Lucky Number 13!

Thirteen years ago today Hubby and I got married. Without a doubt that was the smartest thing I have ever done in my life!

So far spending my life with my best friend has been such a joy and I know it will only get better!

Hubby & The Boys Hijack The Blog

So it started as a lazy Sunday in our house. We didn't have much planned and when we asked the kids what they wanted to do M shouted "Go fishing!" B was not so enamored with that plan but the boys were all in. That is until I told L he would have to use B's old fishing pole which may or may not be all pink and Barbie themed. That idea did NOT go over well. In order to calm L down I told the boys that we could go to Target to look for a more appropriate fishing pole. Thankfully we found an Ironman-themed pole which was much more acceptable to L. 

Once we finally got to the pond L immediately was hit by beginner's luck. Honestly, he was getting bites no less than every third cast. Granted these weren't fish that anyone would confused with Jaws but to a 5 year old it was the action not the outcome. L would like everyone to know, and I quote, "I caught ten fishes (Hubby note- it is distinctly possible this is an exaggeration) with my brother M and my dad. Then we had fun. I caught a lot of fishes. One tip, throw it far far away as you can." 

Though his brother's luck with clearly killing him M was extremely gracious and good about it. Thankfully in time M had his own luck and ended up catching two fish and narrowly missed a third that somehow got off the line right before we could get it up. He caught his second fish on his last cast so we all ended on a high note. M's tip of the day is to walk back when you are reeling in a fish. As you can see from the leviathan he caught you would do well to heed his advice! Maybe I can convince him to go as Captain Ahab this Halloween......

All in all it was a very successful day and hopefully not our last visit to the pond this summer. Maybe next time we can even get the girls to join us!                                

Mother's Day 2014

After a ton of rain last week we were finally blessed with a beautiful day filled with sunshine for Mother's Day. And boy did we make the most of the sun!

Hubby and the kiddos came with me to pick out flowers for my new flowerpots. While we were looking for colorful blooms the kids really got excited by all of the potted fruit and veggie plants and some how I was talked into buying a pepper plant, watermelon vine and cilantro herb. All three kiddos promised to water and care for these plants but I am not sure how long they will last.

After all of the flowers were potted and watered, Hubby and I scrubbed all of the deck furniture. (I still can't believe that weather has been so rainy that we have not had a single family meal on the deck this year. Hopefully now that everything is cleaned and ready to go we will be able to dine al fesco next weekend.) After we were done scrubbing Hubby thought it was the perfect time turn the hose on L. Good thing L has a wonderful sense of humor because I don't think I would have been giggling as much as L did if the hose was turned on me! (Hubby's note- For the record he was already soaked from the water balloon fight/running through the sprinkler/water gun fight/spraying each other with the hose/general anarchy the neighborhood boys were all doing.)

After all of our hard work Hubby cooked dinner for all of us. I always think not having to cook dinner is a wonderful treat. And after our yummy dinner B gave me a real sweet treat. She baked me a carrot cake from scratch. I was so proud of her!  I know this will sound cheesy but it really was the icing on such a wonderful day with my family!!!

Peppered Steaks

Hubby says many sweet and kind things to me. One of the sweetest things that he says to me from time to time is, "I feel like cooking dinner tonight." I mean really what wife would not love to hear that!?! Recently, Hubby said just that and then hopped online to find a different way to prepare steak other than grilling. His finding were so good that I just had to share them with you!

Pepper Crusted Steak

4 Sirloin steaksKosher salt3 Tablespoons freshly ground black pepper, coarseOlive oil, enough to coat the bottom of your cast-iron skillet

Pre-heat the oven to 500°F. 

Sprinkle the steaks with salt on both sides, and then press the ground peppercorns into the steaks on both sides. 

Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough olive oil to make a light film. When the oil is very hot, add the steaks, cooking until nicely browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip the meat over and put the skillet in the oven. 

For medium-rare steaks, roast for 3 minutes for 6-oz. steaks; 4 minutes for 8-oz. steaks*. Check for doneness with the tip of a knife or by pressing with your fingertips, keeping in mind that the steaks will cook a bit more as they sit**. Transfer the steaks to a warm plate and tent with foil.

*Hubby left the steaks in the oven for about 5 minutes. 

**Hubby used a meat thermometer to make sure that the steak had reached 145 degrees. (Hubby's note- I was pretty happy with the results overall since I have never made steak any way other than on the grill before. I will especially keep this in mind next winter when it is too cold outside to grill.)

The pepper added a bit of kick but nothing too bad, unless you are B who I think would complain about milk being spicy. Add some rice and a salad (and maybe a gin and tonic) to round out this great dinner. Definitely something to keep in mind next time we have company!

Houston We Have A Problem!

While the blogging world is a wonderful way to get to "know" people from all over the world there are parts of my world that you would never know about unless you knew me in real in life. Today I thought I would let you get to know a little more about the "real" me.

First thing you should know is that I start every, and I mean every, day with a hot cup of coffee. Second thing you should know is that I am a coffee snob! I believe that coffee beans should only be ground the night before one plans to use them. I also firmly believe that when measuring coffee grinds one should use a heaping tablespoon - no if, ands or buts about it. The day can not properly start if I do not have a hot cup of strong coffee in my hand.

Which leads me to my problem. My coffee maker is dying and I need a new one. Stat!!!

Should I try the Bonavita 8-Cup Coffee Marker? I like that it has the thermal carafe but I do not like that I can not set the brew time the night before. And the fact that it only brews 8 cups worries me.

I have also thought that I should just replace my Cuisinart with the latest upgrade; the Cuisinart Extreme Brew. I love that I can program it the night before but I am not to happy with the hot plate. After a while the coffee can taste a little off to me. But then again the price point is great!

Or do I bite the bullet and invest in my next coffee maker? I have been hearing wonderful things about all of Technivorm's coffee markers for a long time. Yes, I know they can get the water really hot, really fast. Yes, I know that coffee snobs all over sing their praises. Yet I can't get over how much they cost! (Hubby's note- I just checked the prices and neither can I!)

So what is a coffee snob to do!?! 

Dressing Up for a Good Cause

Once again Hubby and I had the pleasure of being guests of Hubby's parents at the Catholic Charities Ball. We look forward to this night year after year. Not only is it a night for our family to dress up and dance the night away it is a wonderful way for us to give so much to a charity that does so much for so many.

Can I let you all in on a little secret? I am not a model! And while I know a little bit about photography Hubby does not. So when we try our best for a fashion photo shoot, we get nowhere fast! (Hubby's note- As good as she looks in these pictures my photography skills are not doing her justice but at least I can make her laugh.)

Pictures aside, as always we had a great time at the Ball. Our year isn't complete without the whole family belting out the lyrics to "Don't Stop Believin'" on the dance floor!

Everything Is Awesome!

Over our extra-long weekend we took the kiddos to see the "The Lego Movie". All of my children, Hubby included, have been dying to see this movie since we saw a trailer this past summer. All of them had been counting down the days until we got to go. L woke up yesterday morning and exclaimed that it was "Lego Day". Honestly you would have thought it was Christmas!

Personally, I was not as excited as they were. I mean really, a movie about Legos!?! But I have to tell you that I was so wrong!!! "The Lego Movie" was a great family film. No matter what your age this movie will make you laugh.(Hubby's note-She is right, it really is a very funny movie no matter how old you are.) It also had a wonderful message that kids need to hear - believe in yourself. I am sure that sounds cheesy but what child does not need to hear that it is important to believe you can accomplish things, especially when others don't think you can.

And if you are easily moved to tears, like myself, you might want to bring a tissue or two!

Snickerdoodle Bread

You all know I love to bake right? Baking to me is so easy; look up a recipe, carefully read it over, make changes if needed and then go for it. After following those steps, twice, I have a "new to me" recipe to share with you. If you love cinnamon I have feeling you are going to be happy with this one! (Hubby's note- VERY VERY VERY HAPPY!)

Snickerdoodle Bread

adapted from Lady Behind The Curtain

Batter Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 (10 oz) package cinnamon chips

1 tablespoon flour

Topping Ingredients

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare TWO 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pans by butter and lining with parchment paper. *This step is a must!*

In a large bowl, combine , butter and sugar; cream together for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream, mix to combine.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, stirring just until combine.

Coat the cinnamon chips with 1 tablespoon flour, then stir into the batter. Evenly spoon batter between your prepared pans.

Combine sugar and cinnamon for topping. Sprinkle topping over batter before baking. Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing bread from pan.

Enjoy!

One of the things that I love about this recipe is that you get two loafs of bread. Gift one to a friend and save one for your family. Winner-winner!

Ikea Hack Completed

I finally did it! As some of you know I started thinking about this Ikea Hack in July but for a ton of reasons I was not able to get to our "local" Ikea until last month. And when I say "local", I mean it is so far away that I had to rope my poor in-laws into coming over and taking care of my kiddos after school. (Thanks again Mil and Fil!!!) Then the weather took a turn...a very cold turn. Did you know that you should not use spray paint in temperatures lower than 50 degrees? Neither did I!  I can't even begin to tell you all that I have learn because we have had to improvise as we have furnished our home. (Hubby's note- I don't know why she used "we" in that sentence, I had nothing to do with it. I can't even pick out my own clothes much less attempt to decorate a house.)

This  project has been a lot like my theory on home decor: your home should grow and change with you. I have great ideas and vision - that has never been my problem. We simply can't decorate our home from head to toe in one shopping spree. Therefore our home is always evolving. And I am more than ok with that. I have enjoyed all of changes we have made and I really love all of my DIY projects.

So I guess my biggest lesson in my Ikea Hack is that sometimes projects take time. Don't feel like a failure because you can't do all of the projects you "pin" as soon as you "pin" them. You will get them done when the time is right for you and your family.

TGIF XVI

This was our first full week of school in what seems like forever so I can not tell you how very overjoyed I am that it is finally Friday. Honestly, on Wednesday I woke up and thought it was Thursday. I was crushed when I figured out my mistake. With all of that time off I really had no idea what day of the week it was!

Anyway without further ado, here is what's on my mind...

{1} Regrets

This year I have made it my mission to clean this house out! We simply have more "stuff" than we need. (Hubby's note- AGREED!) So I right after Christmas I gave away all of my super big, super cozy wool sweaters. They served me well in New England but I just was not wearing them in NoVa. Boy do I regret that now!!! Since it would be tacky to ask for them back I guess I will have to do some shopping. And don't be surprised that I am shopping the men's department of LL Bean!

{2} Ikea Hack

I am so happy that I am finally doing this! I knew this was going to be a great project but I had no idea it would take me this long to get around to it. I can't believe I first mentioned it in July. But I am finally doing it!!!

{3} Vino By It's Cover

We all know that we are not suppose to judge a book by its cover but I would be a liar if I said I never read a book simply because its cover appealed to me. Recently I could say the same about a wine I tried for the first time. It had been forever since I was in a wine shop and was able to talk with the owner about what I like and didn't like about red wines. After a bit of chatting he suggested two wines. And I picked one simply because I loved its name. Not to worry it all worked out...I loved it!

{4} Formal Wear

The time of year has come that I must find a formal dress for the Catholic Charities Ball. We always have the best time at the Ball yet I always wait until the last minute to find a dress. This year I am thinking of doing something different. Has anyone had any luck with Rent The Runway? I would love to hear what you think.

{5} Art App

I know that talked about this App yesterday so forgive me but think it bears repeating. When you use the Waterlogue App, you can turn any iPhone picture into a watercolor. It is so pretty! 

You can also find me at A. Liz Aventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness and The Good Life Blog

Pork Chops With Sauce & Orzo

What is with the weather lately? When we moved down from the North Shore of Boston to NoVa I thought that I had said good-bye to below freezing days. Man was I wrong! It has been just too cold here and cold weather calls for comfort food if you ask me. So a couple of nights ago I got out my dutch oven and whipped up a hearty dinner to keep winter chills away!

Pork Chops with Sauce & Orzo

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 pounds of boneless pork chops
1/2 kosher salt
1/2 fresh ground pepper
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes

Season pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. In a dutch oven, heat olive oil to medium heat. When the oil is hot add pork chops in a single layer and cook each side for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove pork chops from the pan and set aside.

Add crushed garlic to pan and cook for about 2 minutes then add the balsamic vinegar. Bring garlic vinegar mixture to a boil then turn down heat and add the can of crushed tomatoes.

Place pork chops back in the pan with the sauce and simmer until pork chops are cook through and tender.

Serve pork chops and sauce over a bed of orzo*. Enjoy!!!

(Hubby's note- This was another winner. Definitely a great choice for a cold winter night.)

*DeLallo makes a super yummy gluten-free orzo*

You can also find me at: Savvy Southern Style

Back To Reality

After an unexpected week off of school the older two were finally back to school this morning. God willing we will have a normal week of school for everyone. While it was lovely to have a surprise winter vacation, it will be nice to get back to a routine. I really struggled to keep up with my blog with three kiddos stuck in the house. Hopefully things will get back to normal this week.

                                  

L was not as happy as I was that the schools were open today. Poor boy didn't know what to do without his adoring fans. Hopefully he will have a better day tomorrow! (Hubby's note- This picture kills me! Makes me laugh every time I see it. L looks a bit like Popeye in it.)

Chops And Sauce

Once again the kids had off yesterday, not really sure why but they did. So after a nice relaxing morning at home, we ventured out to run some errands. Since I had some extra time this morning while I was making my grocery store list I poured over the latest from Cooking Light and found a recipe that looked very promising. If an unexpected snow-day is not the time to try a new recipe then I don't know what is!

On a cold and windy day, Orange-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops sounded just right! The recipe calls for enough citrus that I could pretend I was on the beach in Florida yet had enough sauce to be served with smashed red bliss potatoes. Honestly it was heavenly on such a cold night! (Hubby's note- Thumbs up for this recipe! It was really good.)

Orange-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard (if you are gluten free read carefully since some whole-grain mustard contain gluten!)

1 tablespoon canola oil  *I used extra virgin olive oil. I always do!*

4 bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick) **I had to go boneless since the store was sold out of bone-in. Less cooking time but is was still yummy**

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt ***I might have added more salt***

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 fresh rosemary springs

1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small sauce pan, combine the orange juice, marmalade and mustard; stir over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until syrupy. About 10 minutes.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet oven medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Salt and pepper pork and add to pan; cook until brown. Turn pork; add rosemary and onions to pan. Pour juice mixture over the pork; bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 140 degrees. 

Place onions and rosemary on a platter. 

Return pan to medium-high heat; add lime juice. Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is syrupy. 

Add pork to platter; drizzle with sauce. Serve hot!

I chose to serve my chops along side smashed red bliss potatoes and roasted asparagus. There is not a doubt in my mind that I will make this recipe again. And again!!!

Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending L's Christmas program at his preschool. It might be just me but I have never seen anything as precious as a preschool musical performance. It must be the age - all that energy and excitement!

I mean really look at that face! My little boy walked into church ready to sing his heart out. Not on key mind you, just with a lot of heart.

All of the children really did a wonderful job this year. I think it might be because their teachers are the most patient women I have ever meet! 

When all of the songs were sung L walked off the risers with the biggest smile ever. I, on the other hand, was just trying my best to keep it together. This is the last preschool Christmas program that one of my children will ever be in and it was bittersweet. I am sure that sounds like a silly "mom" problem but there is something so sweet and pure about these programs that I will truly miss.

Maybe Hubby will let me adopt? (Hubby's note- Yes, you can adopt a pet lizard just like L asked for for Christmas. And yes I know L needs a haircut, I am taking the boys this weekend.)

After the show was over I asked L if he would like to go on a lunch date with me. He said he would love it as long as he could order a chocolate milk. I tried to take a couple of pictures when we sat down to lunch but L was having nothing to do with that... the show was clearly over

Chocolate Mint Cookies

I have been in the mood to bake some treat for the kiddos' teachers but I wanted to try something new. So of course I turned to Pinterest for a little inspiration. On the main page there were a couple of mint brownies trending that looked super yummy but when I went to their original source the recipes were very involved.

You all know that I love to bake but I was not not up for a challenging recipe. I need something that I could whip up while making dinner and overseeing homework. Is it just me or do you not remember having homework as hard as your child does now? Anyway...I decided to make some cookies with a mint twist. Since most of the brownie recipes were inspired by Andes mints I thought why not just add them to cookies!

Chocolate Mint Cookies

3 sticks unsalted butter, soften
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
2 extra large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup cocoa powder
3 cups unbleached flour or gluten-free flour (such as Cup 4 Cup)
2 packages (4.67 ounces) Andes Creme De Menthe Thins, roughly chopped
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugars. Then add one egg at a time and mix until light and fluffy. Gently mix in the vanilla, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder. Once combined well stir in the flour. Then fold in the chopped mints and chocolate chips.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop cookie dough and place on to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes - you might need more or less time depending on your oven. Either way the center of your cookies should look slightly underdone. This way you will have a perfect cookie once they cool.

Enjoy!

(Hubby's note- This new recipe is strongly endorsed by both myself and M. We may or may not have gone to town on the raw dough but the baked version is just as good. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!)

You can also find me at From My Front Porch and No Minimalist Here

Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

I hope that all you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Our Thanksgiving was different since we could not travel home to my family but it was still wonderful. I tried my best to cook a meal that my Gram would have been proud of and while I did try my best it was clear that I have a ton to learn! Honestly it is very hard to clean a house and keep it clean with children then prepare a multiple course meal then serve it all at the right temperature. I have a lot to learn. But I am more than willing!

Thank goodness Hubby and my brother where able to talk me off of any "this is a total disaster" cliffs! (Hubby's note- Dinner was tremendous!) They helped me sit back and enjoy the moment. Family and food without any need to rush. I have more than I should and despite not being in New Jersey with our family I did not feel less blessed for a moment. 

Plus we keep it real all day long! We played game upon game and we kept score. What can I say, we are a competitive group. And I am sure that it would not surprise you that M and I won in the last game of the night. Do your families play any games on Thanksgiving?

Hubby's Holiday Take Over

I, Hubby, have been given responsibility for today's post.  Simply to amuse myself I considered filling this page writing about things Eileen would find unappealing (beer, "The Godfather", reasons Virginia is better than New Jersey, the Redskins despite the team currently being unappealing to everyone, etc) but the juice probably isn't worth the squeeze on that one.

I was given this responsibility because Eileen has been in the kitchen cooking up a storm for most of the day. While she has always contributed to Thanksgiving we normally go to New Jersey to be with her family so in the past she has only had to make a few things. This year we are staying at home so it is basically the first time Thanksgiving has fallen solely on her.

Due to the reality that with a single oven there is only so much that can cook at one time on Thanksgiving itself Eileen has been very busy the last two days trying to make things ahead of time. So far she has made soup, two pies, mashed sweet potatoes (my favorite!) and stuffing. The stuffing, which is amazing, is exceptionally important to her because it is her grandmother's recipe. Thanksgiving is Eileen's favorite holiday in large part because she associates it so closely with her grandparents who always used to host the day for the family. Her grandfather has passed away and her grandmother is no longer having Thanksgiving at her house but the day still holds tremendous meaning for her. Making the stuffing with her grandmother's recipe, something I have no doubt Eileen will pass down to our kids, is a way she is able to maintain a connection to her childhood while we start new traditions with our own children.

What Thanksgiving foods or traditions do you associate with your childhood that you are passing on to your kids? Whatever they are we wish you all a happy Thanksgiving!

Trying Not to Get Ahead of Myself

Bad news - we are not going to be able to travel up to New Jersey this year for Thanksgiving. Good news - we are hosting my youngest brother for Thanksgiving. (Hubby's note- Better news: He is bringing beer and I don't have to drive anywhere!) So I have been cleaning like a mad woman to get our home ready for next week. It turns out that a family of five can make some big messes! 

Much of my day today was spent cleaning in our formal living-room. I have to be honest while I love this room, I just don't get to spend a ton of time in there. In fact for most of November I have only gone in the living-room to water the plants. After dinner....in the dark.

So imagine my surprise when I noticed that my Christmas cactus has tiny buds! Since I feel like everything is losing color outside I was so excited to see that soon my plant will be filled with beautiful, bright pink flowers. 

I can't believe I am going to say this but...my little Christmas cactus has put me in the Christmas mood before Thanksgiving. But don't go all crazy thinking that I am decking the halls and all that. One holiday at a time and in order...that's my rule and I am sticking to it!!!

A Spooky 5K

For some reason Hubby loves to run. Like really loves it! He will think nothing of going on an eight mile run and then will call it "just a little run". I mean really who does not think that eight miles is a long run!?! (Hubby's note- Someone who does or used to run marathons)

I guess that I should not be surprised that all three of our kiddos love to run. And they love to run with their Dad! So when I found out that there was a "Spooky" 5k this past weekend, I knew that it was the perfect race for Hubby and M. I knew the fact that the race was run on the grounds of a "haunted house" would be pretty cool to my boys. As you can see below, people were encouraged to run in costumes so though while my boys didn't plenty of other people did.

Hubby and M had been doing training runs through our neighborhood for a while to insure that M was ready for the big day. M was so excited he could not stop chatting on the way to the race. All of his nervous energy was very humorous.

While waiting for Hubby and M to finish B and L spent their time amusing themselves. And singing "What Does the Fox Say?" more times than I cared to hear!

B was pretty tired from her field hockey game but as you can see L had no lack of energy. I think he ran his own personal 5k playing with a bunch of friends he made!

When it was all over M and Hubby had a great time. They had done a 5k together last Thanksgiving and M ran this race over 8 minutes faster than the race last year! Go M!