Staying On Top Of Things

Last Christmas was a little "off" for me with Cameron being only 3 months old & having had goofy postpartum anxiety issues. So this year I have vowed to stay on top of presents & Christmas cards with no last minute scrambling. We're also heading to Chicago this Christmas, so I need to have things done even earlier than usual.

So, with staying true to my goals, I started working on some presents this weekend. Thanks to my dear friend, Lesli, I ordered some complimentary Christmas cards & a photo book from Shutterfly by using a code she gave me. I spent tons of time on Shutterfly ordering presents for the grandparents; I can't say what yet though just in case my mother-in-law happens to pop in on my blog. I ordered a total of 62 Christmas photo cards which are scheduled to arrive on the 4th of December, so I'll definitely be able to get them sent out in time. When we were at my parent's condo a week ago, my dad was nice enough to take a picture of the three of us with the sun setting over the Gulf. It was beautiful! And since I loathe the crowded stores, I plan on doing most of my shopping online from the comfort of my couch!

I absolutely, positively ADORE this time of year & am so excited for the holiday season, but I honestly cannot believe it's already here!

New Signature!

Sometimes my personal e-mail account can get a bit flooded since I spend the majority of time during the week at work where that account is blocked. So just last night I saw an unopened e-mail from my wonderful friend, Lauren & saw that she had created a signature for me!!

Thank you so much, Lauren, I absolutely love it! You're the best!

What's For Dinner?

If you love the taste of Indian food & want to try something that's easy to make but very different from a typical home meal, give this recipe a try! As soon as I watched this episode of the Rachael Ray Show, I knew I wanted to make the Peanut-Curry Chicken & Rice.

It made plenty for the two of us for dinner yesterday, leftovers tonight & at least one more portion for Mike to take to work. We made it with Basmati rice which is what we have at Indian restaurants. Seriously, this meal is delish!

Weekend Getaway

We spent this entire past weekend at my parent's beach condo & it was just what I needed to mentally regroup! The weather could not have been more beautiful & it was wonderful to have such a relaxing time with Mike & Cameron. Since I'm never able to fully relax at home with seeing each little thing that needs to be done around me, I was able to really kick back this weekend & destress.



Stack of magazines, warm sunshine & the sound of the waves reaching the shore... reminds me that life is good!





Nothing like kicking your toes in the warm sand!








Appreciating every second I have with my little love.

j

Beautiful.

What's For Dinner?

Do you have a slew of random leftovers in your fridge that you're not sure what to do with? Wondering what you're going to make for dinner tonight? Well, I think that a frittata is the perfect meal to feed your family while also clearing up some room in your fridge! I kid you not, you can seriously put whatever you want into this egg creation & it will taste good (well, anything that you would have in your fridge in the first place).

Our frittata tonight consisted of half of a green pepper I had leftover which I chopped & roasted with a potato that was coming close to growing eyes & reaching the end of it's life & some grated garlic, salt & pepper. Then I chopped some leftover samosas from the Indian dinner we enjoyed with our friends on Sunday afternoon & mixed them in with beaten eggs & milk & threw in some cubes of cheese. When the green pepper/potato concoction came out of the oven, I tossed that into the egg mixture, poured it into a pan I had heating on the stove & let the frittata cook through on the bottom until it was time to finish it under the broiler of the oven until it was golden brown.

So, I challenge you to take a look around your kitchen, resist the urge to run to the grocery store for any additional ingredients & get creative while using what you already have on hand!



How do I manage to get dinner on the table with a one-year old in the house? Baby Einstein! It holds Cam's attention for a solid 15 minutes & lets me zip around the kitchen, getting stuff done.

My Hubby & Me

My hubby, my hubby, my hubby & me! (Remember that doll/commercial for the My Buddy & Kid Sister dolls??)

My co-worker, Shital, invited us over to her friend's house to watch the game Sunday; they just so happen to be huge Bears fans as well. It was a great time with some good food, folks & fun with some delicious Indian food... yum!

Columbia Restaurant

When I posted this blog about the Columbia Restaurant 1905 Salad, I never would have expected to get a comment from the marketing manager saying that the President of Columbia Restaurant, Richard Gonzmart, had read my blog & wanted to invite us to dinner with their compliments. I was absolutely thrilled & honored & immediately wrote back & said that we would LOVE to finally have a chance to try the restaurant.

Mike & I eagerly headed to Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City on Saturday night sans baby, for a relaxing date night. Thank you, Matt & Kelly for watching Cam!! We had 6pm reservations & were seated front & center for the 7pm Flamenco show. I seriously felt like a celebrity since we were taken such good care of; we were just beyond honored to have been invited & treated so well.

We started with a pitcher of the Sangria de Cava which was a wonderfully refreshing champagne sangria & an appetizer of the Devil Crab croquettes. For our entrees, I had the Snapper "Alicante" which was PHENOMENAL! The dish was a taste explosion & so interesting with the mouth-watering gravy over the tender, flaky fish with sliced almonds & a garnish of fried shrimp & eggplant. Mike had the Paella "A la Valencia" which was also fantastic. We, of course, had to try the 1905 Salad which was as awesome as we imagined. As we watched the Flamenco show, we ended the night with a pitcher of red sangria.

Mike & I were so incredibly grateful to have been given such an amazing evening out with such wonderful food, drinks & ambiance. Thank you so much to Columbia Restaurant & Richard Gonzmart for your generosity; trust me when I say that we will not soon forget it! If you live in Florida & are looking for a unique place to have a date or family celebration, I highly recommend Columbia Restaurant!


Hello, champagne sangria! Come to Mama!