AP. Like the flour.

Well, it happened. I'm a married woman. And now my initials are AP, like the flour, as one friend pointed out. (The rest of the friends didn't get it right away. AP = All Purpose. Funny, right?)

We had an extraordinarily wonderful wedding, with handmade details at every turn, and it could not have been more perfect for us if it tried. Our family and friends made it that way - their outpouring of love and support humbled and amazed us.

And then we came home. Not a lot is different, but somehow it indeed better. Ryan resumed his normal activity of building fires in the backyard and I got back into the kitchen as quickly as I could. In a silly fit of embracing stereotypical gender roles of marriage, I had my husband open a stuck jar for me and in turn called him "My hero." He pointed out my cheese factor and life was back to normal. But the day did hold one small miracle that directly pertains to this here food blog.

The Sunday we returned from our honeymoon, I tried four (count 'em, FOUR) new recipes. Are you ready for this?

All of them turned out wonderfully.

There were no kitchen mishaps; when I started to burn some sugar, I caught my mistake before it became an error and saved my own sanity. I planned things out perfectly and had dinner on the table for our friends not too long after they arrived. There was even a snack to munch on before the salad was served. My dressing was just right, the soup was well-blended, and dessert? Well, it rocked.

Then we saw a pig fly past the window.

I won't tell you how long it took me to finish washing dishes from that night. It's not important.

But what is important is that it was such an affirmation of why I love cooking. Because once in a while, a new recipe can surprise and delight you. For me, it was more than just our now-we're-married-and-we-can-celebrate-fall-the-right-way meal; it was an invitation to spend uninterrupted time on my favorite hobby and have something to show for it. And then share that with my husband and friends - what could be better than that?

Not to mention, I got to use many new kitchen gadgets, most notably the beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven in Caribbean Blue given to us by my grandmother, aunt, and cousin. I remember opening it at one of my bridal showers and my first thought being, "POT ROAST. Aww." But let me tell you, it will make some incredible vegetarian dinners too.

Here's what was on the menu that night:

Bleu Cheese Bread (thanks to the bread machine)

Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Dijon Vinaigrette, Bleu Cheese, and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Butternut Squash Soup

Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Photos and recipes to come soon. Here's the link to the soup, though - it was served at Adelea's on Main in Salado for our rehearsal dinner, and everyone (seriously) remarked that it was the best soup they'd ever had. My version was close to perfect, but I'm no Chef Jennifer that's for sure. :)