Travel Wall

I never know what to do with all those pictures from the trip, I wait around for the perfect time to do something with all the pictures and it never happens.. so I started a travel wall. 

I pick a few of my favorite pictures from the trip, possibly a postcard, room key, etc as well and then scrapbook them on a 12x12 paper.  I buy a frame at Michaels or Hobby Lobby for $10 or $15 and then hang it on the wall going up the stairs.  It's one of my favorite things in our house!!

Each time I make sure to put the date and the place too!  It's a great way to have pictures of friends and family around!

What do you think?

(You have no idea how hard it is to take pictures in a narrow hall!!)

Best of all you can do this in no time at all!!

Enjoy!
Camille & Dave

1968 Camaro

Sooo, this is a post from my point of view, not my husband's.. I'm sure we have very different views on this.  For 5 or 6 years he has been restoring a 1968 Camaro, and it has been a headache to say the least.  Well, after all this time he now has a gorgeous car.

So where did it all start?!

He bought it over eBay while he was in Iraq in 2006 or 2007.  Actually, I think my brother-in-law actually hit "purchase".  The guy who sold it to him found out that he was in Iraq and was nice enough to drive it across the country free of charge.

Dave's dad and the Camaro

Dave got back home and had spent so much time away from home that he decided to pay someone to do the restoration.  They started with a small budget and then after enough time on ProTouring.com (don't ever let your husband start looking there..) his dreams got bigger and bigger and bigger... and.. you get the point. 

And then.. it was stripped down to nothing, with lots of views of this (I'm thinking 3 years?)

Well, during the time of waiting for the car to be done.. Dave has:

• come home from Iraq
• gotten his MBA
• during which he had an internship and met... me!
• got engaged
• got married (and been married over a year)
• got a job and worked there for 3.5 years
• bought a house
• adopted 3 dogs
• become a troop commander

but best of all.. after all of that ... he now has his dream car!!!  And it's soo worth it, I think...

and even better.. it won Builder's Choice at Good Guy's in Des Moines Iowa.

I think we should put on a tux and wedding dress and fake like it truly was our getaway car :)

Pollo a la Crema

I haven't blogged in forever!! Oops!  Well over the 4th I found out that my 2 readers (thanks mom and mother in law) have been checking for posts - so here it goes!

My absolutely favorite dish from back home is Pollo a la Crema from a Mexican Restaurant in Kansas City called Ixtapa.  I like the place sooo much that I even had my bridal shower there! 

I of course had it last time I was home and lucky for me they had a few more details on their menu so I was able to figure out how to recreate it!  I figured out it had chicken,  poblano peppers, white wine, cream of course, and then obviously onions and sometimes corn.  I then found this recipe and adapted from there!

So, you need

2 poblano peppers (2 if you like it spicy, 1 if you like it mild)
canola oil
1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup corn (frozen works great)
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 chicken breasts
salt/pepper

Start by charring the poblano peppers over your gas burner.  I just set them on the burner and then once brown moved them around until ALL sides are brown.

Then put it in a paper towel for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes remove the skin.

Then remove the inside seeds and dice them up.  Set to the side.

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in pan.

Dice half of yellow onion.

Add onion to the pan.

Mince garlic and add to pan.

Let brown for a few minutes.  Once it's good and brown add the corn, then add the wine.  (I like the cheap white wine in the little plastic bottles for cooking)

Let that simmer down.

Add 1/2 cup cream and poblano.

Let simmer.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Blend if you want.

While that simmers, salt and pepper the chicken breasts.

Dice them up.

Heat canola oil in a separate pan.

Cook the chicken.

Once the chicken is brown add to the cream sauce.  Stir together!!

YUMMY!!! I swear it's the same as Ixtapa's!! Yay!!

Serve with Mexican rice and beans and maybe even a tortilla!

Enjoy!!