Beautiful Love

Greetings from my new laptop :) FINALLY!! We spent about 45min-1hr at Best Buy Saturday night exploring options and then I slept on it so when we went back Sunday there was no more looking, just purchasing!

I ended up with an Asus, so far so good…I read a lot of great things about the company.

Let the blogging resume!

I.LOVE.WEDDINGS.

I love going to weddings

I love seeing the happy couple

I love planning weddings

I love wedding magazines

I love wedding cake

I love getting dressed up

I love flowers

I love dancing

and the list can go on and on…

This weekend was my good friend Jenny’s wedding!! I had the pleasure of doing a beautiful reading at the church and I also did the brides make-up for her big day!! I guess you could say I was the resident make-up artist back in college, which I love doing…so I was SO flattered when she asked me.

Brian and I at the rehearsal…I love that dress, and it’s from Target!

Jocy and I the day of (I did her eye make-up too)…she was a bridesmaid!

Brian and I (photo from my iphone)

I decided to play up the yellow dress with these blue shoes that I got for like $20 at Ann Taylor on the sale rack a year or 2 ago!

and then remembered my grandmothers old bracelet, and her old purse…I used this purse at my wedding too :)

The Happy Couple!! (I think I caught someone else's flash on this one)

The UNH girls

The Poem I read at the ceremony was so beautiful. I just have to share…

“Love” by Roy Croft (with edits from the bride)

I love you
Not only for who you are,
But for who I am
When I am with you.

I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.

I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;

I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can't help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find

I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good.
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.

You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.

You have done it
By being yourself.

Tear jerker, right??'

The weekend continued with delicious eats, including some incredible beer and cheese from Armsby Abbey in Worcester (post to come!)

Gelato during my trip to Whole Foods on Sunday

Blood Orange + Belgium Chocolate

Oh yes.

Lookey what I found!!! Obviously bought them all

So far I’ve tried the Choc. Chip Cookie Dough…LOVE IT! I love the addition of chocolate chips to these bars. It works so well with the consistency.

We grilled Sunday night. Flank Steak, which I marinated in a mixture of:

• olive oil
• white balsamic vinegar
• splash of Blueberry vinegar (which was actually quite prominent and delicious in the steak)
• Dijon mustard
• salt
• pepper
• fresh rosemary
• fresh oregano
• fresh thyme
• fresh parsley (gotta love an herb garden)

I think that was it, I really didn’t measure anything. There was just enough liquid for the steak to sit in…def not covering it, no need.

This marinated for about 1-2 hours.

We also grilled corn that we picked up at a farm stand in CT and made salads

• baby arugula
• fresh radishes (from my friends parent’s garden in CT)
• fresh basil from our garden
• baby cherry tomatoes (from our garden)
• TJ’s garlic crouton
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar

I let the tomatoes + basil + olive oil sit for a while before

So fresh! I love the flavors of corn, basil, and tomatoes!

It was actually a beautiful night…probably right around 70 degrees.

Things were great until the clouds/rain rolled in. Luckily this was after we ate. However the rain was quick and it was still sunny

so strange…

and then this happened…

Rainbow!!!

It went across the whole sky!

Beautiful ending to a beautiful weekend.

Yay Computer! (and I don't say that often)

This is my first time posting from my recently FIXED Laptop!!! My WONDERFUL fiance bought me a new hard drive and spent a long time this past weekend installing it and getting my computer back up and running...Yay Brian!!!

A Delicious Baked Good

Unfortunately I cannot take credit for these...My roommate once again made a FABULOUS batch of Ellies Cherry Walnut Bars!

The first time she made them I wasn't in love, but now I can't get enough!! I think she's tweaked the recipe a bit...I know she adds more applesauce. Funny thing was that she bought the Quaker 1-minute oats this time and thought she bought the wrong ones but I read the recipe again and it does call for quick oats...she didn't know the 1-minute oats were the quick oats...silly roomie. That must be why this batch tastes EXCEPTIONALLY good!Seriously...MAKE THESE!!

Delicious NON baked good...Why didn't anyone tell me how AWESOME this flavor is!?!?! Like I really think it may be my FAVORITE as of right now!! I was hesitant because I wasn't wild about the Lemon Larabar...thought the lemon was too strong/harsh tasting. This, however, was so subtle with the creaminess of the cashews and coconut...all the flavors went SO well together!

I told you I bought like 4 kinds when I finally found these bad boys!!

I just enjoyed a Flat Out Spinach wrap for dinner...it was actually my packed lunch but we had lunch bought for us at work today...sweet!

It started with a simple turkey/cheese/spinach wrapHowever, I also ate this yesterday for lunch, and was bummed that I really couldn't taste the wonderful Havarti Dill cheese on my wrap!!

So tonight I ripped off a piece of wrap and put the cheese in there, and the turkey and spinach in the rest of it.Took that little piece of wrap and cheese and threw it into the toaster...Mmmmm...melty. Way better than eating it all together! On the side I had some leftover veggies and dip from Superbowl Sunday.

For dessert I remembered I still had a few Starbucks treats from Saturday that I took in my doggie bag to go!! So I enjoyed a little bite of Raspberry Scone and a sliver of Low Fat Cinnamon Coffee cake with a hot cup of Decaf Green Tea...heaven.

And I leave you with some beautiful colorful strawberries and grapes from my afternoon snacky

As expensive as the produce is at Whole Foods...you can always count on it to be really fresh and delicious...so yeah I splurge sometimes ;0

Fun Packages and Fake Eyelashes!

Yes I just got home from dress rehearsal and I'm still rockin' the fake eyelashes. I never think to wear them other than for dance, but man I'm lovin' how my eyes look right now...I should try them out for other fun nights out!

Well yesterday I came home to a very pleasant surprise...Yay! My very own Larabar T-shirt! And a big box of all the flavors!!!!! SO excited because there are some I have not had a chance to try. Of course all I really wanted to do was open them all and take a bite of each one...but I restrained myself. THANK YOU LARABAR!

I was rushing to get out the door for rehearsal so I did grab one...well maybe two.
I broke off a piece of each on my way to dance. First was Pistachio!

Pistachio - I really enjoyed this one, it had a mellow but rich flavor...just like eating pistachios from the shell but with a little sweetness from the dates and cashews. It's not an intense pistachio flavor but that's why I like it, it tastes just like the nut.

Next...

Lemon! - Holy lemon! Let me start by saying I LOVE citrus flavors and love tart lemony things...but this was just pushing it a little too much. The lemon was a little too intense for me, and could of used a bit more sweetness to cut the tartness. Not my fav, but I still like it. I will try it again though because the tartness may have been more pronounced because of the pistachio one I ate right before.

When I returned to the apartment I was still in the mood for more of a dinner. I made mini pizzas on Arnold Sandwich thins, and these Turkey meatballs we had in the freezer.I heated up 2 turkey meatball, and cut them up to place on my sandwich thin with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Before toastingAfter coming out of the toaster oven and served with 1 carrot cut into 3 piecesAnother terrific use for Arnold Sandwich thins!!

As I was packing my foods for the day this morning, I packed up my Advent calendar treats of the day for a sweet snack later
On the left is a coconut, almond, milk chocolate bite...like an Almond Joy but better! And a Dark chocolate nonpareil.

Another amazing oatmeal day...maybe I'm just getting better at making it at work, but its been so so good this week.

Today's Oats:
1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup skim milk
salt and vanilla
1/2 banana

Microwaved, then added:
1 tsp pumpkin butter
random toppings including: pecans, Tempting Trail Mix, Kashi Go lean, random dried fruit from a different trail mix.Oh! And a spoon of White Chocolate PB... by the way the PB chips from the trail mix taste just like that White choc. PB, and I've never had regular chocolate chips in oats...but when they melt its like heaven!!

Busy busy work day, had to make my lunch fast! So I didn't have the soup I packed but the oats were holding me over for a long time!

I did make a wrap using:
1 Josephs Low carb tortillas
2 slices honey maple turkey
1 slice American cheese
Broccoli Slaw!
Drizzle of Annie's honey mustard dressing
The slaw added a great crunch!

I ate a half of a PB&J during dress rehearsal, but when I got home I made a mini dinner since it was late!

1/2 Sandwich thin toasted with a garlic and herb Laughing cow
Some peas (frozen...cooked in microwave)And some TJ's Greek with Apple sauce!! I went back for more apple sauce after....it was cool and refreshing.
I was asked about the comparison of TJ's Greek to Chobani...

I love both first of all. The TJ's is cheaper so that's a big reason I buy it more often. Another difference would be the consistency, I think TJ's is a little thicker, but Chobani a little creamier. I think I'd have to say the TJ's has ever so slightly more tang, but nothing too noticeable.

Well I see I've managed to be up too late AGAIN!! Yay for Friday tomorrow :)