Recent Events

It's been a busy couple of weeks, which means lots of little victories all around. 

For instance, last week Engineer Husband had a convention in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Have you ever been? You should go sometime. It's like taking a step back in time to find this quirky, one of a kind little community nestled on the side of a mountain. 

Photo Courtesy of Arkansas.com

The Amazing Thorncrown Chapel

My picture couldn't do it justice but if you ever fancy yourself in Northwest Arkansas, this should definitely be a stop on your map. There is a similar chapel, the Anthony Chapel, in Hot Springs where Engineer Husband and I actually tied the knot!

This is from our wedding but the Thorncrown is similar!

Eureka Springs really is a treat. I wish I had taken more pictures!

The following weekend we headed to the Central Arkansas area for a friend's wedding. Isn't this venue lovely?

 

We managed to snap a picture too!

Not the best quality photo but I still love it! 

We've got lots of fun things to look forward to but you'll have to wait and see! In the meantime, enjoy the fall weather (unless you're in the South and then enjoy the 80 degree weather!) and see you next time!

Go Hogs Go!

Work has been insanely busy lately which is good for business but not so great for start up blogging.

So here's just a quick recap of what's been going on lately.

Really...only one major thing has been going on lately. And that thing is Razorback football season.

You see, we have no pro teams in Arkansas. For any type of sport. And while Arkansas has several great Universities, the University of Arkansas Razorbacks are easily the most known and most supported in this area. (exceptions, always of course.) 

The Razorbacks also have a tradition - two games in Little Rock every season. Which is great for those alumni and fans who are transplanted from the heart that is Fayetteville, like us! Unfortunately there are rumors that 2015 will be the last season that Games are hosted in Little Rock so we have to take advantage of this while we can.

Theres just something that can't beat about heading to set up a tailgate at 9am for a 6pm game. Sitting in 100 degree heat with only friends and cold beer to distract you. And then cramming into a stadium to watch your favorite spots team in the whole wide world win a victory.

The season is young but that doesn't matter to the true die hard fans. Though I wouldn't cry over a little cooler weather (there are cuter outfits to be had!).

So what about you? Any college or pro tailgating stories?

PS: if you haven't had the privilege to witness or call the Hogs for yourself, I truly apologize. It's worth a google.

Melted Roast Beef Deliciousness

Now that Engineer Husband and I are back to a little home time (seriously..we had something big every weekend in August!), I can get back in tune with our kitchen. I come from a long history of women who enjoyed and excelled at cooking. I...was a bit of a late bloomer. I really started within the past year, but so far it's been a blast and according to EH (who I don't think would lie about food!) I'm actually not terrible at it!

That feels like a victory, for sure.

Tonight I made a new recipe I found when I was playing on Pinterest. It was quick, easy, and EH and I both made happy plates! I had big plans to take step by step pictures, but the camera was charging and seriously, these are so easy you wouldn't need them anyway.

Melted Roast Beef Sandwiches (original recipe here)

-Cooked Roast Beef (I bought a packet from the deli aisle, which was okay, but next time I'll hit up my deli counter and get the good stuff!)
- 2 TBS Mayonnaise (Helmann's! None of that Miracle Whip nonsense)
-1 TBS Dijon Mustard
-3 TBS diced green chiles
-2-4 Slices of Swiss Cheese
-4 Slides of bread (original called for rye, which would have been delightful. I had sourdough. It was just as good I think!)
-2 TBS softened butter 
- Salsa* optional

Keep in mind this recipe is for two people. You could easily double or triple up the ingredients if you needed to cook for a larger crowd! 

Combine the green chiles, mayonnaise and dijon mustard in a small bowl. I mixed ahead of time and put in the fridge for a few hours to let all the flavors get good and combined.

To assemble, coat all 4 slices of bread with your new delicious mixture. Pile on your roast beef, top with as much swiss cheese as you'd like. Once the sandwiches are assembled, coat the outside on both sides with a generous amount of softened butter.

*Little side anecdote - H (who is the more experience cook in our house) asked why I was using so much butter on the bread. Trust me, I said! No problem, I love butter!, he replied! And in the end, it worked out. The thick butter on the outside of the bread made the most amazing crust. 

Anyways. Once you're all assembled and ready - heat up a skillet or non-stick pan. I put ours over low, which is more like medium for normal stoves. You want the pan hot, but not scalding. Place both sandwiches on the pan and let the bread get nice and toasty. Ours became perfect right between 3-4 minutes.

Flip! Which is the hardest part of this ordeal, and let the other side cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. I squished ours down with a spatula so everything got nice and cozy in the middle. 

Aaaand..that's it. Once that second side is good and golden brown, and you can see the swiss cheese oozing out the side you should be good to go!

See? 

I'm usually not a HUGE fan of roast beef, but this paired with the swiss cheese, and the surprise little kick of green chiles made it divine. And, as you can tell from the picture, I forgot the salsa! But remembered just in time to get a few bites with it at the end. It was good! But I wouldn't have missed it. Entirely up to you!

Try it next time you're lazy but still want something home cooked. Swap it out for different ingredients. Go for it and make dinner easy and victorious!