Old Window

Back in high school, Rory bought a few old windows.  He used one to create a collage and then the other windows just sat at his parents house.  Seven years later, we finally remembered to grab the windows from his parents!  I decided to paint the window a light turquoise color to stand out in our dark purple bathroom.  I mixed my favorite Annie Sloan paint with simple craft paint to create the color I wanted.  I used the chalk paint so I wouldn't have to prep the window prior to painting.  I bought a book of scrapbook paper (on sale of course!).  I chose a few sheets that would compliment the purple. 

 Then, I cut out a stencil with a manila folder that matched the dimensions of each window pane.  After each rectangle was cut out, I laid each piece on the glass and put dabs of hot glue in the corners to attach it to the window.  The glue didn't bleed through which was one concern I had.  I am happy with the result and I am sure I will be doing something very similar with the other windows we have!

Fall Things

This year, I am really motivated to celebrate Fall.  I think it is a combination of the fact that I was tired of summer's heat & humidity, it's Rory's favorite time of year, I love pumpkins, and I enjoy having a mantel to decorate.  As noted earlier, apple picking was a great Fall activity and I am constantly reminded by it because we still have about 15 apples to eat/bake with…oy vey.

I really wanted to print a "happy fall" banner that my friend showed me on Pinterest, but we are running low on ink, so I decided Rory's work documents are probably a little more important.  Instead, I grabbed a square of fabric I had left over from the wreath I made last year, folded it, and cut a bunch of triangles.   I strung it through twine and created a quick and easy banner.  I had a mason jar of flowers left over from D's party and a mum a friend gave us that I wanted to display in an area that Deaglan couldn't reach.  The flowers are nice and dried out  because I kill all plants…but at least with mums it's difficult to see that they're crispy.

Speaking of killing plants.  A few years ago, I purchased these mugs from Anthropologie.  I got the idea from a magazine where the mugs were filled with adorable succulents.  Well, that failed miserably when I tried.  My lovely husband even scrambled the mugs and added the letter "N" to spell "WRONG."  Ouch.  The mugs have just been sitting around so I finally put them to use with more flowers left over from D's part.

On Pinterest, I found some recipes awhile ago for an Apple Pie Smoothie & Pumpkin Smoothie.  I've been waiting patiently for October 1st to roll around so I could mentally prepare myself for such deliciousness.  The apple smoothie was really good but I recommend using a frozen banana.  I ended up putting the smoothie in the freezer for a bit to add a chill to it because the warmth made me want to gag.

For the pumpkin smoothie, I read a bunch of different recipes and then adapted my own.  I tried one with greek yogurt which added a yucky bitterness to it.  Another called for some ginger powder but I didn't care for that flavor either.  

For this smoothie, I added: (honestly, I didn't measure but this is what I think it was…)

About 1 cup of pureed pumpkin

3/4 cup of almond milk

1 frozen banana

1/2 tsp of cinnamon, all spice, and nutmeg

splash of vanilla extract 

2 tbsp flaxseed

Hm, someone else is a fan of these smoothies! I have to make them when D is napping or else he fusses until I give him some.

The first apple recipe I made this season was Apple Cheesecake Bars.  Sooo good and easy to make!  I cut them into circles with biscuit cutters to give out as gifts because they fit better into clear, plastic gift bags compared to squares. 

I also made Deaglan applesauce in the crockpot.  Once again, I looked at a few recipes and then just threw my own stuff together. I didn't want to add sugar so I used peach puree & agave.  The final product looked pretty gross but it tasted good!  I added it to pork chops, served it to D as apple sauce, or put it on top of other things he ate to give moisture and sweetness.  I'd say it was in the slow cooker for about 5 hours or so on high.

8 apples (mixed variety)
1/2 lemon squeezed and a strip of peel
cinnamin stick
1 cup of peach puree (the "stuff" my neighbor made that we honestly don't know what's in it)
drizzle of agave

I've never made apple pie.  It is Rory's favorite so I am not sure how I've gone ten years without making it.  I made this pie crust which I liked because it makes three crusts that you store in the freezer. I tried being cute and using an apple cookie cutter to make a design on top.  The top crust was larger than the bottom so I then decided to just smash it all together and not make it look cute.  Lattice shmattice. 

Ok, last recipe!  I love potato soup.  It is cheap, easy, and hearty.  Just like most soups, I love that you can play around with recipes because you can't hurt the soup.  If you add good things, it has to taste good!

I tried writing down what I did afterwards, so the measurements aren't exact.

Jalapeño Potato Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
5 or so potatoes (russet)
1/4 cup half n half…plus a little more
1/2 red onion
2 tbsp butter
4 cups broth
crushed jalapeño
2-3 pieces left over bacon
old bay, garlic powder & pepper
2ish cups frozen corn

Saute cut onion in butter for a few minutes. Then add garlic powder and jalapeños for another minute.  Add the bacon strips to add flavor to the butter for about a minute then take the bacon out, put aside, and cut into pieces.  Stir in a tbsp or so of flour to coat the jalapeños & onion.  Add the cut potatoes and broth.  Cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender (stab with a fork until soft).  Take off the heat.  I then used an immersion blender to smooth the potatoes but I have also just used a hand masher in the past.  Add half n half, corn, and bacon and return to the heat.  Then I added old bay and pepper to taste.  Definitely heavy on the old bay…yum!

The last thing I love about Fall is going on walks.  It is cold, crisp and smells like leaves!  Love the then & now of Deaglan!

Deaglan's Birthday Party

I've always laughed at people that have big parties for their children.  Especially, when they turn one.  Some people really are ridiculous, spending thousands of dollars for something that the kid will never remember.

Well, we ended up having a birthday party/house warming get together with some family and friends.  We wanted to keep it small but then our list grew and grew.  We were so surprised and thrilled that our friends from VA could actually make it!  Our guest list ended up being close to 40 people which was awesome!  So, I wanted to figure out a way to make a simple, nice backyard birthday cookout without breaking the bank and being one of those people.

Drinks were of utmost importance.  In the kitchen, I had a table for "Mommy's juice" which had wine, a huge dispenser of Firefly, and then a non-alcoholic lemonade spritzer.  I kept the cold wine chilled with frozen water balloons.  The water balloons looked cute but were a pain in the butt to maneuver around in the container.  Rory really wanted a keg.  Without even blinking an eye, I shut down his idea.  Well, after a few weeks of deliberation, he won because it made more sense to spend $100 on a keg of Amstel than a bunch of cases of beer. I also put out a dispenser of coffee, along with Irish creamer, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup for a special treat.

Most of my decorations were made from a booklet of scrapbook paper I bought on sale.  I have SO many sheets left, so I will continue decorating with this for years to come.  I also used pompoms my mom and sister-in-law made from my wedding shower and little bow ties my mom made for D's baby shower.  I printed pictures of Deaglan from the past year...always enjoyable to look back! My mom cut some mums and roses along with simple greenery from their yard and made cute bouquets in mason jars.  I took knick-knacks from my parents house to decorate the mantel that I later found out were actually my dad's toys when he was a kid...

As for food, we (my mom & I were the chefs) stuck with the basics.  The appetizer table had hummus, dill dip, bruschetta and ranch dip along with various crackers/veggies/chips.  I tried my best to set out dinner before people arrived so I wouldn't have to play hostess with food the entire time.  Catering trays were very helpful (along with family that kept checking on the food supply!).  We had my mom's pulled pork (Carolina style and red sauce) and then Rory and his brother grilled kebobs & hot dogs.   For side salads, we had coleslaw, potato salad, pasta salad, deviled eggs, and a simple mixed green salad with apple slices and raisins.  SAM's club was the best place to get a lot of the food in bulk size for the best price! In our window, in the dining room, I displayed a hodge podge of desserts.  My MIL and friend Susan were in charge of desserts.  We had chocolate chip cookies, chocolate peanut butter bars, lemon bars, different pound cakes, and the best part that I made...twizzlers in a glass container to fancy it up some.

Sadly, but not surprisingly, I didn't take a picture the entire evening.  My brother was able to snap a few for me of Deaglan smashing his adorable cake and then he tried taking a few of decorations the next day but it just wasn't the same.  Oh well...

Our friend, Kristin, made his smash cake.  It was perfect!  Her little banner matched my decor and it is now hanging in his bedroom as a keepsake.

He had no idea what was coming his way, but he was excited!

I love his face as he sees the cake walking towards him.

Without any hesitation, he took a huge handful of frosting.

His friend, Annie, got jealous and needed in on the action!  

We finally helped him out a bit and cut the cake for him.  He sure does like confetti cake! Classic.

In a sugar comma, he finally called it quits, chugged some water, took a warm bath, and went to bed. 

Here are some pictures Tom could capture the day after:

This table had a bowl of goldfish for kids to scoop out with bathroom cups.  

Drinks and fruit snacks were also on hand for the little ones to grab! 

 Underneath this sign, is where I displayed beverages.  I threw down burlap to act as a table cloth.

 I strung Cheerios through twine to make a simple garland.

Snapped this photo the night before the party as I was setting up the dining room.  I went a little overboard decorating the window...it is just so big, I couldn't help myself! 

The keg fit nicely in our "fire pit."

All night long, I really wanted to play bocce.  By the time I could, it was dark outside but some gals and I were able to get in one game (even though I kept leaving them to play hostess).  We strung lights around the deck and retaining wall, which helped some but by the end of the game we were hitting people...oops.

The kiddos were given chalk, bubbles and a coloring book as a favor.  Fun, simple and cheap = love.

The best car ever was created by Murph & Kristin.  The car has a handful of meaningful bumper stickers and I know D will love this for years to come!

The next day, we ate left overs, hung out with family that was still in town, and Rory connected the TV outside so we could watch the Ravens while finishing the keg.  Deaglan opened a few presents and we were honestly blown away by the generosity of our family & friends.

I know Deaglan won't remember his birthday but Rory and I will.  We enjoyed celebrating a year of surviving as parents and I know D will love looking back at some of these pictures when he is older!

Apple & Pumpkin Picking

Ever since I started college, I have wanted to go apple picking. Eight years, I have waited. Eight years!  This past Sunday, I couldn't have the grocery store be my only outing so I convinced Rory it would be a great idea to go pick some apples and pumpkins.  Okay, so I promised him I'd make an awesome apple pie.  So, we rushed over to a nearby farm before the Ravens game.  Rory was reluctant, Deaglan was clueless, but I was excited and happy to do a seasonal activity.  Happy wife makes a happy life, right?  It is the end of apple season, so most of the trees were picked over but we were able to find some perfect apples!

Let the search begin...

 We found a variety of apples:

         

                

We were each allowed to sample one apple so we decided to hand Deaglan the first one we picked.

He was very unsure about it at first.  Was it a ball? A new toy? Let's smell it and gnaw on it to figure it out.

We have D's approval to continue picking!

So we picked for about 20 minutes.

   

We couldn't leave without buying a pumpkin.  Who doesn't love picking out a pumpkin? Pumpkin picking would have been much more enjoyable, though, if it wasn't 80 degrees outside!

I think Rory just enjoyed throwing Deaglan in the patch.  Deaglan didn't seem to mind.

We left with twenty pounds of apples and a twenty pound pumpkin.  I'd call that a successful Fall day!