Dear Everyone,

Ten years ago I was sitting in Carroll Hall wrapping up a semester of my first journalism class: JOMC 53 with Professor Roush. I learned a lot in his class, but one thing in particular stuck with me because I had absolutely never thought about it before in my life.

Apparently, at major newspapers across the country, there are already obituaries for people such as former presidents, etc, who aren't even dead yet. Creepier still, these people KNOW the obituaries are already written, and in many cases they contributed to them. So when I was in Rome in June of 2004, when President Reagan died, all the New York Times and Washington Post had to do was pull out and publish the obit - complete with quotes from Reagan himself. Bizarre.

But in a similar vein, I wrote this post long before today. What with my penchant for editing, and re-editing, and re-writing, and changing every little last word, there was absolutely no way in hell I'd be able to sit down and write this post today. If you're reading this, you're lucky I had the chance to hit "Publish."

Today is my wedding day. I'm marrying my best friend and the love of my life, the father of my future children and the grumpy old man I want by my side when I'm 90. You know how anything you eat is basically better with salt on it? That's how life is with B. Anything I do is better if it involves him. I love my friends. I love my family. But B is the person I've chosen to spend the rest of my life with, and that makes him different than every other single person on the planet.

I could wax poetic about B, and us, but you won't understand. No one but I could. So I'll leave you with this instead.

Much like the weird obituary thing, this has stuck with me since I heard it four years ago at my best friend's wedding. After we got lined up all neatly at the rehearsal, the priest told my friend and her husband something. It went something like this: "The wedding, it isn't just for you. It's for everyone watching you. For those who have been married a while, it reminds them of their wedding day and why they got married. For those who are not yet married, it gives them hope. Your wedding will influence everyone in some way."

At the time, I was one of the single people without a shred of hope. I was pretty much resigned to dying alone as an old lady, living in my brother's attic with a bunch of cats (which is especially unfortunate, as I HATE cats). But as I watched my best friend say "I do," I felt, just for a moment that it might eventually happen for me. And today, it will.

So when we stand up in front of family and friends today, it's not just about us. It's about every single person in Christ Church today who has loved us and supported us and helped us grow until we were ready to find each other. I hope each of you will be able to take something away from our wedding today, whether it be remembrance or hope. Thank you all for touching our lives. Special thanks to Mom and Dad for letting me share their anniversary.

And thank you, B, for choosing me. I can't wait to be your wife.

Love,
Emily

Chicken piccata is one of our favorite recipes. This is also a recipe that we never seem to make the same way twice because neither of us ever remembers to save the recipe. We always have to do a Google search for chicken piccata every time we make it, so I decided, here and now, to put it on the blog where I can reference it for the future - and share with you! It's an adaptation of this recipe here.

You begin by seasoning chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredging lightly in flour. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. We ran out of butter (#wifetobefail), so we only used about 1 tablespoon and made up the difference with Tuscan herb olive oil from Palmetto Olive Oil Company here in town. When the butter and oil start to sizzle, place chicken breasts in pan and cook for three minutes. When that side is browned, flip and cook the other side for 3 minutes.

Once the chicken is browned, remove from pan and place on a wire cookie rack to cool (without getting soggy!). Remove pan from heat. Add lemon juice, white wine (or chicken stock, if you're boring), and capers. We also added a teensy bit more of butter and oil. Return pan to stove and scrap to get all the browned bits up.

Let simmer for a little bit, tasting as you go to see if it needs anything extra. Add a bit of salt and pepper for flavor. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter, and serve with sauce on top.

I really like acidic, vinegar-y things, and this meal delivers. This is one of the most flavorful dishes I've made. The lemon, the wine, the capers...it's so NOT bland, which is a common problem with some chicken dishes. The sauce just explodes in your mouth. We served this with a bit of Barilla Plus angel hair pasta and roasted asparagus on the side. It's an easy, delicious weeknight meal that rivals some restaurants I've been to. Plus, it's a light meal that's perfect for spring. Check it out, and enjoy!

Ingredients:
Desired number of chicken breasts
Sea salt and freshly cracked ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (we did it with WAY less)
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (we probably used more)
1/2 cup white wine (or chicken stock)
1/4 cup brined capers (we just eyeballed this)

Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour. Shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil.
When it starts to sizzle, add chicken and cook for three minutes.
When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for three minutes.
Remove chicken to wire rack to cool.
Add lemon juice, wine, and capers to the pan. Return to stove and bring to a boil.
Check for seasoning as you cook.
Return chicken to pan, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Plate the chicken, and spoon sauce on top.
Devour and enjoy!