Category Archives: Kitchen

{blueberry coffee cake}

Posted in Cooking, Food, foodie, Kitchen, Recipe by

Such a sad day for our country.  Waking up to the horrific news reports really stops you in your tracks.  My heart goes out to all the people + families suffering in Las Vegas.  There are really no words.  I just can’t shake it today.  And I feel as though there is nothing I can do, except be kind.  Do something nice for someone.  All this hate has to stop!

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Blueberry Coffee Cake //

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Sometimes, every once in a while, you have to just say fuck it and make cake for breakfast!!!

Coffee cake

with blueberries

and the secret ingredient…..

sour cream

Crumbly cinnamon + brown sugar topping sandwiched between rich layers of coffee cake.  You guys, this is a good one.

I will be pulling this recipe out again during the holidays, that’s for sure!!

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{lemon chicken}

Posted in Cooking, family, Food, foodie, Kitchen, Recipe by

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We all know Barefoot Contessa from the Food Network.  I used to watch her cooking shows with a pen + paper in hand, writing down the recipe/tips as she cooked on TV.  Without a DVR.  You miss an ingredient or step, you’re screwed!  There was no rewind.  No pause button if you needed to refill your wine glass.  I can hardly believe that’s how I had to get my recipes?  Clearly before internet + google.  Or at least, before I knew how to google that shit.  Definitely before Pinterest.

This recipe, if I remember correctly, was one of Jeffrey’s favorite.  Jeffrey is her husband for all you non Food Network peeps.  I recall her making this recipe and thinking…..

Damn, someday when I grow up, I’m going to make this for a dinner party.  And set my table pretty.  And drink wine.

The very day I got my new dinning room table, guess what I did?

I had a dinner party.  Well, kinda.  It was Grandparents Day, so I invited my parents + GG over for dinner with Bay + I to celebrate.  Let’s call it a dinner party!!!

I set my new table real pretty.  And we drank wine.  That’s a dinner party in my book!

Ps…Grandparents Day is a real thing.  Swear.  I even googled it to prove it to you 🙂

National Grandparents Day

 

I’m totally not a fan of raw meat/chicken images on social media.  It looks nasty and salmonella-y.

But, is it just me, or do those raw chicken breasts pictured below look pretty bomb?!?!

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This recipe is SO easy.  SO delicious.  I promise you’re guests or family will enjoy it!  We ate the leftovers all week-long, without a single complaint.

 

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{table talk}

Posted in Decor, gold, Kitchen, Products, sale, Target by
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No more living room floor picnics at our house!  Finally!  Ha.  If you follow along on Instagram stories, then you saw all our fancy floor sitting dinners we had.
Remember back in August when we had our first (and last) garage sale?  I sold my dinning room table.  My Mom was stressed the fuck out.  She was beside herself that I would sale something that I didn’t have a replacement for.  A piece of furniture that was completely in good condition.
She clearly has NO faith in me!
Just kidding, she was being a Mom.  I sold the table + chairs for almost the same price I bought it for back in 2002.  Yes, I said 2002.  The table was one of the first pieces of furniture I ever purchased as an adult.  It came from McMahan’s.  Remember that place?  Where InShape Fitness is now.  Crazy, right?  And chances are, I even financed that $100 table.  They were BIG on financing everything…lol.
Anyway, I just felt like it was time to part ways.
I was ready for a change.  My motto with the dreaded move….
“Sell it”
or
“Toss it”
A week later, as I was deleting all the 837 daily J.Crew, Madewell, Nordstrom, GAP, American Eagle, Pottery Barn emails, I came across…..
World Market 50% off dinning room furniture.
I gathered my Explorer Rewards + promo codes and pulled the trigger.  With a $320 savings (off the original price) I’d say it was meant to be.
Even my Mom agrees!
I love a good deal.
And pretty shit!
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Unfortunately I have to make a trip to Napa to pick up the bench.  Darn it!  I hate the wine country….said no one ever!
Using even more promo codes, I was able to score the bench for $102!
Still not set on chairs.  Stay tuned!
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Honest – I had NO idea how incredibly happy this table would make me.  Not just that it’s a table.  But, our new house is begging to feel like a home.  And a dinning room table is kind of a big deal!
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You can shop or check out my table setting below!!!  Message me or comment if you have any questions at all.  I’m honest AF!
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{weekend notes}

Posted in Cooking, Decor, family, Food, foodie, friday, friends, home, Kitchen, Movies, weekend by

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Happy Monday friends!  I hope you all had a great weekend.

 

Intentions for the week:

  • donate more shit (again)
  • try oil pulling (Sarah and I tried…for maybe 15 seconds, does that count?)
  • organize my closet
  • write + send thank you notes (almost done)
  • plan backpacking trip
  • find the perfect white shower curtain
  • make room to park my car in the garage (this is going to be tricky) – Tried NOT going to happen 😦
  • have mom + dad over for dinner
  • resist over booking the weekend
  • change address on all my 1,837 online/personal accounts
  • make Ina Garten’s Lemon Chicken Breasts
  • play tennis with Bay
  • pick 2 new Whole 30 compliant recipes to try out

(I was able to cross off a couple of things already)  Whoop Whoop!

What’s on you’re list in intentions for the week?

 

And now, highlights from the weekend………

 

MAKING A HOUSE A HOME //

It’s finally beginning to feel like home.

I’ve got a table for my coffee!  Topped with white tulips, which make me smile every single time I walk in the living room!

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And this table runner can only mean ONE thing……

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I found a dinning room table!  No more living room floor picnics!

I sold my old dinning room table at our garage sale.  Probably sold it for what I paid for it too.  Considering I bought it back in 2001ish.  Swear!  It was time for something different.

I had NO idea how happy this table would make me.  I had a little extra pep in my step once I got it all put together and decorated.

I busted out the linen napkins.  Gold flatware.  Gold rimmed glasses.  Wicker chargers.

I’ll share more details later this week.  I got lots of Instagram messages wanting to see more pics!  Hold on tight.

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Oh, and we have the cutest morning guests at this house now 🙂 Claire just loves the babies.

 

FOOTBALL //

Not to be mistaken by the one on TV.  I only watch the one at Pioneer High.  The one where I can watch my nephew do what he loves!

Goooo Joe!!!

 

Bay spotted her friend Lauren too.  The MOST adorable cheerleader I’ve ever seen.  Except for the fact she looks like a teenager.

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PARTY TIME //

We celebrated cousin Danny’s 40th at Blue Note with the family ♥

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Boom cheers with GG!

Drank wine with Mom + watched Snatched!

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Bay + Ruby made gigantic milkshakes and danced

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{homemade magic shell}

Posted in Bay Bakes, Cooking, Food, foodie, Kid Food, kids, Kitchen, mason jar, mom & me, Recipe, Summertime by

 

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When you try to have a convo with a 10-year-old about Magic Shell, to find out she has NO idea what you’re talking about.  Say whhhattt?  #old

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It’s only the worlds greatest ice cream topping

Magic Shell is a dessert product produced by Smucker’s. It is a syrup that quickly hardens into a crispy shell when poured onto a cold surface, which is the origin of the product’s name. The syrup is primarily designed for use on ice cream.

Clearly I had to make shit happen.  I planned to just buy the regular old Smuckers squeeze bottle and let Bay experience the magic.  Then I thought, hmmm.  Google it.  Raise your hand if google is your boo?!?!  What did we ever do without it?  Life must have been so inconvenient.

Anyway…..a few different recipes popped up, some with corn syrup.  Which I DIDN’T have.  Most said it’s a perfect ratio of chocolate chips + coconut oil.  Which I DID have on hand.

We literally whipped up this chocolate magic within 1 minute.  Swear!  Bay was so impressed, that I have to share so you can pass it on to your kiddos too.

Or shit, make it for yourself and hide it from the kids.  That’s what I did with the leftovers (shhhh)!

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Here’s what you’ll need:

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{bacon burger bites}

Posted in book recommendations, Cooking, Food, foodie, Healthy, Kid Food, Kitchen, Products, Recipe, Summertime by

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Mini bacon burgers layered on a bamboo skewer, with lettuce + tomatoes + pickles.  Who can resist that combo on a stick?  Not me!!  OR Bay!

These make the perfect low-carb dinner or appetizer.

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I recently grabbed a copy of Danielle Walker’s Against all Grain Celebrations cookbook.  So many beautiful + healthy recipes.  I want to make everything.  This one caught Bay’s eye.  She’s not a bun girl.  And anything on a toothpick is so cool to a 10-year-old.

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