Wanna Laugh? Watch This.

Louie's 106

Tonight was Date Night for us and we had dinner at Louie's 106 downtown next to the Driskill. We had: App- proscuitto wrapped mission figs stuffed with blue cheese with balsamic reduction. We got a bottle of Matua Valley 2006 Sauvignon Blanc to pair nicely with our seafood dishes of: (me) Seafood Risotto (mussels, shrimp, scallops, salmon, calamari), and (Chris) a trout dish. Afterwards, we walked around downtown, then shared a banana split at the Driskill Bakery Cafe.

What We've Been Up To

The Study is complete.

Facelift to the flower bed out front.Our current project: Master Bathroom. This is the damage we did yesterday.

Making Time for Marriage

In the past 48 hours I have put in 30 hours of work. My boss has been out of town this week, so I've taken on normal weekly clients, plus I did two events, one yesterday, one today. Friday night's was a cooking lesson/demo for a group of 10-year old girls at Camp Little A on Lake LBJ. I taught them to make meatballs, a cream reduction sauce, pasta, steamed broccoli, a salad, and garlic bread. They were a fun bunch of girls. Oh to be 10 again. Last night's event was a 40th birthday party out in Cedar Park. I had been to that client's house before for a shower, and they asked me back to do a bunch of hor d' eouvres and some wine pairings. It was a late night, but fun.

Chris and I are back to our remodeling after a couple months break. We are currently working on the master bathroom. Today we're going to pick out tile for the wall and floor.

Making Time For Marriage:
We have made a few drastic changes to our lives lately due to our desire to really focus on our marriage. Things have been kind of hard for awhile, mostly because of stresses from work and being over-committed in a few areas. We've decided to act instead of react. We've been reminded that our covenant marriage is of the utmost importance and that it is really worth fighting for. We feel that God has really blessed those decisions and given us extra doses of unity lately. It's been good.

You are Good - Nichole Nordeman

Have you ever heard a song that as you listened, your heart shouted,
"Thank You, Jesus!"? This is one of those for me...
(Video posted for listening purpose only! Ignore super-cheesy Christianness.)

"You Are Good"--Nicole Nordeman

When the Sun starts to rise and I open my eyes
You are Good, So Good
In the heat of the day with each stone that I lay
You are so Good

With every breath I take in
I'll tell You I'm grateful again
When the moon climbs high
before each kiss good night
You are Good

When the road starts to turn around each bend I've learned
You are good, So Good
And when somebody's hand holds me up, helps me stand
You are...So Good

With every breath I take in, I'll tell You I'm grateful again
'Cause It's more than enough just to know I am loved
and You are Good

So how can I thank You? What can I bring?
What can these poor hands lay at the feet of the King?
So I'll sing You a love song.
It's all that I have to tell You
I'm grateful for holding my life in Your hands.

When it's dark and it's cold and I can't find my soul
You are Good, So Good
When the world has gone gray and the rain's here to stay
You are STILL Good

With every breath I take in I'll tell You I'm grateful again
Though the storms they may swell, even then it is well and
You are Good

So how can I thank You? What can I bring?
What can these poor hands lay at the feet of the King?
So I'll sing You a love song.
It's all that I have to tell You
I'm grateful for holding my life in Your hands

You are holding my life in Your hands

....Does anyone want to learn to play this song so I can sing it??

I've Got a Logo!

A computer graphics friend from Purdue created several for me and I got to choose the one I liked best. This is the fun part of starting a business. :) Also, we've purchased a domain name for the website. Nothing there yet, but here it is: www.tasteandseefinedining.com.

I've created new business cards, and I'm in the midst of getting the logo and "Chef Carey" printed on a coat. It has been fun creating a more professional face. In my spare time I've been doing a lot of reading and research. Next step will be marketing myself, perhaps doing at-cost lunches for businesses to target clients, then cooking!

Psalm 34:8 "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good."

Since July 19th

- We finished the wall in our dining room. It looks great after the paneling being torn down, getting texturized, and painted. Trim still needs painted and put up.

- I've continued enjoying cooking for my client, Nikki. I prepare 9 meals for her each week and she eats on them throughout the week until I see her again the following Tuesday evening. Lots of fun. This is where my creativity flourishes.

- I had 2 interviews and accepted a part-time position as a Foodie at Central Market. I'll start mid-August.

- My family visited for a week. We really loved having them here and they are quite possibly the easiest guests we've had. We got to show them around our city, eat at our favorite restaurants, and take them to our regular hang-out spots. They also got to see me graduate and eat my food. Chris's parents came into town for my graduation, as well. And, we got to help celebrate my Dad turning 60!

- This weekend we had more company--Laura and Josh came from Dallas. Again, fun times.