Sunday Show-Day

R and I had a fantastic date on Sunday.  We went to the DPAC and saw Book of Mormon but first we stopped at Tylers Taproom in Durham because it's so darn convenient.  We had lots of extra time to hang out before the doors open so we enjoyed some beer and queso.  I had Green Man's Sticky Alt which is a fantastic light lager.

Then we settled in for dinner, we both were craving the homemade pimento cheese.  He got the pimento cheese burger and I got the bacon, lettuce, and fried green tomato sandwich with pimento cheese.  So good.  Much better than normal pub food.

Off to the show.  I purchased tickets in the fall less than 24 hours after they went on sale and we still ended up in the balcony.  It wasn't terrible though, we were on the end of an aisle so it was easy to get in and out of.  Oh and it's incredibly funny if you aren't easily offended.  Book of Mormon was written by the creaters of South Park so it isn't humor that everyone would enjoy and it definitely feeds into stereotypes.  R ended up with some great one liners out of it.  We had such a great time!

Five on Friday

And another week gone...

This Sunday hubs and I have a date, a very special date to see...

 This is happening!  I bought the tickets back in the fall and I can't wait to see it.  I've heard that it is hilarious, I hope it can stand up to the hype.

Hmm.  maybe I could have staged this photo to be a bit nicer but I couldn't wait to show off our new sofa pillows.  I finally found the right shade of blue in the herringbone pillow from World Market.  They have a nice thick slipcover at a great price.

 Naan pizza, geez I love this as pizza crust.  It's so much better to me than pre-made crusts. But the key figure in this picture is the Smuttynose Imperial Stout that got a solid 100 92% rating in Beer Advocate.  It was absolutely delicious - mocha heaven.

 I'm using our new Bormoili jars in our pantry.  Oh my it looks so much better, not just organized and clean but pretty.  I attempted to take pictures of the whole pantry but they turned out too dark, unfortunately the lighting in that tiny hall is not very good.

I should have shared this one last week during our snowcation.  Maybe you can't quite figure out what it is?

This is my cat's snow angel.  Look at that dip where her belly was! And those two prints on the left...that's her darting back inside the warm house.  Needless to say, Lilly is not a snow loving kitty.

Hooray for Friday!

New Tech Vest...on sale

I got a tech vest that is finally warm enough for super chilly weather at a ridiculously good price and now it's 70* outside.  Oh well, I still could get some use out if it in the early morning or late afternoon hours.  And there's always next winter.

via Reebok (currently on sale)

for sale in gray and white

I didn't want to pay full price for a new vest so it was worth the wait.  I've only tried it on and wore it around the house but this puppy is WARM.  I hope we have a few more chilly days so I can really test it out.

Valentine's Day 2014

R handled Love Day with ease.  He surprised me with a set of copper mugs and prepared blackberry Moscow Mules as a before dinner cocktail.  Then he prepared the most delicious mushroom and crab risotto with a big green salad and ice cream sundaes for dessert.  I gifted him with a bottle of scotch and he gave me a beautiful bouquet with my favorite... hydrangeas!  We rounded out our night with too much wine and a netflix movie.

We also splurged on the Love with Food box for February and we have enjoyed it so much.  I plan to do a review soon and we are considering making it a monthly purchase.  We got the deluxe box with has 2 packages of nearly every item to share.

And to address the pink elephant...I had to take a week off from blogging.  It was just too much.  I've been playing catch-up since our snowcation and home has been a place to unwind or complete unfinished work assignments.  We were productive though, we organized our pantry (huge task) and our laundry room.  I've started organizing our kitchen cabinets and my closet but those projects are unfinished.  Oh and I started and finished a book this week....reading is the very best way for me to unwind so that one went quick and now I need suggestions for a new one. If you have one, leave it in the comments section.

Five on Friday...

I have done absolutely nothing of note this week thanks to the most annoying migraine, medication has only dulled the pain so I can go to work.  I didn't want to sit this one out by default but I really didn't have any great ideas for my weekly five...no ideas but plenty of wants.  So here ya go - my crushes.

1. Athleta Chaturanga Capri...actually any quality capri will work out just fine but I own several items from Athleta and these are reasonably priced and look quite comfortable.

2.  Origins EyeZing Refreshing Eye Cream.  Maybe last week's cold and this week's never-ending headache have made my eyes super puffy or maybe I'm just getting to the point where I need to switch up my beauty products.  I've had this one on the radar forever and I think it might be time to take the plunge.

3.  Sigma Flat Top Kabuki brush.  Oh I'd love to have this to buff in my foundation, I have a foundation bush by sigma that I like but I don't use it on work days because it takes a long time to blend and I'm all about speed Mon - Fri.

4.  Hobo International Alice Wallet.  I love my current Kate Spade wallet and I have a Hobo Lauren that I also like but this one is welcome to join the party.  I love turquoise but I will not turn down the caramel color either.

5. Brooks PureFlow 3.  I'd love some refreshing new footwear for Spring.  I have a model of Ravennas that are nice but I wouldn't mind trying something else.

Peer Pressure.  Peer Pressure...

My V. Card

Valentine's Day is upon us and I'm so excited that it's on a Friday night.  I love any holiday that is focused on good chocolate, champagne, and the color pink!  We are skipping the crowded lines and pre fixe dinner menus and enjoying a night in.  R has volunteered to make dinner AND dessert since he gets off work earlier than I do.  He has the whole evening planned.  So I made a collage, just in case he needs a little help ;-)

Heart Brownie Sundae

Extra Pretty Card

Love with Food

Bouquet Beautiful

Champs, anyone?

Foreign Rom Com

In the Kitchen: Taco Dip

Super Bowl Dip

(pun intentional, get it?)

Err, it's also called Taco Dip and this recipe makes an 8x8 dish, definitely double it if you take it to a party.

4 ounces softened cream cheese

4 ounces nonfat plain Greek yogurt (you can also use low fat sour cream)

2-3 good shakes hot sauce of your choice

1 tablespoon taco seasoning 

8 ounce or about half a jar salsa (I used Tostitos Cantina)

1 can black beans, rinsed and well drained (get that moisture off those beans)

1 chopped Roma tomato

1 1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

1 small can sliced black olives

1 jalapeno seeded and chopped

1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used Colby and Monterey Jack)

Mix cream cheese, hot sauce, taco seasoning and Greek yogurt in a bowl. Spread this mixture in an 8x8 dish.  Layer with salsa and follow it with black beans.  The next layer should be lettuce followed by tomatoes and then cheese.  Finally top with black olives and jalapenos.  But the sky is the limit here you can add chopped bell peppers, green onion, a squeeze of lime or whatever tasty taco toppings that you like.

We like to scoop ours with Tostitos Blue Corn chips.  Serve this alongside some hot wings for a fantastic Super Bowl Supper.