all these recipes I want to try and most of them are not exactly in line with my diet approved food list.  If I do cook something that is really decadent, I try to limit my consumption.  But the real challenge here is to cook something that is delicious and diet approved.  Hugh sigh..... My downfall is pasta and rice.  I love it so much and it loves me back.  But not in the right way.   All I can do is try.  So I will.  Nobody said this would be easy. 




dried porcini mushrooms

 


Saute any kind of mushrooms first and set aside. 
In another pan add 1 box of chicken stock and dried porcini mushrooms and let it come to a low boil. 
Toast rice and keep adding ladles of chicken stock until the rice absorbs the liquid.
This takes about 40 minutes. 
Add the mushrooms and peas last and finish with some Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of butter.

 



Brown Chicken thighs in some olive oil in a big pan. 
Once they are  brown put them in the oven at 375 for about 40 minutes.

  



I will miss you decadent food! :(