All You Need is Love

Happy Monday!  Valentine's Day is just two short weeks away so I thought what a better way to start off your week than with some love!  

Blue Cake Stand

Marshmellows

Rose Cupcake

Mini Cookies

Chocolate Chai Cups

I Love You Cupcake

Cupcake Wreath

Heart Coffee

Pink Layer Cake

Cake stand

Valentine's Cookies

S'mores Hearts

Heart Cupcakes

Inside Our Heart Tea Cups

Movin' up!

Big news in the pasta world!!!!  Pasta Puttana is moving to its own space!  We will have a production space along with a store front.  The move is set to happen sometime this spring.  There is a lot to get organized and take care of before then.  Jessica and I are very excited!  Check out this article for more information!  And, you can 'like' us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter if you'd like!

Pictures from PP

A couple of warm, winter meals

Jon and I have dined on some pretty tasty dinners the last couple of nights!  I wanted to share the recipes with you guys.  I didn't take any pictures while cooking, but I have the pictures from the awesome creators behind the dishes!

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
The Culinary Couple has done it again!  Not only did they find a way for me to use up some leftover pumpkin from last fall, but they managed to make it a delicious winter dinner, too!

Ham & Cheese Puff Tart

This recipe from Living like the Kings is a great alternative to a cold sandwich during the winter.  The sandwiches were gooey and warm!  And, congratulations to Jon and Kat on the birth of their daughter, Addison, last Saturday!

Photos compliments of The Culinary Couple and Living like the Kings, respectively.  

Think Spring!

With the long and cold days of winter upon us, I thought I'd share something bright and cheery!  I made my gram, mom, and sister yarn wreaths for Christmas.  I spent a car ride from Detroit to Chicago and many nights working on them.  They were fun to make and each one was different.  Gram's is soft winter colors, mom's is autumn colors, and Kate's is spring colors.  I forgot to take pictures of them before I wrapped them up, but here is Kate wreath hanging on her front door!  

Parents for a night

Jon and I babysat Lauren and Annie overnight this weekend.  Kate and Geoff's 8 year anniversary was last week and they went away for a night to celebrate.

We did lots of 2 year old stuff with Lauren:  Jon and Lauren played a mean game of hide and seek.  We danced.  We did an art project.  We baked delicious Symphony Brownies (Lauren is quite the little baker).  We read books.  And, Uncle Jon made Lauren her favorite meal, mac and cheese.    

Jon and I also had a great time with Annie.  She is so fun to cuddle with.  She gave both of us a big smile.  She watched some SATC with me Saturday afternoon while Lauren was napping and Jon was working out.  She was a fabulous sleeper- from 11:30pm to 5:45am!!  

We are so lucky to live so close to our nieces and spend so much time with them.  It's so fun to watch them grow up.  It's nice to be parents for a night, but we'll just keep it at that for now!

Words to live by

I came across this and thought it was appropriate to post on a Friday.  It gives you something to think about over the weekend and reminds us what life is all about.  Have a great weekend!

via here

Blog Bake Sale

Ok, everyone out there with blogs that loves to bake I have something for you!  Through one of the blogs I read, Living like the Kings, I found out about a blog bake sale hosted by Kari.  The bake sale will benefit Kisses from Katie.  Here's the basic information from Kari's original post:

• Volunteers from blog land and anyone else we can wrangle into it volunteer to make a certain baked good
• I will post the list of items on a designated day that I'll announce well in advance
• Bidders have 24 hours to email in their bids in a sort of silent auction (highest bids will periodically be posted)
• At the end of the day winners will be announced
• Winners will have 24 hours to submit their donations or the next highest bidder will be contacted
• Bakers will have 3 days to send out their goods
• All donations would go to Kisses from Katie

To get more publicity, all bloggers who are offering up a baked good can briefly post about their participation on the selected day (and I'll link back to you on the auction post) and link back to the auction. I'm thinking about hosting the auction on my birthday, Saturday Feb 5. What do you think? Is anyone interested in participating (both on the baking or bidding end)? Bakers, please sign up here. You don't have to commit to anything right now, I'm just looking to gauge interest. I'll send a full email with rules, etc. to those who want to bake in a week or so. Those interested in bidding, just leave a comment so I can see what kind of interest we have! Thanks!! I'll even participate myself and bake a loaf of my fantastically awesome, incredibly delicious banana bread! 

I'm doing it and I'd love for you to join me!  

Finally...I'm joining the club!

Because of this...

via here

I will soon be having these!

via here

Wilma went shopping!

Wilma is sporting a new collar these days.  It's the weirdest thing how she manages to stay fashionable.  She told me she likes variety in her closet and, from one girl to another, I can respect that.  She also has a favorite place to shop...Wilma really loves Coley's Collars on etsy.  Coley's offers free shipping on their collars.  How awesome is that?  The quality is fantastic.  They are washable and definitely hold up to the life of a dog.

Without further adieu, here is Wilma's latest purchase.

Doesn't she look so cute?  I love the polka dots!

And, if you want to see her previous (plaid!) purchase from Coley's Collars check out our Christmas card.




This was not sponsored in any way.  Wilma and I happen to really love Coley's Collars and wanted to share the love.

Thank you Megabus

Friday night the Megabus delivered a package to the city of Chicago, albeit an hour and a half late.  Laura, my bff, was here to visit for the weekend.  It was so nice to have her here.  We didn't go anywhere or see anything special that Chicago has to offer.  We didn't do much, but it felt like we did everything because we had time to just chat...something we never have enough of.

Friday night we stayed up quite late just talking and catching up.  I NEVER stay up that late.  Shoot, I can barely make it to 10pm most nights.  :)  That just goes to show how fabulous Laura is!

Saturday we spent the day up at my sister's house (because Laura and I have been friends for so long, she is like part of our family.  She's vacationed with us, been there through good times and bad, and became a sister to my sister and daughter to my parents).  It was like all of us sisters were together again!  We played Bananagrams, played with Lauren, cuddled with Annie, and ate delicious panini sandwiches made by Geoff, my brother-in-law.  They were gooey, warm, and tasty.  See what I mean?

Saturday evening the girls had a babysitter and the adults went out!  We got drinks (we were going to go bowling, but the lanes were full) at the bowling alley and talked about Laura's upcoming trip to Italy, houses, kids, and life.  After that we dined on a fabulous meal at Le Casa de Isaac.  Isaac's Mother's Favorite Enchiladas was definitely the meal of the choice and it didn't disappoint.

Laura, me, and Kate

But here's the bad news...the Megabus came back too soon to pick up Laura.  It seemed like we were just picking Laura up when we were taking her back to the station on Sunday afternoon.  :(  We had a very nice visit...a well deserved one for us, but always too short.  
  

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Per the request of my good friend Laura, here is the crock pot recipe I mentioned yesterday.  My friend Cayla shared this recipe with me a couple of years ago...thanks!

Italian Beef

2-3 lbs chuck roast
2 cans of beer
1 Au jus dry packet
2 Italian dressing dry packets
3 whole garlic cloves
8-10 peperoncini peppers
Black pepper
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

Put everything in crock pot.  Make sure the roast is covered with the liquid from the beer.  Let it cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  Shred the meat with a fork.  Serve with provolone on hoagie type of rolls.  I like to dip mine in the juice.  We picked up a loaf of bread from Jimmy Johns to serve the beef on and it was delicious!  Enjoy!

Just some random comments

• Yesterday I saw Black Swan with my friend Libby.  Wow!  What an intense movie.  I'd definitely recommend it.  My hands were shaking at the end and were still shaking by the time I got home.
• I spent most of the day yesterday at my sister's house.  It was nice to play with the girls and chat with Kate.  And, she had some awesome snicker doodle cookies to snack on!
• Laura, my bff, is coming to visit this weekend.  I can't wait!  It's hard living in different states.  Especially when we've been bffs since kindergarten and lived together in college and afterwards (when I still lived in Michigan).
• I have dinner going in the crock pot.  I know I'm going to love the smell when I walk in tonight after work.  And, I'm going to be so happy to have dinner ready when I get home.  We are having Italian beef sandwiches.  Recipe compliments of Cayla!
• The last 3 days Wilma has had random barking spurts.  But, she doesn't come out from under her blanket when she's barking...maybe she's barking during her dreams?  If not, she isn't being much of a watch dog for us.  :)
• I took a look at my February calendar this morning and I think it's going to fly by.  I will be traveling to both Michigan (for my mom's surgery) and Utah (to visit Jon's dad and step-mom).
• I'm very excited for our blog book club to start up again!
• I think I need to invest in a pair of fingerless gloves to wear around the apartment.  No matter what I try my hands have just been freezing this winter.
• I love when I have comments from new readers.  It makes my day...so, thank you!

Blog Update

Now that I've had the blog going for a bit I thought it was time to make a change!  Here's what's new.

There are now tabs for "Home", "About Me", and "Lovely Reads" at the top of the blog.  The sidebar is a bit less cluttered...thank goodness.  Thanks to Cathy for giving me the directions on how to add tabs in Blogger!

"the girls"

Just the other day I was on the phone with my sister, Kate, and she made mention of "the girls".  I quickly realized that she was referring to her daughters.  Yes, my sister now has daughters.  No longer do we say "Lauren this, Lauren that".  Now it's "the girls".  I love it.

I love Annie just as much as I love Lauren and it's a really cool feeling.  And, I'm not even their mom so I can only imagine how special this feels to Kate.

We are so blessed to live so close to each other.  I've learned so much about being a mom (who knows if I will ever use this knowledge...) and it's wonderful to watch the girls grow up, albeit they could slow down and I wouldn't mind.

Lauren and me after bath time at the cabin, October 2008.  Lauren was about 3 weeks old.

Annie and me last Friday.  Annie was almost 5 weeks. 

We have some fun times ahead girls!!!  Don't forget I'm just a train ride away...

Paula's done it again...Thanks to Mom!

Sunday evening I made this fantastic Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup from Paula Deen's Quick and Easy Meals magazine that my mom purchased for me over the holidays.  It was easy to make and Jon and I really liked it.  I also made bread bowls to serve it in...yum!

Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup

Ingredients:
8 on-the-vine tomatoes
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
3 tablespoons butter (this is pretty low for Paula!)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28 oz can) diced tomatoes
10 large basil leaves, roughly chopped & divided
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half & half)

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Slice tomatoes in half crosswise and scoop out seeds with a spoon.

Place tomato halves, skin side up, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Coat tomato halves with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt & 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  

Roast tomatoes for 20 minutes or until very soft and slightly charred.

Chop up garlic, onion, and basil.

While tomatoes roast, melt butter over medium-low heat in a large Dutch oven.  Add onion and garlic; cook until soft and golden.  Remove from heat.  

Add roasted tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and half of basil to onion mixture.

In a food processor (thanks mom and dad for the awesome 14 cup Cusiniart one you got me for Christmas!), place 1/3 of tomato mixture.  Process until smooth; transfer to a large bowl.  Repeat procedure twice with remaining tomato mixture.

 Return puree to Dutch oven.  Add chicken broth and cream (half & half).  Cook over medium-low heat until heated through.  Stir in remaining basil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Bread Bowls

Ingredients

1 frozen loaf of Rhodes white bread

1 egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Coat a small plate with cooking spray and place frozen loaf on it.  Coat plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the loaf.  Place in refrigerator for 6 to 12 hours.

Take out of refrigerator and separate into two balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or use a silpat...again thanks to mom and dad for the Christmas present).  Spread beaten egg over the dough and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Once the bread bowls have cooled, slice off the top and hallow out the dough.  

Fill bread bowl with soup & bon appetit!

Lunch & Brunch!

Friday I had lunch with a friend, Marcia, from Junior League.  We had a great time!  Good food and good conversation.  Marcia owns an event planning business...pretty much my dream job.  It was interesting hearing stories about a few recent weddings she has planned.  And, I learned White House Black Market now carries a wedding line, Vows.  They have some really pretty dresses at reasonable prices!  Marcia is planning a boutique wedding event (sort of like a girl's night out) at their Oak Street location in February.  

Saturday I had brunch with Cathy.  We met through a mutual friend, Jess of Jess LC, and I'm so happy we did.  She told both of us we both have a lot in common and we should get to know each other so we did!  We met for coffee the week of Christmas for the first time.  We share a number of things in common: we are Catholic, like to run, have moved to Chicago in the last couple of years, and are trying to figure out the perfect job.  We both would LOVE to own our own business, but we don't know what that business would be.  We both have the drive and education, but we need to find the product or service to sell.  It's nice to talk to someone who feels the same way as I do and has the same frustrations.  We share the same excitement about the possibilities, but we are "planners" so it's hard to not have a clear vision of what we want.  

Cathy has a great blog called Fiscally Chic.  I'd totally recommend you check it out.  And, she and her husband, John, brew their own beer.  How awesome is that?!?!

A little Groupon fun

Everyone has their engagement stories.  Some are done in private and others are very public.  It's really up to the two people involved.

But...who could have ever imagined someone would use Groupon to propose?  This was Wednesday's Deal of the Day for Groupon users in Cincinnati.  I'm sure Dana was very surprised when she checked her Groupon!

Congrats to Dana & Greg (not that I have any idea who they are)!

Thanks to Libby for sharing this. 

Cheesy Chicken (Turkey) & Rice...Mexican Style

Here's a super easy recipe for you to try.  And, it can be pretty fast if you have already cooked meat on hand.  I found the recipe on Tasty Kitchen back in November, but just made it this week.  And, we have plenty for leftovers!

Cheesy Chicken & Rice

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (I used leftover frozen turkey from Thanksgiving which saved me time)
• 4 cups Cooked Brown Rice (I had white rice on hand so that's what I used)
• ¾ cups Frozen Corn
• 15 ounces, fluid Can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed
• 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt (or Sour Cream) (I used sour cream)
• 4 ounces, fluid Can Green Chilis
• ½ cups Salsa (You could probably add 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup Low-fat Cheddar Cheese, Plus More For Topping
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro For Garnish (I didn't have this)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for cilantro and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the yogurt (sour cream) and cheese are stirred in throughout the entire bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese if you would like. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with chopped cilantro, sour cream, and salsa.

The Cabin

We were fortunate to be able to spend a week up at my parent's cabin over the holidays.  It was fabulous.  We had a fantastic time with family in the woods!  The cabin never lets us down!

Wilma certainly enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace.  Jon did, too...he loves it.  He loves to read by it, help keep the wood stocked, and the fire stoked.

Papa and Lauren made snow angels and a snowman.

The finished snowman!  Lauren got a super cool snowman kit complete with reusable pieces for Christmas. 

We went on a family surrey ride at Crystal Mountain.  Our horses were Cletus and Sam and their bells made such a beautiful sound.

Just a random picture of Lauren and me playing.

We got Lauren a paint-able tea set for Christmas so we had craft time one morning.

The finished tea set!

Dad, Kate, and Geoff played quite the game of Monopoly on New Year's Eve.  Annie and I were the bankers.  

See all of those hotels?!  Dad ended up winning.

Kate, Geoff, Jon, and I rang in the new year at Crystal Mountain.  We had a great time and are so appreciative to mom and dad for watching the girls so we could go out.

We had an awesome spread on New Year's Day.  The bowl games were much to be desired...

Cocktail weenies in the new crockpot...a family favorite.

I'm not much of a game player, but I did find one new game I love over the holidays...Monopoly Deal.  It's Monopoly, but with cards.  It takes much less time...we're talking like 15-30 minutes tops.  I'm so happy mom purchased it and I would recommend it!  Lauren helped deal the cards out on our last round before we all had to leave.

It's always sad leaving the cabin.  It's nice to pull yourself away from the busy world and slow down up north.  Sadly, we probably won't make it back up there until Memorial Day weekend.