Thursday's Thoughts

Hearing: Mostly silence since it is nap time for Arabella. I can faintly hear the running of the dryer and the furnace pumping away keeping us nice and cozy today!

Tasting: Fresh brewed Chocolate Chili Chai Tea from David's Tea. Just the right amount of chocolate and spice make this the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter afternoon!



Seeing: Snow, snow and more snow! Arabella and I had to run a few errands this morning and there are snow piles everywhere...but I did wish for snow and you know what is crazy? I want MORE!!




Smelling: Sanguinelli Orange and Fennel Anti-Bacterial Hand Sanitizer that I just used from Fruits & Passion. I love the clean yet sweet scent! YUM!

Feeling: Tired and worn down. I don't know why since I haven't been motivated to workout and I have been going to bed fairly early. I wonder if that is way? Maybe I need to get back on my workout schedule and stay up late!

Wordless Wednesday

What A Name!

Last week Jay was out traveling to a branch of the local dealer and he came upon this sign. It is so funny that he actually turned the car around and pulled into the parking lot so that he could take a picture of it.

Yes, that says what you think, The Butt Hole! Nice name for a store right? Seriously, I want to meet the person who came up with the name and just in case you are wondering, it is a tobacco store.

You Wouldn't See This In The States

Tonight, Jay and I went to IKEA to pick up some new storage for Arabella's playroom. It was just us since Arabella was at home with a sitter so it was almost like a date, funny right, a shopping date at IKEA! If you know anything about Jay, you know that he hates to shop and he will avoid it at all costs. So when we got into the store, he decided that he was hungry and needed to get something to eat. I rolled my eyes since I saw his needing to eat as a way of avoiding the shopping that we needed to do. Besides, it wasn't like we were going to browse the whole store, we went for a specific item and we knew what we wanted. He decided to get spinach and cheese crepes, which were very good, but as we were waiting in line to pay, I noticed this...

Yup, that is what you think it is...WINE!! At the IKEA restaurant! How awesome is that? Next time I need a good, cheap meal and a glass of wine, I am heading to IKEA and after I can do some shopping. I knew I liked IKEA for a reason....wine and shopping together, there is not much more that I need!

Valentine's

Yesterday, in art class, Arabella made the cutest Valentine and Love Bug. I would post a picture of the Valentine that she made, but I am not sure if we are going to make them for our family and if we do and I post a picture, it will ruin the surprise. Needless to say, the Valentine made me cry when we were making it as it is a reminder of how quickly she is growing up. We already made Valentine's for everyone and they are in the mail, so if we don't make them tomorrow for everyone, I will post a picture of her art class Valentine. As for the Love Bug, it is the cutest little craft and we did it together which was fun. I think this craft is fitting since I call her my Little Bean Love Bug and she calls me Mommy Love Bug. This craft is going to be a keeper.

Arabella also received her first Valentine of the year in the mail yesterday from Grammie. She had fun opening her card and loved her stickers and both carried the Love Bug theme again, it was too cute! Thanks Grammie, we love you!

Time to Paint

Arabella and I hosted a play date at our house earlier in the week for a few of our friends. Arabella had a great time playing with Allyson and Giacomo and we all enjoyed a great lunch prepared by Cynthia. After lunch and some fun playtime, all the kids painted some no bake clay shapes that I had cut out with cookie cutters. They had a blast mixing colors and getting creative with the paints and brushes!

Football Time

On Sunday, we had a little Superbowl get-together. Jay's new co-worker, Pascal, his wife, Lucy and their boys, Charlie and Patrick came over to take part in the American tradition of eating, drinking and watching football!

We had a pretty low key meal of munchies and snacks. I made my famous bean dip (at Jay's request), some pretty amazing guacamole, salad-on-a- stick, and homemade soft pretzels!Everything was really easy to make and I know I will be making it all again. I loved the idea of the salad-on-a-stick when I saw the recipe and it was easy and quick and a healthy option. All you have to do is cut up a head of lettuce, slice some cucumbers, wash a pint of grape tomatoes and then you just skewer them. Serve with dressing and Viola!

As much as we all loved the guacamole, I think that the favorite food of the night was the homemade soft pretzels! I would love to take credit for the recipe, but I can't, I must give the credit to Bobby Flay and FoodTV. They were fairly easy to make and now that I have made them once, I am sure the next time they will be even easier. I also made the queso sauce and it was wonderful! The only thing I wish I had done was make a double batch, because they were gone pretty quick. The pretzels were nice and brown on the outside but inside they were soft and chewy. And since we ate them right when I took them out of the oven, they were prefect!

Plated up and ready to be eaten!
Right out of the oven
Before baking, you have to boil them in a water and baking soda mixture.

You can get the recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/throwdown-with-bobby-flay/soft-pretzels-with-queso-poblano-sauce-and-mustard-sauce-recipe/index.html

Jay and I had a great time relaxing and enjoying a some great wine/beer and conversation with Lucy and Pascal during the game. Arabella, Charlie and Patrick sounded like a herd of elephants and they played and ran around the house during the game, but that is OK, they were having a great time and the boys wore Arabella out, she slept in until almost 8 am yesterday! So you boys are welcome to come over and play anytime!!