-- Dare to... Be Thankful: Sunday Soup Night --

Such a great weekend!  Two days of sleeping in makes me really happy :)  It also doesn't hurt that while I was cleaning the house on Saturday Lucas surprised me with dinner reservations at one of our favorite Italian places, Del Dente.  Lucas had the special, fusilli with peppers, peas and pearl onions in a parmesan cream sauce, and I had fettucine with pepper and red onion in a bolognese sauce - YUM!  We finished the night off watching a movie on the couch.

Sunday I headed out to HomeSense and for groceries.  I was lucky and found a couple small cabinets that I'm going to use for a project in our bedroom that I'll share later on.  

For today though I'm super excited to participate in the Dare to DIY party that Kim is throwing again this year.

This week is Dare to... Be Thankful.  And while we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving last month, I still wanted to participate in the party :)  So for this week's Sunday Soup Night I made a soup with tons of fall flair!  Earlier this fall we've tried Natalie's Ribolitta, and Butternut Squash, Ginger and Orange soup and Natalie's Lemon Orzo Chicken soup.  Tonight's was a recipe I found on Pinterest - Spicy Sweet Potato Soup.  Lucas says it was the perfect blend of creamy, pureed goodness... 

This one was ever so slightly complicated  - but I think it was worth it.  So yummy!

I also made a small batch of blitz bread to serve on the side.  I don't think I let it rise quite long enough but it was a nice side dish.

We don't have a soup recipe for next week - any suggestions??

Oh and if you haven't already, be sure to pop by the NewlyWoodwards and  check out some of the great Thanksgiving DIY projects!

** Check out what I did last year (2010)

-- In Appreciation --

 ... of those who have fallen, of those who have served and those who currently serve

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. 

Short days ago We lived, 

felt dawn, saw sunset glow,   

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw 

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

 If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

- by John McCrae        eoiwruwoeiurow

-- Winter White --

This fall has been a challenge for me.  It just feels like the weeks are flying by!  Mondays are long days at work because of a late in the day meeting that just makes the evening commute home even longer.  As a result, on Monday nights we get home around 6:30/6:45pm, make dinner, make our lunch for the next day and its just about time for bed.  On Tuesdays I teach a 3hr night class that doesn't get over until 10pm and then I get up at 5:30am the next morning for work on Wednesdays.  Because of this somewhat crazy schedule to my early week, by the time Wednesday evenings come around I am so ready to change into some jammies, and hang out on the couch.

Last night, we did just that but also wanted a little sweet snack with our hot evening beverage :)  So I tried out a recipe that I found on Pinterest. 

The "pin-spiration":

Source: howsweeteats.com via Amanda on Pinterest

My version:

I didn't have any evaporated milk so I used a light cream and I think it turned out fine.  I also didn't have a whole bunch of chocolate so I fully dipped a couple peppermint patties and just half-dipped the rest.  

The bonus: these guys only took about 20 minutes and half of that was waiting for them to firm up in the freezer!

I spent the rest of my evening winterizing my nails... another "pinspiration" :)

-- If I Hadn't Forgotton --

This song by Keaton Simons has been on repeat for the past few days.  I downloaded a duet version that also features Didi Benami but wasn't able to find that version in a format that I could share here.



So beautiful I've been singing it in my sleep :)

-- Operation Christmas Child --

  

We committed to filling a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child (Samaritan's Purse) this fall and I've really got to get it a move on it.  So far, I've got a few mini containers of play-doh, a pencil and eraser set and a little puzzle but nothing else.  The box is virtually empty.  I know that it only requires a trip to Walmart to more than fill the box but I'm still sort of stumped on cool things to put inside.  Any ideas?  So far our items are not gender specific but we are going to have to narrow down to boy or girl and 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14 yrs.

So far, I've only succeeded in colouring the box ;-)

Yes, I may have enjoyed the colouring a little too much...

If you haven't heard of Operation Christmas Child before and you think you'd like to participate check them out here

-- Hi Blog, It's Me --

I've been thinking about this little blog lately and the consensus is that I've missed it around here.  Sure I've been keeping up with all the blogs that I read, but I find that when I'm not blogging I don't really comment on other people's blogs either.  That's just not ok.  So in honour of the beginning of a new month, I figured I should pop in an make a list of the things that we've been up to over of the past couple of months.

My last post was in July so lets start off in...

August

• Lets be real, I don't remember much from August - work was crazy busy but we did squeeze in a trip to the Maritimes to hang out with my family and to attend a family wedding...

September

• We celebrated our birthdays by eating a couple of fabulous meals at Italian places - Del Dente and Sotto in the Village.  We even met up for coffee with my sister and her fiance so they could show off their Save The Dates for their upcoming wedding.
• I started teaching a class on Tuesday evenings (just for the fall semester) so my Tuesday nights got really busy really soon.
• We celebrated the return of TV!  We are keeping up with some of our usual favorites like Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy and Hawaii 5-0 but we've also added a couple new shows to the lineup.  We are loving Revenge!

October

• I had the opportunity to attend a work-related conference in Atlanta, GA.  The meeting just happened to be right after Canadian Thanksgiving so Lucas took a few days off and came along.  We spent a couple of days exploring Charleston, SC, then headed to Savannah, GA for a couple more days before ending our trip in Atlanta.  We had a great time and I'll likely blog some pictures from the trip at a later date.
• We are welcoming fall by reintroducing Sunday Soup Nights at our place.  So far we've tried Natalie's Ribolitta, and a Butternut Squash, Ginger and Orange soup that we found in What's Cooking magazine a while back.  This week we are thinking of trying Lemon Orzo Chicken soup, or maybe a Light Baked Potato Soup - we'll see which wins out soon enough :)

Anyways, so far our fall has been relatively uneventful other than that I'm working on some job applications and Lucas has some woodworking projects on the go.  Last November I blogged every day for the month - if my track record recently is any indication - I'm guessing I won't make it every day this month but hey, a girl can dream right?

-- Her Royal ... SweatShirt? --

Its here!  Its here!

After Erika from Urban Grace posted about the gorgeous sweatshirts from Joules I stalked their site for a day or two and finally bit the bullet and ordered my favorite.  

I know its embarrassing to admit, but I was actually really nervous while placing my order.  I rarely order clothing online and this sweatshirt wasn't just online.  It was online and from the UK (hence the royal comment *giggle*)!  Obviously I was a little concerned about the fact that shipping was almost as much as the actual shirt, but I absolutely love it (and its still more affordable than one on sale from Lululemon)!

Its a little heavier than I had expected it to be - especially in the hood - but its going to be great for those fall evenings at the cottage and early-morning walks with the puppy.

If you happen to take a look at their site and also get tempted, do be aware that their site is super slow to get your order processed.  But the good news is that shipping is super fast!  I ordered on July 22 and my package arrived this afternoon...

 

And just for fun... I called Lucas out of his workshop (he's working on a piece for an upcoming wedding that I can't wait to share) to take my picture and just when he passed me the camera he turned to me and said: "C'mon, take a picture of the Phelps..."  Yep, that's right, he's named his swimming arms after Michael Phelps... I'm so proud :-)

-- Izzy --

While taking pictures of one of my husband's latest Clark Wood Creations products before it headed out to the customer, our dog Izzy came up and plopped herself right in front of the camera.  So we had a little photo shoot - just her and me on our bedroom floor.  It was awesome... she barely moved once she got into her poses which was great because photos of Izzy are often blurry because she moves around a lot.

Even though she didn't exactly smile for the camera - I figure she's quite an attractive little girl!

*swoon*

-- DressUp --

I posted last week that I am a new Pinterest addict (follow me if you'd like).  I just love how its a place to save all my favorite images without having to be careful about the source of the image ... because its all saved for me!

Lately I've been pinning a lot of dress pictures since I'm shopping for a new dress for an upcoming family wedding.  The wedding is going to be outdoors, beside the water, on a Saturday afternoon in August so I don't really want to be super dressy or hot.  But, the reception doesn't start until 7pm and its taking place at a relatively swanky hotel.  So I'm kind of torn between something casual and something more dressy...

Here are a couple dresses that have caught my eye...

Source: modcloth.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: modcloth.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: modcloth.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: lechateau.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: lechateau.com via Amanda on Pinterest

I really love the fuschia colored dress but it might be a little short on me.  I also love the style of the deep purple dress from ModCloth.

But, I'm fortunate enough to have just gotten a black jersey dress from Tristan on a great sale about a month ago and I'm tempted to just try to make it work for this wedding.  Maybe by pairing it with some coral or cobalt wedges and a simple bangle and a great statement necklace it would be spicy/dressy enough for a wedding?

Source: None via Amanda on Pinterest

What do you think?  Any favorites?  Any recommendations or suggestions?

-- Last Weekend: RibFest 2011 --

First a warning: If you are a vegetarian or vegan and you weren't already tipped off by the title of this post, avert your eyes.  Carnivorous activities lie herein...

We spent Saturday afternoon at a local park that was celebrating RibFest 2011.  I get the feeling that many towns celebrate RibFest, but we'd never been before - rather surprising considering our love for all things BBQ'd and smothered in sauce :)  We showed up about 30 minutes after the place opened and there was already a swarm of people...

Enjoying some of "Pappy's Old-Fashioned Soda Pop" while waiting in line for our first 1/2 rack of ribs from the folks at Kentucky Smokehouse.

The Kentucky Smokehouse Secret... who knew?

Hmmm... looking at this now, the picture doesn't look too appetizing.  In person, it must have looked pretty good though, because these guys lasted less than 10 minutes!

Taking a break for some veggies dipped in butter (seriously, these slow roasted corn on the cob people had two slow cookers full of melted butter!!)

After walking off a tiny bit of that first 1/2 rack helping, we moved onto our second stop... we had to choose between Boss Hogs and Jack the Ribber :-)

 Both places used BBQ's with wood fires, so we chose Jack the Ribber who ensure us that his ribs were more tender then your Mama's love... (the ribs were awesome, the grammar, not so much)

 

The BBQ-er at Jack the Ribber was saucing up our lunch with a paintbrush!

Super Yummy!

And we finished just in time to take in some of the local talent!