currently || december

listening || All things Christmas!! The radio station doesn't change from the 24 hour Christmas music station. I have been loving the Brett Eldredge Christmas album along with the new Pentatonix Christmas album. Both have been on repeat in our house these last few weeks and will be playing throughout the month.

decorating || I feel like this is an obvious thing, but our house is starting to feel like Christmas more and more each day. We got the outside lights hung up right after Thanksgiving, and we got our tree up and decorated this past weekend. All that's left to do is wrap the presents and wait for Santa!

reading || I honestly haven't been reading much this holiday season because I have been watching Christmas movies pretty much every night, but I have gotten back in to my "adult" coloring books by Johanna Basford. I find that while they are supposed to be relaxing, I get anxious about the colors matching correctly and looking good in the final design. Sometimes it's hard to think outside the box and make a owl purple.

ordering || All things wedding! Just last week I ordered our save the dates from Basic Invite and a return address stamp from Etsy. Hopefully everything arrives in the next few days so I can send out save the dates before the end of the year. It might start looking like Santa's workshop towards the end of the month.

wearing || This month I go or my first wedding dress "try on" appointment. I am kind of excited to try on dresses because I'm not sure what style looks the best or fits the best and this appointment will help make some decisions. I don't think I will buy at this appointment-because that's just not me, but I am excited to hang out, eat some food, and try on pretty dresses.

chicken enchilada soup/chili

This is the EASIEST- and cheapest-Mexican inspired recipe I have ever made. Everything comes in a can and you just dump it in the crock-pot, and serve it eight hours later. HOW SIMPLE!!!!! 

Ingredients:

1 package (20 oz) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 can (15.2 oz) whole kernel sweet corn, drained, rinsed

1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ black beans, drained, rinsed 

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso™ mild enchilada sauce

2 tablespoons Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package)

2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)

4 cups tortilla chips

Chopped green onions and sour cream, if desired

Directions:

1. Spray 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

2. In slow cooker, mix chicken, corn, beans, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning mix.

3. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 8 hours or High heat setting 4 hours.

4. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese.

5. Top with green onions and sour cream. Top with remaining cheese; serve with tortilla chips.

currently || november

planning || We are planning to have our friends over for Thanksgiving this month. This will be the first time we have hosted a lot of people in our house since we finally have furniture in the dining room. I am excited to cook and host people in our new home! Now I need to learn how to cook a Thanksgiving turkey-thanks Youtube!

enjoying || All the feelings that come with the holiday season. The next few months are my absolute favorite time of the year. Hockey is in full swing, the holidays are right around the corner, family and friends are getting together, and everything feels so cozy. My goal is to savor every little bit of the holiday season this year and not let it go by too fast without enjoying it.

reading || I just finished two books over the last month and they were excellent. The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close tells the story of a young couple who moves to Washington D.C. to work for the Obama administration. One of them gets a but power hungry and wants to move up in the political world no matter the cost. It's a great read that covers the ins and outs of politics, lies, and marriage. The second book I finished was called In Twenty Years: A Novel by Allison Winn Scotch. It tells a story of six friends from college-but 20 years down the road. A tragedy brings them all together, but secrets are spilled and lives are changed forever. After twenty years the remaining five of them get together again at their old college house for the weekend and the drama unfolds. Both are excellent reads!

watching || Technically it's almost over...but I have been watching the World Series games-duh. I honestly want both teams to win so I have been enjoying all the games. Once baseball is over I can devote all of my time watching hockey! Since the Capitals had a week long road trip out west, the games have been starting past my bed time and it's hard to stay up and watch the whole thing. Hopefully daylight savings next week will  help that.

designing || I have been checking out and designing some save the dates and wedding invitations. I know that the invitations won't go out for a while, but I need to get save the dates out the door somewhat soon. I find that most of the stationary websites don't have exactly what I'm looking for. Gold foiled invitations are "in" and I'm not a huge fan of them so it's getting hard to find ones that aren't foiled in some way. I am still on the hunt for ones that I am in love with.

currently || october

cooking || Everything in the crock-pot recently. I have been loving the ease of using the crock-pot, and that you can throw all the ingredients in and have dinner ready when I come home from work. I have already made a chicken and sausage gumbo-type dish, and I ma trying a baked ziti in the crock-pot this week. If both turn out okay I will put up the recipes somewhere on the page.

smelling || ALL THINGS CINNAMON! I am in love with the Fall for this exact reason. I currently have a cinnamon and clove melting in the Scentsy and burning Crisp Morning Air by Yankee Candle. On the weekend I love to wake up and immediately light the candle and let the house fill with the lovely scent of Fall.

traveling || We are headed of for our annual Griswald family vacation later this month to Nashville. We got an AirBnB on the river and plan on seeing the city for a few days. Hopefully the weather is nice and we can make a stop in the Great Smoky Mountains and check out the awesome Fall foliage on the way there. Stay tuned-I'm sure there will be a post and photos to follow.

watching || I am in LOVE with some new shows on both ABC and NBC in the prime-time hours. I don't usually get to watch them live, so I catch up the following day or on the weekend. If you are looking for a few good shows check out This is Us on Tuesday nights, Designated Survivor on Wednesday nights, and Speechless on Wednesday nights. Each show is completely and totally different from the other so it creates a nice balance in my TV watching, which is usually just Bones, CSI, and Grey's Anatomy. 

buying || Trying to buy NOTHING. I am trying to save as much money as possible for the holiday season and the wedding fund. I am keeping a running list of Christmas gifts I need to buy and who I need to buy them for.

weekend in pittsburgh

Over the weekend Cam and I made the trip to Pittsburgh to visit a friend, explore the city, and go to a baseball game. We left on Friday after work and came home early Sunday morning, so we only had one full day to explore. I wish we were there a little longer, but I know I will be back to explore more. 

We started the morning by eating brunch at a place called Deluca's and it was DELICIOUS. The meal kept me full for the full day of walking around the city. After brunch we headed straight to the Duquesne Incline to avoid all the crowds, and I'm glad we did, because when we left the line was across the bridge. I had been on the incline before, but it's always fun to go to the top of Mount Washington and see the city skyline-along with the million dollar houses on Grandview Ave. 

After the incline we headed down to the strip district to walk around and see some local shops and markets. We ran into a petting zoo in the middle of town and got to hang out with some cuties for a minutes. After walking around I worked up and appetite and decided to stop in at Peace, Love, and Little Donuts. HOLY COW, these donuts are to die for. They are miniature sized cake donuts, with a ton of creative flavors like Samoa, Boston Cream Pie, Oreo Cheesecake, and Apple Pie. I wish I had ordered a dozen to take home-also secretly hoping they ship places so I can have them at my wedding. 

After a fun filled day of walking, snackign, and shopping we ended our night at PNC Park. Once you step foot in the ball park you realize why it's always in the "Top 10 Baseball Parks to Visit." The stadium is STUNNING and it offers amazing views of the city skyline. To top of the entire trip, the Nationals ended up winning the NL East title after they finished playing the Pirates-WOO!!

Can't wait to go back and see more of what the city has to offer!!

currently || september

wearing || A brand new shiny accessory.....an engagement ring!!! Cam proposed at the end of August so I have only been "rock"ing the ring for about a week, but it goes with everything. He picked out such a great ring and I couldn't be happier to be spending my life with him.

planning || If you read the first thing on the list you can probably guess what I am planning.....a wedding. I ordered an Erin Condren planner the weekend after I got engaged and I can't wait to get planning in that thing. We have a venue visit this coming weekend so fingers crossed that we enjoy the place and can get the ball rolling.

traveling || Cam and I are planning a trip to Pittsburgh to visit a friend and go to a Pirates baseball game. I am always excited to go to a new stadium and that will help me check off things on my 30X30 list. I 'm not sure what else we will do while we are there, but I'm sure it will involve being touristy and eating lots of good food.

watching || Even though I am not the biggest football fan-I prefer to wait for hockey season-our house will constantly have the TV tuned to something football from hereon out. College football starts this weekend, and the NFL season starts next week. I am looking forward to college football more than professional football,but since we only have one TV with cable in our house I will be forced to watch football. Here's to a great season!!

tracking || I have recently started using My Fitness Pal to track food intake. I have only bee doing it about a week, but my goal is to try and do it for a few months and see if there is any progress on the scale. We will see how it goes. I have been trying so hard t=not to snack on sweets and candy, but it is so difficult when you work in an office where people bring in donuts and other baked treats.

hershey park-anniversary weekend

This post is quite overdue....like two months late.Whoops. But better late than never right?!?

Cam and I took an anniversary trip to Hershey, PA in June. I know it's not quite a glamorous trip, but it's close to our house and we don't have to use up a ton of vacation time from work to go for a long weekend. 

We stayed at the Hershey Lodge, which I normally wouldn't do, but it got us late entry to the park the day before our printed ticket date and they had a shuttle that took you from the front door of the hotel to the front door of the park. That might not sound like much, but after a full day walking around in the park the last thing you want to do is walk ALL THE WAY to your car in the huge parking lot. It was a nice convenience to have and I would do it again if I went back for the weekend. 

There is a zoo connected to the amusement park, so we spent the morning at the zoo while most of the animals were still awake. I love the zoo at Hershey Park even though it's small and only showcases animals of North America. It's a great zoo with a lot of information and they educate the visitors about the animals so everyone can learn something new.

The day after the amusement park, Cam and I decided to stay for a Hershey Bears playoff hockey game. The Bears are and AHL team based in Hershey, and they feed into the Washington Capitals. The game didn't start until 7:00 pm so Cam and I had a whole day to explore the town. We visited the Hershey Museum and the Hershey Gardens-which we had complimentary tickets to from our hotel stay! We loved the gardens and the museum was so interactive and kid friendly. We even got to taste six different hot chocolates from around the world.

Even though the Bear's lost that night and would eventually go on to lose the Calder Cup, Cam and I had a blast on the long weekend trip to Hershey, PA. It was a nice weekend to get away and have some fun at the amusement park!  Happy Anniversary!

currently || august

watching || Baseball season is in full swing-no pun intended-so I have been watching the Nationals play just about every night. They are away on a West Coast road trip right now so I can't watch the entire game, but they are coming home in a few days so I will be able to watch the entire game. I have tickets for the Nationals vs. Orioles game at the end of the month, so I am pumped about that!

crafting || On my recent trip to Wisconsin I realized that I hadn't touched my cross stitch supplies in over a year. I finally dug out a pattern I had been working on for a few months, and have been stitching when I get home from work for an hour or so. I forgot how relaxing it is and I am able to drown out the TV and leave my phone on the counter to focus on the pattern.

traveling || NOWHERE. I finally have a month that I have no travel obligations. Hallelujah!! I plan on using this time to relax and get some much needed housework and home projects done. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and let me work outside for more than 30 minutes at a time.

reading || I am almost finished reading Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close. It is an interesting read so far, and I am interested to see how it ends. It takes place in NYC and is about a group of young professionals trying to work their way through weddings, engagement parties, and baby showers of other friends. The book can jump around a bit with different characters and different time frames, but so far I have found it to be quite entertaining. 

snacking || I have been loving cheese and crackers as an after work snack in the evening. My favorite are the Cracker Barrel "Cracker Cuts" style cheese in the Colby Jack flavor, paired with the Roasted Red Pepper and Red Bean Triscuit Crackers. It is seriously the most delicious snack because it combines something cold, but also something savory and crunchy. When it comes to snacks I like a good balance of flavor and texture and this hits the nail on the head. YUM!

currently || july

drinking || I love the Strawberry Acai Refreshers from Starbucks, but sometimes going to Starbucks is out of the way. When I can get my hands on one from Starbucks I like to add lemonade instead of water. It makes it taste like a strawberry lemonade with less sugar and calories. If I can't get to Starbucks I will pick up the canned strawberry refreshers from the grocery store. I pour those over ice and it gives me the bubbliness of a soda-without the soda.

watching || Netflix has recently added Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting and I am LOVING it! It amazes me how such simple techniques can produce such a beautiful masterpiece. His soft voice is incredibly soothing and can put me to sleep within one 30 minute episode. Cam and I enjoy watching that after a long day of work and softball. Kudos Netflix. Great choice!!

traveling || I just booked my flight for my trip to Wisconsin. I realized while I was booking it, that this is the first flight I have taken truly by myself. No friends, no family, no co-workers. Let's hope I can navigate the airports smoothly and seamlessly.

reading || I am still in the middle of a book called Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner. So far it it really good and I can't seem to put it down. It reminds me a bit of When Harry met Sally, but younger kids from totally different backgrounds. Not sure how it ends, but I'll let you know. 

snacking || Costco has what's called "cowboy caviar" and the simplest way to put it is that it is a some what spicy bean dip. I've had it before, but didn't know Costco carried it until this week. We had some for the Fourth of July cookout we attended and went home with a container that I can snack on throughout the week. This stuff is delicious!

st. thomas- a week in paradise

About a month ago I went to St. Thomas for a destination wedding and decided to make a week long vacation out of it. 

I seriously had a blast exploring National Parks, beautiful white sand beaches, and a marine preserve deep in the mangroves. St. Thomas is an interesting place because it was once under Danish rule- so they have hints of the culture throughout the island. The oddest thing is probably that they drive on the left side of the road-like Britain-but the steering column is on the left-like the United States. It is a very strange thing to see, but the locals say it's easier because the island is so hilly and mountainous. If your steering column is on the left, but you are driving on the rleft, the driver is on the edge of the "mountain" therefore can get as close as possible and see perfectly. 

You don't need a passport to go to St. Thomas, so that 30x30 goal will have to wait until another time. There's always Canada :) I couldn't have asked for better weather. The entire week I was there I think it rained once for about 25 minutes. Very similar to Florida style storms that pass quite quickly. 

I was fortunate enough to hike in the St. John National Park-which is made up of about 85% of the entire island. I also snorkeled and kayaked  a marine preserve in St. Thomas through tons of mangroves. The mangroves are there to protect the tiny island from hurricanes and tropical storms. The government allows peoples to tie their boats to the mangrove trees before a hurricane because the roots can sometimes be buried up to 30 feet in the sand. 

Such an amazing experience with lots of old friends and some new ones. Enjoy!

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oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

These cookies are quite tasty, and relatively easy to make. I made these for Father's Day and distributed to all the fathers in my life. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

½ tsp sea salt

1 cup butter (room temperature)

¼ cups granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar (packed)

2 large eggs (room temperature)

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx. three minutes)

3. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition, and beat on high for 1 minute. Add vanilla.

4. Turn mixer to low and add flour mixture, mix until combined.

5. Add oats and chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.

6. Chill dough in fridge for an hour.

7. Preheat oven to 350° and line baking sheet with parchment or Silpat

8. Using a small cookie scoop, place cookies on baking sheet 2” apart.

9. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned but center is still soft an unset.

10. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, and then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

currently || june

crafting || We have an old metal patio table in our basement and I think it just needs a good coat of paint to spruce it up. That is the next house project on my list this month. I have a can of navy blue spray paint and I think that will be a nice touch to our front porch and will give us somewhere to eat in the summer months-instead of our laps on the outdoor couch.

watching || I have been loving Family Feud lately. It all started when we were on vacation watching it late at night in the hotel, but now that we are home I find myself flipping to the Game Show Channel at home. We will see hoe long that lasts before I get annoyed and tired of it!

traveling || To Hershey Park!! I am excited about this quick trip to the amusement park before all the kids are out of school. We are also going to a Hershey Bears game, as they play for the Calder Cup. So excited!

reading || I just finished Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children and The Nest while on vacation last month. Both were a good read, but Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was a bit slow at times for me, and I felt like there needed to be more action in that story. The Nest was an excellent read about a some-what dysfunctional family from New York City and I would recommend that book to those who enjoy reading. 

planning || The Erin Condren 2017 planners are launched today!!! I am probably going to hold off on purchases for now, just to see the reviews on YouTube, but I will be looking and adding things to my cart today. I am loving the new Luxe planner, but I am skeptical about wear and tear on that cover, so I will be sure to check out the reviews as much as possible.

strawberry lemonade cupcakes

Ingredients:

cake
1/2 packet Jell-O vanilla pudding mix
2 tsp strawberry Kool-Aid drink mix

frosting
12oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened (1 1/2 packages)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 packet lemonade Kool-Aid drink mix (you won't be using the whole packet, start with about 1/2 tsp and adjust from there after tasting)
Yellow food coloring, optional
16 oz. Cool Whip frozen topping, thawed
Fresh strawberries, sliced, for decoration
Lemon rind, for decoration
Strawberry licorice twist, cut into 3" sections, for decoration
Yellow decorating sugar, optional, for decoration


Directions:

Look at your cake mix box and preheat to suggested temperature written in the directions.

Add the dry mix to the bowl of a stand mixer, then follow instructions on the cake mix box (remembering to substitute milk or buttermilk for the water, and adding an extra egg). Pour in the vanilla pudding mix and strawberry Kool-Aid mix. Beat until combined.

Prepare muffin tin by lining with cupcake liners. Fill liners about 2/3 of the way full and bake, according to package directions, or until a toothpick inserted in the cupcake comes out clean.


for frosting
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and heavy cream. Beat until well combined. Add in a bit of the lemonade Kool-Aid mix and beat to combine.


Spoon in the cool whip and mix until light and fluffy. Taste, and add more lemonade Kool-Aid mix if desired.


Add frosting to a large piping bag (or large zip top bag with a corner snipped off) and use any decorating tip you desire. I used a large closed star tip.

Box of strawberry cake mix (plus milk, eggs and oil, as indicated on the box)

apple blossom || 2016

This year wasn't my first Apple Blossom festival, but it was the first time we lived downtown in the middle of it all, and it was CRAZY. We did a lot of front porch sitting and people watching throughout the weekend and although the weather wasn't perfect I still had a great time. 

The festival itself is a week long celebration filled with luncheons, parties, and activities around town, but the big excitement comes from the two parades, fireworks, and carnival games/rides. The Fireman's Parade happens on Friday night followed by a firework show on the other side of town, and the Apple Blossom parade is on Saturday afternoon. 

In the Apple Blossom parade this year the Grand Marshall was Wayne Brady, and the Sports Marshall was Cal Ripken Jr. If you don't know who these people are go ahead and Google them. The parade is filled with local companies that design floats, tractors, firetrucks, police cars, and marching bands. My favorite part of the whole weekend is the food though.

At the Midway you can find all sorts of fair and carnival food like funnel cakes, corn-dogs, elephant ears, kettle corn, and chicken on a stick. There are also carnival games and activities for people of all ages. There is also a live band playing in the middle of it all.

I can't wait to see what next year's celebrations bring!!

currently || may

eating || ALL THE FRUIT. I love that all the fruit is starting to come in season now. I have strawberries in the refrigerator and I will probably be buying more at the grocery store this week. Another favorite are peaches this time of year, even though they are some of the messiest things on the planet. Our farmer's market should be opening soon, so Saturday morning trips there will be a must this month!

watching || More playoff hockey!!! The Capitals have made it to round two where they will face the Penguins. They have already won game one, so it won't be a complete shut out. This rivalry is intense and I imagine through this month that will show. Hope to be typing about this in the next currently series!

traveling || to St. Thomas!! A friend is getting married later this month and I am making the trip down to St. Thomas to celebrate with them. I am excited to spend a week on a tropical island without any worries of work or home, but I am terrified to come back and see what the house looks like after a week of me being gone. I'm sure there will be a post with lots of pictures in the next coming weeks.

reading || I just finished two books and you can check out that review. I have quite a few books on hold at the library, so I'm not sure which one will come available first. I want to keep reading but I don't want to actual buy the book-first world problems. If I haven't gotten a book off my holds list in the next week or so I will have to pull the trigger and buy a book from Amazon. The current holds I have are The Nightingale, All the Light we Cannot See, The Swans of Fifth Avenue, and What Alice Forgot.

planning || I need to start making plans for a weekend trip to Hershey Amusement Park in the next few weeks. We want to go in early June before school is out for the summer, and it's also not as hot. I need to get my butt in gear and get to calling hotels to get a room for a few nights. To be continued...

book reviews

I have been on a reading roll, since recovering from my book hangover. First I read The Secret Life of Bees and then I read The Girl on the Train. Both were incredibly satisfying and had me wanting more after I turned the last page.


The Secret Life of Bees is set in the American south during the start of the Civil Rights movement. It follows the life of a teenage girl in search of information about her mother. She finds her self in a very unusual place, but feels as though that is where she belonged her whole life.

It was an easy read and didn't induce any nightmares, which is always a plus in my mind. I know there is a movie based on the book starring Dakota Fanning, but I have yet to watch it. The books are usually better, but if I happen to watch it I will add it to this post.

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The other book I finished this month was The Girl on the Train and let me say this...it totally lived up to the hype. This book was AMAZING!! It may have given me nightmares, but I couldn't put the book down and I found myself reading at all hours of the night.

This book is set in London and follows a woman who takes the commuter train into town every morning. She watches out the window of the train and daydreams about what people's lives are like on the other side of the tracks. When a girl goes missing, the girl on the train proves to be a key component in solving the mystery. If you like mystery fiction with a little suspense check this book out. It feels very much like Gone, Girl so if that's your cup of tea you will enjoy this story. 

There is a movie coming out in October 2016 that tells this story. The main character is Emily Blunt and you can check out the teaser trailer from Universal Studios.  

refurbished front porch planter boxes

With the nice weather we had this weekend, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do a bit of sprucing up before Apple Blossom. We have these concrete planters on our front porch that weigh a million pounds-not really, but close. They are extremely heavy and an eyesore on the porch. I knew I wanted to plant something in them for the spring, but I don't have the greenest thumb. 

We started off by making a trip to Lowes to look at their garden section and pick up some grass seed. I popped in to look at all the flowers they had blooming and I was amazed. Everything was so vibrant and beautiful that I had a hard time choosing. We decided to pick up a bunch of Celosia and another upright annual to add some height to the planters. 

While we were there, I picked up some spray paint that could be used on masonry. We bought the color "metallic rust" and it turned out a bit coppery, but I really like the way it looks against the brinks of the house. 

That's how we turned old concrete planters into something new and vibrant. Can't wait to watch the new plants grow this spring!

the most wonderful time of the year

PLAYOFF HOCKEY IS HERE! I repeat, playoff hockey is here.

This is y most favorite time of the year, with Christmas being a close second. Beards are just getting started and every fan is hoping to see their team play into June.

I was lucky enough to attend the Capitals first playoff game this year against the Flyers and it was AMAZING.  The arena was full of energy and fans couldn't take their eyes off the ice. The Caps pulled out a victory to give them a one game advantage in this series. I can tell after last nights performance that this series between the two teams is going to be personal, physical, and demanding.

Follow me on this wild road that is playoff hockey. Hope to see you in June :)

chicken poppyseed casserole

This is another delicious recipe that we enjoy during the week because its quite easy to assemble. As always I make some changes to mine and deviate from the recipe just a tad. I only use two chicken breasts and I find that that is plenty, but I use two cups of uncooked rice in order to fill the bottom of the casserole dish. 

I also like added some chopped steamed broccoli to the mix. It's just the kind you can steam in the microwave inside the bag-then chopped into finer pieces because broccoli is not my favorite. 

There you have it.  A quick dinner for weeknights that will leave you with plenty of left overs. 

Ingredients:

4 cooked and shredded chicken breasts

1½ sticks butter

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 ½ stacks of Ritz crackers, crushed

8 oz sour cream

2 cups cooked rice-cook in chicken broth or use rice pilaf from box

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt butter and add Ritz crackers

2. Layer chicken, soup, poppy seeds, salt, pepper and sour cream over the rice in a casserole pan

3. Spread cracker mix on top and bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly. 

currently || april

eating || I am loving the Fruit-are fruit popsicles right now. I have a bad habit of wanting ice cream as a midnight snack-which is so unhealthy. These are nice because they are all less than 100 calories and have real pieces of fruit inside the popsicles. It is a nice cold snack that won't make me feel super guilty about eating it. My favorites right now are the pineapple and the strawberry. I want to try the lime and lemon-perfect summer flavors!

watching || Some playoff hockey! The Capitals ave already clenched a playoff spot which guarantees them playing time through April.....and maybe May and June....if I'm lucky. I can't wait to see what playoff hockey has is store for the team, and I will be watching all along the way.

anticipating || Apple Blossom Festival is right around the corner and I am pretty excited. If you don't know anything about the festival check it out here. Some special guests this year include comedian Wayne Brady and the legendary Cal Ripken Jr. → cue jumping up and down like a kid at an ice cream truck in the summer! I am so pumped to see both of them in the parade this year!

reading || I had been in a bit of a "book hangover" since finishing Harry Potter so it's been a bit tough to start a new book. After checking out some reviews I finally settled on The Secret Life of Bees....and as I am typing this post realized it was made into a movie! Say what?!? I guess I will have to watch the movie after I finish the book.

crafting || I have been coloring more and more in my "adult" coloring book from Johanna Basford. I have both the Enchanted Forest and the Lost Ocean. It's hard to get back into coloring after reading so many books back to back, but I find that the coloring is more interactive and a bit more relaxing than reading. When I read a book I get immersed in the characters and plot line so much that I can't put it down to sleep or eat. The coloring book is a nice afternoon activity that won't keep my mind racing after I put it down.

birthday week-end

I kicked off the birthday celebrations by treating myself to a manicure. I love getting a gel manicure because the polish lasts forever and I am not very forgiving with my nails. They stand up to laundry, dishes, and working in the yard. I decided on a color changing polish this time because I had a hard time choosing just one. The lighter color pink is the color of the polish when it's "warm" or "hot" and the orangish/coral color is the color the polish becomes when it's "cold". It's pretty cool, especially in a month like March where the temperature can fluctuate 30° in three days. 

I also changed out the St. Patrick's Day chalkboard to make a "Happy Birthday" message to myself for the day! It's the little things sometimes that make you happy and combining crafts with my birthday is one of those things.

I got home from work the day before my birthday and was greeted with a birthday card from the family. My mom knows how much I love getting mail-that isn't a bill- so she sends me cards for all occasions, including my birthday. After I opened that card I realized that it looked quite familiar and pulled out the birthday card they sent me last year. Last year's card is on the left and this year's card is on the right....although you would never know which is which because they are the exact same. Oh mom, you make me laugh without even trying. 

For my actual birthday Cam took me to dinner and I came home and made myself a little cake. It wasn't much, but it was fun to blow out the candles on a cake for my birthday.

We had tickets to the hockey game on Friday evening. These were the last ones for our 2015-2016 flex season passes. A little bummed that it's our last one, but excited knowing that the Capital's already have a playoff spot clenched!

Saturday was spent furniture shopping and grabbing dinner with the entire family. I will say that 26 has already been good to me. I am thankful to have spent the weekend with the family. Now it's all downhill to 30!

spicy garlic lime chicken

I feel like I start every recipe post out the same way...."I didn't follow the recipe exactly and I made some changes", but isn't that what cooking is all about! For this recipe I didn't use the measurements given because I used chicken breast tenderloins instead of an actual chicken breast. I find that I eat smaller portions when I use the tenderloins for dinner. Anyway, I also didn't add thyme to the recipe because I didn't have it in the pantry. Here is the basic outline for you to follow if you want a quick and delicious dinner. 

Ingredients:

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

⅛ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried parsley

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons garlic powder

3 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts.

2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté chicken until golden brown.

3. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice.

4. Cook, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce. 

easy breakfast casserole

I will start by saying that this recipe is meant to serve 10 people! So if you aren't feeding an army you could probably half this recipe, like I did. This is super easy and can be made the day before and refrigerated-which makes it an easy dinner for hectic nights. You also don't have to cook the tater tots! You put them in the pan straight out of the freezer-AWESOME!

I did make some substitutions based on what we had in our fridge. Instead of tater tots I used the mini round hash browns, which are basically the same thing, I also used regular breakfast sausage-not hot sausage. That's just a personal preference so you could potentially use the maple flavored sausage if you wanted. 

Ingredients

2 lb. hot breakfast sausage

1 (30-32oz) bad frozen tater tots

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp onion powder

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup mozzarella cheese

8 eggs

2 cups milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. In a large skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink. Drain fat.

3. In a large bowl, toss together tater tots, cooked sausage and cheeses. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan.

4. Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and milk. Pour over tater tor mixture.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes