Harriet Homemaker

Harriet Homemaker. That's what Mr. SE calls me when I cook and do things around the house while he's at work. Just wanted to let you in on a fantastic recipe I tried a couple weeks ago, and have made THREE times since then! The "linguine with a lemon, garlic, and white wine sauce" is more than amazing. It's life changing. I made the variety twice with regular ingredients, and the 3rd time I added a can of clams. Delicious! I'm pretty sure Mr. SE thought he was at a fancy schmancy restaurant.

And to top it off? Hearts of romaine with homemade dressing (balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, Italian herbs mix). Delicious! Here's the picture from The Entertaining Kitchen, where I found the recipe. She has tons of other fabulous food and drink recipes. Please try the Lemonade Sangria- you'll thank me!

Tomorrow I'll post the delicious skirt steak and veggie kabobs Mr. SE and I made on Tuesday.

She Takes The Cake

Alright, that was very corny. Do you want less posts a day and more clever titles? Didn't think so. Amy from {with the pixie grin} had her wedding last weekend. I've been following her blog for awhile now, and it was quite exciting to see all of her hard work come to fruition. One of my favorite aspects of her wedding was the cake. She blogged about ordering from Publix, and I could hardly contain my excitement while waiting to see a picture. It's settled. We'll be getting ours from Publix too. I love the simplicity of the design, especially with her homemade cake topper.


Contact Amy @ {amylynnfrank@gmail.com} if you're interested in ordering a topper
Photography Daniel Meigs
Cake from Publix in Brentwood, Dianne

Muffin Top

Okay, so my muffin top doesn't look exactly like this picture- but I'm sure you get the picture. As my faithful readers know, Mr. SE and I have been living together for a little over a week. I've heard of post-wedding weight gain, but I'm thinking that it's more closely related to living together.

Mr. SE eats whatever he wants, and looks smoking hot! Me, on the other hand...I have IBS, so preservatives and un-natural foods aren't my friends. They make me gassy and bloating is inevitable. It's a fact that male metabolism is much better that females. I'm home during the day and Mr. SE is at the office. Where does this leave me? With the pantry full of honey roasted peanuts and Doritos!?!?!

I've tried to eat healthy (I'm happy eating plain whole wheat pasta for dinner. I did it almost every night at college). But it tends to drag down Mr. SE's excitement about dinner. We love cooking together, but it's hard for us to find meals that are quick and healthy. Mr. SE feels a need to have meat with every meal, and I honestly wouldn't notice if it wasn't there.

Since I'm still recovering from my last ankle surgery, my normal stand-by cardio routine isn't a possibility. What have you done to help maintain your weight/healthy eating habits while living with your Mr? I would LOVE any, and all, advice that you'd like to give. Please help us make this work, so he's full and I'm not gassy/bloated! Sorry if that was TMI- I feel like we're on that level now.

Yikes!

Check out Sugar Stacks to see how much sugar is in what you eat.

The Dirty on Booze

In keeping with my previous post on wine, Louise {The Thirty-Something Bride} has done a fantastic post on the topic of purchasing wine in Tennessee. She and I were both showcased a couple days ago on Ashley's Bride Guide. Her post brings up a lot of good points. If your reception venue allows you to supply your own alcohol- DO IT. It's a great way to save a ton of money. You can return the unopened bottles later. Um, hello awesome!

Terra Andina Wine

We had a fantastic wine over the weekend and I absolutely must share it with you! The brand is Terra Andina, Sauvignon Blanc, and it was fantastic. The bottles are priced from $7-$10 retail- quite a bargain for such a delicious wine. It was light and fruity, perfect for a nice summer evening. I'm having trouble finding the wine, so I'm thinking about buying it online.

Clearly I'll have to purchase before I move. TN- what is your deal? Sometimes mama needs to get her drink on, and your alcohol rules drive me crazy. I want to pick up dinner at Publix and grab a bottle of wine on the way out. Not fair. Are there any large wine suppliers in TN that yall know of? In DC we have this fantastic place called Total Wine and Beverage (it's huge!!!). I'd love to find something like that in Nashville.

Mason Jar Crafts

Confession: I eat a lot of grapefruit. They're delicious and good for you! I love the grapefruit, but don't want the hassle of dealing with the actual cutting of fruit. I love the big mason jars that come in the produce section. You can normally find me standing at the counter with a fork, and I've been known to consume an entire jar in one "eating".

After eating the grapefruit, I use the extra juice for vinaigrette and I've also been washing and saving the jars. Now I've acquired quite a collection and I think I'll be using mine for office supplies. I'm going to wrap a cute ribbon bow around the top and I promise to post pictures. Is there any product that you use a lot and repurpose around your house?

Pizza Pizza!

These little babies are my absolute favorite! They're beyond delicious and not too bad for you (a little more sodium than I'd like). I eat a Lean Cuisine Pizza (or LCP as I call them) for lunch every day. You can imagine my excitement when Lowe's Foods had them on sale for $2 yesterday!!! Needless to say, I took advantage of the opportunity and stocked up. Am I alone in this love? Tell me there's some more LCP crazies out there! Do you have something that you absolutely LOVE to eat- and do eat it regularly?!?

Cute Ideas

Here's some cute ideas that I've seen online recently. The first is a gorgeous way to display iced champagne or wine. The rose buds inside ice cubes make a huge impact and are completely beautiful! Below: this popcorn bar is a great take on the current DIY candy bar trend. I love the idea of a DIY favor bar, and this popcorn idea is right up my alley. There's lots of gourmet popcorn companies that could supply you with the favors, or you could make the seasoning yourself. I like the idea of mixing sweet and savory flavors. Daddy SE loves popcorn and this would be a great hit in his book too.

Here's some gourmet popcorn websites- some of their flavors are crazy!
Dale and Thomas Popcorn
Kukuruza
Popcorn Palace

Are you jumping on the DIY favor buffet bandwagon? If so, what are your colors or food choices?

Cake Porn

Both of these cakes are to. die. for. They're made from local baker Maples Cakes, which opposite of what it sounds is owned by a male, Jay Qualls. This man has a gift. His cakes range from classic and simple to modern and ornate. All the while maintaining this whimsical allure.
This first cake would look gorgeous if the bride used large blooms: magnolias, gardenias, or peonies. I picture her having a coordinating satin ribbon and bloom on the waistline of her gown. This Jim Hjelm dress would be perfect! I haven't been to try on dresses yet, but I'm pretty sure Jim Hjelm (Arzelle's and Faccio) is straight where I'm headed!