Beef Stew for a Rainy Day

It has been raining around here. A LOT. Yesterday, it rained so hard that a massive puddle formed in our backyard. And the wind was so strong I felt a bit like Dorothy. So we hunkered down for the day and I decided to make something warm and cozy for dinner. Nothing's better then a slow cooker for that type of meal. I decided to go with Emeril's beef stew recipe on Food Network. I was not about to run out to the store, so the stew lacked the frozen peas it requires. And making Emeril's Essence was one more step then I had time for, so the beef was simple browned with salt and pepper. But despite these changes, YUM! It turned out quite good if I do say so myself.

I served it over some whole wheat noodles tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese. Noodles are kid friendly and that's why I chose them...but I think it would be great served plain with a big chunk of crusty bread too. A simple side salad finished of the meal.

So if you are in need of a new recipe to try this weekend, I say give it a try! Easy to throw everything in the slow cooker, and the house smells good all day. Oh, and the recipe says it takes 8 hours in the slow cooker? Well, I did about 6 and it was great.

Happy Weekend!

Etsy Sweets

Have you checked out the array of sweets available on Etsy? You could plan your whole party around some of these beauties!

I think my absolute favorite cookie is the French Macaron. How gorgeous are these from Sparkles Kitchen?

And there are a ton of amazingly decorated sugar cookies. These airplane and car ones from Sugar & Flour could fit perfectly into a Pretty Smitten party!

Or build a party around these adorable Dr. Seuss cookies from Batches. Our striped pattern in bluebell and red would go perfectly!

Also from Batches...Sock Money cookies! Too cute!!

Cake pops have also made an appearance on Etsy. These are always a fun party favorite. Some of my favorites come from the shop Moms Killer Cakes.

And without the pop...cake balls from LolliDreams. Chocolate and mint, YUM.

So have I activated your sweet tooth yet? I'm pretty much ready to devour some chocolate.

Happy Thursday!

An Ikea frame

I keep seeing this Ikea frame pop up in party decor...and I love it!

A Blissful Nest

HWTM

So cute, right? I think it would be a great way to showcase your birthday girl's initials or age, as done in these parties. Or feature a quote, lyrics or words from a storybook. So much could be put in this frame to enhance your party decor. Plus, simply spray paint it any color to match your color scheme. Perfect!

And thanks to everyone for your patience while I got my computer up and running again. Let me tell you, having your hard drive crash is not fun! But I seem to be organized again and I've learned a very important lesson...back up your computer EVERY NIGHT. Yes, going forward I'm going to be that neurotic.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Hard times for my hard drive

I love my laptop. Love, love, love it....it's a Macbook Pro and has thus far it has treated me well. But today? We had a disagreement. I turned it on bright and early this morning only to be greeted with a blank screen. Followed by a question mark. Hmmm, that can't be good. A trip to Apple confirmed it....not good, the hard drive crashed. So they are installing a new one and I'll have my computer back up and running again in 3 days. Argh, 3 days...that seems like a very long time. I had to steal my husbands laptop away just to write this post (side note...tried to write a post on my iPad, but wasn't able to type in the main posting area??? seems odd). So anyway, you probably won't hear too much from me this week. I know, you're so sad, right? Once I get my laptop back I will have to do some catch up work on the files that weren't backed up but hopefully I will get going again soon!

Hope you all have a great week.

Blueberry Pancakes

It's blueberry pancake morning around here and I've got a little helper.

Happy Saturday!

Friday Find

Happy Friday everyone! Any big plans for the weekend? We have a mini photo shoot with our favorite photographer, Jill Carmel, tomorrow. Yippee! I know she'll get some amazing pictures of our little ones. And then Sunday my Dad and stepmom are visiting from Sonoma. Fun!

And now on to my Friday find...browsing Centsational Girl the other day I came across these flats.

Don't they look super comfy? And they fold up into a little pouch, perfect for a quick switcheroo on the go when those heels you picked out that morning just don't seem reasonable anymore. They come in a few different colors, and the best part? $15. Seriously. I think I'll just have to get some (you know how I love me some cheap flats). And I love the idea of keeping a pair at home just to wear around the house, a cuter version of slippers! Right now I keep these Uggs for inside use only. But as the weather gets warmer, they might need a replacement.

Happy Weekend!

*Color Combo* Pink and Aqua

Pink and aqua...sweet, soft, girly and perfect for Spring.

Image Credits:

1. A party on Icing Designs

2. Our very own Pretty Smitten Elegance pattern

3. Kate Landers Events

4. P is for Party

5. HWTM

6. Fairy Wonderful