Tuesday, October 29, 2013
currently reading...
i got a jump start on our november book group book, life after life by kate atkinson. it's perfect night time reading weather, although i find myself falling asleep quicker than usual in our flannel sheets these nights...
Monday, October 28, 2013
sunday chow-down...
sundays are for eating, end of story. this weekend was no exception. for lunch we had a homemade mac & cheese and for dinner the husband made a delicious pork chop with vinegar peppers & potatoes. i had about 2 dozen apples from apple picking with my girlfriends on saturday so i whipped up some apple crisp for dessert too. i think by the end of winter i'll be about 300 lbs if we continue on this eating path...
mac & cheese
ingredients:
1 block of white cheddar
1 block of orange cheddar
3 cups milk, plus some extra (maybe another cup)
2 tablespoons truffle oil
bacon bits (i used the pre-made stuff in a jar, use as much or as little as you want)
2 cups panko crumbs
1 box of elbow macaroni
directions:
1. cook the pasta according to the directions. drain & set aside. pre-heat the oven to 375
2. shred the cheese (or just buy the pre-shredded stuff, much easier).
3. heat the milk in a medium saucepan, slowly stirring in the cheese until it's melted. be sure to set aside & reserve some of the cheese for the topping
4. add the truffle oil to the cheese mixture.
5. combine the cheese mixture with the cooked pasta, adding in the bacon.
6. in a separate bowl mix the left over shredded cheese with the panko crumbs.
7. spread the pasta & cheese mixture into a baking dish, top with the panko crumb mixture.
8. add the remaining cup of milk to the baking dish so it fills up the dish a little
9. bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes...make sure the top doesn't burn
apple crisp
ingredients:
5-6 medium apples (i mixed and match types of apples), peeled & cored
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon grond nutmeg
vanilla ice cream
directions:
1. pre-heat the oven to 375, grease the bottom of a baking dish with some butter
2. spread the apples in the pan.
3. in a medium bowl stir the remaining ingredients (except the butter & ice cream). spread this mixture over the apples
4. put dabs of butter over the top of the mixture and bake about 30 minutes until topping is golden brown (make sure the apples are tender too)
5. serve with ice cream
since i didn't make the pork chops i can't really give you his recipe...but here's one that looks about right.
mac & cheese
ingredients:
1 block of white cheddar
1 block of orange cheddar
3 cups milk, plus some extra (maybe another cup)
2 tablespoons truffle oil
bacon bits (i used the pre-made stuff in a jar, use as much or as little as you want)
2 cups panko crumbs
1 box of elbow macaroni
directions:
1. cook the pasta according to the directions. drain & set aside. pre-heat the oven to 375
2. shred the cheese (or just buy the pre-shredded stuff, much easier).
3. heat the milk in a medium saucepan, slowly stirring in the cheese until it's melted. be sure to set aside & reserve some of the cheese for the topping
4. add the truffle oil to the cheese mixture.
5. combine the cheese mixture with the cooked pasta, adding in the bacon.
6. in a separate bowl mix the left over shredded cheese with the panko crumbs.
7. spread the pasta & cheese mixture into a baking dish, top with the panko crumb mixture.
8. add the remaining cup of milk to the baking dish so it fills up the dish a little
9. bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes...make sure the top doesn't burn
apple crisp
ingredients:
5-6 medium apples (i mixed and match types of apples), peeled & cored
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon grond nutmeg
vanilla ice cream
directions:
1. pre-heat the oven to 375, grease the bottom of a baking dish with some butter
2. spread the apples in the pan.
3. in a medium bowl stir the remaining ingredients (except the butter & ice cream). spread this mixture over the apples
4. put dabs of butter over the top of the mixture and bake about 30 minutes until topping is golden brown (make sure the apples are tender too)
5. serve with ice cream
since i didn't make the pork chops i can't really give you his recipe...but here's one that looks about right.
my not so glamorous daily beauty regime...
the other day the guys in my office were complaining about how much 'product' their wives/girlfriends have in the bathroom. and while i'm sure by guy standards i to have too much 'product' in my bathroom, i also don't think that i have an excess of overpriced crap in there. i'm always amazed at some of the beauty products i've seen other bloggers post about using, $90 bottle of face moisturizer? umm, no thanks. so here is my not so glamorous, cheap(ish) beauty regime...
i don't know about you, but i'm in my mid-thirties and still have acne...and it sucks, so i use this dermatologist prescribed topical cream about once a week in my 'problem areas'...
in the shower i use these two facial cleansers, in this order, and then moisturize for the day. the daily pore cleanser targets my blackheads, and the cetaphil is just a gentle cleaner to calm my face down after i've viciously attacked it with the clean & clear. at night, i just wash my face with the cetaphil & moisturize...
i used to get suckered into buying fancy shampoos at my salon, now i'm back on the drugstore available crap. i have fine, pin straight, color treated hair...no matter what i use in my hair it looks and feels about the same...
because i do spend a small fortune on coloring my hair i use this violights shampoo in conjunction with the regular stuff to keep it from turning brassy too quickly...
and sometimes when my hair gets really knotty and nasty i use this detangled...
i'm really bad about moisturizing my body, more so in the summer than in the winter. a friend turned me on to this moisturizer a few years ago and it's my go to. and no, it's not just for pregnant chicks worried about stretch marks...
perfume & makeup are probably the only areas that i tend to have what i consider excessive or expensive, but that's for another day.
i don't know about you, but i'm in my mid-thirties and still have acne...and it sucks, so i use this dermatologist prescribed topical cream about once a week in my 'problem areas'...
in the shower i use these two facial cleansers, in this order, and then moisturize for the day. the daily pore cleanser targets my blackheads, and the cetaphil is just a gentle cleaner to calm my face down after i've viciously attacked it with the clean & clear. at night, i just wash my face with the cetaphil & moisturize...
i used to get suckered into buying fancy shampoos at my salon, now i'm back on the drugstore available crap. i have fine, pin straight, color treated hair...no matter what i use in my hair it looks and feels about the same...
because i do spend a small fortune on coloring my hair i use this violights shampoo in conjunction with the regular stuff to keep it from turning brassy too quickly...
and sometimes when my hair gets really knotty and nasty i use this detangled...
i'm really bad about moisturizing my body, more so in the summer than in the winter. a friend turned me on to this moisturizer a few years ago and it's my go to. and no, it's not just for pregnant chicks worried about stretch marks...
perfume & makeup are probably the only areas that i tend to have what i consider excessive or expensive, but that's for another day.
Monday, October 21, 2013
fall wreath...
over the weekend i was fortunate enough to spend a little time shopping at a great flea market near where i grew up, the elephant's trunk country flea market. i was with some professional antique shoppers too, my mother & aunts, so it was even more fun hunting for goodies with their keen eyes. i didn't get too much because i ended up bring home some furniture from my dad's house and my car was already a little packed, but i did picked up a funky little jacket (i'll do a post on it later, my sister might be a little jealous), and this beautiful wreath...
apparently my mom has a few wreaths from this guy. i'm sorry i don't have his company name, but he's usually at the flea market weekly right near the front entrance. i love, love, love ours which now resides in the dining room!
apparently my mom has a few wreaths from this guy. i'm sorry i don't have his company name, but he's usually at the flea market weekly right near the front entrance. i love, love, love ours which now resides in the dining room!
lovin' this light...
i have been insanely busy lately, which translates into very little time to blog. but i got an earful from some of my girlfriends on friday night, so here you go...
we're about to start another renovation project at the ritz carlton with a very talented interior designer, who i happen to have gone to graduate school with...except she went into the design field and well, i leaned towards construction. jen has always had one of those design senses that i've been envious of, so when these ceiling pendants arrived at my office for this project you can imagine how i excited i was...i can't wait to get these installed for her, aren't they fun?...makes me sometimes wish i leaned in the other direction...
we're about to start another renovation project at the ritz carlton with a very talented interior designer, who i happen to have gone to graduate school with...except she went into the design field and well, i leaned towards construction. jen has always had one of those design senses that i've been envious of, so when these ceiling pendants arrived at my office for this project you can imagine how i excited i was...i can't wait to get these installed for her, aren't they fun?...makes me sometimes wish i leaned in the other direction...
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
a fall porch...
did a little fall/halloween decorating a few weekends ago with some decorative wooden crates my co-worker got me at brimfield in september and some cheapo mini scarecrows i picked up at the christmas tree shop. i love putting some mix & match colors of mums in them and calling it a day...
best diy halloween costume of 2013
i wish i had a halloween party to attend this year, i would soooo make this costume for myself if i were...
if anyone's looking for a good costume this year i still have my homemade owl costume for rent!...
if anyone's looking for a good costume this year i still have my homemade owl costume for rent!...
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