2020

I am going to start doing something different around here. I am always on the hunt for recipes that I can whip up after work, so typically in 30 minutes, or less and always have trouble coming up with ideas, so I am going to start keeping a log of my favorite recipes.

But to kick off 2020, here is my menu from a little NYE dinner party we had:

Appetizer: I was planning on making this Baked Brie, but ended up just grabbing a pre-made baked brie from Trader Joe's.

Dinner: The entree was these Barbecue Braised Short Ribs, but I was in the mood for risotto, so instead of the grits I did parmesan oven baked risotto and broccoli rabe.

Dessert: Another Ina Garten recipe, Decadent Chocolate Cake, with vanilla ice cream and decaf espressos.

This menu was great, because I made the chocolate cake early in the afternoon. Braised the short ribs and then got them in the oven. Prepped the risotto and had it all ready to pop in the oven an hour before we wanted to have dinner. I should have prepped the broccoli rabe a little (the cutting and rinsing), but I threw it together at the last minute and everything was nice and hot!

Also, I followed Ina's directions on making sure that you have an empty dishwasher prior to the meal and also with all of the prep ahead of time we were able to get everything cleaned up in 45 minutes.

Six Months

Six months ago, we welcomed our second baby girl, Millie, into the world and our hearts. My world is forever changed in the best possible way and I enjoy being this girl's mama so much. She is full of chubby cheek smiles and every day is even better than the last.

Mabel's nursery

I shared this quote on instagram a few weeks ago and I have it taped on my work computer, I feel like it really explains my whole life right now.

We just broke ground on a pretty large renovation/addition project on our house. The result is going to be a wonderful change, but right now my heart still feels incredibly broken. This project is typically something that I would be really excited about, but I don't have the same feeling of excitement about anything these days and this project is a distraction, something to keep me busy and make time feel like it is moving faster. Because of this, I am finding myself feeling anxious and just wanting the project to be finished already. It hasn't helped that we have spent almost five months already planning and getting everything in order.

The one thing about the project that I am most looking forward to is our new kitchen. I have always wanted to do a kitchen renovation, so this will probably be my only opportunity. The very best part of the kitchen is that Mabel's nursery is becoming part of our new eat-in kitchen. It sort of sounds odd, but the way our house is laid out now, the nursery was a walk-thru bedroom between our kitchen and hallway. This is really special to me, because I know we will spend more time in this room than any other, so her room will be the heart of our home.

The room gets great light, so it will really be a great place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and look out into our backyard. I am looking forward to spending a lot of time in this room just like I would have done in Mabel's nursery. I am hoping to share our plans and the progress over the next few months.