Snowy, Flaky Goodness

I have a confession, I subscribe to Southern Living. The magazine I ridiculed my mom for years for reading, I now get in the mail. And I'm not gonna lie I actually like it. They have amazing recipes in every issue, which is the main reason I subscribe. Their December issue is always the best. I think I dog-eared a recipe on like every page this year. If you snubbed this magazine before, I highly suggest you check it out.

This recipe is from the current December 2010 issue. We made these for my brother-in-law's birthday last weekend. We did them instead of cake and it was so nice because everyone each got their own little tart! I think they would make the perfect dessert for a holiday party. The white sprinkles of coconut look like snow to give a festive feel! If you like coconut you will love these. They are as tasty as they look!






My sister showing off the treats for her hubby!


COCONUT CREAM TARTS

-1/4 SUGAR
-1/3 CUP ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
-4 LARGE EGGS
-2 CUPS MILK
-1-2 CUPS SWEETENED FLAKED COCONUT
-1 TBLS VANILLA EXTRACT
-WHIPPED CREAM
-1 PACKAGE FROZEN TART SHELLS

WHISK TOGETHER 1/4 CUP SUGAR, 1/3 CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, 4 LARGE EGGS, AND 2 CUPS MILK IN A HEAVY SAUCEPAN. COOK OVER MEDIUM HEAT, WHISKING CONSTANTLY, 10 MINUTES OR UNTIL A CHILLED PUDDING-LIKE THICKNESS. REMOVE FROM HEAT AND STIR IN 1 CUP SWEETENED FLAKED COCONUT AND 1 TBSP VANILLA EXTRACT. COVER AND CHILL 6-24 HOURS.

BAKE 1 8OZ PACKAGE FROZEN TART SHELLS ACCORDING TO PACKAGE DIRECTIONS AND LET COOL SPOON CUSTARD INTO THE PIE SHELLS. DOLLOP WITH SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM, SPRINKLE WITH ADDITIONAL COCONUT.

MAKES 8 TARTS

PRINT RECIPE HERE

Deck The Halls

I can't believe today is December 1! 25 days til Christmas and I really have yet to start Christmas shopping=anxiety! I did however get a head start on decorating for Christmas this past weekend. I would consider my taste in Christmas Decor traditional with a modern twist. I am pretty picky about my Christmas decorations, preferring only a gold and silver palette with hints of green. I thought about adding some red in this year but was afraid I wouldn't like it, so I stayed my path. I don't go overboard decorating, although Matt would probably disagree after helping me bring down the 5 bins out of our attic. I snapped a few pictures of what I have done so far. I still have a few things to put out and I am sure I will switch things around but for now this is it!

Our Tree. Picked her up on Sunday, she is the perfect size and height, we choose well! I still need to get Matt to trim the top a little. Also thinking I might should have put more lights on, I am obsessed with tons of white lights on trees!

Our Tree Skirt. I love, love white so I always knew I wanted a white tree skirt. I had this monogrammed shortly after we got married and I still love it!

A few close ups of our ornaments. I have been collecting them a few years now. I used to just buy the balls in the boxes but now I really enjoy picking out individual ones. I still lean towards the glass ball shape though. My mom and I always go shopping the day after Christmas and scarf up all the ornaments when they are 75% off. Some of the balls on my tree had been $25 and I got them for $2.99!

This is my first year mixing in green ornaments. So far I am digging them.

The table in our entry way. I hung the wreath on the mirror and added the silver stars.


The Buffet in my dining room. I bought the mirrored Christmas trees probably 6 years ago and still really like them.

I also hung another wreath on the mirror above the buffet.

These reindeer are currently sitting around our tv. Not sure if I love them here, but its hard to find a spot for them!

And last but not least my two favorite holiday candles. Voluspa Frosted Pine and The Nest Holiday. They make my house smell fabulous!

And best of all they are both in beautiful containers that look great sitting out while you entertain.

Princess Style

I have always thought that Kate Middleton was gorgeous. But it wasn't until just recently I started noticing how impeccable her style is. Probably because she is on every news show, magazine cover and gossip site as of lately, she has permeated my brain. I think she always wears outfits that are classic yet not stuffy. She always looks so polished and put together. I can't wait to see what wedding dress she chooses! I think she will make the perfect Princess, especially since she already has the style icon part down! Here are just a few of my many favorite Kate looks! I adore that Pink Gown, if only I had somewhere to wear it!







I had to include a picture of her gorgeous ring! How special to have Diana's old ring. It is truly amazing. Maybe for my 10 year anniversary I can talk Matt into getting me one of these babies!

photos via: people, just jared, daily news, google images

Love Affair

My love affair with spray paint continues. I had been on a white gloss kick but for this particular project, I went with black gloss. About a year ago my in-laws gave us this wine rack. They had it in their house, but then got an island that had built ins for wine, so they no longer needed the rack. This is not something I would pick out myself but I was more than happy to take this off their hands. I was super excited to have a large rack to store all my beloved wine. I have been wanting to paint this rack for awhile but couldn't commit to a color. I was really leaning towards white gloss (my obsession) again but thought it might not really go with my dining room color and decor, so I ultimately decided on the black gloss. I love it, it makes the wine rack feel like a new piece. Our dining room kind of opens up to our kitchen, so I really like how the black wine rack now matches our black granite countertops. The color ties the two rooms together. I really think the white would have been too light against my gray walls. This project only took two cans of black spray paint and about 2.5 coats. Spray paint is such a quick and cheap way to update your old furniture.

THE BEFORE:


THE AFTER:





We finally bought our Christmas tree this weekend, so I have been in full force decorating mode, hence the tree on the wine rack!

Gratitude

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We hosted Matt's family at our house this year. Everything went well except we really didn't account for how small our oven was. We could only fit the turkey in it, so we had to cook it and then take it out and cook all our sides. Needless to say we didn't eat until almost 9:00 but everything was delicious. I tried my hand at Paula Deen's oyster dressing and it was amazing.
Since Thanksgiving is a time to count your blessings, I wanted to take a minute to reflect on all the many things I am thankful for:

-My Baby Boy. He has changed my life, enriched it, and made me a better person. His smiles and laughs are the highlight of my day. I can't imgaine my life without him!
-My Husband. He tirelessly works to provide for Sterling and I and he always makes me laugh! He has a huge heart and is honestly one of the nicest people I know. 9 years after meeting him, he is still my best friend and love of my life.
-My Family. I love them to pieces and I really wish we lived in the same city! Thank god for phones I talk to my mom and sister at least 10 times a day!
-Our Health. We are so fortunate to all be healthy, something we sometimes forgot about and take for granted.
-Wine. After 9 (really 10) long months of no alcohol it is so nice to be able to indulge in a few glasses after a long day with a fussy baby.
-My Purses. Sad but true, I love my purses. Just looking at them in my closet makes me happy. They were an investment but worth every penny because I will love them for years to come.
-Starbucks. The perfect treat for this time of the year. I love the pumpkin spice latte, peppermint mocha, carmel macchiato and the green tea latte is my newest obsession. Yes, gourmet coffee does bring me a bit of happiness!
-Fashion and Home Decor Magazines (and lets not forget US WEEKLY). It makes my day anytime I get one of my many magazines that I subscribe to in the mail. They provide me with alot of inspiration and ideas for my life.
-TJMAXX, Marshalls and HomeGoods. I love these stores, you can find the best deals and I love a bargain! While I was home my mom found some gorgeous Calvin Klein wine glasses that retailed for $30 and were at HomeGoods for $2.99. You can't beat that!
-Good Food. I love cooking and trying new recipes. I also love dining out but those days are few and far between with our baby boy. A good meal home cooked or from a restaurant makes me very happy.
-Cheese. Had to give this its own category. Love cheese and nothing goes better with a glass of wine than cheese. My newest favorite is manchego. I strongly feel that cheese makes everything taste better.
-Cookbooks. I have quite the collection of cookbooks. I will never get around to making all the recipes but I love browsing through them getting ideas for meals.
-Our Dog Nelson. She is the sweetest dog I could ask for. She is wonderful with Sterling . And even though this baby has come into her life and taken her parents attention away from her, she still just wants to love us.
-Good Jeans. I am beyond obsessed with my 7 for All Mankind "The Skinny" Jeans. They suck you in all the right places are so flattering. They are a little bit higher waisted than other jeans, preventing the dreaded muffintop. I wear them almost everyday.
-My House. I love our house and where we live.

What are you thankful for this year? My life is filled with so many blessings I thank God everyday (although I could stand to make it to church more often:)
Here are a few pictures from our Thanksgiving. You gotta love that everyone but Matt dressed up. He was rocking what I like to call his Bon Jovi jeans and Mountain Man top, but he looks handsome:0

Two Potato Gratin

If you are still tweaking your Thanksgiving menu and need another recipe, this is it! I am at home visiting my parents right now and we made this dish this weekend and it was AMAZING! The combination of the sweet potatoes and russet potatoes mixed with two different cheeses is perfection. This dish is creamy and rich and ohh so good. I highly recommend you try this recipe even if you don't make it for Thanksgiving it would be great for a dinner party or just a family dinner! I can't take credit for the picture at the top, it is compliments of Williams Sonoma. I forgot my camera cord to upload the pictures I took of our gratin. I will add them next week. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow!! There are so many things I am thankful for this year, including my lovely readers.

TWO POTATO GRATIN WITH CHEESE

-2 TBS unsalted unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.
-1 Cup half and half
-1 Cup heavy double cream
-Salt and pepper to taste
-2 ½ lb. Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
-2 ½ lb. Sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into rounds
-½ lb. Shredded Gruyere or aged Swiss or French Comte.
-¼ lb. Parmesan or Manchego cheese, grated.

Preheat oven to 325. Grease 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the half-and0half and cream, salt and pepper. Add all the potatoes and toss. Layer abut ¼ of the potato slices in the dish. Scatter ¼ of the cheeses over the potato layer. Repeat to make three layers and reserving a final sprinkling of cheese. Pour any cream mixture remaining in the bowl over the potatoes. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over all. Scatter butter pieces evenly over the cheese.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the top is browned, the cream has thickened and bubbling, and a knife inserted into the center meets little resistance, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Transfer to rack and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serves 8-10. Recipe from Williams-Sonoma, Thanksgiving.

Why I Need a Huge Purse

To fit my sweet baby in of course! Matt put Sterling in my Gucci Purse/Diaper Bag this weekend and I could not stop laughing. Sterling actually liked being inside my purse. He sat in there for awhile and enjoyed his crackers. And no, I don't treat him like a dog and carry him around in my purse but these pics were too cute not to post. I knew I had a big purse for something other than diapers, formula, and baby toys:) Anything that will keep my baby occupied for a few minutes makes Momma very happy. For once Matt said my purse was money well spent!