Wishing and Hoping

It looks like Wednesday are turning into random posts, which I hope will work for all of you! Definitely works for me, I can be so random, though I hope most future Wednesdays will be filled with wedding/party ideas and great finds from web surfing. :)

I saw this yummy cardigan in the new JCrew catalog and I thought I need to save my pennies, though I have no job, so that might be hard. And I really don't need another cardi, but a girl can dream....and hey, maybe it will rain money?! :)



That cardi, this color


Hope your all having a great week so far!!

Huntsville Websites

Since, I've dedicated Tuesdays to Huntsville, I thought today I'd post some locals websites, blogs, events and deals that I've come across recently....

This website has a ton of local information on a variety of things and is run by a local realtor
http://gohsv.com/

Free Family Movie Showing at Hollywood 18, who doesn't like that?!
http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx?state=AL

A Local Performing Arts Center
http://www.merrimackhall.com/

Large Outdoor Fall Concert, Big Spring Jam...it's named after the park, not the time of year :)
http://bigspringjam.org/

Local Huntsville Newspaper, The Huntsville Times
http://www.al.com/huntsville/

Jean Brandau's Huntsville Blog on About.com...she of tons of great and up to the minute information!
http://huntsville.about.com/


These are just a couple of sites I've come across lately, that I thought might be helpful to anyone new to Huntsville or anyone searching for new things to do. I'll be searching out other sites and if you have any favorites, let me know, I'd love to read them! Happy Tuesday!

Monday Recipe

I'm really excited about today's recipe!!! This weekend I tried my hand at making homemade salsa and canned it!!! I had a TON of fresh tomatoes and peppers, so I just had to try this recipe. I've never attempted to make either before and to be quite honest, was very nervous to do so. I always thought that both would be rather tricky, but it wasn't and it turned out great, if I do say so myself! :) The hubby LOVES it! I came across this recipe from a financial blog, of all places and it's a GREAT blog, Get Rich Slowly. I read it often and it's very informative and helpful. Also, you get the added bonus of recipes from his wife and from what I can tell, she's very gifted in the kitchen! Her recipe is below and the pictures are from my salsa adventures this weekend.


Canned Salsa (Medium-Hot)

8 cups very ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped (no need to peel or seed)
2 1/2 cups yellow onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups mild green Anaheim type peppers, chopped (I used banana peppers, because that's what I had..it worked! :) )
1 cup jalapeno peppers, minced
1 canned chipotle chili (I took this to mean the whole can...so, you might want to subtract??)
6 garlic cloves
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons canning salt (also called pickling salt-it has no iodine)
1/3 cup white vinegar
15 oz tomato sauce
12 oz tomato paste
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Chop tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and chipotle chilis by hand or in a food processor. Make it as chunky or fine as you like. In a large non-aluminum pot, mix everything together except the lime juice and cilantro. Bring mixture to a boil. Continue boiling 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Fill 6 pint jars (or your choice of jars) with hot mixture. Wipe rims and add lids and screw-bands. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Make sure the boiling water is deep enough to cover the jars by at least one inch, and start timing when the water returns to a boil after adding the jars.

Makes about 3.5 quarts (7 pints). Check the jar seals. If any haven't sealed, you get to eat that right away! Keeps in the fridge for several weeks once opened.

If you want a very mild salsa, start by omitting the chipotle, cutting the cumin to 1 teaspoon and removing the seeds from the jalapenos. Once the mixture has cooked for about 5 minutes, give it a taste and season to desired "hotness" by adding the cumin, jalapeno seeds and chipotles (with or without the adobo sauce in the can). The recipe as listed makes a medium-hot version.




I really didn't change anything, except the accidental extra chipotles. I hope you enjoy the recipe! Let me know how it turns out for you!

Wishful Thinking

I was just sitting at my messy desk trying to will myself into being more productive today and instead of doing what I should be doing, I decided to look through my pictures and I saw this....

(photo from Flickr...I think...it's been awhile, sorry!)

Oh, how I wish my desk area looked like this right now! If it did I'm SURE that I would have accomplished soooo much more today! Don't you think that is a great use of a small area? Someone is a very resourceful designer! What does your dream desk look like?

I hope all of you had a more productive Wednesday than me! Happy Hump Day! :)

Huntsville is #1

This post isn't the freshest of news and I've been meaning to post it for a couple weeks, but I thought I can still post old news, right?! Well, drum roll please.....Huntsville, AL was voted #1 2009 city by Kiplinger.com

That is great news for the city, businesses and it's residents!! Kiplinger was something I read often when I was working in finance and it is a highly respected organization, so that's just icing on the cake for the City of Huntsville!

I want to throw it out there, that I'm no expert on why Huntsville, AL is number 1, but I've lived here a year and I thought I want to know what makes it the best to residents that live here. To be honest it hasn't been the easiest of transitions for me and I need to become more familiar with all the interesting things going on in Huntsville and things that would make it easier for people who might be new to the area like me. So, with the new blog format, I thought I'd dedicate Tuesdays to Huntsville and what makes it special. I think this is win win for me and all the other newbies in town. :)

Do you live in Huntsville, if so, what makes it special to you? What are your favorite spots and things to do?

I'm looking forward to discovering more about the #1 city with all of you!

Monday Recipe

Well, hello there stranger! Did you miss me? I'm sorry for the lengthy absence, but life has been crazy lately and I needed to take a break and refocus. But, I'm back now and I have a new format in mind for the blog and I hope you'll like it. Let me know what you think as we go along, I'm always open to suggestions! :) So, lets get this blogging started....

I love cooking and trying new recipes, so I decided that I'd dedicate every Monday to my adventures in cooking. I'll post a recipe that I've tried recently and I'll let you know how it went and what I thought of it. Then my hope is you'll let me know how it turned out for you and how we can improve, change or jazz up the recipe. I always love adding a thing or two to recipes, that's what makes cooking fun!

For our first recipe, I'm going with a classic comfort food, Shepherd's Pie. I saw this recipe in Southern Living about a year ago and I've made it many times since and it always gets rave reviews from the hubby. What I really love about this recipe is all the extra veggies in it! When I was growing up we called Shepherd's Pie, Mashed Potato pie. :) My mom had a very simple recipe of ground hamburger, corn and pile a potatoes topped with cheese, though tasty, I'm not sure how good it is for you. So, here is an updated version for you...

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground round
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 (14 1/2-oz.) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preparation

1. Brown beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove ground beef from skillet using a slotted spoon; reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Reduce heat to medium.

2. Sauté onion, mushrooms, and garlic in hot drippings over medium heat 10 to 11 minutes or until tender. Stir in ground beef, peas, and next 4 ingredients. Sprinkle flour over meat mixture. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and vinegar, breaking up large tomato pieces with a spoon. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 3-qt. baking dish or pan. Spoon Cheese-and-Carrot Mashed Potatoes evenly over meat mixture, smoothing with back of spoon.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 1 (1-lb.) package baby carrots
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (22-oz.) package frozen mashed potatoes - don't use refrigerated!
  
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Preparation

1. Place carrots and 1/4 cup water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; fold back a small edge to allow steam to escape. Microwave at HIGH 8 to 10 minutes or until carrots are tender. Drain.

2. Stir in butter. Coarsely mash carrots with a potato masher.

3. Prepare potatoes according to package directions, using 2 1/2 cups milk. Stir in cheese, next 3 ingredients, and carrot mixture until well blended.

So, here are my touches on the recipe....

I cook the meat mixture in an oven proof skillet that will hold everything, including the mashed potatoes, this makes clean up a little easier. I add some bell pepper when cooking the onion and I always think adding a little corn would be nice for old times sake, but I haven't done that yet, but feel free to try that. :) I also add about half a box of frozen chopped spinach (defrosted and well drained) to the meat mixture, during step 2. As well as use whole wheat flour during the gravy making step and you can't tell at all! Plus, I add a dash of worcestershire sauce and tomato paste during cooking. For the potato recipe, I actually make homemade mashed potatoes like I normally would with milk(not 2 1/2 cups though) and butter and just add the mashed carrots, cheese and seasoning to that and it turns out perfectly. If you use the frozen, let me know how you like them!

So, I hope you like this first selection and happy cooking!!

Holy Goodness, Batman!

Don't think I need to write much for this post.....

Who's with me? Just a quick trip out West to Simon LA for the junk food dessert platter! :)

(Flickr Shot by Bunny Steph through carolineoncrack.com)

Web Surfing

I love coming across fun finds on the internet, it just makes my day and today just got brighter! Not only is the sun FINALLY back after days of rain, but I found this adorable company, Dabney Lee at Home! Their site and all their goodies add plenty of fun and sun to any day!

Isn't this tray great? It can just sit out on a table and look fab! This is just one of the many things I like on their site, so go check it out and check out their new blog as well! Happy surfing!

Happy Mother's Day

I just wanted to wish my amazing mother an early Happy Mother's Day! You're the best and I love you tons, but you already know that! :) I wish I could be there to celebrate with you and I'd bring this cake with me....


It looks so amazing, doesn't it?! I have to make it this weekend with the fresh strawberries I just picked, sorry Mom, but I'll let you know how it turns out :)

Everyone out there, have a wonderful weekend and I hope you get to enjoy some time with your moms! See you next week...

They're here...

Finally! Our peonies have bloomed!! I wait all year for our peonies to bloom and it's worth it! They are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Their smell is heavenly and they are just so darn pretty! Having grown up in Florida I never knew about these beauties and if you haven't I suggest treating yourself to a stem or two or more from your local florist. Below are pictures of our fur babies enjoying them, see everyone loves peonies! :)

Sweet Kivies (gray one) will actually cry for you to bring them down to her level :)

Happy Cinco de Mayo

I LOVE Mexican food!! I could eat it every day, seriously! My husband thinks that one day I'll turn into cheese dip! :) But, today I thought I'd focus on the drinks that make today, so fun! First up is a beerita/poor man's margarita...

1 full size can of limeade concentrate, mostly defrosted

1 cup of tequila -my fave is Patron, but it's not my birthday anymore and if it's not yours, then any tequila will work :)

4 beers, preferably a Mexican one, such as Corona or Tecate, but you can use any kind of beer

Mix all together in a pitcher, serve over ice in a glass with a salted rim and throw in a lime to dress it up!


I know what your thinking...beer & tequila?? But, don't knock til you try it! I've never meet anyone who didn't like my beeritas! :)


Next up, Pomegranate Margaritas....

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup añejo tequila
3/4 cup fresh lime juice

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and simmer over high heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved; let cool completely.
In a tall pitcher, combine the sugar syrup with the pomegranate juice, tequila and lime juice. Stir well, fill the pitcher with ice and stir again. Pour into 10 margarita, martini or cordial glasses.


We made these at friends house and they were very good! Though, we did have a fit with the limes to get that much juice from them. We found popping the limes in the microwave for a couple seconds helped, as did rolling them on the counter to soften them.


I hope you all enjoy these drinks and any fun plans you have today!

I just had to post this cute pic! Too fun!!

(all photos from Flickr)

Let's Get This Party Started

I hope you all have a great weekend, I know I will! Tomorrow's my birthday!! Woot! Don't you love birthdays? This picture shows exactly how I feel about them! All you need to do is add a one there :)


You can find this adorable party idea here! I think it will work for all ages. Everyone is young at heart, right? :)

I'm in l.o.v.e

Ahhh...I love the little things in life. Truly, the details just make me happy. I know most people say don't sweat the small things, but I think that's what makes something special or not. I think these AWESOME cupcake wrappers by Bella cupcake couture fall into that category.

My amazing friend, Jenny Sue (isn't that perfectly Southern?!), who I love to bits, emailed me these AWESOME cupcake wrappers!!! When I opened the email it brought a smile to my face! Here are a couple more close up shots of some of the wrappers.

I'm dreaming about which cupcake I'd make for each....

Martini Time

How cute are these cupcakes? My friend at Simply Southern found these and thought of me. I've trained my friends and their husbands, impressive, non? That cupcakes=me. :) I couldn't pass posting these adorable martini cupcakes that come from Dots Treats. Don't you think it would be fun to serve White Chocolate Martinis with these for a delicious dessert bar at a party?

Best.Cupcakes.Ever!

A couple weeks ago, I went back to Tallahassee for my sorority reunion and had a blast catching up with everyone! Funny enough the topic of cupcakes came up, not once, not twice, but three times and a little debate started about which cupcake in America was the best. Now mind you, I have not tried EVERY cupcake in America and my waist, thanks me. But, I've tried a couple "popular" ones, like Sprinkles and Magnolias and they are NOTHING compared to The Cake Shop, which is located in good ole Tallahassee, FL!!! The cupcakes there are to die for!! I think it would be what heaven taste like...please Lord make it so. :)

They have many options at the Cake Shop, but the dollar cupcake (yeah...that's right big city cupcakes with your $4 price) are simple and perfect! Yellow cake, that is light as air and topped with REAL buttercream frosting (they have a sign that says they don't make white icing...love it) that is fluffy and not too sweet. They are pure perfection!

So, who makes your favorite cupcake? Oh, and feel free to send them my way :)

Posh Doggie House

We have four fur babies that live with us, two dogs and two cats. All are rescue animals and they bring us lots of joy and we love all their quirky personalities. We crate train our dogs until they are potty trained, because that's as long as I can stand the big, ugly standard crates! But, the other day I happened to run across these super posh dog crates that double as furniture, I LOVE them! They are especially perfect for small spaces.

Maybe, we should get another puppy, honey to try these out? I kid, I kid...:)

Chic Wedding

Don't you love these shots? The couple is chic without trying, unique, yet classic and beautiful. These are a couple of my favorites, but there are many more beautiful images on Dustin's blog.

I love the bracelets....so great!

Just for Fun

I stumbled upon this adorable blog and had to post this item for all my fantastic gift giving friends!

Yummm...

So, I saw these cupcakes and they looked so good that I wanted to go out and make them immediately! Just click on the link to find out how to make these German Chocolate Cupcakes.

Wow, I'm hungry just looking at the picture!

Long Time

Wow, I've been a complete slacker when it comes to posting this past week. I ran across this picture of a man at Carnevale Di Venezia, I know I'm behind, since it was last week...time just flies, but I just had to post it...he's just so intriguing!

(photo from http://www.nytimes.com)

Also, I have to wish two amazing people in my life a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY today, my wonderful hubby and dear friend, Carleigh! I love you!

And the Winners Are...

So, what did ya'll think of the Oscars last night? I thought the new format and Hugh Jackman were great! Definitely, one of the better Oscar shows in recent history. I especially loved how past winners came out and praised each nominated actor, everyone got their moment in the sun, so nice! Another great moment was Kate Winslet FINALLY winning her Oscar!


I saw The Reader a couple days ago and it just reminded me of what a gifted actor she is! Also, all of her co-stars in The Reader gave terrific performances.

So, we're ya'll as surprised when Mickey Rourke didn't win? Did you notice that Robert Pattinson had a better seat than Tina Fey? Don't get me wrong, I like Robert and all, but REALLY? Understand, I'm no producer, so I know they have their reasons.....just don't shoot me. :)

I thought today I might do an overview of best dressed, but nothing really reached out and grabbed me. For those of you that want to see more, here's a good write up on the evening attire. Everyone looked good, but when don't they? Also, almost everyone seemed to be in a neutral color. Did anyone stand out to you?

Hope everyone had as much fun watching the Oscars as my friends and I did.

Oscar Weekend

I always look forward to the Oscars! I love movies and seeing all the big players come together and dressed to the nines! What's not to love about all that? This Sunday happens to be my book club meeting, so we've turned it into an Oscar party as well. We're going to serve a couple Oscar related drinks, The Ultimate Blueberry Martini

and The Red Carpet Fizz
The hosts have decide to do a taco bar, so in keeping with the Mexican theme and Oscar theme, I've decided to make Texas Caviar:

2 cans of Trappy's black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 can of Rotel

Diced green, yellow & red bell peppers

1/2 purple onion, diced

3/4 cup zesty Italian salad dressing (don't do low fat, stick with the regular Zesty)

1/2 lime, juiced

small bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 can of mexi-corn, drained

1 jalapeno, chopped (take out the seeds for less heat)

salt & pepper

couple dashes of hot sauce

Stir all together and chill for a couple hours, before serving with corn and tortilla chips.

Also, it's fun to have a couple Oscar Ballots on hand and for correct answers you could hand out your own Chocolate Oscars

Hope everyone has a great weekend and all your favorites win!

Amazing Race 14 Premieres

I love the Amazing Race on CBS! I'm already hooked on this season and it's all because of Luke and Margie, they are so cute!

They're a mother and son duo and Luke just happens to be deaf! I have a cousin that is completely deaf, so it definitely touches home for me. I love that Luke just wants to get the message out there that he can do the same things and accomplish just as much as a hearing person, which is so true! I actually teared up when they finished FIRST this week and so did Team Harvard, whom finished second, it was so sweet. Not only was the end great, but the cheese challenge was crazy! It turned out to be much harder than I would have thought and the locals were just standing around laughing at the constants, all while drinking beer! Got love it! If you're not watching, you definitely should start. Hope everyone is having a great Monday!

Happy Valentine's Day

I have to be honest Valentine's Day isn't my favorite holiday. I don't know why, maybe it's too much pressure, too commercial or I have more memories of being alone than with someone? :) What do you guys think? Whatever the reason, I'm embracing it more nowadays and I thought these adorable cookies, my friend Amy made would brighten anyone's day!

And I think this would wash the cookies down perfectly and it pours out the lightest shade of pink, so perfect for today!

Just in Time for Valentine's Day

Seeing how I've had this blog set up for quite awhile, I thought I'd actually post something and venture into this world of blogging. Yes, I know I'm very behind, but that wouldn't be out of the ordinary for me ;)

So, I thought what's better than kicking things off with a lovely Strawberry Cupcake with Champagne glaze recipe? Combines two of my favorite things and it's a perfect thing to share with you and yours tomorrow. The recipe below is from http://www.cupcakeproject.com/.

Enjoy!

Makes 24 cupcakes
2 1/2 C cake flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 C unsalted butter
1 1/2 C sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 C buttermilk
1/4 C canola oil
1 t pure vanilla extract
1 C finely chopped fresh strawberries
In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer.
Add eggs. Mix until smooth and creamy.
Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
Stir in strawberries.
Fill cupcake liners half way full.
Bake at 350 F for 18-20 minutes. Let cool.

Champagne Glaze
1 stick butter
1 C sugar
1/4 C water
1/4 C Champagne
Boil butter, sugar, and water for 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Stir in champagne and let cool.
When I took the butter, sugar, and water mixture off the stove and mixed the champagne into the hot mixture it was delish and it had a strong champagne flavor. After it cooled on the cupcakes it was still great, but the champagne flavor did become a bit more subtle.How to Glaze a Cupcake. The trick I learned for glazing a cupcake is dip the cupcake into the pot of glaze and twist the cupcake as you take it out to keep the glaze from dripping off. Coincidentally, dip and twist sounds like a move from my new hip-hop class. I double-dipped (a restaurant faux pas) but very important here to get a nice thick layer of glaze.