four years

We're celebrating four years of marriage today and I'm counting the ways I'm thankful for the relationship we've been blessed with. Matt is my best friend and he's Ezra's favorite playmate. It helps that he fixes everything around the house, but that's just a bonus. I'm especially thankful for Matt's hardworking nature. He provides for us so I can stay home with Ezra and spend all day with our little guy. I love you, Matt!

menu of the week

Hello friends! I have to say, our weekend was pretty awesome over here- dinner at the Rue (more on that tomorrow), hours of yard work, an eggplant parmesan sandwich, a carnival, bubble lawn mowing, more yard work, and homemade chocolate peanut butter ice cream. A great balance of work and play with ice cream to end it all. How did your weekend go? I desperately need to go grocery shopping, so while I plan and shop for our meals this week, you can check out what we ate last week...

baked pastina casserole - A favorite Giada recipe that combines pasta, chicken, cheese, and gravy - that's pasta sauce for those of you who aren't Rhode Island Italians (or married to one!) - hearty and filling, this meal comes together quickly if you have cooked chicken on hand. This time I used some that was left over from another meal. Also, I never use pastina because I don't like straining those tiny little pasta shapes. Instead I use elbows or something else on the small side.

salmon burgers with yogurt-tartar sauce - This was my first time making salmon burgers and I had high hopes for them to turn out well. Unfortunately, dinner was a comedy of errors that began with me attempting to skin the salmon myself (I was only partially successful) and culminated in the propane tank running out so I had to finish the burgers on the stove. Thus, the salmon was overcooked and a bit on the dry side. Luckily we had the yummy yogurt tartar sauce to fix them up.

white cheddar corn chowder - Summer time calls for chowder, so I made this vegetarian version that we love mostly because of the cheddar cheesy goodness. Too bad I forgot to put the cheddar cheese in. Oops. We added it at the table instead.

pasta with black pepper and parmesan - I think I've written about this dish before, but if I have it's worth repeating - this is a great meal for those nights when you didn't defrost anything and don't have anything in the fridge. You basically boil pasta in chicken broth, reserve some of the broth, and add it back to the pan with the pasta, lots of black pepper, and parmesan. Man, is it peppery! But sooo good.

beans and rice - I've made this before but accidentally used cranberry bean instead of anasazi. No worries, folks, things turned out just fine. Wow, it looks as though I made a lot of mistakes this week! Good thing Matt's not too picky anymore.

image via Whole Living

hello weekend

It was my birthday yesterday so I had to post a pretty birthday cake today. Matt made the day special by having our families and a few friends over for dessert - he made this yummy confection and everyone was so sweet. Tonight I'm going out to dinner at Rue De L'Espoir with a friend... I think I might get the fig & pistachio salad. On Saturday there are more mystery birthday plans - hooray! I'm hoping they involve a certain carnival that recently went up by our house. Oh, and it just occurred to me that it's a long weekend! My birthday week is even longer! Yes, I'm claiming Monday as still part of my birthday week. We're going to Colt State Park with some friends from church for a little cookout and lots of ultimate frisbee. Fingers crossed that the sun is shining! 

- such a sweet way to wrap a gift

- if you're a local, check out these free fun Fridays in Massachusetts throughout the summer
- this dress might need to come home with me... after all, it is my birthday week
- the prettiest printable stationery, via creature comforts
- go here for a free dirty dozen download
- I want to make a little liberty quilt, too!
- can't wait to take this funny quiz with Matt
- this little herb garden in an egg carton is the cutest

Hope your weekend is an awesome one.

image via Bakerella

tea with Rose // Tealuxe

Hillary and I decided to go to an old favorite of ours last week for our tea tour - Tealuxe. It's probably the most well known place to get a cup of tea in the state so of course we had to include it in the tour.

We met up on Thayer Street at about 9:00 and placed our orders - I chose an iced papaya and pineapple and had to wait a few minutes since it was custom made. Not a problem as I took the time to poke around the cafe while Ezra sipped on water.

I was tempted to get the 'half & half' but I decided that drinking tea blended with lemonade would be cheating since we're supposed to be on a tea tour. I refrained. 

The papaya pineapple was a bright blend of fruity flavors that almost tasted sweet even without the addition of sugar or honey. Getting it iced was a good call because the day was already warming up and we headed to the playground after so Ezra could run around. It was the perfect refreshment for sipping while I watched Ezra climb and jump and pick up every piece of litter he found. I'm not kidding. He picked up every piece in sight and wanted me to lift him up so he could reach the trash can. Someone get this kid's college application started because he's already doing volunteer work. Anyway, I would definitely get the papaya pineapple again. I might even buy some loose tea so I can make it at home. Maybe it will be the official beverage of summer 2012.

As you can see, Ezra snagged my tea and downed the last inch or so. I think he felt pretty cool drinking it, although he did add a few wood chips later on. Wouldn't be my first choice for a garnish but then I'm not eighteen months old. Read Hillary's post about our trip to Tealuxe right here, check out our other stops on the tea tour, too!

P.S. Hillary used instagram to capture this shot of Ezra looking all moody. I kind of love it.

gifts for the girl // a little birthday wishlist

My birthday is tomorrow and I caught myself mentally compiling a wishlist when I was at Target the other day. What girl doesn't love new accessories and pretty paper? For your child's teacher, a high school graduate, to thank the babysitter (or for yourself!) - these are all great to have on hand for last minute gift giving. Here are some of my favorite finds... 

scarf / cookbook / nail color / note cards

Full disclosure: I bought myself the nail polish.

a quilt for a baby yet to be

My latest quilt was made with a special woman in mind. My friend Alex's sister Mikaela asked if I could make one for her friend who's been going through a difficult time and I readily agreed. 

Mikaela chose a few of the quilt designs I suggested and then I picked the easiest one because we were working with a small window of time. Once the design was decided Mikaela and I went to Joann to pick out the fabric. She picked out all the prints based on what she thought her friend would like and I helped her edit for color, pattern, and value. My favorite prints are the ones by Denyse Schmidt.

Oooh, and I just love the backing! 

I used a simple tutorial from Film in the Fridge as a guideline. It all came together in under a week from start to finish. 

Simple straight lines of quilting echo the lines of the quilt. There are two lines on either side of the seams where the blocks and stripes meet.  

The quilt is bound with a simple navy and white polka dot and I love how it pairs with the backing. In fact, I love it so much that I might just go back to Joann to pick up some of these fabrics for myself!

I hope that this quilt brings joy and comfort to the woman who it was made for. It was an honor to pray for her as I sewed and quilted, and I hope she feels the love that was put into every stitch. 

menu of the week + a recipe

(image via Sarah Waldman)

This past weekend was pretty much perfect. I don't think I mentioned that we were supposed to be in Newport with my family (my parents have a timeshare there) but things got goofed up so no one ended up going - hence, the change of plans. Our weekend at home was just what we needed to recharge. Here's what we ate last week -

veggie enchiladas - After Mother's Day I had an entire pan left so these made another appearance. A little bit labor intensive (so much chopping!) but very good, especially when served with sour cream. Yum.

lemon chicken tagine - We hadn't had chicken in a while so we headed to Baffoni's in Johnston and picked up eight chicken breasts. Matt thought they tasted game-y but they seemed normal to me. Regardless of the chickens themselves, I thought this recipe left a little to be desired. The lemon flavor was bright and dominant, which I liked, but the chicken turned out a bit dry. I served it with toasted almond whole wheat cous cous.

broccoli cheddar frittata with potatoes - Since we started eating less meat last summer I've had to become more creative with meal planning and I've found that eggs are very versatile, filling, and forgiving. Even if my cupboard is bare, if I have a half dozen eggs and my cast iron pan I'm pretty much all set. While I love to cook and bake and have been doing so on a regular basis for just about four years, I'm just beginning to feel comfortable cooking without a recipe in hand. I'm embarrassed to admit that, but I'm feeling brave so let's get things out in the open. With that said, here's my frittata recipe -

ingredients
2 cups chopped broccoli
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
directions
Steam the broccoli either on the stove top or in the microwave until tender. Set aside. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat (I used my 9 inch cast iron pan). Add the potato, onion, and garlic. Season the potato mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Saute over medium-low heat until the potato is golden, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and stir to evenly distribute. Preheat the broiler. Whisk the eggs, cream, Parmesan, an cheddar in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the egg mixture into the potato mixture in the skillet. Cover (I don't have a lid so I just use a piece of foil) and cook over medium heat until the egg mixture is almost set but the top is still loose, about 6 minutes. Take the foil off and place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the top is set and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Use a butter knife to cut the frittata into eight wedges and serve with a small spatula.

baked barley risotto with butternut squash - anything with butternut squash is delicious in my opinion. It really tastes good no matter what you do to it. This recipe is nice because once you get it going you can just leave it on the stove and wait for it to finish. Use that time to prepare a salad or play with your toddler before dinner.

quinoa black bean burgers - I'm so glad I discovered Sarah's blog because I've gotten so many healthy, tasty recipes from her. Now this black bean burger recipe is one of my favorite things ever. Like I mentioned last time we had them, I didn't care for the large pieces of raw onion so this time I made sure to chop them extra fine. I served them on Barwosky's organic hamburger buns.

Tonight I'm making salmon burgers for the first time. I was excited to use the grill but now it's drizzling. Bummer. Here's hoping that the sun comes out again!

hello weekend

(illustration by Danielle Kroll)

Yesterday felt like the start to my weekend because Matt ended up home sick. Sounds like a bummer, but he ended up being mostly okay so we were still able to spend some quality family time together and took Ezra to zoo and went for a bike ride. Ezra looks so funny in his helmet! I'll have to post pictures soon. Today is looking to be pretty good, too - this morning we (Ezra and I, that is) went out to tea with Hillary and then visited the playground at India Point Park. When Ezra wakes up from his nap I plan on taking him to the Providence Children's Museum. Then later on I'm finally getting that massage - remember when it was cancelled?- I think I need it more this week anyway. Tomorrow morning while Matt heads out to do a shoot I'm going to take Ezra to the first outdoor farmers market of the season, and then we're having a little Morrocan-inspired lunch at our house with a few friends. I love this weekend already. What are you doing this weekend? 

- great read on jumpstarting your creativity

- this it the funniest pin cushion ever

- pretty things at the National Stationery Show (the card with the balloons!)

- why didn't I think of that?

- my friend Ashley is having a giveaway of her homemade sugar scrubs - go here to enter!

- definitely putting mushroom ragu on the menu for next week

- this bouquet is pretty much perfect

- finally, a braid I think I might be able to pull off

- check out this free printable of Isaiah 40:31 (scroll all the way to the bottom of the post, after ogling all the chalkboard walls)

- once again, I wish I could go to Dandee's craft camp... I'll just have to host my own some day!

See you next week! I have a new menu, a special quilting project, some family photos, and the next stop on the tea tour in store!

hello weekend

(image via {frolic!})

After a very wet week I'm excited to enjoy the warm weather this weekend. I have an obsession with sheep shearing so hopefully we'll have time to go to Watson Farm tomorrow morning to see the little lambs get their spring time hair cuts. Then I'll be celebrating a friend's upcoming nuptials at her bridal shower. On Sunday we have big plans for a Mother's Day luncheon at our house after church. I'm planning a southwestern inspired menu complete with chili, enchiladas, and flan! 

- dining al fresco gets me every time... this picnic party is no exception

- what a neat frosting trick

- these illustrated herb basics are helpful and pretty, too!

- this pretty braid makes me want to grow my hair out

- a swanky birthday party with vintage flair looks like a perfect celebration

- a new twist on grilled cheese - chard and gruyere!

- love this funny Mother's Day card - download it and send it along to your husband!

Have a lovely weekend! Especially all you moms out there... 

menu of the week

(image via serious eats)

Hello and happy Monday to you! A lot of my plans for the weekend fell through (massage, brunch, visit to Foxtrot Press) but things have been rescheduled and it actually made for a very nice weekend. I finished a quilt I was working on, planned my menu for Mother's Day, and went grocery shopping, a chore I usually save for Monday morning so now I'm free to do whatever I want. We might go to the Providence Children's Museum so Ezra can do some toddler art projects, or I'll start baking my brother's birthday dessert for our celebration tonight. I mentioned last week that we ended up going out to eat more than usual so I didn't cook much, but here's what we had on the menu...

shrimp pad thai - This recipe is from What to Cook & How to Cook It (I couldn't find it online anywhere... borrow the book from your local library!) and was much easier than other pad thai recipes I've tried in the past. The flavors melded really well and, as recommended, we went crazy with the lime juice. Warning: don't double the recipe if you don't have a big enough pan! I learned this the hard way.

brie and apple French toast panini - Seriously one of my favorite things to make and eat. Brie, apples, and brioche. You can't go wrong. Also, this is a quick dinner if you have plans during the day and don't have time for a lot of prep. Clean up is a cinch, too!

farfalle with broccoli pesto - We love pesto so I thought experimenting with adding broccoli would be a nice way to eat our veggies. For a simple dinner it was very good and I would make it again. Just make sure you use good quality extra virgin olive oil since the flavor will come through in the pesto!

baked haddock with baked potatoes and steamed haricots verts - When I only have thirty minutes to get dinner on the table fish is a quick fix. I brush the filet with olive oil, sprinkle it liberally with salt and pepper, and pop it in a hot oven for under ten minutes. Microwave a couple potatoes and then throw them in the oven, too. Lastly, I "steamed" the frozen green beans in the microwave. Put butter and salt on everything and it's bound to taste good.

This week I have plans to make bolognese sauce for the first time. Any tips?

hello weekend

(image via Vita Nostra)

Let me begin by saying that the above image is my way of willing the rain away this weekend. It's been dreary all week and I've been wondering how people do it in Seattle. This rain is seriously getting me down and it's cold. Alright, sorry, enough of that. There's a lot to be happy about even if it is drizzly and dark. Tonight I'm getting a much needed massage (this cold weather has been making me so tense!) and then coming home to read and go to sleep. On Saturday we're going to a Cinco de Mayo block party on and around Westminster Street with our friends Jared and Amanda... maybe I'll see you there! Then on Sunday we're going to church and in the afternoon I have two fun things lined up - an open house brunch at The Cupcakerie and then a visit to watch Erika of Foxtrot Press in action. Sounds like a perfect weekend to me. What do you have going on these next couple of days?  

Here are a few (okay, so there are more than a few) things I wanted to share with you this week...

- a simple and pretty watercolor silhouette DIY project

- love these third birthday portraits (that crown!)
- adding tiny clay houses to my list of things to make
- this concert attire for a little guy is amazing and I want to copy it for Ezra, especially the suspenders
- maybe I'll take up finger knitting (hey, it's a start) so I can make a pillow like this one
- some bright and stripey invitations for you to download and print

- how to make your own bubble solution (and wands, too!)
- new and fresh paint chip art that I can't wait to try for myself
- listen up local(ish) brides! you can win the bluecube for your wedding... go here for details and good luck!
- been thinking a lot about this post I wrote last year on balance because I still need improvement... any tips or suggestions?

Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend, rain or shine.