alan dye photograph by jose luis martinez
check out this foodie interview and yummy recipe for fancy pants mac and cheese.
any recipe that begins with popping the cork on some bubbly {you know, just for sipping while cooking} is a winner in my cookbook.
oui s’il vous plaît
just wanted to share another blog that i drool over daily.
best blog title ever, right?
…
and the food, oh the food. here are some of my latest seasonal obsessions…
pumpkin + thyme + mac and cheese
white cheddar black pepper scones
and yes, i am going to milk the new mama thing and get my hubby to whip some of these up asap. honey, it isn’t just that I want it…it is our daughter. elinor needs proper culinary stimulation and nourishment… pretty please? just look at that widdle face… [cue baby eyelash batting]
aaannnd…dinner is served!
welcome, my friends to the burger-palooza version of the s&s&b post. this week, my hubby and i celebrated my cousin’s birthday, and coincidentally, national cheeseburger day, by heading out to the grind for some burgers. it was pretty tasty.
and, in a stroke of good luck, we had also scheduled one of our before-the-baby-arrives-just-the-two-of-us date nights as a trip to zinburger. oops. burgers twice in one week! you know, most people would have chickened out and rescheduled, but not us! no sir, we powered through. plus, if it is in the daytimer, it must be so.
here are some mouth-watering pics from our burger excursions. enjoy, enjoy.
and make sure to clean up the drool from your keyboard.
the table is set + the super crispy fries + my man’s side of mac and cheese + my man’s gigantor burger complete with fried ratatouille and peppers and cheese + donuts with butterscotch for dessert + two very happy faces + hurray for az restaurant week! + the cool milk bottle chandelier at zinburger + my man’s plate + my bunless burger with zinfandel onions. bunless so that i had extra room for… two, yes two baskets of truffle fries and a chocolate shake! whew.
cravings & such: still…salads, sour things, and chocolate. and i am loving carbs. carbs, carbs, carbs. it seems like that is all i want these days. i felt a bit better about it after reading my pregnancy journal and learning that preggos need more carbs. okay, then. right on track. although, i am trying to stick to the healthier side of the carb world. things like fruit and oatmeal and whole grains…instead of downing bowl after bowl of mac and cheese [which i would love to do].
the bump: growing. i am slathering on the l’occitane shea butter. stretch marks, be darned!
cool & cute things: baby’s blood vessels are visible through thin skin and his/her ears are now in the final position. a protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his/her nerves and s/he is busy flexing arms and legs. the baby is about 5.5 inches long and weighs in at 7 ounces. okay, i just want to point out that peanut has gained 2 whole ounces since last week. hence, the shea butter.
new things: baby’s reproductive organs are now in place and visible. perfect timing for our ultrasound next week. peanut pep talk…little one, this is your mama speaking. on behalf of the entire family, i am officially giving you the green light to be brazen. now is not the time to be shy and keep certain things private. no leg crossing. no dodging. no awkward poses. no sleeping in a curled up pose. no strategically placed umbilical cord. we are going to need you to give us a good clear shot at the goods. thank you.
meaningful moments: feeling a tiny tug on my tummy skin…that means you are in there and you are growing! AND…perusing adorable baby merchandise. so cute. we are going to have so much fun with you!
the countdown: 154 days to go!
current size: a bell pepper
farewell to another wonderful weekend. and just like that, a new week is here. hubby and i made the most of every moment. we did some friday night grocery shopping and baking. then on saturday, i headed off to help at a bridal shower while ben had some boy’s time and took in a guy movie. then, we joined up again in the afternoon for some quick cleaning up…then it was off to dinner with ben’s sister and her hubby at windsor [yes, again...it just never gets old]. after all that, we took it easy on sunday and spent the afternoon watching a western and catching up on laundry. capped off with a sushi date night. it was a pretty great few days. over much too soon. but, another weekend is always right around the corner. until then, here are some of our favorite snaps.
here’s to a fabulous, fresh week!
windsor! + a quick little outdoor wait for a table…perfect atmosphere + the cool succulent planters + the boys + the gals + retro decor + hubby making a little gopher face for the camera + some serious menu surveying and discussion before making the final picks + appetizers…fondue and corn dog poppers + rachel’s selection: crab cake blt with mac and cheese + nathan’s selection: the windsor burger with fries [and plenty of ketchup] + my selection: the pastrami reuben with fries and cole slaw [yup, i got two sides] + hubby’s selection: the porkwich with mac and cheese + concluding the evening with some churn ice cream and cookies from next door + lazy times with the buddies + shogun sushi night…i’ve been so wanting some of this + starting with some tempura + enjoying a big plate of rolls. yum
well hello there, new week! hubby and i just wrapped up and amazing weekend. and my weekend even started a few hours early which was lovely.
we were busy-busy but managed to find time to eat a lot of food and spend time with friends and family. just what a weekend should be [minus the 105 degree weather, of course. ick]. here are many, many snaps from our time together.
the happy face of a lady who took off early on friday to meet mom for lunch and fabric shopping + my gigantic salad piled high with crunchy lettuce, radishes, cabbage, cauliflower, and a few croutons for good measure + date night with hubby at windsor + the cute little papers they give you for your chewed gum. genius + my handsome man + our plate [yes, we shared! pat on the back for us] of the porkwich and a side of ooey-gooey mac and cheese + some really tasty yogurt from our new favorite fro-yo joint, yogurtology + look at him! so cute! + breakfast of eggs, apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon, and a gluten-free bagel with “everything” toppings + during the summer, our buddies love ice cubes. charlie likes to bob in his bowl and collect all of the ice cubes that he can fit into his mouth. then, he makes his own little private reserve which he guards fiercely + heading out for a few hours with friends at the scottsdale culinary festival’s great american picnic [yes. outdoors. bad call on the first 100 degree plus day of the year] + rustin hanging with miss marley who was a trooper in that heat + relaxing on the lawn while enjoying some grub + that would be ben’s “don’t even think about touching my pastrami sandwich” face + trying to catch a breeze and not melt + a sunday morning strings concert. AMAZING. thank you hubby for sharing your gift with others and glorifying your God + a little post-church lunch at z tejas with the family + chatting and sipping ice water and tea to stay cool + capping off the weekend with a date at benihana [i have been really wanting some teppanyaki...i am blaming it on that little baby of ours] + onion soup + incredible chicken fried rice + the chef masterfully creating our scrumptious food + taking in the final moments of the weekend…together.
what a leisurely, long, lovely, celebratory weekend! hubby and i had friday off so we were able to lay low and spend some quiet time relaxing and reflecting. then, we were busy little bees on saturday preparing for resurrection sunday festivities. as usual, there was plenty of good food. and we enjoyed a great weekend with family. by the way…my parents finally came home from canada! they arrived a bit too late to celebrate in true easter style but we have plans to get together and catch up on all things life. it is going to be a good week.
…
an afternoon stop at jimmy john’s + two yummy subs for two very happy people + then, we popped next door to the sweet tooth fairy + all the baked goods that you dream of + cupcakes galore! + my nanaimo bar [a canadian classic from my childhood...look it up, people] + THE BEST SUGAR COOKIE IN EXISTENCE + a bowl of cheez-its [modern day manna, as my father-in-law likes to call them] for our movietime snack + charlie rocking some fuzzy baby bird hair while napping on my lap + some musical practice for next week’s church service…the perfect background music while easter dinner is being prepared + amy sending out pictures of the dynamic music duo to all the family who couldn’t be there to enjoy it in person + mark’s traditional easter shirt. love it + dinner: ham, baked mac and cheese, and horseradish and honey carrots. yum + our festive dessert: gluten-free hummingbird cupcakes, festively dressed for the occasion. they were very tasty. we had to welcome back sugar in style!
one of our favorite little nooks is windsor. this place has great people, great atmosphere, and great food. it is a swanky yet breezy pub-like place with a killer patio and plush boothes. leather everywhere and plaid bar chairs! amazing. it is the kind of place where we could sit for hours just sipping beverages and nibbling on super good grub. so cool and yet so comfy. love.
this trip, ben and i invited my sister and her man to come with us on a little double-date. it was fabulous. we shared a big ol’ booth and sat for a couple of hours just chatting and enjoying some really tasty plates. alas, i failed miserably in the picture-taking department since i was too excited to dig in to pause and snap a pic. sorry about that. [i guess we'll just have to go back again...] we are talking really good stuff here, folks. cheddar fondue. crab cake blt. brown bag chicken sandwich [pulled chicken salad with oven dried tomatoes, toasted hazelnuts & herbs topped with avocado, watercress & green goddess goat cheese]. porkwich [pulled pork, tenderbelly braised ham & smoked bacon layered with gold sauce & crunchy coleslaw on a buttermilk bun]. plus, sides of mac and cheese! wow.
