Appetizers=Dinner: Potato Skins and Artichoke and Shrimp Dip. Nom, nom

Who doesn't love some delicious, hand picking goodness for dinner?!  Well, we know we certainly love them, especially when they are homemade!

Last Friday Seth and I decided to stay in, watch Wizard People (best.), have a few drinks, and try a couple of new appetizer recipes: Potato Skins and Artichoke and Shrimp Dip...can we say YUMMMAY? Yummay.

Tater Skins:
Here's what you need:

• 4 large baking potatoes, baked..we only used 3, we're not monsters here.
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled..we used 4, less calories kids.
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 green onions, sliced..only on my half (You understand if you know Seth :) )

Here's what ya'll do:
1) Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2) Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell. *Note* Cook the innards now if you  want to save them.  We found out the yucky way that you can't save them, even for a day.

    
3) Place potatoes skins on a greased baking sheet. Combine oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; brush over both sides of skins. 
4) Bake for 7 minutes; turn. Bake until crisp, about 7 minutes more. Sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese inside skins. Bake 2 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Top with your favorite toppings and dig in! Always a crowd pleaser :)

Artichoke and Shrimp Dip:
Here's what you need:

• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise..we substituted light cream cheese..again saving some calories!
• 1 cup cooked and peeled shrimp...we used large fresh shrimp and cut them into pieces, but you can easily use tiny shrimp and not have to cut them, in fact I would suggest it, better appearance that way :)
• paprika, for garnish

Here's what you do:  

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2) In a medium baking dish, mix together Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, artichoke hearts (tear artichoke hearts apart), green onions, garlic salt, mayonnaise (light cream cheese) and shrimp. Sprinkle with paprika. 
3) Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly, light brown, and your nose tells you so. 

                                                   Cheesy, shrimpy goodness right there :) 
Seth and I agreed the combination of these two recipes plus the Texas Chili champion 2010 recipe (we made this several weeks ago, best chilli ever, hands down.) would be absolutely ideal come football season.  Stay tuned for a post about the chilli...it truly is a pot of spicy wholesomeness!  Trying new chilli recipes is definitely something we could turn into a hobby :) 


Much love,
Seth and Colleen 


P.S. If anyone has a favorite recipe that we should try, let us know! Have a terrific Tuesday!

Texas, ya'll!

Welcome to our page, Engineers and Endeavors! Who is the other Engineer, you might ask? Well, obviously Seth has his B.S. in Electrical Engineering, but after some research, I found that another name for a homemaker (which is a major thing I've been up to while job searching) is a home engineer.  Although I didn't spend four years working my butt off to figure out how to be a home engineer, I'll gladly take the title :)  Anyhow, we're very glad you stopped by, enjoy!!

Seth and I have settled in quite nicely here in toasty Houston, TX.  We are on day 38, I believe (who knows now, I'm delirious from the heat), of temperatures reaching over 100 degrees...without heat index...stupid hot.  I'm sure a lot of you already know this as Seth and I have posted about it multiple times on Facebook and through our lovely voices on the phone :)  Anyhow, my exciting news: Yesterday/last night it rained!  I asked myself, "Now, just what IS that stuff falling from the sky?!  Could it be? Why yes! RAIN!!!!"  This was the second time it rained since we moved here about a month and a half ago...it was simply thrilling.  As I was headed to the grocery store around 8pm last night, I encountered streetlights out, stoplights out, and a wondrous light show in the sky! I had to call my dad and let him know the good news, he responded with "Oh the simple things in life that we love."  I couldn't agree more.  Thunderstorms give me that comfy, summertime feeling where you want to stare out the window and just watch the magic happen. Maybe read a good book, also :)  Just a quick insight into something I enjoy, possibly way too much: weather.  I can't imagine what I'll be like when I'm 80. Sheesh. 

To clarify what is going on with Seth and I's moving around the U.S. situation: About 1 year ago, Seth was finishing up his second summer interning with GE, this time in Melbourne, FL.  Towards the end of the internship, he had the opportunity to fly out to Greenville, Sc to interview to be an Edison for GE Energy.  (The Edison program entails rigorous work towards a Masters in Engineering as well as working 40+ hours a week.)  Within a few days, we found out that he had gotten an offer..YAY!  We sat down, and made our first big decision, together.  It wasn't his decision, or mine, it was ours, and we were thrilled (maybe a little nervous) knowing what was before us, the love was all around :)  We decided to take the offer!  This meant we would be traveling around for the two years of the Edison program. 

It wasn't until early May 2011 that we found out we would be moving to Houston, TX for the first year of the program (we will be here until next July...sooo, COME VISIT!!).  We high-tailed it to Houston to look at apartments a few days after my graduation from Ball State.  Little did we know, Houston has no zoning, which made the hunt quite difficult.  But, we found a great place, in an amazing location (walking distance to the best bars and restaurants in Houston, walking distance to the largest park in Houston, and a very safe area), with a good deal on rent...Hallelujah!

Our next two locations will be 6 months long each.  The location options are Greenville, SC, Atlanta, GA, Schenectady, NY, and possibly Salem, VA. We won't know our next location until May 2012 :)

What am I, the home engineer, doing these days, you may wonder.  Well, after several weeks of job hunting, sending emails to what seems to be no one, and having restless nights wondering of the possiblities before me, I came up with one job interview.  Although it is just one, it is with an organization near and dear to my heart: Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) (of Greater Houston), and I am just thrilled!  My second interview was last Thursday and I am supposed to hear back later this week (now) and am getting really anxious to know the outcome!! 

I have been nannying in my free time (amongst cooking many new recipes with Seth, reading, and working out!) for what is truly the kindest, most fun, awesome lady I know in Houston: Janet. She just gave birth to little Brianna last Friday and also has a 2 year old son, Nathan.  I've been helping organize closets and medicines, set up furniture, cook meals, of course help with the children, and have some great girl-time chats (since I haven't met too many people down here yet, this has been just fabulous!!).  If I don't get the position with BBBS as a Match Support Specialist, I will nanny for her.  We have both discussed the issue with my recent job possibility with BBBS, and she has been so patient about waiting until I find out...so blessed to have met someone like her :)

Seth and I are doing just wonderfully living together...it truly is the biggest blessing we have been given to live together.  We grow more in love each day, and learn from our mistakes quickly to make our bond even more unstoppable, so watch out world, we're a solid TEAM!

Love,

Colleen and Seth

P.S.-I (we) apologize for the length of this post, they won't normally be a novel.  New recipes we've tried, places we've been, craft ideas, pictures, etc. to be posted in later entries...FUN STUFF :)