Cookie Bake 2009

This year we had the largest turn out yet! We had 14 girls and 11 different holiday treats. Along with eating snacks and baking cookies, we played rob your neighbor. However, we forgot to do the robbing. Doh!

All in all, I think it was a success. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and all the cookies and treats were amazing! Thanks to everyone who attended!

Merry Christmas.

My dear ol' Dad

This is one of my favorite pictures of my pop when he was just a wee little boy (he's the cute little guy with the dark hair). I am so blessed to have such an amazing father. Thanks dad for all you do.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few pictures of a wonderful Thanksgiving.

A Simple Chicken Potpie

Finally another cookbook challenge. This time I wanted to find a recipe that would allow me to use up the leftover veggies in the fridge. What better recipe than a chicken potpie. Plus, I have never made a potpie, so it sounded like a good challenge to me.

I choose the potpie recipe from the Real Simple, Meals Made Easy book. This book, along with the magazine, is awesome. The recipe was very "simple" and easy to follow. I did however change it a little and make it my own.

I did not use mushrooms, but I did add potatoes and celery. Also, it called for 4 cups of chicken broth but I only had 3. This did not seem to cause any problem.

Instead of store bought pie crust I used a sheet of puff pastry that I had in the freezer. I even got a little silly and cut little hearts out of the leftover dough.

All in all I think this recipe went pretty well. Tim had two bowls so it must have tasted okay. The presentation wasn't quite what I would have liked it to be but for a simple potpie, I think it was a success.

A Thoughtful Gift

A few weeks ago my company had a department meeting at our corporate office in Bloomington, IL. As part of the meeting we took a tour and visited an area that showcased a lot of State Farm nostalgia. Someone called me over to see something in the case. They said something like "this is right up your alley, you're going to love this". Low and behold, it was a cookbook! As you know, I heart cookbooks. And this one was adorable! It was gold, shaped like an apple and titled All American Apple Cookbook. I have no idea what it has to do with State Farm but I loved it.

A friend of mine was standing near while I was admiring the book and said, "hey, I think I had that book at one time". The next thing I know, the cookbook is being delivered to me as a gift.

My friend Linda is in the process of moving and while packing she stumbled upon the cookbook. She is always doing nice things for me, and I am ever so thankful, but this gift means so much. I can't thank her enough.

So...here it is, my newest cookbook. I can't wait to try out one of her recipes.

It was a chilly Halloween but it was toasty by the fire.

This year we hosted a Halloween party. Every one's costumes were very creative and the spooky treats were equally as awesome.

Halloween was fun but now it's time to start thinking about Thanksgiving!! :)

My Great Pumpkin

The last to come out of the great garden of '09 are the pumpkins. Or I should say pumpkin. That's right, only one grew and he didn't even grow to his potential. And did I mention he's still green? There were a couple hopeful sprouts but they turned out to be duds. Oh well, there is always next year.

Even though this guy may not be the best or biggest, I am still very proud of it. I made that! From a seed! I can't wait to carve him for the Halloween party.

Another Cookbook Challenge

Our garden has produced a ton of tomatoes this year. So when it came to thinking of my next challenge, it was obvious that I should make tomato soup.

For this challenge I decided to go with good ol' Martha Stewart. I wanted a recipe that used carrots, basil and tomatoes (all of which I had plenty from the garden). This recipe called for all three. However, once it was finished I wasn't very impressed with the flavor or texture. I decided to whip out the stick blender, a little cream, chicken stock and a can of crushed tomatoes. After blending it all together, it wasn't half bad. Take that Martha! :)

Vin de Set

Yesterday afternoon I took the metro down town and met Tim for the Cards game. Before the game we took a stroll through the new City Garden. This awesome guy was my favorite.

This one is Tim's fav.

After sitting in the God awful heat and watching the Cards lose, Tim surprised me and took me to Vin de Set for a special dinner. We were a little early for dinner so we sat at the bar and enjoyed a few tasty beverages. This one was called the French 75. It was something like Gin, Champagne and Grand Marnier. It was pretty darn tasty!

After a few drinks, it was on to the main event. In honor of Julia Child they had a special 3 course meal based on the recipes from her cookbooks. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing it was. The flavors were exciting and rich and every bite was delightful.

It was a wonderful afternoon/evening. I can't wait to go back to Vin de Set. The rooftop patio was beautiful and I want to try everything on the menu. ;)

Family Wedding at the Butterfly House

Just a few shots from my cousins wedding at the butterfly house last weekend. It was absolutely beautiful and we couldn't have asked for better weather.


I just love my dad. My craziness comes from him. He's a big kid at heart and will never grow old. Love you pop!

This is my favorite flower, the Plumeria.

These guys were totally doin' it and it was awesome!

This guy was beautiful.