Wednesday, November 13, 2013

11-11.

Just had to share this adorableness from my birthday two days ago. I have the cutest niece and nephew!

Thank you to all my friends, family, and darling husband who made my birthday so special. I am so lucky to have so many amazing people in my life. I think 25 is going to be a great year!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling.

I'm warning you...these cookies are too good to be true. I could have eaten the whole batch by myself! Autumn is one of my favorite seasons and also my favorite time to bake. I just love pumpkin everything! I've also been wanting to get back into food photography and had a really fun time stylizing this shoot. So, here you guys go...a delicious cookie recipe that will not disappoint!

Cream Cheese Filling:

> 3 cups confectioners sugar
> 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
>  8 ounces cream cheese, softened
> 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
Pumpkin Whoopie Cookies:

> 3 cups flour
> 1 teaspoon salt
> 1 teaspoon baking powder
> 1 teaspoon baking soda
> 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
> 1 tablespoon ground ginger
> 1 tablespoon ground cloves
> 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
> 1 cup vegetable oil
> 3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
> 2 large eggs
> 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stweart

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Now I understand why parents are obsessed with their kids.


As Leo's mother, I think that everything he does is the cutest thing ever.  Watching him grow and develop has been amazing to watch.  They really do grow up so fast!  Leo has recently started to smile, laugh, and respond.  I can't get over how cute his baby coos and giggles are.  This kid also loves to spit up... and I mean A LOT.  That's why he is always wearing a bib.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Mr. Buttersworth.

Daniel has this strange tendency of giving our son the most random nicknames.  Most of the time they only last a few weeks or so before he comes up with a new name.  Usually these nicknames make absolutely no sense.  For now, Leo's nickname is Mr. Buttersworth.  Don't ask me how my husband came up with it.  And of course, since our son is Mr. Buttersworth he has now started calling me Grandma Buttersworth.  I asked Daniel why he wouldn't just call me Mrs. Buttersworth.  He explained to me that Mrs. Buttersworth would be Mr. Buttersworth's wife, so that's why I have to be Grandma Buttersworth.  I guess that makes sense.

Oh and by the way, this little cutie is now two months old!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

4 Years.

A lot has happened in four years, but this past year will definitely be a memorable one.  I will never forget seeing my sweet husband become a father for the first time.  It was one of the most precious moments of my life.  Happy anniversary to the greatest husband and father we could ever hope for.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Motherhood.

I never knew I could love someone so much and so quickly.  I love this precious little boy of ours so much it hurts. 

Monday, July 29, 2013

A babe and a name.

Leo James Bridge.  
Born on Friday, July 26 at 11:28 PM . 
7 lbs 3 oz.  20 inches.  
We are so in love.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

It's planting day!

Or in other words...I'm still procrastinating.  Supposedly, expectant mothers normally go through a "nesting" phase before the baby comes?  Well, for some reason I never really caught the nesting bug. I've been working on every other project but the ones I should be working on, therefore the nursery has sadly been neglected.  It still needs a lot of work and we are quickly running out of time!  Why do I do this to myself?  At least my apartment will look cute with my new plants! :)

Monday, July 15, 2013

37 Weeks.

Baby is now full term and we're just waiting for this ticking time bomb to explode.  Just a few more weeks to go!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Washington DC.

A few weeks ago Daniel and I spontaneously decided to take a road trip to DC.  And when I say spontaneously, I mean...we didn't really know we were for sure going until a few days before we left.  I wouldn't really recommend taking a 13+ hour road trip while you're eight months pregnant, but it was well worth it!  Throughout the entire trip I was constantly worrying about my water breaking unexpectedly or going into labor while being nowhere near a hospital.  I told Daniel that he better be ready to deliver his baby on the side of the road.  These things happen you know!  I've heard of women giving birth in their car, so of course this might happen to me!  Luckily we had a fun and safe trip and baby didn't come early.
We had a great time visiting Daniel's little brother (who I hadn't seen in like 3 years!) and some of his cousins while we were there.  They are currently living in Virginia selling pest control.  We also got to meet up with some good friends who also happened to be in DC at the same time.
Washington DC had always been on my list of places to see.  It was so exciting seeing all of the major monuments and buildings that I had only seen in pictures and movies.  We only spent two short days in the city so we tried to cram as much sight seeing in as possible.   
We ate at this delicious restaurant in China Town called Ming's.  ^^^  They had the tastiest spring rolls.
^^^ The Holocaust museum was one of the highlights from our trip.  We even got to ride in the elevator with some World War II veterans.  
^^^ And to top it all off, we ended our last night in the city by eating the most delicious Maryland blue crabs, freshly cooked and seasoned to perfection.

Monday, May 20, 2013

29 weeks.

I know I've been terrible at posting pictures during my pregnancy.  Time seems to slip by, and all of the sudden my belly has tripled in size.  It has been fascinating watching my belly grow and my body change.  Before we know it our baby will be here.  Only one trimester left to go!

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Orange Smoothie.

This smoothie is a great way to use up oranges if you happen to buy a giant box of them at Costco and have an overload of oranges that you don't know what to do with.  It's also a cool and refreshing treat to cool you off now that the weather is finally starting to warm up!  This smoothie tastes like a healthier version of an orange julius, which is so delicious!

Recipe from gimmesomeoven.com.

Ingredients:
4 fresh oranges, peeled
2 cups of ice
1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp honey
zest of 1 orange

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Pesto Chicken Sandwich.

I was so glad that I was able to hang out with my bestie MEGUMI while I was visiting Hawaii.  And of course, we had to try out a delicious recipe and take food pictures just like old times.  This pesto chicken sandwich makes a simple and delicious lunch.
Here are the ingredients you will need:

- 2 small-med chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, the fresher the better
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayo, optional
- Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste 
- 1 baguette, cut into 3 pieces
- fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced ~1/4" thick
- sliced Roma tomatoes
- baby arugula
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced


Mix up chicken, pesto, yogurt, mayo, and salt/pepper in a medium size bowl.
Serve sandwiches on toasted baguette layered with arugula, tomato, mozzarella, chicken and avocado. Slather extra pesto right on the baguette for added flavor.  YUM.  

Be sure to check out some of our previous food posts!  Banana Nutella Ice Cream // Mediterranean Chicken Pizza // Strawberry Shortcake // Summer Chicken Salad & Homemade Bread // White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake // Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup & Bacon Avocado Grilled Cheese

Monday, April 22, 2013

Waimea Valley. Hawaii Vacation (Part II).

I love the plants, trees, and flowers in Hawaii.  Why can't palm trees just grow everywhere?...like here in Missouri!  One day during our trip we went to Waimea Valley.  It is a beautiful trail with hundreds of different plants along the way, and at the end of the trail there is a beautiful waterfall.  It was hilarious watching my two year old niece, Clementine, chase the birds around.  She even managed to chase a peacock!  I was afraid that it was going to spread it's feathers and attack in defense, but it got away before she could get to it.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Hawaii Vacation (Part I).

My trip to Oahu was simply amazing.  I felt like I was right back home where I belong.  I loved feeling the sand between my toes and basking in the sunshine.  After living in Hawaii for two years, part of my heart will always be there.  I really need to move back to the islands!  If only I could convince my husband that it could work out somehow.  It was so fun spending time with family and reconnecting with old friends.  It was fun reliving old memories along with creating new ones as well.  One of the most memorable experiences from my trip was stand up paddle boarding!  We went during sunset and the view was breathtaking.  We even had several encounters with sea turtles along the way.  I highly recommend paddle boarding at sunset if you're ever in Hawaii!
One of the things I had missed most about Hawaii was the food.  Giovanni's shrimp truck has the best garlic shrimp on the planet.  I loved getting my hands all greasy and devouring every single bite.  And if you ever want a warm, delicious, doughnut-like pastry then you need to have a malasada from LEONARD'S.  I used to eat them ALL the time when the Leonard's truck would come to the Laie shopping center parking lot near my work.  We also had the pleasure of eating the most delicious Thai food from OPAL THAI.  It is my favorite place to eat  on the island.  I really wish I had taken a picture of our mouth watering food.  My mouth is watering now just thinking about it.