Reminiscing Our Trip to the Beautiful St. Martin

Have you ever seen a post card and wondered where in the world the picture was taken?  I have plenty of times and St. Martin is definitely one of those "Could be on a post card" type of places.

It all started a year ago when Chris' parents Anne and Charlie decided they wanted to go to St. Martin before both Chris and Ali graduated.  With Ali starting a job soon and Chris starting residency, this would be the perfect opportunity to get away as a family for more than a week and have quality time together.

After days on the beach, we'd have happy hour on the patio and watch the sun set.  Perfect day leading into a perfect evening!

Having 10 days away from everything couldn't have come at a better time.  I think all 5 of us were ready to escape by the time the trip rolled around in April.  Yes, I said April.  Things have been so hectic since we got back from our trip with graduation and moving that I have neglected my blog.  Here's to hoping I get back into a regular posting schedule to keep everyone up to date on our lives!

If anyone has watched Travel Channel much, I'm sure you've seen the St. Martin airport and the jets blowing beach-goers away.  This was definitely a sight to be seen.  Pull up a seat at a local bar by the airport and enjoy a few drinks while you watch planes land and take off, all waiting for that large jet from Europe to take off and blow people off the beach, literally rolling down the sand into the ocean.

I hope everyone has had a great summer so far!  Stay tuned for more updates from the past couple of months, including our move to New Jersey, our engagement, and Chris starting residency.

Have a great week!

Ultimate Grilled Caribbean Citrus Chicken Wings

Who doesn't love hot wings?  Whether it's classic BBQ, buffalo, habanero, or a tangy teriyaki, they are one of the best meals.  My guest blog post this week is from Chris, hot wing aficionado.  Go ahead, read below, and make your way to the grocery store so you can make these amazing wings for dinner this week!

Anybody who knows me well knows I LOVE chicken wings in any variety they come but really the hotter the better.  In fact, I even completed a ghost pepper wing challenge in Nashville, Man vs. Food style.  Before the challenge I had to sign a contract, waiving my rights that this challenge very well may cause bodily injury.  The challenge was to eat a dozen chicken wings and a basket of fries soaked in sauce containing 3 ghost peppers and ghost pepper extract in less than 20 minutes.

The ghost pepper, also properly named bhut jolokia, is the hottest pepper in the world coming in at just over 1 million Scoville units.  To put this into perspective, it is about 400 times hotter than a jalapeño.  Ghost pepper extract has also been used in commercial police pepper spray.  I completed the challenge with 7 minutes to spare and was hands down the hottest thing I have ever eaten in my life.  If you’re ever in Nashville look for my picture on the “Wall of Flame” at the Corner Pub in Midtown.

Today, we are not talking spice but rather a healthy grilled option to the traditional fried chicken wing.  These grilled Caribbean citrus chicken wings are an excellent refreshment during the spring and summer months.  These wings offer a more citrus and herb flavor as compared to the traditional spicy buffalo wing.  If you are looking to change it up and try some of the best homemade grilled chicken wings, enjoy the recipe below!

Ultimate Grilled Caribbean Citrus Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

2 Dozen Chicken Wings

5 Garlic Cloves (halved)

1 Large Shallot (halved)

3 Green Onions (chopped)

1 Cup Fresh Cilantro

1 Cup Fresh Parsley 

5 Sticks Thyme

1 Lime

1 Lemon

3 Jalapeños (chopped & deseeded to remove heat)

1 Citrus Bell Pepper or 1 Tomatillo (chopped)

2 tsp. Salt

1 tbsp. Pepper

¾ Cup EVOO

¼ Cup Honey

Directions:
1.   Place halved garlic cloves, halved shallots, chopped green onions, cilantro, parsley, thyme, lime juice, lemon juice, chopped jalapeños, chopped tomatillo, salt, pepper, EVOO, and honey into a food processor.

2.   Pulse chop (DON’T blend) in food processor until all ingredients are chunky and incorporated.
3.   Set 1/3 of the sauce aside for later.
4.   Place the remaining 2/3 of the sauce in a zip-lock bag with the chicken wings and marinate for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
5.   Grill chicken wings at 300^oF for 25-30 minutes, flip every 10 minutes.
6.   Remove hot wings from grill and place into a large bowl with the remaining 1/3 sauce mixture.  Toss to coat.  Enjoy!

My Love of Essential Oils

You know those people who can easily pick out the perfect gift for you without even asking for ideas?  My Aunt Linda happens to be one of them!  Besides being in tune with my obsession for Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma, she can get me a gift she knows I would love without even asking me.

Last year for my birthday, I got a large box in the mail from her with my birthday present.  I open it up to find a starter kit of essential oils, complete with a diffuser and magazines with information and tips galore.  Before I opened the box, I had never used essential oils for anything other than lavender in a bubble bath.  Little did I know that I would quickly become addicted to them.  Once again, she picked out an amazing gift.

For those of you out there who are skeptical thinking it's just another fad that will die out soon, it's not.  These oils really do work!  From using Peppermint to help with allergies and headaches to a Young Living blend called Thieves to boost your immune system, I am in love!  Below is a list of the oils I've used in the past 6 months of having my starter kit and the common uses for them.

• Peppermint - headaches, allergies
• Thieves - immunity boost
• Panaway - sore muscles
• Lavender - relaxation, sleep, eczema
• Lemon - flavor in water
• Tea tree - acne breakout
• Frankincense - lighten up scars and dark marks
• Peace and Calming - stress, sleep
• Valor - sleep

If you want to learn more, please do not hesitate to reach out to me and I'll be happy to get you more information.  These are amazing - trust me!

A Bundle of Nerves to Tickled Pink

A bundle of nerves...that may be an understatement to describe the past 3 months.  Over the past 3 months, Chris came home from his audition-rotations, we made our rank list for residency, and we matched.  Yes ladies and gentlemen, WE MATCHED!!!  After 4 long years of studying and rotating through specialties, we matched into an amazing program and one of our top choices.  We will be moving to southern New Jersey for Chris to practice Emergency Medicine at Kennedy University Hospital in Stratford, NJ!

Another understatement is to say we are tickled pink.  More like tickled pink on cloud nine with sprinkles on top!  After this crazy journey through a grueling 4 years of medical school, it's finally paid off.  Yes, you first and second year med students out there, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  And for all the spouses and significant others, I can attest that you help them through every second of this and they 100% appreciate everything you do.

My first blog post I referenced how you can be joyful and jittery at the same time.  Honestly, I can say these past 3 months have been that exact same experience all over again.  We were beyond joyful that the auditions were over, the rank list was out of our hands and up to the computer algorithm.  On another hand, we were way beyond jittery wanting to know where we matched.  It definitely paid off in the end.  We are both so happy to move to a new area near family and friends and continue life together.

Here's to a great year so far and an even better rest of the year ahead.  Moving within 20 minutes of Philadelphia, an hour and a half of NYC, and close to family and friends, we are beyond thrilled!