What I Love About...

SPRING!

Fresh blooming trees and flowers.
The smell of fresh cut grass.
Warm, but not hot, weather.
It is the season we were married.
Gardening projects.
Asparagus, lamb, strawberries + fresh spinach.

Citrus Marinated Pork Chops

4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lime, zested and juiced
1/2 orange, zested and juiced
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
4 boneless pork chops

Mix marinade well. Pierce porckchops with a fork and cover with marinade. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours, turning pork chops at least once. Cook on grill until meat is cooked through.

New York Style Cheesecake

From The Joy of Cooking

5 8oz packages cream cheese
1-3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add sugar until until mixture is creamy and smooth. Then mix in vanilla. Mix in eggs one at a time, just until incorporated. Then mix in heavy cream.

1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Mix well and line spring form pan with crumb mixture. Pour cheesecake mixture in pan and smooth the top. Bake at 500 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour. Prop oven door open with a wooden spoon and let cheesecake cool for 30 minutes in oven. Remove from oven and let cool completely before unmolding from spring form pan. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Easter Sunday

We spent Easter Sunday in Charlottesville with the In-laws. We went for brunch at the Omni Hotel in downtown. I had leg of lamb with au jus, steamed mussels, rice pilaf, shrimp lasagne, assorted cheeses, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, and pastries and cheesecake for dessert. After the Omni, we watched a little TV and visited before heading back home.

I can honestly say that I didn't eat a single piece of candy this Easter (a first fro me). As a matter of fact, the only Cadbury Creme Egg I had was one that my coworker brought in for me after our long conversation about how much we enjoyed them as kids. Mmmmm... Cadbury egg filling!

Thinking about Easters past, I have to giggle when I think about our families annual Easter Egg Hunt in the front yard where my parents hid the eggs and my brother and I found them, and then we reversed it and we hid the eggs and watched our parents find them. What a great twist on an Easter tradition!

Overall, it was a nice day, just wish the weather had been warmer.

Happy Easter!

PROJECT :: porch

This porch has seen better days, so we decided to give it a face lift. Matt started by filling all of the settlement cracks in the concrete. We attempted to match the brick color, and after our second trip to Lowes, we made it home with the best choice.

We made the executive decision to paint the top edge of the brick because the builder had done such a poor job and there was tons of concrete on the brick layer anyway. We like it for now and may consider repainting it the trim color of the house at some point.

PROJECT :: sidewalk (before)

I don't even know where to begin, but at first glance, I'm thinking we should take out the entire front row (grass side of the sidewalk). It is jsut a mish-mash of stuff and has no definition. Now, what to replace it with.... so many choices:

low lying /taller

defining/textural

colorful/just greens

all color/spots of color

seasonal/all season

I don't even know where to begin with the bushes. We have boxwoods, evergreen type bushes, one large lime green bush and one red prickery bush. I think I would like more consistency, but don't know what will work best. I plan on doing lots of reasearch over the next few weeks, so I will post ideas when we actually have a clue where we want to go with this project!

My Current Playlist

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Amy Winehouse
The Funeral
Band of Horses
Marching Bands of Manhattan
Death Cab for Cutie
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
Death Cab for Cutie
A Lack of Color
Death Cab for Cutie
Mr. Blue Sky
ELO
Clumsy
Fergie
Bring It On
Goose
Far More
The Honorary Title
The Way I Am
Ingrid Michaelson
Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Jet
Can't Get it Right Today
Joe Purdy
Kindly Unspoken
Kate Voegele
Red Morning Light
Kings of Leon
The Truth
La Rocca
Non-Believer
La Rocca
Enchantment
Lily Frost
Who Am I
Lily Frost
Here Comes the Sun Again
M. Ward
Where I Stood
Missy Higgins
Silver Lining
Rilo Kiley
Struggle
Ringside
Take You There
Sean Kingston
American Girl
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Stars
The Weepies
Sky Blue Sky
Wilco
The Thanks I Get
Wilco
New Soul
Yael Naim

Scalloped Potatoes

Adapted from a Tyler Florence recipe.

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

1 sprig fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

butter

2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 + 1/4 cup shredded parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degress F.

In a saucepan, heat up cream with a sprig of thyme, minced garlic and nutmeg.

While cream is heating, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato, overlapping as needed, and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from, then pour 1/3 of the cream over. Top layer with Parmesan cheese. Repeat with 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cup of Parmesan cheese and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.

Voila!

On the Menu

BLT Dip
Recipe by Paula Deen.

Cheddar-Dill Scones
Recipe by Ina Garten.

Buttermilk Biscuits
Recipe by Bobby Flay.

Potato Salad
Recipe by Paula Deen.

Hot Chicken Salad
Recipe by Paula Deen.

Almond Chicken Salad
Recipe by Paula Deen.

Scalloped Potato Gratin
Recipe by Tyler Florence.

Cold Cucumber Salad
Recipe by Paula Deen.

Italian Style Baked Beans
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.

Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe from The Joy of Cooking.

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Grilled Chicken with Thai Peanut Sauce
Recipe by Rachel Ray.

Penne with Five Cheeses
Recipe by Ina Garten.

Pesto Pasta
Recipe by Tyler Florence.

Herbed Chicken
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.

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Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Cinnamon Cream
Recipe by Paula Deen.

Bark (Chocolate Saltines)
Recipe from a friend.

Mini Orange Chocolate Cheesecakes
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.

Chocolate Mousse
Recipe by Tyler Florence.

Churrisimos
Recipe by Ingrid Hoffman.

Berry Cobbler
Recipe by Emeril Lagasse.

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Blissini
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.

Sangria
Recipe by Emeril Lagasse.

Bloody Marys
Recipe by Paula Deen.

Hot Cocoa

2 cups milk

4 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp cocoa

1 dash of salt

Heat milk in microwave for 3 minutes. Add sugar, cocoa and salt and whisk together. Serve.

My favorite winter drink, and the perfect recipe created by my mom!

French Dip

French Onion Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsps fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 cups beef stock

Using a large stock pot, add olive oil and butter to the pan and heat to medium high. Add onions as they are sliced. Once onions are in the pot, season with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp fresh thyme. cook onions about 10-15 minutes, or until they are tender and caramel colored. Add bay leaf and sherry to the pot and deglze the bottom of the pan. Add 6 cups of stock and cover pot to bring to a boil.

Dipping Sandwiches

1 loaf french bread

thinly sliced roast beef

sliced swiss cheese

Slice french bread into 1/2 thick slices. Place on baking sheet and broil until tops are brown. Place roast beef and cheese slices on top of toasted bread. Place sandwiches undre th broiler again until cheese is melted.

Serve sandwiches on top of or beside the soup.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen.

4 green bell peppers

1-1/4 lb ground beef

1 onion (diced)

2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

2 tsps beef bouillon

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup rice (cooked)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup tomatoes (diced)

1/2 cup green onion (diced)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 cup hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut off the tops of the bell peppers. Remove seeds and insides of the pepper. Set aside until ready to stuff.

Brown the ground beef over medium heat. While beef is draining, add onion, garlic, 1 tsp bouillon, salt and pepper to the pan and saute until onion is soft. Remove from the heat and add beef back to the pan. Stir in the rice, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, green onion and soy sauce. Mix well and stuff into the peppers.

Mix hot water and remaining bouillon. Pour water mixture into the bottom of a glass casserole dish. Place peppers into dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25-35 minutes. Remove foil and spoon juice from pan over the peppers. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes without the foil.

Remove from oven and serve.

Our New Roof, yay!

The new roof is finally complete! We chose a darker color because I really like the aesthetic of the darker roof, and think it is great for curb appeal. The roofer we chose gave us a 10 year workmanship warranty, which we thought was very generous. Next project for the summer, painting the siding, trim and porch railings. We also plan to replace all of the windows at within the next few years! And how could I not include this wonderful truck that was parked in our driveway over the course of the project! Gotta love it... Git-R-Done, haha!

Chocolate Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing

Bake packaged Chocolate Cake following the instructions on the box. I followed the Bundt cake instructions for my Bundt pan. (Again... cheating... you get the idea!)

Orange Cream Cheese Icing

1 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 large orange, zest and juice

In a bowl, mix cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Slowly add confectioners sugar, mixing well and removing all lumps. Add the zest of 1 orange and 1-2 Tbsp of the juice from the orange. Mix until well incorporated.

Once cake is cooled, begin adding icing!

Spaghetti with Garlic Twists

Recipe adapted from my parents.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 tbsp of tomato paste
1 bay leaf
basil to taste
oregano to taste
thyme to taste
salt to taste
pepper to taste
olive oil

Brown ground beef, then drain. Using the same pan, sautee onions, bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Once onions are transparent and softened, add beef back to pan. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, bay leaf, basil, oregano, and thyme. Bring sauce to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours to let flavors cook together. Serve over your favorite pasta (wheat is our new favorite)!








Garlic Twists

1 package of frozen puff pastry dough
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp garlic powder
grated parmesan cheese

Preaheat oven to 400.

Melt butter in small bowl, then add garlic powder and mix together.

Thaw 1 sheet of pastry dough. Lay flat on cutting board and slice width-wise into 9 strips. Coat each strip with garlic butter mixture using a basting brush. Turn strips over and the coat opposite side. Twist strips lengthwise (about 2 twists per strip) and arrange on a baking sheet. Sprinkle grated parmesan over the strips. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until flaky and brown.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Bake packaged Red Velvet Cake following the instructions on the box. I followed the Bundt cake instructions for my Bundt pan. (I know, this is cheating... oh well!)

Cream Cheese Icing

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, mix cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Slowly add confectioners sugar, mixing well and removing all lumps. Add vanilla until thoroughly incorporated.

Once cake is cooled, begin adding icing!




Enjoy!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Number : 2
Letter : A
Color : Red
Day : Saturday
Month : August
Drink : sweet iced tea
Candy : Reeses Pieces
Ice Cream : mint chocolate chip
Season : Fall
Movie : A League of Their Own
Animal : Our Siberian Husky, Skye
Item of Clothing : perfect fitting jeans
Word : miscellaneous
Place : home
Holiday : Christmas
Smell : fresh cut grass
Shoes : kitten heels
Gum : Orbit Sweet Mint
Nail polish color : OPI Royal Flush Blush
School subject : art
Snack : apples and peanut butter
Candy bar : Baby Ruth
Food to cook : comfort food
Soda : Barq's Root Beer
Hobby : card making
Flower : calla lily
Tree : magnolia or dogwood
Fruit : strawberry
Vegetable : bell pepper
Spice : cinnamon
Quote : "You know it's a good recipe if it starts with a stick of butter." - Paula Deen

My Skye-Blue Boy!

Skye just LOVES his new backyard!


















And snow, of course!

Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

Serves 2

1 can tomato sauce
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan, bring tomato sauce and chicken broth to a boil. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and turn heat to low. Simmer over low for 15 minutes.

Top with basil (fresh or dried) and serve with grilled cheese sandwiches!

This recipe is great in the winter or the summer (with fresh basil)!

Stationery Favorites from 2007

As I organized my office/craft room, I reminisced about 2007! Here are some of my favorite 2007 stationery designs. 2008 projects are already in the works, so stay tuned!

We live in the Windy City?

We were relaxing on Sunday afternoon and completing our taxes, when the wind picked up, bringing in a bitter cold front. While sitting in the breakfast nook, I saw something black fly through the air and hit the ground. Of course... our roof was blowing away... what else could it be!?! And the search began for our homeowners insurance paper work and to finish the taxes to get the refund because now we'll need it sooner than we thought... ugh!

on the menu... coming soon

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
Recipe by Paula Deen.

Stuffed Bell Peppers
Recipe from The Joy of Cooking.

Pumpkin Pasta with Parmesan Cheese
Recipe by Rachel Ray.

Buffalo Chicken Dip (aka Crack Dip)
Recipe courtesy of the wonderful Nesties.

Japanese Fried Rice with White Sauce and Ginger Sauce
Recipes from various sources.

Homemade Spaghetti with Garlic Twists
Recipe adapted from Momma + Daddy.

Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream

Recipe adapted from The Joy of Cooking.

2.5 lbs tart apples (granny smith used)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

8 tbsp (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cold

Slice apples (peel first if desired) into 1-inch chunks. Spread apples evenly into a 9×13 casserole. Combine the next five dry ingredients in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Scatter the mixture evenly over the apples. Tap the dish a few times to settle in the crumbs. Bake at 375 for 50-55 minutes, or until top is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced. Serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream.

This recipe is a classic and would be perfect in the Fall with freshly picked apples.

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies with Brown Sugar

1 package Little Smokies (approx 35 per pkg)
12 slices thin sliced bacon
1-2 cups brown sugar
36 toothpicks

Cut the bacon slices into thirds crosswise. Wrap each small strip around a Little Smokie and secure the bacon with a toothpick. Lay the wrapped smokies in a 8 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar as desired. Bake at 350 for 20-40 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy. serve with your choice of biscuits, croissants, or any other breakfast items.

These were delish! Great for breakfast or an appetizer!

Beef Tips with Bloody Mary Dipping Sauce

Recipe by Rachel Ray.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup vodka

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1 cup tomato sauce

1 rounded tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 1/3 pounds beef sirloin cut into large bite-sized pieces

steak seasoning blend or coarse salt and black pepper

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and onions and saute 5 minutes. Add vodka and reduce by half. Add worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato sauce and horseradish. Stir to combine the dipping sauce and return the sauce to a bubble. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat non stick skillet over high heat. Coat meat bites lightly in oil. Season with steak seasoning blend or salt and pepper, to taste. Cooke the meat until carmelized all over, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer dipping sauce to a small dish and place at the center of a serving platter. Surround the dip with meat bites and serve.

This recipe was very yummy!

Irises In February

This will be our first Spring in our new house, and the first signs are starting to come out of the ground. First count of the bulbs sprouting is 53. Here's to hoping that they survive the remaining cold weather coming our way!

Can you guess what season this photo was taken? If you guessed Fall, you would be wrong! I took this today, February 9th. Those Oak leaves are holding tight! I just love our sunny breakfast nook with the bay window. It faces South, so it gets morning, afternoon, and evening sun! It is one of my favorite places to hang out!

Winter view of our Crabapple tree... it will be georgeous in Spring! We plan to take a few of the lower limbs off so that it will be easier for Matt to mow. I am really looking forward to seeing the seasonal changes throughout our yard.

Gotta love the dry brown bushy things ... they are ridiculously overgrown Mums. Yes, you heard me correctly, Mums!! We plan on trimming tose to the ground. Stay tuned for many yard projects to come...

Kitchen Soffit (before + after)

Before :: we painted only the inside of the soffit for a bit of accent color

After :: we coutinued the blue by painting the entire soffit, with the intention of making it more of an architectural element in the room. Color is Aqua Smoke by Olympic.

Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe by Paula Deen.

2 cups chicken, cubed

seasoned salt and pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 quart heavy cream

1/4 cup chicken base

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 cup yellow onion, minced

1 cup frozen green peas

1 cup frozen carrots

pinch of grated nutmeg

2 Pillsbury pie crusts, refrigerator section

Heat oil over medium heat. Add cubed chicken. Season with pepper and seasoned salt. Cook through.

In a small pan, warm frozen peas and carrots following package directions.

In a large sauce pan, melt butter. Slowly add flour, whisking until the consistency of peanut butter, but not brown like a roux. Slowly add heavy cream and continue to stir. Add chicken base, garlic, and onion and stir until thickened. Add peas, carrots, nutmeg, and chicken. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a round glass pie pan, lay out one sheet of pie crust. Tear off excess crust to fit pan. Warm in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes. Fill pie crust with filling. Top with second sheet, tear off excess, and crimp edges of crust. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes, or until top crust is brown.

This recipe is always a favorite in our house!

Spicy Cheese Dip with Tortillas

1 16 oz bag of cheddar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup diced jalapenos
1/4 cup anaheim peppers
1/4 cup diced onions

Melt cheese and milk in the double boiler. Add vegetables and let simmer approximately 10 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream!

This recipe is super easy, and I like the addition of the Anaheim Peppers. They are sweet and spicy at the same time, and give it a nice crunch! In the future, I may add black beans to the recipe for a different texture... just a thought! Enjoy!!

Welcome!