Serial

I'm reluctant to admit that over the course of two days, I have listened to the majority of Season One of the Serial podcast concerning the murder of Hae Min Lee. The older I get, the more I dislike long car rides, especially when I run out of ideas of what songs to listen to. So, call me late to the party, but I decided to start listening to podcasts, namely Serial.

We are barely two months into 2016 but I feel like an emerging trend for the year could be The Innocence Project and reexamining trials resulting in guilty verdicts that maybe weren't quite so iron clad. Before I go any further, I feel the most important thing to state is the obvious which is I am NOT a lawyer and everything I know about the law comes from being a mostly law abiding citizen, a little high school AP government education, and of course watching Legally Blonde and Shonda Rhimes' How to Get Away With Murder...I mean that's about as factual as Grey's Anatomy. Am I right?? (Please note the sarcasm that is heavily injected into that last statement).

As a consumer of Serial, I'm left wondering. Namely, why is the truth so elusive. If Adnan is telling the truth, and he is innocent, then he either has some of the worst 'luck' imaginable, or, he is possibly partially innocent, as in not guilty of murder but guilty or involved in some other way. In which case, how is it that being found guilty of first degree murder of your ex girlfriend and serving a lifetime sentence in prison preferable to coming clean. The more the story unravels, the more perplexed I become. The more I question myself and my ability to note differences between truth and lie.

Various players in this curious case are interviewed. Unfortunately, many of the interviews rely on the validity of memory which, sorry to say, isn't super stable. Memory is so fluid. Yes something may have happened but without accurate accounting or ways of verifying things, how can we know the exact time things occurred. The further out we go the messier it gets and the more challenging it becomes to say anything with certainty. Especially when the days in question seem trivial at the time. For instance, I'm more likely to remember the events of a vacation or birthday as they hold great significance to me. I'm far more unlikely to remember the details of one of my days of work where I have no plans. Can I really be sure of anything without documenting it or being around other people who can corroborate my memories?

The first season of Serial leaves me wondering who to trust. Ultimately, I believe that Adnan is guilty. Of murder I'm not sure. But I believe that Occum's Razor is a tough theory to shake. The simplest explanation is usually the correct one, right? But what happens in life's inevitable gray areas. Where nothing seems simple or straight forward and the more time that passes creates even less certainty. Uncertainty on top of uncertainty until an exponential level of uncertainty is reached and you're left wondering, 'Do I even know anything?'. I've been listening for two days, but I can hear the confusion, frustration and questioning that plagues the people who have made this their business for years. It's astounding.

So, again, why is the truth so evasive? Is it ignorant to think the truth can always set you free? Most likely, yes, but in an extreme situation such as truth vs. life in prison for first degree murder, you would think that someone would eventually come forward and reveal information that clarifies things rather than continuing to muddy the water...or avoiding the water entirely.

The feat of thinking back on days and events 15 years ago seems impossible to me. I can barely remember what I did five years ago, let alone 15. With Facebook and all the other social medias, remembering is a bit easier, but that is assuming that you actively participate in forms of social media and have the means and personality type to share information. Not true for much of the population (despite the ridiculous nature of much of my Facebook newsfeed).

There are so many questions I have about the case. I think I am drawn to this topic in general because I enjoy pursuing the truth and seeing how people make different choices and what their reasons are for such choices. I also enjoy the process of reaching a long awaited resolution...

I've been avoiding reading about this case in the news because I don't want to spoil any of the updates that are on the podcast until I have a chance to listen to them. I'm excited to see where the case is headed. I do consider this. That if Adnan is guilty, he most be some sort of truly exceptional psychopath. He has held tightly to his claim of innocence, despite lacking proper defenses and in spite of loose circumstantial evidence that never seems to fall in his favor. I think it's scary to think that we are potentially being manipulated by a sociopath. Especially one capable of murder without remorse. It gives me chills just typing about it.

This & That

This past weekend, I attended my cousin Jessica's wedding in Charleston, S.C. The weekend coincided with an event I knew nothing about (and still know next to nothing about) called the South Eastern Wildlife Expo. It's a huge influx of tourism money into the Charleston area which makes the average room rate increase exponentially.

With that in mind, I reached out to family hoping to stay in their guest room but unfortunately, their guest room had already been claimed by other relatives. I ended up staying with my friends, Mark and Susanne at their home on James Island. I had visited their home one time before, in December of 2015, for a dinner to celebrate my 27th birthday. This was my first time spending more than a casual evening at their home. I was struck by a few things during my stay, most of which reflects upon the fact that I am 27 years old and still struggling to live a smooth, well-organized, fully functional adult life.

For one, Mark and Susanne have lived in their home for upwards of 15 years. These years and their effective habits have created a series of patterns and repetitions that rather than feeling trite or exhausted feels authentic, loving, and efficient. Despite being gainfully employed as well as married, I feel like I'm floundering throughout the day to day. A lack of organization lends itself to me rarely feeling like I'm spending my time wisely. Why is it that I am younger and with much more free time than the majority of my coworkers or even Mark and Susanne, yet I am unable to get as much done?

A day for my friends begins with an early yet welcome wake up for Mark. He leaves his spacious and comfortable bedroom, pushes a button on his top-of-the-line coffee maker and enjoys a fresh black coffee...or three. Next he goes upstairs to his personal office and sits down at his desk where he writes a journal entry. I never asked what the entries are about, what their purpose is, or even if they are hand written or typed. I felt so inspired by Mark saying that he journals daily.

A personal aside, when I was a preteen, I used to journal somewhat regularly. In occasional spare moments, I would look back on what I had written and was typically always embarrassed by the written words. How silly, self centered and unimportant were my day-to-day chronicles. And how focused on other people...typically parents or boys. I was rarely looking at myself or discussing my likes or my aspirations.

There is nothing like shame or embarrassment to stop me right in my tracks. Despite loving the reflective and creative process of writing, it is something that I have avoided doing, or I have done and then months down the road, decided to delete based upon the impression that it is ridiculous and potentially embarrassing...especially in the public forum. Rather than journaling about my life, I've opted to write reviews of movies, foods, experiences or even cosmetics. For years, I've continued to avoid writing about my life. By doing this, I feel its possible that I've neglected the process of deeply reflecting upon where I am in life, what I want and how I am evolving as a person.

A notable distinction I see in Mark's morning routine is its complete lack of consulting social media. I find this to be interesting because of the stark contrast with my own heavy consumption of Facebook, G-mail and Instagram. Facebook to see what silly headlines are being posted, or what person I lost touch with who is announcing their engagement or pregnancy. G-mail to see what entry-level luxury good is on 40% off sale. Instagram to simultaneously inspire and depress me with images of things I want to partake in while forcing me to notice the reality of me typically being in transit to work at the hospital.

Mark, an entrepreneur, is constantly producing rather than consuming. And there is no need to wonder about beautiful places. He lives in a beautiful place and can easily travel where he would like to go. I live in a place that is not ugly by any means, but also, fails to heavily interest me. I live where I live because of my job and the relative number of opportunities for work and success. If I were to look at the United States and pick a place to live, I doubt I would pick the "Triangle" of NC, despite it showing up on almost every list of best places to live if you're a working professional.

From around the time I was ten, I dreamed of living in Manhattan. I recall reading the Baby Sitter Club books by Ann M. Martin around this age. The stories are set in fictional Stonybrook, CT. One of the characters, Stacy, has divorced parents, one of which lives in Manhattan. She and her best friend visit and have an amazing time in the big city. This is one of the first times I recall considering Manhattan as a destination on my bucket list. New York is arguably the most ubiquitous cities in America. No matter where you live, if you regularly watch TV or read news, references and images of NYC are constant. It seemed that NYC was the buzz. It's the place to go if you want to make things happen and, as the song says, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, right? I consumed this notion wildly. NYC seemed to be constantly dangled in my face. A place that is referenced so frequently in my day to day life, yet I have never visited it and know very little about it.

I remember asking my Dad many times if it would be okay for us to plan a family trip to visit NYC. My dad vehemently spoke out against NYC condemning it as a horrible, filthy, unsafe and dangerous place that no one has any business visiting. I countered his description by bringing up a trip he and my mom had taken to NYC together in the early 1980's. Mom had kept the hotel toiletries from the Park Lane Hotel, where they stayed, and while snooping through her cosmetics, I had stumbled upon these small relics. I also recalled stories she told of attending parties in Manhattan with my father for his business trip which ended with, no joke, a snowy carriage ride through Central Park. I don't recall the specifics of what my Dad replied with other than him saying that although they had some fun, neither him nor my Mother had any interest in ever going back and that was that.

This NYC conversation would happen regularly over the course of my pre-teen to teen life at home. At 18 my parents moved to a new town and I stayed behind in my home town to attend college. After high school graduation, I never lived at home again. During my teen years, my goal was to move to NYC. I was drawn to it for the same reasons most people are. The culture, excitement, energy, and opportunity. I also craved new experiences, especially since I had lived in the same (in my opinion) boring and stagnant culture of Greensboro for most of my life. My father never encouraged this goal. He always presented the inherent challenges to it such as practical ones like affording the cost of rent or less practical ones like the inevitability of me being attacked or murdered. The pattern of my dad countering most of my hopes or even my pipe dreams is a huge theme in my life.

My junior year of high school, my dad, a graduate from The University of South Carolina, and a huge Gamecocks fan proposed a plan for my higher education. He encouraged me to apply to USC, despite it being an out of state school, thus posing the issue of out of state tuition. He said that Columbia was a place he would love to retire, and he could purchase a small condo or apartment down there that I could use while in school but would eventually become where him and my Mom would retire. This would also help us to establish in state residency for me. It seemed like a win-win for everyone involved. As the time came for me to apply to college, my dad's plan seemed to evaporate. Eventually, my end of the deal was complete with an offer from USC sitting on the kitchen table. My Dad looked at me with bitter incredulity as if the mere act of me asking for support regarding out of state tuition was outlandish. Of course he wasn't going to buy a condo for me. Who do I think I am? Some princess? Make other plans. As this plan fell apart, I felt the anxiety of needing to create back up plans that I had never considered. I had been raised to love USC and always thought my attending the school would shine favor on me in my father's eyes...possibly even allowing the possibility for us to be close. I would have never chosen to attend USC for any other reason than my father. And like he giveth, he also taketh away. As a scrambled to assemble other last-minute options for college, I panicked thinking, what if I can't find a plan and end up going no where? I began applying at art schools. Namely UNC Asheville (where my cousin Matt was planning on attending) and more competitively, the Rhode Island School of Design. I was rejected by UNCA (a letter my dad would read to me over the phone while I was working my hostess job at the local mom-and-pop version of PF Changs.) Expecting rejection from RISD, I applied to UNC Greensboro, located in my home town. It was my last resort. I received my UNCG acceptance letter within five days of applying. My RISD acceptance came roughly two weeks later. I presented the options to my dad. He sat me down and told me, art is a hobby. For people like you Elizabeth, you have to earn a living. You can't just take a shot at something because if you miss, you end up with nothing but debt. You will spend your life trying to climb out of it. I argued that I believed I could make it as an artist, even presented the options of pursuing art in Charleston SC or Asheville NC where the scene is smaller and less saturated, at least, at the time. My dad ultimately said he refused to support me financially if I chose to pursue art. This ultimatum was a huge barrier for me. For the past 18 years, my dad had conditioned me to be fearful. Fearful of taking risks, of accruing debt, of ever disrupting the status quo. He told the same anecdotes about his years suffering through poverty, almost dying from starvation while in college , and of the seven years it took him to pay his way through school. I was terrified of living a comparable existence and opted to abandon art. It wasn't easy to walk away from. It made me become a more cynical and colder person.

From the ages of 18 to 24 I floundered significantly. I earned a BS in Sports Medicine from UNCG. My parents cheered for me at my graduation. I sat waiting to cross the stage knowing that I lacked any real plan or idea of what I would do for myself. I ended up pursuing Microbiological research as an option for a short period of time before losing interest and wanting to be more involved with patient care. I worked a part time job as a home health aide and worked a full time hospital job as an Endoscopic Tech. I was part of my first patient death scenario. I remember it clearly to this day. Eventually, I ended up at UNC earning a BSN from their accelerated nursing program. I now work as a Bone Marrow Transplant Nurse at UNC. In terms of bed side nursing, its a great job. But was it my dream? No. It is something that allows me to independently support myself. It's something that gives my life meaning and makes me feel like my life is valuable because I am able to help others and make a difference. These feelings are great and fulfilling and I'm proud of myself for accomplishing them. But I'm hungry for something different, the things that I reluctantly walked away from almost ten years ago.

My mom and dad, although meaning well, have been major barriers for me in my life. I've made major life decisions based upon them pressuring me to do or not do certain things. I have forfeited my own happiness in the name of my parents who, to this day, continue to let me down and hurt me. This simple trip to Charleston, where I was able to see how one couple lives to support themselves and their passions inspired me to stop sitting around and moping about what might have been. No, I am not an artist. Yet. By producing something, be it a sketch, an essay, a blog post, a photograph--whatever, I am shifting myself away from the habits of mindless consumption, and reengaging with my passion for creating and creativity.

Yes, much of what I write might come off as poor quality, grammatically incorrect, or upon retrospect, embarrassingly out of focus, but I cannot become better at something if I never allow myself to do it. I need to write, if only just for my eyes and my knowledge that I'm releasing stress via the creation of honest and real sentiments  within sentences. I may write about whatever I want, personal or pop culture. But I need to let that voice in my head, the one conditioned to beat myself down by years worth of my father's tough love, be silenced. Enough already. I took my dad's advice and it wasn't enough to leave me full.  I'm tired of almost every choice in my life being one that has been made for me or with someone other than myself in the drivers seat. I want to take ownership of my life and make the most of the choices that have been made for me. But also, I wish to begin taking an active role in saying that yes, I will do this or no, I will not do that.

So I, Elizabeth Bullard, will begin creating again. For me.

A Lunchtime Foray into Pad Thai

Wanna know what dish is usually a better deal to buy at a restaurant than to make at home? Pad Thai. Why? Because most people don't keep the ingredients on hand and unless you have a lot of experience cooking Thai noodle dishes..they usually end up tasting like the more authentic dish you might by at a local restaurant.

But, it's lunchtime and I've got few staples on hand so WHY NOT attempt to make some Pad Thai?

Ingredients:

• Vegetable Oil
• Rice noodles
• Salt (for seasoning your water)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• Cilantro, peanut & lime (to garnish)
• Pad Thai sauce (always shop for this at Asian Markets when you can)
• Meat of your choice
• Scallions, vegetables of your choice. (I recommend bell peppers, broccoli, and snow peas). 
• Dried hot peppers (I soak my noodles in these). 

Directions: 

• Soak your Pad Thai noodles in EXTREMELY HOT water for about 25 minutes. Stir your noodles and check them occasionally to make sure they aren't clumping together OR becoming too soft. (Also this is the step where you will add your dried hot peppers if you are looking to spice up your dish). 
• Add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil to a wok or large stir fry pan and cook on medium high--add your beaten egg and stir until scrambled
• Add protein of your choice
• Add pad thai noodles and stir fry for 5-7 minutes (DO NOT OVER COOK)
• Add vegetables at this step
• Add pad thai sauce (to your taste--a little goes a long way) and stir fry for 1 minute more
• Add your garnish, serve hot and enjoy!

Let me know what you think of this quick lunch time treat!

Fresh & Easy Guac!

New step in adulthood: Eating guacamole on St. Patrick's Day because it is green. And because I had ripe avocados. Mainly because I had ripe avocados. No beer was consumed because I had a Pediatric clinical the next morning at 7AM. 21 year old me is shocked and shamed.

So for a simple take on guac that is fresh and packed with flavor, try this recipe I concocted: 

Ingredients:

• 2-3 fresh avocados 
• 1/2 purple onion (chopped, raw)
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro (finely chopped) 
• the juice from 2 limes
• hot sauce (to taste)

Directions: 

• Chop up your fresh ingredients (the finer the better because it will release the flavors)
• Mash up your fresh avocado 
• Add hot sauce to kick it up a notch to your liking (or skip if you're more of a mild person)
• TIP: to help slow down the process of your guacamole browning as it is exposed to air, cover your guac with plastic wrap and keep the pit of your avocado in the guac--obviously don't eat it). 

Good luck with your guacamole! Its such a fun dish to eat in the warmer months and of course, goes great with a fresh margarita ;-) 

What do you like to eat your guac with!?

Quick & Delicious Paneng Curry

If I haven't said it already, I am a lover of all Thai food. Before moving to Chapel Hill, my regular Thai restaurant in Greensboro knew me by my order. (Drunken Noodles, extra spicy, no onion, extra sauce.) What can I say, when I find something thats incredibly enjoyable, I stick with it!

I have had multiple forays into the world of making Thai food. Often times, I end up creating a dish that is tasty, but does NOT taste like the authentic dish served in my beloved local Thai spots. NOT the case with this delectable dish!

This recipe is modified from a Pin that I found a few months ago. I altered the recipe to my own taste (as I would recommend any budding home chef should do!) Remember, no two palates are the same and just because I think it tastes amazing doesn't necessarily mean everyone else will. At the end of the day, make a dish that you LOVE to eat! :)

Paneng curry tends to be a little milder than other curries may be and is distinctly different from some of the curries you may encounter in some Indian restaurants. I would recommend trying Paneng curry--I've shared it with many friends and they have been impressed with it's flavor profile.

Before getting started, its good to be aware that this dish is somewhat like a hearty soup. It has meat of your choice as well as vegetables of your choice added to it. However, the "soup" or curry base is what is more governed by recipe.

In my opinion, this dish tastes authentic despite the recipe NOT being fully authentic. Largely because I had to forego the kaffir lime leaves. (I made this dish on short notice and didn't have time to appropriately locate kaffir lime leaves). Also, I made this dish with light brown sugar rather than palm sugar.

As a seasoned pro at eating Paneng curry, I felt this dish represented a restaurant quality level of flavor. I hope you enjoy, but please, feel free to make adjustments as needed!

So to start, the recipe I used to adapt my own take on Panang Curry is located here: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Panang-Chicken-Curry

What caught my eye about this recipe was first, that it comes from chef Saipin Chutima of the restaurant Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas. A quick tour of Trip Advisor yielded fantastic results regarding satisfaction with the Thai food that is cooked at this "hidden gem" of a restaurant. So with quality taken care of, the other thing drawing me to this recipe was how simple it seemed to be. I can vouch that yes, this recipe is both simple and delicious.

My first recommendation is to purchase your curry paste and coconut milk from local Asian markets. Usually, the prices are unbeatable but also, the food typically comes from the country the dish is native to and is much better than any American interpretation.

These are tasty but dangerous! Be careful not to add too many or you might heat your dish up so much that you can't enjoy it. To help temper the heat of an overly spicy panning curry, try adding more coconut milk!

Amazingly delicious panang curry paste.

If you're wondering what is IN that amazing panning curry paste---the flavor profile is based on dried chili pepper, garlic, shallot, lemongrass, sugar, salt, kaffir lime and galangal. Spices include coriander seeds, cumin, cardamom and bay leaves. 

Coconut Milk from Thailand! Rich and creamy. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coconut milk
• A HEAPING 1/4 cup of panning curry paste
• Whole dried red chilis (to taste)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar (light or dark, palm sugar also works)
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce --imparts a nice saltiness
• kaffir lime leaves (may substitute with bay)
• salt & pepper to taste ( I skipped this step because I tasted my dish as I went and was satisfied with the flavors)
• Meat of choice ( I used chicken breasts)
• If using chicken, I recommend using 1 and 1/2 lb chicken cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 and 1/4 cup of chicken stock/broth 
• Jasmine rice for serving with 

Directions:

• Combine the 2 cups coconut milk and heaping 1/4 cup panang curry paste in at 4 qt saucepan over medium high heat. Stir the mixture periodically and monitor closely so as to prevent it from bubbling over. Have the curry mixture at a steady simmer for approximately 12 minutes. 
• Add the sliced chicken to the curry mixture and cook on medium high for about 5 to 6 minutes. 
• Also add as many dried red chilis as you would like to the curry mixture to impart spice--if you are looking for a milder experience skip this step entirely. I only used 3 peppers. Add them slowly! 
• Stir the chicken to make sure all the pieces are being cooked throughly. 
• Add your chicken stock, brown sugar, and fish sauce and bring the mixture to a boil. 
• If you prefer a thicker curry, add the chicken stock slowly until desired thickness is reached--vice versa if you like a thinner/soupier curry, add more chicken stock. 
• Once boiling, allow to boil for 1 minute then remove from heat. 
• Add the kaffir lime or bay leaves at this point (amount you add will depend on your flavor preference--always start small and increase as needed) :)
• RECOMMEND: Once the chicken is FULLY cooked, taste your curry sauce frequently to make sure you like the flavor profile. 
• You can ALWAYS add more curry paste, or chili peppers if you want to increase the flavor or spiciness. 
• Prepare your jasmine rice, ladle the curry over the rice, garnish with basil. 
• To add vegetables to your curry: I recommend cooking the vegetables separately so as not to throw off the ratios of your curry. Many vegetables have a high water content and you won't want to water down your curry--you will lose all that amazing flavor!
• Cook your vegetables separately and add to your curry when they are done cooking. 
• I recommend adding snap peas and bell peppers to panang curry. But feel free to add whatever vegetables you prefer. 

I hope that you enjoy this simple recipe. If you have any suggestions or feedback, let me know in the comments! I hope that you fall in love with the tastes of Thai as much as I have. 

P.S. If you have leftovers, this meal heats up nicely for lunch the next day! :) 

Enjoy!

Elizabeth 

Taming the Beast: How to keep an unruly cowlick at bay.

For the majority of my life, I have been the girl with the thick, Vidal Sassoon style bangs. At times, when I was younger, they looked more like they had been cut by a blind barber...I'm not sure what happened.

Seriously, who cut these bangs???

Either way, they made for amazing old school photos to look back on and laugh at. As a teen and twenty something, I switched it up from side swept bangs to thick blunt bangs.

My classic thick bang look. And me forcing my dog to pose for a photo. PETA, please, let me off the hook on this. He's a rescue at least. 

Until the Fox show New Girl with Zooey Deschanel became a thing. Suddenly, I was being told on an almost daily basis how much I looked like Zooey Deschanel. At first, I was excited. How awesome to be compared to a pretty Hollywood actress. Eventually, it became a little frustrating because I started to feel like my look wasn't quite so original. Cue a massive hair cut, growing out of my bangs and I was no longer Zooey Deschanel's frumpy stunt double. Unfortunately, I was faced with the reason as to why I'd had bangs for years. A massive cowlick right at my part line. 

So....what do I do? Use hair spray?

D-List Zooey Deschanel, is that you????

Here's that massive hair cut--notice that I still have some bang going on. 

Hair spray didn't work. Half a can later, my hair was now standing up straight and appeared to be soaking wet. Not quite the look I was going for. 

Gel? --Haha, nope, it just looked like I had chunks of hard hair still still refused to be tamed. 

So, whats the solution.

Still waging war on the bang/cowlick. 

Odd as it sounds, it's all about using CLEAR MASCARA. I like using Cover Girl because it is cheap and lasts for a while. I was using ELF clear mascara for a bit of time but it ended up running out after barely a month. Not really worth the time. And I don't want to have to run back the store quite so quickly. 

Life minus the cowlick. See, he loves me!

Either way, this means of taming my cowlick is so subtle it just makes my cowlick disappear. It lasts all day, my hair doesn't look wet or over styled and it is easy to transport for touch-ups...like if you're caught in a windstorm or something. 

I even brought it to my engagement photo session and my photographer thought it was an amazing trick. I hope that this can help other people out their with unruly cowlicks.

Let me know what you think!

Shrimp & Grits: A Southern Staple

Prince William and Kate Middleton. Wine and cheese. Summer and beach trips. Shrimp and Grits. Few couplings have ever meant more to me than that of the low country favorite, shrimp and grits. Sometimes, I encounter someone who hates grits or just doesn't "get it" and I look at them like...who are you? But, judgements aside, here's a little background on the classic dish and my recipe for an amazing shrimp and grits dish.

As any dish that is North American, it hails back to multiple other cultures. Grits trace back largely to the Native Americans. They are coarsely ground corn cornel bits that become tender when they are boiled with water. Hominy (a precursor to grits) was sometimes used amongst Native Americans and settlers when bartering. Specifically, grits trace back to the Muskogee tribe that was found in the southeastern part of the United States. Combinations of Shrimp & Grits were also seen in Africa by the Gullah tribe that sadly saw many of their own in the South due to the slave trade. Traditionally, and largely still today, shrimp and grits is categorized as a southern low country dish served for breakfast or brunch. 

Shrimp and Grits, for me, are an amazing comfort food. On a cold, icy night with my fiancé, when we hadn't been to the grocery store, couldn't leave the house, and were both ridiculously hungry, I inventoried our refrigerator and pantry only to come to the conclusion that I would make shrimp and grits for the first time. Call it beginners luck because my fiancé and I adored the dish and I can't wait to share it with everyone. It's actually a lot easier to make than you would imagine. 

Ingredients: 

Produce: 

2 ears corn (or 1/2 bag of frozen corn)

1 package portabella mushrooms 

2 Bell peppers (any colors) I love using red and green 

2 Roma tomatoes 

1/2 Yellow or white onions

1 bunch Green onions

2 Garlic cloves 

Lemon juice

Spices:

Each palatte is different so all of your spices should be added to taste--start small and then go as big as you want to go

Cajun spices

White pepper

Cayenne pepper 

Salt optional (i didn't use any)

Dairy:

1 cup of whole milk (for the gravy and 3 cups for the grits)

1 cup of whipping cream 

2 tbsp of salted butter 

Parmesan Cheese (pre-grated)

Cheddar cheese (block)

Seafood: 

3 cups of fresh or frozen shrimp (add more as needed)

Other:

Stone ground grits---I like using grits from Crook's Corner here in Chapel Hill where the shrimp and grits have taken on a bit of a legendary status. 

Directions:

Before you get started, the first thing to understand is that this recipe is as relaxed and care free as the low country way of life. DO NOT think that you need to measure things out to a 'T'. You don't--much of this recipe is built around adding things and taking things away as you see fit. But the most important things (the basics) typically stay the same...so just take it all with a grain of salt. ;-)

For the gravy: (Keep in mind this is a saucy shrimp and grit recipe)

• Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. 
• When butter is fully melted, add flour and stir until mixed. 
• Add whatever vegetables you are wanting to use at this point to the mixture and cook for approximately 5 minutes 
• Add whipping cream and mix. 
• Add whole milk and mix. 
• Once everything has been mixed together well, add the lemon juice. 
• Then begin adding in spices and seasoning to your preferred taste. 
• Add your cooked shrimp to the mixture and the gravy portion is complete. 

For the Grits:

• Bring 1 cup of water and 3 cups of whole milk to a gentle boil. 
• Add tsp of butter and mix gently. 
• Slowly add 1 cup of grits to the mixture. (Note that 1 cup of dry grits will generated approximately 4 cups of cooked grits). (You can decrease the heat at this point to a low simmer)
• Add fresh grated cheddar and parmesan cheese to the mixture while it is still wet. I would recommend adding 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and 1/4 of parmesan cheese. 
• Stir the grits constantly to avoid them getting clumpy or burning. The grits will need to cook for about 15 minutes. 

For the Shrimp: (recipe thanks to http://coleensrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/03/tender-shrimp.html?spref=pi)

• I have a kind of unique way of cooking shrimp but it makes amazing shrimp EVERY time that are tender and NEVER overcooked. 
• Brine your shrimp (peeled and deveined) with 2 cups of ice and cover with water. Add 1/4 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of sugar to the mixture. Refrigerate the shrimp for 30 minutes. (If you don't have time for this step, feel free to skip it because your gravy will impart an amazing flavor to the shrimp regardless of if they have brined or not). 
• When the 30 minutes is up, drain and rinse your shrimp. 
• Turn the broiler on in your oven on "High". 
• Place a PLAIN cookie sheet in the oven for 5 minutes. 
• While the sheet is heating up, mix your shrimp with 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1/4 tsp of black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. 
• Place the shrimp on your hot cookie sheet and return to the oven for 2 minutes
• Remove shrimp from oven, flip and return to oven for 1 minute
• THATS ALL! Congratulations, you have amazingly flavorful and tender shrimp. Go ahead, try one before you mix them into the gravy!

Put it all together. Spoon some creamy, cheesy grits onto a plate, cover it with gravy and shrimp, garnish with green onions and hot sauce of your choice and ENJOY! Best recipe ever.