Wednesday, October 31, 2012

happy halloween

here are some photos from yesteryear....

2006 - Ariel & Flounder






2007 - Princess & Shark


2008 - Dorothy & The Cowardly Lion

can i get one good photo... please? 
all h*ll is breaking lose!! 

 2009 - Cowgirl, Cowboy & Horse


2010 - Bears Football Player,
Cheerleader & Mascot 
max wasn't cooperating!

the whole gang!
doesn't that little dragon look sad :(

hope you and your family have a happy and safe halloween!
-erin



Tuesday, October 30, 2012

dinner time

this is what happens when you ask the boys
what they want for dinner....


it makes me smile... especially on this dreary & windy day!

-e

Monday, October 29, 2012

our weekend & some ww business

here is a iphone glimpse into our weekend...

a craft project with my girl scout troop
clean out your pumpkin, add drainage holes, plant ornamental cabbage... so easy and so cute!

coach & player... last game of the season
Reilly & her Daddy :)
Manchester United... only 1 loss this season!
a new haircut & a jamba juice



Coop convinced the hair stylist to style it in a faux-hawk. Stinker!
bears win!!!

did a little work to release new calendar files to minted

fell asleep while watching the world series... YAY GIANTS!

now on to some weight watchers business

pound lost last week = 5

this week's tentative ww menu...
monday -  beef broccoli stir fry with 1/2 portion of brown rice
tuesday - blue cheese & pear salad with rotisserie chicken (a new favorite, recipe below)
wednesday - maple soy glazed salmon with green beans
thursday - skinny chicken piccata and spinach with lemon
friday - cheese pizza and salad (order from local pizzeria)


below is a recipe that is amazing from the ww website... try it, you'll love it!


blue cheese & pear salad
serves 6 | PointsPlus value = 4

ingredients 
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 clove minced garlic 
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bunch arugula, baby variety
1 head romaine lettuce, roughly torn
3 medium pears, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

instructions
in a small bowl, combine buttermilk, cheese, garlic and pepper. set aside.

combine arugula, romaine and pears in a large serving bowl; drizzle with 
dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.


I added a 1/2 cup of rotisserie chicken (add 3 pts)

Yields about 2 cups per serving.



hope you had a wonderful weekend. - erin




Friday, October 26, 2012

photo of the day


granny and nonno gave coop an early birthday gift
a brand new, fancy, ninjago lego set.

it took him 2 days
with very little help.

look at that proud look on his face!

happy friday! -e


Thursday, October 25, 2012

for sale on minted.com

i have several new designs for sale
and more to come soon!

take a peek!
Simply Put New Year's Photo Card - link

Chalkboard New Year's Photo Card (this can be edited to be a holiday card too) - link

Glittering 2013 New Year's Photo Card - link

Big 2013 New Year's Photo Card - link
Chalkboard 2012 New Year's Photo Card - link

Craft Thanksgiving Party Invitation - link
hope you liked the designs!
looking forward to sharing some new designs 
that will be on minted.com soon!

happy thursday! -e


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

some things i've learned

here are 10 things i've learned 
about weight watchers....

1) fat free creamer is 0 pts... sweet!
2) 5 oz of red wine is 4 pts but 10 oz of red wine is 9 pts... not cool
3) never ever eat a granola bar... it's not worth the pts
4. yoplait light yogurt is the best bang for the pts
5. my husband gets nearly twice the number of points as me... again, not cool
6. i'm sick and tired of talking about pts
7. there are some great weight watcher blogs...

(my favorite)

(don't let the title fool you, all meals have pts)








8) i hate weighing myself... and will only do so first thing in the morning
dressed in underwear and a tank top!
9) i need to exercise more and drink more water
10) i hope what they say is true... that it becomes a lifestyle not a diet
(not convinced of this yet)

because every post needs a photo here you go...
reilly fell asleep reading a book for school... aren't sleeping kids the best?

have a great tuesday! -e



Tuesday, October 23, 2012

breakfast in bed

saturday morning
dan and i were woken up
with breakfast in bed
prepared by cooper and max!
(six years old and three years old respectively)


on the menu
- 4 slices of un-toasted white bread
- 2 rotten bananas
- a knife
- a nearly empty bottle of jelly
- some decent keurig coffee

YUM!

aren't boys the greatest?

before i get any back-lash... cooper knows how to safely make
hot cocoa with the keurig, this translated easy into making coffee :)
xoxo -e

Monday, October 22, 2012

what's for dinner?

i bit the bullet
and did it... joined weight watchers

i can't make the time commitment of going to the meetings,
so i'm sticking to the online version.

i'm so overwhelmed.

on the first day, i wasted my points.
big time!
i thought a nature valley granolla bar was a good idea.
WRONG-O!

in order to stick with the program,
i'm going to talk a little bit about my journey on my blog

this will not be a weight watchers blog
but....
i know me and writing about it will help me along the way.

so today, i'm going to discuss 
"what's for dinner"

balsamic chicken with mushrooms
serves 4
points+ value - 4

2 tsp vegetable oil
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, four 4 oz pieces
2 cups fresh mushrooms, small, halved
1/3 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

in a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp of oil

in a medium bowl, mix 2 tbs of vinegar, mustard and garlic. 
add chicken and turn to coat

transfer chicken and marinade to skillet, saute chicken until 
cooked though. about 3 minutes per side. transfer chicken
to a platter and keep warm.

heat remaining tsp of oil in skillet. saute mushrooms for 1 minute. 
add broth, thyme and remaining tbs vinegar. cook, stirring
occasionally, until mushroom are deep brown, about 2 minutes longer.


i'll probably serve with a veggie or side salad. going to see what 
looks good at the market.


This weeks menu...
Monday - Roast Chicken with Blue Cheese and Pear Salad
Tuesday - Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms
Wednesday - Broiled Tilapia with Garlic and spinach
Thursday - Spiced Maple Glazed Salmon (maybe)
Friday - homemade pizza & salad (need to find ww friendly version)

wish me luck! -e

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

a new arrival

welcome to the world
little ryan
my darling nephew


xoxo - auntie erin

Friday, October 12, 2012

photo of the day

shopping trip 
with granny and nonno.

we'll miss them once they
return to california
:(




xoxo - e

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

give thanks invitation

i'm so excited to share
the new thanksgiving invitation 
i designed for minted.com


you can see the all design options here

hope all is well, my parents are visiting this week.
i imagine i won't be around much,
enjoying their visit :)

xoxo - e

Thursday, October 4, 2012

and so it begins...

whether you're a republican, a independent or a democrat 
democracy is good

last night i poured a cold glass of chardonnay
snuggled up on the couch with my sweetie
and enjoyed the ride

xoxo - e

steak and pesto

my kids are picky eaters.
however,
when it comes to their nonno's steak and pesto,
my kids jump up and down and do a happy dance!

to be clear....granny marinades the steaks and nonno grills them :)
(granny and nonno are my parents)

here coop is nonno's apprentice... adding the fresh basil into the blender.
nonno's pesto pasta recipe,
isn't something that can be written down.
there's a handful of this and a glug of that.
i've been his apprentice over 100 times 
and i'm still learning.

my kids say that nonno's pesto is better than mine.
i totally agree.

until i become a pesto expert,
i doubt i could ever write down an actual recipe.

that being said,
here's a recipe that i'm happy to share!
it's granny's flank steak marinade.

seeing that it's a marinade,
the exact amounts are less crucial.
i usually throw in the ingredients willy-nilly
and it always tastes FANTASTIC!
this is the steak that i serve with pesto pasta.
the kid's LOVE it!


Granny's Flank Steak Marinade
1 2 to 3 lb. flank steak
12 oz of beer (pale or dark, anything works)
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1 cup of italian dressing, either full fat or light, not fat free
 (i use wishbone zesty italian)
3 garlic cloves, smashed in a garlic press
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

mix the ingredients (beer, worcestershire, dressing, 
garlic, salt and pepper) in a 9" x 13" pyrex baking dish.
mix well. add the steak and marinate it for 4+ hours.
turning occasionally.

light the grill to high heat. remove steak from marinade and sprinkle
with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. 

flank steak cooks quickly, so don't overcook. remember, you can 
always throw it back on the grill for a few minutes if it needs more
time. grilling times are approximate and it always depends on the
thickness of the steak and the temperature of your grill.

place steak over the hottest part of the grill and grill for about
4-6 minutes on each side for medium rare (which i prefer).

remove steak from grill and place on a cutting board. let the steak
rest for about 5 minutes to let the juices settle in the meat.

slice the steak in thin stripes, against the grain and serve!

this steak marinade is amazing. i also use it for shish-ka-bob.
do you have any passed down family recipes?

xoxo - e


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

photo of the day

 a power ranger time out....


in case it isn't already clear,
max loves power rangers.

happy wednesday! -E

Monday, October 1, 2012

GOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!

my girl did it!
her first goal.

two years of watching soccer games
and i missed it.

so bummed!



at least another parent
snapped a few photos!

have a great monday!
-e