chocolate chip cake

good monday morning... but is monday morning ever really good? anyway...our weekend was relaxing and busy all at the same time.  we had some family visiting from out of town and i feel like it made our easter holiday even more special.  this year, i made sautéed green beans and a chocolate chip cake.  i've made the cake several times before and it is always a hit, so i wanted to share this recipe. it's fairly simple, and doesn't require too many ingredients.  (i received this recipe from a family friend at my wedding shower) enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cake

1 cup of room temperature butter

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix above until light and fluffy

Add 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg

In a separate bowl combine:

3 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Add the dry ingredients to the creamy mixture a little bit at a time, alternately with 1 cup of milk.  Mix well.  Stir in  1 bag of semi-sweet MINI chocolate chips

Place batter into a well greased and floured tube or bundt pan

Bake in 350 degree pre-heated oven for about 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

When cool, dust with powdered sugar, and enjoy!

please excuse my amateur food photography :)

have a great day!

a sweet escape

late last night shawn and i arrived home from a few days away in florida.  we spent most of our days with my in laws in boynton beach, but the main reason behind the visit was to attend a wedding in Islamorada, one of the gorgeous Florida Keys. we try to escape to florida once or twice a year, and my in laws try to make it up here at least once, but the goodbyes never get easier and we always leave teary eyed!

this visit was an especially fun one, though, and i am still laughing at some of the adventures we found ourselves in the midst of!  particularly, friday when we set our for an early morning kayak and found ourselves caught in a thunderstorm.  i didn't want to show it, but i'm pretty sure my life did flash before my eyes! thankfully, we were able to find shelter under a bridge and wait out the storm.  afterwards, the sky was bright and sunny, and we had a delicious outdoor lunch of fresh seafood and pina coladas..YUM!

many days were spent relaxing by the pool with a book in hand.  i have to say, this was the best time of year to visit south florida because the temperatures stayed in the 60s-70s, a welcomed change from our start of spring 40s-50s.

i hope you enjoy a glimpse of our trip! . . .

now it's back to the real world...already day dreaming of our next vacation... :)

she's back...

every once in a while, i get to missing this little old blog and the desire strikes to sit down and have at it like old times.

so, here goes....

i guess you could say i was getting a bit bored and running out of things to say or felt like my life was not interesting enough to keep reporting back here.  so i took some time away (but still continued to read my blog list daily, duh!) not quite sure what it is that is bringing me back here on this day, but it just felt right i suppose! i don't plan to keep any sort of schedule to my posting, other than when the mood strikes...or else i may disappear for a year and a half again ;)

what have i been up to? well, it seems like a lot and then not a lot at all, all at the same time.  the biggest highlights are probably the purchase of our first home (!!!) and the addition of Daisy, our perfect and very active little fur baby.

other than those two things, life has been busy and happy as we try to balance work life and our desire to stay home with D and complete DIY projects/drink wine and make new recipes ;)

in other news, 2015 has been off to a wonderful start.  shawn and i have made a promise to ourselves that we celebrate this year and make it "our year" . . . we both turned the big 3-0 in december.  i may or may not have had a minor anxiety attack over what "30" sounds like vs. what i feel like, if that makes sense? 30 sounds like adult and mature and major life decisions and, dare i even say it, OLD?!? but i feel like that 25 year old that still wants to go to happy hour and sleep in and pretend that i didn't just hit "start" on the dryer for the third time just to avoid folding the laundry.
and then, on the morning of december 19th, i woke up feeling so grateful & excited to be living this life that shawn and i have created.  and all those worries seemed so silly.

fast forward to december 31st, new years eve and also shawn's 30th birthday.  and as the clock struck 12, shawn whispered to me, "this will be our best year yet!" and i don't know how he knew, but he knows these sort of things. (that last time he said that was 2012, our wedding year and also the year i landed my dream job).

a few days later, shawn begin a lengthy interview process (that lasted over a month and a half!) of which eventually he accepted a job offer! he starts that job (his dream job, his big time job!) today!!!!

shawn and i have always lived with the perspective of dreaming big, praying hard, and always ALWAYS staying positive.  while it's not easy, this has helped us through some of our toughest times.  with that sentiment in mind, we are living our 2015 to make it our year.

and with that, i'm off to start my to-do list before leaving for work this afternoon..

have a wonderful day, xo

weekend get-away

this weekend, my husband and i are heading to vermont for a long weekend away visiting a friend.  i have never been to vermont, but in my mind i imagine this weekend to be filled with warm, cozy sweaters, scarves + boots, hiking & taking in amazing views, apple picking, and lots of good food, drinks, and conversation.  have you been to vermont? our friend lives 5 minutes from burlington; if you have any recommendations please let me know!

my mood board for vt:

images via pinterest

will also be bring home lots & lots of maple treats :)

our 1st anniversary

last week, on september 14th, shawn and i celebrated our first anniversary! we planned a short getaway to florida to visit with my in-laws and get some sun.  it was the perfect way to see our family that we haven't seen since the wedding one whole year ago.  we soaked up every second of the family time and left with full hearts and tears in our eyes.  goodbyes are so hard and this trip was especially meaningful. here's a peek into our little anniversary getaway...

this weekend, my mom had us over for dinner to continue the anniversary celebrations and to indulge in the top of our wedding cake.  i have to say we didn't have high expectations, but it did not disappoint! it was still as good as we remembered it from our special day!

***

i cannot believe this photo is from one whole year ago.
that day will forever be the best & happiest day of my life.  one year down, one million bazillion to go!

in the kitchen

lately i have really been into making special meals at home and trying out new recipes.  shawn and i have loved cooking together and rating whether or not our creations are "restaurant worthy"...

this weekend i selected a recipe from one of our "newly wed" cookbooks and put it to the test.  the result was too fabulous not to share.

Creamy Langoustine Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

recipe from: The Newly Wed Kitchen by Lorna Yee & Ali Basye

you will need:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup (about 2 medium) finely diced shallots
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
one 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1/ 4 heavy cream
1/2 pound langoustine tails or shrimp, peeled and deveined, defrosted if frozen
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly torn (optional)
1/2 pound pasta, cooked and drained

you will need to:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the shallots and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they are golden brown.  Add the garlic, oregano, canned tomatoes, red peppers flakes, salt and pepper.  Then add the cherry tomatoes, wine, and heavy cream.  Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the sauce for 5 - 6 minutes, until it reduces and thickens slightly.

2. Add the langoustine tails (or shrimp) and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, until warmed through.  (if you are using fresh, uncooked fish, cook an extra 2 minutes).  Add the basil, then add the cooked pasta, mixing thoroughly to coat with the sauce, and serve.

our adaptations:
I used whole wheat linguine and fat free half and half to make our meal slightly less caloric haha.  I also used fresh shrimp because that was what I had access to.  The verdict was still absolutely restaurant quality & we are looking forward to making this amazing meal again.  It could not have been easier and really only took about 20 minutes to prepare.

i recommend pairing it with your favorite wine and topping it off with a piece of chocolate :)

enjoy!  xxoo

pushing through the funk

after the wedding, i admittedly put working out on the back burner. i had that frame of mind that it was more important to spend quality time with my husband than spending time in the gym.... silly, i know! and while it is most definitely important to spend time with your husband, it is all about balancing time and setting priorities.
recently i have been trying to incorporate workouts (specifically running) back into my daily routine.  I've been waking up earlier and hitting the pavement..and thinking to myself, why did i waste almost a whole summer of not taking advantage of the awesome trails and scenery in my neighborhood?  it's been a rude awakening to see that my times and endurance have obviously taken a hit with my time away from running, but i am really excited to get back at it- and! - with some new goals in mind ;)
thought i would share of my recent inspirations for anyone who is also looking to be inspired...

all photos via pinterest

tell me, where do you find your inspirations for working out?

xxoo