weiden + kennedy

MORE big news!!

So thrilled to tell everyone that Jeff will be starting a new job at Weiden + Kennedy in just over a week! This is a job many designers dream of, and I'm so excited that he pursued his desires and made it a reality. His new office is located in the Pearl District, which is so fun that Jeff and I will now be working only 7 blocks from each other.

Weiden + Kennedy is an international advertising agency that is Portland based, but also has offices in London, New York, Amsterdam, Brazil, India, China, and Japan. They have won many awards and are among the best agencies in the world. Check out their website here. Their clients include companies like Nike, Levis, Target, Converse, Coca Cola, Old Spice, EA Sports, and Proctor and Gamble. This being said, Jeff is really looking forward to new projects, challenges, and to continue to grow as a designer. I am just so excited to watch him enter this new chapter!

it's a girl! (and I still can't believe it!)

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life! We didn't realize how excited we would be! At the doc we were told first, that we are having a sweet little baby GIRL, and second, that she is very healthy and all body parts have developed and are developing as they should be! Two very huge blessings in one day. Jeff and I are still smiling. We can't stop saying, "We're having a girl!"

I have to say, over the past month or so, it had become a borderline obsession of mine to try to guess the gender of baby Meakins (apologies to all of my friends out there who listened to my incessant jibber jabber regarding this topic...you know who you are :). The majority of people guessed baby Meakins was a girl (even little 2 year old Mackenzie) - still can't believe they all knew! Confusing me even more was the fact that all of the old wives tales for having a girl were true - headaches, craving sweets, Chinese calendar, baby's heart rate over 140 - how could it be?! I guess this was an easy one, right in front of my face. haha. er, sort of. :)

We went out last night to babyGap and picked out a few things for our new little girl - I am just so excited for gigantic flower headbands, ruffles, and ballet class! Here is a pic of the little sweetie, at 16 weeks 3 days.

rigatoni with creamy mushroom sauce

So I have been in a bit of a cooking rut lately. Maybe it's being pregnant, or tired at the end of the day...but we've been eating the same ol' same ol'. After a yummy pasta dinner at Le Buca last weekend, my good friend Kar told me about one of her favorite Giada recipes. Ahh, sometimes I feel like Giada might be my soulmate. I should've been born Italian - eating pasta everyday, drinking wine at a long table with my fellow loud family members. :) Just the way she pronounces words like "orecchiette" and "fusilli" are with such delicacy and care...I am so happy someone else realizes how vital these words are to our vocabularies! Anyways, Giada is one of my favorite chefs, and I just adore her recipes.

Oh YES, but back to the recipe. So I really have to give Kar the credit for sending it to me because now it'll definitely be a part of my monthly staples. If you are a mushroom lover (or even if you're not, like Jeff), you should still try this!!! THE FLAVOR IS INCREDIBLE. Definitely tastes straight from a restaurant!

May I make a few suggestions...

• Stick with a nice, large rigatoni noodle as the recipe suggests (the bigger ones usually come in a box). Make sure it's cooked to al dente - err on the side of under-done.
• For the men out there, this meal may not be enough. I, as you may know, would be perfectly happy in a meatless world - but when Jeff comes home from a workout at the gym, he wants protein! Jeff's suggestion for next time would be to add some grilled chicken alongside.
• I used mascarpone cheese as the recipe calls for. However, Kar says she used cream cheese and it still was fantastic. Whatever you can find at the store I guess!

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Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

• 1 lb. rigatoni pasta (large)
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 lb. assorted mushrooms (cremini, shitake, and button), cleaned and sliced
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 1/2 c. vegetable/chicken stock
• 1 c. (8 oz) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan
• 1/4 c. chopped chives

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes until all the liquid evaporates. Add the stock and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese. Stir until creamy. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water, and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss well to coat pasta, adding the reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the chopped chives (I didn't). Serve immediately (my biggest pet peeve is letting pasta sit for too long after cooking!).