monday's memory: the one with the signing of lots of papers

exactly one month ago
nearly 4 years (3 years and 11 months) after finding out i was losing my home
we signed papers and became homeowners

anthony for the first time
myself given a second chance
the loan is not in my name. we aren't yet done rebuilding my credit from the horrid hit it took way back then. but my name is on the deed

i feel like it's come full circle. that i am being given back in buckets what was taken from me. so grateful that redemption is a part of my journey. so thankful to have a place that's really OURS. and the timing of this and so much more is not escaping me. 

i'll show you photos of the inside once we get unpacked. so in approximately 6 months ;-)

but here we are in front of our adorable house!

and here is anthony giving emi her first tour of our new digs. thankfully, she approves because we aren't leaving here for awhile!

monday's memory: mr & mrs, a year later

so a year and a week ago, we were getting married.
weird

and then last week on monday, we had been married a year
even weirder

when people have asked me how married life is this past year 

(and there have been a LOT of those people asking that question)

i always have said "i finally feel normal. like this is how it's supposed to be."

and that may not be a glowing recommendation of marriage

or the warm fuzzy newlywed right thing to say

but this us? this is RIGHT. 

i have no other ways to say it
except to repeat a few of the words i said to anthony the day of our wedding as we exchanged vows

"I think my deepest joy on this day

Is that from now on…

I get to experience LIFE with you"

and i love this life we share :-)

our actual anniversary: zoo, buying books for each other, yummy dinner

and cutting into the top layer of our still-amazing-tasting wedding cake :-)

thursday's ten or so: currently (9.6.12)

currently listening to: mostly pandora, bryan and katie torwalt, Jesus culture, etc

currently reading: um, a little behind in that. a book i need to review on here and the hunger games.

currently looking forward to: football, fall clothes and foods, making pumpkin scones with natasha and (crazy!) our first anniversary

currently craving: pumpkin foods, butternut squash soup, and other fall things. unfortunately heat and humidity will keep me from making some of these for awhile!

currently thankful for: amazing husband, wonderful friends, a great job, former nanny families who still call me first for babysitting, and all the other blessings in my life!

currently discovering: all the great new local coffee shops! natasha and i went to the well last night and barista parlor is another new favorite!!

currently organizing: just finished the kitchen (again...really i love doing it so it's ongoing). now working on my closet and getting ready to start guest bedroom 1/office...that will take awhile.

currently watching: america's got talent, switched at birth and jane by design. and more than ready for my main shows to come back.

currently wearing: lots of head scarves, belts, and dresses with leggings. and toms.

currently wishing for: more toms, a great blender, a tv stand for the living room, and bookcases.

what about you? anything currently going on that you want to share? :-)

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 9.4.12

hey, it's ok

...to be a bit disturbed by the fact that a commercial for a drain cleaner feels the need to be sexy. um. what?
...to wish all my iphone apps had a "quiet time" feature like one i found the other day -- it won't notify you between specific hours if you prefer to set it up that way.
...to be kind of obsessed with shows on abc family. i'll leave it at that ;-) (i feel twelve...)
...to spend an entire saturday in loungey clothes and not leave the house
...to not feel bad about doing the right thing, even if it's unpopular.
...to blog, pinterest and tweet while hanging out in a classroom of sleeping children just to stay awake. {yawn}
...to crank up pandora while by yourself at work. mainly because otherwise you find yourself humming the naptime music while driving or in the shower and that is most definitely NOT ok.
...to be itching to decorate the guest rooms. it's about time they started looking a bit more "us".
...to think that it might be a good idea to get a wedding photo or two up in the house. digital is ok, but canvas would be great :-)

please visit amber's blog to link up and read other things you can be ok with!

recipe of the week: honey sesame chicken (slow cooker!)

i'll be honest. when i first bookmarked this recipe, i did it with my husband in mind.  i really didn't think i would LOVE it.  i'm not a "sweet with my meat" kind of girl. but shocker...i actually really enjoyed it!  partly because tweaked it a bit and added some spice to it, and partly because i used really good honey :-)

honey sesame chicken


1 pound chicken thighs (i find they are more flavorful AND cheaper than breasts)
1 cup (yes, one CUP) of honey
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup organic ketchup
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp sriracha hot chili sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced (i prefer the sweet vidalia variety when they're available!)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 6 tablespoons water



 mix together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, sesame oil, and sriracha

 add the onion and garlic

 place the chicken in the slow cooker and sprinkle with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes

 top with sauce, and cook on low for 4-6 hours

remove chicken from slow cooker and remove bones/cut into bite sized pieces

 meanwhile, stir the cornstarch and water together into the sauce.

 return the chicken to the sauce and cook for another 10-20 minutes

 serve over rice.  enjoy!

obviously, the sugar content is rather high on this simply because of the honey.  but worth it :-)


based on 6 servings, rice not included in the nutritional facts.

recipe of the week: ny quesadilla

i cannot lie. this recipe, i'm pretty pleased with.


a few months ago (or weeks...pinterest time gets away from me) i found a recipe for reuben quesadillas that i thought sounded amazing.  i even put it on our menu. 


and then, less than a week before i was to make it...i realized.  my husband does not like cabbage, does not like pickles, and especially does not like german pickled cabbage. and while i had taken that into account when i planned the menu and figured i'd leave the kraut off his...i realized that it would be really boring to eat corned beef and a smattering of cheese on a tortilla.


even though he loves corned beef
and cheese
and tortillas


so i got out about half the following sentence before he interrupted me with a resounding "YES!"


"hey, how about i try making a new yorker quesadilla instead of the reuben one?"


what he didn't realize until after the fact was that i didn't actually have a RECIPE, i just had the model of his favorite sub at firehouse subs, and the fact that meat and cheese always get a resounding reception in this house. not just from him...from me, from the cat...


so between his approval of my suggested ingredients and my imagination, here's what i came up with.  it really is QUITE simple. but it's also simply amazing if you are a fan of the new yorker deli sandwiches.

ny quesadillas


(makes 4 large quesadillas)
4 ounces each pastrami, peppered salami, and corned beef*
6 slices provolone cheese
italian seasoning
8 flour tortillas
german mustard
mayonaise


*way easier to get deli slices of each of these, and that's what would be served on a new yorker sandwich anyway! i got my corned beef from the deli and pastrami and salami from trader joes.





begin by putting all the meat and the italian seasoning into a food processor and pulse until it's roughly chopped

 add cheese, and pulse again

for each quesadilla, spread one entire tortilla with german mustard and the other with mayo

 top with generous portions of meat and cheese

 and cover with the second tortilla

pan cooking this didn't seem like an option. i decided to pop them in the oven at 275゜

keep an eye on them. when the cheese is melted to your liking (and the tortillas are browned to your degree of satisfaction. in my case satisfaction on both arrived in about 12 minutes)

 this is my husband's plate, which he filled with chips

 mmmm

this is my messily cut quesadilla hanging out with a fresh tomato and a couple of pickles

the verdict? as intrigued as i was by the idea of reuben quesadillas, i think this one is more for us.  definitely staying in the meal rotation!

let's be real and mention that this is not the most figure friendly meal.  here's the info for each serving if you care :-)

oh, and click on the button for a link to more yummy recipes!