It’s Friday…let’s have a drink!

O.M.G.

Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Cups in a cocktail???

image source

Those above are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Martinis.  Apparently you make Reese’s infused vodka and then use that as the main ingredient once it’s ready…totally unique!  What a great Halloween drink!  Check out the recipe at DayDreamer Desserts.

And now I have SUCH a craving for peanut butter cups…guess it’s a good thing I’m already in PJs so I don’t get tempted to run to the store ;)

Washington D.C.

I don’t think I mentioned we crossed a few items off my 101 in 1001 list about a month ago when we travelled to D.C. for a long weekend.  I’ve been dying to visit our nation’s capital for quite some time now, since the last time I was there was back in 8th grade.  Luckily it worked out that a friend of ours was having her baby shower in Baltimore so we were able to fly in for that and then spend a couple more days in D.C. as another friend is a residence hall director at one of the universities, and he has an apartment in the dorm with an extra bedroom.  Let’s just say free place to stay in D.C. = very sweet!  No, but seriously, it was a great weekend, and it was so good to see friends that we don’t get to visit with very often.

Here’s a few pics from the trip…Hubby bought me a new camera (I’m a lucky girl) right before we left so I experimented with some photography.  I definitely still need to take a class, though, because there’s so many damn functions on this thing that I have no idea how to use. 

After we got off a verrryyyy early flight in Baltimore, we headed to the downtown harbor area to find some breakfast.  We walked by their newly dedicated 9/11 memorial.  Below is a piece of the towers from NY:

We spent some time near the harbor and then headed to the baby shower.  On the way, Hubby made a pit stop to drive by Charm City Cakes (where Ace of Cakes used to be filmed).  Let’s just say the area the bakery is in is not the greatest.  We made our way to the shower finally and spent some time there catching up with the mom-to be and her family.  Then we headed to D.C. to relax for a bit before going out for dinner and a little sightseeing.  First up was the Capital and the White House.

And at some point we stopped for something to eat…um hello, giant plate of tots!  Oh man those were delicious.

The next day we started in the morning with a great brunch, including mimosas and white Russians, before we walked to the zoo.  I’ve been wanting to go a zoo for so long and since it’s free in D.C., I thought this would be a good opportunity.  Plus they have pandas there!

 

  

And later that night we headed back into the city to visit a few more memorials.  We did SO much walking when we were there, which was great since I didn’t feel guilty about eating all those tater tots ,but unfortunately my feet were not doing so well in flip-flops.  I wish I had a good pair of shoes that were a little dressier than sneakers but still easy to wear all day. 

Some other highlights I didn’t get photos of: we had amazing frozen yogurt after the zoo, and we also went to Georgetown before heading back to the airport.  It’s a cute part of the city with a ton of shops, but Hubby really wanted to stop at Georgetown Cupcakes.  (They have a show on TLC).  The cupcakes were very, very good – so moist – but I’m not sure it’s worth all the hype.  I wish we had a couple more days to spend in the city, but it was nice just getting away for a long weekend.  I never realized how short of a flight it is from Boston to D.C. (about an hour) and since we didn’t check bags, it made the process much faster.  I’d love to go down again, maybe sometime in the spring. 

Home Decor Art

Back on Columbus Day weekend I did a lot of crafting that I’ve been putting off for way too long.  One of the art pieces I finally got around to designing was originally inspired by this printable found on Eighteen25.

 image source

While I love this quote, the print just didn’t fit with the style of home.  It was a little too modern and bold.  They gave several options for colors, but I was looking for a light blue color scheme, as well.  I decided to design my own using softer fonts that look more like handwriting.  Here’s my finished version:

I love love love that little house doodle!  The font was found on Fonts for Peas.  They have the BEST fonts on that website – I enjoy using them in designs because they fit my style very well.

If you are a fan of my Home Quote Art, head on over to my Etsy shop to check out the digital file!  I’d love to customize one for you.

Sharing at: Someday Crafts, Tatertots & Jello, I Heart Naptime, The Shabby Nest, Be Different…Act Normal 

It’s Friday…let’s have a drink!

Okay so this isn’t a real alcoholic drink, but it’s a very cute idea for a party – Margarita Shortcakes!  Head on over to SewSweetTV to find out how to make these yummy desserts!

image source

DIY Fall Decor

Ready for an easy project? Buy some fake pumpkins and gourds, a vase, and some fake mums from the dollar store.  Put the pumpkins and gourds in the vase, arrange with flowers, and you’re done!

 

I did add some ribbon and twine to decorate the neck of the vase.  The “fall” ribbon I actually found in the dollar section at Target and the twine was leftover from hubby’s catnip costume from last year.  I used some scrapbook glue to hold the ribbon and twine in place around the neck.  Now I’m just trying to think of what to do for a winter or Christmas vase :)

Random Cuteness: Crafty Kitties

Enjoying my new craft space in the loft on Columbus Day last week:

 

Weekly Menu 10/17/11-10/23/11

Monday 10/17 – Parmesan-Crusted Chicken  & Roasted Potatoes

Tuesday 10/18 – leftovers

Wednesday 10/19 – Lighter Baked Mac & Cheese – trying recipe from SkinnyTaste.com

Thursday 10/20 - Omelet Potatoes 

Friday 10/21 - Pasta e Fagioli

Saturday 10/22 - Taco Bowls (inspired by Come Together Kids)

Sunday 10/23 – Lasagna Roll-Ups (never made them from a couple weeks ago)

A Maine Wedding: Ceremony Part 3

Yes, my goal was to be done with these wedding recaps by the end of summer.  I mean it’s been almost a year and half since we got married.  I promise, I’m almost done with them :-P

We last left off with me walking down the aisle to Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”.  My parents “gave” me away to my awaiting fiance and then we finally got the ceremony started :)  Our officiant was one of our college friends and he did a great introduction – it was light and not too serious which made me feel much more comfortable standing up there in front of everyone.

We included a couple readings that I fell in love with while doing ceremony research.  I think both of these poems were very fitting for us as they’re not super popular for readings, but still very meaningful.

First up was Sista’s reading, “i carry your heart” by e.e. cummings.  In Her Shoes is on my top 10 list of all time favorite movies, and in my opinion, the best scene was when Cameron Diaz’s character reads this poem at her sister’s wedding.   Even though I first saw this movie years before I was engaged, I knew from then on my sista would be doing this for me when I eventually got married:)

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                    i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant 
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Our other reading, “Blessing for a Marriage” by James Dillet Freeman, was done by one of hubby’s groomsmen.  He is such a great public speaker and had no problem when we asked him to do this task during the ceremony.  I love this blessing since it’s not specifically religious – I find it more spiritual.  

May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.

 

We then attempted to light our unity candle…attempted is the key word here.  It was so windy that day, but we did not complain since the sun was out, the sky was perfectly blue and the temperature was just right.  We pretended to light the candle so we at least got a few pictures of it and then our officiant made a joke about how a good sense of humor is important in marriage which all of our guests chuckled at.

 

Next up…we repeat our vows, get some new bling and finally kiss!

DIY Paint Chip Art

When I saw this guest post on Tatertots & Jello a few months ago, I instantly fell in love.  I adored the scalloped look and and I thought it was genius using paint chips – hello, they’re free!!!

Image and inspiration source

I wanted to put this new piece of art in our downstairs bathroom as it has a beach cottage theme and I thought this would perfectly fit into that vibe.  This was probably one of the easiest projects – all you do is punch out a bunch of paint chip circles with a scrapbook puncher, and then glue them to a piece of cardstock that’s the same size of your frame opening.  I used normal scrapbooking glue, which was good, because it didn’t stick right away and I had some time to move the circles slightly if they needed adjusted. 

The paint chips I got were from Lowe’s – they were all a light blue/teal hue.

And here it is finished:

    

I love it!  I’m very happy with my decision in using different colored paint chips to have a gradual color change from light to dark.  The art goes awesome with our beach theme in the bathroom.  Totally reminds me of waves in a very abstract way :)

Sharing at Tatertots & Jello, I Heart Naptime, The Shabby Nest, Someday Crafts, Be Different, Act Normal 

Recipe – Cranberry Turkey Quesadillas

When I found this recipe on Foodgawker a few weeks back for Rosemary Scented Quesadillas, I knew it would be a perfect fall dinner.  Cranberry, turkey, rosemary…hmmm yum!

I didn’t think I would end up changing a lot of things, but I did omit quite a few steps to make the process easier so I think this qualifies as one of my originals :)  Instead of doing a cranberry salsa on the side, I actually combined the cranberry mixture in with the ground turkey and cooked everything together.  The flavor turned out AMAZING – it was like eating a mini Thanksgiving Dinner.  Only thing missing was the stuffing!

These are not your average cheesy and greasy quesadillas.  They are filling and the ground turkey is such a unique addition – they’re almost more like tacos than quesadillas.  I didn’t figure out the calorie content on these, but I would think they’re pretty healthy.

  

Cranberry Turkey Quesadillas – inspired by Made Famous By 

Ingredients:

• 3 stalks celery, minced, divided
• 1 small yellow onion,  minced, divided
• 1 package of Craisins (about 4 oz) 
• 1 large pear, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• Juice 1 orange (divided in halves)
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1lb ground turkey
• 6 low-carb tortillas (6-inch diameter)
• 1 cup of reduced-fat Mexican cheese (divided for 6 tortillas)
• Cooking spray

Let’s Get Cooking:

• In a medium bowl, combine cranberries, celery, onion, pear, garlic and half of the orange juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium for 1 minute.  Add cranberry mixture to the skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally for 7-10 minutes.
• Add turkey to the skillet and continue to stir occasionally.  Add in rosemary and remaining orange juice and sauté mixture for another 2 minutes.
• Drain turkey mixture using a colander.  Transfer mixture back to original medium bowl.
• Carefully wipe out skillet and then return to medium heat.  Spray a small amount of cooking spray onto the skillet and then add one tortilla.  Top the tortilla with ¼ cup turkey mixture and a few sprinkles of cheese.
• Cook the tortilla for 2-3 minutes until bottom side is slightly browned. With a heatproof spatula, fold 1 side of the tortilla over to make a half-circle (you may need to use the spatula to hold down the top to keep the shape).  Cook for 1 more minute. 
• Continue process with remaining tortillas and cranberry turkey mixture.  Serve immediately!

I did not serve these with anything but when I make these again in the future I may try to add some sort of a mayo or dipping sauce…I don’t think sour cream would be right so I’ll have to work on this for next time :)

Sharing at Tatertots & Jello, I Heart Naptime, The Shabby Nest, Someday Crafts, Be Different, Act Normal 

Kitchen Inspiration

We desperately need to makeover our kitchen.  It’s the classic 80’s theme with white laminate EVERYWHERE.  Counters, backsplash, cabinets.  Oh the cabinets…you know, the ones that have the wood trim on the bottom?  Sigh, it was fine when we moved in, because they all worked and everything was clean.  But now that we’ve lived here a couple years, I can’t believe anyone would ever use white laminate as a countertop.  The stains do not scrub off and we just need something much more durable.

I started looking at inspiration pictures on Pinterest as I’m still undecided about doing butcher block or not for the counters.  I originally thought I loved it but then thought it may be too much wood after we put in the new floor. 

Below is actually a good example of how our kitchen is arranged.  Our floor space is a bit smaller in width and the oven is where the sink is.  And the fridge is actually on the opposite side…but you get the idea.  This is the only picture I could find that somewhat resembled our “U-shaped” kitchen.   I do still like the white cabinets and I think it would be smart for us to just replace the doors so the facing is updated.  The white will keep the kitchen bright since there are no windows in there.

 

Source: younghouselove.com via Emily on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: decorpad.com via Emily on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dark dark countertops in the above picture are really nice and make the kitchen look so rich. We also have all white appliances now so it would contrast well.  And the beadboard on those cabinets is amazing….love love love it.  In the below picture, I really like the green paint color.  It goes perfectly with the butcher block, and again, nice contrast to the white.

Source: flickr.com via Emily on Pinterest

 

 

Not sure where else to get inspiration ideas as Google didn’t come up with much – I thought “U-shaped” kitchens were a more popular design!

Recipe Review – Omelet Potatoes

I made these potato skins a long time ago and totally forgot to share a review of them!  They’re a pretty decent meal for doing the breakfast for dinner thing, and they were very tasty with a little sour cream added.

 

The original recipe is from Skinnytaste.com.  I added one more large egg to the recipe to get a larger amount of omelet mixture, since I knew I would be making 3 whole potatoes instead of just 2 (so then we would each have 3 potato skins for dinner).  Since they only have about 300 calories for 2 skins, I thought it would be fine having one more for a fuller dinner :)

I omitted the onions like I do in any recipe, but the mixture of bell peppers, cheese and ham was a good addition to a regular egg omelet.  These were very easy to make and really took no time to whip up.  I would give these an 8/10 – will definitely be making them again.

Monday Musings

Source: a1.img.mobypicture.com via Emily on Pinterest