Pesto Mania...

Thanks to one of my co-workers, Lisa, I have really been experimenting with new recipes. Tonight I tried a recipe that she entered into the bake sale, "Stuffed Bread". First we start with homemade Pesto! YUM!!

Recipe:
2 bunches of basil (normal package in grocery store)
2 cloves of garlic - I used a smidgen more
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup Romano, Asiago, Parmesan cheese (I used a blend of all three)
1/4ish cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO according to Rachel Ray)

Place pine nuts and cheese into food processor and process until desired texture, then add garlic, basil, and process a bit more. Then while running add in olive oil...BLISS!

We used the roll out French bread (Pillsbury) and added swiss, chicken and pesto! Delicious! Just cook for 20 minutes until golden brown!!

Saturday I had the privilege of hosting a Willow House party! If you are not familiar with Willow House it is the merged product of Southern Living at Home and Entertaining at Home. Chris and I registered with Southern Living for our wedding so I am pretty familiar with the products, however, I must say the new company has even more beautiful and fun stuff!

Most of you know how much of a Type A personality I am. I like lists, spreadsheets, plans, structure...need I go on? I had planned on cleaning the apartment Thursday night so Mom and I could set up everything on Friday when she got into town. I came home from work on Thursday to the smell of Pinesol and as I walk up the stairs there was a note sitting on the island in our kitchen.

The first line reads "Baby, I cleaned the house for ya today so you can be stress free for your party", and then he proceeds to leave me a list of everything that was done (knowing my OCD Type A personality). I instantly start tearing up and realized I had the whole night to relax with my husband instead of cleaning! How blessed am I!?!

Friday Mom, Mimi and I started setting up and planning out where the food and what not would go.

I cooked a sour cream coffee cake, Italian egg casserole (onions, zucchini, roasted red peppers...yum) and made a fruit skewer display. We enjoyed girl talk and Mimosas and got an awesome Willow House preview...too bad I want EVERYTHING! Check out their catalog...
http://annefogle.willowhouse.com/

Here's a few pictures from the party!

The last one is missing the yummy egg casserole on the table!

I've blogged quite a bit about Nic and his new move! We got a picture of him in front of his new office in a Highland subdivision on Frisco.

Well it was a long fun weekend and now it's back to the daily grind. We're looking forward to this weekend, we get to see GRAN!!!! :)

Much Love
WB

Vacay!

A LOT has happened since my post a week and a half ago.

First, Nic made a successful move up to the Big "D". We unloaded his stuff and went to purchase a couch, little did we know that the stairway outside his door would pose to be a huge obstacle. The first couch we bought wouldn't even make it through the door frame, so he returned it and went in search of another. The second couch he found was even BIGGER than the first! YIKES! So he is couchless and working on painting and getting everything else put together in the mean time.

 I'll post pics of the finished product when it is complete.

Second, I forgot to mention that my amazing sister-in-law brought me home an awesome present from Thailand....a scarf...in my favorite colors....BLACK AND RED! :)

Katie had a tremendous opportunity to travel to Loas and join a group in teaching an after school program for elementary aged kids. Art, theatre, recreation, and a few others were the basis of the events with an "emphasis" in Christianity. She said the language barrier did become frustrating at times but the kids were so grateful and thankful for the time spent. I think if she had the option, she would go back right now! :)

If you haven't seen on Facebook we just went on a family vacation. My parents rented a lakehouse on Canyon Lake which is about 25 minutes outside of New Braunfels. I can't describe how much Chris and I needed it! We haven't had more than two consecutive days off (without travel) since our honeymoon.

It was so nice just to sit and relax with family, no deadlines or travel time...just FUN! How grateful we are to my parents and the opportunity they gave us. What a blessing family is, I want to go back already!!

When we returned home, slightly sunburned and fatigued (from the traffic on I-35) and jumped back into our daily schedule which quickly reminded us how tiring a normal day is. Is it possible to need a vacay from your vacay?

Medical Center of Plano is hosting a bake sale for the JDRF foundation (diabetes which is kind of an oxymoron with the bake sale?) and what do you know Finance is in charge of the goodies. I scrambled around trying to decide what to bake and came up with these.

They are butterscotch and Andes mint topped brownies (in seperate pans of course). I made cute little labels so people would be able to know what they were buying. Hopefully they will fetch a nice price! At least I think they should. YUM!

Well we have a full weekend ahead with a Willow House party and a Sunday school match up at Whirlyball. Signing off for this week. Much Love!
WB

Scripted..

After looking at everyone's blogs I decided we should start one! What an awesome way to share our lives with others!

I had the opportunity to go to an women's event at church. The ladies from my Sunday school class and my close friend Whitney Kennedy met for dinner and then headed to the church for a seminar/presentation of a "Modern Girl's Guide to Bible Study".

Jen Hatmaker did an incredible job of reminding us why we are called to read our Bible. For most people, myself included, the Bible seems like an instruction manual. We read expecting to understand, or expecting to be confused...and worse....we read knowing we'll be bored. Jen quoted a monk saying "lay the Bible on your heart, lay the Bible on your heart, lay the Bible on your heart....so that when it breaks, the words will fall into the cracks and fill the holes." How powerful!?

Jen taught us that you have to read and understand that background/history of what is happening in each book to be able to understand the significance of the story. It's important to journal as we read through sections, so that we can help ourselves work through the stories and see what the Holy Spirit is trying to show us. Your approach the Bible should be organic. Come in with a blank slate, no preconceived ideas or philosophies of how you were taught the story in kindergarten. Just read, think, and absorb.

Thank you Jen for a remarkably eye opening night.


Today we move my little brother brother Nic to the big city! We're moving, unpacking, picking out a couch and painting a few walls! Pictures to come soon!

WB