...meet Boojiboo!!!

I'm a big fan of handmade stuff on Etsy.com. And I'm also big fan of all the cute stuff that Boojiboo offers! I recently visited her site to check out what she's been up to. And  oh my...LOTS! There are new bags, bibs, and of course aprons. I bought one of her vintage style aprons back in April and LOVE it! She uses her own pattern and the craftsmanship is AMAZING! Not only is it good for cooking...but it looks all cute and buttercuppy hung up in the corner of the kitchen :)

...Lee turned 30!

Incase you didn't know...I'm married to the best guy in the whole universe. I know lots of ladies say that...but they're wrong. I got him. There's only one...and his name is Lee Steffen. Today, he turned 30 and we had SO MUCH FUN! Thanks for being born today, baby.  And thanks for turning me into the luckiest girl in the world by making me your wife. Happy Birthday and I love you always :)

...grain salad recipe

I feel like all the recipes posted on my blog are naughty and go straight to the hips. Here's one of our favorites that's much more figure friendly.

Grain Salad

1 1/2 cups organic Jasmine long grain white rice, cooked

1/2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced

1/2 medium yellow squash, halved and sliced

1 cup sweet white corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1 Tablespoons sweet onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced

1 Tablespoons dried dill, or 2 Tablespoons fresh (packed)

1/6 cup fat-free Italian dressing

Combine the grains with the vegetables and mix well. Pour dressing over ingredients and toss to combine. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes then serve. Makes 2-3 servings.

I'm a BIG fan of locally grown organic produce so I LOVE making this dish in the summer when there's tons of it around!

...this is off the buttercuppy scale!

As I was going through my daily blog reads I found this INCREDIBLY cute vase that is so far off the buttercuppy scale it doesn't even register! I've had a thing for whales lately. I think they're uber-cute on anything... t-shirts... clutches... pendants... totes... cards... and now a vase! The website says they're looking for a way to produce and sell this whale of a gem. I hope they figure one out soon!

apartmenttherapy.com

behance.net

...summer is officially here!

Even though it's been insanely hot the past few weeks, something was missing to make it feel like summer. Not anymore! 

To celebrate summer and booking a beach vacation next month, I ordered a new floppy sunhat from Urban Outfitters today! I'd say it rates a solid nine on the buttercuppy scale.  It lost one point because I found a buttercuppier one at Anthropologie... but it got the boot after seeing the pricetag. 

...homemade cheesecake? YES!

Tonight my husband and I polished off a small cheesecake dessert... the third consecutive (and last) night of goodness.  Just incase you need a little blueberry delight, here's the recipe (from Cooking for Two magazine). Words I heard from Lee between bites, "wow... this is redonk... mmmmmm... redonkulous... amazing"

Blueberry Cheesecake Dessert:

Crust:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

3 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Filling:

2 Packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon lemon juice, fresh

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Sauce:

1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam (I used seedless blackberry jam)

2 cups fresh blueberries

In a food processor, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and nuts; cover and process until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter; cover and pulse just until mixture is crumbly. Press into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, for filling, in a food processor, combine the filling ingredients; cover and process until blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until center is just set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat jam on high for 15-20 seconds or until warmed; gently toss with blueberries. Cut dessert into squares; top with blueberry sauce. Refrigerate leftovers.

...we're back from a great vacation :)

This past week, Lee & I took a much needed and very fun vacation :) We started out in Mahomet, Illinois for Robbie's high school graduation/birthday weekend. It was great to see family and hang out for a few days while celebrating! We brought our Wii and it was a hit with everyone, including grandma. I think the highlight was watching Ben play tennis...or maybe dad with bowling. I'm not sure which was funnier...Michael dodging Ben's backhand swing, or dad's 4-inch from the TV four step lane approach. Anyhow, they both kept a roomful laughing. During the weekend we were able to go up to Chicago to spend some time in the city and shop (after a couple rounds to the airport) and saw Indiana Jones with the fam.  We stayed until Wednesday then took off for "middle of nowhere" Indiana...literally. 

The Leavenworth Inn is located in Leavenworth, Indiana...population 353 (according to the 2000 census). I found this little gem while on a roadtrip with my mom about 6 years ago. We were supposed to stay at a B&B in Louisville, KY and after seeing the outside of the said B&B, I REFUSED to go in...scaaaaary. We kept on driving, stopped at a rest stop that had brochures for lodging, we picked one called the Leavenworth Inn and they had one cute little room left just for us. Six years and four visits later, I was very excited to share my cozy retreat with Lee :) 

There's a restaurant within walking distance (across the street) that overlooks the Ohio River, fittingly called "The Overlook". The Inn has 4 different buildings, some rooms overlooking the river, some horse stables, some just trees. They have fresh baked cookies at all times, shuffle board, tennis court, bikes, walking trail, and a general store just a block away. Lots of rocking chairs on porches and a gazebo because there's really nothing else to do but relax! It was FABULOUS.

The day we left, we drove to another town about 20 minutes away called Corydon to get ice cream at a place I found a little flier for. Mostly just because of the name...you ready for this?  Butt Drugs. No lie. It's a third generation family owned pharmacy and soda fountain. The ice cream was DELISH and worth the stop :) It was quite possible the largest ice cream cone I've ever had and it was only a dollar. ONE DOLLAR! If that would have been anywhere around here it would've been at least six bucks...no lie.

We're back in Nashville and some new neighbors move in today. They seem really nice. I think we all might be friends...they like Wii and Jesus.