Happy Tuesday,
As you've probably noticed, I've been a wee bit absent lately. Derek & I have had a few things come up that have taken up alot of our time, I'm currently fighting a cold that is kickin' my body's butt leaving me totally exhausted and we are trying to get ourselves organized and ready for our Vegas vacation which starts on Friday!!
I've decided to take a break to get the rest I am desperately needing and then to enjoy my vacay completely offline. So, please don't forget about my little corner of bloggieland because I promise you that I will be back!! Check back on November 4 or 5 for a recap of our vacation and to see what I have up my sleeve as the holidays approach.
Ciao for now!
Andrea
xo
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
(Almost) Wordless WIAW
Happy Humpity Hump Hump Day!!! I've missed the last couple of What I Ate Wednesdays, so today I'm going to cut right to the chase and let you in on a few of my awesome eats from the past couple of weeks.
If you love what you see and you wanna see more, head on over and visit Jenn at Peas & Crayons!
tortilla rolls with brocolli, carrots, cheese and Ranch dressing
brocolli slaw with shredded mozzarella, diced apples and Ranch dressing
mediterranean spaghetti squash (recipe by Kelly)
new FAVE granola bar
quinoa salad with roasted corn, green onions and feta
thin crust pizza with roasted veggies and goat cheese
What has been your favourite "go to" meal lately?
Have a great day!!
Andrea
Monday, October 17, 2011
Monday Lovin'
Happy Monday! Hope your day was super fantastic! My post is a little late, but hopefully you had as much sunshine as we did today to keep you smilin' :-D
I have so many things that I've been lovin' lately that I have been having a hard time deciding what to share, but I've managed to narrow it down to a few awesome things:
First of all I am totally and completely in love with this costume site. As you may remember, Derek & I are heading to Vegas for a Halloween wedding, so we've been looking for the perfect costume. Check out BuyCostumes if you're looking for some Halloween inspiration. I can't reveal what I chose just yet, but here are a few of my favourites for both Derek and I!
As you can see, I'm going for something a cute and sexy and Derek's going for something that'll get a good laugh from our friends.....
I'm also totally lovin' ZUMBA! I started a class back at the beginning of September and I am head over heels in love! I really look forward to Tuesday nights and even though it's probably my easiest workout of the week, I love, love, love every minute of it!
I have so many things that I've been lovin' lately that I have been having a hard time deciding what to share, but I've managed to narrow it down to a few awesome things:
First of all I am totally and completely in love with this costume site. As you may remember, Derek & I are heading to Vegas for a Halloween wedding, so we've been looking for the perfect costume. Check out BuyCostumes if you're looking for some Halloween inspiration. I can't reveal what I chose just yet, but here are a few of my favourites for both Derek and I!
As you can see, I'm going for something a cute and sexy and Derek's going for something that'll get a good laugh from our friends.....
I'm also totally lovin' ZUMBA! I started a class back at the beginning of September and I am head over heels in love! I really look forward to Tuesday nights and even though it's probably my easiest workout of the week, I love, love, love every minute of it!
Another thing I'm lovin'??? Hmmm, I'd have to say this cute little insulated lunch bag I picked up last week.Not only do I love it's cuteness, but I really love that it was a $30 bag on sale for FIVE BUCKS!!!
...and finally, it can't be an ode to things I love without one foodie mention. I have been craving soup since the nights started getting cooler and I went back to an old fave, which was something I posted very early on. My Comforting Cauliflower Soup is the absolute bomb-digity of soups! Try it if you're looking for a soup that feels like a warm fuzzy blanket cuddling around you on a cool Fall night.
So what are you lovin' today??
Do you have a Halloween costume picked out yet?
Have a great night!!
Andrea
This pic is recycled from my original post,
but I love how my camera captured all that steamy deliciousness!
So what are you lovin' today??
Do you have a Halloween costume picked out yet?
Have a great night!!
Andrea
Monday, October 10, 2011
Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip
Happy Thanksgiving Monday to all of my Canadian friends and happy Monday to everyone else!
This weekend has been absolutely fabulous. On Saturday, we headed out to the Norfolk County Fair to hang out with some of our good friends and to go see George Canyon in concert. The weather was fantastic and we had a really great time!
Yesterday we had Thanksgiving with my family and today we're off to Derek's grandma's for our second Thanksgiving dinner of the weekend!
Even though no dinners were at our house, my kitchen has still been a busy place. Everyone brought appetizers on Saturday, I was in charge of the salad yesterday and today it's all about dessert. I decided to play it safe this weekend and rely on all of my tried and true favourite recipes.
As I was whipping up my appetizers on Saturday, it occurred to me that I've neglected to share one of my most favourite dips of all time. This is one of those recipes that is a crowd pleaser no matter where you are going. Let's just say if you're a fan of cheesecake and caramel apples YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS. But I do have to warn you that if you have any leftovers, give it away. This is a another one of those dips that is pretty tasty eaten right out of the bowl with a spoon!
Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip
Take this to your next potluck or family gathering - it's impossible not to love this dip!!
1 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 container of caramel apple dip (I like Marzetti's)
Optional Toppings: crushed Skor or Heath bars, nuts, chopped chocolate
5 - 6 apples cored & sliced
In a small mixing bowl add your cream cheese and brown sugar. Mix well.
Transfer to your serving dish.
Top the cream cheese mixture with the caramel dip, followed by your toppings. Usually I'm a fan of using Skor bar, but this time I used chopped peans and a mixture of white and semi-sweet chocolate.
Serve with apples.
This weekend has been absolutely fabulous. On Saturday, we headed out to the Norfolk County Fair to hang out with some of our good friends and to go see George Canyon in concert. The weather was fantastic and we had a really great time!
Yesterday we had Thanksgiving with my family and today we're off to Derek's grandma's for our second Thanksgiving dinner of the weekend!
Even though no dinners were at our house, my kitchen has still been a busy place. Everyone brought appetizers on Saturday, I was in charge of the salad yesterday and today it's all about dessert. I decided to play it safe this weekend and rely on all of my tried and true favourite recipes.
As I was whipping up my appetizers on Saturday, it occurred to me that I've neglected to share one of my most favourite dips of all time. This is one of those recipes that is a crowd pleaser no matter where you are going. Let's just say if you're a fan of cheesecake and caramel apples YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS. But I do have to warn you that if you have any leftovers, give it away. This is a another one of those dips that is pretty tasty eaten right out of the bowl with a spoon!
Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip
Take this to your next potluck or family gathering - it's impossible not to love this dip!!
1 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 container of caramel apple dip (I like Marzetti's)
Optional Toppings: crushed Skor or Heath bars, nuts, chopped chocolate
5 - 6 apples cored & sliced
In a small mixing bowl add your cream cheese and brown sugar. Mix well.
Transfer to your serving dish.
Top the cream cheese mixture with the caramel dip, followed by your toppings. Usually I'm a fan of using Skor bar, but this time I used chopped peans and a mixture of white and semi-sweet chocolate.
Serve with apples.
The brown sugar dissolves as you mix it in to the cream cheese.
At this point I could pretty much stop and eat with a spoon :-D
To assemble:
...still totally spoon-worthy at this point ;-)
Derek stopped at a local orchard and bought some freshly picked apples!
They are so delish on their own and this dip makes them absolutely to die for.
People will hover around this dip and just keep on dipping
until the last apple slice is gone!
Make sure to get lots on your first dip because double dippin' is a no-no people!
SO. GOOD.
What is your favourite thing to take to a family dinner or potluck?
Enjoy the rest of your day!!
Andrea
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Give Thanks
Thanksgiving is a
time of gratitude to God,
our Creator and Provider,
whose guidance and care
go before us...
and whose love
is with us forever.
Thanksgiving is a time
to reflect on the changes,
to remember that we, too,
grow and change
from one season of life to another.
Thanksgiving is a time
of changing seasons,
when leaves turn golden
in Autumn's wake
and apples are crisp
in the first chill breezes of fall.
Let us remember the true meaning
of Thanksgiving.
As we see the beauty
of Autumn, let us acknowledge
the many blessings
which are ours...
let us think of our families
and friends..
and let us give thanks in our hearts.
time of gratitude to God,
our Creator and Provider,
whose guidance and care
go before us...
and whose love
is with us forever.
Thanksgiving is a time
to reflect on the changes,
to remember that we, too,
grow and change
from one season of life to another.
Thanksgiving is a time
of changing seasons,
when leaves turn golden
in Autumn's wake
and apples are crisp
in the first chill breezes of fall.
Let us remember the true meaning
of Thanksgiving.
As we see the beauty
of Autumn, let us acknowledge
the many blessings
which are ours...
let us think of our families
and friends..
and let us give thanks in our hearts.
~Author Unknown
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow Canadians!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Creamy Corn Chowder
Well here we are at Wednesday and you may notice something's missing here on my lovely little site. I decided to skip a What I Ate Wednesday post this week because I've had lots of repeat meals lately and yesterday I had a poopy ol' day and my heart and my head just weren't in the mood for putting together a post. Do you ever have those days??? It was for no particular reason ~ just a funky day.
Today however things are lookin' up and I am feeling pretty much back to normal. I have a delicious corn chowder recipe to share and I am super excited because it's vegan and Derek LOVED it!!! He claims he doesn't like "that kind" of food, but he told me over and over how good it was. SCORE 1 for me :-D
This soup was really easy to make. I made it the night before and let it simmer all day long in the slow cooker. It was SOOOOO nice to come home to an already made supper!!!
Creamy Corn Chowder in the Slow Cooker
Serves 4
This is a delicious soup that eats like a meal! It's full of lots of hearty veggies and there is virtually no fat. We served ours with cornbread muffins. It was delicious!
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
4 small yellow potatoes, chopped
2 14 oz cans of cream corn
2 c frozen or fresh corn kernels
2 c vegetable broth
1 tbsp Spicy Mrs. Dash
salt & pepper to taste
2 c original unsweetened almond milk (regular milk would work)
2 tbsp cornstarch
I prepared the soup the night before, refrigerated overnight and then transferred to my slow cooker in the morning before work, but you can make it and slow cook it right away if that works better for your schedule.
Combine the first 8 ingredients. Stir to make sure everything is well combined.
When you are ready, place the soup into the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours.
About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, turn the crockpot to high heat. Add one cup of milk to the soup. Whisk the other cup together with the cornstarch and then add it to the soup too. Cook for approximately 20 minutes or or maybe even a little more. The soup should thicken slightly and become a creamier consistency.
Turn on the fireplace, curl up on the couch and enjoy your soup!! (Can you tell we have no children --- we never, ever sit at a table to eat our meals! We like a more comfy cozy location in front of the fireplace and the TV)
What is your favourite type of chowder?
Do you have a slow cooker? How often do you use it and for what?
Have a great night!
Andrea
Today however things are lookin' up and I am feeling pretty much back to normal. I have a delicious corn chowder recipe to share and I am super excited because it's vegan and Derek LOVED it!!! He claims he doesn't like "that kind" of food, but he told me over and over how good it was. SCORE 1 for me :-D
This soup was really easy to make. I made it the night before and let it simmer all day long in the slow cooker. It was SOOOOO nice to come home to an already made supper!!!
Creamy Corn Chowder in the Slow Cooker
Serves 4
This is a delicious soup that eats like a meal! It's full of lots of hearty veggies and there is virtually no fat. We served ours with cornbread muffins. It was delicious!
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
4 small yellow potatoes, chopped
2 14 oz cans of cream corn
2 c frozen or fresh corn kernels
2 c vegetable broth
1 tbsp Spicy Mrs. Dash
salt & pepper to taste
2 c original unsweetened almond milk (regular milk would work)
2 tbsp cornstarch
I prepared the soup the night before, refrigerated overnight and then transferred to my slow cooker in the morning before work, but you can make it and slow cook it right away if that works better for your schedule.
Combine the first 8 ingredients. Stir to make sure everything is well combined.
When you are ready, place the soup into the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours.
About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, turn the crockpot to high heat. Add one cup of milk to the soup. Whisk the other cup together with the cornstarch and then add it to the soup too. Cook for approximately 20 minutes or or maybe even a little more. The soup should thicken slightly and become a creamier consistency.
Chop those veggies & add them to a bowl....
....add your corn
...followed by your broth and spices
At this point I covered and refrigerated overnight.
Before I went to work the next day, I transferred my soup mixture to the slow cooker.
Right before you're ready to eat, add your almond milk.
The soup is ready to eat once it's reached your desired consistency.
Turn on the fireplace, curl up on the couch and enjoy your soup!! (Can you tell we have no children --- we never, ever sit at a table to eat our meals! We like a more comfy cozy location in front of the fireplace and the TV)
What is your favourite type of chowder?
Do you have a slow cooker? How often do you use it and for what?
Have a great night!
Andrea
Monday, October 3, 2011
Monday Lovin'
Well, hello Monday. We meet yet again. No offence, but I don't really like you too much; especially when my alarm goes off at 6 a.m. and wakes me from my beauty sleep.
I don't know about you, but Mondays roll around way too quickly in my neck of the woods. Lately, I've found myself dreading Monday even before it arrives!
Instead of thinking about how much I don't want to get outta bed and head to work first thing on Monday morning, I thought I'd try something new to bring a little sunshine to our lives in the beginning of the work week. I'm starting a new series called "Monday Lovin'" where I'm going to share some things I'm lovin' and in return, I'm hoping you'll return the love with something fabulous in your life at the time. Who knows?! Maybe we'll start waking up looking forward to Mondays......
Monday Lovin' - Take One
There is one very obvious thing I am loving today.
First off, please meet my brand new nephew, Bentley Drew. He was born on Friday, September 30, 2011. Isn't he precious? His sister (my absolutely adorable and fabulous 4 yr old neice, Reese) calls him her "little peanut"! Love it!!
Secondly, I'm totally loving my community and how we all come together to support a great cause. This past Sunday was the CIBC Run/Walk for a Cure. My friends, my grandma and I did a 5K walk in support of breast cancer research. 3,800 people came out and we raised over $800,000! How amazing is that?!
After the walk, we stopped for a fabulous treat. One of my favourite Fall indulgences is a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. It was totally deserved after our trek around the City and it makes me weak in the knees it's so delicious! If you love pumpkin pie, you will love this!
...and finally I am totally loving the Fall decor. We haven't gotten our pumpkins yet, but alot of people have and I can't wait to decorate our front yard! Here's an old picture of Derek & Dora that I just love! Derek looks like such an old farmer in those coveralls, but we had such a great day picking out the perfect pumpkins and gourds and then decorating together.
So what are you loving today?
Andrea
I don't know about you, but Mondays roll around way too quickly in my neck of the woods. Lately, I've found myself dreading Monday even before it arrives!
Instead of thinking about how much I don't want to get outta bed and head to work first thing on Monday morning, I thought I'd try something new to bring a little sunshine to our lives in the beginning of the work week. I'm starting a new series called "Monday Lovin'" where I'm going to share some things I'm lovin' and in return, I'm hoping you'll return the love with something fabulous in your life at the time. Who knows?! Maybe we'll start waking up looking forward to Mondays......
Monday Lovin' - Take One
There is one very obvious thing I am loving today.
First off, please meet my brand new nephew, Bentley Drew. He was born on Friday, September 30, 2011. Isn't he precious? His sister (my absolutely adorable and fabulous 4 yr old neice, Reese) calls him her "little peanut"! Love it!!
Secondly, I'm totally loving my community and how we all come together to support a great cause. This past Sunday was the CIBC Run/Walk for a Cure. My friends, my grandma and I did a 5K walk in support of breast cancer research. 3,800 people came out and we raised over $800,000! How amazing is that?!
My grandma is a survivor and I am so happy we get to do this walk together each year.
After the walk, we stopped for a fabulous treat. One of my favourite Fall indulgences is a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. It was totally deserved after our trek around the City and it makes me weak in the knees it's so delicious! If you love pumpkin pie, you will love this!
...and finally I am totally loving the Fall decor. We haven't gotten our pumpkins yet, but alot of people have and I can't wait to decorate our front yard! Here's an old picture of Derek & Dora that I just love! Derek looks like such an old farmer in those coveralls, but we had such a great day picking out the perfect pumpkins and gourds and then decorating together.
So what are you loving today?
Andrea
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