Don’t be alarmed by this post title. Although I’m sure I’ll get some interesting search engine terms out of it 😉 I’m referring to the fact that my photos in this post are 100% untouched here (tear!), which makes me feel a little exposed. I guess it’s just that desire to appear “perfect” that’s eating away at me, but I think it’s probably good practice to show imperfections every now and again!
Dinner last night was something I threw together with what we had on hand. I hadn’t thawed any sort of meat out, and we were both pretty hungry getting home from work yesterday! I made a Shrimp and Pea Baked Rotini dish:
Once everything was prepped, it was really easy to throw together!
- 1 16-oz package frozen peas, thawed
- 1-2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 box whole wheat rotini pasta (or whatever you have on hand)
- 6 oz fresh gouda, shredded
- 2 oz grated parmesan
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 4 cups milk (I used nonfat. You know, to balance the butter ;))
- 1 tsp each salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder
In a pot with salted, boiling water, boil the shrimp for 2-3 minutes or until just done. Remove from water with a slotted spoon, and then cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain right at al dente and set aside. In a large pot, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour to create a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flour flavor is cooked off and the roux is a light golden brown. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat and stir in 5 of the 6 ounces of shredded gouda. Stir in the spices, peas, shrimp, and pasta. Transfer to a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top and set under broiler for 2-4 minutes until the top is bubbly and brown. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Dessert was cookie ice cream sandwiches:
They were pretty good! I had sugar cookies with mine and put a thin layer of peanut butter on one half. Next time I would probably not do that, but you never know til you try, right? We caught up with Dancing with the Stars and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives…well, I did. Nate was prepping for an awesome photo shoot he’s going to be doing for 14 hours today 🙂
This morning when I woke up I was not feeling yoga at all, so I decided to sleep in a little longer. I’m leaving work early today, and will likely do my workout once I get home! Breakfast was a sausage sandwich from Starbucks and a tall coffee:
I know that’s not the healthiest option they have on their menu, but my serving sizes were small last night, I know my lunch is going to be small, and I just wanted a sausage sandwich. So there 🙂
I just saw the funniest (in my opinion) tweet from Angela at Oh She Glows: “husband to me ‘I can’t understand you with your accent.’ ……wtffffff lol.” I just about died laughing at that! And then it made me think about my own accent and how I miss my Texas twang sometimes.
SO, tell me, what sort of accent do YOU have? Do you like it or not so much? And if you don’t think you have an accent (or if you KNOW you don’t have one), what accent would you have if you could pick one? When I lived in Texas I think my accent was a lot thicker than it is now, but it’s funny because now that I’m surrounded by people WITHOUT accents I can hear mine so much more clearly than before! I really like my accent because I’m really proud of my Texas heritage; however, I do wish that I sounded a little more Southern sometimes too. No reason why, I just do 🙂
Happy Wednesday y’all!
OK, this post is too tasty looking. What is it about shrimp + peas that go so well together?! Looks delicious!
And seriously on the cookie sandwiches…Matt is sitting next to me on the couch, just looked over and said, “Why can’t you make some of those?!”
Of course, I don’t think I have an accent 😉 But when I went to England, they sure thought I did! Hehe.
No need to justify your sausage sammie. Breakfast sammies are always sooo tasty! 🙂
I don’t have an accent – or so I don’t think. I’m from Chicago and I definitely don’t have a south-side/irish accent, rather, everyone always tells me I have a Boston or NY accent! Weird… I guess it’s because I carry out my “a’s”?
I don’t think I have an accent except with the word “y’all” ….other than that my southern accent is nonexistent
OOO southern! i am SO southern! i dont even realize it ! is a texas accent different than southern accent?
i don’t think i have an accent except for when i say “y’all.” do you think i have one? people sometimes say rhett sounds like matthew mcconaughey!(sp?)
whether or not i have an accent, i’m one proud texan!!
Question: Since I think these photos are really pretty, what work WOULD you do on them? Lighting/brightness? The pasta photo is so pretty!
aw, thank you! basically increase the brightness and change the color of the lighting a little bit. last night (when i took those) the light was really blue, so i would use lightroom to add a little more warmth. that’s usually the extent of what i do in editing 🙂
Yup-hardcore Wisconsi accent here don’tcha know?? Kinda like the movie Fargo 😉
Although, I never knew I had an accent until I moved out of the state and then came back to visit.
I was like “what the?? Do I sound like that?!”
Indeed I did and do. Especially since I moved back to good ole Wisco 🙂
Soooo can you just send me that pasta dish and the ice cream sammies?! thanks… seriously, um YUM!!!!
I have a Southern accent, for sure. I don’t think it’s that bad but some people say it’s realllly southern 🙂
I’m from Connecticut and everyone from there always says “I don’t have an accent” which was my first thought when I saw the question. Truth is we don’t say our T’s – like wader instead of water. But it’s not too bad! 🙂
I would never have thought to pair shrimp and peas together but wowza, that looks good. Gouda is my favorite cheese, too! (OK, ONE of my favorite cheeses!)
People normal ask me where my accent is when they find out I’m from Texas. Once they hear me say “Ya’ll” they pretty much know where I’m from 😉
I don’t really have an accent, but if I had one, I’d have a British one 😉
I want those ice cream sandwiches. And with PB, never tried that!
People are always so disappointed when I don’t have a Boston accent!
Those cookie sandwiches look so good!
untouched or not, i think your photos are amazing!! 🙂
Ahaha, I have an Finnish accent, but not the worst one possible, huh! I don’t if you’ve ever heard Finnish people (especially older politicians, athletec etc.) speak English but it sounds funny 😀
Oh my stars…those cookie sandwiches looks amazing!!! Simply amazing!
I don’t think that I have a Southern accent, but according to everyone around me, I do (and I guess it makes sense, being that I’m from Louisiana and all 🙂 )
My starbucks just started caring those sandwiches and they are so good. They are extremely hard for me to resist!
When I went to college and again when I moved to CO, certain words get the reaction: “omg what did you just say??” Apparently I have a bit of an Upstate NY accent (which I’ve tried to neutralize as it is awful)- long, nasally A’s. A common one is when I say “Rocky” as in “Rocky Mountains” people think I said “Iraqi.” Because we all talk about the Iraqi Mountains a lot? My grandma always asks “how’s CAL-AH-RAAADO”?
I don’t have an accent, well I don’t think so anyway. Sometimes people say I have a Texas accent but I think it’s because I say y’all 😉
Sometimes people think I say “out” and “about” funny, but I really can’t distinguish a ‘canadian’ accent in it at all.
I’m from Alabama, and I never feel like I have an accent down here (unless I hear myself recorded…certain words it comes out). My college roommate was from Massachusetts, and they would all freak about my accent when I went up there. I think there’s a different between having a southern accent and sounding like a redneck/hick—I’m hoping I’m not the latter 😉
Those ice cream cookie sandwiches are calling my name! 🙂
Hmm well I’m originally from NYC and my WHOLE family has the New York accent and even though a lot of people don’t like it….I do! I would want that one…makes me feel at home!
I’m really bad about picking up accents quickly when I’m in new areas. Right now, I’m a cross- slowly getting that Chicago accent with a few words still being pronounced with a bit of a country accent. It’s weird…
I live in Texas now! But growing up in Massachusetts to parents hwo didn’t know english when I was born, I developed a very netural way of speaking. No accent here! I wish I had a Puerto Rican accent. I am Puerto Rican, but I don’t speak english the way a lot of them do. Then again, I grew up bilingual.
I love that you own the fact that you wanted a sausage sandwich for breakfast. It is so refreshing to see people say things like that!
Aww sometimes I wish I had a Texas accent. I get told all the time that I don’t. But I really hope I don’t develop a Northeast (specifically Jersey) accent. It makes me cringe.
What a great idea for dessert! YUM!
Apparently I have an accent. I’m from the Pacific NW. I’ve been told we usually over pronunciate (sp?) words and speak very deliberately.
I don’t think I have an accent…but the first summer I came home from college (in the south) I went back to my waitressing job & my customers would tell me my southern accent was cute….guess I picked one up along the way 😉 (I’m pretty sure I’ve lost it now that I know I picked it up;) )
I hope that I don’t have a Pittsburgh accent. They are so trashy.
I have lived in GA my entire life and don’t think I have an accent. Actually, people here tell me I say certain words like a northerner. But when I meet people from the north they tell me I sound so southern. So I have no clue what my accent is! LOL
There is a local bakery that makes these icing cookie things that look like those in the picture. I have a serious craving for them now.
I do have an accent… and when I am tired or nervous it gets worse. Its my persian accent. I used to get made fun of at school a lot so I thought about taking speech classes to lose my accent.. I read in the class description that they put marbles in your mouth and make you talk.. hmm.. I eventually changed my mind and decided this is who I am and if anyone has a problem with it.. its not my problem.
I like to *think* that I don’t have an accent, but I have heard from a few people that I have a Philly/New Jersey accent. You see, I grew up in Philly, but my mom is from Jersey. So I have a hybrid accent of sorts :/ BUT, when I was younger I took acting lessons, and my teacher taught me how to get rid of the accent. So I’d say it’s much better than it used to be!