work trip to harrisburg

My husband's job at a metal fabrication company involves him designing and drawing a lot of parts to be produced out of sheet metal in the shop. He uses a certain software to make all this stuff. A few weeks ago, he was working on a project in bed while I was reading. Blueprints were spread all over our bed and I was secretly watching him make precise measurements, calculations and designs. He is so smart and talented at what he does. Can you tell I am very proud of him?

His boss decided to send him away for software training in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Aaaand here's the thing... I'm kind of a wimp. I hated the thought of sleeping in our house alone, and also being away from him. So I asked my boss if I could just go with him and work from my laptop in the hotel room while he was in training. He was totally fine with it, so a few days later we were off to Harrisburg!

This was my office for a few days. Not terrible.

And this was my view for those days... a messy, unmade bed. Nice, right?

Working from a hotel room is a little over rated. The good part: I stayed in my pajamas and kept the Food Network on in the background all day. Awesome. The bad part: I was lonely! I am used to working in a building with other people, and sitting in a pretty office with tons of windows.

Of course it was a work trip, so it wasn't necessarily supposed to be fun. Michael was at training from 8 to 5 and I was stuck in the hotel room working like crazy and counting the minutes until Michael came back so I could have some human interaction.

But after work, we had a ton of fun going out to eat at local restaurants and exploring downtown Harrisburg. We splurged a lot and had dessert after dinner every night.

My favorite meal of the trip was at Appalachian Brewing Company in Camp Hill. I had a grilled chicken sandwich on brioche, that was topped with melted brie cheese, fresh spinach, walnuts and sweet honey. It was so different (I've never had whole walnuts on a sandwich) but delicious!

 

We drove around downtown Harrisburg one night, and stopped at this beautiful spot to enjoy the view.

Then we stopped by the Pennsylvania State Capitol, which was incredible. I wish it had been open so we could see inside.

The last day of our trip was my day to adventure out of the hotel room and around Pennsylvania. My boss sent me with a few hundred of our Southern Delaware Visitors Guides to deliver to Visitors Centers in the Harrisburg area.

One stop was in the adorable town of Carlisle. It was really fun to meet people who are doing the same thing as me, but in a different state. We talked for awhile about visitation, group tours, itineraries and other things people in the tourism world talk about.

Michael and I got home around 9:00 last night, unpacked as fast as we could, took a shower and crawled into bed. I can't tell you how great it felt to be back in my own bed.

As fun as it is to go away (even just for a work trip), it's even better to come back home.

steak and blue cheese salad with balsamic glazed walnuts

Once in awhile I get to work from home when I have a lot of website updating to do for my company. This happened last week, and since I was home all day I planned a romantic dinner to surprise my husband when he got home from work.

It was fun to figure out what I wanted to make, set the table, get all dressed up, turn off the lights and wait for him to walk in the door. Then seeing the look on his face was priceless.

This beautiful steak salad is served on a bed of mixed greens with dried cranberries, balsamic glazed walnuts and topped with a homemade buttermilk blue cheese dressing. Um yes.

The walnuts are a nice touch. They are coated in a mixture of honey and balsamic vinegar, then laid on a sheet pan to harden. They add crunch and sweetness, plus tons of flavor.

Whether this meal is for your family, friends or a romantic way to surprise your loved one.. I know it will be a huge hit.

Side note: If you are wondering about the interesting wine bottle, it's a special bottle shaped like the Fenwick Island Lighthouse from a local winery here in Southern Delaware, Fenwick Wine Cellars. The wine is called Reflections of Fenwick. It's a special blend and tastes sweet with hints of citrus and spice. One of my favorites!

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Steak and Blue Cheese Salad with Balsamic Glazed Walnuts

Serves 2 (with some walnuts and dressing left over)

For the Salad:
1 pre-washed bag of Spring Mix salad greens
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Balasmic Glazed Walnuts (recipe below)
Seared Sirloin Steak (recipe below)
Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe below)

Separate greens evenly between 2 plates. Sprinkle dried cranberries and walnuts evenly over each salad. Lay thinly sliced steak on top, and drizzle dressing to taste. Serve immediately.

For the Steak:
1 pound sirloin steak
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Season both sides of the steak liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a medium skillet on high until very hot, but don't let the oil burn. Drop the heat a bit, and put the steak in the hot oil. Let it cook (don't touch it!) for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the steak has a nice sear. The steak will be medium. If you want medium-well, cook it for a few more minutes. Take the steak out of the pan and sit it on a cutting board. Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before making thin slices to put on the salad.

For the Dressing:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise and vinegar until combined. Add the blue cheese and stir until incorporated. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. Dressing can be made up to three days in advance

For the Walnuts:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 cup walnut halves

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir together sugar, honey, olive oil and balsamic vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until the syrup begins to bubble and thicken.

Stir in walnuts. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes or until the walnuts are coated with a thick and sticky glaze. Turn out onto the lined baking sheet. Using a silicone spatula, spread the walnuts out into a single layer, separating into individual pieces as much as possible. Let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container lined with paper towel. You may need to break the walnuts apart a bit before putting them in the container. Walnuts can be prepared up to three days in advance, or serve them on this salad once they are cooled and hardened.

Salad Dressing and Walnut recipe adapted from Crumb Blog.

making a house plan

On the second day of our renovation, Michael wanted to draw out a plan of our house. It's a good thing to do when starting something like this. When it comes time to order flooring, for example, we can reference our house plan to figure out square footage, which tells us how much to order.

He started by taking accurate measurements of every room. Then he measured all the doors and windows. He took what he called "wall width" into consideration, which I'm assuming it the width of the studs? Right?

Anyway, it's a good thing I have him because I was so lost while he was figuring out the measurements. Plus I liked watching him do it...

Here is Michael modeling our new window unit air conditioner! I bought this when I lived in New Jersey, and my dear roommate just returned it to us recently. Our house doesn't have central AC yet, we're planning to install it before next summer.

Also, sorry about my serious white balance issue in these photos. The redness comes from our monstrous construction light.

Also, I just noticed my face in the window. I didn't know it was me at first and I was really creeped out.

Also, yes the previous owners really painted their kitchen that red/pink/mauve color.

It's been HOT here in Delaware the last few days, so we have been thankful for our little window unit that pumps out 65 degree air into our kitchen while we work. There are no words for how happy this makes me.

When Michael finished all his measurements and a rough sketch of our house layout, he went home that night and drew it in CAD.

So this is the finished result: our house. In lines.

I love the layout. For a girl who used to go to the laundromat in New Jersey, it will be so nice having a laundry/mud room in the back.

I love our eat-in kitchen. I had the idea to build (well, for Michael to build) an L-shaped bench in that back left corner of the dining area. It will be cool booth-style seating for our dining room table. We're also considering removing that wall between the kitchen and living room.

We are looking forward to tackling more of our to-do list this weekend!

we bought a house!

We are so excited to share the news about our new home! Michael and I went to settlement on our house last week. It's been a very exciting 3 months leading up to this. We weren't looking to buy a house right now, but this little beauty fell into our laps and we knew it was the house for us. Here's why:

1. It was cheap. We got a great deal on the home because it was a foreclosure and owned by Fannie Mae (which is government owned). There were several incentives with Fannie Mae. We got a few thousand dollars worth of closing cost help and no transfer tax on the property. It's also been vacant for about 8-10 months and they were eager to get rid of it.

2. It has a big kitchen/living room space. Obviously the kitchen is important to me. I can't wait to bake goodies and cook dinners after we get married! We also love having people over and are looking forward to entertaining someday. The space this house has will be perfect for that.

3. It has 3 bedrooms. We wanted to have 2 extra bedrooms... one for an office and one for a guest bedroom.

4. The most expensive things to renovate have already been done. The roof, siding and windows were all re-done about 5-8 years ago. Our septic inspection came back with great results. All of those things would have been $40,000+ to fix, so the fact that we don't have to worry about them made this house an even better deal.

5. It has character. There are beautiful, original hardwood floors underneath the horrid blue and mauve carpeting. There is a lovely, huge built-in hutch in the kitchen. The windows are very wide and let a lot of natural light in. The bathroom has cool vintage tile and a porcelin tub.

It took a few weeks for us to decide. We sat down with my parents to discuss the purchase, and poured over our finances again and again. We thought of every possible scenario that we could come up and tried to figure out if we could afford it. Turns out, we can!

We made an offer. It was accepted 3 days later. 5 weeks later, we bought it.

It was so much fun using the key and walking into our new house together for the first time. That was the beginning of a very long project for us...

Michael worked in home construction, framing and renovation for about 5 years in his early twenties. He is the reason we could buy a house like this - because we can fix it up ourselves! He's been working out our renovation plan over the last few weeks and we started last night.

I will be blogging about our project. I think Jenna Laughs will become a bit of a "home and garden" blog for the next 6-8 months, since that's the stage in life I find myself now. Hopefully I will find time to cook and bake and share those things with you too!

I'm excited to start this journey, and have the pleasure of sharing it with all of you.

bridesmaid dresses and invitations

Wedding plans are coming along nicely! We've got so much done already - venue, menu, dj, photographer, honeymoon, my wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses, invitations, pastor... we are even starting pre-marriage counseling in August. I can't believe we are getting married in 6 months!

I've had so much fun planning this wedding. I can't even begin to explain how great the whole experience has been. It hasn't been stressful at all, mostly because I haven't let myself get upset about anything. I knew in the beginning that I only get married once, and I wanted to have fun planning it to be exactly what Michael and I want for our special day.

Our winter themed wedding is going to be so beautiful. I have visions of white flowers, fresh evergreens like cedar and pine, and pictures of winter scenes around the room.

Here is the bridesmaids dress I picked out, and my 6 wonderful bridesmaids have ordered their dresses already. I liked this one because it's long (which will keep them warm in January), it has straps (not everyone likes strapless dresses), and it's fitted in the waist then flares out (which I think will be so flattering).
 
My colors are black, white and dark grey... with some fresh Christmas greenery.

Michael and I picked these invitations and ordered them this week. I love the peaceful, snowy forest in the background.

A few more checks off the list! Next up: registering for gifts (yay!) and our pre-marriage counseling sessions with our pastor and his wife.

Romantic side note: Michael sent me a text message this morning that said, "I can't wait to hug you every morning." I feel the same way, boo. 191 days.

light up the sky

A few weeks ago, I was at work like any normal day. Michael and I had a conversation via gchat that went something like this:

Me: "Hey honey. I am making turkey sandwiches for dinner tonight. Aren't you so glad you're dating a food blogger? Want to come over?"

Michael: "Can we have turkey sandwiches to go?"

Me: "That makes no sense. If we are 'going' then let's buy real food."

Michael: "Well I have a surprise! I will pick you up at 6:00 tonight."

Me: "Yay! Okay! What should I wear?"

Michael: "Your adventure clothes."

While I was contemplating buying a scuba suit or hiking boots, I went home after work so excited for our date night. After dinner (at Chipotle!!!) he started driving West on roads I had never seen in my life.

We stopped in the very random town of Greenbackville, Maryland... where I think there is nothing but a crab shack and this beautiful section of the Chesapeake Bay.

I love water in any form. I am so happy Delaware has bays, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams and the Atlantic Ocean.

We caught a killer sunset along with some obvious making out in the car. Let's be honest. (194 days until we get married!!!!!!!!)

I thought the killer sunset was my surprise, but he kept driving on roads I had never been on before and we ended up in Wallops Island, Virginia across Oyster Bay from NASA Wallops... to watch a rocket launch!

NASA was launching the Minotaur 1 rocket with the ORS 1 Satellite that will be used for Air Force defense. We were only about 1.2 miles from the launch pad with the best view ever.

This is right after it launched. It all happened so fast and was so loud, I can't believe I even got a picture!

We were listening to the Launch Commander on the radio. He said within seconds, the rocket was 900 miles away going 12,000 miles per hour. I can't even understand it!

Top 5 coolest thing I've ever seen. For real.

Here is Michael's photo. He set his camera on a long shutter speed to capture the whole thing.

He dropped me off at home around 1:30 am on a weekday. I was tired at work the next day, but it was so worth it.

We are only a little under 2 hours from NASA Wallops. I want to keep checking their website to go again. I would love to see a shuttle launch! Does that make me a huge nerd?

honeymoon - reservation under "mr. and mrs."

With all the wedding planning going on, Michael and I were really looking forward to booking our honeymoon. It's been so much fun to look around online and read travel magazines to plan our first vacation together. We don't live together and we have never traveled together for more than a weekend . So this whole honeymoon thing means we get to fall asleep in the same bed and wake up in the same bed.

Our first thought was Jamaica. We definitely wanted the Caribbean. Something warm, tropical and total honeymoon cliche.

Then we started thinking about airports, checking luggage, long travel hours and complicated taxi rides in a foreign country. We know we will be so tired after our wedding, and honestly we just want to go relax somewhere close by!

A few weeks later, I was reading a travel magazine at work (it's okay, I work in tourism) and saw an article on "Romantic Getaways". There was a review on this hotel and I knew it was the one. It's a total winter wonderland hidden in the mountains in Western Maryland, to match our winter-themed wedding in January.

I read, "This bed-and-breakfast's Arts and Crafts-style decor, wraparound porch with rockers and lakeside views are enough to relax the most tightly wound person. There's plenty at the Inn to keep you busy if you feel like staying put. The staff continually restocks the homemade chocolate chip cookie tray and fruit bowl and light hors d'oeuvres are served in the evening. A log-burning fire is lit in the living room; spiced cider is served, too."

Fireplaces? Relaxation? Lakeside views? Chocolate chip cookies? Spiced cider? Take me there now.

We read some reviews on Trip Advisor too. I love Trip Advisor. Do you guys use it as much as I do? I totally trust all those strangers opinions.

Most people said it was the best bed and breakfast type hotel they've ever stayed in - and have been back numerous times over the years, some 4 and 5 times a year! They said the complimentary "gourmet" breakfasts are amazing, and there are snacks and drinks available for free all day. At night, you can roast marshmallows around a fire and chat with the other guests at the Inn. It's situated right on the lake with beautiful views and fresh mountain air.

My favorite part is that there are only 10 rooms. All the hotels in Jamaica we looked at had like 400 or 500 rooms. We wanted total peace and quiet.

All of the rooms at the Inn have gas fireplaces and beautiful views. But you get to pick which room you want based on the photos.

We chose this room. Can you guess why?

Hello beautiful snowy mountain view and jacuzzi tub right next to the fireplace.

We can snuggle up by the fire in the bed, those comfy chairs or the bathtub. There is also a steam shower and 100% Egyptian cotton sheets. Romantic much?

We are getting a hot stone couples massage while we are there. 80 minutes of happiness. Doesn't that woman look blissful? That will be me in like 250 days.

There are some fun things to do close by. The Inn is right across the street from a beautiful ski resort where we can buy day passes to go snow tubing and ice skating. We can also rent snow mobiles and ride a "mountain coaster" that winds it's way down the snowy mountain through the forest. We can even go on horse-drawn sleigh rides.

I know the drive up there will be so beautiful, and it's only a 4 hour drive from where we are getting married.

Everything about it is perfect and we couldn't be more excited. It's all booked, done and paid for with a reservation under Mr. and Mrs. Beard... so crazy!

I know Michael is happy because he loves the mountains and he loves me - so he gets both at once. We both love snow and all the coziness it brings when you are inside cuddled up next to a fire. We will spend 5 happy days there. It's perfect to complete our winter wedding.


Article from The Pittsburgh Post Gazette and photos from Lake Pointe Inn.

that time we booked our wedding photographer and i spit water all over michael

Yes it's true. Here's how it happened:

We met with our wedding photographer last night in a Panera close by. He was wonderful and patient as I asked a million questions like, "What happens in 5 years if I want to get a 11x17 photo of us printed and framed? Can I just call you?"  "Can I get a photo AND our names etched on the front of our wedding album?"

So I was a little crazy, but that's pretty normal for me. I was taking notes and calculating prices and apologizing for asking so many questions and then asking more questions.

After about an hour, he got up to get a glass of water from the soda fountain and brought it back to the table. That's important to know.

Then, after another hour, we finished our meeting and I wrote a check to give our deposit. It was so awesome and official. It's also the first money Michael and I have spent on our wedding. My poor parents have been writing the big checks for the venue and food. We are so blessed by them.

At this point, Michael went to the same soda fountain to get us a glass of water and brought it back to the table. That's also important to know.

After we gave him our deposit, we helped him get packed up and put the tables back in place. Then, I reached for a glass of water that I thought was Michaels, took a big sip, felt on my tongue that the water was warm, realized I was drinking from our photographer's glass, put the glass down, was shocked, started to laugh, didn't know what to do, and spit all the water out on Michael's shirt. It like spewed out of my mouth... very geyser-like.

So that's the story of how we booked our wedding photographer! I acted crazy and asked a bunch of questions, then spit water all over the shirt of my future husband in the middle of Panera.

And now let me tell you how completely excited we are that we got him to shoot our special day. As a food blogger and the girlfriend of a freelance photographer, we were picky about who we would get to photograph our wedding. This guy is so talented in terms of framing, composition and technique.

His name is Leo Djiwatampu of Leo Dj Photography. Click here for his website.

Here are some of my favorite images by him:

He also photographed my sister's wedding! That's how we found out about him. You can see all her wedding photo's on Leo's Blog ... but here are a few of my favorites. Especially that first one of my sister and our Dad. So emotional and beautiful.

This is her bridal party... Michael and I are on the right!

Look at my beautiful sister and her husband! Such a wonderful picture.

I can't wait to see the beautiful images he creates from that wonderful day where Michael and I become husband and wife.

We signed up for an engagement photo session too. We will probably get those taken sometime this fall, a few months before our wedding. I can't wait to share those pictures someday!

So now we can cross a few more things off the list:

Ceremony and reception venue - check
Menu - check
Wedding date - check
Photographer - check
Bridal Party - check
Pastor - check
DJ/Emcee - check

I mean we could practically get married now.