Bagels {In My Kitchen}

Bagels were on my list of "must try to make"

So...I found this recipe and gave it a try.

The first batch I tried,  I made the dough in my bread machine, and it just didn't turn out right...so I made another batch and this time I used my Kitchen Aid with dough hook...

and Voila!

I followed Emeril's suggestion of rolling the piece of dough into a log and then forming into a circle and pinching the ends together. 

After I boiled them and right before putting them in the oven, I brushed them with egg white and sprinkled dried chopped onion and dried garlic granuals...next time I will add poppy seeds for a true "everything" bagel...our favorite!

These were SO much easier than I thought they would be and so delicious!

Pirate Day~

ARRRGGGHHH there Matey!!!

Yep, it was Pirate Day at Lucy's school!
She was excited to dress up, but was worried she would be the only one...luckily when we got to school there was a WHOLE class full of pirates :)

Her classroom was the "ship" and they searched the school with their treasure maps to find the hidden treasure, and ate a Pirate snack...Skittles :)

"Pirateattitude"!!

FYI...Priates don't wear glasses!

All Things Farmer

I clicked on a link on my friend Catie's blog the other day called

All Things Farmer

and I have been hooked!

James Farmer is a landscape designer form Georgia, and in his "about  me" this is what he said ...

"A glass of tea, sweetened, and garnished with lime; a garden lined with boxwoods and brimming with bouquets to be cut and arranged; a meal prepared with seasonal flair and flavored with soul; a home for comfort, classicism, and personal style…all things of delight, all things of warmth, all things of provenance… all things Farmer."

He had me at "tea" and "boxwoods"!

James has so many great recipes, and garden and entertaining ideas on his blog...AND he has a book coming out in September!

One thing that caught my eye was his recipe for

"the Farmer's tea"

His favorite iced tea is made with Lipton tea bags and one Earl Grey bag with simple syrup. 

 I am a HUGE Earl Grey tea drinker so I knew I would love this...and I do...you must try!!

If you haven't visited All Things Farmer...I highly reccomend it!

Today I.....

am loving all the Grad announcements that are arriving....

hard to believe this time is near

spent some time planning this....

 read this book to Lucy and have requested more from the library!

made this for dinner~

lasagna

salad 

french bread

strawberries

Today~

these are starting to arrive....

I love getting these announcements, I cannot believe this time has come for this wonderful group of kids...so excited for all of them!

we are reading this.... 

we were gifted this book, and it is DARLING...we have since requested more from the library!

I am planning this.....

now that ALL the birthdays are over in our house, it is time to get busy :)

my favorite tree out my living room window looks like this....

we had contemplated getting rid of this tree, but I love it so much...we hang a swing from it every summer, and Bennett still climbs it!

and this was dinner....

lasagna, french breach, salad and strawberries...yum!

Carmelized Brownies {In My Kitchen}

I made these brownies this weekend for my Husband's birthday.

It is a Paula Deen recipe I found online made with a simple box brownie mix and a quick caramel topping...they were so delicious!

Caramelized Brownies

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 box brownie mix

4 T butter

1 c chopped pecans

1 c firmly packed light brown sugar

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, pour into a greased 9x13 pan

In a saucepan melt butter and add pecans and brown sugar ( at this point the recipe told you to stir until the sugar dissolves, which mine never did...I was afraid it would burn so I just stirred it until the consistency was a little like warm caramel :)

Pour caramel mixture over brownie batter and bake 25-30 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

(I doubled this recipe for nice thick brownies, so my cooking time was longer...I just kept an eye on them, and the center was a little gooey when I took them out, but once cooled...they were DELICIOUS!!)

How to get a Prom date....

1.  Buy a dozen red roses

2.  Dress up your cute little sister

3.  Bribe her with a DQ Blizzard

4.  Set her on the Girl's front porch

5. Have her ask....

"Will you go to the Prom with my Brother???

Powell had a couple different ideas to ask his date to the Prom, but in the end this is the one he knew would be the best!!

Lucy was ALL OVER this idea :)  She loves getting dressed up, and she LOVES the idea of all the picture taking that is going to happen in the next couple weeks :)

We laughed thinking that we let our little 6 year old go out dressed up at 9:30 on a Sunday night, with her 18 year old brother to ask his date to the Prom....oh the memories...I hope Lucy remembers these times.

OH....and she said "yes"!!

Birthday Weekending~

Toby's Birthday

Lemon Chicken

Carmelized brownies

card making

coughing 

coughing 

more coughing :)

a day with Grammy and Papa

resting

sunshine

Bennett's Birthday~

Toby and Lucy surprised Bennett and rolled all of his papers, and then loaded her jeep to start his route before he got home.

Lucy gave Bennett an Itunes card :)

...for dinner he wanted Teriyaki and his favorite "Cookies and Creme" dessert...I think he asks for this every year!

We hope your wish comes true!!

Happy 14th Birthday Bennett!!

Bennett...we hope today you feel as special as you are!

We love you so much, and cannot believe our baby boy is 14...that you are heading to high school in the fall!

You are funny, opinionated, smart, handsome, a good friend and brother....

Happy Birthday to YOU!!

xoxo...Mom and Dad

Weekending~

birthday party

hula hoop

good friends

sunshine

sore throat 

colds

early bedtime

grey

rainy 

windy

baking cookies

roasting tomatoes

teriyaki salmon

brown rice

learning to drive a stick shift 

birthday planning

Sundays {In my kitchen}

My Sundays are slow...

They are usually filled with delicious smells...

My Husband works on Sundays, so I tend to stay inside (especially on days like this Sunday, windy grey rainy)...and spend time in the kitchen

This Sunday I....

Slow roasted Tomatoes

Baked Chocolate Chip cookies

I used the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip recipe that my friend Catie shared!

My boys loved these as a change to our "regular" chocolate chip cookies!

Roasted Chicken breast and made Quinoa for lunch this week

and then went on to prepare dinner!

How about you??  Are your Sundays slow and cozy as you gear up for the week ahead?

"Royally" Thrilled!!!

We had some family travel to London just days after the Royal Wedding, and they gifted Lucy this darling Paper Dolly Book straight from the UK!!

Can you stand Will's union jack briefs?!?!

ahhh....the famous blue engagement announcement dress!

I spy Hunter wellies!!!

oops...wasn't our Wills wearing a RED uniform on his wedding today???

This is such a treasure...we LOVE it!!