Wednesday, January 25, 2012

This One Time? At Band Camp?

This one time? At band camp?

I met my best friend.

(Was your mind going to a dirty place involving a flute? I thought so. Get it out of the gutter!)

Well, to be technical, I met Amy a few weeks before we left for band camp, the summer before we started our freshman year of high school. For those of you keeping track, that was 1995, which means we've been friends for almost seventeen years. More than half our lives. Crazy. (It also means that I'm old, because that dorky, awkward thirteen-year-old with the Luke Perry obsession doesn't seem like she could be gone. Oh wait. She isn't. She's now just a dorky, awkward thirty-year-old with a Luke Perry obsession that is bordering on kinda sad.)

Anyways.

At this magical little camp in northern Michigan I bonded with a girl I started calling "Buttons". I haven't the slightest idea why, but for some reason it stuck. She started calling me "Snickers", because during snack break I liked to buy giant Snickers bars to stuff my face with. (I don't care what anyone says, that marching was hard work and I needed my protein!) I knew Amy was the real deal when she braved the scary senior boys cabin to ask them if I could have my orthotics back. You see, I had bunions, and when they stole my shoes they also stole my orthotics and how in the world would I be able to march properly if my arches weren't being supported?

Are you getting an awesome image in your head of what I was like when I was thirteen?

From there we were pretty much inseparable. We were voted "Class Best Friends". We went off to different colleges, but still stayed in touch. We had our ups and downs, as all good relationships do. We fought, we cried, we laughed, we made up. We saw each other through graduations and first jobs and law school and engagements and weddings and babies. The night I met Mike? We were out celebrating Amy's birthday. That's a story for another day, but let's just say that she had a hand in bringing us together.

I was lucky enough to escape last week for a long weekend to visit Amy in Virginia. It had been over a year since we had seen each other last, and it was such an awesome three days spent laughing and drinking wine and knitting and just catching up. I'm pretty sure that there wasn't more than three minutes of silence the whole time we were together, and it is such a lovely feeling to know that while our lives have changed so drastically since that first summer, I'm pretty sure she would still have my back if I needed to confront some scary boys.


I think this picture is from 1998. All my band camp pictures are in a box somewhere at my parents' house. But, as you can see, by this time we were already much, much cooler than we were when we first met.



Virginia Beach 2012

We're still Snickers and Buttons.

And, for the record, I really do think Luke Perry has got it goin' on. Team Dylan, all the way, baby.

Happy Wednesday!!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Mmm. That Sounds Good. I'll Have That.

I was recently invited to participate in a recipe swapping club by Tara over at An Unconventional June. Basically, a bunch of people (I think there's five of us right now) all contribute five recipes, and then Tara maps out the whole month with grocery lists and calendars and directions for everything. I sometimes get stuck in such a rut when it comes to menu planning - I have days when I feel totally inspired to try to new things, and others where I'm basically scrounging my cupboards and serving my family random leftovers and cans of things I want to use up before they go bad. This way, I have it all right there in front of me and it is so, so easy.

This month has been a little crazy, though. I went to Virginia to visit my friend Amy (more on that in a later post) so I was out of the dinner-making game for almost a week. And with the loss of our dog, everyone in the Arends house has been a little down in the dumps. (Side note here: our other dog, Jasper, has probably been taking it the hardest. Not really eating, not wanting to go outside, sleeping a lot. Lola was basically the doggy equivalent to his wife, so we're spoiling him with extra walks and dinner scraps. Poor guy.)

Anyways, to combat the colder temperatures we're having and our grumpy moods, I thought I'd deviate from the menu planning tonight and cook a big pot of one of our favorite soups. It's a little more time consuming than something I'd usually make during the week, but the results are warm and comforting - just what we need.

(Also, I wanted an excuse to use this video from "Dumb and Dumber" in my post. Delicious soup and Jim Carrey in one day? Sounds good to me.)



Beef and Barley Soup






What you need:
2 tbsp. EVOO
1 lb. London broil, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
salt & pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped (I sometimes throw in a little extra - I love carrots!)
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (I use white mushrooms if I can't find creminis)
2 tbsp. minced garlic (from 4 cloves)
2 tbsp. tomato paste
3/4 cup dry red wine
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
3/4 cup pearl barley
parsley
horseradish

What you do:
1. Heat 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper, and brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

I just noticed that renegade piece of meat that was trying to make a break for it. Not so fast, buddy.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tsp. oil, and cook onion, carrot, and mushrooms until golden, stirring occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt.



3. Add garlic and tomato paste, and cook, stirring until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add wine. Return to heat, bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits using a wooden spoon. Cook until reduced by half (5 minutes or so).





4. Return beef to pot, and add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for 1 hour.


5. Add barley, and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until beef and barley are tender, 20 to 25 minutes more. Stir in parsley and garnish with horseradish and serve with crusty bread for dipping!






Enjoy!

I might be making this for dessert, because, really, how could I not?

The original soup recipe is from Martha Stewart Living - you can find it here.

Happy Friday!

Do you have any menu planning tips or tricks? How do you keep motivated to cook?

Monday, January 16, 2012

It's a Mixed Up, Muddled Up, Shook Up World Except for Lola

I suppose you know when you bring home a pet that, if all goes according to plan, someday you will have to say goodbye.

When that time comes, though, it's hard to remember that.

We unexpectedly lost our sweet puppy Lola last week. At seven years old, she wasn't really much of a puppy anymore, but the ferocity of her wagging tail and the glee in which she chased after squirrels and rabbits might have made you think otherwise.

L to R: Lola & Jasper, Baby Lola, swimming, the day we brought her home, hiking, best friends!, with Anna, hiking again, snow puppy


I can so vividly remember the day we brought her home at eight weeks old, a shaking, cuddly ball of chocolate brown fur who refused to be left alone.

And even though, to put it mildly, she put us through some challenging times (hello, animal behaviorist and doggy Xanax), she never wavered in her love for those in her inner circle.

She surprised us all with her love for Anna, always the first one to greet us at the door, licking Anna's face and tolerating a toddler's erratic attempts at affection.

We will miss the softness of the fur on her ears, the wetness of her nose, and the thumping of her powerful tail when she was excited or happy.

Mike's boss shared this quote, and it is quite appropriate.

"It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them.  And every new dog that comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart.  If I live long enough, all of the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are." -Anonymous


Our family lost a member last week. But Lola, our hearts are bigger because of you.


Lola Arends
December 5, 2004 - January 11, 2012

Thursday, January 12, 2012

I'll Have What She's Having

I don't think I've really kept it much of a secret that I am slightly obsessed with Pinterest.

I suppose being crafty is a little in my blood. I mean, my mom has a degree in textile design, and so many of my memories growing up are of her creating something, whether it was cross stitching or basket weaving or amazing Halloween costumes. In fact, to this day, the hum of a sewing machine is a comforting sound, one that I love to hear.

But it wasn't until I was introduced to Pinterest that I really began to think, "Hey, I can probably do that!" My eyes were opened to all these new, fun, crafty ideas that I was dying to try.

After the first couple of days browsing through other pinners' boards, one idea kept calling to me. All of these people were making totally awesome play kitchens out of old entertainment centers. And I wanted to join in on the fun. So I convinced Mike that Anna needed one, and that we were going to make it for her, and began scouring Craig's List for the perfect piece of furniture that we could transform into a fun little place for Anna to make tea and scrambled eggs for her stuffed animals.

We found one that would work, and transform we did.



I have to admit that it wasn't quite as simple as I had imagined. And the idea about it being so much cheaper than buying one? Yeah, not so much. But I love that it's unique, and I love that Mike and I made it. Every night after Anna would go to bed, we'd spend an hour or two working on it, drinking beer and talking about how much our girl was going to love her new kitchen.

I should have been better about documenting the whole process. If you have specific questions, email me - I'm by no means an expert, but for our lack of knowledge and craftsmanship, I think it turned out pretty darn good!

Here's the basics:

First, we primed the whole thing, then painted. I told the guy at the hardware store what I was doing, and he recommended the type of paint we used, which was a latex base. I have to say that the paint is one of the things I like the least. The color is awesome, but the paint peels off pretty easily. We did seal it using a clear spray paint sealer, but I'm not sure how it will stand up over time. We shall see.

For the fridge door, I first coated it with several coats of magnetic spray paint. It's not as magnetic as I hoped - the spray cans kept clogging. I actually called Krylon and they ended up sending me a refund, which makes me think it must be a common problem. Regular magnets don't work, which is kind of a bummer, but I did find some super powerful ones that will stick. I plan to make some letters or something cute for her to have, but for now we just have a couple of small circles. I then sprayed it with silver metallic paint, the same color I used to spray all the hardware and the burners, which are just wooden circles we picked up at Hobby Lobby. I painted the coils on by hand and glued them on with wood glue.

The sink is a faucet we bought at Walmart, although we probably could have found one cheaper at a salvage yard or thrift store. Editor's Note: I normally HATE shopping at Walmart. HATE. But they had some crazy Black Friday deal on XBoxes that Mike wanted, so we were there shopping without a toddler and had a gift card. Hence, several Walmart purchases. I think we payed around ten bucks. The sink is a dog food bowl from Menard's, but again, we probably could have found something cheaper. Mike was in charge of cutting the hole for the bowl to fit in, and it was probably one of the more annoying tasks. It would be easier if you had some kind of jigsaw, but he did it all by hand. The stove and oven knobs are from a local store that sells refurbished appliances. They were two dollars each - not a great deal, but much cheaper than buying them new at Home Depot or Lowe's. We drilled holes, threaded screws up that fit into the knobs, and then put a little super glue on the ends to help them stay attached.

For the oven door, we busted out the middle piece, and then attached a $3 piece of plexi-glass on the back We bought new hinges and attached them at the bottom, and added a handle we got at Walmart (they came in a two-pack and we used the other one on the fridge).

I made the curtain from fabric I already had, and I think I want to make another curtain to cover the area under the sink. The window frame is from Michael's and we blew up a picture to put inside. The kitchen sign, chalkboard, and 'A' all came from hobby lobby, and I used Modge Podge to cover the 'A' in fabric.

I think that pretty much covers it. Anna scored all kinds of fabulous play food and kitchen accessories for Christmas and her birthday, and she also got a sweet little table to better serve her delicious creations.

















Thanks again, Pinterest, for inspiring us to get our craft on!

And if you're in the neighborhood, stop on by. Anna makes a mean wooden pizza that you don't want to miss!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

She Puts The Color Inside Of My World

As soon as we found out Anna's due date (December 24th), I knew our future kid was going to be faced with a lot of birthday disappointments over the years. I mean, seriously, a birthday at the end of December? My birthday is at the end of October and I sometimes feel slightly shorted. Like, all my presents come in a two-month stretch and right around June or July I start feeling envious of everyone celebrating their birthdays. (Because that's what Christmas and birthdays are all about, right? Presents!)

In fact, I even came across a blog that declares March to be "National Abstinence Month" so that no one is forced to celebrate a December birthday. While I wouldn't go as far as Scary Mommy does and say that "December babies suck," I would agree that a birthday three days after Christmas isn't exactly ideal.

But you know what? It is what it is. And like I mentioned a few days ago, even if I'm exhausted and totally over celebrating and stuffing my face, I'm going to make damn sure that Anna's birthday is celebrated. Yes, we've all eaten way too much cake. Yes, she's totally spoiled by the seemingly endless amount of presents that she's opened. Yes, I would very much like to take a long nap instead of cleaning my house. If Anna's birthday was in  probably any other month, though, none of those things would be an issue. My sister said, and I agree with her, that it's almost like we have to make a bigger deal out of her birthday than we normally would, just so she knows she has her own special day.

Besides, how are we not going to celebrate the day this girl came into our world?



This year was a much smaller affair than last year's, although I did get talked out of my original idea of ordering Costco pizzas. (Boo to that - who doesn't love Costco pizza? Who?) And I of course went a little overboard on the cake, but mostly because I get a kick out of doing stuff like that. Also - Pinterest exists this year, and there were quite a few fun ideas I wanted to try out.

Behold, the rainbow.





Much less complicated than it looks. Promise. Mostly time consuming. You need to buy the gel food coloring to get the colors that bright - they sell them at Michael's. I just used two boxes of white cake mix and divided the batter into eight smaller bowls. I only have two cake pans, so it took awhile to bake the layers, let them cool, wash the pans, and start over again.This bad boy required two batches of frosting, which equaled an extremely heart healthy six sticks of butter and eight cups of powdered sugar. Yum. If I did it again, I would use the same frosting for in between the layers, but probably use something a little fluffier for the outside. I still have like half of this cake in the freezer, so hit me up if you want a slice!



We ate Mexican food, Anna showed off her new presents, and we all marveled over the amazing little person she has become.

I spent like $25 on rainbow sprinkles. Yes, I'm aware I have a problem.






Birthday crown made by my mom.



When it comes down to it, even though her birthday may not be perfectly timed, in my eyes she timed her arrival perfectly. She's here. She's healthy. That's all that really matters.

And if that's not an excuse to eat rainbow cake, I'm not sure what is.

Any December babies out there? How do you cope? Will Anna be scarred for life?

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Holiday Photo Dump

I had visions in my head of putting together some lovely and thoughtful posts about our holidays, but as I mentioned before, it seems as though the last few weeks have gone by in a crazy blur. And it's now January 8th and I've yet to share any of the 600 pictures I've taken. Apparently procrastination shows its face in all parts of my life, not just when laundry or vacuuming are involved.

So, instead of drawing it out (which would mean you would most likely be reading about our Christmas celebration sometime in May), I'm just going to throw a whole bunch of pictures your way.

In a nutshell? Our Christmas was awesome. In fact, the best I can remember. Anna could kind of understand the concept of what was happening. And even though she opened a ridiculous amount of presents - at one point I was literally bribing her to keep going - it all reminded me why being a mama is so darn cool and why I love my family.

Blurry - but I love the hug Anna is giving me!


Matching jammies! Dork alert!



Christmas morning. 

Matching jammies in the dryer because of a leaky diaper ...


Waving kitty that Mike bought for his family's gift exchange and then proceeded to steal from someone so we could have it. Sweet.




I love these pictures. Baby sling and Anna's dress made by my mom.





My grandmother turns 90 in February, but since everyone was in town we decided to celebrate a little early. This was the first time we had all been together since Kristin and Drew's wedding, and the first time many of them had met Anna.


My cousins came up with a sweet little skit spelling out my grandma's name. I was "D" for dinner - she used to get so mad at us if we tried to sneak any snacks before dinner!

How cool does she look rocking that tiara?

Any party is fine by Anna as long as she gets to eat ice cream.

I have a ton more pictures from Anna's birthday that I'll save for another post. You can only take so much of our family at a time, right? Plus, being the crazy mama that I am, I don't want her birthday to always get lumped together with Christmas. The poor kid didn't have any say in when she was born, and even if I'm exhausted and partied-out by the time her day rolls around, I want to always make sure she doesn't feel shorted.


Happy Sunday!