Currently I'm...

I am way too late to link up with Jenna and Anne but I loved the posts I read so I am doing it on my own anyway and hopefully I remember to join in next time.
Currently I’m...

 

Reading the book Crazy Rich Asians for book club.  But I went to power read tonight and I can't find it... and book club is on Friday.  I am over halfway through it but will likely be up until the wee hours tomorrow night/Friday morning to get through it.  I really like it so far, it took me a while to get into it but that may have been because I started it while we were on vacation (my one goal was to read the book and you would think that could happen in a week but apparently not) and was constantly distracted by adorable little people.  And by little people I mean nieces and nephews.  Our next book is Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - apparently Reese Witherspoon read and enjoyed it and I'm a fan so that's got to mean something right?

Enjoying the cooler weather we have had the last couple days.  I realize I am really reaching on this one but I just came home from vacation and am having lake, wine, food and family fun withdrawal so I'm a tad grumpy.  Oh and the recipes I have discovered (thank you Pinterest!) to use up some of the zucchini that grew in the garden.

Photographing ummm everything.  My husband makes fun of me because I am always taking pictures of Milo and Jinx (including my never-ending quest to try and get a good selfie with one of them), food I'm eating and drinks I'm drinking, hubby sleeping, hubby cuddling the fur babies... EVERYTHING!  I should really learn to use my DSLR so maybe I can actually use some of them.

Feeling tired, sluggish and irritable. I'm not sure why exactly but I have been tired since I woke up on Sunday.  Getting caught up at work has meant a couple late nights but I am getting at least 6.5-7 hours of sleep at night. What I am not getting?  Exercise.  I am eating fairly well but I always cave in the evening.  I just don't have any motivation to do anything about it.

Listening to Glee's Christmas CD.  No joke.  These are the only CDs in my car that my husband will listen to and I keep forgetting to find something new.  Other than that I am catching up the Story Worthy podcasts.  Hmm reading that over I sound super lame.  I need to get some music in my life - suggestions please!
What are you listening to right now?  What do you listen to for motivation?  

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Weekend Recap | First Anniversary Celebrations

I know that I am extremely late to this party but I have been quite grumpy the last couple days and in complete vacation withdrawal.  The skies opened up this morning and as I was driving to work (late, thanks snooze button that I call husband!) in a torrential downpour I realized that I have made it to hump day and in only two more sleeps it's Friday.  And the sun is supposed to return.  I might just make it friends.

 

We celebrated our first anniversary while we were on vacation at the lake last week (and we probably always will because we are always at the lake the first week of August) and I was thinking two things:

1. How did the past year go by so quickly??!

 

2. They say the first year is the hardest but it was our best one together yet!

 

I guess the next hurdle is the 7 year itch... or parenthood. 

We wanted to go back to the restaurant where he proposed, a lodge built entirely from wood high up in the hills overlooking the lake, but it closed last fall.  It was an amazing place, you always saw deer on the drive up, the food was fantastic and you were surrounded by gorgeous lake views.  It was a very special place to us so it was really sad to find out it had closed.  

 

Proposal location: a beautiful lodge with panoramic lake views

We decided to finally try the restaurant at a local winery that everyone raves about and we were not disappointed.  The wine was amazing, the view was great (although not quite as amazing as our lodge) and the food was de-freaking-licious!  

Our "new" restaurant, great lake view and food amazing enough to forgive almost anything!

 

duck liver pate with fresh baked brioche loaf



Prime rib, whipped potatoes and roasted veggies (mine)



Roasted ling cod with saffron "paella" risotto (his)

 

For dessert we had our wedding cake!  Or at least a bite of it... it was year-old lemon pound cake covered in fondant (we served a separate sheet cake to guests).  This tradition was very important to me (no clue why) and so my mother packed up the top layer of our wedding cake and stored it in her deep freeze until I picked it up a couple days before we left for vacation.  She even left the purple ribbon on it and we cut it right on the festive Christmas box it was packed in.  Thanks Mom!

 

 

The top of our wedding cake 1 year later!



Hubby's piece



My piece

Similar to our wedding last year (well not really because this time it was super short) we did a photo shoot thanks to one of my Pinterest finds (and thank you to K for being our photographer).  We took a photo of us holding one of our wedding pictures and then next year we will take a photo of us holding the photo below in a frame and so on every year.  Thankfully hubby played along :)



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The only thing missing on our anniversary was the champagne I requested... that did get put in the fridge the night before only to be forgotten about on the actual day... and then again the next day... and for the next 6 days until we left.  It's probably still in there.  Next year! 

I would love to hear what your anniversary traditions are! 

Linking up with Bella and Lisa and...

Meg:

 

Meal Plan Monday | Post-Vacation Blues

Oh hello again Monday.  The only thing worse than a regular Monday is the first one after a vacation.  Does anyone have any suggestions as to how make the transition back to work any easier?  If you do please send them my way asap because Sarah is in a deep post-vacation depression.
I did manage to get a meal plan for the week together and then I dragged myself out to get groceries.  Both hubby and I know that we need to clean out our bodies after all the drinks, wine, bread, cheese, fried food, etc. etc.  I would love to just have salads and flavoured water all week except for two things: 1) my hubby is constantly hungry and needs carbs every day and 2) I would end up devouring four cheeseburgers by lunch on Wednesday if I went cold turkey if I tried to subsist on salad and water.  So I just need to make smart choices.

 

Sunday: sushi... I had a packed day so I picked up sushi around 3pm and that with some random leftovers was on the menu.

 

Monday: my sister-in-law tells me that pork chops baked in hoisin sauce are easy and delicious so I'm going to try it out.  I will let you know how it feels.

 

Tuesday: we have chicken breasts, mushrooms, pasta and sauce and it's hubby's night to cook.

 

Wednesday: chicken caesar salad... I bought a bag of caesar salad and will throw chicken in, how much easier can it get?

 

Thursday: homemade beef hamburger patties on these awesome little naan breads that I found, they make the perfect skinny bun.

Friday: I have book club and we are ordering sushi in, not too sure what the hubby will be eating but I'm pretty sure it will be of the delivery variety.

 

Today will definitely be a multiple cup of coffee kind of day...

 

Is it Friday yet??  

My First Guest Post... featuring ME!

Happy Hump Day!  So many apologies for being MIA this week but living the lake life takes a lot out of you... and I'm having too much fun to sit down at a computer.  But I promise I will be back next week and I even have a new recipes to share including the delicious my mother-in-law Chinese Chicken for dinner one night!  Hubby and I are having the best holiday and below is a little preview of how we have been spending our days.
But before I leave (and pour my first baileys coffee) and settle in on the porch for some fun in the sun, please go check out my very first feature post ever on September FARM!  Karli is the cutest pregnant farmer wife and I was totally nervous to read what someone else thought about my little online world but I am bursting with happiness (literally, the husband thinks I'm losing it) so I would love for you to check it!!!
Thanks for making my day Karli Xxo!

Home base (I should take a photo of the cabin one day hey??)

Wine tasting Heaven

Lots of yummy food

 Back soon!!

Oh Hey Friday: Vacation Edition

I am not trying to rub it in or anything but can I get a YIPPEEEEE! for officially being on vacation as of 4:30pm today?  Actually I have technically been on vacation since 4:30pm yesterday but I have so much work to do and we aren't leaving until Saturday so I am sucking it up and getting as much off my plate as I can.  I will be able to enjoy myself a lot more if I know I'm not leaving a shit storm behind.  I will return to one for sure, I always do, but as long as I'm not aware of it I won't spend time worrying about it.  

So at 5am Saturday morning the Mr. and I are heading to the cabin for one whole week.  I plan to spend the majority of my time by the water with a few wine tastings sprinkled in.  

For the link-up today I have five things I am looking forward to for the next week...

1 |  Wine.  There will be a lot of it, both tasting and chugging drinking.

2 |  Anniversary Celebrations.  On Sunday it's my first anniversary with the Mr.  We got married at the lake so it just makes sense to celebrate at the lake.  Bring on the year old cake! (p.s. don't you love how happy my new husband looks in this photo?)

3 |  Kayaking.  I am beyond excited to use my kayak again!  I had so much fun paddling around and checking out the lake... I just need to remember to go first thing when the water is nice and calm because I always put it off.  And then I get sad.  Will try not to let that happen this time.

4 |    Book Club reading.  We chose a light read this time (I have heard it's hilarious) and I have been saving it for reading lakeside, cocktail in hand.  

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5 |  Sister!  I am so incredibly excited to see this face (not mine, the other one)... I haven't seen my sister since Christmas and I can't wait to spend some time with her while we are both on vacation.  Fun in the sun awaits!

What are you up to this weekend?
Linking up with Karli and Amy, and A Blonde Ambition!

 

I Popped My Cherry

My geocaching cherry that is - I found my first one!  I have known about geocaching's existence for years but I have never felt the desire to do it myself.  Until my friend told me she had gone out and found like eight of them.  For some reason that ignited a fire in me and I went straight to Google, found Geocaching.com realized there are some so close to my house.  
What is geocaching, you may ask? Direct from the website:
Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.
So during dinner one night I started telling the Mr. about geocaching and he tells me he found one at one of his job sites!  One of his job sites is located on a popular trail along the river and geocaches are generally located in parks and other public areas.  I think anyway...
Needless to say I had to find this geocache as well.  So I created my profile downloaded the app and on Saturday Milo and I set out to find our first geocache.  The app isn't as exact as a GPS but it apparently gets you within a 30 foot radius of were the geocache is supposed to be.  I'm pretty sure my friend is just using her phone and she is banging them off like crazy.
I suck you guys.  I totally couldn't find it.  I literally called the Mr. and he had to basically guide me within two feet of the thing.  But it felt great when I did find it!    

The blue dot is you and the green arrow show the geocache location

we found it!  (the small green box on the log)

I added my username and date to the log but didn't have a trinket to leave - I will be visiting the dollar store this week to stock up

Before we found the trinket, Milo got bored of walking in circles

 

Once you log your find you get a smiley face!

  It was so fun and I want to find more!  I even checked and there are a bunch near the lake, including one in the cemetery but I don't think I'll be looking for that one.  I wonder if I will even be able to find one though?  Seriously friends, it was pathetic.  I think a GPS purchase is in my future.
Any thoughts on what I should leave as my signature trinket?

Tasty Tuesday: Baked Artichoke Dip

Today I am sharing my recipe for the easiest party please ever.  It is by far my most requested recipe for family dinners, cabin weekends and parties which is lucky for me because it’s ready to serve in 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• One 14oz can artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• dash of lemon juice

Directions

1. Drain and chop up artichoke hearts (FYI this is the most labor-intensive step)
2. Mix everything in a bowl until combined.
3. Transfer to an oven-safe container
4. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
5. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips or both! 

Chop artichoke hearts.

Mix everything together.



Pour in oven-safe container and bake.

Serve and take in the compliments. Get ready, there will be many.

What did I tell you?  So easy.  Make this dip for your next event friends, people will love you.