sandr077

Okay, sorry for last week.  I was in San Francisco for work and blogging just seemed not to fit into my itinerary! :)  Well, exciting news today.... I have a meatless Monday recipe for you.  It is a chili recipe- that even the husband raved about. It is very hearty and has some kick, I will say it was incredibly flavorful and did not feel like meat was "missing".  It has some unique stuff in it including sweet potatoes and coco powder!    I found this recipe on the blog Cookie and Kate, but it was originally a Real Simple recipe.   Ingredients: 1 medium red onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces 4 garlic cloves, chopped, or 1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on how spicy you like your chili) 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon gro...

So, for those of us with kids brunch is the new "dinner".  I love to entertain and was frequently having other couples over for dinner.  Then,  Avery arrived and that went out the window!  Well, now that our life is a bit more predictable (just a bit)....I am determined to re-energize our social life! This past weekend we had our friends the "S's" over for brunch.  We were having them and their lovely daughter who is 6 weeks younger than Avery over to carve pumpkins.  For us adults- it was our 6th annual pumpkin carving together.  We started when we were all dating and now 6 years later we are each married with a baby.  Wow- times change! With a dog, babies and a task to do- I wanted to cook a brunch meal that was easy but delicious.  I wanted something I could mostly pre-make and just pop in the over when the time was right.  So, I made some pancakes (easy to pre-make) and I made baked eggs.  They were yummy and easy. Here is the r...

As I mentioned last week, my friend "E" is expecting!  We were recently discussing the nursery.  Decorating a nursery is so much fun!  Having just had a baby, I can tell you that there are some lessons learned on the nursery front.  I of course will share just a bit of my wisdom! :)    Lesson #1:  You do not need to spend a lot on a crib.  This cute modern grey crib is $200 bucks.  I bought my crib at Target for $300.  It is great and I truly think there is no need to spend $800 plus dollars on a fancy crib.  There are a ton of inexpensive options out there!   Find  Crib  here! Lesson #2:  Skip bumpers!  Bumpers are a marketing ploy.  Seriously, they are.  I am not sure why they even sell them.  They are dangerous and every pediatrician will tell you to wait until 1 year before you put them in the crib.  Now, as a mom of a 10 month old- I can tell you at 1 year I already know that ...

My October Birchbox arrived at the end of last week.  Have I mentioned how much I love getting my little pink box each month?  It rocks!  This month is solid.  I am happy with my products.  (Sorry for the bad photo.) Here they are: 1.  Stila Eyeshadow (.09oz).  Full sized product .9 oz sells for $18.  Value of sample: $1.80 2.  Korres Body Butter (50ml.).  Full sized product of 235 ml  sells for $29.  Value of sample:   $.6.12 3.  Blinc Mascara (.141 oz).  Full sized product  .21 oz of sells for $24.  Value of sample:  $16.11 4.   The Laundress Delicate Wash (.5 fl. oz.).  Full sized product of 16 fl oz sells for $19.  Value of sample:  $.59 5.  Caudalie Vinoperfect Cell Renewal Night Cream (4 ml).  Full sized product of  30 ml sells for $68.  Value of sample:  $9.07 So when I visited Birchbox headquarters in September, I learned that there are 10 versio...

Photo Credit Yes, for the first time I made homemade tomato sauce and meatballs.  Very exciting!  My mother did not have a recipe as she "wings it".  So I hit the web in search of my trademark sauce.  You know... the sauce that will become our family recipe ... the one my daughter will pass down to her kids! :)   So, I started with the Barefoot Contessa as she can do no wrong.  I took her basic recipe, read all the online reviews, and added what I thought sounded good!  I added more pork (and no veal) as veal was too hard to find.  I ended up with the following recipe that I have to say was pretty damn good.   I ngredients For the meatballs: 1 pound ground  pork 1 pound  ground beef 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1/4 cup seasoned dry  bread crumbs 1/2 cup freshly grated  Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground  nutmeg 1 extra-large egg, beaten 1/4 cup minced onion...

So, my colleague was asking me my thoughts on brown walls.  She bit the bullet and went with it but it is in progress  and she is nervous!  If you have a room with good lighting- brown is amazing!  I especially love the contrast of dark brown and white.  It is neutral... yet crisp and fresh! Check out this Pinterest inspiration! Brown is beautiful.... don't you think?  Until next time....xoxo PS:  Got my October Birchbox!  Want to know what I got?  Check back Monday!

Okay, I have developed a recent and wierd obsession.  I am kind of feeling the whole fake deer head thing.  This is a trend I did not think I would lean towards, but I have to admit- I am liking it!  It is cool, yet chic.  The husband is not too sure about it- but he can be persuaded! How cute... right? Oh... Deer!  Until next time...xoxo

So, my friend E, just told me she is having a baby!  I am super excited for her and her hubby.  When she told me she said she would have lots of questions.   As someone in the midst of babyhood....I have answers...or at least opinions.  In the near future I am going to do a post on what I would do differently.  Stay tuned. In the meantime, I wanted to give her some nursery inspiration.  They will be surprised until the birth- so a neutral nursery is in order.  There are lots of more stylish options that yellow and green (not that I have anything against yellow and green).  Check these out momma! Photo Credit Photo Credit Photo Credit Photo Credit Photo Credit Designing a nursery is soooo much fun!   Stay tuned for my advice on cribs, bedding, and chairs and so much more!: )   Until next time...xoxo

Sorry there was no post on Friday.  I was in Seattle last week for work and could not keep up with blogging.  But, today I bring good news.  It's back!  Meatless Monday is back!  We went meatless on Saturday night... cracked open a bottle of wine and cooked risotto.  This is basically "date night" when you have a baby.  We love risotto.  It is actually pretty easy to cook, but you do have to "tend" to it.  We tried a new recipe this time incorporating three of my favorite things- butternut squash, spinach and pine nuts!  Yum!!! I found this recipe online , but it was orginally published in Cooks Illustrated. Ingredients 2  tablespoons   olive oil , plus 1 teaspoon 1  butternut squash , peeled, seeded (medium, about 2 pounds) (I cheated and bought the pre-cut squash) 3/4   teaspoon   table salt 3/4   teaspoon   ground black pepper 4  cups   vegetable broth  (I used Chicken Broth because I...