Where the winds go sweeping down the plains...

As long as we're still living in the past (I've got a LOT of blogging to catch up on!) I should share some photos from a couple months back, when we traveled to Philly to see the Wissahickon Middle School Production of Oklahoma! (so prestigious!) I've already told you about the aftermath of the trip- but it was worth it to see Dustin's niece Elizabeth, in all her Broadway-bound glory. Check her out:



Ok, I'll give you a close up....


Such a star, right? (she gets it from her grandmom).


We had such a fun weekend watching Lizzie dance her heart out, plus we got some quality time with the Bowden (and Tambourino, and Doll) crew. Dustin's dad and step-mom only make the trek back to Philly a few times a year, (can you blame them? They live in paradise!) so it's a special treat to have the whole family together.


Dustin got to golf with his dad and his brothers, (which probably ranks in his top three favorite things ever), while I got to go garage sale-ing with the ladies. (I scored a Parcheesi board, for 50 cents!! Such a bargain for the Royal Game of India!) Our nephew, Jagger, almost lost a finger in a tragic Sedan-Door-Closing-Incident, but he was a trooper, and we all made it to the show with all our pieces. Even if some of those pieces are a little goofy at times:


Now, if you ask me why I like to go to Philly, I'll probably tell you it's because of the charming accents, or the delicious cheesesteaks...which both definitely rank high on my list of loves. But it obviously is about much more than that. We have so much fun whenever we go back- seeing family, catching up with friends, staying up too late together playing games, drinking wine and eating ice cream (best combo ever!). But as much as I love being with them, what I love even more, is seeing Dustin enjoy himself.

There is no competition for a top spot in Dustin's heart, because it is a solid tie between his dad and his brothers (don't worry....I'm in there. It's just a different kind of love.) Dus can be a man of few words about a lot of things, but there is no doubt that he loves his "guys" more than anything in the world. I love to sit back and watch them- as they joke, wrestle, brag, and love like only a group of boys can.

We don't get together as often as we would like, but when we do, it's the best. And at the very least we have a cheesy group photo to remember it by:

April Showers bring...June Babies!

You know what we haven't had in a while? A blogpost? no, smarty.....
A Bowdenisms Shout Out!

yesssssssssssssssssssss

And what better recipient than a brand new mom? Big Congratulations go out to our friend Liz (and Charles of course!) and her beautiful new baby girl. ( I swore for nine months it was a boy. Hope the baby doesn't hold that against me!)

But if there is one thing I love almost as much as babies, it's baby showers! (Ok, I really just love to plan parties, and eat delicious food. But what better reason to do both of those things, than the impending arrival of a little one?) A few months ago, we had shower for Liz, which Rachel and I used as a trial run of our events planning business. (not really....but we do joke about a lot, so don't be surprised if it actually happens someday. Megan can be our caterer!) It was a beautiful day, and the location was perfect: Liz and Charles are friends with the owners of Bistro To Go, a restaurant on the Northside (go. there. now. yum) so Nikki offered to host the shin-dig. We had delicious food, played some fun games, and celebrated with wonderful women. (and it must be said, that the event could not have happened without Hannah, our organizational goddess. She wrangles RSVP's like nobody's business.)

Check out the fruits of our labor. (ha! pregnancy joke!)

Details count!

Test tube favors, for a scientist mom.


After these cupcakes, Rachel could become known
as the Paula Deen of the North.


Pretty, Rustic.

No shame here. We all love a good buffet!

The ever-popular "guess how big momma is" game.

Not so sure about my guessing ability.

Don't worry, she only took a couple.

All the Young Life ladies.

They hold the future. Literally.

A Welcomed Addition

If you know me (Dustin), I'm a bit of a tech nerd. A geek. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'm a solid 8. One of my favorite things to do is get fixated on a item and research prices until I'm blue in the face. So for 2+ years I've researched flat screened TVs. It was a two year obsession because of the extreme amount of money that they cost. I've been close a hundred times to pulling the trigger and either ordering a TV online or marching into Best Buy and picking up the model of my dreams. The great thing about TVs is that they are constantly evolving. There's always a never ending stream of fodder for my obsession.


A while back my wonderful and beautiful wife got a well deserved promotion. So she made a nice little card that basically told me to buy a new TV. It was a sweet gesture and I was elated. However, several months went by and still no TV. I had pre-buyer's guilt. I couldn't spend the money. The TV we had, a plain, old, non-flat screened, 27 in TV was in perfectly good condition. There was no NEED for a new TV. Here's what she looked like:



So... no TV.


So I won't leave you in suspense... we got a new TV. It's a FORTY-SIX INCH LCD TV! It's pretty amazing, and here's the best part... it was free.


You read that right... Free!


I truly believe that God blessed us with the TV. Work has a raffle every year fro charity. It made over $14,000 this year and the prizes are pretty sweet. Some examples are a trip to London, a TV, a lawn mower... you get the idea. There is no limit to the number of tickets you can buy, so some people go nuts. I work with a couple of people that dropped over $100. Courtney and I agreed to spend $20 which got us 30 tickets.


So how many tickets did we put in for the TV? Six. Courtney put in 3 and so did I, and God blessed us with a TV; and we are in turn donating our TV and armorie to "Blessing Man" who will in turn give out stuff to people in need. The TV is great and looks fabulous but the real blessing is living guilt free. We don't have to sit and feel like we're recklessly spending what we're so blessed to have.


And without any further delay... here's the new TV:

Notice that God has not blessed us with a new stand for the TV. I think He's done enough!

Writer's note: I apologize for this post being oboxious and probably not well written. Thanks for reading it anyway!

Derby Day

Despite the silence around this here blog page, May has been quite a busy month. Actually, that's really why I haven't blogged...not because there's nothing to say, but because there's no time to write it all down! I talked with friend and fellow "writer" (those quotes really only apply to me...he actually knows what he's doing) Brian the other day, and we agreed that the trouble with blogging is that sometimes you have to choose between living life, or documenting it....there isn't always time for both. But in the interest of preserving these memories before they get pushed out of my crowded little mind, I'm going to attempt some backlogging here.....

Hop in your way-back machine, kids. Date: Saturday May 1st.

**(insert Wayne's World dream sequence fade-in sound here....)**

There's no real way to segue into this story, so I'll just launch in, and tell you my mom loves special events, especially those involving animals, bonus points if there is a competition between said animals. Thus, for the last few years she has been OBSESSED with the Iditarod. I'm talking non-stop video watching, live-feed streaming, dog gear researching for the entire month of March (and February...and January...) We've come to accept this passion, but haven't exactly caught the fever. We all sort of nod and smile, waiting for the season to end.... So April arrived, and I expected a break from all the race talk....but noooooooooooooo, no. Because now it was Kentucky Derby season, of course! So the new talk of the town was organizing a trip to Louisville. But we got a little bit of a late start in planning, so it really didn't seem like an option. But I saw an opportunity....if we couldn't support her enthusiasm by coordinating a live viewing, maybe we could do the next best thing: throw her a surprise Derby party!

You see, I may not have inherited her passion for quadruped sports, but we do have a shared love for party planning, especially when it involves a theme. And Derby tradition supports....nay (neigh?)...requires over-the-top outfits, so volunteering to throw the party was really a selfish move on my part.

So I got my step-dad Vern involved, and we began our covert operation. Friends and family were called, decorations were coordinated, games were designed, hats were made and booze was bought. She still had no idea I was even coming to visit, let alone planning a bash, so it was really fun to surprise her the night before. I showed up, and she was shocked! The surprise continued when I asked her to open her Mother's Day gift early....it was a hat of course! The funniest part is that she still didn't connect it, and just happily put it on, thinking nothing of it. Finally she said, "I should wear this and watch the Derby tomorrow!", and I laughed, responding, "Yes. Maybe you should. And maybe we'll have some people over to watch it....because maybe we're having a PARTY!!!" She was so surprised, so appreciative and so excited....it made all the thought and effort worth it by far.

So, the cat (or horse) was out of the bag...which meant it was time for her to start helping! (See, I told you it was a bit selfish on my part.) It may seem wrong to force someone to throw their own party, but it was actually really fun to work on it all together. I had all the pieces gathered- but we got to cook, decorate, and plan it as a team. We had a great (but busy!) day getting everything ready, and I have to say- it turned out great.

Vern even set up the projector, so it felt like we were a part of the action. (complete with a trellis to hide the electronics).

I made blue ribbon name tags for everyone....each guest had to make up their "Official Thoroughbred Name"- following Jockey club rules- and pick a pony sticker to represent them.

The food was big hit. we tried a few new recipes, and luckily it all turned out delicious....

A fav of mine: watermelon, mint and feta cubes. Yum!

And though I got into the creation of all the details, the best part was really just doing something to make my mom feel special. She does so much, for so many, it was fun to knock her socks off with something just for her.

I loved how excited everyone else was too...obviously they've been touched my mom's generosity and fun spirit....each and every person I talked to was thrilled to be a part of it, and couldn't wait to surprise her. And they all got into the spirit with the hats...gotta love that!

Here's a few of the guests livin' it up (sad I didn't snap one of everyone!)...

It was lovely girls day, full of fun memories. Who knows...maybe it was enough to get people on board for a trip next year?

Look What I Got!

I just don't have a better title for this post....Sometimes when you get something you love, you just want to brag about it! Looky looky look!!

On Saturday, our old neighborhood had a huge garage sale, and a ton of houses in the area participated. Garage sales can be totally hit or miss, with hours spent walking, to little or no avail. BUT- sometimes you find something that makes it worth it. And for me, that something was this little beauty:

Isn't it great?! No....I'm not sure why I wanted it....and I'm not sure what we're going to do with it it (I mean, I know what it does, but where does it go?)...but I do know that I love it! The minute I saw it, I asked how much the guy wanted for it: Five bucks. SOLD! (secretly I would have given him a lot more. Missed opportunity, buddy!)

Mere moments after the purchase was made, Dustin got roped into the project....because when you're married to Courtney, you can't just lug things home....No- you have to be a part of the vision. You see, I loved my new gumball machine, but couldn't help but think that it would look even better with a bright and shiny new coat. Enter, my secret weapon: high gloss white spray paint.

So Dustin painstakingly painted it with at least five coats, until it was the sleekest candy dispenser on the block. And though he may not have been as excited about it as I was, we did come up with a killer process- I disassembled all the pieces, and cleaned out all the "vintage" muck, while Dustin created a make-shift spray booth, inclusive of a fan hooked up to a timer. We are nothing if not thorough. But look how beautiful it turned out:

Seriously, you're jealous, right?

Come over and I'll share........I'll even supply the pennies!

Buona Sera

Dustin and I are always on the lookout for a fun date-night activity, and I thought it would be interesting to take a cooking class. We had done it once in Cincinnati- we learned to roll our own sushi- and we really enjoyed it. It was something out of the ordinary to try, and we came away with a new skill. So while searching for our next culinary challenge, I found Rania's Catering. It's a small place down in Mt. Lebanon (South Pittsburgh) that offers a variety of classes. There were a few that sounded appealing, but I loved the idea of making our own pasta, so that was the winner!

Our class was called: Hands On Pasta Making, and it was taught by Steve Salvi, who's know as the "pasta king of Pittsburgh". (Check out an interesting story about him here.) He owns his own pasta making business, Fede, and supplies many local restaurants with fresh, custom created items. Also...he's pretty dreamy:

I had a small, buttery, crush on him by the end. I blame it partly on the Limoncello he served us. Makes you feel all warm and delicious inside.

Anyway....back to the food...

For our class, we focused on ricotta based gnocchi, in three flavors- plain, basil, and truffle. How could those not be good? Especially with this spread of fresh ingredients:

We also learned to make three sauces: fontina cream, tomato basil, and truffle butter. Yuuuuuum.


I don't have pictures of the process (by then I was covered in flour, eggs and cheese), but it was actually pretty simple. We mixed the ingredients, rolled "logs", cut them down, and rolled them on boards (or the back of a fork) to give them that traditional gnocchi shape. We all mixed ours together for cooking, but if you look closely you can see a few that I did- they're the perfect, irresistible looking ones, of course!

Steve threw them in, and then got started on the sauce.

Meanwhile, I expanded my photo-ops to include a less than thrilled husband. He loved the class...he was less enthused about me documenting it all.

But I was undeterred, and kept snapping away, trying to remember as many details as possible, so we could recreate this magic in our own kitchen. The big secret? Use butter. A lot of it. Often.

Steve threw butter in every sauce. And not once...no, he would sneak a handful (that's how he measured everything...by look and feel) in at various points in the cooking process. And then he added some cream sauce to the tomato sauce. Just because he likes it.

Now do you see why I liked him so much?

Then he mixed the gnocchi in, and we were finally allowed to dig in. We had no shame.

Can you almost taste it?!

It was one of the most delicious meals I've ever had, and we scarfed down plate, after plate. (And in Dustin's case: after plate, after plate, after plate, after plate...)

One of the best parts, is that in addition to the feast we ate there, we got to take home containers of leftovers, samples of Steve's handmade ravioli, and salad, bread and deserve from Rania's. And if that wasn't enough- we got to keep half of all the dough we made, to roll more gnocchis at home. Dustin went to work the next day and we now have three containers in the freezer. I'm pretty sure they're not going to be there for long!

For all you Pittsburgh folks, I would definitely recommend taking a class at Rania's. They have a ton of offerings, so at any point, there's bound to be something interesting going on.

He shared the "recipes" for everything with us, but they were pretty vague. He had learned from his grandmother, who learned from hers, and so on and so on. He gave measurements, but then pretty much ignored them, telling us to do what looks, feels, and tastes right (this was a little tough for me, as I didn't really have experience to use as a frame of reference, but it all seemed pretty delicious no matter what.) But I'll share them here, in case any of you want to try your hand at pasta creation. (or in case I forget everything I learned....which is likely).

Ricotta Gnocchi

1 lb ricotta cheese

1 C parmesean cheese (but he said any cheese would work...)

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 egg

optional ingredients- 1 C chopped basil, 3 Tbsp truffles (we used a can of chopped black truffles), or whatever else sounds good!

1 C flour

• Mix together the ricotta, parmesean, salt and pepper.
• Form a "well" in the pile, and crack the egg in. Mix together.
• If you're using any additional ingredients, add them now.
• Mix in flour, adding a little at a time, until it no longer feels sticky. (This part is a little tricky- too much flour mixing, and the gnocchi will be dense and tough, too little, and they'll fall apart in the water. His advice was to go slowly and keep testing until you learn what feels right.)
• Roll dough into 1-inch-thick ropes. (keep your counter, and hands floured so they don't stick)
• Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
• Place the cut edge on the back of the fork, press down lightly with your thumb, and roll down the fork to form the gnocchi and give it the "lines" on one side. (this takes practice, but they don't have to be perfect. It is easier to do with a gnocchi board- which sounds a little snobby and specialized, but they're pretty cheap, so it might be worth it.)
• At this point you can either cook them immediately, or freeze them for later use. The dough only lasts about a day if it isn't cooked, so pop them in the freezer if want to save them for later.
• Cook about 2 minutes in salted boiling water. They'll float when they're done, but again, Steve said it's best just to taste them. Don't mind if I do!
• Mix into the sauce, add extra cheese or herbs if you'd like, and serve.

Eat. Love.

(oh, and he mentioned you could use the same recipe for potato gnocchi- just subbing out the ricotta and parmesan, and using 2lbs potatoes for every 1 egg. His tip was to roast russet potatoes, remove the skins, and then put them through a ricer. Mix ingredients while the potatoes are still hot, begin careful not to over mix, because they'll get too starchy. Sounds like this might stretch my skill level a bit, but I'd love to try it someday!)

Don't Stop....Believin'

For the littlest Power Ballad Enthusiast:

My future children NEED this. (and by future children, I mean the kids I may or may not have someday...I do not mean that there are embryos in the womb currently. Just to be clear.)
Seriously...go listen.
P.S. In case Journey isn't your thing (wait...why not?!?!?)...there are other bands too. Check it out here.