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November 30, 2012 by sweetly spoken

Goodbye, November!

Ugh. I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of leftovers. I’m sooo over turkey tetrazzini, turkey-cranberry enchiladas, turkey-mashed potato sandwiches. Turkey. Stuffing. Gravy. Pumpkin this. Pumpkin that. Thanksgiving is great and all. And we had a good one. Lovely to see everyone, grateful for the family….yadda yadda. But see you next year, leftovers.

Twinkle Lights! Peppermint! Wreaths! Twinkle Lights! Gingerbread! Trees! Cinnamon! Twinkle Lights! Christmas is here. Now that we’ve got an actual house for the first time in our married life, I’ve been thinking about Christmas decorations a lot. We’ve got a tree in Adelaide’s room, a “kitchen” tree, a tree in the family room, wreaths on doors, garland on the fireplace, a wreath on the mailbox, lights on the deck…..Oh boy. Perhaps I’m over-doing it. Afterall, it’s only November 30. Soon I’ll be writing a post about how I’m sooo over candy canes and cookie exchanges.

But until then, here are a few items that just might get you in the holiday spirit. What will inspire you?

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October 18, 2012 by sweetly spoken

The Big 1 and the Big 3-0

 

What a year.


It all started Saturday, October 1st, 2011. The big move from sweet home Chicago to my hometown. Overnight, we went from skyscrapers, heavy traffic, and convenience around every corner, to the woods, fresh air, and a population of roughly 800. The Monday after our move, Michael started his new job. The next morning, my water broke and we were on our way to meeting our baby girl. In a whirlwind of just five short days, our lives would never be the same.

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March 2, 2012 by sweetly spoken

Babies (and Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce)

Completely unrelated: this recipe for pasta with vodka cream sauce, and our recent trip to Louisville, KY to visit the family.
But, these photos of the babies were too darn cute not to post! Scroll through the lovely photos, and bonus, you get a quick, easy, and tasty pasta recipe.
You’re welcome.
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February 2, 2012 by sweetly spoken

A baked-from-scratch baby

We just returned from a visit to Louisville, Kentucky. Michael’s sister just had a brand new baby girl and we wanted Adelaide to meet her while she was still little and newborn-y. We introduced Adelaide to some favorite food (Skyline Chili!) and spent time with some favorite relatives.

Funfetti cake from scratch

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October 22, 2011 by sweetly spoken

The last of the 20s

If someone tried to tell me that by the time I turned 29, I’d be married, have a baby, and live in Northern Michigan, I would have told them they are absolutely crazy. When I was in high school, I used to think that I would get married around 28, and maybe start trying for a family in my 30s. I pictured myself as a high-powered exec living in a big city. I even went so far as to day dream of a skinnier, blonder me walking, in slow motion, down a crowded sidewalk wearing a creme-colored power suit with big black sunglasses (my friend helped paint that lovely picture while trying to talk me into buying a pink suitcase while I was studying in Spain….and yes, I bought the pink suitcase).
Well, here I sit, new to being a full-time ‘home-maker’ (I detest that title), new to being a mommy, and a born-again Michigander. I’ve exchanged my creme-colored power suit for some Hunter rain boots and a wool sweater. It’s growing on me, don’t get me wrong (heck, it’s what I’ve always dreamed of), but it’ll take some getting used to, particularly at this age. I’ve thought up a few things that’ll help make the transition a little easier on me: Read More »

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October 17, 2011 by sweetly spoken

Delicious one-pot chicken

There’s no telling what made my water break. Maybe it was the move from Chicago to Northern Michigan. Maybe it was the speed-driven nesting activity I did once we arrived. Maybe it was the couple of hikes we took through the woods behind our apartment. Or, maybe it was the last meal I made the night before. Regardless of whatever spurred my labor, this recipe is a delicious, easy meal to make and to eat – but if you’re nearing your due date, beware!

Andie, me and baby-to-be, two days before my water broke

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October 15, 2011 by sweetly spoken

And Baby Makes Three

In mid-August, we committed to move from Chicago to Northern Michigan so that Michael could start a new job on October 1. During the month of September, we told our employers in Chicago of our upcoming move, re-arranged our health insurance, rented out our Chicago condo, found an apartment rental in Michigan, hired a moving company, packed up our things, visited our favorite Chicago restaurants, said goodbye to friends….all while preparing for our upcoming due date for our baby….October 22.

Cornbread Crab Cakes with White Cheddar Grits and Cilantro Sour Cream
We thought we were giving ourselves enough time (we were banking on at least two weeks) to get settled in Michigan prior to the arrival of our baby. We were wrong! Read More »

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July 27, 2011 by sweetly spoken

We made salmon…again.

Michael on his charter fishing trip for “work.”
All of a sudden, we had salmon up to our eyeballs. Michael went on a charter fishing trip on Lake Michigan with some vendors from work. I know, what kind of job is that? Pretty nice one, if you ask me. Most companies in Chicago do summer outings to Cubs or Sox games. Michael gets to do those too, but apparently he also gets to go boating. Read More »

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July 23, 2011 by sweetly spoken

Grown-Up Beenie Weenies

Blame it on the pregnancy, and the darn CPA exam, AGAIN. Don’t worry, I’m not starving folks. I’m just not cooking, or blogging, right now, for that matter. What have I been eating? Well, Michael’s cooking, of course, and he’s getting good (more on that in subsequent posts). But on the nights when we have no groceries, and Michael is running out of all-star husband-of-the-year juice, we gotta find something to eat.

My sister-in-law mentioned beenie weenies a few weeks back. “What’s ‘beenie weenies’?” I asked. She guffawed at the simple fact that I wasn’t familiar with the term. “Franks and beans!” Michael stepped in to help me out, “Kenna, a can of baked beans with hot dogs cut up in it.” Ohhhhhhh. Sorry, never had that one growing up.

Well, it’s high time I tried. Pregnant, busy studying, no time to cook? Make this. Easy. Peasy. Read More »

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