chicken with goat cheese and basil

I think the best recipes contain all the ingredients in the title.  Take for example, chicken with goat cheese and basil.

You will need:
chicken - 4 boneless breasts with skin on {specifically ask your butcher/meat guy} I used bone-in breasts this time...taste is the same, just more work to cut around the bone.
goat cheese - one 8 oz herbed log
basil - fresh leaves

Okay, you also will want to get out your olive oil, salt and pepper.  But that ain't no thang.

I've made this a few times, having found the recipe in House Beautiful magazine, in a feature with recipes by Ina Garten.  Could anyone have a better name???

Anyway, I was drawn to it due to the goat cheese, naturally.  If you don't know about my obsession with goat cheese, you just don't know me well enough yet. :)

To make:
1. Heat oven to 375.
2. Set the chicken breasts in a casserole dish or on a sheet pan.  Use your finger to separate the skin from the chicken breast in one area{carefully, without creating more than a small opening.}
2. Cut your log of delicious herbed goat cheese into half inch rounds.  Insert no less than 2 of them under the skin of each breast.

3. Insert 1-2 basil leaves under the skin as well.  Pull the skin back over as much of the meat as possible, so the meat stays moist.

4. Baste each breast with olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper.

5. Bake 35-40 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.

Serve on a bed of brown rice, for a healthy dinner!

g

DIY: {personalized subway sign}

What do you get the guy that has everything?

Okay, Hubby really doesn't have everything...but he usually puts everything he needs on his Christmas list for his parents, and I get stuck with get the honor of trying to think up something creative.  :o)

This past Christmas was no exception.  So I decided to get artsy.  Not really, as I don't have any artistic ability as a painter.  However, using some wood, stencils, and paint I created a low-budget piece that really had some personal meaning to our relationship...

a subway sign -- using streets, or "stops" from our relationship.  Our first date, first apartment, first engagement, second engagement, etc...and then ending with the three streets we have now owned homes on.

I priced having it done professionally, and that would have been several hundred dollars.  I did the project myself for $30 {most expensive part being the stencils, which I can use again for other projects!}

I've always loved these signs that have been all over the place for quite a while.

It seemed like a simple project.  Stencil on the letters and paint them.  I wanted it to be a wood sign that I handpainted.  So I used a 2'x4' piece of birch wood ($8) and painted it black with paint I already had.

Then I placed my letters, which took quite a bit of time.  I had to decide on the order, what size lettering, etc.  Then I had to make them even.  Precision is not my forte, nor is patience.  So this was a daunting task.  Plus, I had to do all of this whenever the baby napped.  Needless to say, not much cleaning got done for about 3 full weeks.  A baby-free person could probably get this done in a weekend.  It needs two coats of white paint.

Here is the sign nearly completed.  See the pile of towels in the background?  Yeah, those probably sat there a while.

And here is the finished sign!  This is not where we're going to put it, as I made it with the thought that we would hang it in our new home, whenever we actually move into it.  That could be a while, as we have to sell our current house first.  But I had to take a picture, right?  

 Can't wait to see where this ends up!

Happy Monday, friends!

g

six months!

I have a full-fledged BOY on my hands.

Cormac is a punching, kicking, grabbing bundle of boy energy.

Which is why this month's photo session was especially challenging....

and basically ended up as just a cuddle session.  Which I'm okay with.

Here are some outtakes.  

Yes, I was wearing my bathrobe/pajamas. 

not quite able to sit yet...

whoa.

there's that smile

in mid flip...
and please check out that adorable fat knee!

"just relaxin'...and eatin' my hand..."

my little deer in the headlights...

"I will look anywhere but the camera."

"Just wait 'til I have teeth.  Then try to resist this smile."

He mastered the art of rolling last month, and recently has been making the moves to crawl.  He will actually get up on his haunches in the crawling position and boisterously rock back and forth about ten times until his falls on his face.  Then he does it again.  But no actual forward movement. Yet.

Jumps so vigorously in his exersaucer that sometimes I am afraid to bend down to try to pick him up, for fear he'll jump and knock my teeth out with his big ol' head. He'll try to fake me out:  he'll stop bouncing and smile up at me sweetly.  I approach with caution.   Then as soon as I reach down he starts jumping crazily again!

Sitting, but I still need to be there in case he takes a tumble.

Starting vegetables next week!

Weight: 18 lbs 6 oz {60th percentile}

Height: 26.5 inches {50th percentile}

Head: 18 cm {90th percentile}

* * * * * * * * * 

Happy six months

to my little man!

{hint, hint about his 1st birthday party theme!}

g

{25 things}

Source: etsy.com via Greta on Pinterest

1. I have exactly seven half-finished blog posts in my queue, and yet I decided to write this completely random one instead of finishing any of them.

2. Today I entertained Baby Cormac by whistling the Andy Griffith Show theme song for literally a half hour straight.

3. Then I allowed him to chew on my beaded necklace...that was still around my neck.

4. The first thing I thought of after putting him to bed was pouring myself a glass of wine.

5. I love wine.

6. I really love wine.  Especially after whistling the Andy Griffith theme song for a half hour.

7. My husband can't whistle.

8. I get a sense of satisfaction when I find things I can do that my Hubby can't.  Sorry babe.

9. Tonight I am hoping my Hubby will pick up a pizza for dinner on the way home.  By Thursdays I don't feel like cooking.

10.  I'm a total city girl...but I kind of want to escape to the country.  Wake up in a big feather bed and eat a huge, homemade breakfast.

11.  I'm determined to learn to make homemade cinnamon rolls, a la my Grandma Mole.

12. Grandma Mole is not her real name.

13. Did I mention I love wine?

14. I really, really don't want to get up off the couch and wash bottles right now.  So many bottles...

15.  Okay, only six bottles.  But still.

16. I can't wait to finish all those other posts.  Tomorrow, maybe?  One of them, maybe?

17. I made some really good linguini with scallops last night...but my camera battery died so I couldn't take any pics.  Boo.

18. When I finally make those cinnamon rolls, I promise to take pictures.

19.  I have been doing really well with my resolutions!  I took a nap and ran and drank lots of water today.  Yay, me!

20. I'm watching the Seinfeld episode where Elaine tells Jerry she "faked."  This is why I love Elaine.

21.  Now Jerry is calling all his exes to ask them if they did, too.  This is why I love Jerry.

22. Pizza's here!

23.  I love my Hubby.

24.  If you made it this far, I salute you.  And wonder about you.  :)

25.  I promise my next post will not be this random...

Much love!

g

ham & cheese sliders and raspberry-pecan salad

New year, new foods!

One of the reasons I love Pinterest is the abundance of food ideas.

I've tried quite a few recipes, some of which I really liked,

including...

Ham and Cheese Sliders!

They were easy and so yum.

The full recipe can be found {here}on 

this cute food blog.

I halved the recipe to make this for Hubby and I.

But after tasting them I wished I had made them all!

This is before I baked them.  They get golden brown on top and the poppyseed sauce gets absorbed in the bun {use Hawaiian rolls!!!!} making them a-maz-ing.

Make sure you use thick cuts of ham 

and thick, good quality Swiss.

Because the sliders were so gooey and savory, I paired them with a fresh, sweet raspberry-pecan salad.

You will need:
bag of lettuce - I like mix of spring mix and baby spinach {darker the lettuces the healthier!}
red raspberries, washed
handful of pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup raspberry vinaigrette - I like Newman's Own.
cheese to grate over finished salad - I used a chunk of pecorino with truffle

Just combine all the ingredients {except the cheese} in a bowl and toss to coat with dressing.  When salad is in serving bowl or on individual plates grate the cheese over and serve.  So sweet and delish!

Add some sliders to the plate and enjoy 

a sweet and savory 

supper.

g

{be resolute}

I think of all the New Year's resolutions 

to be made right now and my head starts to spin.  

Of course I want to be healthier.  Of course I want to be more organized.   Of course I want to be a better wife and mother.  And on.  And on.

{source}

It is enough to make a girl throw her hands up and ask the heavens, BUT HOW?!?!  They are such broad and lofty goals!  I realize I am the type of person who needs I need baby steps.  I need a precise plan of attack.

This year I resolve to be more resolute.  That is, wholeheartedly commit myself to something concrete.  I will commit myself to the following three manageable, attainable goals:

I will drink 3 bottles {or more} of water per day.  Formerly I barely drink any water...unless you count that which is in coffee. I would fill up my Nalgene in the morning and it would sit on the kitchen counter all day, untouched.  It's so big. That's soooo much water! I would think and ignore it.  Even when I would go to the gym I would usually forget my water.  So now I am toting a smaller {less bulky, more portable} bottle around with me wherever I go.  So far I've drank at least three each day, some days five or six.   My pregnancy prepared me for all the peeing I'm doing now.

I will take a nap every day.  I never did much napping...and I should.  I clean and plan and run and push and play and entertain baby...and by the end of the day I am not the most fun person to be around.  Hubby would always ask, "Why don't you take a nap during the day?"  Others would advise, "Sleep when he sleeps!"  Ha, I would think, my head buzzing with all the tasks I wanted to check off my list.  But something has to give, and since Baby takes 3 naps a day I resolve to dedicate one of those to napping myself.  Well, at least for 30 minutes.  Power nap.  This should help with the whole "be a better wife and mother" thing. :)

I will get my abs back.  I have never had a perfect body {no one does...except maybe Gisele} but my tummy was one of the parts of my bod I especially liked.  Also, I felt really great before and during my pregnancy and mostly now I'd like to get that feeling back -- of health and strength! And flat abs.  Sigh.  I have learned that even if you had a hard, flat tummy pre-pregnancy it will not stay that way.  You have to work back to it.  I remember being visited by an in-home nurse a couple days after delivering my baby boy in July, listening intently to everything she had to say, but then grabbing my "baby belly"and asking her -- "Okay...but when will this go away????" I was sort of trying to be funny {post-labor attempts at humor are always a hoot} but she took me seriously.

Her answer sticks in my mind even today, "Well, that is up to you."  
In other words: Be resolute.

So my plan is to cut out carbonated beverages completely {goodbye for now, my precious Red Bull!!!}, as well as cut out sugary snacks.  Thankfully I'm not a big soda drinker and have never had a major sweet tooth.  But every little change helps. Plus, I'll continue to run and have started doing strength training again at the gym.  Oh, and crunches.  Lots and lots of crunches.

Well, time for a nap... :)

g

goodbye 2011, hello 2012

2011 was my first full year of blogging... 

and oh, what joy it has been documenting my life and loves

and sharing what makes me feel
warm & happy

with anyone who visits.  

Here are some highlights from this past year...such a wonderful year...

January started with finally announcing my pregnancy -- my first baby bump alert!  I was so excited to be pregnant with our baby boy, Cormac Landon.

February was rather uneventful, but I did have a lovely Valentine's Date with Hubby and rocked the bump:

March brought a long weekend trip to NYC.  We've been there quite a few times, but this time was especially fun with a few NCAA basketball wins for the Wildcats.  Another adventure I'll never forget!

Some Time Square love:

April and May brought some beautiful baby showers as well as my final few months preggo.  I was HUGE ...but not too huge to put the finishing touches on the nursery.  In June it was ready for the reveal party and to be unveiled on the blog.  I had such a fun time creating this space for the little one...okay, and for me!

In July I turned 30!  Oh! The horror!  Really it was not that traumatic.  I think my thirties will be the best years ever.  Plus, I was ginormously pregnant, so I had other things to worry about.  Like peeing every five minutes. Also in July...Baby was born!  I announced the birth and told the whole gory/beautiful story eventually.  I blogged a LOT about my pregnancy and new baby...mainly because they were/are such amazing parts of my life.  I adored being pregnant and hope to someday share another birth with world.  But meanwhile, I will enjoy every minute with this guy...

July and August I was in survival mode, so I didn't blog all that much...except for the occasional new mommy rant.  Those first eight weeks were really tough, but oh so sweet in so many ways.  I now look at brand new babies and feel a tinge of sadness that Cormac will never be that teeny tiny again! Then that feeling passes and I am grateful for the sleep I now get. :)

In September we travelled to Europe to visit my parents who were living in Prague doing ministry for a year.  Those two weeks were incredible...and busy!  I didn't post much about our two weeks there, but I did share some photographs in this post.  Here are a few more...

Some pretty important guys in my life...

The Bjorn has been a lifesaver on many journeys.

It was hard not to love the city of Prague!

My dad baptizes Baby Cormac.  Welcome to the family!

October, November and December were spent doing a little baking, a little confessing, a little adventuring and a lot of figuring out how to be a mama.
Whew.  What a year.

What will 2012 bring?  One can never be sure.  I can say that we just purchased a big old house built in 1859 that we will begin renovating. Feeling incredibly blessed and excited about this new project!

  Little Baby Mac will {God-willing} grown into Little Toddler Mac which is sure to bring many adventures!  I am already planning his epic 1st birthday party.  (Yeah, I am that obsessive.)

Also pretty confident I will drink lots and lots of coffee.  That is a given.  

Oh, and we have some travel plans looming which include:  my first time in New Orleans, perhaps a weekend in Hotlanta, and a June trip to Toronto to visit the set of the Anne of Green Gables movies.

{source}

 If your heart just skipped a beat, too, then we are kindred spirits, you and I.

g