Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Meme

This is a fun one I saw over at DP's spot. Here we go!

What are your middle names? Mine is Lynn and my husband obviously doesn't have one. Is this an Algerian thing DP?

How long have you been together? we were married on August 1, 2002. We're getting close to 7 years. WOW!! mashaAllah I was a wee little baby when we got married.

How long did you know each other before you started dating? We didn't date.

How old are each of you? He's 37 and I'm 27. I like to complain about the funky 40 year old arab dudes marrying 25 year olds. For some reason it's different and acceptable that my husband is a cradle robber. For them...not so much.

Whose siblings do you see the most? Neither. My sister is an undercover crack head. I swear. My husband's relatives are in Algeria. At the moment, I would say that he sees his siblings fairly often..like every day. I haven't seen my sister in 2.5 years.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? This dang separation. Alhamdulillah our marriage has been protected throughout this ordeal. If it had happened earlier on in our marriage I am not sure if we would have survived it. It's so hard to keep up a relationship when you're living an ocean away.

Did you go to the same school? Not even close.

Are you from the same home town? Again....not even close.

Who is smarter? I have more book smarts than he does, but he definitely has more street smarts and experience. I'm not saying he is dumb. MashaAllah he's a smart guy, but he just didn't have the opportunity to reach his potential with schooling because of the political situation in Algeria b4 he left.

Who is the most sensitive? Me. I've only seen my husband cry 3 times in our marriage: death of his grandmother, Abdu's open heart surgery, and the day he was taken into immigration custody. All miserable days, but well worth the tears. I wouldn't know what to do if he blubbered all the time like some men. This house couldn't handle it because I cry enough for the both of us.

Where do you eat out most as a couple? In true Algerian fashion, dude prefers to eat at home. we have a few favorite dining out spots that we really enjoy. Usually, if it's not one of those places, he complains that my food at home is much better and it didn't cost $60.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? I wouldn't call it travelling, but we drove a u-haul truck from New Orleans to where we are now living which is just over 1400 miles.

Who has the craziest exes? neither

Who has the worst temper? me. I've got major attitude.

Whoe does the most cooking? Me for sore.

Who is the neat-freak? I'll clean but I can't organize a thing. My husband is more into the organizing. He's got great ideas about how to keep the house clean, but sucky implementation of those ideas.

Who is more stubborn? him

Who hogs the bed? We stick to our respective sides pretty well.

Who wakes up earlier? Me. I'm always cooking breakfast and making coffee while he's lounging in the bed for another 40 minutes.

Where was your first date? We went with another couple to a greek restaurant.

Who is more jealous? Me, but he has his moments.

How long did it take to get serious? not very long

Who eats more? He does.

Who does the laundry? Both.

Who’s better with the computer? me

Who drives when you are together? He does because I do enough driving when he isn't home.


****Sorry for not posing the shrimp picture. I just purchased some more shrimp. I will attempt to charge my battery so I can take a picture. This has become one of our favorite dishes and we eat at it a least every other week.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Shrimp Scampi and Rice

All types of seafood were abundant and regularly on our table growing up. My mom wasn't much of a cook but she often cooked sauteed shrimp and rice for us. Her version was simple and contained instant rice. Although I have fond memories of my mother's dish, my version is much better.

Shrimp Scampi and Rice

1/2 lb fresh gulf shrimp, shells removed and deveined
1 onion, diced
small pinch saffron threads, about 1/8-1/4 tsp
1 C basmati rice
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed into a paste with a small amount of salt
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C clam juice
1 1/2 C prepared chicken stock

Cut cleaned shrimp into small pieces. If using large shrimp, they should be cut into 2-3 pieces.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and olive oil over a medium heat. Saute onions with saffron, parsley flakes and a small amount of salt until translucent. Add crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer.

Add basmati rice and stir to coat with butter. Add desired amount of salt and pepper. Pour clam juice and chiken stock into the saucepan. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Add shrimp pieces and stir. Cover and lower heat to lowest setting.

After 20 minutes, remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 10 more minutes. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve with fresh steamed broccoli.

This was delicious. Abdu enjoyed it so much that he had seconds.

*picture coming tomorrow. I was so hungry that we ate without taking a photo. I"ll try to snap a pic when we're eating leftovers.