Food For Thursday- Valentine Style

Kev really likes breakfast, so naturally I had to make him a special Valentine's Day breakfast!  I adapted this recipe from Pioneer Woman and it was oh, so good!

Cinnamon Sweet Heart Baked French Toast

Ingredients

 

FRENCH TOAST

• 1/2 loaf bread of your choosing
• 4  Eggs
• 1 cup Skim Milk
• 1/4 cup Whipping Cream
• 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

TOPPING

• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces

 

How To:

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter (forgot to do this, dang it.  This is why I hate dishes!).  Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut your bread into hearts.  There will be left over bread from the cutter. Tear the bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan. Place the heart shaped bread pieces on top of the chunks.

Whisk eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla.

 

Pour the mixture evenly over heart shaped bread and chunks. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make the topping, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Slice up the cold butter stick and add it to the dry mixture.  Use a pastry cutter to mix the butter and dry ingredients until it looks like wet sand. Refrigerate topping overnight.

You may need to pull out the big guns to mix the topping.  I pulled out mine.

In the morning preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle crumb mixture over the top of bread and egg mixture. Bake for 45 minute. 

Eat and enjoy! Kev said it would not have tasted as good if the bread was not heart shaped.  It's he a good?!!

Try it, you will like it!!!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  Don't you love it?  Even if people say that hate Valentine's Day, I don't believe it! Doesn't everyone love Love?  I have to hold back my desire to dress from head to toe in a Valentine outfit.  Pink, red and hearts galore.  I secretly envoy those who actually show up to work all decked out! 


Kev and I are still trying to figure out how we want to celebrate Valentine's day each year. My birthday falls on the day after Valentines day and when I started to date Kev, I made sure he knew that Valentines day and my birthday had to ALWAYS be separate occasions.  They will not be lumped into one day!  In the past three years, he has done very well!  But, poor guy.  Christmas being in December and two months later he has to plan Valentine's Day and my Birthday. 


Being together less than 4 year(including dating), it is pretty neat we can remember all of our Valentine's days together. But, unlike my birthdays... we are terrible at taking Valentine's Day photos... I could only find one!!! Ughhh!


2009- Our first Valentine's Day together.  We had dinner downtown Portland and then we were picked up by a horse and buggy.  It was filled with other couples we love! I thought Kev was going to propose that night, he didn't.  But, he did tell me he loved me for the first time!


2010- Kev planned a romantic Stay-Cation in downtown Portland, where we stayed at the adorable Lucia Hotel... no pictures were taken that night!


2011- Last year I finally got my whits about me and realized my poor guys would soon be resenting my favorite month if I did not help him out.  So, I told him I would take care of everything!  Kev always prefers to eat a home cooked meal rather than go out.  So, I made an elegant dinner of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, Kev's favorite.  I decorated the table, with the help of the beautiful flowers Kev brought home and our wine glasses from our wedding.


When Kev got home he showed me he had been stung or bitten by something on his pinky finger and his finger was swelling up.  Not wanting our night spoiled by an insect, I gave Kev two Benadryl.  Did you catch that?!! I gave him TWO benadryl! What was I thinking?  I soon found my valentine passed out on the couch by 7:30pm.  And, that was our 2011.  And, no.  I did not do that on purpose, hahaha we are newlyweds for goodness sake!

So I will let you know how this year goes.  We decided to take it easy, take out and movie.  Doing what we like to do best.  Hanging out!  

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! I hope you are surrounded by people you love!

Guest Post- Thank You!

In my few short months of blogging I have discovered so many amazing blogs and the amazing people behind the blogs.  I feel so fortunate to have been a guest blogger on the Daily Bruski today.  I have enjoyed reading about Brittay's life as a newly wed and her adventures living in the north, over the few emails we have enchanged the last few weeks I feel like I have gotten to know her and that we have become, dare I say, friends!

Head over to the Daily Bruski to check out her Monday Mention on In My Hindsight!  Thanks for having me, Brittany!

February

Happy Monday, did everyone have an amazing weekend?  Mine was extremely restful and good thing! I am going to need it!  This is going to be a VERY busy week and I am going to need all the rest I can get.  February is a busy month for me.  It is also one of my favorite months!   

I love February for several reasons!  

• It is one month closer to Summer. 
• Valentines day is in February. And if you know me, I love to think about Love.
• Hearts, pinks and reds are found everywhere.  
• Oh, and my birthday is in February!  

Every since I was little I have had a love-hate relationship with birthdays.  I get uncomfortable with the attention that birthdays bring.  I don't like being serenaded, I don't like feeling pressured to blow out all my candles(26, this year), I dislike opening gifts in front of people, and I always feel like I have to look SUPER good on the my birthday. I know, I just gave you a little glimpse into my crazy mind!

The thing that I have always loved about my birthdays are the fun parties my mom always threw.  My mom has a gift of making you feel like you are the MOST important person in the WORLD, especially on your birthday.  You ate on a special plate on your birthday, always got shot-gun on your birthday, chose breakfast, lunch and dinner on your birthday.  Having two other sibilings, birthdays were the best growing up, the day was yours to do with as you please.

Now, that I am married, the Baton has been passed to Kev-0.  He has huge shoes to fill, being the new birthday planner.  But, let me just say.  He has done an amazing job.  The first birthday we celebrated together was in 2009 and every year he some how figures out how to out do the last.

2009: Kev not only convinced me, but my whole family to go bungee jumping! It was a riot!

2010: He drove me to the Oregon Coast and rented a house there. He took me crabbing!! So so so so so so much fun!! I could have been out there all day!

2011: Took me to trampoline warehouse, were be bounced the day away! Watch out kiddos, the big kids are in the house!

My birthday is on Wednesday of this year.  I can't wait to see what he has in store! I have the best party planner!

So lazy!

Hi all!!! Geesh, I have been soooooo lazy! Kev and I both got a gross cold last week and it not only gave me a sore throat, cough, and lots of snot.  It gave me the case of the lazies!  I haven't wanted to do anything but sleep and blow my nose!  But, I am on the up and up. I now only have a little snot and a little cough.  And, I am only a little lazy now.

It is InstaFriday and I hardly took ANY photos at all this week. See, I was being so L.A.Z.Y.!! So, I went waaaay back on my camera roll and pulled some oldies off.

Doesn't this face make you want to die?!! I found him outside of New Seasons.  I think he wanted me to take him home.

Do you think he will be mad I posted this? I could not help myself!

Dim Sum.  So you see what I am about to eat?  Hint: Chickens walk on these.

Proof Kevin lets me eat at McDonalds every once in a while.  This is a RARE occasion!

It must be that good that Kev felt the need to keep a fork in this all the time.

My little braid that I did all myself!

Cousin Katie and I at Taylor Swift.  Funnest concert ever!!



The Swift herself!

Kevin imitating my sexy dance.  Yes please, this is how I try and seduce my husband.

Happy Friday! I seriously can't wait until next week!! There are sooooo many good things happening next week.  I am serious, tons of good things! 

California Hwy

Watch out California, I'm driving all day to see my California ladies! I drove to Megsies last night. And now, she and I are hitting the road. 

First stop: breakfast with Joce.
Second Stop: Lunch with Rach and little Zoe!

Caution: Oregon driver behind the wheel!

Me and my Megsies!



Me and Jocey



Me and Rachy

 Good times will be had!!

Well, I made it to Friday.  It was one of those weeks, it felt like it was NEVER going to end!! But, here we are! Below are all the things that helped me get through this dreadfully looooong week!!

Did you know that cast iron can burn?  Well it can, I found that out when I left my teapot on the stove while I drove all the way to work!! Yeah, that happened. Now it is in the recycle bin.

Happy 140,000 miles Paseo!  Kev and I still drive the car I bought in High School! My Sturdy steed!

Pip and I went to a Blazers game! 

Yes- our seats are that good.

It is decided, I like Chipotle better.

Can you imagine how annoying I am going to be when I have my own kids?  But, I mean look how cute my little Bug is!

Salt and Straw Ice Cream! So good!

And I am ending my week with a cold and sick day.  Nothing a cup of cocoa and PS I Love You can't cure.

Tonight we catch a plane to California.  I hate that we are the people getting the other people sick on the plane.  Oh well, I get to see my California girls tomorrow and I can't wait!!

Don't forget to give a looksie on Life Rearranged.

Food For Thursday- Supper Club

I don't know if you remember, but a couple of my co-workers and I started a Supper Club (you can read more about it here).  There are three of us, and we take turns hosting Supper Club at our homes once a month.  Our Supper Club Mission: Home Made, Healthy dinners.

 

January was Heidi's turn to host.  If you know Heidi, you know that she "claims" she doesn't cook.  Well after having Supper Club at her house, if she can't cook then she is one mean BBQ-ing machine!! 

Check out our January Supper Club!

When Heidi and Mak hosted they both set their tables super cute! When I hosted I said,"Oh, we will need plates, huh?"

Heidi- The Grilling Machine!

Taking turns preparing our homemade masterpieces in the kitchen.

Fly With Me

One of my co-workers is a pilot and at our my company Christmas party last year Kevin and Mark(the pilot) hit if off.  So, every once in a while, when Mark isn't work he has asked Kevin and I to go flying with him!  Amazing, right? (Thank you, Kevin for being so awesome, and thank you Mark for thinking of us!)

On our first flight Mark flew us to a small town close by, we ate lunch and then flew Kev and I took our turns soaring through this sky.  A couple of weeks ago, Mark had the idea of flying to Seattle to check out an Airplane museum.  Very fitting if I do say so myself!  Below are the pictures from our little Seattle flight!

Kev checking out our ride.

Co-Pilot, Tiff.  Watch out sky!

Mark. doing his pilot thing.

We had a beautiful view of fog...

Even with me as the co-pilot, we made it!

When we landed we took care of the important stuff first, food!

Rachy- look what was in the cafe!

After a quick bite to eat we headed to the museum!

Flight Museum

Kev doing what he does best, reading.

Reading some more.

I got bored of reading so, I took a picture of Kev's butt.

It was nice to have Mark's wealth of knowledge to teach us about the airplanes.

A real Concord!

It was really small is that Concord!

A real Airforce One. We were pretending to be the President.

All finished up! The flight Crew!

Pilot Kev.

Kev did great, especially when the engine shut off and we plummeted towards the ground.  OK- we didn't plummet but it felt like we did for about 1 sec.  

Sigh... my man and a sunset.

They who dwell in the ends of the earth, stand in awe of thy signs.  For thou dost make the dawn and sunset shout for joy.  Psalm 68:5

Thank you Mark! We are looking forward to our next lesson and adventure.  Go easier on us next time, the near death experience was a little advanced. Mom and Kathy, I am kidding!