October 2014 archive

A Build-Your-Own-Pizza Girls Night

 

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It’s that time of the month again. My turn to host Girls Night! I went back and forth on what to make for our meal. With some input from a friend, I decided to do a “build your own pizza” night. This way the girls could create their favorite pie.  Doing this would also take some of the tasks off of me; just some simple prep work for toppings and dough. (more…)

A Little Wine Making & Tasting

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I have previously mentioned that one of my good friends, Theresa, is marrying her sweetheart. The Big Day is quickly approaching with lots to do in between. Theresa and Matt decided that they wanted to make their own wine for their wedding favors. The most difficult part of this idea though was deciding exactly which wine to make. To solve this, Theresa came up with the great idea of a wine tasting afternoon!

Somehow she was able to corale the entire bridal party (minus one groomsman), parents on both sides, and a few signicant others for the same afternoon. This includes one of the groomsman who flew all the way from California to be apart of the festivities! Props to Adam! In total we had a group of about 20 people. (more…)

Oreo Cheesecake

IMG_5393A friend of mine has been requesting that I make a dessert for some time now. With a Sunday of house chores and relaxation ahead of me, I decided it was the perfect day to create this masterpiece. I decided on an Oreo cheesecake. I found a recipe on Pinterest that looked pretty straight forward. I also have never made Oreo cheesecake, since well, I’m not really a huge fan of Oreos. GASP! I know, I know. I’m told it was pretty delicious, so perhaps this will stay in my recipe book of “To Be Made Again” treats. (more…)

Talula’s Garden

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I talked about my trip to Philadelphia in the past few posts. One of my favorite stops on our itinerary was Talula’s Garden. I decided to write up a review to illustrate our experience. 

“A garden brings life to the table.” These are the words scripted onto the walls of Talula’s Garden in Washington Square, Philadelphia. This phrase rings true to owner Aimee Olexy who dreamed up this restaurant while reminiscing about her childhood playing in the gardens of her parents home.  Aimee teamed up with restaurateur Stephen Starr to create a magical location where guests can savor fresh, yet unique plates while enjoying a serene atmosphere. We were greeted as soon as we walked through the gates of the garden strung with twinkling lights. Fortunately we had made a reservation earlier in the day, which is highly recommended if not necessary. (more…)

Touring through the City of Brotherly Love

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As I’ve recently posted, last weekend I spent with one of my younger sisters in Philadelphia. I had been trying to get down to visit her and tour the city for the past five years. I know, I know. That’s a long time. We finally settled on a weekend and stuck to our plans.

I arrived early in the afternoon on Friday to give ourselves a full day. Melissa showed me around her new apartment and then we were off to explore the neighborhood. We ended up walking through the UPenn campus. This university was founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin. The profound buildings really illustrate the beauty of the architecture during that era. (more…)