Many Moments of Marital Bliss

Happy Weekend to you Family & Friends!

I said that I would be posting some of my favorite recipes. Here is my very first one! I need to give credit to Rachel Ray. After all, I am an English teacher. I just finished up the research section of our requirements for the 9th graders and I must live according to what I teach them.... CREDIT SOURCES!

When I was a Junior or Senior in college I discovered this recipe. I do need to admit though that I definitely change up the measurements by adding or subtracting certain items. I will include her original recipe. If you want to go to the direct link you can click on the word Chinese Barbecue Chicken Wraps and it will take you directly to the food network cite with the original recipe. This recipe is intended to be an appetizer, but I prepare it as a main entree for Doug, myself, and any guests we may have. If you havent come over for dinner yet to try this dish, we would love to have you! Try it yourself though. It is AMAZING! I will note what I tend to substitute and take out at the end.
Ingredients needed/suggested:

• 2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 4 handfuls)
• 1 1/3-1 1/2 pounds thin cut chicken breasts or chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons light colored oil, such as vegetable oil or peanut oil
• Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 inch ginger root, finely chopped or grated, optional
• 1 orange, zested
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
• 1 small tin sliced water chestnuts (6-8 ounces), drained and chopped
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons hoisin (Chinese barbecue sauce), available on Asian foods aisle of market
• 1/2 large head iceberg lettuce, core removed, head quartered
• Wedges of navel orange, for platter garnish

Preparation

Remove tough stems from mushrooms and brush with damp towel to clean. Slice mushrooms. Chop chicken into small pieces.

Pre-heat a large skillet or wok to high.

Add oil to hot pan. Add chicken to the pan and sear meat by stir frying a minute or two. Add mushrooms and cook another minute or two. Add salt and pepper to season, then garlic and ginger. Cook a minute more. Grate zest into pan, add bell pepper bits, chopped water chestnuts and scallions. Cook another minute, continuing to stir fry mixture. Add hoisin and toss to coat the mixture evenly.

Transfer the chopped barbecued chicken to serving platter and pile the quartered wedges of crisp iceberg lettuce along side. Add wedged oranges to platter to garnish.

To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves, wrapping lettuce around fillings and squeezing an orange wedge over it ("Chinese Barbecue Chicken Lettuce Wraps" rachaelray.com).

Beth's substitutions and changes:

MUSHROOMS: Let's face it, shitake mushrooms may not be the most affordable item. I get the prepackaged sliced mushrooms. They work just great! Doug and I particularly LOVE mushrooms, so I often over do it. If you end up cooking the meal a little longer than the time suggests, the mushrooms will shrink up as well!

OIL: EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) also works well in place of the vegetable and peanut oil

Garlic: I LOVE GARLIC so I tend to double the cloves. It makes the dish far more flavorful!

Nuts: I tend to leave the nuts out. We have not missed them at all.

Scallions: This is a high class treat, that we poor folk often cannot afford. In it's place I use brown onion. Generally this doesn't cost anymore than 69 cents at the store!

Hoison Sauce: I have also found that I needed to add more hoison sauce then initially directed. You can add to taste. If you continue to add too much, make sure you have an extra orange or two. The zest really does add something!

I hope that you have enjoyed this first recipe listed! You can find it by going to Rachael Ray's website or by clicking in the link Chinese Barbecue Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I just copied and pasted the recipe from her site. Until next time, I hope you try this dish. It is extremely tasty, healthy and affordable!


The above pictures are actually from college. The ones of me (Beth) are from Senior year of college. The one of Doug is from Junior year. Obviously, our signature picture is from the wedding. Lol. I probably have enough pictures to post for the rest of my life! Enjoy!

Dear Family & Friends,

Greetings! I hope this finds you happy and well. Happy Tuesday! I hope it feels like Tuesday has come fast for you all and the week is going even faster! I did take a pause in posting this and now it is Wednesday. Technically the week has gone by a little faster. Lol.

About a month ago, I got the opportunity to host an interview between two of my students and an awesome "Best Selling" author, Jason Wright. As I was listening to their interview and his love for the profession of writing, I was truly inspired. I hope that you can all get a chance to check out his book, The Wednesday Letters or The Christmas Jar. I think Doug and I may start a tradition with The Christmas Jar. Christmas traditions are a whole other entry. I am in the process of reading Wednesday Letters and all I have to say is WOW! This one should have been on Oprah's book list AGES ago. Hmm... maybe she doesnt know that much about good books. Right Dad? Lol. Back on subject....Back to writing and books. The kids were so excited after this interview. They had a renewed faith in their own passions. It was so incredible to see. Jason, if you ever read this, thank you for what you did for those kids! Well I will go back to the Christmas Jar for a second. One of the students asked what his inspiration was for his books. He said the Christmas Jar was a gift to his wife. So recently I have been thinking back to that interview. Throughout my very short career of teaching, I am constantly reflecting on my passions, weaknesses, and strength. I am constantly evaluating what kind of story I will create with these kids as their teacher. Everyday seems to be a growing process whether it's in the classroom or other places. That growing process is not limited there though, of course it all starts and ends at home. What I have found is that, of course, the Lord is my ultimate passion. But I have also found how much I am thankful to my Savior for giving me a husband that I love so deeply! To some extent everyone writes their own stories, even if they never get published. If I could title my latest book, I would love to call it the "Wife Chronicles." I think this blog is turning into just that. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job, my students, and everything surrounding it, but I am finding I am happiest in the home with my hubby. I am finding that being a wife isnt just a title, an obligation, or a passing excitement. I am finding that it is my passion! I love to cook, I love to love, I love to enjoy the precious moments and so much more. So I guess, as you all read and witness the love that is unfolding and developing between Doug and myself, you get to witness my/our passion developing. By the way, I am not conceited. I posted Jacob's bridal portraits because the title is "WIFE" chronicles. Lol!

So where is all of this verbosity going? I have decided since a part of my passion for "wifehood" is cooking, I am going to start including some of my favorite recipes! Now here is a little background knowledge that you may not know. I come from a long line of amazing cooks. My Kailua was queen in the kitchen, as was my Auntie Healani. My mom is, of course, an amazing cook. My cousin Johnny is an executive chef in Oklahoma. I was talking to him about the possibilities of becoming a food critic. We were discussing culinary school and all that jazz when it said it perfectly. He went to a couple of different very reputable culinary institutes and he said "I learned how to cook with my mom." How awesome it is! So enjoy the stories and my version of the Wife Chronicles as I share with you some of my favorite recipes!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Family & Friends!

We hope this finds you all happy and well! Doug is still struggling with that cold. I, Beth, am pretty bored right now, but it is nice to do NOTHING. Lately I have been really reflecting and savoring the memories of our wedding. I told you all that I would update with wedding pictures soon. So far, we have only received our photos from our primary photographer. I am supposed to get the other photos any day now. This will not be the only posting with pictures. These photos all come from Jacob Atmodjojo. Jacob shot over 1100 photos of the wedding day. We opted to not go with a "professional" videographer, so these pictures are very important to me. I am so blessed to have them. Thank you Jacob for all of your hard work on our wedding day! Many of you either noticed him or didnt. Our family likes to call him the "ninja photographer." Doug and I didnt even noticed that he took all of those pictures! THANK YOU JACOB! Those of you in need of a photographer, I would recommend Jacob for sure! He is always available to help, even when the big day is over! On a side note, I would like to thank Craig, Kevin, and Nathan Smith for video taping the wedding! I am so happy to have a wedding video!

I find myself laughing when I think about all of the words that people said to me before the wedding. They said it would be a blur and go by quickly. Honestly, a lot of that was very true. We completely remember our ceremony. It was gorgeous and everything that we wanted. Thank you all for coming and making it so special! The reception on the other hand was a blur. It just went by so quickly. We had a fun time, but felt like we arrived and then it was over. We didnt get to talk to everyone like we had wanted to. The food was amazing. All of the ladies in the church really made the place amazing. We couldnt have pulled off such a huge reception without all of their help! It was nice to dance with Doug. It was fun to cut the cake (even though we did it wrong), but the night just went by way too quickly. For those of you reading this who are getting married.... enjoy every second of it! IT GOES BY SOOOOO FAST. But really, the end result is what makes it all worth it. Being married to Doug makes me forget about anything that may have gone differently than planned or incredibly amazing. The man that he is and the life we are building together matches the adrenaline of one day and makes it INCREDIBLY exciting to face the future. Thank you GOD for giving me such a wonderful husband.

I hope that those of you who are married let your spouse know how much you appreciate them. That is one lesson that my parents have taught me. My dad always says he falls more in love with my mom everyday. I can see how Doug is emulating that as well. Sadly, there are also people who give horrible advice or words after the wedding. People often say "Oh you have only been married for two months" or "Just wait".... but I just dont think its going to be bad. Its not bad for my parents. Rough at times, I know, but bad... come on! A lot of people translate the word "rough" in so many negative ways! God has given Doug and I a PARTNER..... a one flesh union. Im sorry, but call me an optimist, I am sticking with God's divine will. Through the struggles he brings so many deep blessings and rewards! So long story short, let your hunny know you love him or her!

That is enough for now. I will post actual memories and more pictures soon!


Ps. It may take a day or two for the pictures to appear. The picture upload is not working on my current internet connection. Thanks for your patience.

Pss. If you are bored, copy and paste the following links. I uploaded MOST of Jacob's photos into a lot of albums... so check it out!

The wonderfully edited ones: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2235805&l=1cb36&id=3304510

The Boys getting ready:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2237449&l=c9651&id=3304510

The Girls getting ready:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2235818&l=3515f&id=3304510

Here comes the bride:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2237455&l=fcfec&id=3304510

Captured moments at the reception:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2237471&l=40ed3&id=3304510

Moments after the wedding & Family portraits
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2237715&l=ff766&id=3304510

Reception Recap:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2237722&l=81e26&id=3304510

The Smaller Details of the Wedding:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2237783&l=992fc&id=3304510

Some Wedding Favs and photos missed:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2237759&l=9bc9c&id=3304510

Happy Tuesday Family and Friends!

I hope this finds you all in good health. Sadly, Doug has caught the horrible flue that I had last week! :( I am writing to share some pictures with you from our Sunday with Jeff and Doug's parents. Doug's parents know some pretty amazing spots in Northern California. I am always surprised when we take a scenic trip with them. Last Thanksgiving, Rich took us so close to the Golden Gate Bridge, we could touch it from a safe and enjoyable view. Gayle thought it might be nice to spend an afternoon out at Half moon Bay. Boy am I glad we went! It was so relaxing and beautiful! We hiked down to our own private beach. Hehe. I say that as though God made the beach specifically for us. It did feel like it that day. Afterwards, we went for a little bit of rite aid ice cream. Mmmm do I love ice cream. Gayle and Rich spoiled us and took us to El Patio to celebrate Doug's birthday.

The weekend was eventful, but very memorable. From seeing my best friends graduate to spending some quality time with the fam, I feel as though I had a little readjustment in my life to keep me focused for the time being! Doug and I really do cherish the times that we get to spend with friends and family.

I am not sure when the next time is that I will write. I will probably update with some wedding pictures in a few days or this weekend. For now, Doug and I am going to take a weekend off. If his flu keeps up, it will take him a while to recover! So until then, thank you for reading. All of you mean so much to us. Enjoy the pictures!

Welcome back family and friends!

Dear Family and Friends,

Greetings! You get two posts in one day! :) Life in the Fisher household has been pretty eventful. Doug is still busy at work and school. I am enjoying life with my 9th and 10th graders. This last week I got my booty handed to me on a platter as I played in our "faculty versus senior" basketball game. Three days later and my legs are still sore. I can barely walk!

Last weekend we got a very special treat! Doug's family came down to help celebrate his birthday. Now this was a surprise birthday weekend, and boy, did we get him good! For about a month I had been plotting with Doug's cousins, Fran & Juli, and his wonderful sister, Kelly, about throwing Doug a surprise bday party with the fam! So we made it happen! :)

Doug's family arrived at about 10:30. I am on what I call "teacher schedule." I cannot stay up past 9:30. I was waiting for a call from the girls and ended up falling asleep. Doug and I live near a park. Sometimes there are not the greatest characters that visit that park. So when it is 10:30 at night and someone comes to our door, the concern switch definitely goes on! So Doug, being the protecting husband he is, grabs a kitchen knife and is ready to defend his wife! He heard a lot of wrestling in the background as this girl from Africa speaks in a heavy accent, "I am looking for my husband in your house. Are you the Payton family? You are my host family." Doug is like "No, we are not your family and your husband is not here." I started to come to and said "Babe, its ok!" Then his family rushed the door and said "SURPRISE." Doug quickly put the knife away and we enjoyed our weekend!

The family came that Friday. We stayed up all night playing WII. Kelly brought some wonderful fudge brownies and we had ice cream sundaes and banana splits to kick off the weekend. Saturday we woke up and had homemade cinnamon rolls and fruit, yogurt and granola. We then took off for the Block and say "Iron Man." The day wasnt done yet. We took the fam to one of our favorite burger joints and then hit up the elite Laguna Beach. We then went home and cooked some steaks. After steaks we headed out to karaoke, where we sang out hearts out in some very OFF keys! :) Before we left for Karaoke, Doug got a very special gift.... GUITAR HERO III! Needless to say, Doug played that non-stop! So we stayed up pretty late with guitar hero and fun times with the fam.

Sunday came too quickly. Fran treated us to breakfast at Polly's and the girls hit the road! Girls and Jeff, thanks for a great weekend! We know this one will be very memorable!

We love you all! Thanks family for being so great! Enjoy the pics!

With love and excitement,

Doug and Beth FISHER <>< :) Ps. Check out all the pics of the weekend by copying and pasting the following link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2244808&l=11b47&id=3304510

Hello family and friends,

We are also pretty nostalgic (or I should say I am) because today we would have celebrated out 3 year dating anniversary! :) Doug just celebrated his 23rd birthday. I have been thinking a lot this weekend about the memories that Doug and I have built in the last three years and we are truly blessed! :) It's hard to believe that we fell in love at 20 and three years later we are here! I know we are both looking forward to the life that God has planned for us not as boyfriend and girlfriend anymore! :) Its crazy to think that Doug asked me to be his girlfriend three years ago this day and now we are married! I know at some point people question in their relationship whether it's forever. I never would have imagined that we would be HERE on that night that Doug came to me and told me he wanted to be my boyfriend! :) My mom and I were talking the other day about how she loves him being my husband, but she was so used to hearing me say "Doug is the best boyfriend ever." Now she said that times its hard for her not to say boyfriend. :) So Happy 3 year anniversary baby! I cant wait for the next 3 years and then some!!!! :) So for those of you who are in the engagement process, I know there are a lot of you, enjoy it! It goes by soooo quickly. But the after effects of it are the greatest blessings that one will ever experience!

We hope you all have a wonderful mothers day. To my mom (Kawai) and Doug's mom (Gayle), we love you both very much! Thank you for being the best mothers around! :) Thank you for enduring the pain of childbirth, childhood, and giving us the best life possible! We are eternally grateful to you both and look forward to all that life has for all of us as a beautiful family! :)  We wanted to share a collection of some of our favorite memories with our moms!