Strikes my fancy

It's official, I'm moving to the ATL. My new job starts on Wednesday - and it's gonna be ALL new. New city, New industry, New and exciting things!

That's pretty much what my grandma kept repeating over the weekend. She's VERY excited about all the additions to the family. This weekend was the two weddings part of the statement. Friday saw the marriage of my Uncle Robb to Sharon. I don't know Sharon very well, but she has been very hospitable (she let my entire family come over for breakfast on Christmas...we're a big family!) and easy to talk to. I am very excited about them being a part of our big ole family gatherings! Saturday was my cousin Brandon's wedding. Again, because of the distance, I haven't spent a lot of time with his bride. But I do know this: Julie is pretty laid back and LOVES to laugh. She also loves my grandparents and isn't too easily embarrassed (she'll fit right in!) It was a lovely ceremony and a nice reception. Their wedding was truly a village effort as all the food was made or brought in by friends and family. That's one way to measure the love of those arou...

I was VERY excited about this book when I read about it (in a magazine? on a plane?). The idea that this family decided to sell their house and live with less in order to make a difference in others' lives intrigued me..... I also should have known it was too good to be true. What I liked about the book: I like that the daughter (who is currently a jr. in high school) writes a little something within each chapter. They tend to be more action points (how to figure out what to do/encourage each other, etc). I like that the book shows how they grew together as a family unit (at the beginning the parents were driving the kids to activites: the car and the dinner table were their family time). And I like that they picked one project and are sticking with it (in this case a 5 year commitment) as opposed to giving a lump some to an organization they like and walking away. I like that they were already involved in some organizations in ATL beyond just cutting them a check. What I did...

I've been reading this blog for awhile (http://epherielldesigns.com). I like it because she's artistic and knows other artistic - and unlike me (well, the artistic part - I KNOW artistic folk!) I pulled these images from that site because, well, today I liked them :-D

Last week I sampled a marinade/rub. I liked the look of it (but not the meatballs I was using it on!) so much that I bought it. So far I've made a marinade for chicken. I'm looking forward to using this in grilling....or making burgers... or other stuffs!

Last week had some pretty interesting twist and turns. I daily remind myself that there is a reason I took a part time job...that helps lots of things roll right off (it's a work-in-progress, my letting go!) So a picture and a few funny stories: "fitness woman": this woman walked by me with all kinds of "fitness" stuff in her cart. Protein powder, protein bars, sports bras...dressed in a tank & biker pants(?). It was all very humorous because here was this older woman who was most def trying to get people to notice her (cause it was too cold outside to be wearing what she was wearing!). I hope she was a trainer!! "conspiracy theory Catholic": Last Friday I was serving meatballs. A woman came up and said, "nope, can't have those". I replied "yeah, I'm always surprised at how much meat they have us serving on Fridays during Lent." (because my marketing mind thinks that if I wanted my product tasted by the maximum...

Last year was the first time I tried this yummy Colcannon dish. I always think about adding it to my regular cooking (as I LOVE mashed potatoes and could always use more veggies!). And now I'll share the goodness.... 2 ½ lb Russet Potatoes, peeled and quartered Sea Salt and freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste 8 Tbsp (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter ¾ Cup Milk 4 Bacon Slices, cut into ½ inch dice 4 Large Shallots, thinly sliced 1 Large Leek, white and light green portions, halved lengthwise, rinsed well and thinly sliced 1 Bunch Curly Kale, about ¾ lb, stemmed and coarsely chopped 1 Small Head Napa Cabbage, about 1 lb, cored and coarsely chopped (I used Savoy Cabbage) 1/8 tsp Mace or Freshly Grated Nutmeg Method Put the potatoes in a large pot, add water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches and generously salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain well in a colan...