Ashley and Matt – A Wedding on the San Diego Bay

If it’s true that rain on one’s wedding day brings a marriage filled with good luck, there can’t be a more lucky couple than Ashley and Matt in all of San Diego County! The day started with a early morning downpour. A mid-morning break suggested that the skies might clear for the rest of the afternoon, but, the rains came again and didn’t stop until after nightfall.

Though drenched outside, no one aboard the charming Renown let the rain get the best of them–everyone had a lovely time! Family came in from literally all over the globe to celebrate the marriage of Ashley and Matt–from Europe, Australia, Canada, and all over the United States–and I was overjoyed to photograph this special occasion aboard the antique yacht as it cruised the San Diego Bay.

Though you already saw a sneak peak of the day, here are even more of my favorites!

You could feel the excitement as Matt waited to see his bride for the first time!


Congratulations to Ashley and Matt!

xoxo,
Lauren


A Delicious Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Hey friends! I got really great feedback from my last recipe post so here I am again with another delicious recipe! Though not vegetarian, this one is really easy and amazingly tasty!

I was perusing Pinterest the other day when I came across a pin featuring this post on Design Sponge. I was running low on insulin with no refill for a couple days, so I had already informed my husband that I was going to require a low-carb diet to make it until the pharmacy had my insulin ready. And, I’ve been testing hubby’s squash tolerance recently. Though I love all squash, he’s not such a fan and has said yes to spaghetti squash, but no to acorn squash. Mental note.

So, back to the recipe. I see it online and realize it combines two of hubby’s favorite things: garlic and bacon. AND it also combines two of my favorites: tomatoes and rosemary. Well, since I’m on a low-carb kick, I think to myself that we could just sub spaghetti squash for the real pasta and we might have a winner! Ding ding ding! The best part? We had almost all of the ingredients in our kitchen already! YES!

So, here’s my interpretation of the recipe, with photos of course:

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe spaghetti squash
  • 3 slices of thick-cut bacon
  • 2 large tomatoes (plus about a cup of random cherry tomatoes you have in your fridge)
  • 1 tbsp dried rosemary
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • sea salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook the spaghetti squash. I cut it in half lengthwise, then place it (cut-side down) in a baking dish and add about a half-inch of water. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until the flesh is soft (but still a little crunchy).

In about the last 10 minutes of cooking, place the bacon in a skillet on the stove and cook it up.

Mince the garlic. Or have your husband do it for you. Ask him about the prison tattoo he has on his index finger. Don’t believe him when he says it’s really just a Sharpie marker.

Chop the tomatoes.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the tomato pile.

Make sure the bacon isn’t burning. Remove it from the pan when it’s done and set aside.

Discard most of the bacon grease, but leave enough to cover the bottom of the skillet and ensure that the garlic won’t burn. Then add the rosemary, garlic, red pepper, salt and pepper to the skillet. Cook until the garlic is lightly browned (about 2 minutes).

Take pictures as your hubby stirs the goodness. (With a two-prong fork? Shrug.)

Add in the tomatoes.

Take a look at all the awesomeness you have going on in your kitchen!

As the sauce cooks down, let your hubby chop up the bacon into bite-size pieces while you remove the spaghetti squash from the oven and get all those spaghettis out of the squash shell and into your bowls!

Cook on, sauce. Cook on… (This part seems like it took a while but I would guess it was really only about 5-7 minutes.)

The above, right photo is about what it looked like when we turned off the stove and started spooning it over the spaghetti squash. Top with bacon pieces, grab your favorite local brew, sit down, and enjoy!

YUM!

Here’s a condensed version of the recipe. Please click here for the original recipe post on Design Sponge!

Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Garlic, Rosemary and Tomatoes
Adapted from “Pasta with Bacon, Rosemary and Very Ripe Tomatoes” found here.
 

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe spaghetti squash
  • 3 slices of thick-cut bacon
  • 2 large tomatoes (plus about a cup of random cherry tomatoes you have in your fridge), chopped/halved
  • 1 tbsp dried rosemary
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • sea salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and place (cut-side down) in a baking dish and add about a half-inch of water. Bake for an hour or until the flesh is soft but still a little crunchy.
  • In the last 10 minutes of cooking the squash, add the bacon to the skillet and cook. Discard most of the bacon grease, leaving a thin layer in the pan.
  • Add the rosemary, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to the skillet. Cook until the garlic is lightly browned (about 2 minutes). Add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, remove the squash from the oven and scrape out the insides into your serving dishes. Cut the bacon into bite-size pieces. Add sauce to the squash and sprinkle with bacon pieces. Enjoy!

Definitely let me know if you make the recipe! I want to know what you thought!!

xoxo,
Lauren


Sneak Peak – San Diego Bay Wedding

Today I had the honor of photographing Ashley and Matt’s intimate wedding ceremony aboard a vintage yacht as it cruised the San Diego Bay! Rain poured down through the length of the trip, but did not put a damper on anyone’s spirits! Here are just a couple of my favorites.

Check back for their full post!

xoxo,
Lauren