Duke Gardens

We accomplished one of our spring/summer goals this weekend.  We went to Duke Gardens on Sunday.  It wasn't exactly how I had pictured but it was a great day outside.  The weatherman said it was going to be in the 80's on Sunday.  When we went at 11:00am it was still about 58 and dreary.  But, that was ok.  It made for better photos!

Ironically, it was the Duke reunion weekend.  There were Dookies everywhere! And champagne toasts....everywhere!  I felt like we were crashing the party (especially since I'm a UNC grad! hehe).  We tried to get away from the little crowds and we succeeded.

If you're ever visiting the Triangle in North Carolina the Duke Gardens has to be a stop, especially in the spring time.  It's absolutely breath taking.  Here are some of the beautiful photos of our visit.

I have to mention that I love feeding the ducks. I truly absolutely adore feeding ducks.  I could spend hours sitting by a lake and throwing bread.  I came prepared with my bread and....they wouldn't eat a thing.  Apparently 11:15 is bathing time for the ducks at Duke Gardens.  They all came right by where I was sitting but to preen.  Or sleep.  No eating.  It was very disappointing.

I amused myself by looking for the turtles instead. I loved finding their little heads poking out from the murky water.

Hmm, what do you suppose Joe is contemplating?

Of course, the moment we came home the sun came out and it was beautiful outside.  Oh well.  We went inside and took naps while watching the final round of the Masters.

~Kc

Can Ice Cream Change Your Life?

I love appliances.  If my house was bigger, I'd have a lot more of them.  In fact, on my wish list is a bread maker and a juicer.  More than my love for appliances is my love of ice cream.  Combine them together and what do you get?  An ice cream maker! Last year, my husband and I bought this one as our anniversary gift to each other.  Not very romantic, but very practical (perfect way to describe me!).  We've tried out a few concoctions such as Chocolate Habanero and Cinnamon Heath Bar.  But last week, I discovered the recipe for the MOST amazing ice cream I've ever eaten (and I eat A LOT of ice cream).  It was Salted Vanilla and Brownie.  I started with the recipe from David Lebovitz, who wrote The Perfect Scoop (currently in my cart at Amazon.com), and made a few modifications (only used half of a vanilla bean, added a dash more salt, accidentally combined steps four and five, and added bites of boxed brownies).  My husband and I sat on the couch gobbling up our bowl and cone (respectively) of ice cream in complete bliss.  About halfway through my cone, I realized I wanted to blog about this experience.  Here is what was left (and then devoured a few seconds later).

The answer to my title question is yes.  Not only will I compare all future ice cream to this one, but this flavor could make me my first million.

So, watch out Ben and Jerry's, Baskin Robbins, and Cold Stone.  I may just take the ice cream world by storm.

Hugs to our followers,

LC

yum yum yum.....

I made the most delicious item ever this weekend. I seriously think this may be new go-to treat.  If you remember an earlier post of mine about future baking projects, this was one of them.  Oreo truffles.  How can you go wrong?  Who doesn't love Oreo's?

As I had mentioned in that post, I bake for a variety of reasons.  This weekend I did a lot of baking.  I needed the distraction.  Unfortunately, I was up at the crack of dawn so I finished with all of my errands and many baking projects by 1:00 pm on Saturday.  Since our house is on the market I didn't have any cleaning to do either.  Not good.  Especially when the by-product of my baking frenzy were these lovely little treats.

Remember these?

Photo courtesy of Bakerella

It really is an incredibly simple recipe--just three ingredients!

Crush all but seven of the Oreo's in your food processor.



Yum! Then add a brick of cream cheese.  This is when to get your hands dirty. It was much easier and faster.  I bet kids would love to help with this.

Then you roll them into little balls.  I liked bite size but you could adjust to your preference.  Then, I put them in the freezer to harden for a bit.

Lastly, you dip them into candy coating.  Some of them I dipped into the reserved seven Oreo's.  This was much easier--the candy coating didn't have to be perfect.  You could probably use a bunch of things to coat them in if you'd like.

I brought them into work today. Based on how many I have left, I'd say they were successful.  I'm going to try them again with the blonde Oreo's, the mint Oreo's and maybe Nutter Butters.  I wonder what other combos I can do?

Yum yum yum.
~Kc

The Mess You’d Wear With Pride…

Happy Sunday-Funday all! I’ve been enjoying some tunes while cleaning around the house. It’s starting to feel like SPRING outside which means summer concerts are just around the corner, yay! I have this ongoing list of songs I LOVE that I wish had been written about me (self-centered, party of one). Can you imagine if your lovely boyfriend/husband/love-god had penned something uber romantic and then set it to music (guitars and drums and piano and flutes!!!) and then played it over and over again night after night on tour, each time thinking of you??? Gah, I die.

One song that is near the top of my list is by one of my favorites, Band of Horses. It’s called “I Go To The Barn Because I Like The” (yes, that’s where the title ends) from their album Everything All the Time. If you haven’t heard it, take a listen…

Sadly, this song is no longer played live by the band since it was penned by Mat Brooke who left the band in like 2007 or something. Just after that album they released Cease to Begin which had another goodie, “No One’s Gonna Love You”, that you can also fall in love with and pretend was written about you (totally normal, right!?!?)

Patiently awaiting the next Band of Horses show…

~M

JCrew does no wrong

say YES! to hoboken recently posted about JCrew's new blog and now I'm s.m.i.t.t.e.n and you will likely be too. I love this photo from the site. Love everything about it!

I also hope that the new JCrew blog will help me get my 'fix' of JCrew fashion. In my attempts to be effortlessly chic I always seem to get roped into "final sale" deals and then regret my trigger-happy, overly-zealous purchases.

xoxo,

Kate

Puddle Jumper

I confessed that I put myself on a strict spending freeze this spring but then these beauties came into my life and I couldn't help it. J. Crew designed these adorable yet practical Rainy Day Bow Ballet Flats! They are waterproof which make them perfect for spring walks and passing April showers.

 

Remember this? That little gallivant cost me a pair of shoes because, as it turns out, rain can ruin shoes. You see, I had to buy these.

 

No more spending for awhile...wellllll, unless I find a much needed denim skirt and a pair of bright pants. I'm  dreaming of richly beautiful eggplant skinnies or grasshopper flares.

 

xoxo,

 

Kate

"A good book has no ending."

R. D. Cumming knows exactly how I feel when reading a book; "Geesh, HOW many more pages???"

As my blogmates can tell you, I've never been much of a reader.  I do read magazines, and (sometimes) I do want to read books, but I just can't get "into" them.  Sitting on my nightstand is four such books: Toddler 411 by Denise Fields, Toddlerwise by Gary Ezzo, Eat, Drink and Be Healthy by Walter C. Willett, and Penny Saving Household Helper: 500 Little Ways to Save Big by Rebecca DiLiberto.  Each night, as I contemplate which book to read, I spot the fifth book on my nightstand: Puzzle Baron's Logic Puzzles by Puzzle Baron.  My left brain overtakes my right brain and I just have to complete a puzzle. 

Photo found here

Want to try one?
Logic Puzzle

Its my new obsession.  In fact, these puzzles have completely taken over my love of magazines (the pictures below shows the months' worth of magazines I keep brushing aside in favor of another logic puzzle).

In the meantime, I'd like to ask Kate (self-described bookworm), Mindy (loves books), or Karissa (corporate librarian) to read and summarize the four books listed above for me. Thanks GIRLFRIENDS! 

Hugs to our followers,
LC

p.s. As a side note: This may sound silly, but Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is the ONE book that changed my life and I plan to re-read it often.  For anyone looking for a quick read (its a young adult book), check it out.  In fact, my love for Stargirl runs so deep, I think I'll dedicate a post just to it.  Keep an eye out for it!