one of our favorite photos of the two of us
ever
taken at the pub last february, by our friend natasha
Monday, February 28, 2011
monday's memory: the one with the awesome pub picture
one of our favorite photos of the two of us
ever
taken at the pub last february, by our friend natasha
Saturday, February 26, 2011
it's a great day to show you my ring :)
first this weekend's wordle:
hey -- i finally have ring pictures!
my friend natasha came over last night and she has this fantastic little camera that she got for christmas...so i asked her to attempt what had been impossible for me :)
here's a few shots for you -- he did good, yes? :0)
hey -- i finally have ring pictures!
my friend natasha came over last night and she has this fantastic little camera that she got for christmas...so i asked her to attempt what had been impossible for me :)
here's a few shots for you -- he did good, yes? :0)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
thursday's ten: oscar buzz
oooookay, i KNOW i said "things on your daily drive" for this week, but i kinda forgot about the oscars this weekend.
so, push that to next week, mmmkay?
anthony and i, with his roommate kyle, are throwing a red carpet party this year
and the twist is that we've asked people to bring a dish based on a best picture nominee.
i haven't decided what i'm making yet
but here are a few ideas
(the recipes that i already have on my blog are marked with *)
1 - black and white cookies, buffalo "swan" dip*
(black swan)
2 - soda bread (ok, i prefer this one because it's authentic Irish tips, but the other is simpler for our quick american parties), shepherd's pie*
(the fighter)
3 - "inception" wings, jello shots
(inception)
4 - strawberry-rhubarb pie, deviled eggs*
(the kids are all right)
5 - tea and cucumber sandwiches
(the king's speech)
6 - "like this" cookies -- use a sugar cookie dough and this thumbs up cookie cutter
(the social network)
7 - hummus (probably a pretty plain one) and veggies, trail mix
(127 hours)
8 - horseradish mashed potatoes, haystacks
(winter's bone)
9 - cowboy beans, cheese grits, ranch stuffed potato skins*
(true grit)
10 - macaroni and cheese, pigs in a blanket, green alien cupcakes
(toy story 3)
so if you were coming to our party...what would you bring? if it's something not on my list PLEASE share! i'm not convinced i want to make any of these!
so, push that to next week, mmmkay?
anthony and i, with his roommate kyle, are throwing a red carpet party this year
and the twist is that we've asked people to bring a dish based on a best picture nominee.
i haven't decided what i'm making yet
but here are a few ideas
(the recipes that i already have on my blog are marked with *)
1 - black and white cookies, buffalo "swan" dip*
(black swan)
2 - soda bread (ok, i prefer this one because it's authentic Irish tips, but the other is simpler for our quick american parties), shepherd's pie*
(the fighter)
3 - "inception" wings, jello shots
(inception)
4 - strawberry-rhubarb pie, deviled eggs*
(the kids are all right)
5 - tea and cucumber sandwiches
(the king's speech)
6 - "like this" cookies -- use a sugar cookie dough and this thumbs up cookie cutter
(the social network)
7 - hummus (probably a pretty plain one) and veggies, trail mix
(127 hours)
8 - horseradish mashed potatoes, haystacks
(winter's bone)
9 - cowboy beans, cheese grits, ranch stuffed potato skins*
(true grit)
10 - macaroni and cheese, pigs in a blanket, green alien cupcakes
(toy story 3)
so if you were coming to our party...what would you bring? if it's something not on my list PLEASE share! i'm not convinced i want to make any of these!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
recipe of the week: buffalo chicken stromboli
i ran across a recipe on pillsbury.com awhile back for buffalo chicken stromboli. i was intrigued, but a lot of the ingredients (namely blue cheese and bell peppers) didn't appeal to me whatsoever. i searched around, found that rachael ray had also created a buffalo chicken stromboli, and realized that i didn't like some of HER ingredients either.
so, i did the normal thing for me and combined the two, changed a couple of things that were similar to both recipes that i was NOT going to do, and came up with the following:
buffalo chicken stromboli
2 rolls of crescent roll dough
1 9-oz package of pre-cooked chicken strips (i used southwestern flavored ones)
*i will definitely keep some of these on hand in the future for this recipe...but i would imagine that using a rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken from another meal that you cube/shred would be equally good!
1/3 to 1/2 cup hot buffalo wing sauce (i used frank's red hot)
1 cup mozzarella/monterey jack cheese blend
1/2 a large red onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
your choice of dressing on the side (ranch is my preferred, naturally)
preheat the oven: 350゜
lightly mist a large cookie sheet with nonstick spray
(and don't skip this step like i did...in my defense, i was making them at anthony's apt and they didn't have any spray!)
unroll both crescent roll doughs, and lay them on the cookie sheet so that they meet at the longest sides. work with the dough a bit to seal in the perforations the crescent rolls make, and then press the dough together to make one large rectangle.
mix together the chicken strips and the buffalo wing sauce.
put the chicken mixture down the center of the the dough
top with cheese
veggies
and more cheese
fold over the dough on one side and work to seal the edges.
fold the other side so that the dough overlaps in the middle. seal completely, and then place in the oven.
bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until golden brown. serve with ranch or whatever dressing you would normally eat buffalo wings with :-)
our verdict? YUM. definitely one to keep in the repertoire!
so, i did the normal thing for me and combined the two, changed a couple of things that were similar to both recipes that i was NOT going to do, and came up with the following:
buffalo chicken stromboli
2 rolls of crescent roll dough
1 9-oz package of pre-cooked chicken strips (i used southwestern flavored ones)
1/3 to 1/2 cup hot buffalo wing sauce (i used frank's red hot)
1 cup mozzarella/monterey jack cheese blend
1/2 a large red onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
your choice of dressing on the side (ranch is my preferred, naturally)
preheat the oven: 350゜
lightly mist a large cookie sheet with nonstick spray
(and don't skip this step like i did...in my defense, i was making them at anthony's apt and they didn't have any spray!)
unroll both crescent roll doughs, and lay them on the cookie sheet so that they meet at the longest sides. work with the dough a bit to seal in the perforations the crescent rolls make, and then press the dough together to make one large rectangle.
mix together the chicken strips and the buffalo wing sauce.
put the chicken mixture down the center of the the dough
top with cheese
veggies
and more cheese
fold over the dough on one side and work to seal the edges.
fold the other side so that the dough overlaps in the middle. seal completely, and then place in the oven.
bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until golden brown. serve with ranch or whatever dressing you would normally eat buffalo wings with :-)
our verdict? YUM. definitely one to keep in the repertoire!
Monday, February 21, 2011
monday's memory: the one where it's pretty fresh on my mind...
after much thought, consideration and prayer
anthony and i have come to a decision
to stop dating.
last night, we went to dinner at this fantastic gourmet burger place around the corner from his place.
(seriously gourmet, i had a lamb burger!)
while we were there, anthony mentioned that he had left his journal at church that morning. since it was on the way back to my house, we decided to stop and get it on the way back.
then his aunt texted me to say that she was dropping our girl scout cookies off at his parents house, would we be around there tonight? i told her we could stop by in a few minutes. but anthony wanted to go to the church first.
so we drove up to the church and saw that there was a funeral being held upstairs. anthony made the wise decision to park to the side a bit and walk in the side door, crossing his fingers that it was open (it was). he walked inside.
and i waited.
and waited.
and waited.
i was occupied enough with twitter and facebook and words with friends for awhile
but then i noticed that 30 minutes had gone by
i began to get annoyed.
thinking there must be something REALLY personal in this journal
or that he had run into someone he knew and got caught up talking
but SURELY he would have texted me to let me know that had happened...
perhaps he was sick or something...
but SURELY he would have called/texted to say that
and then i got a notification from words with friends
saying that he'd made a move in our game
so i KNEW he was ok
and so i played back and in the "chat" wrote something on the order of
"you've been in there a LONG time. what are you doing??"
no response.
s.t.e.w.i.n.g
his sister texts me, saying her mom was wondering if we were going to be there soon
i reply that i seem to have lost her brother.
i text him
i wait
i call him
(45 minutes have gone by)
i may have mentioned in my voicemail that his phone had rang several times, so i was pretty sure he was getting reception...
his sister calls me
she suggests i go look for him
i say maybe
i finally get fed up enough to emerge from the car.
and go downstairs to the teen center
now, remember that there is a FUNERAL going on upstairs.
so when i crack open the doors and see candles, i panic and close them thinking "it's a vigil area!"
so i go to the only other place i can think of
i begin knocking on the men's bathroom door
and am thisclose to opening it
when anthony emerges from the teen center
saying "you are one stubborn woman."
and of course, i'm going "what are you DOING in there?!"
he tells me to come in
and i do, still a bit upset
and then i notice his sister's flip video camera on the counter
and hear him begin making a speech
about how this is the place we met, this is the place it all began
and all of a sudden i'm not quite so angry anymore
and then he drops to one knee
and the next thing i know
i'm an engaged woman
(eeeek!)
the next few hours were spent calling and texting and hugging
(his aunt that texted me asking if we were coming to his parents? had NO.CLUE. she had been invited over, and just *happened* to text to see if we were coming. her reaction may have been my favorite -- jaw dropping in slow motion upon seeing my finger.)
(his sister and roommate were in the building...hiding in one of the adjacent rooms. they burst out after the ring was on my finger.)
(his other sister, when i walked into the house screamed "WE GET ANOTHER SISTER!!")
so yes, we've decided to stop dating
and take the next step
:)
we're hoping for a particular church and are kind of going to set a date based on availability...
and there are TONS of other details to be dealt with
although i hold to my statement i have always made
that really, i just want a pretty dress
and people we love surrounding us
(this, by the way, means our guest list is already looking huge. gulp.)
i promise to show you better pictures of the ring
when i, um, figure out how to TAKE a better picture of the ring!
he picked it out by himself
and drove up to indiana last thursday to ask my dad's permission
(which is a total southern thing...but so incredibly sweet and charming)
i'm thrilled
(obviously)
and so excited that it's official
that i get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend :D
you know the *really* funny thing?
after all that drama...
...he still left his journal at church...
anthony and i have come to a decision
to stop dating.
last night, we went to dinner at this fantastic gourmet burger place around the corner from his place.
(seriously gourmet, i had a lamb burger!)
while we were there, anthony mentioned that he had left his journal at church that morning. since it was on the way back to my house, we decided to stop and get it on the way back.
then his aunt texted me to say that she was dropping our girl scout cookies off at his parents house, would we be around there tonight? i told her we could stop by in a few minutes. but anthony wanted to go to the church first.
so we drove up to the church and saw that there was a funeral being held upstairs. anthony made the wise decision to park to the side a bit and walk in the side door, crossing his fingers that it was open (it was). he walked inside.
and i waited.
and waited.
and waited.
i was occupied enough with twitter and facebook and words with friends for awhile
but then i noticed that 30 minutes had gone by
i began to get annoyed.
thinking there must be something REALLY personal in this journal
or that he had run into someone he knew and got caught up talking
but SURELY he would have texted me to let me know that had happened...
perhaps he was sick or something...
but SURELY he would have called/texted to say that
and then i got a notification from words with friends
saying that he'd made a move in our game
so i KNEW he was ok
and so i played back and in the "chat" wrote something on the order of
"you've been in there a LONG time. what are you doing??"
no response.
s.t.e.w.i.n.g
his sister texts me, saying her mom was wondering if we were going to be there soon
i reply that i seem to have lost her brother.
i text him
i wait
i call him
(45 minutes have gone by)
i may have mentioned in my voicemail that his phone had rang several times, so i was pretty sure he was getting reception...
his sister calls me
she suggests i go look for him
i say maybe
i finally get fed up enough to emerge from the car.
and go downstairs to the teen center
now, remember that there is a FUNERAL going on upstairs.
so when i crack open the doors and see candles, i panic and close them thinking "it's a vigil area!"
so i go to the only other place i can think of
i begin knocking on the men's bathroom door
and am thisclose to opening it
when anthony emerges from the teen center
saying "you are one stubborn woman."
and of course, i'm going "what are you DOING in there?!"
he tells me to come in
and i do, still a bit upset
and then i notice his sister's flip video camera on the counter
and hear him begin making a speech
about how this is the place we met, this is the place it all began
and all of a sudden i'm not quite so angry anymore
and then he drops to one knee
and the next thing i know
i'm an engaged woman
(eeeek!)
the next few hours were spent calling and texting and hugging
(his aunt that texted me asking if we were coming to his parents? had NO.CLUE. she had been invited over, and just *happened* to text to see if we were coming. her reaction may have been my favorite -- jaw dropping in slow motion upon seeing my finger.)
(his sister and roommate were in the building...hiding in one of the adjacent rooms. they burst out after the ring was on my finger.)
(his other sister, when i walked into the house screamed "WE GET ANOTHER SISTER!!")
and take the next step
:)
we're hoping for a particular church and are kind of going to set a date based on availability...
and there are TONS of other details to be dealt with
although i hold to my statement i have always made
that really, i just want a pretty dress
and people we love surrounding us
(this, by the way, means our guest list is already looking huge. gulp.)
i promise to show you better pictures of the ring
when i, um, figure out how to TAKE a better picture of the ring!
he picked it out by himself
and drove up to indiana last thursday to ask my dad's permission
(which is a total southern thing...but so incredibly sweet and charming)
i'm thrilled
(obviously)
and so excited that it's official
that i get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend :D
you know the *really* funny thing?
after all that drama...
...he still left his journal at church...
Thursday, February 17, 2011
thursday's ten: games
heads up: NEXT week, we're doing things you see as you drive every day. because, folks...i see some STRANGE things on my way to work every day and i cannot WAIT to share them with you. i just have to collect pictures or you'll never believe me. ;)
today, however, i thought i'd share 10 of my favorite games with you. board, video, iphone, etc :)
1. scrabble
this is the first game that anthony and i played together...and it is a game that i remember playing with my grandma a couple of times when i was growing up. i bought him this awesome edition for valentine's day:
and of COURSE there's the portable, hand held version, words with friends for your phone! (iphone and droid at least)
2. pandemic
a strategic cooperative game that is SO.ADDICTIVE. seriously, if any of you ever come to visit, we will totally make you learn this game.
3. wiifit
i love wiifit. yes, i know it's not a *fantastic* workout, but it DOES keep me moving in the midst of dark and dreary winter...and i love tracking my weight loss on a consistent basis. it's a helpful tool...and it's pretty fun!
4. angry birds
love this game on my iphone -- and i know it's availible for droid as well, since everyone in anthony's family has now purchased it! :)
5. mario
the original is awesome, of course. and these two wii games are pretty darn fun as well!
6. little big planet
anthony has this for his playstation. i love it! it's a game where we work together but we're still competing. he always wins...he is the more experienced gamer...but it's still fun
7. peggle
another playstation game, but it's also available for several phones!
8. rock band
i'm not sure if the musician in me should run away screaming from the rock band games or embrace them, but i gotta say...they are FUN. my other gift to anthony for valentine's was rock band 3 -- or, the disk of it at least. we're splitting the cost of the keyboard addition :)
9. life
i was always upset if i didn't get any babies in my car, but other than that i love the game ;)
10. drop 7
this is one i have on my phone (and is also available for droid). anthony found it and it's fascinating. i LOVE it and am so addicted to it! basically it's kind of tetris meets sudoku...
(all of the above games can be purchased from amazon.com, itunes, or local retailers :) the particular edition of scrabble i got for anthony was a barnes and noble exclusive, but it may be hard to find, as the online store no longer has it available.)
so...what games do you enjoy?
today, however, i thought i'd share 10 of my favorite games with you. board, video, iphone, etc :)
1. scrabble
this is the first game that anthony and i played together...and it is a game that i remember playing with my grandma a couple of times when i was growing up. i bought him this awesome edition for valentine's day:
2. pandemic
a strategic cooperative game that is SO.ADDICTIVE. seriously, if any of you ever come to visit, we will totally make you learn this game.
3. wiifit
i love wiifit. yes, i know it's not a *fantastic* workout, but it DOES keep me moving in the midst of dark and dreary winter...and i love tracking my weight loss on a consistent basis. it's a helpful tool...and it's pretty fun!
4. angry birds
love this game on my iphone -- and i know it's availible for droid as well, since everyone in anthony's family has now purchased it! :)
5. mario
the original is awesome, of course. and these two wii games are pretty darn fun as well!
6. little big planet
anthony has this for his playstation. i love it! it's a game where we work together but we're still competing. he always wins...he is the more experienced gamer...but it's still fun
7. peggle
another playstation game, but it's also available for several phones!
8. rock band
i'm not sure if the musician in me should run away screaming from the rock band games or embrace them, but i gotta say...they are FUN. my other gift to anthony for valentine's was rock band 3 -- or, the disk of it at least. we're splitting the cost of the keyboard addition :)
9. life
i was always upset if i didn't get any babies in my car, but other than that i love the game ;)
10. drop 7
this is one i have on my phone (and is also available for droid). anthony found it and it's fascinating. i LOVE it and am so addicted to it! basically it's kind of tetris meets sudoku...
(all of the above games can be purchased from amazon.com, itunes, or local retailers :) the particular edition of scrabble i got for anthony was a barnes and noble exclusive, but it may be hard to find, as the online store no longer has it available.)
so...what games do you enjoy?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
meal planning tuesday .3
tuesday (today)
lunch: leftovers of sausage/ravioli lasagna
dinner: frozen pizza (it's a rush night) and cake mix cookies (some for us, some for my cell group girls)
wednesday
breakfast: coffee, bagel/cream cheeselunch: at nanny gig
dinner: buffalo chicken stromboli (new recipe, will post soon)
thursday
breakfast: coffeelunch: at nanny gig
dinner: pub leftovers
friday
breakfast: coffee, bagel/cream cheeselunch: leftovers of broccoli soup, wrap
dinner: with anthony--spaghetti leftovers, i think
saturday
breakfast: coffeelunch: mini-wontons and rice
dinner: with friends
sunday
breakfast: coffeelunch: quick bite out with anthony (we have a reception to go to that afternoon)
dinner: out again with anthony :)
monday
breakfast: bagel/cream cheese and coffeelunch: at nanny gig
dinner: shepherd's pie (take to marriage prep class)
shopping list
- chicken short cuts (coupon + sale)
- betty crocker cake mix and frosting (coupon + sale)
- carrots
- celery
- crescent rolls
- mozzarella cheese
- monterey jack cheese
- bagels
- potatoes
- sugar
- frozen vegetable medley
- shortening
- avacados
- jalapeno peppers
- limes
- grape tomatoes
Monday, February 14, 2011
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