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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Favorite 2013 Memories

2013 has been such a fun year!  We have had weddings, family vacations, fun with friends, and the beginning of blogging, which has been so much fun... so many memories have been made this year - here are some of my favorites!


Our Disney Cruise


My cousin's wedding

Fun in the Keys


Our beautiful Oregon family vacay


Tampa trip with friends




So excited for more beautiful memories to be made next year!  What are your favorite memories of 2013?
Monday, December 30, 2013

Happy Monday!


I hope everyone had a great long weekend.  We were able to spend quality time with our family and friends which is always fun.  The kicker for me was on Saturday afternoon when J had an allergic reaction to peanut butter.  He has had peanut butter SO many times before, but this time - when I wasn't home of course, he gets a reaction.  Poor boy's face was so swollen and blotchy.  Thank goodness for Benedryl!  I ran home as soon as I got the phone call from my mom.  It's so scary being a parent sometimes, and food allergies are crazy!  How all of a sudden you can get a reaction from eating something you've had 100 times, is horrifying to me!  It's never a dull moment :)

On another note, I'm guest posting on Christina's blog today.  I'm sharing my yummy recipe for a New York Style Cheesecake!  If you have some time today, check it out - it's such an easy and delicious recipe!

I'm off to check out West Elm's 70% off clearance sale!!  Have a great day!
Monday, December 23, 2013

Weekend Wrap-up

We had such a nice weekend!  On Friday we spent the day running errands and for dinner I made my favorite Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken) recipe from SkinnyTaste.  If you've never been on her website, you should check it out!  Her food always tastes amazing and everything that she makes is healthy.

Saturday morning was spent at home, then around 1 p.m. we went with my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and future sister-in-law to go look for dresses for their wedding.  We had tons of fun trying on dresses and E was in HEAVEN getting to try on all of the flower girl dresses.  She even asked the sales associate for gloves - how in the heck that girl knew that there were gloves there, I have no clue! haha  I love planning so I'm so excited about the wedding.  She chose me as her Matron of Honor, so I'm sure I'll be helping a lot with planning :)


Yesterday we had our very good friend's 30th Anniversary party.  It was a wine tasting theme so you know I was in my element.  We had a nice time and are so happy to be part of their special day.


I hope you all had a great weekend too!


Friday, December 20, 2013

Five on Friday

Happy Friday!!

I hope you all had a wonderful week, we have a fun weekend planned which I'm looking forward to :).  As usual I'm liking up with my Five on Friday girls!

one:  I found this recipe on Pinterest for Fried Mac & Cheese it looks SO good, I can't wait to try making these as an appetizer.


two: We had so much fun yesterday at our local library, they had a dance class and E was in heaven! Apparently it has been going on for a few months and yesterday was the last one (go figure!) It was so cute to see E have so much fun, I'm thinking I should probably enroll her in a real dance class.


three:  How cute is this daddy/daughter (or mommy/daughter) key-chain and necklace set!


four:  Loving this beautiful look using the Naked2 palette


five:  Such a cute quote!
(or wine!)

Have a great weekend!!



Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Wino Wednesday: Stella Maris 2008 Red Wine

I apologize, I have held out on this wine for so long and haven't told you about this gem!  This is my favorite wine of ALL TIME!  My sister-in-law and I love this wine so much we order it by the case and share it, because it isn't sold here in Florida.  We first tried this wine in Oregon a few years ago, and since then have been hooked!


Stella Maris is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvingnon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Frac and Syrah.  This wine has a nice deep red tone and has a smoky yet sweet taste - I'm a sucker for smoky wines.  It leaves a great aftertaste in your mouth too.  We usually pair this wine with cheese and crackers, Italian food, or just by itself ;)

Here are the wine maker's notes: “Stella, as we affectionately refer to this Reserve red blend, is always a fun wine to create and the 2008 vintage is no exception. Layers of smoke, vanilla, spice, raspberry, and cherry flavors on a soft and silky palate make this a very approachable, versatile wine that can be enjoyed with everything from pizza to prime rib.”


If you ever see this wine, and you love red wines - this is a must try.  I believe we paid around $23 for it in Oregon.  I usually don't like to spend more than $15 for a bottle of wine, but for this one I make an exception!  If you can't find it in any stores you can  buy it here.

Have a great Wednesday!


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Corn and Tomato Soup

On Saturday I had one of my very good friends over for a girl's night.  Her and I get together often have wine, snacks and I usually whip up something yummy for dinner, she's a vegetarian so I always make something new for us both to try.  I love eating vegetarian meals!  I saw this soup on Giada De Laurentiis' show and have been wanting to try it for a couple of months now.  It looked super easy to make and looked delicious!

(this picture doesn't do the soup justice, sorry)

Corn and Tomato Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 1/4 cups (1 pound) frozen corn, thawed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped


Directions:
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Place the cooked shallots, corn and chicken stock in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour the corn mixture back into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the tomatoes and basil.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. 


This soup was really delicious! I loved the fresh basil along with the tomatoes and the corn. The only thing I did differently was add some crushed red pepper flakes to the soup, I felt like it needed a little kick of heat.  This soup would be great as an appetizer or served with some crusty garlic bread.

I hope you all have a great day!





Friday, December 13, 2013

Five on Friday

How are you all this Friday morning?   I hope you've had a great week!  I'm back to link up with my Five on Friday girls :)

one:  Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette -- I can't wait to get my hands on this baby.  I have Naked 1 & 2 and love them (although Naked 2 is my fave) and am so looking forward to this one.  I love that the colors are neutrals, they're so easy to wear and have great pigmentation!  The palette is sold out for now so until it comes back, I'll work on patience!



two:  I came across this neutral couch on Pinterest and am loving all of the neutral pillows with the dark brown couch, this may be what I do next to our living room when I feel like switching it up.


three:  I'm thinking about purchasing Giada De Laurentiis "Feel Good Food" book.  I love her, and her show, her show is a must see every week for me.  Her recipes always taste so good and although I'm not really the "cook" in the house this book is tailored to healthy cooking which hubby is very into.

four:  Have you every heard of Rewind Candles?  They make candles out of recycled wine bottles and their scents are reminiscent of wine.  I believe West Elm sells them, can't wait to try one - these are so up my alley!


five:  Jane website - I've been loving this site for a while and have been finding the cutest accessories for me and the kids at great prices.  If you haven't checked this site out yet, you should!

Have a great weekend!




Thursday, December 12, 2013

Kale Chips

Kale is a newish vegetable for us -- we love it, and like to saute it with onions, garlic, salt and olive oil as a side or we use it to make salads.  I was looking at the bag and saw a recipe to make Kale Chips.  I had heard (from Pinterest) about them before and the recipe was super easy!


Kale Chips

- Preheat oven to 350*
- Put kale into a bowl drizzle with olive oil, salt and/or whatever spices you want to use and mix


- Place kale on a baking sheet and make sure that the kale is flat and not on top of other kale

- Bake for 5 min on top rack - set timer
- Bake for 5 min on lowest rack - set timer
- Take out of oven, let cool and enjoy!
These are becoming one of my favorite snacks.  They're healthy and I love their light and airy crunch!  By no means do they replace potato chips, but they are a nice alternative when you're in the mood for something "crunchy".

Next on my list to try are roasted garbanzo beans -- anyone have a good recipe for it?

Have great Thursday!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Wino Wednesday: Seven Daughters Merlot

I hope you all have been having a great week so far!  I've been trying to purge the house of things we don't need/want for a garage sale that I plan on having next month.


Today I'm featuring Seven Daughters Merlot.  I bought it at Costco when my daughter said "Mommy, buy the one with the polka-dots"  I realized that "polka-dot" wine was $3 off so I tried it.  Later that night I poured some while we were making dinner and I LOVED IT!  It was sooo good!  I would describe it as sweet, smoky and it seriously left a wonderful taste in my mouth.

Here are the winemaker's notes:  "This pleasing wine entices the palate with a round texture and lingering finish. Seven Daughters Merlot pairs perfectly with grilled meats and poultry."  On taste: "Bright red and juicy dark fruits with soft tannins"



I liked it so much, I went back to Costco and it was sold out, so if you come across this wine, I'd definitely try it!

While we were there they sampled this amazing goat cheese.  It's called Rosey Goat; it's a hard goat cheese encrusted with Rosemary.  My husband who is not into cheeses loved it.



I hope you give these two a try, they are both delicious!  

If you have time, hop on over to Erinn's blog where I'm guest posting today on her Girl Mom's "On Wednesday's We Wear Pink" series.

Have a great day!
Friday, December 6, 2013

Five on Friday!

TGIF!  I'm so happy it's Friday!  Although I'm home during the week with the kiddos, I like the idea of spending time with family and friends with no schedules.  As usual I'm linking up for Five on Friday...


one:  How cute is this mug that I found on Etsy!  This shop also has a lot of pretty prints and invitations it's worth checking out!


two: The Sound of Music Live -- I think Carrie Underwood is gorgeous has one of the best voices, but I just couldn't get into the Sound of Music that she played in last night, which was disappointing because I was really looking forward to it. Sorry Carrie, I still love your music and voice, just didn't like this.  I think I'm stuck on the original...  You can't teach an old dog new tricks, I guess.



three:  I took advantage of the Ann Taylor Loft  Black Friday sale and  got these bracelets (along with some clothes), I am loving how dainty and pretty they are.  I can't wait to wear them!  I'm trying to accessorize a bit more these days.

four:  I know I've probably been living under a rock but I just found out about Ebates and LOVE IT! Basically you shop through Ebates and earn up to 25% of cash back on your favorite stores!!  Ebates has most stores on their site:  Target, Groupon, Gap, Kate Spade, Bath and Body Works - you name it, they have it!  You log in their site, pick the store you want to shop in and are redirected to that store's site, you shop and pay as usual and Ebates creates a ticket number and they pay you a certain percentage for shopping with that store.  They mail you a check quarterly.  I think it's awesome that I can save/make some money from shopping online!  If you haven't signed up for Ebates you can do so here!!!

five:  I'm  crushing on this comfy fall outfit...  the high here yesterday was 82!!!!  I'm still waiting for some cooler weather!


I hope everyone has a great weekend!  See you next week!



Amanda










Thursday, December 5, 2013

West Elm Wishlist -- Winter Catalog

Well, it happened... I got the new West Elm catalog in the mail and of course fell in love with what they have. If you remember I did a wishlist when their Fall catalog came out, I'm a sucker for West Elm, and while I can't afford everything in their catalog  a little window shopping never hurts the budget... here we go!


one:  Wood Slice Salad Plate

How gorgeous are these plates?  I'm really into gold now and I think these (especially paired with these Gold Rimmed Organic Shaped Dinnerware set) would make any place setting look amazing!


Again with the gold, but this is so pretty to put jewelry in.  I have a jewelry tree, but I think I'd prefer this that way my things don't collect dust when they're not in use.

I think these are a nice simple glass bottle set and would probably make a great gift for someone (especially a man) who loves wine or whiskey.

If I had room for a vanity in my house this would be it!  I love the light wood and metal mix so pretty

Beautiful chair.  Beautiful print.  That's all.

Love, love this!  I would so get it, but I know hubby wouldn't like it because it wasn't a painting or picture "of something" he's funny like that.  I love how simple and elegant this is though.

These vases are so pretty and I love the vibrant colors they come in... I may have to get a couple!

That's my wishlist from this catalog.  Did you see anything that caught your eye?










Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Wino Wednesday: IQue Malbec Mendoza by Enrique Foster


Happy Wednesday!

Wednesdays are always one of my favorite days to post because I get to fill you in on what wines I try and like.  This week I'm featuring IQue Malbec.  I believe I found this wine at Costco.  It was a screw top, which I'm always leery about but hey - YOLO right?!


IQue was very easy to drink.  It wasn't heavy at all, it had a light full-bodied texture, it would go great with a sharp cheddar, hard goat cheese, meat and pasta.

Here are the wine makers notes:  "Intense ruby-red with violet hints in color, it possesses fruity aromas which remind one of fresh red fruits and white pepper. Firm structure, soft lush tannins and satisfying end.
This 100% Malbec pairs well with meat, pasta and cheese."

Yes, I drank wine before it was socially acceptable just to get good lighting for you all, I know... the sacrifices I make #yourewelcome  ;)

I think this was a great, inexpensive find and one that if you come across you should give a try.



Have a good one!