When things just happen

I think its safe to say Jeremy and I had the ideal summer weekend. You know the kind, one where you don't plan anything and it all comes together perfectly!

Most Saturday's Jeremy plays in the morning and I spend it cleaning the house. Not this week, I had the tournament and he was a GREAT husband and mopped the entire first floor. Then it was off to Justin Michael's 2nd birthday party. (Unfortunately the camera I took with me was completely out of batteries. C'est la vie.) Once we got home I spent a few hours outside reading my new book and figuring out that I didn't want to cook. So off to Wasabi we went for a quick dinner.

Then if you can believe it, we had a clear evening that was perfect for a fire. It was the perfect evening, just cool enough that you actually needed the heat from the fire.

(For those that haven't seen it yet - that is indeed the putting green in the background.)

Sunday came early at (UGH) 4:30 for Jeremy's tee-time up in Lafayette so I used my time to finish the ironing and do some deep cleaning. (Bec - have I told you that I've got it all?!?!) A relaxing brunch at Mimi's followed where we intended to use our coupons but the pain perdu won me over. (We're trying to use our coupons for eating out when we can - didn't you hear we're in a recession???) Since I putted so poorly yesterday we went to Fossil Trace for a practice session then it was home for a great dinner of blue cheese crusted steaks, grilled zucchini and baked potatoes. YUM! We're winding down the weekend on the patio where Jeremy's chipping and I'm working on the computer.

Amazing how relaxed we are to start this short week. I'm off to plan a 4th of July menu.

If these look good in person...

then I'll be thrilled to stock these for entertaining. I saw an ad for these new party cups from Solo and love the neutral color. For far too long we've all been accustomed to the red or blue solo cup. The colors were great when Mom had to have all of our graduation parties since the school colors were red and white but enough is enough. If you go to the SOLO website you can download a $1 off coupon. Here's hoping they look as good in person!

Baking Lady

In honor of SUMMER, I thought it would be a good time to share my favorite cupcake recipe. Lemonade Cupcakes are from a 2004 issue of Southern Living that are delish! Bec made them last Sunday for Father's Day and they hit the spot.



LEMONADE CUPCAKES
Yield: Makes 30 cupcakes


Ingredients
1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix
1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) can cream cheese frosting
Garnishes: chewy candies, colored sugar, and candy sprinkles


Preparation
Remove 2 tablespoons lemonade concentrate from can, and reserve for another use.
Combine remaining concentrate, cake mix, and next 3 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until moistened. Beat at high speed 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full.
Bake at 350° for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; cool completely on wire rack. Spread evenly with frosting. Garnish, if desired

Reading Lady

I've been reading Secrets of Simplicty by Mary Carlomagno and have really enjoyed the content. Had I known it was more of a workbook instead of typical organizational book I would have started off by buying this instead of checking it out at the library. Having said that I'm fairly certain I will purchase it this weekend. The artwork makes it so much more enjoyable. I by no means have a cluttered life but I always think that there has to be a better way to keep me sane. I'm hoping to use some these tips in keeping my closet fresh and the basement from becoming an abyss.

Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa!

I hope you have a great year!

Dad, Uncle Pat, Uncle Gil & Grandpa

Confession Time

I LOVE Bravo's trashy Real Housewives and can't get enough of that show (NY, New Jersey, Orange County, etc.) doesn't matter what city. As I tell Jeremy, if we had some good trashy soap operas like Dallas or Falcon Crest I'd get my fix. This show gets it done for me and I love this BLOG. Looking forward to the reunion show after pilates tomorrow, such a great way to end a long day.

Proud Lady

CONGRATULATIONS JEREMY!!

Its been a week since Jeremy played his last tournament and I've been delinquent in sharing the news. Jeremy won his second tournament of the year. His other win was in the President's Cup held a month ago. During the President's Cup he had to go through a four hole playoff for the outright "First Net" in the Championship Flight. Once he had that victory he was in the Shootout with the winners from the other flights. Due to a nasty thunderstorm and darkness he ended up splitting the shootout winnings with five others. Not too shabby! I'm very proud of Jeremy, he's off to another great season with his Men's Club!

Ferry Building - Farmer's Market

Here are my favorite photos from our time at the Farmer's Market - AMAZING!

I left my heart in San Francisco...

...with Corey and Jessica. First things first, before I took off I emailed dear Julia (St. Louis) to see how she's doing, would you believe me if I told that she was flying to San Francisco the day after me? So the first time I go to visit Corey also is the first time she goes and visits her brother Ryan. Can you say SMALL WORLD???? So not only did I get to see Corey and Jessica but I also was able to see Julia and her girls.

THURSDAY: After getting in late Wednesday thanks to flight delays we had a nice visit. Bec and I walked to the Ferry Building for a lunch of wine cured salami, goat cheese and a baguette.

Then we went shopping for ourselves and Corey's place. We finished it off with Jess at a great Italian place in the Marina District.

FRIDAY:In order to meet up with Julia and the girls Bec and I ran from Corey's apartment to her hotel at Union Square. It was a brief visit but I was thrilled to see her. (The only photo I have is on my phone & I'm so tech illiterate I don't know how to pull it off.) Once Corey was done with his meetings the three of us did more shopping before we went back to the Marina District for our nightly entertainment. We had a few drinks then headed to see "The Hangover". That movie is hilarious!

We had sushi at Ace Wasabi then did our version of a pub crawl where Jess joined up with us!

SATURDAY: After Bec passed out in the cab ride and woke up saying VERY random comments and Corey passed out on the couch, we got a late start but headed down to the Ferry Building for their Farmer's Market. It was great, we had some coffee, breakfast snacks and were able to recharge for a day at IKEA, the North Face outlet and Sonoma.

(I love this photo!)

I may have had a few too many beers on our pub crawl and couldn't enjoy the wine tastings. I flew out on Saturday night while Bec stayed through Monday morning. It was a great trip, that really had us on the go the entire time.

Traveling Lady

I'm flying here:

with Bec
to visit Coreyand Jess

This is going to be a great trip!

Happy Anniversary

Happy 35th Anniversary to my parents! They are great role models for Jeremy and I, we are all so lucky to have them in our lives. We enjoyed a great lunch at Osteria Marco on Larimer yesterday to celebrate, that place was fantastic. Here's wishing my parents 35 more years!

Monday's aren't that bad.

My dream weekend turned out to be darn close to what I imagined. It actually was so enjoyable I didn't mind getting back to the office today.

Friday Jeremy and I went to John's where he and Bec had a little BBQ. We were able to spend time with her friends and even Corey and Nolan. The Art Walk on Tennyson was rained out but it was a fun time.

Saturday morning my mom picked me up for A Paris Street Market, we went early and met up with Jessica. My first purchase was this great sterling silver ring that is in the shape of a rose, very cute. Just like I thought as soon as I saw my big purchase I knew it would be perfect for the house. The extra room upstairs (not the guestroom) is my quasi office/pilates room that has been begging to be finished for the last three years. Well when I saw this chair I thought it would be a fun thing to add to the house and for the price it was a steal! The gal even threw in these prints my mom was eyeing.
I made two more purchases, a vintage yellow leather clutch that honestly matched the chair perfect and some new dish towels. A great day at A Paris Street Market, next event is July 4th.

We did great on timing and were out of there in less than 3 hours, which included some shopping at the stores at Aspen Grove. I was able to stop in at Vinnolas where I bought some almond biscotti and cookies then it was off to Hallmark to stock up for the June events. Once home Jeremy and I lounged outside for a good four hours. It was perfect weather, not too hot to sit in the sun and just the right breeze. Heaven!

Instead of an elaborate dinner, we made the crustless quiche. It turned out phenomenal considering that we added some diced red pepper and ended up using 3 large eggs since that was all I had left. That variation worked out great!

I woke up at 4:40 AM on Sunday with Jeremy to heat up the quiche for breakfast so he had something in his stomach before his round at City Park. That is TOO early on a Sunday but it did get me up and out of bed without wasting the day. I made it to the Spring Whale of a Sale right at 11 and it was packed! I couldn't believe the crowds this year. I had a plan going in and that really helped me save time. I needed to check in the fiction area for any new reads, hit the sports section for Jeremy's books and then head downstairs for Nolan. That boy LOVES books! Check out my finds -- ALL FOR $5! (Nolan's pile was already delivered - I found some great ones.)I'd say that this was a FABULOUS weekend. Now its back to realty, the laundry is calling my name!

Spring Whale of a Used Book Sale

HERE is a link to my favorite book sale. It happens twice a year with the Jefferson County Public Library. The Spring Whale of Used Book Sale is this weekend, it starts today and goes through Sunday. I'm going to go first thing Sunday for the $5 A Bag Day! Here's hoping I find a bunch of new reads! Yet another event to add to the dream weekend!

A dream weekend?

For the first time in weeks I'm ready for the weekend and have nothing planned for Friday or Saturday!

In my ideal "I can plan anything world" I'll kick off Friday with baking a batch of Lemonade Cupcakes after going to the gym. Then Friday night we'll have perfect weather to sit outside and enjoy the fire pit, some appetizers and a glass of wine. I also see Jeremy enjoying a good cigar and cocktail.

Photo from Better Homes and Gardens

Doesn't Friday night sound so relaxing? This begs the question, how am I going to spend Saturday? The ideas seem endless! I think I'll start my day on the patio enjoying a good cup of coffee and the paper. Then I'll head out early to hunt HERE! I've been to A Paris Street Market a few times before and have managed to find something perfect for the house each time. But what I'm looking for you ask? Not sure yet, but I'll know it when I find it!


The best part about having A Paris Street Market at Aspen Grove is that it eliminates another trip to shop at Pottery Barn and Banana. Those folks were really thinking when they put this event together all those years ago, very convenient for the Saturday shopper. After window shopping, I'll head north for some more window shopping in the Highlands. Then its off for a light lunch and to pick up some goodies HERE! Vinnola's is my absolute favorite market, they have the best biscotti in town. I just love the atmosphere!


Then I'll head to Hallmark where I'll browse for a while before deciding that, yes I really should stock up on a few more birthday cards. Then I'll find the perfect Baby Boy card (for Warren and Robyn) and Anniversary card (for my parents). To round out my morning trip I'll swing by the library to pick up my latest read. I'll head home, crack open my book and sit on the patio for a few hours soaking up some sunshine. Dinner will be at home where we'll continue to enjoy the patio. We'll have grilled shrimp, spinach salad w/strawberries, fruit skewers, black bean and corn salad with rosemary flat bread. I'll also whip up a batch of Sangria for sipping!


Or... maybe I'll wake up and realize that this sounds too perfect and the mundane errands will take over! A girl can dream! Did I mention that Jeremy's working at my parents all day on the kitchen remodel? The kitchen remodel is in full force so this dream weekend may need to include some kitchen errands with my mom!

Cooking Lady

Here's the latest recipe that received rave reviews at not one but two gatherings. This is now my favorite quiche and it is so easy to make. (Since we baked a ham yesterday, I'll be making this to use up some of the leftovers. I've had the ham since Easter and when the weatherman said we'd have a high of 60 yesterday I figured it was safe to turn on the oven! We do love pork in our house and were fortunate enough to have my parents over to help put a dent in the 8 pounder.)




Crustless Smoked Turkey and Spinach Quiche from HERE!

"Sprinkle some of the Swiss cheese in the pie plate first before adding the ham and egg mixture. The thin layer on the bottom gives you another hit of flavor when you bite into a piece.—Wendy McMillan, Longmont, CO"


Cooking spray

3/4 cup (4 ounces) cubed smoked turkey ham (such as Jennie-0)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese, divided

1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves

1 cup fat-free cottage cheese

1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk

1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)

1 teaspoon baking powder


1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add ham, onion, and pepper to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until ham is lightly browned.
3. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese in a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Top with ham mixture.
4. Combine remaining 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, spinach, and next 5 ingredients (through egg whites) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.
5. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring with a whisk until blended. Pour egg mixture over ham mixture. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center of quiche comes out clean.Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)



CALORIES 152 (30% from fat); FAT 5.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.5g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 68mg; CALCIUM 225mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.2g; SODIUM 427mg; PROTEIN 14.2g; FIBER 0.5g

He's the Best!

I'm the luckiest wife or he's the luckiest husband, hard to tell some days. I came home from work last week to this:

Yep, he's a keeper! (Even if he can't understand why I do this blogging thing, and I don't even do this very well.)

Incidentally, Jeremy had a good weekend playing in the President's Cup. He won a playoff with three other men for 1st Net in the Championship Flight. Then he went to the shootout with 9 others and ended up in a draw with five others when darkness fell and the rain started. Not a bad weekend!