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Loving Now…some links

Just thought I’d share some things I’ve been enjoying lately (some you probably saw on Instagram, if not find them here) and also some things I’d like to try…

I was pleased to hang out with some wonderful ladies at the Creative Connection Event here in San Diego, hosted by Jessica and Marissa at Isari Flower Studio. Connect here to get updates for these fab events in your area.

More recently, I was able to watch a summer entertaining demo by the fabulous duo, Valley & Co. (easy summer drink from them here) at West Elm. I picked up a fabulous juicer, which I already used to make strawberry lemonade this last weekend. Yum. I also got to see the ladies of Flamingo Toes and We Love Citrus. Nice to see you guys!

Need to get those little kiddos to work? Ashley’s chore charts are pretty perfect.

Just bumped a project up to the top of my list. This west elm DIY log stool is awesome!!

I can’t wait to get chickens and Julia Rothman’s book is making it harder to wait.

Loving these hoops for sale in Megan‘s shop here. Love them. Totally my style. Check out her whole fabulous shop while you’re there. If I had a shop (soon!), it would looks like hers. Lovely job, Megan :)

This post by Ruth really resonates with me and has been on my mind A LOT. I’ve lost friends to the black hole that social media is. Hint: relationships are meant to include ACTUAL people, as much as I really love my online friends. Don’t forget about your LIVE friends :).

For San Diegans’: Tried Banker’s Hill Restaurant and Bar this week. The deviled eggs were INCREDIBLE, as was the goat cheese and spiced strawberry bruschetta. Michelle, at the bar, can make a good cocktail. She made me a lovely drink with a blend of whiskey and vanilla flavors. So good.

Foot pain? Blister easily? I am thrilled to have a possible solution to my foot/nerve pain with this new Dr Scholl’s high heel product! I get to be a product tester with this one for BzzAgent (been with them for like 7 years!) :)

Have YOU seen anything good lately?

Mr. Walrus and friends

These Snowy Egrets are so beautiful when the wind blows through their feathers.

I am so thankful to be in a city with more things to do and see than we have time for. I can appreciate this, greatly, having lived in a desert city in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. Let’s just say, going to Target was a thrill and pretty much all Ed and I did in the city was watch movies at the 1 good theater. When Starbucks went in, you would have thought it was Disneyland. Thank you, Marine Corps. :)

Now, I take full advantage of our beloved city, San Diego. Homeschooling means we can use even more of it. While other kids are in the classrooms behind desks, we are able to see and touch what we’ve learned in many surrounding places. A few weeks ago, we got to go to the Homeschool day at Sea World. Pretty cool of them to give us a special day, if you ask me. It was pretty cool to see all of the families walking around and exploring. You couldn’t help but feel the love these Moms have for their kids and the excitement that we all GET to teach our kids like this every day.

Some of our fun…

These Snowy Egrets are so beautiful when the wind blows through their feathers.

California Sea Lion

Pacific Walrus

Sea Star

Pattern Review: Little Things to Sew…Explorer Vest

Oh. my.

I am melting.

He has his daddy’s curls and dimple. That’s the same dimpled smile that made my fall in love with his daddy.

This little guy, Dean, is the youngest of my 3. When you’re the youngest, you often get the hand-me-downs and the cats-offs. I wanted to make this guy something special that was brand spankin’ new. I’ve had Liesl Gibson‘s book, Oliver + S: Little Things to Sew, since it first came out last Spring. The week after I got it, I cut this explorer vest out and quickly got distracted by my kid’s birthday parties and then other crazy projects. A few weeks ago, I got the pattern back out again and was determined to get it done. Sometimes patterns can seem like they will take more time than you might have (true in a LOT of cases which is why I don’t use them a much), but this one took me only a few hours. I did a little bit over 2 nights. If you are a lazy iron-er (*raising my hand*), you will have to suck it up for this project. The iron makes or breaks this vest and if you leave it out you risk the sometimes feared “Did you make that?” question from strangers. Nobody wants that.

For my fabric, I chose a kind of linen blend for the exterior which i got from one of my favorite fabric resources, Hart’s Fabric. It is a heavier fabric and will hopefully wear well for a 3 year-old boy. For the lining and the exterior pockets, I chose one of my very favorite fabrics from Heather Ross. I spent ~~way too much~~ a wee bit of money for this camper fabric a few years ago, as it was out of print, and I’ve been hoarding it ever since. I’m learning that I’d much rather see my favorite fabrics floating around on things I’ll see every day that will be well-loved, than just stare at them in my fabric stash.

Putting it to good use already. That’s all a mother could ask for.

Forty Clove Garlic Chicken, my way

We’re back.

Wait.

You didn’t know I was gone, but we slipped away for 6 days to Kentucky for a beautiful wedding and a visit with some very special friends. The weekend before that we had another wedding in the middle of the Mojave desert.

Fun times.

You can see some picture on my Instagram. I’m @agoldenafternoon so come find me!

God blessed our trip and made it even a little restful. Crazy, considering we were traveling with our 3 littles. We got to help out too, which is always a wonderful bonus.

Garlic.

It is wonderful. It is awesome. It is a lovely gift to its often boring friend, Mr. Chicken.

This dish begs for friends to gather and partake of it. Garlic, slowly simmering with wine into a marvelous sauce, is exactly what a group of buddies needs to just relax and enjoy each other’s company. Bread should also be involved, if possible. It’s a great dish to take someone who just had a baby (like Rebekah soon!) or someone who is ailing.

I love the way God brings people together around a table, sharing delicious food and uplifting conversation. We need those close friends around, to remind us of the joy we have in Jesus that gets paused when we feel tackled by the every day life. I’ve felt tackled recently and am so thankful for friends God has placed so carefully around, to comfort me with His promises of peace and rest. When I share a meal with these wonderful friends, it means so much more than words in an e-mail, blog comment, or text can mean. Hugs and tears are an important part of a relationship, that extend far beyond a computer or phone.

Food makes those moments happen.

So, let’s make some food so we can invite our friends over :)

Sound good?

40 Clove Garlic Chicken with a side of brussels sprouts it is. Yes, brussel sprouts. It won’t take a lot of work at all…

Start by patting dry and then browning your chicken in the butter or oil, like the little guys are exhibiting above. Medium-high heat works best to get nice coloring. Throw a little salt n’ peppa on them while you’re at it.

Saute the garlic until browned.

Mmmm. Sauted garlic.

Can You tell I love it?

Next, add the Brandy/Cognac, wine, thyme, and parsley to the pan. Bring it to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan and cook with the lid on for 45 minutes or longer. Cooking it longer will cause the garlic to soften and therefore become all the more wonderful. Once cooked, remove the chicken and then stir the flour and milk into the garlic “sauce”. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Pour some of the garlic sauce over the chicken and serve.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken

40 cloves of garlic (I always toss in a few extra)

2 T. butter or canola oil

1 whole chicken, in pieces

salt and pepper

4 T. Brandy or Cognac

1 1/2 c. white wine

1 T. thyme

1 T. parsley

3 T. Gluten-free flour (or regular)

3 T. almond milk (or whole milk/cream)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Apples

1 lb. brussel sprouts

1-2 apples, medium

olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

curry powder, to taste

Cut the brussels in half length-wise and slice the apples. Toss both with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Shake on a bit of curry powder if you like. It helps to balance the bitterness brussels can have sometimes. Roast at 375 for 30 minutes or until tender. Sometimes I drizzle a little maple syrup over the top, once it’s roasted, to help the littles out a bit. :)

Stick around and find us on:

F a c e b o o k // T w i t t e r // P i n t e r e s t // I n s t a g r a m // E m a i l

Cocktail: Grapefruit Collins + kid version

If you follow me on Instagram, you are not a stranger to one of my favorite drinks of late (cheers to you, Lizzy and Hannah!). I love citrus because it makes me happy and relaxed. It doesn’t hurt that the colors are just lovely. I started making this drink because I saw my friend post a picture of one whilst at Craft & Commerce, one of my favorite restaurants here in San Diego. At the time, I was alone at home while my husband was traveling for his business.

I saw it.

I wanted it.

I made it.

In California, citrus grows year-round, but winter is when the stores are overflowing with it. I’ve still been seeing tons of grapefruits around so I’ve been buying about 2 large bags a week. That’s a crazy amount of these guys, but I’ve been searching for the super red centered ones, with no success. I’ve tried 6 different varieties from a few different places. Although, I’ve only been trying the organics…maybe the red ones are floating around in the non-organic produce section. Either way, these pink ones I found at our local farmer’s market are begging for a Spring afternoon drink!

Gin is one of my favorite drink additions because it has such a great herb-y characteristic that suits so many juices and syrups.

This vintage shaker is one of my favorite estate sale finds of all time!

Grapefruit Collins

2 oz grapefruit juice, strained

1/2 oz lemon juice, strained

1 oz simple syrup

2 oz Gin

club soda

Mix all but the club soda in a shaker with ice. Pour over ice into a highball (or a glass of your choice) and top with the club soda.

Straws can be found here at this lovely shop.

Kid or alcohol-free version:

double everything and remove the gin :)

My kids get a thrill out of these special drinks and the bonus for their little bodies is the fresh-squeezed fruit-juice.

This is my favorite place to enjoy this kind of drink with friends or even just with my favorite person in the world that I happen to share a room and blessed life with :)