Culinary Creations

This past weekend I was in a serious mood to cook some fancy h'orsderves.  Saturday evening we had a blizzard of snow, so the family and I just hung out at my Mom and Dad's, cooked some tasty treats, and had wine.  It was so cozy and the food turned out great!  Making unique appetizers is one of our favorite things to do.  Although the recipes take more time and skill, it is definately worth it in the end. 

Menu

Crostini with proscuitto and garlic herbed butter

Crab and red bell pepper crostini

Andouille sausage stuffed mushrooms

White vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting

*Also, check out the new recipe under the Good Eats tab. 

Remembering.an.Angel

Luke and I are both lucky enough to still have all of our immediate Grandparent's with us today.  Today I was reminded of someone in Heaven.  Almost two years ago, my Great Grandmother passed away.  I don't deal well with death or pain in the people I love.  I don't like to confront it, so I did not see my Great Grandma before she went to Heaven.  I chose rather to remember her in her happy days and moments - and I am happy with that decision.  I now only remember the happy times I spent with her, not her painful days.  I kept a single flower from my Great Grandma's funeral and I still have it, after almost two years.  I keep it in my car so that I always have a Guardian Angel protecting me while I'm on the road.  It's in a secret hiding spot, but every now and again I come across it and smile.  Today was one of those days.  I came across the flower which represents my Great Grandma.  I had a breif moment and told her the latests in my life.  The biggest news I had for her was the news that I, her Great-Granddaughter is engaged to be married.  Tears filled my eyes, as I was sad that she will not physically be a part of one of the biggest days in my life.  Then I had tears of happiness, as I remembered her and all that she has given me.  If it wasn't for her, I would not have Nana, and I would not have my amazing Mother.  You never know when a tiny little flower might show up, and how it can speak volumes in your life!   

LOTS.GoInG.on

The Thanksgiving holiday and hunting season had me busy the past couple of weeks, and I am finally rested up now!  The hunting season was fun.  Unfortunately this was my third year that I ended the season empty-handed.  I entered the season thinking "there's no way I will not get one for a third year!!"  Well, it happened...again.  I am determined for next year!  There's no way it can happen 4 years in a row, right?  Thanksgiving was also delightful.  Luke and I spent Thanksgiving with his family and we had lots of yummy food, that's for sure!  Other news:  Wedding planning is still the same.  We won't have much to do until it gets closer now.  My parents got their Christmas tree last weekend and my mom has the house all decorated for the Holiday so I am excited to spend this weekend at home, sleeping in, and doing homework.  Oh, did I mention that I graduate college in 2 weeks?  EEEKKK!!  My semester has been so low-key, but now of course I have final projects due in all three classes that we just got assigned yesterday.  It's going to be a busy few weeks for me.  It's overwhelming to stop and think about all the changes that are happening in my life.  All for the good of course, but still overwhelming at times!  The change I'm most excited for is getting married!!!  Did you know Christmas is in 26 days!!!  WOOOHOOO!!  Enjoy the weekend, everyone.  I am headed home this weekend for a Christmas party and to relax!

The Valentino Family Chsitmas Tree



hunting Eve

Well, it's that time of year again....the Eve of the opening weekend of deer hunting in Wisconsin.  I thought a lot today back to my first years of deer hunting with my Dad.  12 years ago was my first year.  The first couple years we had feet and feet of snow!  I spent my first couple of years sitting with my Dad.  He was and still is such a great teacher in the outdoors.  He taught me everything I know about being an active outdoors-woman.  It started as just a tradition between me and my Dad.  Just him and I, every year, in our blaze orange, out in the woods.  A few years ago, my younger sister decided to take on the sport as well.  She came with us for 2 seasons, but just didn't have the interest in continuing the sport.  I am glad she tried it at least, because many of our young youth, especially girls don't try this male-dominated sport.  She was sitting with me when she got her first buck.  I guess Dad's good teaching skills rubbed off on me as well!  Luke was recently inducted into the Valentino Deer Camp as well.  This will be his 3rd year with us.  My brother-in-law Phil will also be joining us this year.  At times it's hard for me to face the fact that our family is growing from a hunting standpoint.  It's not just Dad and I out there anymore...Yes, I even had a hard time "letting" my own fiance join us.  It's not because I am a mean or selfish person.  A lot of people don't understand how seriously I take this sport and the fact that it has always been Me and Dad's "thing."  When your used to just the "me and dad thing" it's sometime difficult for me to step back and realize that other family members should be a part of it as well.  It will always be me and Dad's "thing" because it's been our special bonding time together for 12 years now!  I'm glad that I have so many years of special experiences hunting with Dad and I know we have many more years ahead.  Now, lets see if Luke and Phil can "roll with the big dogs this weekend."  Wish us all luck as we head to Valentino Deer Camp tonight and hunt trophy whitetail all weekend long!

    My Mom ordered us awesome hats and shirts for the occasion!

Wedding.Update

Our wedding is in 199 days!  I can't believe it!  In 199 days Luke and I's lives will change forever.  We won't just have ourselves to care of, we will have to take care of each other.  Every decision, big or little will be a decision that we will both make.  I know we are both ready to take on married life and enjoy the journey of life as partners!  Wedding planning has been going fairly smoothly.  We have our date set, location picked, wedding gown ordered, bridesmaid dresses picked, DJ set, and we have chosen and asked all of the lovely individuals to be part of our big day.  Next steps:  FIND A PASTOR!!!  Flowers, cake, tuxes, decorations.  Phew, there's  alot more left to do than I thought.  We fianlly finished our wedding website and want to share it with all of you.  YAY, I can finally update the "Our Wedding" tab above!!!  Check back to it often for updates!  Don't forget to save the date: June 2, 2012 :)

www.weddingwire.com/valentinosipple

Penne with Almond Sauce

I love cooking and this is one of my latest favorite recipes to cook.  It's great for this time of year.  Stick to your bones goodness!  It takes some time, but it is so worth it!  Definitely try this one out!

Penne with Almond Sauce:

Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

1 lb. Penne Pasta

2 Cups Slivered Almonds

2.5 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

3 Garlic Cloves, Finely Chopped

2 Rotiseree Chicken Breasts, Cubed

1 Cup Frozen Peas (Don't use canned)

3/4 Cup Heavy Cream

2 Cups Grated Parmesan

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the pasta until Al Dente, about 8 to 10 minutes.

In a food processor, blend the almonds, chicken stock, and garlic until it becomes a puree with some texture at the bottom.  Pour the mixture into a skillet and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes until bubbly and it begins to thicken.  Add the cream, parmesan cheese, peas and chicken.  Let sit 2-3 minutes until chicken and peas are warmed through.

Pour the cooked and drained pasta into the sauce mixture and toss until evenly coated.  Transfer the dish into a large serving bowl and enjoy!

 

Bundle oF joY

I spent the morning in my favorite spot:  up in a tree, all bundled up, and watching the deer.  Max spent the morning in his favorite spot:  up in my bed, all bundled up in a blanket, taking a nap.  What do we have in common?  We both sported our fancy camo clothing this morning.  It's scary how much I have in common with this dog.  I feel like he is me; in a dog's body :)  Have a Happy Thursday!

Can you see us???

all.Hallows.eve

I hope everyone had a great Halloween!  I spent it casually, hanging out with my in-laws, having pizza, and handing out candy to little children (I mostly ate it though).  As I've gotten older, I never got into the whole Halloween scene.  What I mean by that is: I was never the type of person in college to dress up and go hang out a bar.  Not my thing!  I like to keep Halloween strictly as a childhood memory.  This year brought me back to a special Halloween.  This year was the 20 year anniversary of the big Halloween snow storm of 1991.  I was 2 years old and my Mom, Dad, Sister, and I lived in Chaska, MN at the time.  I was too young to remember, but we have bins and bins of home videos (I am so grateful that my parents took home-videos of us all the time when we were younger!) and one of our videos is of Halloween in 1991.  My mom made pumpkin costumes for my older sister and I and my dad took us out in the snowy blizzard, and pulled us on a sled to go trick-or-treating.  We were SOOOO bundled up with hats, scarves, snow suits (thanks mom) that we could hardly see anything.  Thankfully we had our Dad to pull us around.  What a Dad!  Thinking back to that Halloween today literally made me cry.  I can't believe that was 20 years ago.  Time really does go by so fast!  I am so happy that my parents captured many of these special moments of my childhood on video so that I can always go back and watch what life was like back when I was little.  I will definitely do this someday for my children because one of my family's favorite things to do is sit together and watch our home-videos.  Thanks Mom and Dad, for capturing childhood moments that I would not know or remember if you hadn't caught them on film!  You don't know how much it means to me.  Love You! 

       I Love Treats!

1991 Halloween Blizzard Snow Fall Totals

Random

This post doesn't really serve any purpose other than it is extremely random.  The topic is randomness.  During a recent bored moment, I went through all of the pictures on my phone and couldn't help but laugh at the hundreds (seriously) of random and pointless pictures.  From pictures of food, to myself, to my straightener, it's all there.  Why would I take a picture of my straightener?  I have a small case of OCD and am always paranoid that I left it plugged in before I left the house.  Sometime I just take a picture of it so that when I'm in doubt or am thinking, "crap, I think I forgot to unplug it" I can just look at that picture and reassure myself.  I know it's REALLY weird of me, but that's just the way I am.  Don't wanna burn anything down.  So, I would just like to share some of the random pictures that I have taken in the past year.  They may be random, but they keep me entertained and always give me a giggle!  Randomness is perfectly fine!  Pictures are very low quality since they were taken from my phone.  I hope you get a few laughs out of my random assortment!  Have a great week everyone!

I like them.  Why not take a photo?

Don't worry, I wasn't driving!

I made him put on my scarf.  I also made him let me take a picture of it.  :)  He's cute!



I still enjoy and am proud of my Play-Doh creations. 

:)

hahaha!



That's Amore!

With the last name of Valentino, it should be a given that I come from an Italian heritage.  I am absoulutely in Amore (meaning, Love: in Italian) with my last name, and I will have a hard time giving it up when I get married.  My Grandpa is a nearly full-blooded Italian, although his eating habits would argue.  1.  He doesn't like pasta.  CRAZY, I know!  2.  He hates onions, which are a staple, in many Italian recipes.  3.  He prefers meat and potatoes, which is totally a "non-Italian thing."  My Grandpa Valentino is truly one of the most hilarious, BLUNT, and accomplished people you will ever know.  Him and my Grandma have endured harder times in their lifetime than I will ever know or understand.  He is someone who has made a tremendous mark in the lives of his family and friends.  I am very grateful that he, and my Grandma are still with me, sharing stories and love.  My Grandpa has taught me many things about the Italian heritage that I come from. 1.  He warns never to eat polenta.  Polenta is a thick, cornmeal based Italian food and I guess Grandpa had too much of it when he was younger because even the thought of it makes him cringe.  2.  The song "Thats Amore" is a staple!  I knew the song by age 3 because he would always play the "tape" and teach us (granchildren) the song when we were little.  "When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that's Amore."  3.  Salami is the greatest Italian creation of all.  Hard salami, salamini, salames (all different types of Italian salami) are all one of the greatest things you can eat.  Instead of candy, Grandpa would give us kids nibbles of salami that he ordered specially from his favorite meat shop.    There is so much more that I could tell you about my wonderful Grandpa, but nevertheless, all of the memories are securely stored in my mind.  In honor of my Italian heritage, I would like to share with you some of my favorite Italian foods and where you can get them.    

    Pizza Margehrita: Fired baked crust with garlic and olive oil, roma tomato, mozzerella, and basil  

Bella Cucina:  Bloomington, MN

  Ceasar Salad: Romaine lettuce, parmesan, garlic, olive oil, anchovies, and egg yolks

Lakes Grill:  Woodbury, MN

Linguine pasta with spinach, shrimp, mushrooms, garlic, and parmesan cream

Lindsey Valentino:  A recipe I created

FALLing.in.love

I LOVE the season of Fall!  The warm colors, pumpkin scents, apple ciders, and crumble deserts get me every time!  It is such a warm and fuzzy time of year to get together with family and enjoy a football game, brisk walk, or cup of cocoa.  This post is dedicated to many of my favorite fall items whether it is food, clothing, or hobbies.  Enjoy the season!

1.  Scarves: Infinity scarves or regular scarves, all are amazing, warm, and add a great accent to almost any wardrobe.

My Favorite:  Target 

2. Fall Jackets:  Lightweight enough to wear for the entire day, yet warm enough when it cools down. 

My Favorite:  Target

3. Squash: Mash it, make a soup out of it, or set it on your counter or in a basket assortment for fall decor. 

My Favorite:  Butternut Squash (back right)

4. Yankee Candles:  If you don't have one, you haven't lived.  The best scents EVER!

My Favorite Fall Scent:  Spiced Pumpkin

5.  Nature:  The colorful leaves, cool winds, and of course...hunting!

I Love You, Fall

*Check out the Good Eats tab for my favorite fall drink recipe

Meet Zoe

Luke and I are lucky enough to have special little people in our lives.  We have 2 spunky nephews, and 2 fancy nieces (one still in the belly).  There are lists and lists of funny stories that we could tell you about these kids.  They definitely keep us on our toes, and VERY entertained!  Zoe, who is our niece, is also Luke's Godchild.  The second-to-last time we saw her, she had just learned how to walk and was still a little wobbly on her toes.  This past weekend that little girl was zipping around the house like there was no tomorrow!  She likes to race if you say "ready-set-go", give kisses, high-fives, and wave.  Some of her favorite snacks include goldfish crackers, fruit snacks, and pretzels.  She likes to nap with the radio on, and her purple sippy-cup isn't far from where she is.  She likes to play with leggos and trucks (her brothers' and cousins') while wearing her "Little Black Dress" shirt.  She has wavy blonde curls that match perfectly with her cute shirts and little animal-print leggings.  She recently got a new pair of purple Nike's which could explain her talent of running around and "racing".  She has quite the personality!  Even though we don't see Zoe often, we could tell you so much about her because humans tend to remember details about the things and people they love.  We Love You, Zoe!

 

Stay tuned for upcoming features of our other little pals

    

Birthday Boy!

Happy Birthday to my man, Luke! 

You're my best friend, my guy, my "wook"

You're an amazing person to all around

You and our love is what I'm glad I found

Today is your Birthday, another year older

I'll be here for ALL of them, leaning over your shoulder

I can't see you today, and it's something I hate

But I can't wait for Friday when we go on our date

So Happy Birthday to you, Luke Adam Sipple

The only thing to rhyme with has to be...nipple :)

*Happy Birthday to the best guy a girl could ask for!*

  !Love you lots!

love.life

After my recent incident of falling off of a step and having a sprained ankle, I have found myself extremely grateful for what I do have in my life.  Although I find myself complaining about using crutches and not being able to walk for the time being, I feel very lucky that the situation is only temporary.  There are some people out there who don't have the ability to walk, see, or perform their every-day life functions.  I admit that sometimes I have to scold myself for complaining when there are others out there who have it MUCH, MUCH worse.  What I do have to be thankful for:  health, an education, parents, sisters, a "love-of-my-life", a place to live, a car, clothes (really cute ones), food and water, values, friends, nieces and nephews, in-laws, pets, grandparents, and SOOOO much more that this would be the biggest run-on sentence you have ever seen!  I have a great life, and sometimes we all just need to sit back and look at what we have and the gift of life that we were blessed with.  Although my "bum ankle" seemed like such a tragedy, it is just a tiny road bump in my life and none of my blessings disappeared because of it.  So I leave you with this:  falling down hurts sometimes, but the ground will catch you, you WILL heal, and Life's blessings will be waiting for you when you get back up.
 

   

UW-Iloveyou

I am a senior at University of Wisconsin-Stout located in Menomonie, WI which is only a little over an hour from BRF.  I love this school, I love this town, I love everything about the last 4 years of my experience here.  This college experience has first and foremost lead me to my future husband.  Luke and I met in Psychology class my freshman year.  He was a Sophomore looking for a younger woman apparently :) .  I remember that first day of class as if it were yesterday.  I even remember what I wore..SERIOUSLY!  I went for comfort...my black strechy athletic pants, a red zip-up hoodie, and tan colored "ugg boots" (the Target brand ones of course).  I didn't know anyone in the class so I sat by myself.  That evening while on Facebook I got a friend request from Luke Sipple.... I had no clue who this creeper was.  I messaged him and asked him if I knew him.  He said we were in psychology together.  To be honest I was a little freaked out, but flattered at the same time.  I accepted the request thinking that I may need help with homework sometime.  After all, he did seem to be a bit of a nerd.  On the second day of class I sat by this mysterious man named Luke and ever since then our friendship grew.  It grew into a relationship that I had never had before.  Finally, a great guy, with a great family, who was kind and a gentleman.  I quickly fell for Luke, and we continued our journey at Stout together from that point on.  I remember late nights, Luke bringing me back to my dorm and being locked out because it was passed hours.  Hanging out in his Grandmas basement which is where he lived (romantic, I know!).  Watching movies, going on dates, finding out even more and more that we were meant for eachother.  Luke left our love campus last December, as he graduated.  I am still here, at the love-strucken school that lead me to Luke.  I am so thankful for this school.  I still have classes every now and again in that psychology classroom.... Home Ec. building, room 230.  So, I leave you with this:  Sometimes one little decision can change your whole life.  Keep an open mind, and ALWAYS accept friend requests on Facebook.  You never know!! :)

UW-Stout Campus

My Freshman Dorm: "CKTO"

February 2008: Hanging out in my dorm :)

March 2008: Hanging out at Luke's Grandparent's

Tiger Spirit!

It's Homecoming week in Black River Falls, WI.  It's a school holiday!  A week of fun for the kids!  I wish I could rewind time and participate in the events one last time!  Dress up days, powder-puff football, cheerleading/football player dance routine, hall decorating, toilet papering, pep assembly, parade, the big football game, and finally - the school Homecoming dance on Saturday night to top off the event-filled week.  I find myself envious of my sister who is a cheerleader and high-schooler participating in this weeks events.  That was me just over 4 years ago!  Although High School seemed so demanding (at the time), those were some fun years in my life, especially Homecoming week...my fav!  Whenever this time of year rolls around I can't help but to think back and remember how much fun I had participating in all of the school activities.  Tomorrow is "hat/crazy hair day" for my younger sister in Elementary School and "camoflauge day" for my younger sister in High School.  I might have to sneak on my crazy hat and camo and live vicairiously through my younger sisters tomorrow! :)  I am so glad that they now get to experience the fun activities of this special week and will one day reflect on the great memories like I am today.  I can't wait to head home to BRF this weekend and see all of the toilet papered yards, the parade, the football game, and my little Sis all decked out for the Homecoming dance.  Go Tigers! 

This picture makes me smile.  My first vehicle: the Ford Explorer with "Seniors" painted on the window was my most prized posession!

Senior Cheerleaders

Go Tigers!

Sister Jessica is now a cheerleader :)

Sister Olivia is a great Tiger's fan!

   

True.to my.Roots

Although I currently live in Wisconsin, I was born in Minnesota and raised there for the first half of my childhood.  I love Minnesota and all it has to offer, especially the Minnesota Vikings!  I love fall time, and watching football games with my family.  I've gotten a lot of grief throughout my lifetime for being a Vikings fan, but have never veered off-track. I have a very tight-wound family, and a lot of great memories I have are at Grandma and Grandpa Valentino's house, with all of my aunts and uncles and cousins.  All dressed in purple, with yummy snacks, enjoying eachothers company and cheering on that purple team!  Lou currently lives in the land of 10,000 lakes, and I just cant wait until I graduate in December so I can move back to that state called "home."  Now, you all are probably wondering about Lou.  Where does he stand?  Has his recent residancy to that glorious state transformed him?  Does he share my passion for purple?  The answer is sadly no.  Luke tends to find cheese more appealing, aka, he is a Packers fan.  My rival, my biggest nemeses!  Lets just say those game days get intense.  My soon-to-be husband may not agree with my purple and gold addiction, but I've already claimed that our kids will!  So, I leave you with this: Never change who you are or what you feel to fit into the status quo!  After all: opposites attract!  Stay true to what you love and what brings you back to those childhood days of fun, family, and love!

Skol Vikings, lets win this game

Skol Vikings, honor your name

Go get that first down, then get a touchdown

Rock 'em, sock 'em, fight fight fight!

Skol Vikngs, run up the score

You'll here us yell for moreeeeeeeeeeee!

V-I-K-I-N-G-S, SKOL VIKINGS, LET GO!!!

A good sport he is!

An awesome art print from Etsy

Man's.Best.Friend

Lou has never been a "small dog person."  His family has always had hunting dogs, so when we started dating and he found out we have 2 tea-cup yorkies he was apprehensive.  Yipping little hairballs was the term he used (if I remember correctly).  After spending more and more time with Milli and Max, he started to admit that his pre-conceived notion of our "babies" were changing for the better.  Lou has taken particular interest in Max, who is Olivia's puppy.  Max is the cuddliest, most easy-going little dog you will ever meet.  He loves to take naps, and nestle into the coziest spots he can find around the house.  His favorite spot is on Lou's lap.  When Luke is in town, him and Max are buddies for the weekend.  Wherever Luke goes, Max isn't far behind, and vice versa!  Max, also known as "moodo" holds a very special spot in Luke's heart.  Luke never thought he would become so attatched to a little tiny lap dog, but he has!  Luke and I are very excited to have a yorkie of our own after we get married.  We hope that ours will be as cuddly, warm, and fun as Max!     

Pals.Buddies.Friends.