Pati-YO!

Here's something amazing: it finally feels like spring in Northern Michigan.  I mean we're talking 60 degrees.  scorchers.  Ok, not really.  But it has given us more excuses to hang outside and relax on our deck and patio.  See the deck and patio didn't get finished until the end of the fall last year which meant we hardly got to used it.  So this year we were gung ho.

Except we had no place to sit.  

Until Sunday.

On Sunday we ventured to one of our favorite local spots - Sturgeon River Pottery.  I've mentioned it before on el blog.  Our friends Karen and "Uncle" Steve own the place and are celebrating 30 years in business this year!  They are fantastic and the pottery they make is beautiful.  And speaking of pottery, we had plenty from our wedding registry.  We also had quite a few gift certificates.  

What to do?  What to do?

Um, buy awesome outdoor cedar furniture for our deck, of course.

So, JW and "Uncle" Steve loaded it up in the truck, we paid a little more than what our gift certificates covered and we were on our way to enjoy a sunny afternoon on the deck.

We ended up getting a standard adirondack chair, a glider chair, foot stool and side table.  We've already used them a few times and they are grrrrrrrrrreat.  Like Frosted Flakes great.  I think we'll definitely be spending a lot of time out here this summer :)

Weekend Recap & Easy Burritos.

We had a great weekend (as usual)...though it felt a little short.  As I mentioned, I co-hosted a baby shower on Saturday which was loads of fun and lots of baby talk (which reminds me of all the things I have to look forward to). 

Then, on Sunday we did our normal 8am church routine, a breakfast of leftover shower goodies with the family, and then we worked around the house.  We keep thinking we're getting to the end of our project list, but people continue to tell us that we'll really never be done.  Our hope is to be ready for Liza once summer hits so we can enjoy ourselves, spend mucho time at our cottage and be a little lazy :)  But we are checking projects off our to-do list: here's a sneak peak at our front yard...not totally done, but getting there.

We also picked up some new patio furniture yesterday...thank you wedding gift certificates!

Last, but not least we did some good eating!  And that my friends, continued through tonight.  We had leftover burritos.  I made the recipe quite awhile ago and they were so good we froze the leftovers.  I originally found the recipe here, but because I'm such a rebel and can't follow a recipe (unless I'm baking), here's how I ended up making them.

CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN BURRITOS

2-3 chicken breasts

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup onions, chopped

1/4 cup peppers, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1-2 cups chicken stock (I'm a fan of the stock in a box)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 package whole wheat tortillas

2/3 cup shredded cheese (we used cheddar, but pepper-jack would be great too)

Your favorite mexican toppings (whatever you'd use for tacos/nachos)

The Recipe

[one] Put chicken, salsa, onions, peppers, chili powder in a pan (or the crock pot would work).  Cover with chicken stock.  Simmer for an hour and a half on low, breaking up the chicken pieces every 15 minutes and adding stock as liquid evaporates.  I like to start for the first half with the lid on to get everything cooked and then pull the lid so the liquids start to reduce.  (ps - this is a great time to multi-task.  as long as there is enough liquid, you'll be good to go)

[two] Shred the chicken (if you let it cook long enough you should be able to do this right in the pan).  Add the can of black beans and stir to mix.  Let cook about 10 minutes.

[three] Place 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of filling in each tortilla and top with cheese.  Wrap each tortilla up.

[four] Place burritos seam side down in a greased 9x13 pan.  Cook for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

[five] Top with your favorite Mexican flavors -- we like hot sauce, sour cream, avocados and tomatoes!

The best part about these is you can pull them from the freezer and bake them covered in foil for 25-30 minutes at 400...which is exactly what my lovely hubs did tonight since I do the after-school program on Mondays.  AND the recipe for the chicken is great on nachos, in enchiladas, or any other Mexican dishes...delicioso!

Baby Shower Fun!

My good friend Natalie is having a baby and so we figured let's celebrate that little 'cubby' growing in her belly!  Because Natalie and her husband are some of the most patient people I know, they've decided to wait to see whether Baby K is a girl or a boy (something I cannot even begin to imagine).  Here's the beautiful momma-to-be with my friends Courtney and Cathy who hosted the shower with me.  

It was a great day despite some rain and chilly temperatures outside.  And since we didn't know if Baby K is a little he or she (aka Baby Liza's future BFF or husband), we opted to go with a green and yellow theme.  Here's a few pictures of the decorations...

 We followed the tutorials for the pom poms found at Martha Stewart's site. Initially I got the idea on Friday when I checked out Young House Love and they had a few made for their daughter's first birthday.  Then, last weekend at Mother's Day mass, I saw some yellow spider mums.  Pair that with the green spider mums we had in our wedding and they made for a great combination.  I also threw together a party flag 'banner' with some yellow and green fabric I picked up.  I figured it would be great in Liza's room or for some birthday parties for little ones in our future :)

As for the food spread, we had some delicious eats...almost all of which was homemade.  Here was the spread:
~Egg Casseroles (one veggie, one with meat)

~Fruit Salad

~Bagels with cream cheese (that we flavored and mixed up ourselves)

~Cinnamon Chip and Cherry Pecan Scones

~Fruit Pizza

~Sausage

I didn't take any super-close ups, but I will be sure to post recipes for the egg casserole, strawberry cream cheese, agave-cinnamon cream cheese, and the scones.  The scones are soooooooooooooo good.  They are pretty easy to make...just a little messy :)

We played one game.  I'm convinced that regardless of what kind of party you have, if you have a roll of toilet paper you can make up some sort of game.  You know, there's toilet paper bride, toilet paper baby belly, and...well, that's all I got.  But here's an action shot of the second.  

The prizes?  Headache pillows filled with rice and lavender or tropical rooibos tea.  I whipped those up yesterday today -- yay for leftover fabric and big bag of brown rice.

It was a really great day.  Nat's up north "family" got to meet her real family.  We laughed, ate great food, and got to celebrate Baby K coming into the world soon :)

Who I Am

Courtesy of Emily @ Live a Charmed Life 

 

I am...Erin.  I am a wife, mom to a sweet puppy and soon to be mom to Baby Liza.  I teach, coach, and love being outdoors.

I want...an iPhone.  I don't have a terribly good reason why, just do :)

I have...a smile on my face because it is so darn warm in Northern Michigan today (and because I'm spending my afternoon sitting in the sun at the local coffee shop)!

I wish...I already knew exactly how to use my new camera.  It's sitting next to me at the moment, manual on the table, photography blogs in other windows.  Any suggestions you have would be oh-so-helpful :)

I hate...that I'll never get to meet my in-laws.  Wish I could have. 

I fear...that something will go wrong with Baby Liza.  Everything has been beyond wonderful so far, I just worry.

I hear...coffee brewing and some chill music. 

I search...anything blog related...especially photography.

I wonder...who Liza will look like.  She seems to already be getting some long legs like her 6' tall mom and dad :)

I regret...not writing down everything I remembered from my wedding day a few days later.  That was one thing on our to-do list that didn't get crossed off and now it's tough to remember all those special things.

I love...My hubby, JW.  The baby growing in my belly.  Our sweet 11-year-old black lab Whit.  My family and being just down the street from most of them.

I ache...in my lower back on the right hand side.  Pretty much any time I'm really active, this seems to flare up.  Hello preggo.

I always...say I love you to my husband at night and to my pup in the morning before I leave (what, JW's already at work then) :)

I usually...have a smile on my face.  Though some days I'm ready to feel like I did before getting pregnant (although I've had hardly any nausea/bad mouth tastes lately).

I am not...perfect...although I am a perfectionist.

 

I dance...quite frequently.  Today on my way to work, last night in the kitchen.  I just got a text from a pregnancy thing that said "your baby can feel you dance and hear you sing -- have fun with it!"

I sing...all the time in the car.  I'm by no means fantastic, but I don't think I'm half bad either ;)

I never...imagined living in my hometown with a wonderful husband four houses down from my brother and sister-in-law.  But it is bliss and I couldn't imagine it any other way. 

I sometimes...can be a little neurotic when it comes to cooking, cleaning, organizing.

I cry...only when I'm super-frustrated or tired.  Although some days (with these crazy preggo hormones) I cry at a song that I think is cute or a movie/tv scene. 

I am not always...energetic and enthusiastic, though I usually am.  Just ask my kids at school :)

I lose...my patience when I have to repeat the directions 17 times in one class.  Ok, not really 17, but sometimes it gets a bit redundant. 

I am confused...by the way life works.  But, I know there is a plan for me and for my family and I try to let go of control a little more.

I need...to learn to say no.  And to sit still. 

I should...stop writing this and learn more about the new camera!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Despite the rain, it is a steamy 72 degrees here!  Some of you may not think that's a big deal, but we've only gotten to that temperature once this fall so it's exciting! 

Anyway, here's what I'm loving this Wednesday:

1) An amazing birthday yesterday and getting to spend time with my wonderful family and friends.

2) My husband. 

If you read yesterday's post you'd know that he got me a Canon Rebel XSI for my bday.  On top of that he leaves me a note like this every morning:

3) Hosting a baby shower this weekend.  My good buddy Natalie is due in June and we're so excited to get a bunch of girls together for good food, great company, and everything baby!

4) Lately we've been getting SO much done on our house.  JW has been a busy bee, but never complains when I can't haul rocks or paint (b/c of that whole preggo thing) and so I usually get the 'easy' jobs.  Here's a quick before of the front of our house.  Hopefully I'll have some amazing afters for you this weekend (pending the rain holds off a bit and some flowers start blooming)!

5) Liza is really starting to move in my belly.  Yesterday was the first day I felt something and it's continued to today.  It's amazing to have the connection now that we know 'it' is a 'she' and 'she' will be baby Liza :)

HAPPY WEDNESDAY kids!

My day of birth.

Let me just come right out with it.  It's my 27th birthday today.  So we celebrated with family - steaks on the grill, baked potatoes, cole slaw, and fruit salad.  It was a delicious meal finished with this...

Of course we had to sing, and then we lit the candles three times so the nephews could blow them out.  We get good use out of our candles.  Then we ate the funfetti cake.  I don't know what it is about the funfetti cake with rainbow chip frosting but quite frankly I LOVE IT.  I will probably still request that for my birthday dessert when I am 50.  

It was really a great night...and I got some fantastic presents.  My favorite, though, is from my hubby: A CANON REBEL XSI.  Oh Lord, get ready for some pictures.  I wish I could've taken some tonight, but I figured it would be polite to interact with family and friends rather than charge the batteries and read the manual 15 times.  I'm thinking about calling in sick just so I can play with it (ok kidding, I don't have that many sick days).  

I also got lots of maternity clothes from my parents and bro and his wife, which is good because some days I'm starting to feel like my selection is limited.  That's especially reinforced when it's not all that warm outside - therefore no comfy skirts or dresses.

I also got this book from my friend Courtney, which cracks me up and would be a great present for any baby shower or mom-to-be.  You can buy it online, but here's the description:
"This fun, retro volume shows moms how to maintain peace and prosperity for their familis-well, maybe not. Things like sending the little ones off to bed before hubby gets home so he won't have to be disturbed by them, making balanced meals every night and making sure everyone is at the table for dinner, and keeping herself looking good for him are portrayed in the kitchy light of their reality at the time. Warning: This is a gift between sisters and girlfriends who are moms or moms-to be.... It's a humorous gifts for moms-to-be, or currents moms, for Mother's Day or any day."

Trust me, you WILL laugh.  

I hope you all have a wonderful May 10th.  And if you have any lovely advice for me on this wonderful new camera, I'm all ears!

Northern Michigan chicken salad!

We cook all the time in our household.  It really is one of the things that helps our marriage grow.  JW and I love cooking together, eating (obviously), and occasionally having a dance party in the kitchen.  So when it comes to food, I keep meaning to share recipes with you guys.  

Unfortunately for you, since I've been pregnant when I need dinner, I NEED dinner.  We're talking I can't wait two minutes for it.  We've even been known to rush through prayers so I can start stuffing my face!  It also means that I take some lovely pictures of the food while I prep it, but often am too busy stuffing said face to remember to take some pictures when the food is all put together and looking pretty.

Anywho, you'll have to deal with some pretty prep pics and some not-so-glam assembled pics.  I promise it will be good, though!  The other night we were searching for something quick to make with chicken and went to one of my old favorites: chicken salad.  I'd like to think we put a few different twists on it, though.  

One: dried cherries.  We live in Petoskey, like an hour and a half from Traverse City and cherries are everywhere -- therefore we eat them in everything, including Thanksgiving stuffing!  

Two: plain yogurt mixed with mayo.  I like the tang from some mayo, but the health benefits from the plain yogurt.  

Three: toasted almonds.  I like some crunch in my chicken salad, but am a picky eater when it comes to raw celery and onion.  Solution: chopped organic almonds, lightly toasted in a pan.  

And finally, here's the recipe:

Granny Smith Apple, chopped

Dried Cherries

Almonds, chopped

Chicken, cooked and shredded

Plain Yogurt

Mayo

S & P

1) Toast the almonds in a dry pan until you start to smell their yummy goodness.  

2) Mix everything else together in a bowl.  I didn't include measurements, but I like to use equal parts mayo  and yogurt and enough to coat the chicken/almond/apple/cherry mixture.  You can really add the apples, almonds and cherries to your liking.  Then, top with a bit of S & P.  

3) Serve on bread, in a lettuce cup, or with crackers. 

Farmhouse Bench

We'd only been planning on building a bench by our front door since, oh, last summer.  And now that it seems easier to me to put my shoes on while sitting down rather than trying to balance/bend at the waist, it finally hit the top of the priority list.  Well, that and the fact that I rediscovered ana-white.com on my snow day a few weeks ago and proceeded to come up with at least 4 projects for my lovely, and super handy husband!

So it was no wonder that in about 2.5 hours he whipped up the bench one morning.  We stained it with a mahogany hue and then put a top coat of polyurethane on it (note I like to use we -- who I really mean is my wonderful JW who does fantastic projects and lets me get some rest because of the baby).  You can follow these plans from Ana White, but here's a little play-by-play of JW constructing it.  So, now...a guest appearance from JW:

Hey everyone! So down to brass tacks. Like Erin said, 2.5 hours; not much to this project. In total, there were ten cuts on the chop saw, and pre-drilling each screw. We had to modify the original plans a little to make it fit into the space we wanted; being mindful of the radius of the front door, the baseboard heater, etc.

 The 'wood shop' is created by backing Erin's car out of the garage, throwing down a couple sheets of cardboard, a box for a bench, and covering EVERYTHING with sheets. Maybe someday I will have a real shop ;)

 By pre-drilling every screw it allows for a nice clean finish, tight joints and easy assembly.

 Whitney decided to give everyone a size comparison.

After a few coats of stain and then a few of heavy-duty poly, our bench looks like this...

Quite frankly, I LOVE it! obviously this is Erin again as JW would never EVER use that phrase) :)  I'm hosting a baby shower in a few weeks and I think it'll be the perfect accessory for the front door! 

Let us know what you think - we'd love to hear from you :)

Thankful Tuesday

It's kind of a gray Tuesday...and I'm feeling a bit under the weather, too.  But I've decided we definitely have lots to be thankful for lately, so here goes...

1~ A beautiful baby on the way - We really can't wait to meet our little Liza Ann :)

Yep, she's a thumb sucker and ankle crosser :)

 2~ A husband who goes out of his way to be sweet and cute - even if he does pick me a daffodil and put it in a Heineken bottle.

3~ A garden that's underway...pending no more huge frosts or any other crazy weather.

Yay for fresh veggies all summer long...hopefully!

4~ A sweet puppy who likes to snuggle with me in the morning once JW leaves for work.

5~ A whole container of cookie dough in our refrigerator.  Goodness our baby is going to love cookies :)

It's a GIRL! :)

Hi friends! :)  We had our much awaited baby appointment on Friday and are happy to report that Baby L is in fact a GIRL :)  We are ecstatic...not that we wouldn't have been if it was a boy, but JW and I are so happy to be welcoming a baby girl into our lives.  Not to mention that my bro has 2 little boys (the cute ones you've seen featured many a time here) and so "Grandma Patty" is very excited for a little girl to join the bunch!

 

We have had names picked out for awhile now and Baby L will actually be Liza, short for Elizabeth.  JW's grandma is Elizabeth and it's my middle name.  As for her middle name, we've chosen Ann, since JW's mom's name was ReAnn and my grandma's name is Ann.  We knew that whatever the names were, they had to have some significance in the family.  

 

As for the rest of the weekend, we had a pretty good time!  We headed to Bellaire on Friday to check out Short's Brewery.  For those of you that live in Michigan and are reading this, our friends (not me, obvi) indulged in some great Short's Beer - like Rye Not, Soft Parade (my personal summer fave), and Local's Light, and Bellaire Brown.  Not to mention the fact that they have great appetizers, pizza, and entertainment.  Overall, it was a fun night and well worth the hour drive to get there!

Yesterday it was finally nice enough (read: not rainy) to do some yardwork outside, so we got the fence up around our garden and dug up the space right outside the windows of the basement bedroom -- now they're ready for some hostas!  JW also took out his fishing boat for the first time this year -- he caught a pike, but it was an inch too short to keep.

As for today, we plan on working around the house some more -- we're trying to have the house done by the time Baby Liza makes her appearance, but we're also hopeful to get most of it done by this summer so weekends and evenings can be spent at the cottage :)  Here's just a sneak peak of a few of our many projects...

Kitchen Shelves

Have I mentioned lately that I have an awesome husband? :)

Not only is he great at building projects, but he's also great at reading my mind when I try to explain projects and show him 4 different pictures and then proceed to ask for a combination of all of them.  It can sometimes be a tall order.  So, when I came up with the idea of some shelves in our kitchen to work for practical, yet pretty storage, he quickly busted out a design for them.  And the best part?  It's SUPER sturdy considering some of the things I wanted to put on the shelves are a little on the heavy side.   

Another plus?  When he tore out the old waterbed bed frame/platform-y thing-y from the basement, there was lots of scrap lumber that he's turned into awesome projects...more on those to come soon.  But, here's the play-by-play of him installing the shelves:

 He started by bolting these pieces into the wall so that the shelves were extremely strong and we didn't have to worry about the glass jars and pottery falling and crashing to the floor.

 I'm not crazy about what's on the shelf yet...but they're super-functional and add some storage space in a kitchen that's lacking that. 

 Some of the jars we picked up at Ikea and some are standard Ball jars.  The pottery is from good family friends of ours who own Sturgeon River Pottery.  If you're ever in Petoskey, you should check them out -- they make beautiful pieces!

 Right now, we're storing rice, sugar, almonds, oatmeal, and popcorn in the jars...but we'll see how that changes. 

 I just love these jars from Ikea -- and at less than $5 for each, you just can't go wrong!

So there's our lovely new shelves!  Stay tuned for the creme brulee recipe :)