Cookies!!!

This year we decided to do a little holiday baking.  I used to love to bake but haven't found the time in recent years.  However, I completely failed to take any decent pics.  We were completely successful at baking though, so I thought I'd share our yummy creations!

{Pumpkin Snickerdoodles}

These were scrumptious - so moist & fluffy and not too "pumpkiny"!

Probably my fave of all!

{Wiesbaden Cookies}

I had to make these just for the name given that my grandmother & mother are from there!  They are actually quite good though!

Shortbread-like with touch of cinnamon.  Perfect for dunking!

{Humongous Chocolate Chip Cookies}

Absolutely huge - perfect to share...and great for dunking!

{Crack Bark}

Probably my least favorite of the bunch - just too rich for me.

Super easy to make though!

I'm totally banning myself from baking for several more years.  
We completely over-indulged this holiday season!  
Now we need to immerse ourselves in the gym downstairs!

Enjoy!  Happy Baking!

Happy Christmas!

Yes, yes, I know that I'm not in England...but I love the "Happy Christmas" expression over the "Merry Christmas" expression.  As you may know, I'm not much of a fan of the Christmas season.  I never feel "merry" during this time, but I do often feel "happy".  I enjoy spending downtime with family & friends.  So I've taken to using the "Happy Christmas" expression.  :)

This Christmas was a bit different for us.  It was our 2nd Christmas that we've spent in KC without family - but for good reason.  We spent the days before Christmas in Columbia babysitting Lehni & Miles while Mom & Dad were in the hospital delivering their 3rd little one.  It had been awhile since we babysat the kids, so we really enjoyed spending some quality time with them!! k We also love getting to meet Miss Teddi!! (How cute is her name, right?!?!)

{Babysitting Mr. Miles}

 

 {Gorgeous Teddi!}

{Teddi with big sister, Lehni}

 

{Sleepy Teddi!}

{I have this exact same pic of Mr. Miles two years ago.  LOL!}

We arrived back in KC Christmas Eve evening and immediately took a nap.  Apparently we were more tired than the two cuties pictured above.  LOL!  You can tell we aren't used to watching kids...especially when one of them is sick.  We loved every minute of it but truly needed to re-energize before our heading out to dinner.  We had reservations at Affare, a modern German restaurant.  They were having a 4 course prix fixe meal with wine pairing.  We had been here once before and loved it!  so we thought it the perfect place to return to for a special dinner.

{Pic of us in the lobby of OPP}

 

Christmas Day was spent in comfies watching movies, eating holiday treats and cooking.  It was quiet but lovely.  We watched the 2nd of our two annual holiday movies - Love Actually and The Holiday. (The first was watched one night while wrapping gifts.)  We also rented This is Where I Leave You.  It has a lot of big names in it and was so much better than I thought it would be.  Totally recommend it!

The evening after Christmas one of our neighbors was having a get together for their birthday.  It's so nice being able to just walk home after celebrating.  Fun evening!!

{Crazy Kids}

Happy Merry Christmas!  Hope you enjoyed the holiday with your loved ones!

Cheers!

Flyin' Solo

This past weekend the hubs was out of town visiting his brother who was in from South Africa, which means I was flying solo for the weekend. It was the perfect weekend of girl time, laziness, cooking & shopping!

I kicked off the weekend with some girl time - happy hour at Jax Fish House!  A couple friends work in the same building as Jax, so it's a HH that is frequented often.  If you haven't been there yet, go now!  I haven't actually eaten off of their dinner menu yet, but their HH menu is superb!  I've gotten the curry mussels each time and never leave disappointed. 

Saturday morning was a bit rough - not from the HH - but just due to a few personal things...but that was cured quickly with a little retail therapy.  I headed out to The Legends early, as I thought it was going to be mobbed, but it was completely dead.  Yahoo!  Getting in and out of The Legends quickly meant I had time for a few other stores!  I accomplished quite a lot, I must say.  I only have two more people to buy for, and I have gifts in mind already.  This never happens!  Go me!

Saturday evening, I made some Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese for dinner.  It's basically a lightened up version of mac & cheese (very little cheese & low fat milk) and it quite healthy with the added squash.  It was actually pretty good.  It at least makes me feel a bit better about eating carbs!  LOL!

My goal Saturday evening was just to relax.  I needed some chill time desperately!  I even tried to take a bath - something I literally never do.  It just feels so weird to just sit there in a tub of water.  I know people find it relaxing, but I'm just not sure what to do.  I brought some magazines in with me, but I quickly got bored of those.  Oh well.  I'm giving myself an "A" for effort!  Maybe I'll attempt it again in a few years.  LOL!  The remainder of the evening was spent with a fire, wine and one of my favorite movies...The Holiday.  Who can resist a little Jude Law?!

Sunday involved a bit more shopping, laundry, cooking, computer work...and a bit of relaxing in the evening.  I'm missed the hubs terribly but was ever so grateful for the bit of "me" time that I had. We have our OPP Holiday Party tonight with plans to bake & wrap presents the remainder of the weekend.  Hope all of you have fun plans too!


Cheers!

Advent for Adults

Growing up one of my favorite things about the Christmas season was my advent calendar!  I just loved waking up every day during December and opening a "prize"!!  What better way to celebrate the days in anticipation of Christmas?! I think this tradition is completely to blame for my "birthday month" celebration.  Ha.

My advent calendar growing up came from Germany.  It was a tapestry-like calendar with rings in which to attach the gifts...similar in concept to this one:

I haven't had an advent calendar in years...until now!  Woot woot!  It's not my vintage German one, which is safely packed away in case with have a "Little" running around one day.  Instead the hubs surprised me on Monday with this one...a Benefit advent calendar!

Apparently these are a thing and sell out each year...and I got one!! Each day is supposed to be sample-sized Benefit items.  I already religiously use Benefit moisturizer, primer and foundation, as well as several other smaller items.  So this is right up my alley!  Here's what I received the first week...

 Dec 1st - Paper clips
Dec 2nd - Lip gloss
Dec 3rd - They're Real! mascara
Dec 4th - Stay Don't Stray (a favorite!)
Dec 5th - It's Potent! eye cream (another fave!)
Dec 6th - Pore Professional

This may not be an advent calendar to get year after year, as I'm sure the products don't change that much.  But it is a super fun way to try out new products and obtain travel sizes of the products I do love!  Who can beat daily prizes, right?!

Here's to hoping that you wake up to something fun each morning this month!

Cheers!

A taste of Italy - Spicy Oil

We finally got around to making the Italian Spicy Oil we found on every Italian restaurant table while in Paris & Geneva.  We couldn't get enough of this stuff while we there.  If you missed my previous post, you can find it here.

I researched several ways to make it, but there really isn't much more to it outside of putting some peppers in oil and waiting...and waiting...and waiting.  That was truly the most difficult part - the waiting.  LOL!  I wanted it to be perfect immediately!

It really is super easy! Take about 15-20 ornamental red peppers and make a slit vertically down the pepper.

Put the peppers in the bottle and fill it with EVOO.  Then the waiting begins.  As the peppers begin to fill with oil they will sink to the bottom.  But it will take at least two weeks for it become spicy.  

Several of the recipes I read mentioned that any peppers floating at the top should be covered in oil, or they will become moldy.  This has not happened to us to date, but we tipped the bottle from side to side at least once each day during the first week.  We also ended up adding a bit more oil than what is shown above.

Ours has been marinating for about 2 weeks now.  I'm thinking that we're going to have to order pizza soon, so that we can try it out.  I'm sure hoping it tastes just as good as Paris! Finger crossed!!

Cheers!

Hello, December!

I can barely believe it's December already!  This Fall flew by...and Winter has arrived and smacked me in the face.  But enough about that, let's talk Thanksgiving.

The hubs and I traveled back to St. Louis for an extended weekend.  We had a lovely time.  We were able to spend a couple of nights with friends and the rest with family.  It had been quite awhile since we had spent that much time there.  Here's some of our favorite pics from the month...

Baby Hanna - 5 months old now!

Night out with friends.  

Jefferson's solves all problems!

Turkey time!

Grams

Tea party with Tinsley

More kick ass friends!

 

We truly did have a great time!  We're so thankful to have such wonderful people in our lives!  I just wish I would have taken more pics.  There's a few peeps missing.  

Until next time...

Cheers!

European Flare

While we were in Paris, I began to notice several practices that I was accustomed to as an American that were quite different in Paris.  So of course, I started to list them in hopes of sharing them on my blog.  Here goes...

The biggest differences that I noticed were mostly during the dining process.

1.  Ordering the entire meal at once - In America, I'm used to ordering drinks and/or a starter course first and then taking time before ordering the entree.  In Paris, I noticed that the waiter expected you to order the entrees at the same time you were ordering the drinks...and they definitely do not give you as much time.  I'm one of those people that take my time to scour the menu before making my choice.      Verdict: Parisians are much more decisive than I.
2.  No butter with your bread - This must be a true American culture.  I love butter...and I want it on my bread!  This must be the German in me.  I blame by Grandmother!     Verdict:  Parisians are cheating themselves!
3. Pizza is not cut - We ordered pizza several times while in Paris and Geneva.  It was sooooo amazing!  When I went to grab my first slice, I about took the whole pizza with me!  All I wanted to do was eat it, and I realized that I was going to have to work for it first.  After researching this a bit, it seems that the proper way to eat an uncut pizza in Europe is to cut it into quarters, and then pick it up and eat it.    Verdict:  Working for it may make me appreciate the amazing pizza even more than I already did.                                                                                     
4. Spicy Oil with Pizza - Now this is a European tradition that I can get behind!  Why, oh why, doesn't America pick this one up?!?!  It's amazing!!!  So amazing that we actually have a bottle working at home now!        Verdict:  Stop what you are doing right now and make this!
   
5. Asking for the check - diners must ask for the check when they're finished with dinner and ready to leave.  The waiters will clear the table when you're finished, but they will not bring you the check until you ask for it.  I can truly go either way on this one.  It really doesn't matter...unless you forget that you must ask.  I think Chad and I spent an extra 30 minutes a couple of times, because we forgot to ask.  LOL!     Verdict:  Doesn't matter

We noticed several other random differences too.

• Bottled Water - Parisians do not carry around bottles of water.  We were definitely pegged as Americans with out bottled water, but we weren't really bothered by it.  With as much walking & climbing as we did, hydration was much more important.
• Holding Hands - You never see Parisians do this.  Actually, you don't see a lot of PDA at all.
• Leash Laws - As often as we saw pups out with their owners, we saw very few leashes.  That being said - the pups were extremely obedient and didn't require leashes.  Obedience school must be mandatory in Paris.
• Baguettes - Baguettes, baguettes, baguettes.  All Parisians, including their kids, walk around with baguettes.  We probably would have passed for Parisians if we would have traded in our bottles of water for baguettes.  LOL!

We had a blast on our vacay...even if we didn't pass for Parisians!  Thanks for putting up with all my posts.  This should be the last one.  So I'll leave you with one of my favorite pics.

Cheers!

Still Dreaming of Paris...

I truly cannot wait until I visit Paris again!  We definitely didn't get enough time there!  It's hard to believe we've been back from Europe for over a month now!  

I'm so glad that I was able to blog as often as I did while on vacay, because I haven't had a moment since we've been back.  October was a crazy month at work - so busy.  November is a bit lighter at work but a bit busier at home, so it feels just as crazy.  Here's some bits and pieces about the last month or so.  Hoping I'm able to share more details on the blog soon!

• Open House and Stella & Dot Trunk Show this weekend
• Reorganizing the kitchen - making a coffee station
• Putting an office in the bedroom - new desk, chair & accessories
• Decorating the master bath
• Big move (literally) at work - new office
• Two year wedding anniversary!

Chad and the kitties are doing well.  Chad actually has a couple months off from traveling.  I really appreciate when he's home for months on end.  He's been such a big help at home, since I took this job almost 2 years ago! I don't know what I'd do without him.

Short post today - but I'll leave you with a couple of cute kitty pics.  More to come soon...

Love Lucky's calico fur on next to our kitchen rug!

 

What do you mean you don't put your cat in a shopping cart?!

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

When the boys are away, the girls will play...

The last couple of days the boys were at their conference all day. So Ann Marie and I kept ourselves busy exploring Geneva.

Wednesday, we explored the village of Carouge - just south of downtown Geneva. It's a quaint, little village - a bit quieter than the city. We spent time just walking around...and happened across a highly recommended chocolatier, Phillipe Pascoet. Superb!

I think we both walked out of there with a decent amount of chocolate. There was a bit of a language barrier, so we just kept saying "Oui". Lol! One thing we noticed about this village, that was quite different than Geneva, is that most business owners spoke very little English. So with our broken French, it's amazing we walked away with anything we wanted. :)

That evening we attended a banquet dinner put on by the Canton of Geneva for the EUMETSAT attendees. It was in a gorgeous building - Batiment des Forces Motrices. The building was built in the 1880's to pump water to all the homes in Geneva and its "suburbs". It's now used for events & concerts. I completely failed to get any of the inside, but here's a shot of the outside.

Thursday was another day of exploring. Ann Marie & I headed out to CERN.  Apparently you are supposed to book the guided tours months in advance, which we did not. So we decided to just explore the two self-guided exhibits...one of which was closed. #totalcernfail.

The closed exhibit - the Universe of Particles

The exhibit we were able to visit was the Microcosm. The entire time we were there I felt like I was in an episode of a The Big Bang Theory.  Ha!

A replica of the Large Hedron Collider...

They have parts from past experiments out in their garden area for the kids to climb on. Kind of cool!

After CERN, we headed to the United Nations of Geneva (UNOG).

We were able to take the guided tour here, which ended up being 3 of the available 6 rooms due to other meetings that were going on.  

We started out in Room 19. There was nothing too special about this room - just similar to a normal sized rooms here.

Next we saw the Council Chamber (AKA Spanish Room), which is mostly used for disarmament meetings. 

The walls & ceiling of the room are canvas paintings from an artist in Barcelona. The wall on the right had two different paintings.  The one on the right is a man giving vaccinations. The one on the left is a mother holding her baby up representing a future life without war.

The ceiling and the back wall are similar.  They both have five arms holding onto one item representing the 5 main members (countries) working towards the same outcome.

Finally we visited the largest meeting room, the Assembly Hall. Organizations like the World Health Organization (also housed in Geneva) hold their annual meetings here among other things.

Outside the UN is a monument titled, The Broken Chair. It's enormous and represents individuals who have lost limbs due to land mines.  Pretty moving.

We walked by the World Meteorlogical Organization (WMO) on our way back to the hotel. We weren't able to tour this facility, but did get a couple of pics.

Thursday night, we headed out to dinner with several other meteorologists. We stopped at a recommended Swiss & Italian restaurant, Au Petit Chalet. Delish! Haven't had a bad meal yet...unless you count the plane. :)

Friday (today) was out last day in Geneva. The conference was only a half day, so we got to hang out together afterwards. We spent the afternoon walking around the city, since he missed out on a lot if that this week. We've had mostly gorgeous weather while we've been here. So lucky!! 

We chose Italian for our last meal and opted for a place we went to earlier in the week. Never did I expect to have so much Italian while in Paris & Switzerland...but I guess it makes sense, we're so close to Italy! (Take note of the spicy oil! Definitely making this when we return!!)

Merci beaucoup, Geneva! Au revoir! A bientot!