fly me to the moon

you ever have one of those weeks when you blink and suddenly it's Wednesday night?! yeah..that just happened. guess this phenom occurs when you spend your weekend in another state, dancing your little bum off, and laughing till your sides hurt or you just fall over. this weekend was perfection. catching up with friends as if we didn't miss a beat. taking trips down memory lane--like it's going out of style. it's these kind of weekend retreats that I savor...I will be treasuring this past weekend for a long-long time. 

apparently we were the only ones who got the memo...

the happy couple! xo

lets catch up a bit-- shall we?!

smash notebooks-->found at JoAnns. in love with all the little bits + pieces.

messy/random scrapbooking--yes please! i will be starting mine this weekend. 

[[when I catch my breath!]]

arm-candy. layering bracelets upon bracelets.
accessorize it peeps. 

this fashionista from Atlantic-Pacific inspires me daily.
check. her. out.

completely head-over-heels for this show...again!
currently reliving all the awkward Felicity moments,
followed by the long thoughtful pauses + indie rock soundtrack.
thank you, Netflix.

met my husband while student-teaching at an elementary school. 

 truth is--I watched the kindergartners chase him around the playground. 

[[heart--melting]]

my valentine's dinner for one. 

awww.

don't worry, I wasn't having a pity-party. 

the hubby had to coach...I survived :)

roasted asparagus, red pepper hummus, pita chips, genoa salami + capicola 

[[annnd a couple episodes of Felicity]]

fun fact: 3 months from today we will be celebrating 

our 2nd wedding anniversary. [[say whhaaat?]]

brownie points to the hubs for pointing that out this mornin'. 

whitney houston...died? 

so strange. so sad. [[so preventable?!]]

leave it to GLEE to have the most amazing tribute.

on that note...

i'm out. 

toodles! 

back soon with some recipes...promise. 

xoxo

TGIF + Honey Chili Chicken

good gracious I'm glad it's Friday. what a looooooong week it has been. didn't really feel like I got my head above water until about uhhh Thursday?! yeah-- great timing. anywho- at least I did get above water...there is that. 

tonight I ran around town getting primped-prepped-aaand pampered for what is bound to be an epic weekend. tomorrow I am reuniting with some of my oldest + most favorite friends I have. some I haven't seen in almost 2 years!! we're celebrating one of my best-fran's recent engagement. I could go on for days/pages about how happy I am for them, how excited I am for this weekend or how much I neeeed this getaway- but I will just leave it to the simple statement of: I.CAN.NOT.WAIT. flight leaves tomorrow bright + early. fingers crossed this silly snow doesn't mess and cause stress!

on the menu this evenin' I made one of my "standbys"...


Honey Chili Chicken with Jasmine Rice

ingredients:

• 3-4 frozen chicken tenders
• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil 
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cornstarch 
• 1/3 cup water

directions:

1. pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. cook chicken tenders according to labeled directions.
3. mix cornstarch with water and reserve.
4. meanwhile, in a large pan heat EVOO, ginger, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and honey.
5. stir until mixture begins to bubble then add cornstarch liquid.
6. toss in onions and saute until onions begin to soften, then remove from heat. 
7. slice cooked chicken tenders and add to pan, turn to coat. 
8. cook rice [[Uncle Ben's-90 seconds]], spoon rice onto plate, scoop honey chicken on top and dig in!

found some lovely accessories at my local Target this evening.
obviously was feelin' some prints + patterns.
also was feelin' the ability to wear gloves AND use my iphone. [[score!!]]



alright--gotta scoot.
my epic weekend is callling!



I leave you with one of my favorite Sex + the City quotes...
seemed quite apropos.
xoxo
“Maybe mistakes are what make our fate... without them what would shape our lives? Maybe if we had never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, have babies, or be who we are. After all, things change, so do cities, people come into your life and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart... and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away” 

Puréed Potato + Spinach Soup

Weekends are the epitome of______________. [relaxation, fun, adventures, quiet moments, cuddle sessions, good food, chores, errands...you fill in the blank] Weekends truly are my beloved. It's a time for me to re-connect with my busy husband, my parents, my church family, books I want to get lost in, and cooking concepts I've been thinking up all week. 

This weekend was an especially sweet one; 

filled with all things that make my little heart happy. 



breakfast date with mom at our local coffee shop



an early morning walk around our sleepy downtown

checked out an estate sale on the street where I grew up 

dinner. wine. friends. #winning

Sunday brunch at Dad's

"Dad, what's the secret to good french toast?"
"Good bread, butter, cinnamon, and practice. Lots of practice."
[[keep it simple, stupid]]

well done, sir!


~~~

got some cooking done for the week
[[white bean + tasty tuna salad]]

Chloe is a fan!

White Bean + Tasty Tuna Salad 


Ingredients:

• 1 tsp of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp of mustard
• 1 tsp of agave nectar [or any sweetener you have on hand]
• 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp of EVOO 
• dash of s + p
• 2 [16oz] cans of cannelloni beans, drained/rinsed + patted dry
• 2 [6oz] cans tuna in water, drained + flaked 
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2-1cup chopped olives [[depending on how much you love olives]]

Directions:

1. Whisk together garlic, mustard, agave, s + p, and vinegar in large bowl. 
2. Combine beans, tuna, onion, olives, and parsley in bowl with vinaigrette. 
3. Eat immediately [well, at least sample] or package up in your favorite containers for a weeks'-worth of lunches. 

**Why this salad rocks: it's packed with low-fat protein [[tuna]] and it's loaded with filling fiber [[beans]] that keeps my belly satisfied far into my long, 4th grade afternoons. Seeing but not believing? Try-it-out, why dontcha! 

tip: if you put a damp paper towel under your cutting board- it will stay put!

on your mark. get set. BLEND!

toasted garlic bread- for dunkin' :)

texas pete, please!

Puréed Potato + Spinach Soup 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups celery,  roughly chopped 
• 2 cups carrots, roughly chopped 
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped 
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 8 cups chicken stock [I used homemade duck stock-->from Christmas dinner]
• 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf 
• s + p to taste
• 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
• dash [or three] red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Begin by sauteing your mirepoix [meer-pwah] [[celery, onions, carrots]] in a large pot with EVOO over medium heat. About 10-12 minutes, or until the veggies become fragrant and tender.
2. Then add potatoes, S+P, chicken stock, and bay leaf into pot. Turn up heat and bring to a boil. Continue steady boil for 20-30 minutes.  
3. After  potatoes are tender enough to mash with spoon, remove bay leaf, and turn off heat. Using a hand-held  blender, begin slowly mixing the vegetables until smooth. 
4. Finally, add spinach and red pepper flakes-blend until smooth. 
5. Grab your favorite bowl and ladle out some goodness. Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt + green onions [[bacon bits + a little cheese would be delish too!]] Enjoy! :)

Hope everyone had a stress-free, restful,  and beautiful weekend! 

Bring it, Monday. 

a lovely reminder [found on west 2nd street]