April Showers bring May...Tables?

Spring is in the air (aside from the snow that is currently falling) and since Tulips are my most favorite flower, and because its just awesome, I bought a Tulip Table for my kitchen nook! Today! So Excited! How cute is it going to be when paired with my newly recovered antique Hepplewhite chairs? Yay!



via Bryan Alexandra




via Design Manifest




via Elle Decor




via Matters of Style





via Weekend Homemaker




via Bryn Alexandra





via ShelterPop



Hello Again

Hi...Remember me? Chances are No because it took me 5 tries to even remember my log-in information for this thing. Lame, I know. I totally missed my chance to tell you about our very nice Christmas, Our Festive New Year's Eve with Friends that included Burning German Alcohol on a Sugar Cube, our super special visit with Titi Jess before she joined the Coast Guard, a new Hayflich neice on the way, Kellan's battle with every single cold and virus that daycare can throw our way and my own personal battle with a Spine that acts 80 years older than its actual age and an ulcer that tried to kill me. Other than that...you didn't miss much (except the fact that my baby is basically a fully grown, talking, counting, Donald Duck Loving Toddler.) Just taking this opportunity to say..."I'M BACK" and I hope to make it a habit.




Ps. That dish I mentioned below was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Too bad no one but me ate it. It's cool. I had leftovers for 6 weeks. Lucky me.

Living Gluten Free

Gluten does not agree with my waistline and my insides, but sometimes (especially with an appetite and love for food like I have) desire over comes brains and I give in.  All week I've been prepping myself for the pain that will surely ensue after I indulge in glutenous Thanksgiving delights.  Unless, I come prepped with some options that will keep my belly happy and my tastebuds satisfied?  Refinery29 featured some yumm-o GF options (especially the one i've posted below).  Looks colorful, fresh, and right up my alley!  I'll definately be cooking this stuffing up tomorrow!

The Gluten-Free Alternative: Quinoa & Lentil Stuffing

Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa
2 cups lentils
Olive oil
4 oz white wine
4 quarts of gluten-free vegetable stock (substitute water for low-sodium alternative)
1 bunch kale, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 small butternut squash, cubed
1 bunch sage, chopped
salt and pepper
2 oz Humboldt Fog soft goat cheese (optional)

Steps:

1. Roast Squash: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut squash into 1” cubes; place on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and golden, about 25 minutes.

2. Make Quinoa: Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small pot over high heat. Heat oil; add quinoa and toast, stirring constantly. When the quinoa starts to brown, pour in 4 cups stock; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cover, 15 minutes. Set aside.

3: Cook Lentils: Place 2 cups of lentils and 4 ½ cups of vegetable stock (or water) in a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat; turn down heat and simmer covered, 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, every 5 minutes, so lentils don’t burn. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

4. Layer Flavors: In a large sauté pan over high heat, sauté onions until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add kale, season again, and sauté until wilted. Add garlic and sauté for about 20 seconds; pour in white wine. Cook until kale is tender, about 8 minutes. Set aside.

5. Toss and Bake: Combine all above items. Stir in a little stock, olive oil, and sage. Season. Top with cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.



Bon Appetite!

Halloween 2011

We had a MUCH happier Halloween weekend this year and had a full week of fun celebrating more than just a spooky Holiday.  On Saturday we celebrated Annalee's Birthday and since we couldnt bring in the BIG 50 with much joy last year, we decided that we would celebrate the BIG 51 the right way!  Special friends and close family came from near and far and we celebrated in style.  This past year has been probably the most challenging ever for Annalee, my dad, and well...most of the family, so it was awesome for us all to be together to celebrate.

Also Fun was that Yai-Yai came into town for a whole week.  I can't tell you how nice it was to have my Mommy around and Kellan sure loved his special time with her since its not too often  they see each other.

I decided Kellan should be Yoda this year...mostly because it was an easy and cheap costume.  (Daddy doesn't know this, he just thinks i'm super cool for chosing a Star Wars character...he doesn't know that I haven't even seen all the Episodes.) Regardless, Kellan hated his costume and wore it for approximately 5 minutes. His favorite moments of Halloween included ripping the Yoda Hat off his head and throwing it on the floor, passing out candy by the double-fisted handful, and hitting grandpa and Daddy with the Yoda stick thingy. At lease he had some fun. Below are a few pictures captured from Kellan's brief moments as Yoda and a few pictures with Yai-Yai:

I see a White Door and I want to Paint it Black

I'm totally doing this and I  know its going to be awesome. I'm going to start with the interior front door and see where that leads me.

Should I go for a softer charcoal?


via Triangle Honeymoon



via A Perfect Gray

Or a nice deep black in Semi-Gloss?

via Cote de Texas

via Little Green Notebook

via Marcus Design

via Marcus Design

via Triangle Honeymoon

 Or rich black with high-gloss? Is my house cool enough for this?

via Nate Berkus



 Regardless, I can't wait to do it and share the transformation!!

a la Carre de Citrouilles

On Sunday we took a happy little trip to the pumpkin patch.  Kellan had so much fun.  He LOVES pumpkin's...probably  because they resemble big orange balls.  But I think his most favorite part was the farm animals.  We saw "moo's" "baa's" and "oinks".  He's never seen animals like this in person and was absolutely thrilled!  It's so much fun to see the excitment he experiences in simple things.  I love my boy.  I also love my iPhone, because it takes pretty good pictures, some of which you can enjoy below:

Baby Steps

I know I am WAY over due for a post or two!  But in the meantime, here's a few videos from last night where our little Kellan made some BIG steps all on his very own.  Try to ignore the shrieks of joy from Mom and Dad and the "Blair Witch" filming style! Sorry for that.

Love,
A Proud Mama