I’ve been on a kick of trying new dishes. I found this recipe for beef and broccoli stir fry and just so happened to have some round steak I needed to use – and voila! A colorful (and tasty) skillet! I think I’ll try some more veggies next time and try to spice up the sauce (red pepper flakes), but overall it was great!
What girl doesn’t love Halloween? A socially acceptable opportunity to play dress up should never be ignored.
J and I started a tradition a few years ago of creating our own couples costumes from scratch, and this year was no different. This year we even took it a step further and re-purposed our costumes to fit 2 unique themes – Friday was a standard Halloween party and Saturday was a neighborhood bash with a Wizard of Oz theme.
Night 1:
His
- Old dress pants hemmed to be shorts
- Polo
- Sneakers
- Bow tie
- Sash
- Binkie and clip
Hers
- Clearance pink dress from Sears
- Crown
- Ruffle socks
- Sash
- Binkie and clip
The result…… Toddlers & Tiaras!
Night 2:
His
- Old dress pants hemmed to be shorts
- Polo
- Sneakers
- Bow tie
- Knee socks
Hers
- Clearance pink dress from Sears
- Crown
- Homemade tin foil wand
The result… Glenda the Good Witch and a Munchkin!
I absolutely love being crafty and coming up with creative solutions to costume dilemmas. Halloween is the perfect welcome to fall – gathering with family and friends surrounded by good food, warm drinks, and laughter. Can’t wait to see what next year brings…
J and I were totally bummed when we had absolutely ZERO Trick-or-Treaters this weekend. We had loads of candy leftover and didn’t think leaving it in the break room at work would be nearly as fun.
But then………. two huge van loads of kids pull up outside our house dressed to the nines in their scariest and sweetest costumes. We had been day off on our Trick-or-Treating schedule and soon the whole neighborhood was out and about.
J and I had the BEST time huddled under a blanket handing out candy to the neighborhood kiddos. Needless to say, we ending up running out of candy (in J’s effort to be the ‘cool’ house on the block giving out 3 pieces per kid).
And here’s a reminder to both of us to check the newspaper next year :)
Tonight I made a household favorite for dinner. I think it’s the first meal I ever cooked for J, so maybe it’s just the memory we like so much :)
Chicken Tarragon and Joey’s Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (yes, the potatoes are named after me haha)
Both are super easy – the potatoes can be prepared ahead of time and popped in the oven at the same time as the chicken – and the results are D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! Recipes below:
Joey’s Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
5 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes (cubed)
2 – 3oz packages cream cheese
8oz sour cream
1/2 C milk
2 tsp onion salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 325
Place potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook til tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.
In a large bowl, mix mashed potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, onion salt and pepper.
Transfer to a large casserole dish. Cover and bake for 50 minutes. (Puffs up)
If refrigerated, let stand 30 minuts first.
Chicken Tarragon
1/4 C butter melted
3 lbs chicken breast cut up
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 C dairy sour cream
Grated parmesan cheese
Brush sides of chicken with butter, place skin side up in 9×13 pan. Sprinkle with salt, tarragon and pepper. Bake in 375 oven for 60 – 70 minutes, basting occassionally with butter.
Removed chicken, sprinkle with dairy sour cream and parmesan cheese and return to voen for 5 minutes to glaze sour cream.
J and I went to Paris for lunch today- Le Reve in Tosa. It was delicious and I even have mousse au chocolat for the road. Such a great place to slow down and enjoy a fall day. I definitely want to go back- maybe with a good book and a coffee next time.
