spicing up your christmas wrap

Everyone is always looking for a way to put a spin on their Christmas wrapping.  If you are anything like  me, you might have to sike yourself up in order to get through all the Christmas wrapping.  Its a chore and usually boring.  Who has time to get really creative though?  With basic wrap, twine, stamps, etc you can really get creative on a budget.  Some of these ideas are even easy enough for the kids.  Who says you have to stick with the traditional shimmery bow or green/red paper?  Spice it up and have fun with it.  Here are a few "show stopping" ideas that will be sure to make a hit under the tree.

what to expect when you are expecting.. movie

Yes, they have finally come out with a movie based on the popular book, "what to expect while you are expecting".  It looks like it has some good celebrities in it,  Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Santoro, Ben Falcone, Joe Manganiello.  It comes out May 11th... just in time for Baby Shanks.

To watch the full trailer: click here

tis the season... for sparkle

Give the girl some sparkle and she's ready for you guessed it... holiday parties!  I can't get enough of sequin, sparkle, and all things shimmery this holiday season.  Who has festive holiday plans?  New Year's Eve?  Love these little gems below...

pistachio & cranberry bark

Seems like all I've been doing is baking, cooking, and eating lately.  Can I blame it on the holidays?  or pregnancy?  That makes it sound a bit more guilt free doesn't it?  Its time to start in on the Christmas baking!  I'm trying to find some recipes that will be suitcase friendly.  That means I'm looking for something that won't melt easily or crumble.  If I freeze this white chocolate bark before I put it in my suitcase I think it will hold up nicely.  Let me tell you this is the EASIEST recipe I have posted yet.  It literally has three ingredients and even an amateur baker can do this.  The trickiest part is to not overmelt the chocolate.

Prep Time:  15 minutes (or longer if you have to shell pistachios like I did)
Set Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:


1 lb. white chocolate
½ cup shelled pistachios
½ cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler (or in 30-second intervals in the microwave on 50% power, stirring after each). Once the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and let sit for a few minutes to cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Add the pistachios and cranberries and stir to combine.
    ***If your microwave does not have a 50% power level (like mine) you can melt on the stove.  Use a small sauce pan and place on the lowest setting possible.  Stir occasionally.  It will take approximately 10 minutes to melt this way.
Spread the chocolate mixture onto the prepared pan in an even layer (depending on the size of the pan and how thick you’d like your bark, you may not need the entire surface of the pan).
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until set.
Using a sharp knife, cut the bark into pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Thank you Brown Eyed Baker for this festive holiday treat.

aubrey + clayton wedding

Aubrey's wedding pictures are finally up on Valerie Marie's website.  The day was absolutely gorgeous.  We couldn't have asked for better weather!  It was so good that all the grandparents were able to come and stay the whole time.  Aubrey was beautiful.

My favorites.

For more pictures visit Valerie's website, password is Kokomo.

tortellini and italian sausage soup

I told you I'd be trying a bunch of new soup recipes this winter.  When the weather is on average -17 deg. F soup sounds good pretty much any day of the week!

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
    **I used 1/2 pound hot italian sausage and 1/2 pount deer meat
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
   **I was being lazy and bought a can of diced tomatoes instead
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
    **I substituted with a bit of spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
    **I used three-cheese stuffed tortellini.  I used the blended variety to add a little color to the dish.
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
    **I substituted the parsley and oregano with an italian spice blend

Directions:

In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving. 

For more information, visit allrecipes.com

read of the week: Last Night at the Chateau Marmont

If you took my recommendation and read "Chasing Harry Winston" then you'll love this by the same author, Lauren Weisberger.  Its definitely chic lit but its a good book to curl up with on a snowy day.  Summary:  Brooke has been working two jobs trying to support herself and her husband while he makes it big in the music industry.  After what seems like an infinite amount of time and after everyone has given up on him he finally catches a break.  A whirlwind of interviews, red carpets, and touring starts out as an exciting time for both husband and wife.  However, as tabloids explode with scandal Brooke has to decide if this is what she wants out of life after all.  The thing I liked most about this book was that the ending wasn't what I expected at all.  I think Weisberger has one more book out so I'm excited to read that one next.

Happy reading my friends!

leftover thanksgiving

If your family is anything like mine its hard to get more than one meal out of leftovers.  Especially if you don't want a  lot of groans and grumbling when they hear you are serving it to them, yet again.  I tried Giada's Turkey Bolognese Recipe with the left over turkey.  Its a must try!

Total Time:  60 min
Prep Time:  20 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Servings:  6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 pound shredded cooked turkey (preferably dark meat)
3 cups marinara sauce
    ***I just used spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
    ***I used italian seasoning 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan


Directions:

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and saute 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, stirring often. Stir in the basil. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cool the sauce completely, then transfer it to a container and freeze for future use. Bring the sauce to a simmer before using.)

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten as needed. Serve with the Parmesan