Fun Scouting Trip...

Our scouting trip in NY was the perfect getaway. Invigorating springtime weather, quality time with the best of friends & gracious hosts, the most pristine and beautiful setting, the Hudson...ahhhh. I feel so refreshed after our trip.

We have enjoyed Boston so much that I was a little apprehensive that we may not feel as excited as we used to be about going to West Point. Once we got there though, all those feelings vanished. We feel so lucky that we have the opportunity to spend a couple of years there. We can't wait to sponsor cadets, enjoy all the amenities that the area has to offer, and have some good family time.

We saw lots of houses that we were interested in off post, but ultimately, after M&K (and all their very gracious friends!) took us through houses in most of the neighborhoods on post, we decided that we will hold out hope that we might be able to get a house in the lottery. Of course, I have a crush on the oldest neighborhoods that are just spilling over with charm. I wish I had taken more pictures on post instead of the 500+ I took of the houses off post.

It was fun looking at homes again - there was oodles of potential in this traditional Cape home.  It had a couple of acres that ran straight down to the Hudson River.  There were lots of deer running through the back yard...it was idyllic.  We were dreaming about attempting to create a Slim Aarons worthy back yard. 

One of the best parts of the trip was all the time I had in the kitchen with Krissy.  Krissy is my idol in the kitchen...even with 4 kids in the span of 6 years and working part time, she still always makes her meals with fresh ingredients, from scratch, and they are ALWAYS delicious.

My new favorites that I learned from her are:

Homemade refried beans
     --saute some onion and garlic in olive oil
     --add two cans of pinto beans (juice included...you could add less juice if you wanted the beans to be thicker) and cook for a few minutes
     --add most of the mixture to the food processor and blend.
    --add blended and un-blended bean mixtures together and serve

Caesar Salad dressing
     --1 cup mayo
     --1 teaspoon anchovy paste
     --1 teaspoon dijon mustard
     --1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
     --2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
     --2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
     --1/2 - 2/3 cup parmesan cheese (I like shredded as it adds a bit more texture than grated)
     --salt
     --pepper
     --throw all of these ingredients in food processor and blend away!

Island Pork Tenderloin Salad from epicurious.com

 --Krissy served this for Easter dinner.  This is one of those meals that I would never seek out on a menu, but it was absolutely delicious!!  And gorgeous to boot.