10 Most Important.

This week Mr. SmartGuy and I booked tickets to Florida to pick a venue and date for our wedding. We have also been to several events over the last weeks where I have come to the conclusion, that I am the worlds worst bride. In. The. World. I actually told some lovely early twenty year old girl at a family BBQ that right now I didn't really care about the wedding, I was more concerned with the marriage. She got married last year in a blow-out event that was (I'm sure) a dream wedding for her and all of her friends. I'm sure she worked for hundreds of hours on the wedding.

I'm an ass.

As a little girl I didn't dream of what my wedding dress would look like, I never imagined that I would walk down an aisle with white bunting covering the walls, or that I would be surrounded by my 15 favorite friends all wearing matching dresses. I imagined someday I would meet a guy and we would shack-up and maybe someday we would escape to the courthouse and quietly get married and send out a postcard with a little note that said something to the effect of "we got married!" When we got engaged, I called my parents and said "We're getting married!" My Mom's first question was- "okay, but when? Not tomorrow, right?" I believe that is a serious case of parents knowing their child.

As it becomes very clear that we *are* having a wedding, I have been struggling with what I want. Mr. SmartGuy has a pretty firm idea of what is important to him, however I feel a little scattered. I was chatting with a co-worker who is about 15years older than me. She has been to many weddings. She suggested that I figure out what are the 10 most important things about this event that I want, and will make the event fun and memorable to me. I've been thinking about it for most of the week, and so far- this is what I've got.

1. I want to be married to Mr. SmartGuy. He is awesome, I love him, and I never have to worry about him tweeting pictures of his junk to girls on twitter (he hates social media, and isn't an idiot).

2. I want someone I know and trust to perform the ceremony.

3. I want to make most aspects of the wedding decorations. I love a handmade aesthetic, and I wouldn't feel right about buying things for our wedding. It just wouldn't fit.

4. I want people to walk away from the wedding talking about how non-wedding-industrial-machine the wedding was. I hate the look of matching linens and invitations, and chair covers, and bunting, and giant wasteful floral arrangements, and a huge cake that is covered with chemical crap that really isn't food, but food science.

5. I want our families and guests to have fun.

6. I want to wear something that is flattering, fun, and not something that you can buy off the rack, that will go out of style or date the wedding to mid-2012. I want something vintage and charming. I want my friends to make it.


7.?

8.?

9.?

10.?


That's all I have for right now. I'm sure as the weeks and months go by and the time gets closer I will care more about the wedding. For now, all I care about is marrying my best friend, the party is just an outward expression of our inward style.


As a very smart person once said- If people worked as hard on their marriage as they did on their wedding, there would likely be fewer divorces in the world.

Delicious Vietnamese Inspired Noodle Salad

About 2 years ago I had Vietnamese food for the first time. I was immediately hooked. I don't think you could convince me that there is a more delicious cuisine out there. It ranges from healthy salads and soups to sinfully delicious fried things. This salad is inspired by bun (pronounced buun) and it is a great healthy summer salad. Best part- it's very low-fat, so if you are watching your fat intake or just don't want to feel like you ate a dumbbell it's a delicious summer dinner or fancy lunch.

This makes 2-3 servings, depending how hungry you are. Omit or make substitutions as you like, this is just a good starting place.

You will need:

1 large box of salad (I use the spring mix, you can use whatever you prefer. Romaine is a great option)
2/3 pound of fresh steamed shrimp. You can substitute grilled tofu, chicken, or fish if you prefer
1/2cup shredded carrots
2 green onions
1 cup mung bean sprouts
4oz uncooked rice noodles (available at any asian grocery store) I like the double golden fish brand vermicelli size
Hoisin sauce (optional, and available at any grocery store)


Sauce
2Tbls sugar
2Tbls Lime juice
4Tbls Water
2Tbls fish sauce (waay optional)
1tsp (or 1 clove) minced garlic
1Tbls minced pickled ginger (I get this from the international aisle at the grocery store)
1Tbls minced mint (fresh or otherwise)
1Tbls minced Basil
1Tbls minced Cilantro
a few drops of Siracha (this is crazy hot sauce, available in the international aisle)

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and let sit for an hour or more. Or if you have a food processor you can dump all the items in and whirr it together. This dressing is also a great non-fat all around salad dressing. If you can't have sugar- omit it and substitute with agave nectar or Splenda.

Soak your uncooked rice noodles in a large bowl for 1-2hours. To cook the noodles, boil water and using a colander or sieve dip the noodles in the boiling water for 30seconds to 1minute while shaking to keep the noodles separated. They will cook rapidly. dunk them in cold water to stop cooking. Drain well. Put them in the bottom of your bowls. Add lettuce, veggies/garnishes and protein. Drizzle sauce over the top and add hoisin sauce to taste.

Freakin' delish.