Sunday, July 31, 2011

Fun with the Fam

Hi there!


On Friday night, my mom and Andrea picked me up from work so that I wouldn't have to wait around for my dad since my car was still being serviced. Upon picking me up from the office, we hit up Starbucks for iced coffees and then swung by the auto shop so that I could pick up my car. It feels great to have my own wheels back!

My parent's 1st cell phone from the 90s!

While we waited for my dad to get home from work and Andy to drive down from his place, I was trying to figure out if I could switch my phone to Andrea's old phone since mine keeps shutting off randomly throughout the day. Andy and I are getting iPhones as soon as the new version comes out, so I've been using my current phone until then. When my mom heard about my predicament, she said she had a phone I could use! I started laughing so hard when she brought out this old clunker!

Andrea had a few of these gems hiding in her purse. Remember when these were quite the rave at school?!


Later that evening, we headed down to my aunt's house for a family get-together. I was so happy that Andy was able to join us as well! Andrea's husband, Andrew, however, wasn't able to make it due to work but hopefully he can come next time! My dad recently sold his old car and got a new one--fully equipped with a DVD player! The drive to my Aunt's house flew by thanks to Despicable Me! I think I liked this movie even better the second time around!

My Aunt was hosting a pizza party and it was great to see everyone since I don't think we've seen them since Easter! Time really flies!

Andy and I really enjoyed playing on my Aunt's new iPad while we waited for the pizza to arrive! 

After dinner we went for a walk with my Aunt, sister, and mom! 




A cute little bed and breakfast that we walked past! Wouldn't you love to sit on that swing and read on a summer day?!






My Aunt lives right by a huge waterfall! How fun is that?!







After our walk, we headed back inside for coffee and fruit pizza! How cute are these coffee mugs that my Aunt brought back from her trip to England!?

One of my most favorite desserts ever!

Time for another date with the gym before braving the heat to accomplish a ton of wedding tasks with my mom! Hope you are having a great Sunday! 

What is your favorite dessert? 
Do you often go on family walks?
Favorite flavor of Warheads?!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Unexpected Week Wrap Up

Good morning!

When I left off the other day, I had filled you in on how I unexpectedly ended up at my parent's house on Wednesday night. As a result of my car being serviced, my dad gave me a ride to work both Thursday and Friday morning. 

One of the perks to this commute is the fact that I didn't have to focus on driving--but rather I could watch the sun rise out my window and sip some coffee. It was a relaxing way to start the work day.

Coffee to go--packed by my mom

Riding into the office.

Almond butter toast to start the morning. 

I love getting to the office way before everyone else. It's so peaceful and quiet and I find that I accomplish so much more in those first few hours. 


When we arrived home that evening, my mom surprised us with delicious homemade tomato-basil soup with fresh parmesan and croutons on top. It was so good! 

Mystery gum that I dug out of my mom's purse haha.

After dinner, I accompanied my mom to the grocery store where we picked up some things to get a through the weekend. I love shopping with my mom because I can usually sneak a few things into the cart! 

They sell pre-made muddy buddies!

We came across these random cookies that had a bunch of vitamins in them...Who knew!


Right before we were about to check out, we stumbled across a box filled with animal balloons. It was a pet parade! 

Some of the items that were tossed into the cart.

These cute little mini servings even had spoons in the lid! 

How convenient! 


The next morning, my dad had to make a pit-stop at the gas station and he bought me some of my favorite gum to enjoy at work! I love the new packaging on the Orbit gum--it's so bright and flashy!


On Thursday evening, I had to stick around to approve the printer's proofs from some of my recent projects. I recently designed 5 marketing books and they went off to press on Friday but before they could be printed, the client, my boss, and I all had to sign off on the proofs. We do this to ensure everything is correct (information, color, layout, trimming, folding, etc.) before printing thousands of them. 

Since my boss leaves early each day to pick up her kids, she had to come back for the proofing session. She brought her 3 little kids with her and when I came in on Friday morning, I knew one of them had been sitting at my desk after I left since my brand new White-Out device was completely unraveled! Oh kids!

My pink collection that was sitting on my desk. Can you tell I really love bubblegum?

The owner of the company lent me this book to read after she and I were talking about it the day before. I'm so excited to dive into this novel this morning while I'm at the gym. The tagline is "What would you do if the face in a missing child photo was your son?" Ahhh it gives me goosebumps; I love suspenseful stories such as these! 

Alright, time for a coffee refill and then I'm hitting up the gym. It's going to be a big day of shopping with my flower girls today! 

Favorite flavor of gum?
What's a good book that you've recently read?
What is your favorite genre of books?
Do you call them muddy buddies or puppy chow?

Friday, July 29, 2011

Change of Plans

Hi!

So, long story short, I'm at my parent's house due to some car issues. I drove here late on Wednesday evening and spent the night so that my dad could drop me off at the office before he headed into work since my car is being serviced. The original plan was for me to drive down tonight and hang out for the weekend, but that all changed when my wheel bearing started making a ton of noise. Therefore, I've been here a couple of days earlier than expected.

I'm going to make this post snappy because it's a really early morning (even for me!) and I need to head out soon to wrap up this week at work.

However, I'll be blogging through the weekend--so I will catch you tomorrow! I hope you have a wonderful Friday! It's bright and sunny here and that makes it so much easier to get up and moving in the morning.

By the way, I have something special to share with you soon...here's a hint:


What time do you wake up in the morning?
Do you usually blog on the weekends?
What are you planning on doing today? I'm working and then heading to my Aunt's house for a family pizza party. I'm anxious to see Andrea tonight as well! I'm trying to bribe her into picking me up from work tonight so I don't have to wait around for my dad. Wish me luck! 

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Honey-Lime Tilapia with Cilantro Peach Salsa

Good morning, bloggers!

I was surprised to see how many of you really love brie! Apparently I have been missing out over the years, because that stuff is amazing!

Today I bring you another recipe--this one is perfect for a hot summer evening since it is loaded with fruit to cool you down. The fish was great, but it was this salsa combo that stole the show!


Honey-Lime Tilapia 

Ingredients
  • 2 tilapia fillets (chicken breasts may also be used)
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 of a lime
  • cilantro (optional)
In a small cup or bowl, juice half of your lime before covering it with 1 tablespoon of honey. Stir until well mixed. Next, add in a pinch of freshly chopped cilantro and stir gently.

Heat up your frying pan and cook your tilapia fillets on each side before spooning the honey-lime sauce over the fish. Allow to cook on low for about a minute--just to caramelize the sauce a bit. Transfer the fully-cooked fillets to plates and then top with....



Cilantro Peach Salsa

Ingredients
  • 1/3 of an avocado
  • 1 roma tomato
  • 1/2 of a ripe peach
  • cilantro
  • 1/2 of a lime
  • sea salt



Chop the avocado, tomato, and peach into equal-sized pieces before tossing into a small mixing bowl. Add finely-chopped cilantro to taste. Next, pour the juice from half of a lime on top and sprinkle with sea salt. Give it a gentle stir and then use it to dunk chips into or to top your honey-lime tilapia.


Dinner is served!

Favorite type of fruity salsa?
Do you like fish?
Do you prefer peaches or nectarines?

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Easy, Cheesy, Briesy?

Good morning!

I'd like to introduce you to a delicious twist on an old favorite: grilled cheese. Sure, you remember the good old days when your mom would make you a warm, melty sandwich filled with a Kraft single and a side of carrots and applesauce...


However, even though you're an adult now, you can still enjoy this classic comfort food. I present to you: the grilled brie + apple panini sandwich. This literally took 5 minutes to make and was mighty tasty!


I was inspired to make this sandwich after meeting up with my friend, Bethany, a few weeks ago for dinner. She led me to this cutesy little restaurant where we chatted about design, jobs, and life while enjoying some dinner. While browsing the menu, this sandwich caught my eye. I had never had brie before, but have heard rave reviews about it from friends. What the heck--I decided to give it a whirl.


Oh, this was indeed a good decision. The warm, creamy brie was melted between thick, buttered bread and as if that was not good enough, there was some tart green apple slices hidden beneath the layers of cheese to add a slight crunch to the gooey concoction.


I knew that since this restaurant was not located near me, I'd have to find a way to recreate this at home. After a quick spin through the grocery store this evening, combined with tossing together these ingredients--followed by a taste test, I am happy to report that it was a success.

Want to give it a try?



Grilled Brie + Apple Panini

Ingredients: 
  • 1 Granny Smith apple
  • 1 wedge of Brie cheese
  • Butter
  • Bread
That's it!


Start off by thinly slicing the apple as shown in the photo above. You'll want these slices to be rather thin so that they cook evenly and don't end up too crunchy in the end.



Next, butter your bread on on side just as you would for a grilled cheese sandwich. Turn on the stove and transfer your apples to a frying pan. Allow them to cook on each side for a few minutes until soft but not soggy.


Now, slice the brie, place it on the bread, and cover it with the apple slices (3-5 slices) before topping it with the other slice of bread (butter side out).


Toast your sandwich in the frying pan just as you would a grilled cheese--a few minutes on each side until toasty. To make your sandwich into a panini, simply press it down with a plate while it is cooking to get the grill marks and flattened sandwich.

For more instructions on making panini's, check out my previous post on it here.


Bon appétit!

Favorite strange sandwich fillings?
Are you a fan of brie?
What were your favorite sides with a grilled cheese sandwich as a kid?
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