Recent Creations

Turkey and Articoke Stuffed Shells

(from Everyday Pasta)

*had to improvise a little and used turkey sausage and lasagna sheets*

Chewy, Fudgy, Tripple Chocolate Brownies

(from Cooks Illustrated)

Bison Burgers with Cabernet Onions and Cheddar with Sweet Potato Fries

(from Bon Appetit)

Cinnamon Apple Strudel Bread French Toast with Turkey Bacon

Quinoa with Moroccan Winter Squash and Carrot Stew

(from Bon Appetit)

definitely a new favorite of the Lindemanns...that has been made a few times now!

My favorites this weekend...

1.) Weekend Breakfasts of:

Pumpkin Oatmeal

w/ walnuts, brown sugar, and maple butter!

2.) A lovely tweed jacket I found on the sale rack at Nordstroms for $24.00, woot woot

3.) Packing for our Thanksgiving trip to Cancun, Mexico

4.) Advent Calendars for both hubby and myself to enjoy for the month of December. I finally got my very own this year from my mother-in-law....thank you!

5.) We have received our wedding pictures and I am excited to create my first Christmas card with the hubby! Can't believe how quickly the holidays are approaching--will need to work fast to get these created and mailed out.

Last Week's Foodie Friday and Food-Filled Weekend!

Another week has come and gone and it has been quite busy so I find myself saying pheww--so happy that it is almost Friday :) Unfortunately I didn't post my adventures from last weekend yet so here we are---Brad and I went to The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertainment Showwhich was a fun place to sample some goodies and a chance for Brad to do some networking and see if there are any job opportunities for him after he graduates in December (go B!).

I wanted to bottle up this cutie pie and take her home with me--from that smile to her cupcake ensemble, sooo cutee!

shake away your fat, too bad when I tried it I felt so sick after I got off, lol

found our way in the wine and beer section-free samples all so it is very likey that this will happen....

I commented to Brad how everyone's eyes were starting to get heavier and this dude tried to leave but almost took down a tent in doing so as he drunkenly stumbled out...security made him sit down and then personally escorted him out the front door

we ended the day with a red velvet whoopie pie, some pickled veggies, unique Christmas gifts and had an overall fun time-spent together 7 hours on our feet walking around, now that is love :)

*******************************

I didn't make anything new and exciting here in my kitchen but we wandered out to 8th street which is truly an up and coming neighborhood and tried DC-3 (located at 423 Eighth Street SE) which the Zagatbuzz refers to before its recent opening as, "this Capitol Hill doghouse from theMatchbox talents will offer hot-dog variations from around the country, served in a tiny, vintage aircraft-themed space with a DC-3 propeller and a wing for a sign." I enjoyed that the menu was on like an airline ticket and appreciated the joint's fun and relaxing vibe and quirky extras.

I laughed reading something in this article where they shared their excitement for hot dogs that are deep fried, with crab dip, or cheese whiz or with chili! They have corn dogs, crinkle fries, fried pickles, soft-serve ice cream, and freshly spun cotton candy.

Here is another article on the place--my hubby and I had a fun time trying a few dogs, with a side of crinkle fries and some fried pickles--a great fall afternoon. Our favorite dog (and favorite of DC-3 we discovered) is the "Q's Seoul Bulgogi & Kimchi" which features certified Angus beef dog, Lyon butter-grilled frankfurt loaf, marinated rib-eye bulgogi and pickled kimchi" yummm

Patience...is a virtue

I am expecting our wedding photos this week, we were suppose to get them last week but there was a small delay so this is the week! I have been waiting for them and have been trying to be patient but apparently that quickly went out the door. In turn, I have started to sweat, get nervous and obsess about these once of a lifetime pictures and have been a tough self critic, and I haven't even SEEN them yet. How funny, right?

I have been worried about shots that I didn't get--

*one with the bridal party and flower girl and ring bearer
*some shots of my hubby and I strolling the beach arm and arm or on the putting green near the front of the country club
*more posed shots with my friends
*a high school and college group shot
*the flower toss that never happened, I didn't even notice until after the wedding was over that I hadn't thrown it!

But looking back and the more I've talked with friends and family, I was so in the moment and having such a blast that this is truly all that matters--the fun, the happiness, all will be depicted in the photos and tell a story. It is funny that someone like me who is SOO photo obsessed would have forgotten to tell the photographer to snag these shots but again, I finally had stopped fretting about my hair and other details and was just rocking out with my friends and family. And again, I haven't even seen the pictures yet so who knows what Steve and his wonderful partner, Robyn snagged..so we shall see. Even better, we decided last minute to video everything so totally LOVING that.

My advice to future brides:
1.) make a solid list of shots you MUST have
2.) don't fret over shots, the pictures should be able to capture the mood and tell a story of the day
3.) have the time of your life, because that is what this wedding you are having is really all about

All My Favorites for Fall...or Santa :)

[Nordstroms Suzi Chin Maggy Boutique Dress I am totally crushing on for the holidays, loveeee]

velvet

lace

CLASSIC

SUEDE

NAVYyyy

texture

prints

blush tones

sequins

chocolate brown

[bodenusa.com]

I thought maybe I was over sequins especially because I went through a huge phase when I was in middle school and got rid of all my sequiny stuff a few years ago but I think a little hint or touch of it on certain items can be quite nice, especially this skirt from bodenusa.com

the classic girl in me will never stop liking bows, ribbons and anything timeless and classic

chocolate brown rain boots, yum....like the texture too

I love this coat and think it is simply stunning...need to order one!!

JPK purse, lovely

Foodie Friday...a few days late

This week seemed like a whirlwind where I felt like I was living worlds outside of myself trying to juggle work and hubby time and basically just trying to make it through the week. Although I have to admit that I didn't really make anything really new, I have to say that I brought to life a family casserole recipe and made it for a coworker who is dealing with a broken foot and so I felt like I did good all around :) The recipe I can't easily copy and paste it from a website or show you a pic of the recipe card because it has been passed to me many times through e-mail in my mom's pretty writing with phrases like " a good sprinkle of cheese" and so I feel anyone trying to re-create it would get lost in the hidden phrases. Anyway, the casserole is a chicken, green bean, watercress and cheese mixture of goodness and I had fun throwing it together!

The only other "recipe" or sorts I can take claim to this week is an exhausted evening that called for some Elmo vegetable noodle soup (yes I know, my husband asked me if I am still 5 years old) from a can and a grilled cheese with truffle butter to add a little fanciness to the dish. I was quite impressed with myself as I went by a few stores on my way home from work (since it always seems that we need to shop around here in DC to get all of our food items on the list because one store doesn't have it all)...and got some swiss cheese and truffle butter--gosh that stuff is expensive, it was like $9 for a TINY little tub of the stuff, but I figured it was worth it, HADD to be worth the $$. I was pleasantly surprised with how much it enhanced my plain little sandwich and made my dinner feel so elegant and satisfying...Funny how we surprise ourselves sometimes, for me it seems to be that I can be more creative than I ever thought I was.