Thanksgiving Weekend

So I had to improvise a little with my Thanksgiving dinner, but it was a success! The Turkey ended up on the grill because I didn't want to crowd the oven and it's always such a pain to baste in there. Well it turned out so good and that is how we'll be cooking it from now on! It was so juicy and cooked perfectly. Everything else was really good as well. We just finished the leftovers last night! The rest of the holiday weekend was pretty low-key. We did a little holiday shopping and on Sunday my parents came for a visit (they live about 90min away) and we went to a place called Johnson's Farm that we love to go to. My son got to see Santa. We saw a reindeer and alpacas. And went on a horse-drawn carriage ride. It was so much fun!

After walking around the farm we took them to this delicious Italian resteraunt that we love that is right down the street. I got this fantastic soup that was so so good I had to try to hunt down a recipe for it. It was a Stuffed Pepper Soup and it was delicious!!! I make stuffed peppers occasionally, so it should be pretty straightforward, but here is the recipe I found...

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Ingredients

* 1 pound ground sirloin

* 1 green bell pepper, chopped

* 1 cup finely diced onion

* 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes

* 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

* 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth

* 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

* 1/4 teaspoon dried sage

* salt and pepper to taste

* 1 cup white rice

Directions

1. In a large stock pot brown ground meat. Drain fat and add pepper and onion. Cook until onion is translucent, not letting them brown.

2. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, thyme, sage and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until peppers are tender.

3. In another saucepan boil 2 cups water, and add rice. Cook until rice is tender and then add to soup. Heat soup through and serve.

I'm going to make it either tonight or tomorrow night for dinner. I can't wait! Yum!!! So what did you all do for your holiday weekend? I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!

Holiday Cards - How do I choose?!

I've been trying to get a jump on getting my holiday cards together and the one thing stopping me from ordering them is choosing which design to go with! They are all so beautiful!!! This year I'll be going through Shutterfly. All of the designs are just irresistible. They have a huge selection of gorgeous holiday cards as well as holiday-themed invitations if you are planning a party. Here are some of my fav's so far...

Merry Blossom Christmas Card

Stamped and Sealed Christmas Card

Scrapbook Style Blue Christmas Card

For anyone that doesn't celebrate Christmas or doesn't want to designate a specific Holiday on their cards, this is a great option with 2 photo's!

Family Wall Blue Christmas Card

Here is another great option with multiple photo's!

I could seriously be here all day posting cards, lol. There are that many to choose, each more lovely than the next. I have no idea how I'm going to choose!!! Are you sending holiday cards this year? If you were to place an order through Shutterfly, which design would you choose? Ps - with your free account you get free photo storage, photo's uploaded at full resolution and also a personalized website. There is also a Holiday Sale going on right now with free shipping on orders of $25+ (use code SHIP25). Enjoy!!!

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching I have had thanksgiving meals on the brain. I do a small TG dinner every year and aside from Christmas, it's my favorite holiday. I love to cook and entertain, so I just really love it. It's like the start of the holiday season when I fall into all of the nostalgia and just have that "warm & fuzzy" feeling all the way through to the start of a new year. I was sick with a cold the last few days and thought that some time in bed would be the perfect time to watch some Food Network and to brainstorm to possibly change things up a bit this year. I always do the homemade whipped potatoes, green beans, and some kind of festive dessert. But this year I wanted to do something different with the Turkey. Ina Garten made this gorgeous Roasted Turkey Roulade and I definitely think I might give it a try. Check it out in this video...



The only change I would make is that I would sub out the stuffing for the delicious sausage stuffing I make every year. I actually found the recipe on a package of Jimmy Dean sausage about 8 years ago right before I hosted my very first Thanksgiving in our old condo =) It was so good it's been a mainstay ever since. Here is the recipe for Sausage Spinach Stuffing. I personally prefer mild or sweet sausage, but any kind will work! Do you host Thanksgiving? What is your favorite part of the holiday? I know I can't wait!!

Anniversary & Stew

Good Morning Lovelies!

I apologize for the lack of posts the last few days! Things have been quite busy with my Husband working some overtime, a bday party this past Sunday and with our Anniversary! So we celebrated being married for 8 years yesterday!! Wow has that time flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was walking down a candlelit aisle in the cute little cabin/cathedral we got married in. Husband and I were talking yesterday about how amazing it is that we thought we were such "grown-ups" back then. I was a child-bride at just 22 and he was 24. To look back we were so young!! Life can be pretty amazing like that =) So in the meantime, while I'm preparing the weeks posts, I thought I would leave you with a recipe for the yummy stew I'll be making for dinner tonight! I have this awesome Popsugar app for my iphone and I'm always on it. I found the recipe the other day and have been dying to make it since. You can find the full printable recipe over at YumSugar, just click on the title below the photo. 

White Bean & Sausage Stew

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 12-ounce package fully cooked chicken sausage links, sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 14½-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
1 14½-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 bunch kale leaves, torn into 2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt and black pepper
1 loaf country bread (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add the sausage and cook, stirring once, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
3. Add the beans, broth, and tomatoes and their liquid and bring to a boil. Add the kale and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with the bread, if using.

Serves 4. 

I am such a HUGE fan of stews and I love Cannelini beans. I hope dinner lives up to the excitement for it all day!!! lol. Enjoy!!!

Inspired By Jess LC Jewelry

I wanted to take a break from my usual clothing posts to talk about someone I am truly inspired by. During my "bloglift" I've added some sponsors and if you take a look on my sidebar you'll see that one of them is a company called Jess LC. I have to admit, I originally came across this gorgeous jewelry after seeing several "Jess LC Ambassador" buttons on various blogs. I was curious what an ambassador was and after clicking on the buttons and looking at this beautiful jewelry, I could see why so many bloggers out there were spreading the word about this company.

But I have to say, that the jewelry wasn't the only reason I became an Ambassador myself. Once I read about the designer behind the jewels, Jessica Constable, I was absolutely smitten with this company. Jess started out at only 15 years old making her own jewelry while sitting at the pool. After selling some pieces to the women there, she decided to start selling them on a regular basis. By the time she graduated High School her jewelry was carried in 12 boutiques.

Jess went on to college at the University of Michigan in 2003, but continued to run her jewelry business. By the time she graduated in 2007 she had been named "Entrepreneur of the Year" and decided to move forward with her company as the CEO. She moved to Chicago and started selling her jewels out of a studio apartment. By the end of 2008 her jewelry was being sold in over 100 stores.

I find Jess's story so inspiring and am amazed that she started her business at only 15 and kept following her dream at such a young age. I am so proud to be am Ambassador for Jess LC! I hope you'll take a moment to check her website out and spread the word about this amazing woman!!

And of course I couldn't end this post without showing a few of my favorites, which is so hard since all of Jess's jewelry is so lovely! So without further ado...




The Diversey Paisley Layering Necklace would be a beautiful addition to any jewelry collection. It can be dressed up or down and is so versatile! It would also look great layered with.... 




The Wellington Random Crystal Layering Necklace.






And my absolute favorite necklace of all is the Franklin Breathe Braille Necklace I love charm style necklaces and I love the unique twist of having Braille stamped into it! So pretty.

There are just so many gorgeous pieces I could be here posting all day! Have a great day lovelies ;)