Working at the CAR WASH!

Had to include these ADORABLE pictures of Jayden washing his dad's jeep with him. He was so excited to be helping! It is so comforting to see him spending time with his dad again....

Chianti Braised Short Ribs

I tried this recipe a few years ago when I was putting together a traditional 5 course Italian dinner for my husband on Valentine's day. For those of you who aren't familiar with such a meal I will clue you in. An Italian dinner consists of the antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno, and dolce. The antipasto might be a salad. The primo is a soup or rice. The secondo is chicken, meat, or fish. The contorno is some sort of vegetable to accompany the secondo, and the dolce is a dessert. Anyway, This recipe is super easy and sure to impress.


Ingredients:

3-4lbs of beef short ribs

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of pepper

2 tsp of EVOO

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cups of Chianti wine

1 32oz can of crushed tomatoes

3 cups of beef broth

2tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

(the recipe actually calls for boneless beef short ribs but the bone in gives a much better flavor and the meat will have fallen off the bone before its done anyway, YUM!)

Procedure:

Pat the short ribs dry and season with salt and pepper

Coat a large, nonstick pan with olive oil. Saute the short ribs over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until brown. Transfer short ribs to a bowl.

Next, add the onions to pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Add the Chianti, rosemary, beef broth and tomatoes to the pan one at a time. Allowing the liquid to evaporate partially before each addition (about two minutes).

Return the short ribs to the pan along with any juices that may have accumulated in the bowl. Cover and let simmer for 3 hours over low heat to continue the braising process.

Remove the short ribs from the pan and boil to reduce the liquid by half (about 10 minutes).

Return the short ribs to the pan and heat thoroughly.

Serve with potatoes and vegetables. (I always serve it with garlic parmesan mashed potatoes and asparagus. Potatoes are super easy as well, make as you normally would with a little milk and butter but add shredded parmesan cheese to taste and a few cloves of garlic roasted in the oven!)

Daddy is Back!

After a looong 4 1/2 months, (and countless nights of patrolling the house with one of Jayden's metal golf clubs at 3 am) my husband is finally home! We picked him up Tuesday morning from the Pearl Harbor navy base. It was so exciting! Jayden was so patient while the ship pulled in and docked, I was very proud of him. There were other Navy wives that we kept in touch with throughout the deployment awaiting the arrivals of their husbands as well. It was pretty emotionally overwhelming seeing him for the first time (I'm sure the pregnancy hormones did not help). The first hug/kiss is the best! But after a few "honeymoon" days, things are feeling back to normal ;). We haven't really done too much, mostly just enjoying each others company and catching up with Jayden. I cooked his favorite meal (chianti braised short ribs, recipe will be added soon) and we have watched a few movies. We have a few weeks together before he has to leave again but he will be back shortly after that!