LIfe and Style: A to Z...

Z-Z.... Zig Zag!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

I don't know if this all started with Missoni hit Target, but I am loving zig-zag rugs right now. I would like to "update" Avery's room and maybe she needs a zig zag rug? I decorated her room with soft pink, white etc and I will say as her personality develops she is more Magenta than Soft Pink! I want to paint and "grow up" a bit.

Here are a few zig zag rugs I have my eye on!

Dash and Albert... they make my FAVORITE rugs!

Rug Studio

Garnet Hill (LOVE this orange/pink number)

Same rug... better view!

Trina Turk

I am thinking gray walls.... but not ready to commit to anything just yet. Just getting my creative juices flowing. Until next time....xoxo

M....Meaty Monday!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Okay I tried out a meatless recipe this weekend that I intended on sharing today, but it was not GREAT. So, instead I am sharing the exact opposite of meatless Monday.... MEATY Monday. The husband and I have been on a constant search for a great chili recipe.... like really really great. Chili is kind of like pizza... even when it is bad it is fine, But, we wanted AMAZING hearty, thick, meaty, flavorful, slightly spicy chili. We found our recipe.....it was so delicious. I found it on "Gimme Some Oven"... yes love the name!

We made a few substitutions...

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1.5 – 2 lbs. lean beef (or you can use pork). We got steak and cut it up.

1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped

1/2 a jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 green Pepper (or Poblano)

5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. sugar
2 cups beef broth
2 cups water
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles)
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Method:

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat (beef or pork) and cook until just browned on all sides. Then remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In a large stock pot (or dutch oven) heat the additional 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add the onions, poblano and jalapeno peppers, and saute until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and saute until very aromatic, about 1 minute more. Add in the beef broth, water, beans, Rotel, tomato sauce, vinegar and browned meat, and stir to combine.

Simmer over medium-low heat for a couple of hours (We did 3 hours covered, one hour uncovered).

To serve, ladel soup into bowls and top with desired toppings.

We a few changes from the original recipe (posted on Gimme Some Oven). We omitted the Poblano pepper because we could not find it at our grocery store. Chipotle Powder was also omitted. It was like 8 bucks for a large thing and we thought we would never use it again, so just left it out. Yep, we were cheap. We did not have to add flour or cornstarch as we left it simmering for several hours and it thickened right up. Next time I might think about adding a can of kidney beans ... just to get a little more bean action going on.

This Chili Recipe is a 9 in my book. Definitely the best one we ever made! We are having it over hot dogs tomorrow night... chili dogs.. yumm! Definitely not a meatless week... oh well. For those of you who are meatless, try the sweet potato chili I blogged about in the past. It is also quite amazing.

Until next time...xoxo

D... Dollhouse!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Yes, I want a dollhouse. It will be a few years before Avery can appreciate and truly enjoy a dollhouse, ut I want one. I was recently perusing Making It Lovely and fell in love with the dollhouse she made. It is truly AMAZING! I feel like to make an awesome dollhouse I need to start collecting furniture and ideas now... it could take years.

Check out Nicole's really really cool dollhouse!

Um, did I say AMAZING? Right! Check out the rest of her photos on her blog Making It Lovely. Perusing Etsy I found some cute furniture options!

It is an opportunity to decorate a whole house all over again! Ahh.. maybe some day. Until next time...xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday! Yes, it is Tuesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:03:00 +0000

So, yesterday was a holiday .... so no post. But, I thought I would share what would have been my Meatless Monday post! I have actually gotten into making homemade pizza once a week. The husband who is generally not a pizza guy has actually enjoyed this. Homemade pizza always tastes a bit healthier than its takeout counterpart! I love it because it is quick, easy and creative! :)

We made a yummy Sweet Potato, Spinach and Red Onion Pizza. The recipe from Two Peas and their Pod, called for Kale which would have been awesome, but the husband said the grocery store was all out (hmmm....).

I buy fresh dough (at Trader Joes). Who has time to make dough? Here you go:

ingredients:

Your favorite pizza dough
1 large sweet potato, thinly sliced, about 1/4 inch thick
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, for seasoning potato slices and onion
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped kale (we substituted baby spinach)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon, freshly chopped rosemary

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potato slices and red onion slices in a bow and toss with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a large baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender. Make sure you turn them once during the 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the pizza dough.

2. Turn the oven to 500 degrees F or as high as your oven will go. If you have a pizza stone, place the pizza stone in the oven to get hot. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough, using a rolling pin. Roll it out to about 3/8 of an inch. Place the pizza dough on a pizza peel or pan that has been generously coated with corn meal. Lightly brush the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In a small bowl, toss the kale with balsamic vinegar. Top the pizza dough with mozzarella cheese, sweet potato slices, kale, red onion slices, and fresh rosemary.

3. Place the pizza in the oven-directly on the pizza stone, if using one, or on the oven rack. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until pizza crust is golden and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing. Slice and serve warm.

It felt light by hearty and was incredibly flavorful! Happy Meatless Tuesday. :) Until next time...xoxo

D is for discount!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:15:00 +0000

Okay, remember I posted about decals a month or so ago! I still love em' and have them on my brain as I finish the basement playroom/guestroom! I love a way to personalize, but not permanently. Well, our friends at Lulukuku have a special code for Life & Style A to Z readers...15% off!

Here are a few of my Lulukuku favorites!

Go to their Etsy store and get yourself some decals with a discount. Just enter ATOZ15 to get the deal. Thanks for the coupon Lulukuku! Until next time...xoxo

P is for Playroom! :)

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

So, I talked about the playroom/guest room we were working on in our basement eons ago. Well...we have a re-engerized focus on in due almost entirely to the amount to toys Avery got for Christmas and her birthday. If there is a plastic thing that moves or plays music, it is safe to say we probably own it!

Now, I am someone is is overly organized. I label and color code whenever and whatever I can! :) The toy clutter in our family room is driving me NUTS! It is driving the husband nuts too, so we agreed to get going on the basement room. So, we have been working over the holiday to finish. As I have mentioned in the past this room is a old finished room in an unfinished basement. I am pretty sure it used to be an old school "men's club" room... with a fireplace, wood floors and all!

So, this is a teaser as we don't have a finished product just yet, but we have painted the wood molding, painted the fireplace, and painted the wood floor! It is a basement room so I wanted white and bright! The husband finished the two daybeds. What is next? We have a TON of clutter to get out of there, need to add some shelves for toy storage, and do some last minute touches. Hopefully we will finish soon! In the meantime, check out this playroom inspiration (thanks Pinterst)!

Want to know how much work this has and continues to be? Check out this photo (walls and wood paneling painted) but much more left to do!

Doing a house project with a kid is kind of like calculating your dogs age! For every month we think this will take us it is at least 7! ) HOpefully will have something worthy of sharing soon! Until next time...xoxo

Y.. Yes! I am still here!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Okay, I know. It has been a zillion years since I last posted. All I can say is that it has been crazy-town here with work, the holidays, Avery's first birthday, etc! I promise to get back in the swing of things ASAP and share some great posts.

In the meantime, I thought I would share a bit of Avery's birthday. I promised myself I would not make myself insane with too many DIY ideas. But, I had to have at least one crafty project or it just would not be me! :) So, I decided to make cupcake toppers. I made simple cupcakes ... a recipe from my Aunt Betty.... Betty Crocker that is. I had perused etsy for cute ideas but whenever I saw cute topper options, I knew I could make em'. So, I bought myself three different decorative punches. One round one (1.5 inch) which I used to punch out Avery's face from a photo I picked and copied. The second punch was a 2 inch flower which I used to punch decorative and colorful papers. Once I had the cute flowers, I mounted her "punched out" face onto them. Finally, I bought a party hat punch and once again used cute decorative paper. I glued the party hats onto her head and added a stick so that I could indeed put them into cupcakes.

I am pretty happy with how they came out! :) I cannot believe it has been a year. Well, actually today marks 13 months! I still have to order prints so I can finish my 12 month frame photo. I thought about keeping going on the month to month, but decided this is the end of this "project". Now that she is a little girl, she does not want to sit for these photos and real life shots do a better job of capturing who she really is. I do love looking at the changes she has made each month from a tiny thing to a walking, talking little girl. This year has been the fastest of my life... the busiest of my life... and the happiest of my life.

I am one lucky girl! :) Until next time...xoxo

H.....C.... Holiday Cards! Everywhere!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Holy Holiday Cards! We have received a ton of holiday cards this year. I love them... seeing everyone's dogs and kids and cleverness! The problem is that I have no good way to display them. But, I am determined to fix that! I went perusing Pinterest for some creative display inspiration!

Check this out!

Ooooh... so many creative ideas, so little time! I am determined to find some time to craft more in 2012! Until next time...xoxo

G... Garland!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Okay... I am back. Sorry no posts last week. It was kind of a crazy week at work and I was recovering from having a 1st Birthday party for Avery. I will share more about her party next week, but this week I am focusing on Christmas! The nice thing about having a birthday party in December is that the house is decked out for the holidays. The one thing I have not done is decorate our staircase banister. I think I must make that in the cards for next year. We have a pretty traditional staircase (similiar to below) and I think garland looks great!

Get inspired. (All images via Pinterest)

I have some more holiday ideas later this week! I promised I will not go MIA! :) Until next time...xoxo

D... Decals!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Have I posted about Wall Decals before? I cannot remember and am too tired (lazy) to look back. But, wall decals are brilliant. It is a fun and easy way to add character to a nursery or even a kitchen or family room. The can be "cutesy" or they can be wall paper reminiscent!

Pictures via Pinterest

You can find loads of decals on the web and on Etsy. Check out LULUKUKU on Etsy. They have some super cute options! Until next time...xoxo

PS: I would have provided more cute options, but Pinterst was acting kuku!

M.M.... Meatless Monday!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Okay... sorry for only one post last week. It was a doozey! :) I have a yummy meatless Monday recipe for you today. It involved me pulling out my crockpot. I would rarely think to use my crockpot for a vegetarian meal, but recently a friend was saying she made a delish curry, so it got me thinking!

I made vegetarian curry. It was hearty and flavorful! I got it off one of my favorite blogs called A Year of Slow Cooking. I have a slight love affair with my crockpot... although I am not as die hard as the woman who writes that blog.

I served the curry over rice. Next time I will pick up some pita bread or Naan too! The husband enjoyed the meal... I think I am converting him! :)

Here it goes:

Ingredients
2 cans drained and rinsed garbanzo beans (chick peas)

--1 diced red pepper

--1/2 cup chopped onion (this is my addition, I think curry should have onion!)

--4 tiny potatoes, or 1 regular-sized

--1/2 cup diced carrots

--1/2 cup diced celery

--3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic

--2 T (yes, tablespoons!) curry

--1/2 t ground coriander

--1/4 t red (cayenne) pepper--not pictured

--1 lg can tomatoes (and juice)

--2 cups vegetable broth

--3/4 cup plain yogurt

--1 cup frozen peas (to add later)

The Directions.

--add drain and rinsed garbanzo beans to your crockpot

--cover with diced vegetables (if you have other stuff in the house that you want to use, go for it. I don't think the actual kind of vegetables matters)

--add spices

--dump in tomatoes, yogurt and broth

--stir to mix flavors

cook on low for 8-10 hours, or longer.

20 minutes before serving, stir in the frozen peas. Turn to high.

Serve over hot basmati rice and use brown rice tortillas or corn tortillas to scoop up.

Great meal... it make a lot so I will be eating it for lunch for days. Go crockpot and go meatless! Until next time...xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:01:00 +0000

Okay, usually I cook my "Meatless Monday" recipes on Sunday to ensure they are quality before I recommend to you my dear readers! This week I am dishing it up untested. The husband and I had the stomach flu all weekend and our sunday night meal was buttered noodles. That was about all we could handle. But, we will be having this for dinner tonight! This recipe is similar to one that an old friend served to me which is why it caught my attention.

I have adjusted the recipe based on some reviewers feedback. Reviews are my favorite part of finding recipes online... someone else has always made edits that benefit the rest of us! :) The reviews here said cut back the brie. It recommends 8 ounces- but I cut back to 6 ounces (based on feedback). This recipe is meatless and easy!

Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/4 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch flowerets,;reserving stems for another use
1 garlic clove, minced
6 ounces Brie, rind discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse

Preparation

In a 6-quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup cooking liquid and drain pasta in a colander. Return pasta to kettle with reserved liquid.

While pasta is cooking, in a large heavy skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook broccoli with salt to taste, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds.

To pasta add broccoli mixture, Brie, and walnuts, tossing until cheese is just melted, and season with salt and pepper.

I will let you know what I thought of this recipe tomorrow. Give it a shot! Until next time...xoxo

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Okay, I know I promised you capes last week after debuting my new green Gossip Girlesque cape. I love capes. They are so easy to throw on (literally). I especially love wearing over a suit so I don't feel so stuffed into jackets... you know what I mean? But, I live in my capes on the weekend. In my book a cape is a must have right now.... although in Boston it is soon to be very cold so layer layer layer.

Here are some great cape options!

Kookai Cape at Asos

J Crew Streetscape Cape $129 (now on sale)

Tahari at Nordstroms ($148)

Romwe Band Collar $58

Alice by Temperley at Net a Porter (on sale $325)

DKNY Double Breasted Cape $219 (on sale now!)

Romwe Navy Cape $60

Capes are everywhere... these are just a few of the options out there! Go get one! :) Until next time.....xoxo

P.... Poster

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Okay, I know I promised you capes today, but I am going to make you wait! :) Instead I am sharing these REALLY cute posters. I have several good friends having babies and so I have nurseries (for them) on the brain. I do not like over "theme" nurseries where everything comes out of one box and matches exactly. I also prefer nurseries that are baby focused but somewhat "elegant" or "hip".

These posters check bot the hip and elegant box and I think they would look awesome in most any nursery. These are my favorites and would like great hung in a grouping.

How cute are they? So many cute and simple and clever options! The prices are very reasonable too. Until next time...xoxo

B... Birchbox! November!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Yes, it arrived. I love getting my pink box each month. This month is .... okay. Not great, not terrible.

Here is the breakdown!

1. Atelier Cologne (unknown size). Full sized product 30ml. sells for $60. TBD.

2. Borghese Fango Active Mud (1 oz). Full sized product 7 oz sells for $33.50. Value of sample is $4.79.

3. LaROCCA Champagne and Shimmer Supreme Creme (.05 oz). Full sized product 6.76 oz sells for $35. Value of sample is $.29.

4. Zoya Nail Polish (.25 oz). Full sized .5 oz sells for $8. Value of sample is $4.00.

5. Two Paper Dolls Coasters (2). Set of 6 sells for $15. Value of sample is $5.00.

Total Value of November Birchbox is $14.08 (plus cost of cologne) and I got a Baublebar bracelet thrown in ($20). Not bad. I am not in love with any of my products this month. The mud is probably my favorite, but not a must have in my book. I do love my Baublebar Bracelet (even if Justin Beiber also has it). Bring on December! Until next time....xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday! Mac and Cheese... yummy.

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Okay, I will unveil my Birchbox.... promise! Next post! In the meantime, I have a meatless Monday to share. It is comfort.... in a BIG way. Drumroll please....... homemade mac and cheese. I love the real deal, not out of a box, mac and cheese.

I had been to friends house a year or so ago and they made Giada De Laurentis' mac and cheese and I remember thinking it was the bomb. So, I decided this would be my recipe... assuming it met my standards. It came out amazing.... even the husband agreed. I tweaked the recipe VERY slightly based on reviews on the Food Network website. (I added more flour and used small shells instead of egg noodles.) Here is the recipe!

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing dish
12 ounces shells (or elbows)
2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (packed) grated Fontina
3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan
3/4 cup (packed) grated mozzarella
4 ounces cooked ham, diced, optional
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse.

Whisk the cream, milk, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, ham, if using, and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Toss the remaining 1 cup Fontina, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Avery is at that age now where I can give her some of what I am eating (most of the time). She had some of this mac and cheese and was grunting for more! She has a cheese thing ... like her mom! It is a good thing that she likes it because this was my "test" run as I am planning on making this dish for her upcoming 1st Birthday. Why? It is parent and kid friendly, filling, and somewhat easy to prepare/cook. I am planning on making a couple big pans! One pan will be plain, but I will probably make a pan or two with some veggies in in (think peas or broccoli) and another with meat (maybe ham or sausage). There will be something for everyone! :) I have some good things in the works for Avery's Birthday... get ready! :)

Comfy Meatless Monday- enjoy! Until next time....xoxo

G is for Green! The perfect green cape!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Capes are hot right now. :) I LOVED the green one that Blair Waldorf rocked on Gossip Girl. When I was looking for some hot cape options online... I stumbled across a store that sold THE green cape, well a knock off. SOLD! (The polka dot scarf was an accident. I stumbled across it for $3 at Target). Now, Blair is a bit more colorful than I.... but I am loving my green cape! I just had to share this silliness of me below... just to show you how much I love Gossip Girl fashion. I am a bit more traditional than Blair (hence no yellow shoes), but I love Blair's style... always.

This green cape is my 2nd cape. My first I got last Christmas from my sister from Zara. It gets a lot of wear! :)

Have you bought a cape? Come back next week if you want to see some "Life and Style A to Z" approved capes! Also.... my November Birchbox has arrived. I will unveil it on Monday! Lots of good stuff next week. See you then! Until next time...xoxo

F.... Fireplace!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

So, last week much of Masschusetts lost electricity becuase of a rare October snowstorm! We only lost it for 15 hours... so we were amongst the lucky bunch. But, many lost it for days and days. I have to say we appreciated our fireplace in our living room. It made me want a gas fireplace in our family room (for another time perhaps).

My friend "B" is on a house search and has made her "wants" list and a fireplace is close to the top. It was for us as well. We went without a garage for said fireplace. They are one of those things that you cannot add later. (Well unless you can do a pretty significant addition). The are so "homey" and can be practical. I am obsessed with both inside and outside fireplaces. Here are a few of my favorites (from Pinterst)!

How incredible are these photos? It really makes me with I had a fireplace in everyroom! Until next time...xoxo

M... Meatless Monday!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

I have another meatless Monday meal for you! It is an oldie but a goodie. I have developed a mild obsession with learning to cook classics that every mom should know how to make. I hope someday that Avery will say "my mom made the best XX". I recently made tomato sauce and meatballs for the first time. I am still working on a few other "classics", but today is the true comfort food.... tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. Now, I should say that I typically don't love tomato soup... I particularly don't love canned tomato soup.

Ingredients:
1 cup onion, diced
½ cup carrot, peeled and diced
½ cup celery, diced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
½ tablesoon dried dill
½ tablespoon dried basil
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup cognac brandy
1 garlic clove, minced
fresh ground pepper to taste

(1) In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat sauté onion, carrot, and celery in butter until soft, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
(2) Add flour to onion mixture; cook until flour is lightly golden about 1 minute.
(3) Add tomato paste to onion mixture; continue cooking another 2 minutes.
(4) Transfer onion mixture to a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker insert; add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, dried dill, dried basil, sugar, and salt; cover and place insert in slow cooker heating base. Cook on low for 4 hours.
(5) Add cream, brandy, garlic, fresh ground pepper to taste, cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.
(6) Using a handheld immersion blender, purée until smooth and creamy.* Serve.
*Option: If you don’t have a blender, enjoy your soup country style (unblended).

Now, I found this particular recipe on my friend Shannon's blog. (See day 16.) This was my first attempt at tomato soup and it was tasty and satisfying. Success! The husband was more excited than I thought a grown man would be for grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

Soup.... there it is! :) Until next time...xoxo

D.I.Y......Idea!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Okay, have I mentioned how obsessed with Pinterest I am? I love it. As was flipping through Pinterest last night and came across this really cute idea. I am saving his in my "file" for when we have a future finished playroom for Avery!

This is the easiest DIT project ever. Spray paint some cookie sheets in fun color and "BAM" you have yourself a colorful magnet board!

That is my idea of the day! If any of you do it- send me photos! :) Have a great weekend. Until next time...xoxo

C.... City!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0000

When my husband wanted to buy a house in the suburbs- I agreed ... but insisted that I needed to be within walking distance of a Starbucks and a bar. Check and check! Although we love the suburbs.... more than I thought I would, we do dream of city living when we retire. That is assuming we aren't too old to really enjoy city life. :)

I lived in the city before getting married ... the "good old days" which seem like forever ago! Who would not love city living at least some time in their life?

Someday... perhaps! :) For those of you in Boston looking for the perfect city place, call my friend Mel! She lives the posh city life in the city with her hubby and two boys and can find you your perfect city dwelling. Ahh...city living.

Until next time...xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Okay, sorry for last week. I was in San Francisco for work and blogging just seemed not to fit into my itinerary! :) Well, exciting news today.... I have a meatless Monday recipe for you. It is a chili recipe- that even the husband raved about.

It is very hearty and has some kick, I will say it was incredibly flavorful and did not feel like meat was "missing". It has some unique stuff in it including sweet potatoes and coco powder! I found this recipe on the blog Cookie and Kate, but it was originally a Real Simple recipe.

Ingredients:

1 medium red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped, or 1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on how spicy you like your chili)
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
ground sea salt and black pepper
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, including the liquid
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can vegetable broth
sour cream, for serving

What to do:

In a 4 to 6 quart Dutch oven or stockpot, sautée the chopped vegetables in one to two tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. You’ll need to stir the ingredients every few minutes so they can cook evenly. Once the onions start turning translucent, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add all of the spices and canned ingredients, and stir. Cover for about two hours, stirring occasionally. By the time your chili is done, the sweet potatoes should be nice and soft and the liquid should have reduced a bit, producing the hearty chili consistency that we all know and love.

I served this with some cheese quesadillas I whipped up quickly. They were great for dipping into the chili. I would definitely make this recipe again- hearty, flavorful and healthy (minus the sour cream). Meatless... oh how I missed you!

Until net time...xoxo

B.... brunch!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000

So, for those of us with kids brunch is the new "dinner". I love to entertain and was frequently having other couples over for dinner. Then, Avery arrived and that went out the window! Well, now that our life is a bit more predictable (just a bit)....I am determined to re-energize our social life!

This past weekend we had our friends the "S's" over for brunch. We were having them and their lovely daughter who is 6 weeks younger than Avery over to carve pumpkins. For us adults- it was our 6th annual pumpkin carving together. We started when we were all dating and now 6 years later we are each married with a baby. Wow- times change!

With a dog, babies and a task to do- I wanted to cook a brunch meal that was easy but delicious. I wanted something I could mostly pre-make and just pop in the over when the time was right. So, I made some pancakes (easy to pre-make) and I made baked eggs. They were yummy and easy.

Here is the recipe from Food Network:

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to butter ramekins
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces baby spinach
4 slices Canadian bacon- diced
4 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 ounce grated aged Cheddar, plus extra for serving
Sourdough bread

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F and arrange rack in middle. Butter 4 (6-ounce) ramekins and set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, add onion, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add spinach and cook until spinach is well wilted, about 2 minutes.

Place diced ham on bottom of ramekins and top with spinach. If you are pre-making, you can stop here and put in fridge for "go time". Can be made hours in advance.

Crack eggs into ramekins, place 1 tablespoon cream over each egg, and divide half of cheese evenly among ramekins.

Put ramekins on a baking sheet and bake, rotating pan halfway through baking, until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, about 15 to 18 minutes. (I like my yolks hard- so I cooked for 20 minutes plus.)

Meanwhile, spread remaining 2 tablespoons butter on 4 slices sourdough bread. Top with grated cheese and toast until golden brown. Serve eggs with toast.

Mrs. S does not eat pork, so I put diced up tomato on the bottom in place of ham. I also put two eggs in each ramekin so that it was more of a meal. If you don't have ramekins- you can do in muffin tins. There are many ways to change this up.... different veggies or different cheese or whatever. Easy, make ahead and delicious!

Brunch it up! Until next time.....xoxo

L...Lessons learned!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000

As I mentioned last week, my friend "E" is expecting! We were recently discussing the nursery. Decorating a nursery is so much fun! Having just had a baby, I can tell you that there are some lessons learned on the nursery front. I of course will share just a bit of my wisdom! :)

Lesson #1: You do not need to spend a lot on a crib. This cute modern grey crib is $200 bucks. I bought my crib at Target for $300. It is great and I truly think there is no need to spend $800 plus dollars on a fancy crib. There are a ton of inexpensive options out there! Find Crib here!

Lesson #2: Skip bumpers! Bumpers are a marketing ploy. Seriously, they are. I am not sure why they even sell them. They are dangerous and every pediatrician will tell you to wait until 1 year before you put them in the crib. Now, as a mom of a 10 month old- I can tell you at 1 year I already know that Avery will use them to climb out of the crib. So, bumpers... useless! The window for using them is small and they are pricey. Skip it! Go with a cute bedskirt (if your crib allows) and cute colorful sheets (100% cotton). Find cute solid colorful sheets and bedskirts here! or find a cute pattern at many of the other hot kid stores!

Lesson #3: You can never and will never have enough storage. When you think you have enough storage- get more! Book, toys, binkies, diapers, creams, medical supplies, hats, blankets, etc, etc, etc. You get the idea ... babies come with a lot of stuff! Set the closet up for storage (baskets), get a couple hampers (yes you will be doing a lot of laundry), and come up with a system for diapering stuff! You will have a lot of books and toys! Have a place to keep books that are easy to access at bedtime. I love these book slings for books! This is a great DIY project...you don't even have to sew.

Lesson #4: Get a rug that is not white (or very very light)! I have a rug that is super cute, but it is white and looks flithy all the time. We have had code white (projectile spit up) and code brown (needs no explanation)... and the rug has lived to tell. Do yourself a favor and get a darker color and a pattern will only do you right also! Also, stick with something that will last you into toddler-hood and even childhood...you will feel less guilty spending a few bucks! Overstock has some great options like this one!

Lesson #5: Avoid the wicked ugly glider and get yourself something cute that you are not going to hate looking at! I actually have a regular chair (not rocking) and have been fine. But, if you want a rocker (which many fussy babies like) get something cute. You can get a non upholstered rocker and just add some cute pillows to make it more comfy. This modern rocker is all the rage these days and would be super cute in a nursery! You can find some great rockers at antique stores too. Now, if you are going to spend money for a upholstered glider... spend a little extra to get a nice tailored one you would put in another room when done in your nursery. You know... something that does not scream "utilitarian glider" and is not only comfy but also cute.

Okay, those are just a few of my lessons learned. Take em' or leave em'! Until next time... xoxo

B... Birchbox! October!

noreply@blogger.com (Life and Style: A to Z...) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:10:00 +0000

My October Birchbox arrived at the end of last week. Have I mentioned how much I love getting my little pink box each month? It rocks! This month is solid. I am happy with my products. (Sorry for the bad photo.)

Here they are:

1. Stila Eyeshadow (.09oz). Full sized product .9 oz sells for $18. Value of sample: $1.80

2. Korres Body Butter (50ml.). Full sized product of 235 ml sells for $29. Value of sample: $.6.12

3. Blinc Mascara (.141 oz). Full sized product .21 oz of sells for $24. Value of sample: $16.11

4. The Laundress Delicate Wash (.5 fl. oz.). Full sized product of 16 fl oz sells for $19. Value of sample: $.59

5. Caudalie Vinoperfect Cell Renewal Night Cream (4 ml). Full sized product of 30 ml sells for $68. Value of sample: $9.07

So when I visited Birchbox headquarters in September, I learned that there are 10 versions each month. The website highlights all the products in October's various boxes here.

Total value of this month's box is $33.69. Not bad! I am most excited about the mascara. I always love a good mascara! I will report back when I have made a judgement!

Bring on November. Until next time...xoxo