Why, getting married, of course! You are now talking to Mrs. Miller, but you can still call me tishtacular. :)And as I've been talking about all autumn, my wedding had a fall theme. Below, I'd like to share a few pictures with you to show how that was accomplished.
Twenty-two of these were lovingly created by my mother and my aunts.
Item 2: My Favors
Yes, that is a leaf-shaped bottle of maple syrup, purchased from The Maple Guys, a company that was a pleasure to work with. I'd recommend them for all of your maple-syrup-favor needs.
End Result: An Indoor Fall Wonderland
This photo was snapped during the ceremony.
We really had the best time, and although it went quickly, I truly appreciate the effort and joy that went into making the day so special for us.
And finally, I found what looks like an awesomely easy dinner recipe: Tortellini Stir-Fry. As I'm trying to keep to my budget this month, I'm going to try not to charge anything else until Monday. I've got $20, my pantry, and my freezer to cook dinners for the next six days. I'm sure the Thanksgiving holiday will help! :)
Today, I'm asking that same all-important question--what am I going to make for dinner? Abbreviated, WFD. Yesterday, I tried to make chicken soup. My best friend's mother had the best recipe for chicken soup and chicken salad. A month or two ago, I called my mom and asked her how to make it. I wrote it down then, but forgot to save it. Last night, I tried to make it from memory, and it didn't turn out as good. I can identify three things that were different: 1. My first recipe used fresh, organic, boneless and skinless chicken that still had some fat attached. It might have even been thigh rather than breast. Last night, I used frozen, fatless, boneless and skinless chicken breasts. Usually, you can skim the fat off of the top of the soup, but no fat came to the top last night. I would bet that even though you remove most of it, the fat still must impart some flavor. 2. Because there was no fat, my initial boiling of the chicken was shorter. You usually boil until the fat is no longer rising, but I couldn't tell when that would be with fatless chicken. 3. I definitely over-salted. The last bunch of salt I threw in was too much. When we ate the soup with crackers in it, it helped to cut the saltiness, but now I know that if I'm salting to taste, I should probably take some time to taste. Sadly, the chicken salad isn't as good this time, either. Usually, you would make extra chicken in the soup, then take out a bit of it and shred it for chicken salad. The flavor of the soup stays with the chicken and is amazing. My chicken last night was not as soft as it usually is, which means I either under or overcooked it. I'll have to ask my mom to know for sure. 
We've made it to November! How was your Halloween? Mine was great! It was just as I remember it from my childhood, with a few special changes. My fiance and I got to spend the holiday in Pittsburgh with my family, which I haven't done since we moved to Washington DC. We were really in town to finalize the wedding plans (12 days away!), but it was still a good excuse to enjoy the fun. I didn't realize it, but my mom had invited my entire family over for the festivities, just like when I was younger. I wasn't expecting this, as both of my brothers are too old for tricks or treats. It was a nice surprise. I scoured the house for Halloween-themed movies (we ended up with cassette tapes of Monsters, Inc. and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!, which fit the bill nicely). My youngest cousin is nine, so he went trick-or-treating while we all stayed home, talked amongst ourselves with pizza, extra candy, and mulled cider. My two aunts were working on the fall-themed centerpieces for my wedding, and even that was fun. My fiance and I, in the middle of the trick-or-treating frenzy, took my family's golden retriever for a walk in the dark. It was perfect--just like trick-or-treating for adults! We got to see all the costumes and greet my candy-laden neighbors, and look at their decorated houses. The night was cool and dry, which was perfect. Kids didn't have to wear their winter coats, but it wasn't too hot to walk the hills of the suburbs. All in all, it was really the perfect way to spend the night. 
