celebrating my birthday tonight at dinner and then MUG NIGHT with my favorites - if you know me, you know that this is my favoritest thing ever! also - my best friend is home from aspen and joining the party!
remember when i posted a while ago about my friend Erin getting engaged? and then i creepily found a bunch of inspiration boards for her? well today is the day of her wedding and i couldn't be any more excited for her and Darick! :) yayyyy for happy days! off to MD to celebrate! she is going to be STUNNING!
most of the girls are spread across the country (luckily, most are on east coast!) - and i miss everyone already. still cant get over the epic weekend in NYC!
Happy Friday! hope you have lots of fun things planned! I am getting Brazilian Keratin Treatment in my hair again, can't wait! and then a champagne brunch tomorrow with friends! other than these few things, the world {DC} is my oyster! <3
...and visiting my friend Holly, her hubby, and her brand new baby, Santino (i am also looking forward to meeting their horse dog, Minion!)!!!!! more than overdue.
i made these. apparently, i still have mad skillz (candy stripe and chinese staircase - heyoo!). there are a few more that i didnt take pics of, too. who wants to be my friend?!?!?!
RIP Marc - I can't believe it's been three years. I still wait for texts from him that say "what's up ho? I'm in town, let's drink beers." - haha he was hilarious (and despite saying "ho", Marc was actually a VERY sweet guy - we met in 6th grade when i moved to darnestown, briefly dated in high school and stayed good friends through college)
To keep sane and cope, my family and I keep in touch with the Cocozzella family year-round. We love to get together to drink wine, make pizza in their imported italian pizza oven (seriously.), talk about good times with Marc, and continue to create new memories. They are the most amazingly strong, caring and kind family...it really upsets me to see such a terrible thing happen to such great people.
I always keep you and your family in my prayers, Marc....11.12.07. Until we meet again...
the girls and i have tried to keep up with a potluck every other week. we had been seriously slacking with everyone's crazy fall schedules - but last night we got back on our game! and it was awesome!
my contribution: My Aunt Vals to-die-for spinach sausage stuffing Hungry-girl Monkey Bread other contributions: mint chocolate chip cookies - tasted like thin mints. ohmygah. gingerbread cookies - from scratch mashed potatoes - lots of garlic...mmm tortellini salad with salmon - yumm shrimp appetizer with a yummy spicy dip!
recipes:
Spinach Sausage Stuffing - this recipe has been featured at quite a lot of family functions. it's passed down to my aunt val from her grandfather, which makes it quite special :) From Aunt Val: "This recipe is originally my grandfather’s recipe – Jack McAuliffe (Mom’s Dad) and many, many years ago, my Dad (Grampi Crocetta) started making it each Thanksgiving. The flavors get better as they sit, so you may want to make a day in advance." Here goes… 1 package Pepperidge farm stuffing (NOT CUBES)
1 lb mild sausage – like Jimmy Dean (not links – the tube thing not links – do you know what I mean???)
4 medium size onions chopped
1 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach
Butter – about ½ stick
Hot water (not quantity specified)
Cook sausage, drain fat, add chopped onions and brown – drain. Cook & drain spinach (spinach carries a lot of water). Add spinach to sausage/onion mixture. Add butter to mixtureIn separate bowl, mix stuffing and HOT water to desired consistency. Mix everything together. Place in glass dish (I used a huge tupperware container). Cook to heat – maybe 350 for 30 minutes (I added a little more water at J&A's house and put it in the microwave for 4 mins). Everything is already cooked, just needs to be heated.You can also refrigerate the stuffing and cook when you are ready to do so. Add butter, salt/pepper as needed. (I forgot the butter, and it still tasted amazinnggg)
*I also made a vegetarian version for kel - and it included everything except sausage. super yum!
Mix 1 tbsp. Splenda and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a large bowl or container. Set aside. Spray six cups of a muffin pan with nonstick spray, and set pan aside as well.
Place a small pot on the stove, but do not heat it. Add butter, syrup, brown sugar, 2 tbsp. Splenda, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Leave this on the unheated stove, to be melted and mixed later on.
Roll out the dough on a clean dry surface, and sprinkle evenly with baking powder. Gently smooth baking powder into the sheet with your fingers.
Cut dough sheet widthwise into six strips equal in size. Cut each strip into four squares. Roll each square into a ball, for a total of 24 dough balls.
Place 12 dough balls in the bowl with the Splenda-cinnamon mixture. Lightly toss to coat, and then place them gently in the muffin pan, with four dough balls in each of three cups. No need to press the dough balls into the pan -- just let them fall naturally. Repeat with remaining dough balls, so that each of the six muffin cups contains four coated dough balls. Set aside.
Bring the small pot on the stove to medium heat. Stirring frequently, heat just until butter has melted and contents are mixed well. Evenly spoon the butter mixture over the dough balls.
Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until puffy and firm. Allow to cool slightly, and then plate and enjoy!
