Here’s to hoping the Bruins win game 6 tonight. 

If not, I will be weeping thinking about the money Lloyd could have got for his tickets had he sold them.  When I got wind that tickets were going for more than 7x what he paid for his, well… I politely reminded him about all the money we’re spending on our upcoming wedding and our basement renovation.  After all, at one point, Lloyd said that if there was a game 6, and the Canucks had 3 wins under their belt, he’d probably sell the tickets. 

In the end, Lloyd decided to go to the game. 

And in the end, it’s his money, not mine.  (Yet.) 

And he did spend the entire weekend in said basement, renovating, while I was having a grand old time with Chelsea, baking, dining out, and watching chick flicks. 

And this past weekend, he did eat McDonalds at least twice, and my leftover Bertucci’s pizza. 

And he did watch game 5 in the confines of our bedroom, while Chelsea and I watched My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding on his big screen “sports TV” in the living room. 

To quote the big guy himself, I’ve “got it pretty good.” 

So yea, I’d say Lloyd deserves to go to that game, even if there was a chance that I could have been writing this post with a fat stack of bills in my Lloyd’s wallet. 

But, before you go feeling badly for poor Lloyd, realize that he ain’t go it so bad himself.  Have you seen the meals I make for this kid?  Maybe not recently, but… on all those other nights when he’s not eating McDonald’s and leftover pizza?!

Stuffed Artichokes

From Prevention Magazine

Serves 4

Print this recipe!

Ingredients

• 4 lg artichokes
• 1 1/2 C fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (about 3 slices)
• 1 1/4 oz provolone, diced (1/4 “)
• 1/4 C chopped parsley
• 3 thin slices prosciutto, finely chopped (about 2 Tbsp)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed

 Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 F.
2. Remove artichoke stems and trim 1″ from leaves.
3. Blanch in boiling water 5 minutes. Drain.
4. Scoop out center leaves and chokes.
5. Combine bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, prosciutto, and oil. Spoon into artichokes.
6. Stand in 8″ x 8″ pan. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Add garlic and 1 cup water.
7. Cover and bake until bottoms are tender, about 1 hour.

I don’t love artichokes, but I am marrying a guy who does.  I add them to dishes, but usually leave it out of my portion.  When we visited Chicago in 2009, we went to RoSal’s, a true gem of an Italian restaurant, where Lloyd had what he still refers to as “the best meal of his life.”  While I don’t recall his exact dish (some sort of seafood pasta) or my own (chicken or pork, I’m sure) I do remember the stuffed artichoke appetizer we split.  And by split, I mean Lloyd ordered it, assuming he’d get the whole ‘choke for himself.  I was feeling adventurous and decided to try his appetizer, as I’d never tried an artichoke prepared this way.  The act of pulling the stems off and scraping your teeth across the leaves is half the fun.  The stuffing is like gold.  Dip it in butter or olive oil, and I am sold!  It was phenomenal! 

When I stumbled upon a recipe for stuffed artichokes in a magazine, I was reminded of our dinner in Chicago.  I had everything on hand except for the ‘chokes.  A quick trip to Trader Joe’s solved that problem!  I watched a few videos on how to prepare and stuff an artichoke until the intimidation factor wore off, then I got to work.  The key to a delicious stuffed artichoke is to really pack the stuffing in every nook and cranny, ensuring that every bite is as good as the last.  This artichoke was bursting with flavor!  With so few ingredients, you could really taste each of them.  The salty prosciutto, the crunchy bread crumbs, the mild but creamy provolone, and the fragrant garlic came together to make a perfect medley of flavor and texture for the taste buds. 

Since I began writing this post, the score went from 0-0 to 0-4 Bruins! 

Looks like Lloyd’s getting our his money’s worth.