a veiled aside

2011-05-05T10:24:00.001-05:00

Pinterest is my newest obsession. You can create "pin boards" with awesome photos or inspiration. Themed boards like home decor, style, weddings, etc. I started pinning, so follow me!

indian chickpea potato curry

2011-05-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

I LOVE Indian food, but have a hard time getting Joe to eat it. I tried this dish at home and it was a big hit! It is a slow cooker dish (but only because they have you cook dried chickpeas in water for 6 hours to make them tender, so instead, I just used canned chickpeas). It is also a vegetarian recipe, but I used chicken stock for flavor and them added some shredded chicken for extra protein (and because Joe loves meat). I also tweaked the spices a bit, adding garam masala and cumin. You can also chop and add some jalapeno for more heat.

2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cans chick peas
1 russet potato (diced)
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tsp chile powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt to taste (about 1 1/2 tsp)
1 and 1/2 to 2 chicken breasts (boil and shred with forks)

In a large stock pot of dutch oven, add the chickpeas, potatoes, and chicken stock.

In a skillet, saute the chopped onion and green pepper until tender and then add to the chickpea mixture.

Bring to a boil, add the coconut milk and all the spices listed above. Let simmer for 1 hour.

Boil 2 chicken breasts in water and shred them with forks. Add the shredded meat to the chickpea mixture. Stir well, let simmer for another 20 minutes and serve.

Best served with Basmati rice cooked with 2 tsp cumin seeds (I used my rice cooker and this came out great!) Sprinkle fresh chopped mint and cilantro on top to really tie the dish together!

Adapted from the Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker (great cookbook!)

Next up, I'll be re-using my meat sauce from the other night to make some lasagna! With no boil noodles (my new favorite!)

love

2011-05-05T10:20:00.000-05:00

This came across this photo of a sweet bedroom! I want to live here! My next project is to add more color to our master bedroom and I love the eclectic mix in this room!

{Photos from Little Glass Box via Young House Love}

slow cooker meat sauce

2011-05-04T11:33:00.000-05:00

1 pd. ground sirloin
2 links Italian Sausage (cut out of casings)... preferably hot, but mild works as well
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
6 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp oregano
2 dried bay leaves
salt and pepper to season

In a large skillet coated with olive oil, saute the garlic, onion, and carrots. Once tender, place then in a slow cooker. Then, in the same skillet, brown the ground sirloin and sausage. Drain the meat in a colander and then place it in the slow cooker. Add the 2 cans of tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with salt, pepper, about 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, 1 tsp oregano, and 2 bay leaves. Stir well.

Set to cook on low for 8 hours. At about hour 7, stir in some fresh chopped oregano. Serve with pasta and top with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

baby showers

2011-05-03T10:38:00.000-05:00

So, I am hosting a baby shower for my sister in law this month and was searching for fun ideas and came across these cute photos on Pizzazzerie.

Here are some details that I thought were so fun!

{Straws from Shop Sweet Lulu}

I am not one for cheesy baby shower games, but I do love the baby bottle beer chugging contest for men at a couples shower and the onesie decorating for a creative crowd.

{Photos from Pizzazzerie.com}

shrimp bake

2011-05-03T10:29:00.000-05:00

So, last night Joe and I tried out a new recipe from Cooking Light.

3/4 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 roma tomatoes (chopped)
4 slices of french baguette (ideal if a little stale)
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup Parmeasan cheese (to sprinkle on top)
salt & pepper to season
butter

In a small baking dish coated with cooking spray, place the shrimp and tomatoes. (You can learn how to devein shrimp here.) Season with salt and pepper.

Grind the bread in a food processor until it is mostly crumbs. In a skillet with some butter and/or olive oil, lightly roast the bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley until fragrant. Pour bread crumb mixture over shrimp and tomatoes. Then place a tab of butter on top and bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (until shrimp are done).

Serve with cous cous.

The verdict: I was not a big fan. I thought it was somewhat bland, but Joe enjoyed it. Next time I would use canned fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of fresh for extra flavor. And added more cheese (maybe some mozzerella and parmesean).

patios and porches

2011-04-19T10:47:00.000-05:00

So, this weekend Joe and I spent some time working on our "outdoor space." We have a covered carport behind our house with a nice stone floor, so we use it as a patio. It is a great space. Last year in the fall we bought some great discounted patio furniture which we really haven't gotten the chance to make much use of yet. So we pressure washed, we cleaned, we planted flower pots and herbs (yay!) hung ferns and flowering plants, and we are going to get electricity run outside so we can hang some Italian street lights --the one lamp by the door doesn't provide enough light on a dark night. Plus, who doesn't love twinkle lights!

I can't wait to get it all finished and have a garden party! I love warm summer nights outdoors in inviting spaces.

My favorite space on a house is the front porch, which, sadly, we don't have. But one day.

{Images: Southern Living, House Beautiful, and HGTV}

spring wish list

2011-04-19T10:14:00.000-05:00

{Clockwise: Ann Taylor Loft dress, Satya Jewelry Necklace, Michael Kors sandals, Fossil aviator sunglasses, Eres swimsuit, Michael Kors wedges, and Michael Kors tote...clearly, I love Michael Kors for accessories!}

busy lately

2011-04-15T14:21:00.001-05:00

So this blog has been awfully quiet lately! But don't forget about me :) I have been keeping myself busy and had a hard time finding a minute to post. What have I been up to, you ask?

I got into grad school! I am going getting my Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration at Peabody! I start in May!

I met Tim Gunn! He came to speak at Vanderbilt and signed his new book. My friend, Holly, was super excited to meet him and took this photo.

I had my last weekend of yoga teacher training. I have a few hours to make up from when I had the flu, but I should get my certificate shortly!! Here I am with my teachers, Daphne and Tom.

Below is my whole class (minus 1) and a photo of me in one of my favorite poses (we each had a photo taken in a pose to make a book for Tom and Daphne).

And... Joe and I bought a new car! It is pretty snazzy. :)

So, yeah. Lots going on! But I am re-committing. Much more to come on spring wish lists, recipes, and home decorating so stay tuned! Thanks for bearing with me.

(another) cheese plate

2011-03-18T09:51:00.001-05:00

As per our usual ritual, my dear friend Amy and I created a delicious cheese plate for dinner last night!

4 cheeses:
Delice de Bourgogne (Triple cream)
Memolet (Aged Cheddar)
Cave Aged Emmentaler (similar to a Swiss)
Biano Sardo (similar to a Manchego)

We also had these interesting lime-ginger preserves that Amy brought from Boston, honey, and assorted olives and almonds.

red velvet cheesecake

2011-03-18T09:43:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

2 rows of Oreo cookies
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring

Directions

Finely chop the 2 rows of Oreo cookies in a food processor. Stir together processed Oreo cookies and melted butter press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 325°.

In a stand mixer, beat 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Place in a water bath (a shallow pan with warm water 1/3-1/2 of the way up the springform pan). Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until center is firm. Remove cheesecake from oven and from water bath; cool in springform pan for 1 hour. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Garnish with cool whip and enjoy!

dream kitchens and kitchen loves

2011-03-07T10:00:00.000-06:00

Some Southern Living kitchen photos to salivate over.

My dream kitchen musts:

Primarily white with unexpected pops of color
White marble counters
Subway tile backsplash
Farmhouse sink with interesting hardware (like photo 2 below)
Butcher block island
Open shelving
Book case or shelf for cookbooks
Fresh flowers
Natural light (windows behind sink)

{All images via Southern Living}

homemade oreos

2011-03-07T09:46:00.003-06:00

Thanks to my friend Amy in Boston, I recently learned about Flour Bakery. Joanne Chang, Harvard alum, is the owner and pastry chef. She recently released a cookbook with some of the store favorites and I am dying to try all the recipes! My first attempt was the recipe for Homemade Oreos....yum!

Here is Joanne's recipe:

Ingredients:

Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon milk
1 pinch kosher salt

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until well combined. Whisk in vanilla and melted chocolate. Add the egg and whisk until thoroughly incorporated.

In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to blend them. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. The finished dough should feel like Play-Doh. Cover the dough with plastic, and set aside for 1 hour or until firm.

Place the dough on a long sheet of parchment paper. Use your hands to shape it into a rough log, about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the log at the edge of the parchment. Roll the parchment around the log. With your hands on the paper, roll the dough into a tighter log, keeping the diameter the same. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or until it is firm enough to slice without crumbling. Roll every 15 minutes to maintain its shape so it doesn't settle and sink.

Set the oven at 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the paper. Cut the log into 32 slices, each a quarter-inch. Set them on the baking sheets 1 inch apart. Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, checking them often after 15 minutes, or until they are firm when touched in the center.Cool completely on the sheets.

For the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on low speed for half a minute. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the milk and salt. The filling will look and feel like spackle. Place 1 tablespoon of filling on the flat side of 16 cookies. Press the remaining 16 cookies on the filling, flat sides against the cream, to evenly distribute the filling.

The review is that the cookies are VERY rich! But delicious. They are not as sweet as you would anticipate, but rather have a tiny hint of salty taste. A little labor intensive, but worth a try! :)

spicy moroccan meatballs with couscous

2011-02-28T15:31:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

Meatballs

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large egg white

Sauce

1 whole red pepper
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes (drained)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon grated orange rind (fresh)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into meatballs.

Place on a baking sheet and bake the meatballs for 12 minutes.

Chop the red pepper and place in a food processor to dice. Then add the whole tomatoes and dice. Finally, add the reminder of the ingredients, blend quickly and transfer to a dutch oven or stock pot on the stove on medium heat.

Place baked meatballs into the pot with the tomato sauce and let simmer for 30 minutes to get saturated in the sauce.

Serve over couscous if desired.

Adapted from Cooking Light.

valentine's day adventure

2011-02-21T14:06:00.002-06:00

Joe gave me a gift card to the Viking Cooking School in Franklin about years ago for my Christmas and I signed up for classes, but always had to cancel. He had given me a hard time for not using his gift yet, so when I saw the Valentine's Day "couples night out" cooking class, I thought it would be the perfect, unique way for us to spend Valentine's day (or actually the Thursday before Valentine's day).

The menu for the night was:

Wild Mushroom Truffle Flatbread with

Arugula and Artisan Cheese; Surf and Turf: Roasted

Strip Loin Persillade with Butter Poached Lobster

Tail; Asparagus with Champagne Sabayon; Red

Velvet Whoopie Pies with Mascarpone Vanilla

Bean Cream. Sample Recipe: Stuffed Peppadews.

YUM!!!

When we arrived, there were 5 other couples. We broke into 3 teams and starting preparing dinner! Joe and I were paired with Jessica and Richard. At first, I was worried about this scenario, because I really don't like to share kitchen space, and I like to call the shots when it comes to cooking!! haha What if these people messed up our flatbread?!?! But other than not getting a "hands on" experience with all the recipes, it really worked out well. Joe and I were assigned the Whoopie Pies, which we rocked. The asparagus and the steaks. The whole meal was fun to prepare and delicious to enjoy after! They also have bottles of wine and beer you and purchase to enjoy while you are cooking, which we obviously took advantage of! I definitely want to go back and do this again! You can check out their schedule of courses online!

Thomas Style Beef Stroganoff

2011-02-21T13:49:00.001-06:00

So glad to be done with the snow here in Nashville (I hope). After sitting in nasty traffic for 2 and a half hours to get home from work (normally a 15 minute commute), I was really craving something rich and warm for dinner. Some serious comfort food. Beef stroganoff came to mind. I found a few recipes, but didn't really like any of them, so I just made one up from a compilation of different recipes I came across.

Ingredients:

2 tsp diced garlic
1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
1 package of beef stew meat (1-1.5 pound)
1 package of white mushrooms (sliced)

1.5 cups of Beef/Chicken Stock
1 packet brown gravy mix, 1 tbsp flour mix with a small amount of warm water (about 1/3 cup)
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Worchester sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cup light sour cream

Directions:

In a dutch oven, coat the bottom of the pan with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). Saute the garlic and onion until warm and add the mushrooms and beef stew meat. Let the meat brown and then stir and brown the other side of the meat. Then add 1.5 cups of beef stock (I didn't have beef, so I used chicken and that worked just fine). In a small bowl, mix a packet of brown gravy mix with 1/3 cup water and 1 tbsp of flour to thicken the sauce. Pour the mixture into the pan with the meat. Add all the other ingredients, except for the sour cream.

Cover the dutch oven and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for an hour (to really let the meat get really tender). When you remove it from the oven, stir in the sour cream and serve over egg noodles!

wall decor: collages

2011-01-28T13:49:00.000-06:00

I love the idea of clusters of photos or other items on a wall. It really draws the eye abnd creates some intrigue. I want to create a wall like this in my living room and cover it floor to ceiling in items. All different shaptes and sizes, and different textures and depths. But I want each item to be meaningful, so I need to start collecting now!

{Images from (in order): Design Sponge, Unabashadely Prep, Walking Around Where the Sidewalk Begins, Walking Around Where the Sidewalk Begins, Young House Love, 2nd Floor Living, Dainty Things, Meet Me By The Water, Roseland Greene, Roseland Greene}

wedding photo contest

2011-01-27T10:28:00.000-06:00

So, Ashley's Bride Guide, is having a newlywed wedding photo contest. I was asked to submit my 5 favorite wedding photos, which will be posted on the Ashley's Bride Guide Fan Page for comment. The person with the most comments will have their wedding featured on Ashley's Bride Guide...so go comment on my pictures! :) Picking 5 favorite photos was so hard! They may not be what they are looking for, but they really captured the day for me!

{A moment with special people: my brother Thad, and friends Jon and Becca on the dance floor at the reception}

{The farewell! I was so excited to try something different and new for the exit and the band trumpeted us out! it was magical!}

{This photo reminds me of the joy I felt that day! And I look the vintage look!}

{Humor is so important!}

{Walking down the aisle with my dad. Michael Howard, our photographer, somehow captured the exact moment and Joe and I met each other's gaze and the emotion of the moment caught me.}

joe's 30th birthday bash

2011-01-26T12:00:00.001-06:00

So, Joe turns 30 on February 19 and I am planning a birthday party for him. It is going to be a "beer tasting" themed party inspired by Courtney's beer party for her boyfriend (you can view it on her entertaining blog, Pizzazzerie).

So far, I have investigated and ordered invitations. Our top options were:

Option # 1 was quickly deemed "too girly." I really liked the quirkiness of option #3, but Joe liked #2...and it is HIS birthday :)

So, for the party details, we will have 8-10 different beers to taste. Personalized beer mugs, cupcakes, maybe a beer themed cake, brats and a potato bar. I want to get some vintage beer posters for decorations and old beer bottle tops for decor as well. More to come as the planning evolves!

mexican home tour and art

2011-01-25T11:02:00.002-06:00

While in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on vacation, Mom and I decided to do a home tour. There are a lot of US transplants and retirees in PV, and they coordinate these tours to raise money for cleft palate surgeries.

Here are some photos from the different homes we visited. As you can see, many of the homes were decorated in more traditional "Mexican" style...."Day of the Dead" inspired art, bright colors, mosaics, and use of outdoor spaces (courtyards, etc).

Wood carving on a door

Tiled bathroom counters and backsplash with bronze sinks.

Pool in a courtyard.

Kitchen tiles!

Courtyard mosaic.

Armoire.

Tiled steps leading up to an art studio.

Kitchen table with handmade chairs (by the artist who lives in this home).

Day of the Dead figurines.

Courtyard pool.

Glass blown light fixture (was positioned over a copper tub!)

Bathroom Tiles.

View from a home in Conchas Chinas.

bookcase "design" before and after

2011-01-20T13:51:00.001-06:00

As mentioned in the previous post, I really like the look of "designed" bookcases: using art, photos, small knick knacks, and other media to create a lovely bookcase that can be the focal point of a room rather than an eye sore.

Over at the Nest Egg, interior designer Rachel, wrote about a bookcase she styled before and after:

Before

After

I also found another article on designing your bookcase over at House Beautiful.

Before

After

books and bookcases

2011-01-20T13:44:00.000-06:00

I love books. But I adore bookcases. Especially built-ins. And "designed" bookcases with books in various positions and mixed media. Here are some photos I have come across that make me green with envy!

{Images borrowed from (in order): 2nd Floor Living, Homes and Gardens, Home Interior Design Ideas, Hus & Hem, Southern Living, House Beautiful, House Beautiful, House Beautiful, I Suwannee, Walking Around Where the Sidewalk Begins, Walking Around Where the Sidewalk Begins, Fashionable Interiors, Roseland Grene, Roeseland Greene, still searching for final photo credit}.

style: january 2011

2011-01-18T16:00:00.000-06:00

From top L to R: {Ann Taylor}Silk Tiered Ikat Print Dress, {Boden USA} Yellow Plaited Belt, {Seven for All Mankind} Classic Straight Leg in Winter Grey, {OPI} Light My Sapphire Nail Polish, {Piperlime} Joan Dress, {Boden USA} Brown Leather Biker Jacket, {J. Crew} Starlet Dot Ruched Underwire Tank Swimsuit, {J.Crew} Alecia Platform Pump via eBay.com, {Nordstrom} Mia Large Soft Leather Satchel

southern living weddings

2011-01-18T14:10:00.001-06:00

So exciting...Hop on over to Michael Howard's blog to read about our wedding being featured in Southern Living Weddings magazine!

flax seed granola bars

2011-01-13T18:11:00.000-06:00

Before I got the flu, I was reading a lot about flax seeds and their "superfood" powers---antioxidants, amino acids, etc. and I decided to adapt an old granola bar recipe I had to be more healthy (cut out the chocolate chips, add in the flax seeds).

So, in a small saucepan, I melt 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/2 cup brown sugar until well blended and boiling lightly.

In a large bowl, mix:

granola cereal
rice crispies
pretzels
cranberries
flax seeds (I used dry roasted since the raw can be too chewy and hard to eat)

Then pour the hot sauce over the dry mixture, mix well. Pour that mixture into a cookie sheet with a small rim and press, press, press into the pan. Then chill in the fridge and cut into bar shapes.

Yum!! They still satisfy the sweet tooth and you can feel good about it!

get well flowers

2011-01-13T17:59:00.000-06:00

So, I have learned my lesson about the flu shot. I hate needles and am stubborn, so I never get the flu shot. Well, this year, I got the FLU. Going on 8 days of misery. I will never not get the flu shot again. But, my sweet husband sent me these lovely get well flowers :)

Christmas and Mexico

2011-01-05T15:55:00.002-06:00

Time to share some photos!

Joe and I having our own little Christmas at our house:

Sporting his new Fleece and Sunglasses.

Checking out my stocking.

Then, on Christmas day we were off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a week with my family!

Our first night out to dinner.

The boys enjoying the pool (and some beers).

Dinner and sunset a the Vista Grille.

Our condo complex, The Peninsula.

Sunset on our balcony.

Family photo op.

A view of our pool from our balcony.

Lunch at Chico's Paradise.

Playing in the river on the nature water slide. The water was NOT warm.

Joe takes the plunge first!

Lunch at El Set.

And New Year's Eve dinner on the beach.

salted caramel banana pudding pie

2011-01-05T07:19:00.000-06:00

So recently I discovered a new AWESOME Food Network show, Dessert First. In the first episode Ann made Salted Caramel Banana Pudding Pie and I was sold. Here is her recipe below. It is delicious!
I make the caramel sauce the night before and it makes enough for 2 pies, so I save half in the fridge for later or for ice cream topping!

Caramel Sauce:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

In a small saucepan, mix the water and sugar togther. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 to 10 minutes. Do not stir. Increase the heat to medium and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a warm chestnut brown--about 5 to 7 minutes and 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer. You really need a candy thermometer to get this right because it can burn QUICKLY past 350 degrees.

Turn off the heat and slowly add the cream. Stir and simmer over low heat, under the sauce is smooth. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature.

Next its time to prepare your pie crust and make the homemade vanilla pudding.

To prepare the pie crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put 45 vanilla wafers in a food processor and blend until the cookies are finely crushed. Stir together crushed vanilla wafers and 6 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl until blended. Firmly press it into the bottom, up the sides, and onto the lip of a greased 9-inch pie pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool until completely cool.

Vanilla Pudding:

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
4 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk together the sugar and flour until all of the lumps are gone. Then whisk in the eggs, and egg yolks, and continue whisking until a smooth paste is formed. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk, and once this is incorporated add the remaining cup of milk. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium heat whisking constantly (I mean this), until it reaches the thickness of chilled pudding, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat, and then stir in the vanilla. Set the pudding aside to cool and prepare to assemble your pie!

Assembly:

3 large ripe bananas
1 cup salted caramel
1 teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt
Vanilla pudding
Vanilla Waffers

Cut your bananas into slices (preferably aging bananas) and coat those with salted caramel and the 1 tsp salt.

Arrange some banana slices evenly over the bottom of the pie crust. Spread half of the hot, prepared Vanilla Pudding over the bananas, top with vanilla wafers, and more caramel-coated bananas.

Spread the remaining filling over the vanilla wafers, and caramel-coated bananas. I like to refridgerate it overnight or for at least 8 hours before serving so all the flavors can blend together. Then I top with Cool Whip and serve! YUM!

{image courtesy of Food Network}

mexico

2011-01-04T16:31:00.000-06:00

Please excuse my lack of posts over the holidays. I was enjoying his view in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!

While doing this:

More to come!

an engagement story

2010-12-23T10:11:00.001-06:00

For some time now, I have been promising an engagement story post. Not just for the readers, but also as a way to create a narrative around the event for prosperity's sake.

Joe and I were engaged on May 30, 2009, but the engagement story began long before that. It all started with the ring. Back in January of 2009, I was visiting the monthly Nashville flea market with my parents and we stopped at the booth of an estate jeweler. {Side bar: This was not an uncommon occurrence for my mother and I, who both have a passion for antique and estate jewelry} I immediately spotted a beautiful 1920s ring that had a setting unlike anything I had ever seen. Most antique rings are very small in size (5 or 6), but this ring fit me perfectly! I was so taken with the ring that I dreamed about it, and thought about it often.

A month later, Joe and I were out celebrating his birthday and Valentine's day at Ruth's Chris. He offhandedly mentioned that he had been ring shopping at a place called Walton's in Franklin, and said he had decided that I needed to be a part of the decision since I had such unique taste. He wanted to take me to Walton's to see what interested me, so I took my chance and said, yes! let's go next weekend and stop by the flea market first! I wanted him to see the ring I was so taken with.

The next weekend, our visit to the flea market ended in disappointment. The ring had been sold. The jeweler travels around the south and he could not remember when or where it had sold. We headed to Walton's, but I sulked the whole way. I tried to put the ring out of my mind and focus on the beautiful things waiting at Walton's, but my heart was not in it.

I lazily looked through the case at the estate rings when something caught my eye and I told Joe, "THAT is the ring from the flea market!" Joe, disbelieving, asked the clerk if we could look at the ring, and I slipped it right back on my finger. I was certain. I cried, the clerk was puzzled, and Joe asked me if this was my ring. Yes! He planted me next door at Starbucks and returned to Walton's alone. When he came back, he said there would be no more discussion about the topic. What a tease! So, he tortured me for 3 more months before I got to see and wear the ring that found me.

On the evening of May 30, we were planning to drive up to my parents house in Springfield for a cookout in honor of my Aunt's birthday. Mom called me earlier that day and asked me to drive over and check on their condo because the staff in the building had spotted wet carpet outside their door and she was sure the fridge was leaking. I remember being worried that this ordeal would ruin our evening's plans.

When I arrived at the condo, here is what greeted me:

So, I rushed home, packed my bag, and hopped in the car. I was a little early, so I thought I would stop and kill time at Walmart once I got into town. As I was pulling into city limits, feeling so excited (and yes, a bit distracted), I got pulled over and given a speeding ticket! {In my defense, it was a total speed trap. The cop was sitting right behind the speed limit sign where the speed had just dropped coming into town. Anyways...}

When I pulled in the driveway at my parents house, I saw many cars and Joe sitting outside in a lawn chair waiting for me. He took me on a walk down to the creek that my brother and I played in every year as a children {and adults}. A path had been plowed in the tall grass and at the bend of the river, there was a picnic with champagne.

There he privately proposed, we drank champagne, and soaked in the moment before walking back up the hill to our waiting family who had prepared an amazing cookout! We all spent the night at my parents house and celebrated! It was the perfect day.

last minute gifts

2010-12-22T15:55:00.002-06:00

I just, as in JUST, finished my holiday shopping. Here are some fun, last minute gift ideas I came across:

For the one who likes to stay in touch, a rubber address stamp from Etsy:

For the sweet tooth, Peppermint Bark from Williams-Sonoma:

For the friend who likes a sweet, rustic smell, a candle from Anthropologie (Sweet Olive or Balsam Fir):

For the friend who writes lovely thank you notes, note cards from Rifle Paper Co.:

For the hostess, a set of four antique cheese knives from Pottery Barn:

For the cook, the Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, Amazon:

For the collector of beautiful things, small stackable boxes from West Elm:

For the one who loves holiday cheer and smell of warm cider, a spice ball from Williams-Sonoma:

For holiday spirit and remembrance, a Li Bien christmas tree ornament, Pier One:

For the organized cook, an heirloom recipe card box from Rifle Paper Co.:

For the home body, a luxury plush throw from Restoration Hardware:

For the grill master, the Steak Station digial meat thermometer from Sur La Table:

For the music lover, an iTunes gift card:

And finally, for the philanthropist, a donation to a charitable organization in their honor:

Have fun finishing up your final shopping!

cheese tasting

2010-12-20T15:50:00.002-06:00

I L.O.V.E cheese. I haven't really met a cheese I don't like (well except maybe a smoked cheese).

When my parents were in London a few weeks ago, they brought me back a ton of hard cheeses! Joe and I didn't know what to do with all the deliciousness, so we had a wine and cheese tasting party. We created this evite:

Well, I tend to have the WORST luck with parties and bad weather, so what happened? We got 2 inches of snow and about 6 people braved the weather for the cheese. Needless to say, we shad lots of leftover cheese.

So, last night at our family holiday gathering, we re-created the cheese tasting (still have plenty of left overs! round 3 anyone?...) Here are photos of the spread:

Our hard cheeses were:

L'Etivaz
Keen's Cheddar
Suecia
Napoleon
Stilton
Hawes Wesleydale

Soft Cheeses:

Point Reyes Blue
Teleggio
Port Salut
Delice de Bourgogne

All the cheeses were cow's milk cheeses. I made the little cheese flags on shipping labels and stuck two together with a toothpick in between the labels.

Along with the cheeses, we had some accompaniments:

salamis
olives
pickled okra
marcona almonds
candied pecans
fig paste
balsamic glazed dried figs
pears
grapes
persimmon
gourmet crackers (rosemary, black pepper, etc.)

YUM! Can't wait to do it again!

christmas wish list

2010-12-15T15:47:00.001-06:00

finished bedroom

2010-12-13T21:13:00.009-06:00

So earlier this spring, I wrote about my closet makeover and bedroom decorating. I created a grey and yellow inspired bedroom inspiration board, then I posted the items that I had found to create the color scheme and and decor I was aiming for.

I apologize for the delay, but without further ado, here is the reveal. The finished closet. Shoe selves to the left and hanging space to the right (didn't want to photo the dishevled clothes, but I promise another photo later once tidied up!)

You may recall, the originally planned chandelier was pictured on this board, but it turned out to be massive and way to big for the room. Not to mention, it would have almost touched the bed! So I went on a hunt for a smaller one. 12-15 inches tall to be exact.

Addison Damask Wallpaper {Thibaut} Paint {Porter Paints} Power Shag Rug {Mitchell Gold} Bed & Matress {Sprintz Furniture} End Tables {West Elm} Lamps and Shades {West Elm} Leather Chair {Sprintz Furniture} Marimekko Madison Yellow Duvet Cover {Crate and Barrel} Quilt and Euro Shams {Restoration Hardware} Artwork {Photo by my brother on canvas and framed by Green Hills Framers & Gallery} Dresser {Vintage from Ethan Allen} Maria Theresa Chandelier {Horchow Home}

grilled lamb chops with a mint-mustard sauce

2010-12-13T20:57:00.009-06:00

Joe and I got a wonderful Bride and Groom cookbook from a friend of mine for our wedding. This was the first meal we cooked (adapted) from the cookbook. We were feeling very gourmet!

Sauce Ingredients:

3 tablespoons mint jelly
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil

Whisk together the above ingredients in a small sauce pan on low heat.

Season the lamb loin chops (bone in) with salt and pepper and oregano. I usually serve 2 per person since they are smaller. We grilled them in direct heat for about 5-7 minutes per side (medium well).

Right before serving, we poured the mint-mustard sauce over the chops.

We served the Mediterranean style dish with Israeli cous cous (pearled cous cous). Cook to instructions on the box. For our vegetable, we sauteed kale, grape tomatoes, and pine nuts in some oil olive and diced garlic and seasoned with salt/pepper.

holiday cards

2010-12-13T20:49:00.006-06:00

So Joe and I decided to jump on the holiday card bandwagon. Non-holiday specific cards.

We used Tiny Prints, an awesome website where you can "design" your own card. Here were some of our options:

We went with this last one. It was one of our favorite wedding photos. It really captured our emotions and had a great "old Hollywood" feel!

facelift

2010-12-09T12:09:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the new and improved a veiled aside blog! I needed a new look to get me out of my post wedding blog funk. I'm back!

Our Wedding Video Teaser!

2010-08-23T09:43:00.005-05:00

Anna & Joe Teaser from Michael Howard Photo on Vimeo.

Video

wedding photos

2010-07-15T11:08:00.004-05:00

So, first my apologies for the negligence of this blog. I got swept up in moving, wedding, and honeymoon distractions.

But, in an attempt to get back on track now, I am posting my wedding photos from my amazing photographer, Michael Howard.

Click here to view our photos on his blog!

new favorite blog

2010-05-21T15:35:00.003-05:00

I just came across this blog a few days ago when Google reader "suggested" it to me! Since then, I have become obsessed! I just LOVE John and Sherry's home, their style, and their diy attitude! I am envious...and inspired!

Check it out!

moving weekend

2010-05-21T15:19:00.005-05:00

This weekend is the big move! Out of the sorority house...after 4 years. Kind of sad! But no more dealing with girl drama, roof leaks, or ant infestations.

And into our new house! Yay!

This weekend is also the Nashville Flea Market! My favorite! I will have to find some time amid the moving to go stroll around.

taking photos of your ring

2010-05-12T11:12:00.006-05:00

So, back when I got engaged and tried to take a photo of the ring, I was disappointed that it was so impossible to get a good, clear shot. Well, I learned all you need are the correct camera settings, good natural light, and you can do it! There is a great tutorial on Wedding Bee that guides you step by step how to take a good photo.

Here are the results of my attempt:

...and they are out!

2010-05-05T10:17:00.004-05:00

The beautiful calligraphy by Val Cole!

My lovely friend, Amy, who generously offered her assistance stamping!

About to go in the mail!

All hand cancelled and ready to go!

wedding invitations

2010-05-05T09:30:00.003-05:00

Here they are:

Custom calligraphy by Valerie Cole and assembly and paper from The Paper Place.

flood

2010-05-04T15:45:00.004-05:00

What a weekend. We were very, very lucky in our new house. Our shed got flooded and we had some flood water in our garage, but no damage. Here are some photos of our backyard.

On another note, the downtown area did not fare so well. Our reception site flooded! But I hear they are re-opening tomorrow, which is positive. This is one of those events that will never be forgotten.

seriously?!?

2010-04-30T13:15:00.005-05:00

If you are a bride and signed up for theknot.com, prepare to be entertained. The Knot knows your wedding date and sends you emails to count down the days until your wedding ... "Three Months To Go" ,"Two Months To Go"

The best part is the topic of each month's email. Last month's was "The 5 people who will try to take over your wedding." Thank you, theknot.com, for calming my nerves...haha

But, the email I got today takes the cake, titled "Sweating at the Wedding"

"There is a lot to think about on your big day and underarm stains should not be one of them! (not even proper speech here...)

"Afraid of needing your veil to hide your underarm stains?"

"...BOTOX is approved by the FDA to treat the symptoms of severe underarm sweating with antiperspirants fail!"

SERIOUSLY knot.com? Wow. I'm impressed. Tt least you keep me entertained. Can't wait to see what you'll email me next!

yard work

2010-04-15T10:18:00.004-05:00

We replanted in our window boxes! Look how lovely:

mother of the bride rehearsal dinner options

2010-04-15T10:13:00.006-05:00

My mother is not the greatest shopper. She did find a super cut dress at Ann Taylor that would be great for the luncheon, but nothing for the rehearsal yet. Here are some that I think she would like :)

wedding event dresses

2010-04-15T10:03:00.006-05:00

With only about 2 months to go, I am just realizing that I need to find a dress for the rehearsal dinner and my bridesmaid luncheon! I did some looking online and here is what I like so far. Still haven't found one I just LOVE.

Rehearsal Dinner:

I can't decide about the all white. Is it too much? But how often do you get to wear all white...or since I am wearing all white the next day, do I want something fun?

Bridesmaid Luncheon:

I think these could work for either occasion:

liking right now...

2010-04-07T11:26:00.004-05:00

Top to bottom, left to right: Greeting Cards from Rifle Design, Groupon Deals!, the Minnie Pant from J.Crew, Balenciaga pumps in yellow and grey (i can dream), Josun Dress by DVF (sold out everywhere! disappointing...), mason jar lanterns from Pottery Barn, window boxes with colorful spilling flowers, patio furniture from West Elm, dried herb wreath from Williams-Sonoma, cozy lounge sweater from The Gap, and yoga on the beach (i wish).

scallion pancakes

2010-04-06T11:11:00.005-05:00

These have to be one of the house girls favorite things this year. I make them to go with pineapple chicken or beef and broccoli, anything Asian inspired. This recipe is from a great book I use often, "Quick and Easy Chinese" by Nancie McDermott.

They literally have 4 ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup water

salt to season

sliced green onions

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and water. Stir well with a wooden spoon to mix it up and turn it into a soft dough.

Lightly flour a work surface and your hands. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then cover with the bowl for a 5 minute rest period.

Divide the dough into 3 portions (cut apart with a butter knife), leaving the other 2 portions covered while you work on the first. Roll the dough into a big pancake (6-8 inches in diameter), then sprinkle with green onions and salt. Then roll into a log...

Finally, roll the log into a ball and roll the pancake out flat again. The green onions will poke through the dough.

Use a small amount of oil or cooking spray to coat a large skillet and then place the pancake in the skillet to crisp on both sides.

I cut them into 4 pieces to serve.

kitchen rugs

2010-04-06T10:45:00.004-05:00

So, I had picked out this rug for our kitchen/dining area (top left corner) that I just loved. But, of course, as with all great things, it sold out. No where to be found.

Our next option is probably the green rug on the middle top row.

Here is how I envision it all coming together with some of our registry items for the kitchen!

white chicken chili

2010-04-06T09:39:00.005-05:00

My friend, Liz, made this terrific recipe for our book club one night and I just loved it! This chili is so easy to make and just delicious.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped (or jarred minced garlic if you're feeling lazy)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon anise seed
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 15 oz cans of white kidney beans (cannellini beans)
1 7-0z can of diced green chilies
1 can of yellow corn
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup whipping cream

Garnishes:

Cilantro
Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot of dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, anise sees, and dried red pepper. Saute for 5 minutes then push the onions to the outer edges of the pot. Season the chopped chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Saute for about 5 minutes.

Drain 2 of the cans of beans and add to the pot. Add the other can without draining. Add the chicken broth and cream. Simmer until chicken is cooked through-about 10 minutes. Then add the chilies and corn and let simmer on low for another 5-10 minutes.

I served the chili with grilled cheese sandwiches. I spread Sun Dried Tomato Pesto on the bread and used provolone cheese to dress them up!

kitchen cabinets

2010-04-06T09:30:00.004-05:00

I hate contact paper. It is impossible to remove and our house's previous owner put contact paper, really ugly contact paper, in all the kitchen cabinets. Try as we may to get it off, we could not. So, we decided to cover it with nicer cork contact paper.

Here is the before and after of this easy do-it-yourself home project!

After

Chipotle Chicken with Corn Salsa

2010-04-05T16:27:00.003-05:00

Love this recipe! My friend, Diane, made this one night for book club and it was amazing! Can also be made with pork tenderloin.

Ingredients:

1 pd chicken breast or pork tenderloin, sliced into medallions
1 1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder (or plain chili powder)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup canned yellow corn
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup picante salsa (I like to use the fresh Jack's salsa)
2 tbsp lime juice

Garnishes:
2 tbsp cilantro
1 avocado sliced
shredded cheese
sour cream
tortillas (warmed)
Note: A trick to warm your tortillas if you don't have a warmer. Place them on a plate and then plate a damp papertowel over top. Microwave for 1 min. The wet papertowl helps to "steam" the tortillas.

Directions:

Mix the chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt in a small bowl. After you have cut the chicken into slices, coat each side in the spice mixture. In a large skillet over medium heat, add some olive oil (about 1 tbsp) and then place the chicken medallions in the hot skillet. Let them brown on each side for 4-5 minutes.

Remove and place on a serving platter. Then pour the corn, salsa, lime juice, and green onions into the skillet and let simmer for 3 minutes. Pour the salsa mixture over the chicken and serve wrapped in tortillas with cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese to garnish!

new furniture!

2010-04-05T16:20:00.003-05:00

Joe and I are thrilled we have some new furniture! We has this entertainment center custom built by our guy at the flea market. I am envisioning cool colored vases in the bookcases and a big round mirror over the TV.

We also had AMAZING luck at the Sprintz warehouse sale!
We got this leather chair for $399...originally $1,500!! We also purchased our bed frame, mattress, and an ottoman for this living room.

I can't wait to put the bedroom together once we get the painting done!!

Spicy Meatballs with Mozzarella

2010-04-05T16:15:00.004-05:00

This great recipe is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis via the Food Network.

Ingredients:

• 1 small (6-ounce) onion, grated
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 8 ounces ground turkey
• 2 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 16 (1/2-inch) cubes

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, 1/2 cup parsley, 2/3 cup Parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the beef and turkey. Using your hands, combine all ingredients gently but thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into 16 (1 1/2-inch-diameter) meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Make a hole in the center of each meatball and place a cube of mozzarella inside. Reform the meatball so that the mozzarella is completely covered with the meat mixture. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes until cooked through.

I like to heat up pasta sauce (from a jar when lazy) and put the meatballs into the sauce before serving over pasta!

closet makeover

2010-04-05T15:46:00.006-05:00

So, our 1950's ranch style home has something to be desired in the way of closet space. Most of the closets are single door, deep but not wide spaces. In the master bedroom, we had a sliding double door closet (used to slide, now the doors just hang--I imagine because carpet was removed along with door tracking). This closet just had space for hanging items. Well...I have a lot of shoes and shoes can be a mess if not stored well, so project # 1 in this house was to expand the closet. We are currently in the middle of this project thanks to a super carpenter named Dave:

Closet before

End of day 1: Demolition and expansion day

All the waste from the demolition

End of day 2: new build

All that's left is to frame the closet with molding, put down a threshold, and attached the louver doors with these cool handles from Anthropologie!

Finally, the entire room will be painted and wallpapered. Final photos to come!

behind...

2010-04-05T15:44:00.002-05:00

I am so behind on posts, so bear with me as I catch up!
Coming soon...

recipes!
closet expansion
new furniture

cake tasting

2010-03-17T14:09:00.003-05:00

Going cake tasting today! Dessert Designs by Leland.

My favorite is her very special caramel pound cake! Yum!

hair trials...the saga

2010-03-16T22:33:00.006-05:00

Photos as promised!

Trail # 1: My regular, wonderful hairstylist. Had the vision, can could not carry it out. Maybe just not an "updo" person. I was there for 4 hours with no final success. I think the bun was too low--it itched my neck, and not full or secure enough.

Trail # 2: This dude could not even get there. He gave up. Did this instead, which I think just looked messy.
Trail # 3: Sooo close. Bridal "updo" expert. Did this in under an hour! Love the side view with a little height in the crown. I think I want the bun to come down a bit and be less full (it looks kind of massive here)... but we're almost there!

chicken tortilla soup

2010-03-16T22:16:00.009-05:00

Ingredients:

2 boxes are chicken stock (32 oz each)

1 large cans of Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes (28 oz)

2 large cans of Muir Glen fire roasted crushed tomatoes (28 oz)

1 small can of diced green chiles

1 can of whole kernel yellow corn

Fresh cilantro (1/3 cup chopped)

½ cup chopped yellow onion

2 cloves of garlic diced

Salt/Pepper

Olive oil

Shredded Mexican cheese

Chicken breasts (3)

2 avocados

Flour tortillas

Directions for the chicken:

Boil water in a medium pot. Once water has boiled, place the chicken breasts in the boiling water and let boil for 45 to an hour until the chicken is tender and falling apart.

Remove chicken from the water and shred it with 2 forks.

(You can also just buy a rotisserie chicken and shred that meat for the soup.)

Directions for the soup:

Cut ½ of a medium onion into small pieces.

Chop the 2 cloves of garlic into small pieces.

In a deep pot, sauté the onion and garlic in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil until lightly brown.

In the same pot, add the 2 boxes of chicken stock, the cans of tomatoes, and diced green chiles to the onion and garlic mixture.

Let cook for 20 minutes at a low boil, then add the corn, season with salt and pepper, and chop up a handful (1/3 cup) of fresh cilantro to season the soup.

Let the soup cook on low heat for another 10 minutes.

Directions for the tortillas:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place 5 or 6 flour tortillas in a stack and slice into long strips. Spread the tortilla strips out on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring the strips half way through. The strips should be crisp and brown.

Serve the soup over the shredded chicken and tortilla strips. Top with shredded cheese, avocado slices, and sour cream.

Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

Ingredients:

Flour tortillas

1 can black beans

1 large bag of shredded Mexican cheese

Directions:

Place 2 flour tortillas on a baking sheet. Spread cheese and black beans on one of the tortillas and only cheese on the other.

Place under the broiler on LOW and bake for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Then take tortilla with only cheese and flip it over and lay it on top of the cheese and bean tortilla. Broil for 3 minutes and then flip the entire sandwich over. Broil for 3 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for a few minutes before slicing it into 4 sections.

Repeat with any many tortillas as desired.

showered

2010-03-16T15:41:00.005-05:00

I had my first wedding shower this past weekend, a Linens & Lingerie shower. My friend, Holly, and her mother were kind enough to host the shower in their home. Lots of my girl friends came in from out of town, and it was wonderful.

I got lots of great linens (bedding, bath towels, dishtowels, etc.) and some fun lingerie!

table settings

with the hostess!

opening gifts

with the ladies

bedroom...countdown begins

2010-03-16T15:24:00.003-05:00

Joe and I are about ready to start overhauling the bedroom. First is the closet expansion...critical. Then wallpaper and paint. Last, fixtures. We have everything ready to go, but still need to order the bed and table lamps. Here are all the parts...

I am thinking of adding a pop of hot pink with some pillows...

Photos to come in May of the completed room!

chicken florentine

2010-03-04T10:28:00.003-06:00

This recipe is a new one I tried last night by Paula Dean. So, bring on the cream and butter. I adapted it slighty to make it lighter:

Ingredients:

*2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
*6 chicken breast halves cooked and shredded
*2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (Campbell Healthy Request)
*3/4 cup light mayonnaise
*1 cup light sour cream
*2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
*5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
*1 teaspoon curry powder
*Salt and freshly ground black pepper
*1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
*1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
*2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
1. Thaw spinach and drain by ringing it out in a dishtowel. Put into a large bowl. Add the shredded chicken.
2. In another bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, to taste, and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the spinach and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.
3. Place the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish that has been sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parmesan and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top. Dot with the butter.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes until bubbly.

I served this dish with brown rice. It makes enough for 8 people.

let them eat cake...or cupcakes as it may be!

2010-02-23T11:57:00.008-06:00

So, I've never really gotten into the wedding cake, cake decorations, matching your cake design to your dress, etc. Probably because most "pretty" cakes taste pretty yuck! :)

I just want really good tasting cake. And the best cake/icing combination I have ever had is GiGi's. I LOVE her cupcakes. I have sampled them all (and there are something like 50 flavors!)

The dilemma is how to display the cupcakes... and do you have a cupcake topper? or small cake topper? Also, I still can't decide about the "cutting of the cake." Cheesy tradition to be ignored or a must?

I just love the idea of a cute custom bride and groom cupcake topper. Here are some of my favorites from Etsy!

wedding hairstyle inspiration board

2010-02-22T11:48:00.004-06:00

All I know is that I want a "large" and low updo that will feel secure. I have had 3 trial runs. All only semi successful. Coming soon: photos of those 3 trials...

wedding makeup inspiration board

2010-02-22T11:43:00.005-06:00

I loved my makeup at our engagement party. It was my first run-through and I was pleased! I had never worn fake eyelashes before, but they are ah-mazing!

china and registry woes

2010-02-22T11:16:00.008-06:00

So, picking dinnerware for our registry has been difficult. Joe and I decided to get a nice "everyday" set and skip the whole "fine china" bit. After a lot of searching, we found one we really liked which, of course, has since been discontinued.

So, now we're trying to decide if we want to go with the 1 pattern they left in the set, or pick all new. Part of the appeal of the set was that there were essentially 3 "patterns" in one. I like the "mix and match" idea.

Here are some options we are considering:

But I have a favorite....

Who knew registries were such a pain, items are discontinued, back-ordered, on sale, not on sale...and keeping track of it all is so time consuming!

cracker brittle

2010-02-10T15:29:00.004-06:00

This is a super easy crowd pleaser:

Ingredients:
Crackers (Saltine or Ritz crackers-my preference is Ritz)

1 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup semisweet chips

1 cup Health Bar toffee chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place a layer of aluminum foil on a 1-inch deep cookie sheet or jelly roll pan and arrange a single layer of crackers on top of the foil.
Combine butter and brown sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes and then pour over the crackers.
Bake for 5 minutes -- until the crackers float to the top.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. After the chips melt, spread evenly, and sprinkle toffee chips on top.
Cool in fridge and then break into pieces.

wedding band

2010-02-10T15:07:00.006-06:00

Inception with Billy Lockridge

So, the recent topic of wedding conversation has been our first dance song. Joe and I, being the goobers that we are love the song by Jefferson Starship, "Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now."

But...our band does not play that song. We could ask them to learn it, but everyone that I have talked to highly recommends not doing so. They say it never sounds the same so you're better off playing the song via CD.

I just feel weird about having the band play a CD...I think it is kind of cheesy...

So our options are (1) pick another song to dance to or (2) suck it up and play the CD.

Here is our band's "sample playlist." What are songs you think are musts? What songs should be on the "do not play" list?

1999
A Train
Addicted To love
Ain't To Proud To Beg
All Night Long
All Shook Up
All Ways & Forever
At Last
Baby Love
Bad Mama Jama
Be Young
Be Foolish
Billy Jean
Blue Bossa Boogie Man
Boot Scoot Boogie
Brick House
Brown Eyed Girl
Cahamela
Can't Get Next To You
Can't Help Falling In Love
Cantalope Island
Careless Whisper
Carribean Queen
Cassanova
Celebration
Chicken Shack
Cold Sweat
Crazy
Cut The Cake
Da Butt
Dance To The Music
Devil With A Blue Dress
Disco Inferno
Do You Love Me
Drop The Bomb On Me
Easy
Easy Lover
Electric Slide
Elvira
Family Reunion
Fantastic Voyage
Fire
For The Good Times
Get Down Tonight
Get Ready
Ghostbusters
Give It To Me Baby
Give It Up Turn It Loose
Give Me Just A Little More Time
Good Golly Miss Molly
Great Balls Of Fire
Harry Hippie
Hay Baby
Heard it Through The Grape Vine
Heart Break Hotel Hello
Higher And Higher (Your Love Is)
Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me
Hold On I'm Coming
How Can You Mend A Broke
How Sweet It Is
I Can't Turn You Loose
I Feel Good
I Wish It Would Rain
It's Alright
James Brown Fan Fare
Jumpin Jack Flash
Jungle Love
Just My Imagination
Lady's Night
Lean On Me
Let's Get It On
Let's Groove Tonight
Let's Stay Together
Living In America
Long Train Running
Louie, Louie
Love And Happiness
Love Train
Midnight Hour Misty
Monkey Time
Monogo Satamarie
Moon River
Mr. Magic
Mustang Sally
My Girl
My Progrative
New York New York
Oh Baby Baby
Old Time Rock And Roll
Only Have Eyes For You
Papa Got A Bran New Bag
Papa Was A Rolling Stone
Pick Up The Pieces
Play That Funky Music
Please Please Please
Pretty Woman
Proud Mary
Purple Rain
Rappin Delight
Respect
Ribbon In The Sky
Rock Steady
Rocky Top
Roll With It
Roller Coaster
Rubber Band Man
Sam & Dave (Medley)
Satin Doll
Satisfaction
Say You, Say Me
September
Sex Machine
Sexual Healing
Shack Rattle And Roll
Shake Your Booty
Shot Gun Shout
Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay
Skin Tight
Something's Wrong With My
Soul Man
Spinners (Medley)
Stand By Me
Stay
Stop In The Name Of Love
Stroken Stuck On You
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch
Supremes (Medley)
Sweet Soul Music
Teddy Bear
Temptations (Medley)
Tennessee Waltz
That's The Way I Like It
The Bird
The Girl From Ipanema
The Right Stuff
The Twist
The Way You Do The Thing
The Way You Look Tonight
Tighten Up
Tired Of Being Alone
Twist And Shout
Unchain Melody
Under The Board
Walk Unforgettable
Up On The Roof
What A Wonderful World
What Kind Of Fool
Wild Flower
Wild Thing
With This Ring
Word Up YMCA
You Dropped A Bomb On Me
You Lost That Loving Feeling

very best strawberry cake

2010-02-09T16:16:00.005-06:00

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 box strawberry cake mix

1 small box strawberry jello mix (3 oz.)

4 eggs (lightly beaten)

1 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup mashed strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Icing:

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) (room temperature)

1 pack of cream cheese (8 oz.) (room temperature)

1 large bag of confections sugar (32 oz.) (more or less)

1/4 mashed strawberries

Directions:

Combine cake mix and gelatin powder in a large bowl. Beat in oil, eggs, water, and strawberries. Pour into 2 9-inch round greased and floured cake pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and frost with cream cheese/strawberry icing. For icing, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar together until smooth and at consistency you prefer for icing. Add strawberries. Spread between cake layers, then frost top and sides. Enjoy!

kitchens

2010-02-09T15:53:00.010-06:00

Kitchens are by far my favorite room in a house. When Joe and I were house hunting, my primary concern was the kitchen. Loving to cook and cook for people, I wanted a nice large room for hosting people. People always tend to congregate in the kitchen, so I wanted to have nice large room. Counter space is also important--having a large work surface. I also like bars or islands which lends the space to "serving" people. :) I like eclectic kitchens, open cabinets, displayed dishes, pot racks, etc.

Here are some of my favorite kitchens:

Clean and White.

With a splash of yellow.

Unique cabinets.

Love subway tile back splashes and white marble counter tops! Very Barefoot Contessa.

Do you recognize this one? It is the kitchen from "Somethings Gotta Give."

Basin Sinks.

Colorful exposed storage space. Cookbooks EVERYWHERE!

This one is from "It's Complicated." Love the double ovens, island, and lighting.

And of course. Julia Child. I adore her "pot wall."

Inspiration Board

We are going with a yellow/green color scheme. Very earthy. Here is an inspiration board!

Our kitchen is by no means near my dream kitchen, but it is my own and has promise with small tweaks! :) For the kitchen/dining room itself...

Getting started on the room, we found this awesome old refinished bar!

We had this hutch custom made. I plan to re-organize :)

And this light to go over our farm style table:

sea salt caramels

2010-01-29T11:27:00.003-06:00

I think these may actually be the best thing I have ever made. And I think they happened by accident!

I LOVE caramels. Especially sea salt caramels--the sweet and salty together is perfection. And dark chocolate makes everything better!
I came across this recipe online:
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup honey
6 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp sea salt
1 lb bittersweet chocolate chips
Preparation:
1. Prepare an 8-inch baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place the cream in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup and honey and stir until it begins to boil. Periodically wipe down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent sugar crystals from forming.
3. Cook the candy, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 257 degrees on a candy thermometer.
4. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and stir in the butter, vanilla, and 2 teaspoons of salt.
5. Pour into prepared pan and let set at room temperature until firm enough to cut.
6. Cut the caramel into small squares or strips with a chef’s knife.
7. Melt the chocolate and dip the caramels in the chocolate one at a time. Place them on a baking sheet covered with waxed paper or foil to set. While chocolate is still wet, sprinkle on the remaining salt and allow to set completely.
*My mistake was not owning a candy thermometer (add to wedding registry, check.) But with salty caramels calling my name, onward I went. I used the cold water test and just tried to judge the color and consistency, and they came out perfect! Now, a repeat attempt my prove futile, but I will report back!

eggplant parmesan

2010-01-29T11:04:00.005-06:00

The house girls requested a favorite this week: eggplant parmesan. It is surprisingly easy to make and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant
bread crumbs
eggs
olive oil
parmesan cheese (grated or shredded)
mozerella cheese (shredded)
fresh basil
pasta sauce (2 jars)
pasta noodles

Directions:
Eggplant can be tricky to work with and there is nothing worse than undercooked, chewy eggplant. The best way to allow it to cook fully and thoroughly, is to salt the eggplant before cooking.
To do this, slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Lay those slices on paper towels that have been salted. Then salt the top of the eggplant slices and place papertowels over top as well. Let them sit for 20-30 minutes and then press the eggplant with the paper towels (you may need dry ones that this point). This process draws some of the water out of the eggplant.

Once your eggplant has dried, prepare 2 small bowls (one with 4 beaten eggs and one with breadcrumbs). Dredge the eggplant slices in the egg and then transfer to the breadcrumbs and cover completely in crumbs.
Heat a skillet on high and add some olive oil to the pan. You will now need to sautee the breaded eggplant slices in the olive oil until they are lightly browned on both sides (2-3 minutes on each side).
Then layer the eggplant slices in a casserole dish with pasta sauce and shredded cheeses. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
Take the dish out of the oven and sprinkle some leftover shredded parmesan and mozerella cheeeses on top and then return the dish to the oven for 3 minutes to melt the cheeses.

Top with some fresh basil and serve with pasta!

nashville

2010-01-26T11:25:00.005-06:00

(image by aron wright via design*sponge)

When I moved back to Nashville from Atlanta, I was bitter. I was resigned to hate Nashville for its "small town" feel and lack of dining options. I missed the sushi and cucumber salad at Harry and Sons, the Korean BBQ at Hae Woon Dae, burritos at Willy's, and the biscuits and love cakes at The Flying Biscuit.

While nothing can ever replace the "originals," I have found my Nashville replacements that I would surely miss if I ever moved. Biscuits and peach preserves at Loveless, Sushi and Battered and Fried, soup and sandwich at Food Company, cupcakes at GiGi's, and yes, Korean BBQ (in Nashville!!) at Seoul Garden.

I recently came across this great Nashville Guide on Design*Sponge. It talks about all the great spots in each area of town: Downtown, Germantown, East Nashville, Hillsboro Village, 12th South, 8th Avenue, Green Hills, West End, etc.

I was reading over it and came up with a list of the places I want to try:

Germantown:
DrinkHaus
Lazzaroli Pasta (have heard GREAT things about this spot!)

East Nashville:
Turnip Truck
Wonders on Woodland (Vintage Store)
Ugly Mugs
Wild Cow

12th South:
imogene + willie (vintage clothing)
Local Honey (vintage clothing, local designers)

Green Hills:
Kalamata's
Ash Blue

Franklin:
Red Pony
Zolos

Others:
Allium
Tayst
The Standard
Cha Chas
Watanbe Sushi
Miel

living room inspiration board

2010-01-26T10:49:00.012-06:00

When we moved in our house, the living room was in need of a major overhaul. The small room's wall were painted dark maroon, making the room seem smaller than it already was. The red paint was all over the trim around the doors and windows--the remnants of a poor paint job. (The rest of the house is a lovely shade of tan (sense the sarcasm?), but that's a whole other story. Joe and I being perfectionists and never having painted a room before, decided to get the job done professionally. The painter that I have used at the sorority house is a hoot (imagine a red mullet and strong country twang), but 100% trustworthy. He was the man for the job!

We selected a beautiful shade of gold to paint the living room and kitchen/dining room. It came out perfect and now we are itching to paint the rest of the house!

But, back to the purpose of this post. Living room decor. We very quickly bought a couch and tv (my gosh, I am going to live with a man). And for me, a lovely rug. The rug is our starting point for the room.

The color scheme is going to be orange and brown with accents of royal blue (and then the neutral gold walls).

Here is the inspiration:

We recently found these awesome chairs at Meridian (my favorite affordable furniture store)! In this photo, you can see our beautiful golden walls and rug (also pictured above in more true color in the inspiration board). Ignore the chest and lamps--those are only living there for the time being.

I also snagged this piece at the flea market. I just love the distressed finish! Perfect for storing DVDs. I plan to place some beautiful ceramic jugs on top for decoration!

fruit buckle in the crock pot

2010-01-22T14:18:00.006-06:00

This dessert is so easy and super yummy. I am not sure why it is called a "buckle," but I just go with it. I think I originally saw the recipe on Semi Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee.

It is a crock pot recipe, so you can let it cook and make your house smell wonderful all day.

Ingredients:
2 cans pie filling (apple, peach, blueberry, cherry--whatever you prefer). I LOVE the apple.
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter
1 package of instant oatmeal (I think the Cinnamon flavor).
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Spray your crock pot with cooking spray like Pam. Then empty the 2 cans of pie filling in the crock pot.
Pour the dry cake mix over the pie filling.
Slice the stick of butter into 10 pieces and place around top of cake mix. Sprinkle the oatmeal packet and almonds on top.
Finally, place 2 paper towels over the crock pot before closing the lid. (This keeps the condensation from dripping back onto the cake). Set on Low and let cook for 6-8 hours.

It is a MUST to serve this dessert with cold homestyle vanilla ice cream!

Always a crowd pleaser :)

bouquet inspiration board

2010-01-22T13:20:00.009-06:00

Wedding Bouquet
Inspiration Board #3

I think I want to have the bridesmaids carry green and white bouquets. I will carry a green and yellow bouquet (to tie into my yellow shoes!) Here are my favorites. I just love the yellow ranunculus.

baked brie

2010-01-21T09:43:00.004-06:00

Whenever I make the Panko Chicken with Salad, I also make a baked brie as well. I have a love affair with cheese. I have not met a cheese I do not like...well, maybe not the smokey flavored cheeses (like Gouda or smoked mozzarella). Brie is one of my favorites because it is such a versatile cheese. I have seen people serve it with fruit, with honey mustard, and with pepper jelly. Hot or cold.

My all time favorite way to serve Brie is topped with Loveless Cafe Peach Preserves and Roasted Walnuts. YUM!
On this particular version, I used raspberry preserves instead. All you have to do is place the brie wheel and walnuts on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees until the cheese is soft. I heat the preserves in the microwave and pour them on the brie before sprinkling the roasted walnuts on top.

panko chicken strips

2010-01-21T09:34:00.003-06:00

One of my sorority ladies all time favorite dinners is Panko Chicken Strips and Build-Your-Own-Salad bar. They are so easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 box Panko Japanese Bread Crumbs
3 eggs
2 packs of chicken tenderloins
salt/pepper

How to:

Empty the entire box of Panko into medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to season.

In another bowl, beat the 3 eggs.

Dredge each piece of chicken in the egg mixture and then in the Panko mixture. Lay on a cookie sheet.

I like to broil these in the oven for fast cooking. I broil them on low for about 5-8 minutes on each side until the bread crumbs are browned.

I serve them with salad and the girls can "build their own," which is great when you are feeding 7 people who all have different salad preferences. I personally despise fruit on salads, but to each their own! :)

decorating the bedroom

2010-01-20T17:30:00.012-06:00

My current home project is decorating the master bedroom. Joe and I decided to go with a grey and yellow theme. Grey and yellow look awesome together and are very much this moment. Here is some inspiration:

Inspiration Board # 2

I want to wallpaper the wall behind the bed and then paint the other walls a complementing color. I think this will really make a statement and frame the bed as the focal point. Here are some wallpapers I love from Thibaut:

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Option 5

Too gold?

Here are some more that I found:

Option 6

Option 7

This one is a little too gold...

Option 8

Option 9

I am LOVING this one. It would make a statement with the yellow and grey. I saw a room decorated with this wallpaper at Thibaut (and yellow bedding) and was in love.

Option 10

Which one is your favorite?

stuffed pork tenderloin

2010-01-18T11:05:00.007-06:00

Joe and I cooking in our new house is interesting...with no real kitchen tools yet, or anything that would make we want to cook, I have to be creative!

Friday night I made a stuffed pork tenderloin. We love those tenderloins--so yummy and just enough for 2 people. They come in packs of 2, so I like to freeze one for later use.

I have stuffed the tenderloin with a variety of things: feta cheese, goat cheese, spinach, artichokes, pesto, sun dried tomatoes, etc. But last night, I did an artichoke, sun dried tomato pesto, goat cheese combo that turned out lovely.

First, I sliced the tenderloin open, (not all the way through, just about 3/4 of the way) and pounded it to flatten it out a bit. Then I seasoned it with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, I mixed 1/2 a can of chopped up quartered artichoke hearts, 3 tablespoons of sun dried tomato pesto, and 1/3 cup of crumbled goat cheese. I then put this mixture on the tenderloin and rolled it back up to look like it did before I cut it open.

I usually secure it with cooking twine that you can buy at Williams-Sonoma or often get from the butcher at the grocery store, but last night I used these baking "rubber bands" from Target. I would not recommend them--you have to wrap them around the whole tenderloin rather than just being able to tie them.

Once assembled, as below and ready to go into the oven on a cookie sheet:

I seasoned the top of the tenderloin with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and some fresh thyme.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Finished product sliced, filled with cheesy goodness:

invitations

2010-01-15T14:49:00.011-06:00

In last month's edition of Martha Stewart Weddings (my favorite), an invitation was featured that caught my eye:

I discovered this hand drawn beauty was created by Anna Bond of Rifle Designs. Her online store just opened, but her wedding line won't debut until May, which is very sad. Here is some of the cute stationary she creates:

This one is for you, Aunt Susan!

Back to wedding invitations--I still plan on going with some type of yellow paper and white writing! I found a store here in town who doesn't letterpress white, but they can foil white typeset onto the yellow paper of my choice!

Anna also creates these custom "witness posters." I plan on ordering one of these to have all the guest sign and then Joe and I can have it framed to display in our house!

Another invitation I was lusting over was from the Mr. Boddington line (but with charcoal instead of brown).

Their website is amazing. Check it out...

community supported agriculture

2010-01-12T16:09:00.004-06:00

I just joined a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture group! These are local farmers who have "clubs" you can join to receive 50 varieties of fresh, organic, seasonal fruits, veggies, and herbs each week between May and December in an effort to support local agriculture. I am joining the Barefoot Farmer's CSA this season.

YUMMMMM!!

wedding inspiration board #1

2010-01-12T15:46:00.003-06:00

I will be making a series of wedding inspiration boards. While I know my basic colors are calypso blue (bridesmaid dresses) and green (lime green orchids, etc) and a highlight of yellow (invitations, my shoes), I am still working on creating a board that really brings my vision together. Here is my first attempt. More boards to come!

save the date

2010-01-12T13:26:00.008-06:00

In staying with our "Nashville" theme--but tasteful Nashville theme, we decided we wanted to do a Hatch Show Print postcard for our Save the Date!

Joe was so into this! He selected the colors and helped design the background and text. They came out perfectly! Then I did a little DIY and printed the envelopes on my printer in a similar font.

I absolutely love them. I hope they are still around for the wedding invitations! They are "romantic" without being red hearts, ha!
I wanted some fun stamps, so I visited the post office where I found these!

engagement photos

2010-01-12T12:01:00.007-06:00

I love our photographer, Michael Howard ( Howard Photography). I was very deliberate in choosing a photographer because I had a specific look in mind and wedding photos are an investment. I love his photojournalistic style, juxtaposition of beauty with the unexpected, and his use of light.

These photos are from our engagement session back in October. We opted to do engagement photos instead of me having "bridal portraits" because bridal photos will be taken at the wedding. Plus, it is fun to get dressed up for a "fashion shoot" in everyday clothes! Although it was not quite as glamorous as I had envisioned a "photo shoot" to be--it was VERY cold outside that day!

We took these photos at the house Joe grew up in. It is a beautiful old antebellum home. Michael can find the best spots to use as backdrops...although I am not sure what Joe's mom thought of her antique couch out in the front yard!!

homemade brownies

2010-01-09T12:34:00.007-06:00

I love to cook. As Julie Powell said about chocolate cream pie, "You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is sure and when I say nothing, I mean nothing. You can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. That's such a comfort."

So true. I look forward to being in the kitchen after a long day. You don't have to think about anything, but the ingredients and how yummy what your making will be! Right now, I am the House Director at a sorority and so I cook as part of my job. 3 meals a week for the 6 lovely house girls who I look after. This job has really evolved my love of food and cooking!

I am not the kind of cook who is very good at following recipes. I tend to experiment and just go with taste, so I am challenging myself to be better about writing down recipes in order to share some of the yummy things I plan to make.

Anyways, no better first recipe to post than my mother's brownies! My friend Amy and I made them the other night in the middle of a hot-gooey-chocolate craving.

½ cup of salted butter, 1 stick -- best if at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ cup of flour
½ cup of cocoa

Mix the butter and sugar together. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Finally, stir in the flour and cocoa. Pour into an 8x8 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. For an added bonus, serve with vanilla ice cream! Nothing better than hot and cold together! :)

snow

2010-01-09T12:30:00.003-06:00

This is what I woke up to today! So pretty. Even if it is only 1/2 inch.

ring

2010-01-08T21:00:00.010-06:00

I have gotten ahead of myself with the wedding plans! I skipped the proposal and ring! It is a great story, coming to a post near you soon. But in the meantime, here are some photos of the ring.

Thanks Thad, for taking these pictures for me. (It is incredibly hard to get a detailed photo of a ring!) Anyone have any pointers out there for how to get a good photo?

Ring Stats: Antique platinum ring, originally setting. Probably 1920s? European cut center diamond with 24 small diamonds in the setting. I am in love.

our new house

2010-01-08T20:51:00.004-06:00

So, to take a break from wedding posts...Here is a picture of the house Joe and I bought! It was built in the 1960s and is a ranch style home.

3 bedrooms, 2 baths, great back yard, awesome patio for summer parties! All hardwood floors. Big, open kitchen with all stainless appliances.

Neither Joe or I own any furniture, so we've been working hard to furnish the house! Flea markets are the best. We also love West Elm. Anthropologie. Ethan Allen. Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams. Ballard Designs. Pottery Barn.

More posts to come with home decorating updates!

wedding party attire

2010-01-08T14:10:00.008-06:00

While I'm on the topic of clothing. Here are the bridesmaid dresses by Vineyard Collection, Priscilla of Boston.

But they will be in the color "Calypso":

My aunt, and Matron of Honor, will wear this lovely gown in Navy by Watters.

And for added fun, we will all wear colored shoes! Here is the inspiration:

The men will wear these handsome suits with a custom made blue tie made of the same material as the dresses (thanks to Otis B. James). Suits from Street Tuxedo, by Calvin Klein.

the dress

2010-01-07T15:15:00.015-06:00

So, wedding dress shopping was incredibly fun, but I wish someone had told me how hard it would be!

For months, I had been lusting at this beauty in the window of B. Hughes Bridal. In fact, I almost get into a wreck everytime I drive past their windows...still! Oscar de la Renta was having a trunk show shortly after I got engaged, so I jumped on the chance to visit the dress and see the others fresh off the runway!

They had this stunning dress in town for the trunk show...sleek, white guipure lace...I was in love with the dress. But not the $20,000 price tag. I don't understand how something can possibly cost that much. Needless to say, the search continued.

I had a hard time getting the Oscar dress out of my mind. I visited the Bride Room and Faccio Bridal where I found these lovelies:
Melissa Sweet
Anne Barge
Anne Barge

I had pretty much decided on this last one.

But then I saw "the one" at Bridals by Lori in Atlanta.
Designer: Christos.
I am not disclosing my dress :) ...but it is one of these!!

catching up to speed

2010-01-07T14:14:00.013-06:00

Joe and I met on a blind date. :) You don't hear that too often. I have known him for just over 3 years. We became engaged in May. And our wedding is in June!

I am about 1/2-3/4 into the planning. I am assuming. So, that being said, I should start by playing catch up!

We decided to have our ceremony in Wightman Chapel at Scarritt Bennett Center here in Nashville. It is the most beautiful old Gothic chapel, right in the middle of Nashville! Scarritt Bennett is currently a retreat center, but started out in 1920s as a "College for Christian Workers." It is a wedding destination, scheduling up to 5 weddings a weekend during the summer! We got lucky and snagged the last Saturday evening slot for the summer of 2010 (and we booked it 14 months out!)Luckily that date worked.

We knew we wanted to keep the reception in close proximity to the ceremony, and that we wanted it to be very "Nashville." We visited the Parthenon, Cheekwood, the Frist, Hermitage Hotel, Union Station, Belle Meade Plantation, the War Memorial Building, and Riverwood. Riverwood was most certainly not my thing! I am a person who likes to have a plan, so an outdoor venue made a nervous...can't trust the weather. Joe and I both fell in love with the Conservatory space at the Country Music Hall of Fame and that was it! You can't get more Nashville than that!
The building was designed to look like a keyboard from the outside.

The inside is this big, beautiful open space that looks out on the downtown sky. Here are some photos from weddings there: so lovely...

first post

2010-01-05T09:23:00.005-06:00

The first post is a daunting task albeit no one may ever scroll down so far as to read it! I have spent so much time obsessing over getting this page to look and be organized the way I wanted that I have put off posting...until now. But I have learned a lot about creating a blog! Currently, my site's stats are as follows:

- days in existence 4 - visits 0 - followers 0 - blog posts 1 -

So, I guess I'll start with some notes about me by way of an introduction.

I love exclamation marks. I probably use them too frequently, but they just make a sentence more fun! I love getting mail...snail mail. Checking the mailbox is the highlight of my day. I love grocery stores. Probably because I also love food. I love the color yellow. But I prefer to call it "marigold," "saffron," or "sunflower." I am a very bad speller. very bad.

Other things I love...fancy cheeses. post-its. painted fingernails. yoga. italy. planners. lilacs. ink pens. antique jewelry. cozy blankets. iron chef. fancy soaps.

I decided to start this blog to chronicle this busy time in my life! Getting married, buying and decorating my first home, and continuing to cook good food(something I am currently paid to do!).

So, nice to meet you, and happy reading!

a veiled aside

pinterest

indian chickpea potato curry

love

slow cooker meat sauce

baby showers

shrimp bake

patios and porches

spring wish list

busy lately

(another) cheese plate

red velvet cheesecake

Ingredients

Directions

dream kitchens and kitchen loves

homemade oreos

Ingredients:

Cookies

Filling

Directions:

spicy moroccan meatballs with couscous

Ingredients:

Meatballs

Sauce

valentine's day adventure

Thomas Style Beef Stroganoff

wall decor: collages

wedding photo contest

joe's 30th birthday bash

mexican home tour and art

bookcase "design" before and after

books and bookcases

style: january 2011

southern living weddings

flax seed granola bars

get well flowers

Christmas and Mexico

salted caramel banana pudding pie

mexico

an engagement story

last minute gifts

cheese tasting

christmas wish list

finished bedroom

grilled lamb chops with a mint-mustard sauce

holiday cards

facelift

Our Wedding Video Teaser!

wedding photos

new favorite blog

moving weekend

taking photos of your ring

...and they are out!

wedding invitations

flood

seriously?!?

yard work

mother of the bride rehearsal dinner options

wedding event dresses

liking right now...

scallion pancakes

kitchen rugs

white chicken chili

kitchen cabinets

Chipotle Chicken with Corn Salsa

new furniture!

Spicy Meatballs with Mozzarella

closet makeover

behind...

cake tasting

hair trials...the saga

chicken tortilla soup

showered

bedroom...countdown begins

chicken florentine

let them eat cake...or cupcakes as it may be!

wedding hairstyle inspiration board

wedding makeup inspiration board

china and registry woes

cracker brittle

nashville