Feast of St. Francis

Someone was a really good pup in church yesterday for the celebration of St. Francis. Here he is getting his blessing for the year after the service.

Yummy things to cook: Banana Bread

I love to cook and I especially love to bake. I make this banana bread frequently and it's become somewhat famous with our families as I almost always make it when we have weekend guests. I'm planning to make it to take to the beach in a few weeks for the Chandler family beach vacation. I'm guessing the two loaves will last about two days, maybe three :)

The following recipe is adapted from the Unbelievable Banana Bread recipe in The Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook by Mary Corpening Barber & Sara CorpeningWhiteford, which is a fabulous cookbook and I highly recommend it - newlywed or not. Anyway, the recipe is very easy and a great use for too-ripe bananas, enjoy!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup soy milk*
2-3 very ripe mashed bananas


Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray.

Stir together the flour, kosher salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Combine the oil and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Or use a hand mixer.) Beat on low speed until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk in a small bowl. Add one third of the dry ingredients to the mixer, followed by half of the buttermilk and mix on low until barely combined. Repeat, scrape down the sides of the mixer as needed. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Add the mashed bananas and mix until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 minutes to an hour, depending on your oven.

*I know the soy milk seems weird. The original recipe calls for buttermilk, which I hate to buy because it comes in such large containers and I don't have a use for the rest of it so it spoils in the refrigerator. You can add white vinegar to regular milk to "make" buttermilk but since I don't drink milk, we rarely have that in the house. I just started using soy milk and it tastes great. Even my dad who is highly suspicious of anything make from soy, loved this banana bread. I just didn't tell anyone it was made with soy milk :)

Projects: Gallery Wall

For years I've collected pictures from magazines and catalogs of decorating ideas and furniture that caught my eye. One thing I've always loved is the idea of creating a gallery wall. The upstairs hallway of our house has the perfect spot so I decided to make a gallery of family pictures - sort of a visual family tree. I love seeing old pictures of my grand parents and even great grandparents! It was quite surprising to see how much my sister looks like young pictures of our grandmother and how my dad and my cousin (his nephew) resemble each other.

Once we had gathered the pictures and ordered the frames, I cut pieces of heavy paper the size of each frame and taped them to the wall with blue painter's tape. Then we just left it that way for a week or so, living with the arrangement and making adjustments here and there. I highly recommend this step if you make a gallery wall.

The actual hanging wasn't too difficult, just a little tedious. And of course, now I'm driving myself crazy straightening the pictures every time I walk by! But I love how it turned out and it makes that space feel so much cozier and lived-in.

Do you like a good deal?

I certainly do! Between economic uncertaintity, every-increasing gas prices, and a mortgage to pay, I like to find easy ways to save money while still having a good time. And today I'm sharing one of my secrets. If you live in Atlanta, you're probably already a ScoutMob fan. The good news for everyone else is that they're expanding! Check out my link below for the details on the new ScoutMob cities and if yours isn't on the list, don't worry, I'm sure it's only a matter of time!!

http://scoutmob.com/revel/politicstopeaches


So what exactly is ScoutMob? Well, it's a daily email (similar to Groupon, LivingSocial, etc.) with a 50% off coupon for something cool in your area - restaurants, coffee shops, stores, events. The best part (other than the fact that it's FREE) is that the 50% off coupon is sent to your cell phone so you always have the coupon with you! No more trying to remember to actually bring the coupon with you. I've used ScoutMob at Atlanta restaurants such as Murphys, San Francisco Coffee, and Harry and Sons. It's a great way to try out new places in your city (hey, if you don't like it, at least it was half-off!) or just to save at the places you already know and love. So give it a try, and let me know what you think! Happy saving!

PS. If you're an obsessive planner like I am, this is also great for upcoming trips. Check out the deals for cities you'll be visiting and get the scoop on cool new places to go and get discounts while you're at it!

It's time for a makeover

I love a good makeover - from What Not To Wear to HGTV - there's just something inspiring about it. So I figured it was time to give my blog a little makeover. It's still a work in progress and I would love your feedback. Are the colors easy to read? Too cramped? Too busy? Anything you'd like to see me add? Let me know! I know there are amazing and experienced bloggers out there who know a ton more than me - I'd love to learn from you!

Happy Monday to all!

Snow Days

Remember when snow days were fun? When the mere mention of the word made you dance with joy and anticipation for a day off from school?

I remember my dad going out to make sure our sledding path was clear of big branches before a predicted snow storm.
I remember the anxious feeling of watching the school closing list scroll across the bottom of the TV screen.
I remember fun-filled snow days - sledding, building snow men, and making snow angels - and then going inside for hot chocolate by the fire.

And now?

Now snow is an inconvenience, a hassle, something I'd rather not deal with (hence why I moved farther south!). This evening, I trudged through the wet, slippery, still-falling snow. Fighting to stay upright, to keep my umbrella up, to not step in large, dirty puddles of half-melted snow. I arrived at my corporate apartment feeling cranky, wet, and miserable. And it makes me sad.

Sad that something that once brought me so much joy now brings misery. Sad to have lost that childhood sense of wonder and fun that came along with snow days.

And I wonder....what else have I lost along the way?

Politics (and peaches!)

Now that I'm back in Washington DC part-time, I find myself being more interested in politics. Sometimes when I'm working long hours I feel like I'm in a bubble and have absolutely no idea what's going on in the world. But being in DC inspires me to at least try to keep up with news and politics. I watched the State of the Union address tonight. Overall, I thought it was a good speech. Political ideas have a way of sounding great in speeches and then being very difficult to actually implement. We'll see what happens. ok, enough politics - on to peaches :)

This past weekend, we had a session with a professional photographer. We haven't had professional pictures taken since our wedding, more than 5 years ago. Last summer, I bought a Groupon for a portrait session and finally was able to use it this past weekend. I'll post a few good ones when I figure out how!! In the meantime, for anyone in the Atlanta area, check out http://www.sarahesther.com/. Sarah is super-sweet, really energetic, and takes wonderful pictures! Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far!

Well, Hello There!

It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Life threw me a huge curve ball a few months ago in the form of an out of town work project. For the past three months, I've been traveling to Washington DC (the irony) every week for work. In short, it's terrible. It's been difficult to juggle home, husband, friends, family, the holidays, etc. all while being away from home every week. The home that we just finished and moved back into.....life can be so unfair. It's tough, as I'm sure everyone has experienced, to keep the faith that things will get better. Sometimes I feel as if I've been dealt more than my fair share of trying times. But then, I take an honest look around - at the struggles of others, at the unfairness that seems to grip entire countries, and the horrible events that appear on the daily news, and I realize that I'm being rather self-indulgent and spoiled.
And so.....I'm back. Again. Back to share bits of my life, to connect with friends, and to learn from this crazy adventure called life.

House Tour, Part 1

I've been delaying posting pictures of the house because, honestly, it doesn't yet look the way I want it to. We need furniture, there are many blank walls and it just doesn't look and feel complete yet. But that's my perfectionism talking so I'll go ahead and share pictures of the work-in-progress.

Living room - this room is exactly the same as it was before and that's the original fireplace - one of the only pieces of the original house that survived!

Dining room - also the same as the original except for a few minor changes, like the built-in china cabinet below, designed by Cary :)

Front hall. We bought that painting at the Dogwood Festival in Atlanta this past spring and I love it. It doesn't photograph well but I think it's beautiful.

Kitchen

Family room, which is open to the kitchen.

The other side of the family room, which goes out to the screened porch aka my favorite place. And there's Jackson sleeping, which he does 80% of the time :)

Guest bedroom on the first floor.

Guest bathroom



Master bedroom, it's pretty dark in the picture but it's actually very bright and sunny. This is the back of the room, across from the door.

The other side of the bedroom. We're sleeping on a mattress on the floor - see what I mean about incomplete? So there's part of it. More to come!

Creative inspiration

I absolutely LOVE Paper Source and going in the store always gives me tons of ideas for creative projects to try. Granted I'm not the most artistic person in the world, but just stepping foot in a PS store makes me think I could pull off anything.

For anyone who does not live near one, they also have a great website and blog where they regularly share some amazingly creative projects. I love this idea for sugar-stamped plates. How gorgeous is this?

I can't wait to try this out for a shower, birthday party or even just a small dinner party!

A sort-of-final house update

I say "sort-of-final" because I'm sure I'll be posting more pictures as we move in, decorate, etc. But...here's the finished product!

It's been a long year-plus since this day but now we can't wait to move in!

got corks?

wine corks, that is! I had tons that I'd been saving forever. I saw a similar project at a wine festival a long time ago and recently decided to make my own.

I still need to make a pretty bow for it (talented sister, are you reading?). Overall, I'm very happy with how it turned out. And before you start to worry about (or judge) my (our) drinking habits, I've been saving these corks for years. Some of them are from our wedding 5 years ago so it takes awhile to accumulate enough good ones for a project like this.

Too cute to resist

I was planning to post a project I recently completed, but this was too cute not to share. Yesterday's mail contained a small package for Jackson, from his "cousin" Inga....

Delicious Dinners

I made this for dinner last night:(picture from MarthaStewart.com)

It was delicious and very filling. But also time-consuming - don't try making this after work when you're starving! I will admit that using dried black beans gives a better, less mushy, consistency than canned. However, I think you could sub canned black beans for the dried and it would still be good. I plan to try that next time. I usually like to follow a recipe exactly the first time I make it and then tinker with it later.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/brown-rice-and-black-beans

Signs of Spring

Spring has definitely arrived in Atlanta! I took this picture outside of a cute speciality foods shop in my neighborhood. They make all sorts of wonderful homemade spreads, pestos and spice mixes. Just walking in there makes me want to plan an elaborate picnic in the park! Although Bella Cucina is a local Atlanta company, they have been featured in Southern Living and on Oprah! Check out their website at http://www.bellacucina.com/shop.asp
Happy Spring!

Good things to remember.....

Happy Tuesday!

Finally, a house update!

A couple of more recent pictures of the renovation. Here's the front:

And from the back. The backyard is really sloped so we added a retaining wall so the yard will be more usable.

A list kind of day

I've been neglectful of my blog lately so here's a recap of what's been going on lately. In list form, because I love lists!

• Finally joining a yoga studio and starting to practice more regularly
• Spending a long weekend in NYC to celebrate my 30th birthday!
• Seeing Wicked in NYC
• Driving 2,241 miles - from Atlanta to Richmond, VA and back for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• Shopping for and wrapping Christmas gifts
• Christmas in Virginia with both families
• Holiday parties, holiday parties, holiday parties
• Self-assessment/review period at work
• Making an overwhelming amount of decisions relating to the (re) construction of our house (pictures coming tomorrow!)
• A low-key New Year's Eve celebration with dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Wisteria, and a nice bottle of champagne at home with Jackson (he even gets a little sip!)
• And since it's now snowing and freezing cold in Atlanta, I thought this little note that I saw on the fun blog of a fellow Atlantan was appropriate:

That pretty much sums it up! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season!

puppy talk

Last night, we were having dinner with some Junior League friends and their husbands and we started talking about our dogs. Oddly enough, we all admitted to having a "dog voice". For example, when I get home from work and ask Jackson how his day was, Cary will respond in "Jackson's voice". So now I'm curious - who else has a voice for their dog??

sample sale anyone?

Kate Spade is having an online sample sale!

Click here: http://www.katespade.com/samplesale/login.jsp and enter your email address, which puts you on their emailing list.

Happy Shopping!