My Best Friend's Wedding

This weekend we made a trip to Eureka Springs for my friend Amy's wedding. We love Eureka, we actually got married there too. We stayed at the Crescent Hotel and it was a great trip. The hotel itself is so charming and has lots of history, they even say it's haunted. Luckily, I didn't run into any ghosts while I was there.

Amy has been a good friend of mine for a long time and I was lucky to be her Matron of Honor (I hate that word...MATRON, sounds so blah!). We were able to spend some quality couple time and we snuck in some girl time at the spa. We had such a great time getting ready for the ceremony and sipping champagne after our mani/pedis and lunch with the boys.

A big congratulations to one of the best friends a girl could have! Thank you again for making me part of your special day.

Warm Up From the Inside Out

I made this Orange Scented Carrot Soup for lunch on this blustery day. This is the first day I can ever remember school being canceled because it's just too darn cold. I am on a diet due to the large amounts of holiday eats and drinks I took part in. Cold weather makes me want to hibernate and cook, those things aren't very conducive to the diet! I just started on Monday, so this day off could have been a disaster. I remembered seeing Melissa d'Arabian's new show on Food Network and she made this soup. This isn't something I would just see the recipe for and decide to make, but it looked so easy and yummy I thought I would try it today. The best part is I had all the ingredients on hand so I didn't have to venture out in the cold. I tweaked the recipe a bit to my taste. I would recommend using only half the oregano, but that's just me; oregano isn't my favorite but it works really well in this. I ended up squeezing some of the juice from the orange into the soup at the end and I added about a T of Splenda. Please don't leave out the sour cream, it gives it great body and makes it taste really rich. I actually added about 1/4 c. right into the soup pot and blended it in instead of just stirring it into my bowl. If you have an immersion blender then that makes this recipe even easier, if not just use your regular blender. So, if you are hunkering for a rich, warm meal but are watching what you are eating then I think this will fit the bill.

I Got Nothin...

I have been MIA lately. I feel like I got nothin' to say, yet even as I type that I know it's ridiculous. I have been reflecting on the past year and realize that I have more than enough material! I am grateful for all the people, both family and friends, that I am fortunate enough to know. Maybe it's because I am on the down side of my 30's or maybe it's because by baby boy is graduating from high school this year; not sure what it is, but I have been counting my blessings lots more these days. I have always been unconditionally loved by my family, supported by my friends, and have had more than any person needs to live comfortably, however I can say the road hasn't always been an easy one. I am in an especially comfortable place right now and I feel lucky that I am aware and present in these moments. These are the top 10 things I am grateful for right now:

1. My children are beautiful, happy, and healthy.
2. My husband loves me in a way that is hard for me to comprehend.
3. My parents are healthy.
4. My children will carry memories of the relationship with their nana and papa with them long after nana and papa are gone. Some of my BEST memories are of my mam-ma and papa.
5. My sister and I have become best friends.
6. I'm thankful for those few extra pounds I have put on because it means I have enough to eat.
7. I'm thankful for that gym membership that will help me take those pounds off when I stop making a pig of myself.
8. I'm thankful for my messy house and the laundry that piles up because it means we are living life.
9. I'm thankful that when I start freaking out about the messy house and the laundry that piles up, people get to work before momma freaks out.
10. I'm thankful that TCC offers free tuition so I get to keep my boy home with me a little longer...he will most assuredly not be adding this to the list of things he is thankful for.

Happy Day

Crockpot Lasagna

I like to eat dinner at home. I like to be in charge of what goes into what I'm eating; not because I'm a health freak, but because if I ate out as often as I "need" to, I would be as big as a barn! With work, kids, and an altogether crazy schedule, a healthy dinner at home isn't always easy to pull off. I took out the old crockpot this weekend and tried this recipe. It was actually better than I expected and the family liked it too. I substituted cottage cheese for the ricotta, 'cause that's just what I had on hand. I also added onion and garlic to the meat as I browned it.

On the down side, it wasn't great leftover. The noodles got a little mushy for me, but it was still edible. If you are looking for a new way to get dinner on the table quick, try this recipe. I will definitely make it again.

Who is That Masked Man?

Do you dress up for Halloween? I haven't dressed up in years, not since I was a kid. For some reason I am itching to go to a costume party! We have been invited to several over the years but for one reason or another it never works out for us to be able to go. I am always so envious of those creative folks that come up with cute costumes that are simple to put together. You know the ones I mean, they throw together a few things they already own and bam...they have the costume contest winner. The funniest one I have seen this year was a picture on Facebook of a couple that were both dressed in pink sweats. One had H1 and the other had N1 on the front of their shirts and they wore pig noses. Do you all have any funny ideas for dressing up? If so, please share!

Pumpkin Love

Pumpkin soup...don't knock it 'til you try it! There are lots of variations, try one and see what you think.

How cute are these? I found these on Bakerella


Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, makes me feel like I am "being bad" at breakfast.






Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, I have it done "skinny" style and only use 2 pumps of syrup for a Grande.




Pumpkin Pancakes...enough said.

Pumpkin Ravioli, and you thought it was only for sweet treats.

Pumpkin Roll, a little something different to replace pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving dinner.

I am to pumpkins like Bubba Gump is to shrimp. I love all things pumpkin! I always anticipate this time of year and I do my best to get enough pumpkin between now and Thanksgiving to last me until next year!