OK--so I'm three days into this week and haven't posted about our busy weekend! All these ice/snow days and holidays have lead to shorter work weeks and scheduling hiccups but I think things are about to be normal again--YEAH!
Monday we had a birthday party at Pump-It-Up, one of our favorite party places. The boys bounced, slid and played their little hearts out and enjoyed some yummy ice-cream cake (isn't Jackson so sweet for feeding Macklin?!?!) It was exhausting and fun weekend for all of us!
While I was in high school and college I had the joy of working in fashion and got to spend quiet a bit of time exploring with PANTONE colors. It was really fun using the PANTONE decks to pick colors for upcoming lines and products (yes, those were the fun days)! Back in December, PANTONE revealed the 2011 color of the year and it's FABULOUS: PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle--doesn't it make you excited for Spring?! I would love a pair of cozy chairs covered in this color. Or, I would use it on a set of accent walls in a kitchen or dining room. How about in a sun-room or study? I say Yes, Yes, Yes!!
And, I would love to have a fabulous strapless dress like this one for a beach trip this Summer! I'm loving this color--wonderful choice.
Here's what PANTONE had to say about Honeysuckle in it's press release: " While the 2010 color of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life." Enough said!
For the full release click here.
Normally, I post about our weekend on Monday's but I've been away from the computer until now due to an ice storm. We stocked up on milk & bread, got extra gas for the generator in case our power went out, put new batteries in all the flashlights, and got the house in order so we could just enjoy some fun at home with the boys. And, while we got a few days at home, the boys were not the least bit interested in going outside to explore. We bundled them up for an ice exploration but they were having none of it. Macklin yelled "cold, cold" as soon as we opened the door which was immediately followed by a "no, no" as we ventured out onto the stoop. Jackson slipped a bit on the ice and that was it--back inside for some donuts, cartoons and heat! Luckily, everything is now back to normal and there isn't much left of the 2011 Ice Storm!
The weekend was rather enjoyable for us. Friday night, we meet some friends for Mexican and it was really nice. The boys had a lot of fun playing with their kids and we enjoyed a meal outside the house. Saturday we drove to Tuscaloosa to visit with my grandmother to celebrate her 85th birthday. We enjoyed a great lunch, some Edgar's strawberry cake and played with trains (of course) during our visit. It was a lot of fun and the boys had a blast. Sunday we did laundry, cleaned out and organized our kitchen cabinets and pantry, cooked Chicken Parmesan and a yummy beef goulash for the week and settled in for our 2011 ice storm--it was a wonderful four day weekend!
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Today is my beautiful grandmother's 85th birthday! I absolutely LOVE this woman with all I have--she is a strong, passionate, energetic, free-spirited woman! She taught me so many things about life and love--I feel honored that God chose her as my grandmother!
This is a picture of her and my grandfather from the 1950's--how HIP do they look? I remember being so excited to get to go spend the weekends with them when I was a little girl--we always had so much fun! Tomorrow we are going to visit for a special birthday lunch--Happy Birthday MeMaw--I love you to the moon and back!!
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For dinner last night, we made this wonderful dish featured in Martha Stewart Living January '11 issue. I have to admit, Martha's recipes can be somewhat intimidating but this one is easy and very good. If you're looking for a new chicken recipe, this one is for you. You can visit her site here to get the pretty version of the recipe for your collection or check it out below. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
6 russet potatoes, peeled & cut crosswise, 3/4 inch thick
Coarse salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 whole chicken (about 4 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 small bunch fresh rosemary
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water until tender, 11 to 13 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to pot, and shake over low heat to dry and fluff. Coat with oil, and season with salt.
2. Mix together 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the cornstarch. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub skin with butter, and season with salt mixture. Stuff some rosemary into cavity. Pile remaining rosemary on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Place chicken, breast side up, on rosemary, and tuck wings under. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Scatter potatoes around chicken. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and flip potatoes. Return to oven, rotating sheet. Roast until chicken juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes more. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. If potatoes aren't golden, toss with rosemary, and return to oven.
Since I'm on a savvy storage kick this month, I've been reading lots of storage ideas and articles for unique ideas. This AWESOME living room was one of the feature rooms in the Better Homes and Gardens "Show Off Your Savvy Storage Solutions" article (check it out here)--isn't it beautiful? I LOVE the storage baskets under the sofa console table (I store toys and coloring books in mine) and the neatly stacked books are fabulous! Not to mention the green on the walls--LOVE LOVE LOVE this color!
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One thing I'm really focusing on this year is cooking more for my family. I love it when we all sit down at the table together and have a home cooked meal. Now, we don't always all eat the same thing but that's life with two toddlers!
I get several recipe newsletters each week and recently one of them contained a great recipe for lentil soup. I had a yummy lentil soup as an appetizer on one of our date nights in December so I was excited to get a recipe that sounded both easy and good. I made it over the long New Years holiday and it is very easy and very good. The prep time is only 15 minutes and it serves 4-6 people. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, sauté onion, celery, carrots, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil until onions are slightly brown. 2. Add the sausage and lentils and cover with chicken broth (about 7 cups). 3. Simmer for 1 hour until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
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I'm not a New Year's resolutions type of girl. I am, however, a girl of lists, projects and "to-dos" so I thought I'd get 2011 off to a good start with a revamped storage plan I found courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens. I subscribe to their monthly newsletter and this month there is a fabulous article called "Month-by-Month Storage Plan" complete with a printable version for helping you accomplish your storage goals. Click here for the plan and cheers to a perfectly organized 2011!
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