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4.03.2011

It’s Sunday.

I’d like to introduce you all to someone very special tonight.

Friends, meet…

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Cabernet, meet friends.

It has been way, way too long. And by too long, I mean two weeks. Regardless, I’m still sitting here with my head in a cloud, after only a half a glass of wine.

It’s kind of wonderful.

Today in general has been kind of wonderful. Do you want to know why?

Because I’m celebrating.

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I’m celebrating seven spectacular years with this handsome guy. We’ve been married less than a year, but I think that seven years is too long to just forget about our dating anniversary.

Seven years ago we were teenagers {he was fifteen, I was seventeen}, sitting at a friends birthday party, being bombarded with questions about how long we had been together. We weren’t “official” yet, so that night he asked me out.

Literally, he asked if I would go out with him. And in high school terms, that meant we were official. I have no idea if I would have believed anyone that long ago if they had told me I was committing myself to my future husband. But now, I couldn’t be happier.

So, Happy Anniversary  to my best friend. To the only person in this world that knows who I am, completely. To my husband, and to the person that I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with.

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I’ve already said that today has been pretty wonderful. I finally started shopping again on Friday night, after a three and a half month dry spell. This morning I finally found the perfect pair of black flats {Steve Madden, duh!} that I’ve been searching for.

I also made some delicious deliciousness.

Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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And I told you last week that I would make this bread and give you the recipe if it’s any good. It was pretty amazing, so here’s the recipe:

Macaroni Grill’s Famous Rosemary Bread {via Food Network Magazine}

  • 1 packet of active dry yeast {1/4 yeast}
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  1. Stir the yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil, the flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary, the fine salt, and 3/4 warm water; stir with a wooden spoon (or with the dough hook if using a mixer) until a dough forms.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or knead with the dough hook on medium-high speed, adding a little more flour if the dough sticks to the bowl, about 8 minutes.)
  4. Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours.
  5. Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Generously flour a work surface; turn the dough out onto the flour and divide into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour on the dough, then fold the top and bottom portions into the middle. Fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, putting 2 balls on each baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, until more than doubled, about 2 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the the loaves 10 minutes; brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve with olive oil seasoned with pepper.

I hope you all had a wonderful Sunday as well! And try that bread. Seriously, it’s kind of amazing.

Love you,

17 comments:

Jacqueline Hooton said...

What a wonderful thing to celebrate! When I was 17 I dated a guy that was 15, and boy that really stirred things up in my small high school. Girls dated older guys, not younger. It ended up being one of the best relationships I've had to date. Seven years is great, so happy anniversary to you! And I have to say, I love Steve Madden! Please post a pic of your new shoes. :)

Becca said...

Girl after my own heart! Enjoying my own glass of Merlot right now.

Congrats on 7 years! What an accomplishment. Getting married certainly doesn't mean having to stop celebrating all those important firsts - we still celebrate our first date anniversary, too.

So enjoy! And congratulations. :D

beka said...

definitely gonna have to have my brother grill some of that up...or i could do it;)

ah! happy anniversary! that's special. and you guys are adorable. really. :)

Anonymous said...

happy anniversary! you guys look so cute in that photo! many more great years to come.

Darcy said...

awwww....happy anniversary!
Me and hubs ALSO had a long history before marriage (7 years before marriage and now two years married). So i also like to celebrate our regular anniversary because heck two years just doesn't cover our history!!!
love that ur married to ur best friend. I think celebrating the good guys is AWESOME.

Lindsay said...

Wow that's a long time! Congrats, you should definitely still be celebrating that!

My old friend Chardonnay has recently been reintroduced to me recently after having a bad cold last week. I missed my friend :)

Anonymous said...

Happy Dating Anniversary to you! Such a cute picture ... and welcome back to the vino :)

xxoo
Maegan

jillian :: cornflake dreams. said...

happy (dating) anniversary!!! :) you two are so cute! xoxo jcd:: cornflake dreams

Unknown said...

My mum thinks it's wierd that my hubby and I still celebrate our dating anniversary, but we still do and I'm glad that, as it turns out, it's not as wierd or unusual as one might think!

Congratulations you guys, and may you have many many years together still!

Meredith said...

Aw! Me and my guy just had our six-year dating anniversary yesterday. Even though we're engaged, I agree, no reason to forget that anniversary. It was the same high school thing - it's the day we became "official."

And that bread? Oh. My. Lord. I love Macaroni Grill's bread! Goodness how I wish I wasn't doing the low-carb diet this week so I could make some of it! Maybe next week!

PS - I'm over from Mingle Monday - love your blog!

Julie {love, julie} said...

That is so cute you guys met when you were so little!

Unknown said...

The bread looks incredible! I have just awarded you a Stylish Blogger Award. Check it out here.
http://www.calamitykitchen.com/2011/04/award-and-not-so-stylish-handwriting.htm

Christina @ Simple and Delish said...

Oh the bread recipe looks delicious!

Christina
ps - check out my Cory Renee Clutch Giveaway!

Jessica said...

Ohhh baking, you will be the death of me! But I love it so...

Thanks for your sweet comment! I cannot wait to see the pictures and share them on my blog!!

Jenna said...

Congrats on the anniversary! - 7 years is definitely something worth celebrating!

And that rosemary bread looks so good! - definitely adding it to my list of recipes to try!

xoxo
Jenna

ashley nicole catherine said...

just found you through jillian of cornflake dreams and so glad i did! now following :)

xo.ashley

Anonymous said...

this is amazing! happy anniversary and thanks for this awesome recipe! so inspired! :)
xoxox