Tag Archives: dessert

weekendness

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this was a good weekend.  we enjoyed some much-needed scheduled nothing and got a bunch done.  this is such a busy season.  so when we have a few hours to relax together, plan together, check stuff off the ol’ to-do list together, and eat yummy food together it is perfect.

even though much of the weekend was spent driving here and there and doing thing after thing…we were able to spend some time outside in the delicious springtime sun while savoring some tasty plates, sipping on refreshing beverages, and licking on cones of cold, creamy goodness.  yup.  it was amazing.  it doesn’t get much better than this…

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me and my bearded, specs wearing man + a sweet little peanut chilling in her stroller.  feet up.  tongue out.  + a grapefruit beverage at windsor + cheddar biscuits with gravy and sausage + yes.  i had brunch dessert.  toasted coconut and double chocolate ice cream from churn.  the place is right next door…it is meant to be.  +  miss elinor with her “please papa, please may i have some sausage?” face

how was your weekend?  are you ready for monday? 

 

snaps & snippets & blurbs

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aaahhh…looong weekend.  i love three-day weekends.  i love when the market is closed so elinor and i get an extra day with our favorite guy. but what made it extra fabulous?  kicking it off with valentine’s day!  after enjoying a quiet night at home on thursday as a family, my hubby and i stole away for a celebratory date at our favorite place to celebrate, our place {see here and here}, royal palms.  so romantic and perfect and delicious.  can’t wait to go back again…

happy tuesday to you all!  enjoy the snaps.

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a drool-worthy dessert

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image from ambitious kitchen

okay, this looks positively scrumptious.  i need to find an excuse to make this, asap.  just when you thought baked apple goodness couldn’t get any better…the ambitious kitchen adds some brown butter and bourbon.  {cue the saliva}

head here for the apple crisp recipe. 

do it.  do it now.

snaps & snippets & blurbs

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this was a pretty great weekend.  don’t you just love birthdays?!  what a perfect excuse to eat yummy food, indulge in way too much dessert, spend extra time alone with my man, and do some shopping!  fun. fun. fun.

even though my birthday was technically on friday, i received my hubby’s blessing to commandeer the entire weekend.  we did it up.  we kicked things off early with a whitehouse family dinner on my birthday eve. then we enjoyed a hubby & me date night on friday for dinner and shopping…shopping for baby goodies.  we walked away with a bag of tiny little apparel to begin her wardrobe.  a very merry un-birhday to you, baby girl.  it was so much fun. then we had an ice cream social [okay, there were only four people there but there was ice cream and we were social] followed by some additional baby girl shopping.  this time, it was off to home depot for paint.  wahoo!  and finally, we wrapped up the birthday-palooza weekend with a dinner with my dad, my fianc-ed sister, and her man.  whew!  needless to say, it was a splendid few days.  i feel quite celebrated.  quite full.  and actually, quite accomplished.  i couldn’t ask for more.

here are some snaps. 

date night with my handsome man + citizen public house.  yes.  again. + fondue with pears, grilled bread, and peppered sausage + the famous and scrumptious [gf] fried chicken and waffles with almond butter and desert lavender honey + plate o’ bread and sausage and cheddar and grainy mustard + rockin’ the scarf and looking like a “fashionable, old-fashioned cleaning lady” as ben’s sister katie calls it + a bag of tiny baby goodies for our tiny baby girl + a table-full of gifts from my man.  the contents thereof: a cookbook, chocolate bars from vosages, baubles and a scarf from j.crew, a giant bag of my favorite decaf coffee beans from local roaster matador, and a fancy-schmancy cold coffee brewing system + miss coco.  she was very jealous of the my presents and the baby’s clothes… + enjoying some of the aforementioned fancy-schmancy cold brewed coffee + a vegan peanut butter cookie from tammie coe.  ah.maz.ing + heading out for some ice cream + sweet republic artisan ice cream + some sweet republic press & a sassy face + my huckleberry ice cream + painting supplies for baby girl’s room! + off to church + dinner at the greene house + the california-cool decor + my dad + my b-day balloon + the menu + the goods…tuna; potato gnocchi with sausage, peas, and mushrooms; chicken ravioli; and scallops + some share-able birthday dessert…chocolate bars of yumminess.

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as i was assembling the collection, i realized that this weekend was a pretty fabulous tour of some great local venues and vendors from the scottsdale/phoenix area.  fox restaurants, citizen public house, sweet republic, matador coffee roasters, tammie coe.  we are blessed to live in a cool town.

6 years

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well, words are kind of inadequate when it comes to expressing the joy of our sixth anniversary together.  we took a trip to our wedding location, the royal palms, for a reminiscent stroll and an incredible dinner at t.cook’s.  it was pretty spectacular, as always.

sigh.

memorable baubles: my favorite gold bangles mixed with an anniversary gift from ben and my wedding day jewelry + happiness + the scenery and ambiance of royal palms, a perfectly inmate mediterranean oasis + the estrella salon, location of the reception + the fireplace that served as the altar for our wedding + a rose petal decorated menu + my handsome husband + the best pesto and bread i have ever had.  i never turn it down + our appetizer, chef lee’s carbonara: garlic cream, prosciutto, pancetta, parmesan cheese & egg yolk + my man’s dinner of duck l’orange served with candied orange, asparagus, thyme fondant potatoes & traditional sauce + my beef tenderloin served with horseradish gratin, demi glace, carrots, and roasted pearl onions + dessert!  [pay no attention to the "happy 5th anniversary" part...even the best places get it wrong sometimes] brown sugar butterscotch creme caramel: baked custard topped with salted dulce de leche, served with s’more macaroons

movie night

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hubby and i thought it would be nice to kick off the anniversary celebration early [like four'ish days early] by enjoying a mid-week date night.

where to?  citizen public house, but of course.

when it was too hard to choose between the yummy beverages, our waiter treated my man to a free beverage tasting to help him make the final choice.  this is a great place + kilt lifter fondue.  THE BEST EVER + deep sea red crab cakes with smoked red pepper aioli & celery root slaw + MY FAVORITE DISH.  EVER. chicken & waffles: buttermilk-marinated fried chicken, oat waffles, almond butter, blue clover honey.  plus…gluten free!  bonus + THE YUMMIEST OF DESSERTS. donuts & coffee:  bourbon glazed donut bread pudding, vanilla sauce, cafe au lait ice cream, topped with brown sugar streusel

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after we were fat and happy, took a little drive over to the artsy-fartsy movie theater to watch moonrise kingdom.

by the way, that is one delightful little movie.  fabulous acting.  lovely scenery.  interesting music.  quirky and funny and lovely to watch.  wes anderson.  well done, sir.

food & giggle

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one of my favorite outings is a lunch date with my mom…especially to true food.  that restaurant is definitely a mainstay.  to make it extra fun, my mom and i decided to grab a later lunch and then head over to giggle to do some baby browsing.  and since hubby gets off of work earlier in the day [thank you 5am wake up time!] he was able to meet up with us for some looking around the this infant/toddler dreamland.  so many cute things and fun ideas.  there were some displays that were overwhelming…i mean, how many designer burp cloths does one child really need?  but overall, it was so much fun to pick up tiny shoes, check out fabulous cribs, see the latest in high chair technology, play with strollers, and cuddle with stuffed animals.  babies are pretty fun.  i foresee many more lunchtime outings with my mom in the coming months…

the yummy menu + my lovely mom + fun conversation + my moroccan chicken salad sandwich + mom’s noodles + a perfect dessert…olive oil cake, fresh berries, and greek yogurt + giggle time + ben checking out the goods + the sweetest little swaddlers

how do you make a gif at gickr.com

having some fun test-driving the gliders.  mom grabbed some props so i could “get a feel for it”.  what do you think it will be…boy?  girl?  puppy?  [okay, probably not a puppy.  but we didn't want our furry babies to feel left out]

hip, hip, hurray for mothers day!

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this was a big one, folks.  we gathered all of the assorted family members together at one house for a big-time celebration.  it was so much fun!  the planning was fun, the preparing was fun, the cooking was fun, the eating was fun.  it was an all-around great day.  the kids took care of all the details, from the table to the flowers all the way to the dessert.  then, we all gathered together and enjoyed the day.  it was relaxing and celebratory.  just how any family gathering should be.  i hope our mothers were honored and blessed.  we sure are honored to be their kids and blessed by them.

::  the mocktails  ::

in honor of mothers day, my hubby, the mixologist du jour, created a fabulous menu of refreshing and festive beverages.  with the help of his mixologist’s apprentice, faith, creative drinks were stirred and muddled for serving.  the clear crowd favorites were “the derby” [a mild-mannered mint julep] and “the faux-jito” [a rum-less version of the cuban classic].  although, “the berry happy mothers day” might win in the appearance category for its vibrant purple hue and muddled berries.

::  happy conversation + mixing and mingling + relaxation  ::

everyone kicked back with their beverage of choice while the meal was being prepared.  the families shared stories and chatted with giggling and sipping.  the guys even got to watch some golf.  the kitchen was the center of the excitement as the aromas of potatoes and mushrooms and onions and bacon and eggs wafted into the livingroom.

::  a delicious brunch spread and table  ::

::  dessert  ::

we ordered the super special mothers day collection from jeni’s ice cream.  so, we had a tasty little tasting of unique ice cream flavors like hummingbird cake, white house cherry, sake plum, and icelandic happy marriage cake.  plus, rachel claire made a yummy berry crumble.  a little something warm with a little something cold.  the perfect way to end a meal.

::  the kids  ::

::  the moms and the kids  ::

eating humble pie

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ben and i are pretty good at sticking to our menu and routine during the week.  we like a schedule, i suppose.  but, there are days when you just need to toss all of that planning aside and do something spontaneous.  people need a dash of spontaneity.

i have been entrenched in the planning of a major upcoming work event that rests on my shoulders.  there is much to do.  it is a lot of moving parts.  and has to be PERFECT.  now, while i love planning and organizing [any excuse to make spreadsheets and checklists and folders!], it can be exhausting and start to take its toll.  after weeks of being in the thick of it, i needed to come up for air.  plus, i have been ferociously fighting “placenta brain”.  please, dear sweet peanut, will you allow me just a few more weeks of clear thinking before you suck all of the blood flow from my brain? now is not exactly the time for me to be fuzzy and have thoughts just drop out of my head.

so, after some seriously intense days at work, hubby and i kinda threw our hands in the air and said, “enough!  we need some pizza!”  and so, we took a trip to our go-to pizza place, humble pie.

just what we needed in every way.  chopped salad.  pizza with crispy, chewy crust.  and even a pizza cookie for dessert!  we really lived it up.  and somewhere between our appetizer and the last bite of ooey-gooey cookie goodness…our minds and spirits were renewed.  while the pizza is close to magical, i don’t think that’s what did the trick.  i am thinking that our al fresco conversation is what refreshed us.  we talked about our interactions with people, our work, our witness.  and very quickly, my attitude of “poor me…i work so hard…does anybody notice…do i matter…i do the work of three people…if i want it done right, i have to do it myself, other people just wreck stuff…yada, yada, yada…” shifted.  my outlook changed.  my heartset was altered.  we started talking about humility.  about doing all we do for the glory of God.  about working as unto God and not man.  about being the least of these that God may exalt me in due time.  about serving others.  about pouring into others.  about reflecting the love of Christ in EVERYTHING.  and soon, that humble pie that i was eating was really making a difference.  it was that renewal that i needed – that i need constantly. the Christian life is a lifelong pursuit of holiness.  a journey.  a walk.  a pattern of exhibiting more and more of Christ and less and less of me.  humility. 

i guess that sometimes God’s rich lessons are served in a pizza box.

snaps & snippets & blurbs

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a very happy monday to you.  hubby and i had such a splendid weekend.  food-full, family-full, and fun-full.  practically perfect in every way.  and, all the laundry is not only washed, but folded and put away!  feels good.  starting off a new week on the right foot after a quite enjoyable weekend.  here are some snaps to prove it!

starting our weekend adventures together! + a late night run to in-n-out [just what hubby has been waiting for] + splitting a double-double and fries.  perfection + taking in a matinée of the avengers with rachel & nathan + happy faces + buttery and cheddar powder dusted popcorn + my very own bag + ben’s hands-off approach to popcorn consumption [hence the individual bags] + a dinner and dessert back at the whitehouse home + dad-in-law’s superb street tacos + colorful toppings + sunday morning grapefruit + car trip to church + post-church carb brunch of bagels…and a few sweet treats for my sweet hubby + dinner date night at home + steak and green beans with some brad mehldau mood music + coco’s sad little expression of longing as she attempts to share our meal + sorry miss monkey…no steak for you + a scrumptious dessert of fresh blackberries, the sweetest pineapple, and orange scented greek yogurt with a dusting of cinnamon.  a sweet close to a lovely weekend.