5 on Friday: Random Week's Goings On

And just like that, it's Friday. Here's a few things that are going on in our world this week.

1. easiest, best, pasta salad

Today Will was responsible for bringing a side dish to work for a bbq themed lunch they're having. I decided to make Caprese Pasta Salad. His mom cooked it a while back for us and we've been obsessed ever since. This is definitely one of those recipes you can throw together depending on taste. All you need is:

Bow Tie Pasta, cooked

Fresh Mozzarella, cubed

Grape Tomatoes, cubed

Fresh Basil, cut into ribbons

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinagar

Salt and Pepper

Combine, chill, and serve. It's amazing.

2. hot yoga

I haven't so much as thought of a workout in about a year. After moving away from my old yoga studio last summer, I pretty much gave up on any type of organized workout. But I'm ready to get back in the game. I've been researching places that offer hot yoga a little closer to my house, and there are a surprising amount of options. If anyone knows a good place in the east/north areas of Cincinnati, I'd love a recommendation.

3. baby sleep

What a mess. Or less a mess and more an adventure I guess. I've read all the books. Heard all the tricks. Gone from being dead set on getting on a schedule by 3 months, to not caring at all when she does what, and everywhere in between. Still not sure exactly where my parenting philosophy will end up lying, but I know one thing- it's hard to figure out. I still can't believe I'm responsible for making 100% of the decisions for this little person and what is best for her. Who gave me a baby?!

4. quote of the week

I saw this online and could not agree more. I really believe there are very few "bad" things in life, just tough things we need to teach us what we need to learn.

5. rodan + fields

I need the scoop. Does anyone have experience using or selling this product? I am considering doing both. I have a friend that swears by it, but I definitely need to do my research.

And that's my five! Linking up with the ladies below. Happy Weekend!

awesome recipe alert: one skillet sausage pasta

I recently saw a recipe on Pinterest that looked amazing enough to actually try.

Unfortunately, the recipe I pinned was a broken link. Fortunately, I found a similar recipe via good old Google, and it did not disappoint. I followed this recipe from damndelicious.net to a T, except for a few minor details.

their version:

-I used shells instead of elbow macaroni

-Used mexican cheese blend as opposed to pepper jack

-My sausage was of the smoked turkey sausage variety.

I also could have probably lowered the cook time by a few minutes due to shells cooking a tiny bit faster than elbow macaroni.

my version:

All in all, it was a huge hit! This made enough for dinner for two, and plenty of left overs for two (smallish) lunches the next day. Even better, it only dirtied one pan, a few utensils, and a cutting board.

I already had two friends tell me on Instagram that they tried it because it looked so good, and the recipe was a hit in their homes as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 package smoked sausage, thinly sliced

2 cups chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup milk

8 ounces pasta

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

2. Add garlic, onion, and sausage. Cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned. About 3-4 minutes.

3. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, milk and past.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and summer until pasta is cooked. About 12 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and top with cheese. Cover until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

food and friends and the best kind of weekend

Our weekend was pretty awesome. Friday I came home from work to a message from Will that he'd decided to go to Ikea and pick up the dresser for the nursery. Praise the Lord for another thing marked off of the to-do list. I also knocked something off the list with a stop at the mall to pick out a lamp. I couldn't decide, so I got three shades to try at home. We had a quick dinner when he got home, and I watched and relaxed as Will got the dresser about 80% complete. Perfect quiet end to a hectic work week.

On Saturday morning Will left the house early to help some friends of ours move, and I packed up the dogs and headed out for a morning of fun. Holly, Sadie, and I met three of my best friends and their pups at the bark park, and it was a blast. The weather was gorgeous and all the pups had a good time with each other and all the other park patrons. Even though we have a pretty good size yard, I like giving our doggies the chance to experience a new environment to sniff around in. I see many more mornings like this in our future this summer.

Happy dogs!

After dropping Holly and Sadie back at home, I met Will at our friend's new place to check it out. As expected, I loved the house, and am so so happy for them. Seeing all of our friends experience home ownership and marriage and pregnancy really makes life that much sweeter. Since their new home was close to the mall, we popped in to PB Kids to return the lamp shades that didn't work for us, and have a yummy lunch at Cheesecake Factory.

At this point we were both exhausted so we headed home to enjoy some sun. By 6pm I was seriously beat so I headed upstairs to take a nap. That nap turned into a 13 hours of sleep, with one wake up around midnight that only lasted a few minutes. I don't care how great the second trimester is- pregnancy is no joke!

Sunday it was up bright and early again to head Downtown. Will and I laughed multiple times this week about our plans. Sunday Funday and weekend priorities sure to change when there's a baby on board, don't they? Our Downtown adventure included morning Mass at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, breakfast at Taste of Belgium, and shopping at Findlay Market.

We came home, hung out on the deck for most of the day, grilled out, and I even took a little nap outside. Will was able to put together the rest of the dresser, and that about wraps it up.

I didn't get as much checked off the to do list as I would have liked, but it was a really relaxing weekend. The kind that makes me think all the brutal months of disgusting winter may actually be worth it. Happy (rainy, disgusting) Monday!

a weekend of food + mixed berry pie recipe

This weekend was wonderful. I took Friday off from work, and I'd almost forgotten how glorious three day weekends can be. Shopping (which I've been doing way too much of lately- note to self: stay out of the mall), friends, family, and of course food. The highlight of the millions of calories I consumed this weekend came on Sunday morning.

I woke up thinking about pie (pregnant lady problems), and I've always been more of a fruit pie person than a chocolate or super, duper sweet pie person. As I was scrolling Pinterest in bed looking for dessert recipes Will got a text from his brother inviting us over for the first grill out of the season. Since it has finally warmed up, and our niece and nephew love fruit, I knew a berry pie would be just the way to go.

I looked up about 5 different recipes, made up my own, and off to Kroger we went. What resulted was absolutely delicious, and super easy to make. This pie was a huge hit. Will, myself, my brother and sister in law, our niece and nephew, and their friend all cleaned our plates. I will definitely be making this pie many more times this summer.

Below is what I ended up going with as a final recipe, and it resulted in 2 pies. Prep took me about 25 minutes, and baking time was about 45 minutes.

Triple Berry Pie

Ingredients

2 cartons fresh strawberries, quartered

1 carton fresh blueberries

1 carton fresh blackberries

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup corn starch

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 lemon

2 tbsp vanilla extract

Pie crust of choice. I used the Pillsbury kind out of the box and it was amazing.

Directions

1. Combine all berries in a large mixing bowl. Add the juice and zest of one lemon, and 2 tbsp vanilla to fruit mixture. Mix well.

2. Combine sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a separate mixing bowl.

3. Lay out bottom layer crusts in glass pie pans. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the cornstarch mixture along the bottom crust before adding filling.

4. Add remaining cornstarch mixture to berry mixture. Mix well until combined and let set for 15 minutes.

5. Fill pie pans with berry mixture.

6. Layer top pie crusts on top of berry mixture, and seal the edges with your fingers or a fork.

7. Scour the center of the top crusts to vent.

8. Mix together milk and egg to create egg wash. Brush top crusts with egg wash and sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of cinnamon+sugar mixture.

9. Place pies on a baking sheet, and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.

10. Cover the edges of the pie crusts with foil, and bake for 20 more minutes at 350 degrees.

A Few Notes

I cooked these pies in separate ovens. If you have 2 in the same oven, it may require some extended cooking time. You can tell they're done with the crust is golden brown.

You'll need to let these sit for at least a couple of hours before eating so all the fruit and juices have time to set. Mine was still a little juicy, kind of like a cobbler. Next time I might try adding a tiny bit more cornstarch.

Any combination of berries, or frozen thawed instead of fresh, I'm sure would work just as well.

5 things i'm jazzed about this week

There are ALL KINDS of things to be pumped about this week. Linking up with Natasha.

1. The Big Reveal

At approximately 5:15pm tonight, we will be finding out if come August we'll be brining home a son or a daughter. I still can't believe I'm going to be someone's mother, and finding out the sex will make it that much more real. Not to mention we can seriously narrow down names, and start shopping. I've wanted a girl for as long as I can remember, but the idea of a boy is definitely growing on me. We've got a pretty great gender reveal photo shoot planned, and I can't wait to see the looks on our faces when we find out.

2. The Eagle

Saturday we're heading down to the city to eat with some friends at The Eagle in OTR. It has been a million years since I've been to to a new restaurant in OTR, so I can't wait to check one off of our "must try" list. If you live in the Cincinnati area and haven't been to any of these little gems, you are truly missing out. We also haven't seen enough of these particular pals since we moved, so I'm also looking forward to catching up.

3. This Sauce

I had to whip up a quick dinner Wednesday night, and I decided to try a new Alfredo recipe. Holy delish. I had never made an Alfredo sauce with sour cream before, and it didn't disappoint. I had the whole thing ready to eat with about 1 minute of prep time, and 9 minutes of cook time. Can't get much better than that.

4. The Great Debate

Stay at Home Mom vs Working Mom. Which one will I be? I've been putting a lot of thought into this lately, and pray we make the right decision for our family. I am loving all the blog posts out there about other mamas making this decision. All the perspectives are really helpful in weighing our options.

5. Girl Time

It has been an embarrassingly long time since I've had an entire day of girl time. Whether that be with myself, or with friends. Thank heavens one of my closest friends Megan has swept in to save the day.

She had the great idea to come down on a Friday and spend the entire day doing what we do best. Shopping, eating, and getting pedicures. Meg will be driving in from town, so the least I can do is take off work, right? I haven't seen her since her wedding, and can't wait to hear all about the honeymoon and newlywed life in person! Her and her husband (who Will and I love) went to the same resort as us, so I can't wait to compare stories.

That about wraps it up! Really this whole post could have been about item number one. So excited to find out the big news!

what we're eating this week

Happy Monday, if there is such a thing.

This week I actually went to the grocery with a plan in mind of all the dinners I wanted to prepare for us this week. I was really excited about my trip, until I got home and realized I didn't have the strawberries I KNOW I bought. Pregnancy Brain is real people. I was really looking forward to those things, but aside from misplacing them, it was a successful trip.

This week's menu includes:

Crockpot BBQ Ribs with Loaded Baked Potatoes

There really is no recipe here. I lightly season the meat, wrap the rack meat side out in the crockpot, cover in BBQ sauce, and cook on low for 7ish hours. Potatoes are pretty self explanatory.

Stuffed Peppers

Recipe I use here. I will add mushrooms to this if I have any in the house.

Cajun Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

Recipe I use here. This time I'll be going light on the cajun seasoning and substituting the tomatoes for broccoli.

Steak Tacos

No real recipe here. Brown stew meat and simmer with taco seasoning and water. Load up your tortilla or hard shell with meat and whatever toppings. I usually serve this with corn and Spanish rice.

Homemade Pizza

Same deal, no recipe! I buy a pre made crust, top with pizza sauce, cheese, whatever veggies I have laying around, and pepperoni if we have any. Cook on a pizza stone (or pan) until everything is nice and melty.

I try to make dinners that both Will and I really enjoy. He isn't the biggest fan of the ribs I currently have cooking away, but I figured I could be selfish for one meal.

This will leave us plenty of leftovers for lunch or maybe even dinners the next day.

What are you eating this week? I am dead set on meal planning and am always looking for new recipes to add to my food board. I have no idea what new cooks did before Pinterest.

I survived my first day + catch up + recipes

Well here we are. Long time no post. Really just 5 days or so, but it feels like it's been an eternity since I opened up the ole MacBook. Our weekend was good. Friday we went out with some of my then co workers to celebrate my last day at the company. There was a pretty good turn out, and we had a blast. Saturday we had dinner Downtown with a group of our neighbor pals, and Sunday I grocery shopped, ran errands, and just got ready for the week. I know two people dogs that were not much help. Not sure why the light looks so cryptic and smoky coming through the windows? Maybe we have a ghost?

Oh, and my little sister went to homecoming, and my Mom text me this pic. I die. She is getting more grown up by the second! I cannot believe she will be 15 next month. Time really does fly.

I normally like to participate in some type of Sunday Funday activity, but not this time around. Monday was my first day at the new office, and I wanted to be 110% prepared. All went pretty amazing as far as first days go. I have some programs and processes to learn, but I'm excited to get the ball rolling on this step in my career. Megan suggested I even throw in some work attire posts, and I just might! Lord knows work is just about the only time I get dressed up.

In other news, poor Sadie girl has a cold. I hate to take her to the vet just to be told it's a stuffy nose and will pass. She is completely fine besides being a little sniffly. Are there dog home remedies for the common cold?

Last but not least, I wanted to mention a few recipes.1 "regular" and 2 crock pot. I am not feeling dinner time lately. Normally I like to cook, but I guess I'm in a funk.

Last night I made Eat Yourself Skinny's lemon rosemary chicken recipe. It was easy and delicious. Currently in the crock pot for lunch and dinner the rest of the week are my favorite pot roast recipe, and this new potato soup recipe I'm trying out. Hallelujah to having 3-4 meals done with only 10 or so minutes of prep!

I can't remember where I found the pot roast recipe at this point, but it involves:

3 pound roast
1 packet of brown gravy mix
1 packet of italian dressing mix
1 packet of ranch dressing mix
1cup of water

Put it all in the crock pot on low. Cook 6 or so hours. Boom. Delicious.

That's all for now. Happy Thursday!

Lately

What a week! Despite how busy I've been all week with work, Will being out of town for a couple of days, and plans with friends, I was up at 6am this morning. I am that excited to go to start shopping the second the stores open. Free Saturday morning + unexpected work bonus + it finally feeling like fall = perfect excuse to spend hours in Home Goods and Target. And the grocery store. I think Holly is excited too because she's running around the house like a banshee on speed. Is there such a thing as dog schizophrenia?

I made the most delicious dinner of all time the other day. Specifically the mac and cheese (cue the 2 pound portion. oops) and the chicken. Except I didn't make the beans listed with the chicken recipe. I HATE beans. Ugh. The Pioneer Woman was behind this meal, as usual. I thought I'd nailed the perfect mac and cheese recipe until I tried this one. I doubt I'll ever try another again, as there is no way anything tastes better than this!

I got a new car! While looking like a homeless person! W and I went to drop my old car to get new tires, and planned on just running an errand or two in the mean time, so we didn't really bother to get dressed. An errand turned into a test drive which turned into me getting a 2014 Ford Escape that I am madly in love with! This is all after I'd already paid for the new tires on my old car. Only me...

And a PS- why do I still look so huge next to an SUV? #6footproblems. Here's a better view.

I bought a cheap curling wand from Target, and it's love. I know I'm late to the game on this one, but I had no idea those things were that great. It's really helped me not to look like I just rolled out of bed, without spending too much time in the mirror.

That's all for now! Happy Weekend!

life lately

So, it's been a week! Apparently life has been busy around here. As always, work is crazy busy, there's plenty to do around the house, and plenty of friends and family to hang out with. This weekend is birthdays, then next weekend I have a baby shower to attend Saturday afternoon, then we'll be off to a wedding that evening. I seriously love this time of our lives. So much to celebrate.

One of my friends sent me this, and it is so, so true. I just about died when N'SYNC appeared on the VMA's. I was always on their team back in the BSB vs N'SYNC rivalry days. Even though clearly a few of them have lost some stamina, it still made my day.

Friday we had a riveting evening perusing the aisles of Home Depot and Kroger. Then we met up with some neighbors to play Cards Against Humanity. Will and I decided we definitely need to get the game for our house. It was hysterical, and I actually won. I NEVER win board games, so it was pretty exciting.

Saturday we got up bright and early to tailgate for the Cincinnati vs Purdue game. We blew them out of the water, and we got to see some family and friends, so it was a good day in my book. I could have gone without the BILLION degree temperatures, but it is what it is.

We were so worn out from the game, last night and this morning have been pretty low key. I am SO excited to still have a day and a half off work. We plan to do some more relaxing, and I'm trying this recipe (just the grilled chicken part). Happy Labor Day weekend people. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I am mine!

pinterest finds + weekend recap

Just as I was getting settled into the mindset that fall is here, a 90 degree heat wave decides to sweep the Tri-State area. Typical. I drank a few Caronas over the weekend to try and get back into the spirit, but it just didn't work. Summer, take it easy on us for the next few weeks will you? I can't handle 90 degrees. I just can't.

I did managed to put my disdain for the temps aside long enough to enjoy a weekend of summer activities. The husband was out of town, so I spent a lot of time with friends. Friday one of my work girlfriends stopped by to hang out on the deck for a bit. Saturday I spent the afternoon at the pool with a few of my best friends, then headed Downtown for dinner. I finished the night off with some neighborhood friends, and that about wraps it up.

It's so great to finally have my closest friends living in Cinci

I'm getting increasingly more obsessed with The Food Network. I guess I'm finally HGTV'ed out, or maybe I'm just getting more into cooking. Either way, The Pioneer Woman Cooks and Trisha's Southern Kitchen are my new go to shows. Their lives are fascinating without them being able to show me how to cook. Throw in yummy "normal person" recipes, and I'm sold.

With above mentioned food obsession, the holidays just around the corner, and trying to make a lot of house decorating decisions, I've spent a lot of time on Pinterest lately. Here are some of my favorite pins.

here

I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but I love pumpkin and marshmallow so this is right up my alley. I will absolutely be trying these in the coming months.

here

Adult pumpkin spice latte. Genius.

here

This is super adorable and looks easy to make. Our front door is a deep red color so I think the white and burlap would really stand out.

here

Fried Green Tomato Caprese? YUM!

Linking up with Leeann and Sammy today. Happy Monday people. Here's to the upcoming 3 day weekend!

prioritizing time + a recipe

I've been carrying around some major guilt lately. Sometimes I think it's warranted, and sometimes I think I'm being silly. I'm talking about that feeling of "I should have/could have done ......" with my time, but instead I slept in, or spent the day being selfish, or just did a whole lot of nothing. Sometimes I neglect cleaning, or laundry. And I never regret it. But sometimes, I feel like I neglect people. And I do regret that. I think?

It seems like visits with friends and family get fewer and farther between as we get older and busier, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Obviously is sucks, but this is normal, right? Normal or not, relatives are getting older. My friendships are growing thinner. I know less and less about people I used to talk to 100 times a day. Yes, they will always be my best friends, but it's heartbreaking not being able to witness every single special moment with people who are? were? such a huge part of my life.

I feel like I'm kind of saying goodbye to an era. An era where I was out every. single. night. When I would galavant all around the world (ok, the state) partying with my friends or visiting someone's random relative at their beach house. An era of 3 hour longs happy hours multiple times a week, and sleepovers that turned into late brunches and afternoons at the pool. An era where laundry and chores could be put off for weeks, instead of just days. College was really great,wasn't it? But really, I'm saying goodbye to the era of free time.

This is something I vow to work on. Time management. The balance of life with calm and fun with obligations. How do you balance these things? Life, family, work, school, romantic relationships, friends? #oldpersonproblems

On a happier note, last night I made pantry pasta, a dish by the Pioneer Woman. I've had this pinned forever, and after seeing it on her show, I had to make it. It turned out great! I even left out the chicken, and my meat loving husband still approved. It was quick and easy and dirt cheap. I see this dinner making lots of appearances on our table. Linking up with Blissfully Miller and Lets Get Bananas today.

pic from her website. recipe here.

Happy Tuesday!

it's the little things

This has been a pretty freaking fantastic few days. That was a lot of alliteration, but it needed to be said.

It has felt so, so, soooo good outside. A little humidity here and there, but we're currently on the couch with windows open. Pumpkin Buttercream candle lit. Sipping red wine. Perfect. It's the little things people. It's surprising how thrilled I get over such small details.

The past few days sure didn't disappoint either. I tried out a great new brewery in town called 50 West for happy hour Thursday. It was right up my alley, and I can't wait to take Will there. Then on Saturday I finally convinced Will to pick out some paint samples. I'm not sure the colors are perfect, but it's so fun to get the ball rolling on operation: paint. And while at Home Depot, we found the cutest, comfiest deck set for basically pennies. Thank you end of the summer sales.

I cooked up a storm and made my favorite soup zuppa toscona, and roasted my first whole chicken. I used this recipe, and it was to die for. Ree never lets you down. Will raved the entire way through dinner, and when we had it again the next night. I have a feeling I'll be repeating that meal for many years to come.

Our lawn is a train wreck, and the treatments on that started today- thank goodness! I never thought I would have a care in the world that pertained to any type of yard maintenance, until now. When you own a home, and put so much blood, sweat, and tears into that home, and the dreaded crab grass takes over, it's a pretty big slap in the face.

The rest of this week will be hectic, but there's also plenty to look forward too. Thursday I'm taking by best friend (who was our maid of honor) out for a celebratory birthday/new apartment dinner. Then Saturday we're going canoeing with a big group of Friends. I am pretty excited for both, so hopefully the next two work days FLY by.

Happy Wednesday!

Sister Week Recap

There is no one word that I can think of to describe how happy the past week has made me. There were a few struggles with having a house full, trying to still help out at work, and hubs being extremely busy at work- but for the most part, it was a a dreamilly perfect 7-8 days.

Most of my family is dispersed all over the country, and I've talked before about spending my teenage years living five hours away from my Mom and sisters. So when we get together, it's all I can do not to run screaming through the streets how happy I am. This trip was no different. The sibs and I had a fun filled weekend of shopping, eating, baking, swimming, amusement-parking, visiting family, and all sorts of other fun.

What makes all of this even more exciting is how much my girls just love Will and his family. And how much all of my in-laws love them back! They really treat them like part of the family, and it's kind like it's all meant to be ;) I really got lucky in the in-law department!

Here are a few pics to recap our fabulous week. If you follow me on Instagram, some of these may be a repeat.

I for one was shocked but excited that the fall beers are already out. Bring on the fall!

Last year was my first time at Homerama, and this year we brought the girls. Many great decorating ideas were noted.

Waiting in line at King's Island. I forgot how annoying that is! Luckily the park wasn't too crowded. 

The house across the street is making some serious progress. 

I made a quiche! And naturally forgot to take an after photo. I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe for Cowboy Quiche, found here. I added some green peppers and it was delish. This recipe actually ended up being enough for two quiches, so I froze one. Cooking once for two meals = win.

Here's the pic Ree posted along with the recipe on her site.

It was a wonderful week, and I wish they could have stayed another. Sadly, PTO is hard to come by, and I am deathly afraid of all of the emails that are undoubtedly awaiting me when I go back to the office Monday. The fun didn't stop when I met my Mom to get the girls home Saturday morning. I made the trip home just in time to celebrate the marriage of two more of our wonderful friends! They had a Skyline bar with personalized bibs, and these foamy glow stick thingies for all the guests. Definitely one of the best receptions I've been to. This was our 4th wedding of 2013. 2 more to go before we're done for the year. I love this time in our lives and getting to be a part of so much happiness and celebration.

Weird quality, but I guess that's what happens when you practice photography via iPhone. 

Speaking of weddings, two of our other good friends god married a couple of months ago, and had THE most amazing photographer. You can see her work here. It's pretty flawless. This picture has zero to do with my week, but I love it so much I thought I'd throw it in.

Linking up with Sami.

Happy Monday!