Our Favorite Go-To Recipe: Lemon Pepper Fish with Caramelized Onion Rice

Let me lay out a sweet little scenario for you.... About 5 months before my wedding (3 before my first fitting) I couldn't fit into my dress. The stupid thing wouldn't zip up and that's when I realized I had gained about 20 pounds since I bought it less than a year earlier. So what do I do? Start cooking fish and cut out butter! I came up with different fish recipe's but this is by far our favorite. We still eat it  about 3 times a week. Fish has nearly no fat and is good for you! It's healthy and packed with flavor! Who knew lemon could be so versatile?

You need...

• 1 lemon
• 4 Tilapia Filets (1 per person)
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 3 cups of medium grain rice (I make a lot so there are left overs)
• 2 cloves of garlic. One minced and one cut in half. 
• Salt to season the rice and fish
• 2 teaspoons of pepper. If you hate pepper just use 1. Don't be afraid, it wont be too spicy!
• 1/8 teaspoon dried time

Season the tilapia with some salt to taste and make sure to sprinkle the pepper all over the fish. Every bite should have a good bit of pepper. Again, don't be afraid! Flip it over. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon right on to the fish. If the lemon seems a bit lacking in the juice department, just add the other half and have another ready for later! Then add some more salt to taste and the rest of the pepper to the fish. Let it sit and marinate for up to 30 minutes. Any longer than that and you will see that you are making Ceviche instead of sauteed fish. No bueno. 

Go ahead and start the rice. Add the thyme to the water and rice. Go with the package directions if you don't have a nifty rice cooker. I use a rice cooker to make my life and rice a little better. If you don't have one, put it on your list to buy later this week. 

While the rice is cooking and the fish is getting yummy, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large saute pan that pre heated to medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, one half of the garlic clove and season with salt and pepper. Stir every few minutes. Don't go away for too long. Got it? Good. Once the onions are gorgeously caramelized (my mouth is watering as I type this) and the rice is done, add the onions to the rice with, 2 tablespoons of olive oil some salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the rice. Stir and let the flavors sit and marry together in perfect harmony. 

When the fish is done marinating, get the same skillet you already used for the onions and add half a tablespoon of olive oil and the other half of the garlic clove. Set it to medium heat and when the oil is nice and up to temperature, add the fish and the juices they were marinating in. Depending on how big the fish are, cook on either side for 3 - 4 minutes. You know they are done when you stick a fork in them, twist it and it is nice a flaky. Don't forget to get rid of the garlic clove when you are done. Unless you want to eat it and smell funny when you sweat. Your choice.

Serve with some steamed veggies of your choice and be ready to see what food in heaven tastes like.

XOXO - Mrs. Pearson

WEDDING FINDS #1 - Save the Date/Invitations/Bridal Shower

I am so excited to be planning a shower for Ms. Sarah Alexander (soon to be Pearsall)! I was looking for invitations in stores like Michael's and online at Zazzle but I am pretty particular in how invitations look. I wanted something custom. When in doubt, visit ETSY! I found Sweet Bee Designs there and her services were so quick! I explained what kind of invitation I was looking for and then....

VOILA!

This was exactly what I was wanting. Obviously the address and phone numbers have been changed. Don't want them stalkers annoying me or Jennifer. :) Anyways, she gives the image to you in case you want to save money and print them yourself OR she can print them! I asked her to print them just because it was a pretty good price for the quality. The link to her Sweet Bee Design Shoppe is below. Enjoy brides and planning bridesmaids!

XOXO - Mrs. Pearson

*Sweet Bee Design Shoppe*

PS. She also does baby shower, birthday party, and announcement designs!

"Awwww" Moments Brought to You by Duke

No I am not talking about the Duke of Cambridge and his precious new princess. For those of you who don't already know. I have the cutest Pomeranian on the planet. Maybe the biggest one too. So just know if you have one, mine is better, cuter, and sweeter.... unless your a stranger. Than he is just louder. Say hello to Duke!

This is how he stares at us every morning. Lazy dog will sleep in longer than we can!

This is how he stares at you for hours until you play with him.

Now say it with me. 1...2...3! "Awwwwwwww."

Thanks for your participation in the adoring of our sweet puppy.
If you didn't actually participate, than you are a puppy hater
 and Duke will gladly bark incessantly at you.

XOXO - Mrs. Pearson

Me + Playstation 3

No I don't play it. My husband does religiously. I would love nothing more than to somehow get rid of all PS3's in the world. Blowing all of them up could end teenage anger management problems, save many from morbid obesity and save many TV's from being angrily broken by their owner in a rage against other online players. No, we haven't personally had these problems with Playstation BUT I am still positive that all my assumptions are correct.

However, I have to thank the creator of Playstation for teaching me the true meaning of patience. Never have I hated something so much and  somehow manage to stand it so my hubby can be happy for a little while after a long day at work. I still imagine taking the dang thing and throwing it under a speeding 18 wheeler (carrying a load of PS3's and causing it to wreck and break them all) when I hear the machine gun from Call of Duty. But somehow I manage to keep my cool and hold my feelings inside while I cook dinner. Be aware all girlfriends or brides... you can one day be able to listen to it without freaking out, just be patient and look at how happy your hubby is.

Thank you, Playstation for showing me patience. This doesn't change anything though, I still hate you. I just can actually stand you in the presence of my home.

XOXO - Mrs. Pearson

Welcome!

Good afternoon fellow internerds!

As many of you can probably tell from the pictures, title, etc. I was married recently on March 12, 2011. Many of you can already relate that the beginning of a roller coaster called marriage really is like going to Disney World. I couldn't be any happier in my life than if I was Santa's child and everyday was Christmas. I love living my beautiful life with my husband and I am enjoying every moment of our adventure called life TOGETHER!

Alright, all the sappy cutesy talk is over. Here's the deal. I am still obsessed with weddings. I thank God so many people I know and love are getting married right now. They have given me something to do/plan... or at least make me feel like I am. I'm sort of that annoying tag along friend that will invite herself to all the planning festivities. If they are going to a cake tasting, I am probably hiding underneath the table waiting to here their reactions and secretly giving the baker hints on what kind of cake they like. It's creepy, yes but I don't care. I. Love. Weddings.

Another obsession that has grown to ridiculous proportions is my love for cooking. Thank heavens for my husband (aka: Guinea Pig) for wanting to taste everything in the world. I sometimes feel like part of the reason I married him is because he is not a picky eater in any way. Make it and he will eat it. Unless there is mushrooms or blue cheese... than I would have to find someone else. He also has a deep hatred for Dippin Dots, but that's a whole other story. Probably one that shouldn't be shared.

Lastly, everyone, at least I think everyone... maybe it's just me, has either life long addictions or random ones. Whether it be shopping, TV shoes, movies, music (Christina and Gaga for life), book series, etc. I will make sure to vent anything and everything I am addicted to Googling at the time. I am always one to text or call my family and friends to annoy them in some way about my own, so this may help them actually want to be related to me or hang out with me again.

Dang this blog post is getting too long. Oops. ANYWAYS... Read away and if you have advice questions or just something to add, go for it! But don't be annoying. Thanks and enjoy this ridiculous heat outside.

XOXO - The Pearson Wife :)