I wish you a...

Merry Christmas!!

After a fun night out...

I've GOT to get on my to do list for today. But first, a little hangover cure is in order. My cure? COFFEE, and an egg, bacon, and cheese bagel. Hopefully this will energize me for the day :)

Merry Christmas to all!!

Home Sweet (Soon to be) Home

Here is a preview of our new house plans! Last weekend the lot was mowed and little flags were staked for the soil testing which will occur this Saturday. Woop woop!

Send recipes in style!

How fun are these Recipe Postcards?! I discovered them here. Check out Brown Parcel Press (they even have a studio in Athens!).

Comment away!

A few of you told me that you could not comment on here, so I have changed my settings (I am still trying to figure all this blogworld stuff out) to allow all comments! Thanks for reading :)

Christmas Lasagna

"Christmas Lasagna" is a term that stems from the night of Christmas Day. My best friend's mom has made it every year (just in case we aren't already full enough from all the lunch fixins) for as long as I can remember. It has become a household regular, and also Robert's favorite meal by far. It makes enough to feed a family of 8-10 so I rarely make it unless we have company, but last night i got a little froggy ;)

I hope you all will enjoy this recipe as much as we have!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground beef or turkey
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 carton cottage cheese
1 4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella
parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
italian seasoning
bay leaves

lasagna noodles

...and a loaf of really good french bread!

1. Sautee onions and chopped garlic in 1 tbsp. olive oil until transluscent, add ground beef, brown, drain, and add back to pan.

2. Grab a beverage (Red wine would be great with this...all I had was beer :)

2. Add tomatoes/sauce/paste, salt and pepper, italian seasoning, and 2 bay leaves. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. While it's simmering, add softened cream cheese to cottage and blend well. Set aside. Boil 9 lasagna noodles, drain and set aside. Remove bay leaves from meat.

4. Layer in casserole dish as follows:

Noodles

Meat

Cheese mixture

Noodles

Meat

Mozzarella

Noodles

Meat

Mozzarella

Parmesan

5. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes and ENJOY!!

(we were so excited that I forgot to take a pic of the finished product before we dug in!)

P.S. Do dishes tomorrow. You will be really full.

Merry Christmas!!

Oh Christmas Tree!

So Robert and I finally went to get a tree today (in the dark) and the whole way he abnoxiously sang "O Christmas Tree" in the worst tone possible. I think he was trying to make me turn around as he SO enjoys the Chrsimas tree venture every year! But, little did he know, it totally got me in the Christmas mood...not to mention the fresh pine scent that is all over my house :) Here are some visuals that will surely get all of you (I think there may just be 2 of you. ha!) in the mood too...

Now I have to find time to DECORATE the tree!!!!!!

Olde Good Things

We were buying some mirrors and architectural salvage pieces on our yearly truck from Olde Good Things at work today, and I found these schoolhouse lights for my new house!! Check out their other lighting, furniture, and architectural elements here.

Mad for Plaid

Classic, cozy, and chic?! Yes! I am crazy in love with plaid this year. Clothes, drapes, blankets, maybe even a vintage thermos...the possibilities are endless!

I think I am going back to TJ Maxx to get those plaid pj's I saw last weekend. Now all I need is a fireplace :)

Country Home

...was my favorite mag. I miss you!

Let there be LIGHT!

CIRCA...Simply brilliant for sure. I know I said I am always on a budget, but we can all splurge once in a while, can't we?!

A few of my favorites...

Have a SEAT.

I am well on my way to building a house, so I am on a mad search for affordable, good looking furniture that fits my style. Here are a few draftsman stools I have been eyeing!! Which ones to get?!

Charleston!!

It's my first post!! Let's pick...travel. It's been a hard year to say the least. My husband and I have turned to travel to have a little fun in 2009. We have been to New York City, Charleston, and Savannah...with Charleston taking the cake! Robert (the husband) is more into the historic side of things and to say he is a planner is an understatement. While I, on the other hand, am way more into the food and the "Oooh! Where will this road take us?" mentality. The good thing is we get best of both worlds when we are traveling together. Here are some details from our trip...

When: July 4th, 3 nights (go when it's a little cooler)

Where: We stayed Here. We are always on a budget (who's not?) and this place was cozy, affordable, private, historic, and just lovely!

The Jasmine House Inn

Now...let's talk about food. WOW...really good food in Charleston. Our favorite meal was a lunch spot tucked away on a side street called the Cru Cafe. I had a fried goat cheese salad with Pesto Salmon. Sounds pretty simple, huh? Well, Robert had a hamburger, and after a few bites, we both looked up and said it was the best lunch we had ever had. Ever. Go there.

Other fun spots we went to dine (we loved them all!):

Hank's

Pearlz

39 Rue De Jean

Fleet Landing

Just walking around Charleston was a treat! Other tips: Take rickshaws EVERYWHERE, it's the cheapest way to get around and so fun. Go to Ft. Sumpter (for the history buffs) and learn a little. Why not? :) And go to rooftop bars. Very pretty at night. One other thing: Mango Mohito. Nuff said.

me and robert

Happy Travels!