Fall Festival

Today we had AJ's fall festival at school and of course she looked super cute in the t-shirt they made to wear to it and me in my ghost pin she made for me! The kids had so much fun going room to room for different activities and I had fun helping out at it. Alex got there in time with the chick-fil-a platter for the kids and Dylan was able to run around a little and enjoy the class party! LOVE her school, love her teachers, love her friends and love all the other moms!

Date Night!

Here we are looking good in our leather jackets, about to enjoy date night while Mimi's here! We hit up 5 Seasons Brewery for some beers & tapas and then we stopped around the corner at Adobo for a night cap margarita! Great night with my man! Thanks Mimi!

Mimi in GA!

We were SO SO SO thrilled to spend the past week here in GA with my mom! We all love when she comes and spoils us rotten! We hit up a family friend from NJ's pumpkin farm, shopped the week away, went out for nice meals, Alex & I got a date night in, Mimi got to come on AJ's class trip to pick pumpkins and she even helped us carved a pumpkin before she left! Time just goes by way too quick when Mimi is here - I wish I had a pause button for all the moments of pure joy and her face and the faces of my two kids when they are together...luckily I have a camera. Come back soon mom - we miss you tons already!

Picture Day Photo Shoot!

Today is picture day at AJ's school so you know that means I had to take the opportunity to have a mini photo shoot of my gorgeous girl before she left in her adorable new outfit from Mimi!







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Yak-Yoom!

Dylan is obsessed (border line nuts) with the "yak-yoom" and since his last one from Mimi broke she decided we must go to Toys R Us the moment she got here and buy him a new one before he electrocutes himself trying to plug in and yak-yoom with mine!

To the Moon & Back!

I mean really, could a mom be any luckier? When ever I am having one of those not so great moments, all I have to do is just take one look at my two beautiful, fun, happy, kind, loving babes and I instantly realize how blessed I am to be their mom! It's hard to put into words the love you have for you children - the sense of personal fulfillment or the sheer pride you get from them. It feels like even before they were born they were with me - like they always were a part of me - and until they were born I wasn't whole. AJ & Dylan - thanks for showing me how wide my heart could open, what it feels like to love to the moon & back!

Tiramisu

8 oz container mascarpone cheese
7.5 oz container of lady fingers (you'll need about 20)
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs seperated
1 cup cooled expresso
2 TBS kahlua
2 TBS dark rum
cocoa powder

In a bowl with hand mixer beat together 3 egg yolks, 1 TBS expresso, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 TBS rum till smooth, add in mascarpone and beat till pale yellow and smooth. In another bowl beat egg whites with a pinch of sugar until stiff peaks form and then fold into mascarpone mixture. Mix kahlua into expresso and dip each lady finger in and layer on bottom of dish covering the whole bottom. You want to make sure to get lady finger fully wet but no too saturated so it doesn't fall apart. Top with 1/2 the mascarpone mixture and a few sprinkles of cocoa powder and repeat with another layer of soaked lady fingers, cream & cocoa powder. Put in fridge for about 4 hours and then ENJOY! SO SO SO SO GOOD! I will be making this again soon!

Sunday Funday Eggplant Parm

This meal is perfect for Football Sunday Funday! You can assemble ahead of time then lay around all day watching football and about 30 minutes before you want to eat just pop it in the oven!



2 medium eggplants
Tomato sauce
4 cups mozzarella
slices of prosciutto
Grated Parmesan
Italian seasoning
breadcrumbs
2 beat eggs
flour

Slice eggplant and lay out on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and wait about a half hour till you sweat out some of the eggplants moisture. Dust each eggplant slice with flour, dip in egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Lay on oiled baking sheet and bake at about 450 for 15 minutes turning halfway through. Spread some tomato sauce on bottom of baking dish and place eggplant in a layer on top. Top eggplant with more sauce, prosciutto, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning and some Parmesan. Put down another layer of eggplant, more sauce and finish with cheese, Italian seasoning & more Parmesan, Bake in 350 degree oven for about a 1/2 hour till cheese is all melty, serve topped with some basil & enjoy!

7 Years!

Happy Anniversary to Alex & I - we've been together 15 years this past June and married for 7 years today! What a crazy ride it's been from high school in NJ to college in WV, where we picked up 2 dogs along the way. Then it was back to NJ where we bought our first house, got married and had 2 beautiful amazing kids together. Now life finds us in here in GA, missing family like crazy but so lucky in love we can get through anything together - happily! We have had some crazy times in the past 15 years but I wouldn't change a thing - we love each other eternally, have a very strong and very happy marriage, we are partners, best friends & lovers! LOVE YOU ALEX - can't wait to see what the next years bring us!

This year we decided to just hang home - AJ was just getting over her walking pneumonia & Dylan was starting to cough a little himself so we decided it was best to lay low, have some delicious home cooked food, drink some champagne & do what we do best - enjoy each others company! We started off around 5 with some champagne & puff pastry stuffed with brie, sauteed onions and cranberries. Then we fed the kids, got them baths and put them to bed early!! From there we moved on to clams in butter, garlic & white wine, crusty bread for dipping in the clam broth and grilled rib eyes! For dessert I attempted my very first tiramisu and it turned out super - it wasn't hard to make and tasted SO SO good! We laid around on the couch, had a fire, watch some football and other tv and just had a really great anniversary! We are truly blessed!

recipe here - http://matralemadness.blogspot.com/search?q=brie+in+puff+pastry


For clams all you do is soak them in water for a few hours, changing the water each 1/2 hour or so to remove the sand. Then you heat up a few TBS butter and a few cloves of garlic, add about a cup of white wine and reduce a little, add the clams and cover. Cook till clams open and discard any that don't!




Tiramisu (will post amazing recipe)-

Mystery Reader

Each Friday at AJ's school they have a mystery reader come in and read books to the class. The kids come down to the library and are so excited to see who the reader is that day! Check out who the mystery reader was today...




AJ was SO super excited to have her dad there to read 3 stories to the kids in her class. He gave each kid a special treat - halloween stickers, a halloween pencil and a hershey bar and they though he was the coolest! Dylan and I were happy to sit and listen too!

Colleen's Pumpkin Rolls

So now that it's fall I am craving soups, stews, slow cooked roasts, chili & fall like desserts. This awesome roll that my friend Colleen makes popped into my head and of course I wasn't going to be happy till I made it, so I sent her a email and she sent me the recipe. Make this soon - it's SO good and Alex and I finished off a 1/2 of one of the two I made last night in one sitting and the rest are safely in the freezer till I run off the one I ate last night! My only tip is to use plenty of powdered sugar on your dish towel - I didn't use enough and mine stuck to it a little!

ENJOY-

Get a jelly roll pan (or large cookie sheet) and line with wax paper or parchment paper. Grease the paper.

Mix together -
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup flour

Pour all ingredients onto cookie sheet and spread out evenly. It will be very thin.
Sprinkle with chopped slivered almonds (Optional).
Bake at 350 for 6 - 9 minutes. This varies with the type of pan.
Meanwhile, dust a kitchen towel with powdered sugar. When the cake is done flip it onto the towel and remove the paper. From the wide side of the cake, roll with the towel and let stand approx. 45 minutes.

FILLING -
3 tsp butter
(1) 8 oz package cream cheese
¾ cup powered sugar
¾ tsp vanilla

Blend all with a mixer.
Unwrap the cake and spread with filling.
Roll cake back up and cut in half to make two jelly rolls. Refrigerate or freeze.
Best if sliced while frozen. Defrosts very fast.