MOLLY'S FIRST BEACH TRIP ♡

We live right by the beach, so the day before Molly's appointment to get spayed we took the little munchkin to play!

 

 

 

 

 

 

She is quick as lightning!

We usually run her at a park near our house.

At 4 months or so she was already a pro at fetching the ball and bringing it back :)

 

 

Cute little seagull footprints.

 

 

It was super cold but she loved the sand in her toes!

 

 

 

 

She's the Queen of the world!

 

 

 

xo

BROCCOLI SALAD ♡

 

So yummy! Found the recipe on Pinterest and made it my own a bit by changing some ingredients :)

If you like broccoli you will love this.

It's originally a side dish but after making it I realized it would be amazing on top of a baked potato!


INGREDIENTS
 

• 1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 16 oz bacon cooked and chopped
• Sharp/cheddar cheese block, cut into small cubes
• Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise/mayo
 
 
 
 
DIRECTIONS
 
1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion, tomatoes, and cheese. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
3. Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon.
 
 
 
 

 
 
This was after mixing everything (broccoli, onion, tomato, cheese) minus the bacon & sauce.
The sauce ingredients seemed odd to me at first but it is so good!
Try it!
 
 
 
 
xo

FRUIT & YOGURT OBSESSED ♡

I have a huge sweet tooth!

So when I eat fruit I don't feel as bad :)

& I love love love me a parfait!

 

 

Top photo's parfait is from Farm Fresh. Fresh strawberries! good ole' Farm Fresh :)

 

 

 

McDonald's parfait's are really good though. Definately not the freshest of fruit, but filled with really yummy yogurt and I love Nature Valley granola!

 

 

 

 

 

 

yummmm xo

 

 

MIRANDA LAMBERT'S MOM'S MEATLOAF ♡

 

THE BEST MEATLOAF EVER!

 

My Mom's been making it for a few years now after seeing the recipe in a magazine and it is Amazing!

 

When you Google BEV'S FAMOUS MEATLOAF tons of different sites will pop up with her recipe! It is one of my favorite, favorite meals.

 

Here's the Recipe..

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork sausage
• 18 saltine crackers, crushed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup ketchup

 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first 8 ingredients and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a medium bowl just until blended. Place mixture in a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish, and shape mixture into a 10- x 5-inch loaf.

 

2. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Remove from oven, and drain. Stir together ketchup and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar; pour over meatloaf. Bake 15 more minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 160°. Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes. Remove from baking dish before slicing.

 

I double the recipe for the sauce, it's that good!

 

(Makes 10 servings , Total: 2 Hours, 5 Minutes)

 

 

 

Picture from last weeks dinner. Without a flash and with, just for the heck of it.

So yummy! Try it :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

xo

 

CHICKEN SALAD ♡

I love chicken salad!

 Here's how I make mine. Way too simple

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken (i use chicken tenders, they're easier to cut after cooled)
Celery
Mayo
Bread

 

 I poach my chicken in water, but you can use stock if you want. You could also grill or cook your chicken however you like, I just like poaching it. When cooled small chop/dice your chicken and celery. I love the crunch so I kind of overdue it (so my bf says) when it comes to the celery.

 

 Pick up whatever mayonnaise and bread you like. I got 100% whole grain wheat. I love the little nuts in it!

Add a spoonful of mayonnaise at a time, you can always add more.

I add a generous amount of pepper and some celery salt to taste.

And that's it! Super simple and delish!

 

 

 

 

xo

 

I COME FROM SPECIAL PEOPLE ♡

My Mom & Dad have been married for almost 30 years :)
I love my parents alot, we've always been very close.

My Mom's name is Babette, she was born in Paris, France, to a French woman and Polish-American Navy man. (my Gram and Grandad) My Gram was born in Normandy, France and survived the Normandy invasion when she was a child.
My Grandad was born in Wisconsin to Polish immigrants. (my great-grandparents)
 He joined the Navy when he was 17. Meeting my Grandmother in France years later.

 My Dad, Joe, was born in Germany on an American Army base. My Papa was in the Army so he and my Nana lived in Germany with my dad until they moved back to the States when he was little.
 My Mom and her parents moved to California (where my Aunt was born) when she was 2.

I don't know much about my Dad's side of the family like I do my Mother's. My Papa's father was a gangster-type who wasn't around much. He was raised by his mom, who had Native American roots. My Nana was born and raised in upstate New York.

Both my Mom's and Dad's parents have been happily married for over 50 years!

                                              My Mom Babette and My Gram.  France Circa 1960's

                                                                GRANDAD

 My beautiful Gram (Far right) Paris

Mom and Gram, Circa 61

Mom (right) and her little sister (left), Aunt Deb

 Mom rockin her 3 wheeler

Mom (left) Aunt Deb (right) Looking very secret garden

My Mom strangely resembles Reese Witherspoon

PAPA in his twenties

Papa and Dad

NANA

My Dads parents, Nana and Papa

Papa and Dad, Germany

Nana and Dad, Germany

Papa, Dad and his little sister my Aunt Michele

My Dad as a baby

xo

THANKSGIVING 2012 ♡ ROADTRIP

So after driving hours to D.C to visit my wonderful family for THANKSGIVING dinner I didn't get a single picture of the food! (Which is so not like me) But I did get tons of useless pictures on the ride there and old family pictures while there. So here they are, enjoy :)

                                                                      Hampton Coliseum

 

 

T-REX! (fake of course) @ Kings Dominion

 

 

                                                                                 Field of horses

Crossing the Potomac River

 

                                                   My parents old middle school they both attended

Stopped by my Dad's parents house before dinner at my Mom's parents.

 My Aunt was there with her dog Moby :) He's a sweetie.

 

                            I hate to post, but I was shocked when we hit traffic and I was stuck face to face with this.
                                      I'd never seen a deer strapped to a car before. And I hope never again.

My Gram just had these glass shelves put in, so I took a picture :)

 

           My Gram is 1 of 12 children. One of her brothers painted this for her. I was amazed by the detail. Everyone kept laughing at me taking pictures of everything in her house! This is Amazing! Oil on canvas.

 

My Grams cute little guest room. She lives in a highrise condo in Washington D.C. You wouldn't believe the size of this place!

 

 

 

  The dining room after dinner. Pink tablecloth and matching napkins. My Gram knows how to set a table!

 

Picture of my Mom, Babette when she was little