Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! 

Today is a full day of classes with an hour to go grocery shopping, make a dessert, and come up with costumes before the halloween party....followed by a super scary movie? 

We'll see :) 

In the meantime - enjoy some of my favorite pinterest halloween finds ..I just LOVE that idea for a cake, and seeing all these babies in costumes kind of makes me want one :P 

What are you guys doing for halloween? 

Weekend Visitors: A Guest Post from Brooke

Today my lovely friend Brooke is guest posting for me from Silver Lining. Brooke is seriously one of the cutest people I know and I hope you love her as much as I do :) 

I'm also guest posting for her today so when you're done reading her adorable post ..you can go over to her blog and check it out :) 

--------

Hey there!

My name is Brooke, and I ramble on over at Silver Lining. I am all sorts of excited to be guest posting

over here today.

So first, a little introduction.

This is me.                                                                     This is my husband

            

This is me and my husband together.

    

We bring out the immature in each other?

Anyway, I like teaching my 2nd graders, eating ice cream, and going on runs with my husband and a

small dog named Chester. I also like to blog stalk, pretend I’m a good photographer, and waste time on

pinterest {I can’t help it!}.

 first met Elisabeth at work. We bonded over our shared work experiences, our shared love of blogging, and one shared night out with our cute new husbands over at Sparks in Provo.

Oh, and also we got married on the same day, across the country from each other. Cool, right?

Us with our bridesbabes on our big days

Elisabeth is one of the most amazing people I know. She’s so smart, and dedicated, and hilarious, and

beautiful. We love to plan things we’ll do together, including a full sweep of the best thrift stores in Salt

Lake City {who’s with us?}. And even though I’ve only spent a few hours with her husband, I already

know he’s equally hilarious and so easy to get along with.

Since the title of Elisabeth’s cute blog means “Life is Beautiful,” I thought I would list a few small things

that made my life beautiful yesterday and this morning.

• fall leaves outside my window

• running that extra block when you feel you can’t go any further

• my husband making me dinner after a late night

• mini bell peppers and crunchy apples

• flowers on tombstones in cemeteries

• hugs and backrubs in the middle of the night

What’s making your life beautiful today? I’d love to hear from you! Go ahead. Stop by my blog. Leave a comment/ become a follower so I can stop by your blog too. It’s so great to hear from new lovelies with new lovely blogs!

XO,

Brooke from Silver Lining

P.S. Thanks Elisabeth!

-----
Isn't she just great? Don't forget to go check out her blog (and my guest post!)Have a wonderful Sunday!Love,Elisabeth

2 Months and Counting...

Two Months from now I will be snuggled up next to my fireplace, tucked away in the snowy forests of New Hampshire. I simply can't wait. 

Just a few pictures from my yard last Christmas. 

New Hampshire is the best.

What are you most excited for this coming holiday season? 

Oh and be sure to check back tomorrow for a fabulous guest post from Brooke! 

Love,

Elisabeth

Friday Favorites: Quick and Easy French Bread - With a Sugary Twist

Friday Favorites is not always going to be a food post - but the dominate thought of last night as I was trying to come up with something for dinner was how much I love carbs. 

Fresh Bread
Potatoes
Cookies
Rolls
Pasta
Cake
Biscuits
Cereal 
Waffles 
....I could eat carbs forever and be very happy (and probably very large).


Today I wanted to share with you my favorite little bread recipe. It is my go to side for anything Italian or home-style. It can also be turned into something for the sweets lover. I took my moms classic french bread recipe and added a little twist. Think: whole wheat meets fluffy cinnamon rolls.

Yield: 3 Small Loaves
Prep Time: 25 minutes 
Total Time: 2 hours

Dough
2 cups warm water
1 package yeast (1 tbsp)
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
5 to 5 and 3/4 cuts of flour - here I like to substitute some of the white flour for whole wheat or white whole wheat (if you haven't tried that I highly recommend King Arthur's While Whole Wheat flour ...its great!)
softened butter

Mix-In Option 1
 (This one is easily my favorite. I took the center from a nutty breakfast roll - recipe for that coming soon)
1 C brown sugar
1 C crushed graham crackers
1 C walnuts or pecans (i've used both - but feel free to experiment here)

Mix-In Option 2
brown sugar
cinnamon

1. Dissolve yeast in water in a mixing bowl.
2. Add sugar and salt.
3. Add flour (if using kitchenaid, add one cup at a time). The key is to have the dough stay sticky but no longer sticking to the edge of the bowl.
4. Knead dough by hand for 15 minutes (when I use the kitchenaid I put it on low for about 7).
5. Let it rise for half an hour.
6. Divide into three loaves
This is where you have some freedom - you can simply place the loaves on a greased baking sheet as is (for a softer crust spread melted butter on each loaf before baking). Or - you can add one of the mixins. To do this you need to
       a. roll out the loaf into a rectangle.
       b. Spread melted butter over the rectangle.
       c. Combine the ingredients from mix-in 1 or 2 and press into the buttered dough.
       d. Roll the dough back up to create a log.

7. Let rise for 20 minutes.
8. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the top starts to golden.
9. Best served warm, cut in slices, and buttered!

Have a wonderful Friday and let me know if you make this - its so easy and delicious...enjoy!

Love,

Elisabeth

Do you have any favorite 'go to' recipes? Are you doing anything fun this weekend? 

Quotable Thursday

I am very busy with too much school today - but here are some of my Pinterest favorites for you to enjoy :) 

 

Hope you are all having a wonderful day!

Love,

Elisabeth

Wednesday Wedding Details: Without them...

 I have been meaning to blog about our honeymoon for two weeks now but somehow I have yet to get the pictures developed (story on that to come)... so today I wanted to just take a minute to say how lucky Ben and I are to have such wonderful parents. Not only could we not have pulled the wedding off without them - but we wouldn't be who we are.

 (and really  - I just wanted to share this picture with you.... isn't it great!?)

I remember the first time I met my in-laws (although I'm not so sure how much I like that word) when some friends and I went back to California with Ben for a long weekend (before we were dating). I loved watching him interact with his parents. I also loved listening to his parents talk about him. They had such wonderful things to say and you could just tell that they would do, and have done, anything for him. Our California mother is as sweet as someone gets and she is always thinking about someone else and making sure everyone is comfortable (she is also a yoga feign ... just saying). Our California dad can talk almost more than my father, and let me tell you, thats a feat. I love listening to his recent thrifting finds and learning about whatever he is currently investigating. They're great - and we are so grateful for their love and support :) 

And then there are my parents. My mom is my best friend. It wasn't always like that (boys used to be a taboo subject that I wouldn't dare discuss with my mother) - but she makes me more grateful for cellphones than anyone else :) I used to think my dad had doomed me when it came to marriage; He was so wonderful that I'd never be able to find a man who could compare. Luckily, he taught me the important things to look for, and set the bar high enough that only Ben could meet it. If I can grow up to be half as wonderful as my mother and half as intelligent as my father I will have done very well. I love them so much! I also really love these two pictures - 21 years of marriage and they're still so in love :) 

  

                               Dad pretending to propose again during all the post ceremony photography - aren't they adorable? 




          Photo credit: Michele Doying and Bedford Photography

Coming Next Week: The Honeymoon (promise :) 

World's Greatest Husband? Yes.

(yes the title matches last nights post) 

I just wanted to take a moment to brag 

(I am a firm believer that while not good generally, sometimes bragging is completely acceptable).

My husband is wonderful. 

Like I've complained, I sprained my ankle this weekend and haven't been able to do much.

He carries me everywhere. He gets me ice when I need it and takes care of me.

Yesterday when I had to stay home to ice and elevate he surprised me and came home during his one hour lunch break to visit me! It made me whole day :) I felt like it was back when we were dating and sometimes he would just show up at my door unannounced and I would get so excited - I love that :) 

Then he took me grocery shopping last night and pushed the cart with me standing on it the whole time :P 

This morning we couldn't find his keys which means...NO WORK TODAY! So he stayed home and has been keeping me company (and making sure I'm being productive and not procrastinating- aka blogging - too much :) And at this very moment he's cooking me something delicious in the kitchen. Yupp, like I said, he's great. 

I often wonder how in the world I managed to find someone that turned into my best friend, and wanted to marry me, and takes care of me, and helps me be better? 

Basically - Ben is wonderful..and I am so grateful for him, especially this week. (Although we are both looking forward to the time where I can walk and dance and climb again - being a bum is getting kind of boring :) 

What wonderful people are you grateful for in your life?

World's Best Macaroni and Cheese?

To justify my addiction to Pinterest I have made it a goal to make baking/cooking/crafting things I spend hours pinning on there a regular around my apartment. One of my firsts was this baked pasta dish ... we liked it so much we made it twice in two weeks! It was great because not only did I get to use my new Martha Stewart baking dish, but it stores so well in the fridge so I made it on a Monday of a very busy week and we had dinner for the next two nights :)

Martha Stewart Claims this is the "World's Best Macaroni and Cheese"

Don't get me wrong, it was delicious - and we loved the added spice - but we're not sold that the world can't do better :)

First You have to make the Cheese Sauce: 

Yield: Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 14 ounces cheddar cheese, preferably Flagship, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 2 ounces Jack cheese, preferably Just Jack, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt, chile powder, and garlic powder. Stir until cheese has melted and all ingredients are well incorporated, about 3 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.
3. To reheat sauce, place in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.

And then you make the actual dish...

Ingredients

• Butter or vegetable oil, for baking dish
• 6 ounces penne
• 2 cups  Cheese Sauce
• 1 ounce cheddar cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
• 1 ounce Gruyere cheese, grated (1/4 cup) - if you can't find this, we used a spicy pepperjack and it was great!
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil and 8-inch baking dish; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook penne, according to package direction, for 2 minutes less than recommended on the package. Rinse pasta in cold water; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together cooked pasta and sauce gently but thoroughly. Pour pasta into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with cheeses and chile powder. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

The second time we made it we added a little extra chili powder because we like things a little spicier (see the first picture)! 

Enjoy!

Love,

Elisabeth

Sunday Inspired: No Ordinary People

As part of a goal to organize this lovely little blog a little bit more (seems to be a necessity in all parts of my life right now) ..I wanted to start Inspired - a weekly post on something that has Inspired me the past week. Whether it be a quote, an event, a movie, a scripture, a conversation, a book, or simply a scene from nature..I want to share what inspires me - and invite everyone to do the same.

---

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities… that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations — these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” 

- C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

I love this. No one we meet is ordinary - we all have such incredible potential and who am I to judge someone for what I see them as now? Our treatment of others can help them to one of these to ends.  I am inspired by the beauty that is a person, a soul, and a body. I am inspired by God's most wonderful creation, man. 

What inspires you? 

The Adventures of a Newly Crippled.

So I had every intention of writing about my crazy day yesterday but, it was just that, crazy. From the time I left my house a little at nine to the time I was home for the night at eleven or so, I'd been home for a total of an hour, tops.

Utah is gorgeous (and I wish I could claim this as my picture)

I had a very crafty morning with some wonderful girls (DIY coming soon :) followed by a very eventful afternoon of mountain biking . We headed up to Salt Lake City with some friends and took our bikes up into the avenues. It was about a thirty minute uphill ride (during which I wondered how in the world I'd let Ben talk me into this). We finally got to the top of the trail (me bringing up the rear of course) and were ready to begin our descent. For someone who had only really been biking once before, the beginning of the trail was much too difficult - but oh my was it gorgeous. The dark reds and oranges against the light green hills....At one point there was a canopy of red trees overhead while fallen red leaves sprinkled the ground. It was breathtaking. The trail was narrow and tree-lined. It was beautiful and treacherous. I inched my way down, going last so as to not hold anyone up. After about twenty minutes of bumping along the trail evened out a bit and I got up the confidence to gain a little more speed and start riding a little higher up on the berms (like riding up the side of a bowl).

I was beginning remember why I let my husband buy me a nice bike when I realized how high I was on a berm and hit the breaks. BAD IDEA. When you hit the breaks when you are not perpendicular to the ground, you loose all momentum, which is the only thing keeping you up. I remember tipping but the next thing I knew I was on the side of the trail, partially under my bike, clutching my ankle. OW! It hurt. I sat there in hysterics as I tried to get my voice under enough to control to cry for help. Who knew how far away the others were by now. I looked down at my throbbing ankle and realized it was about three times the size it should be - I thought for sure it was dislocated or broken or something. After about 10 minutes Ben came hiking up the trail to look for me; I was SO happy to see him. And then we began the arduous process of him carrying me down the rest of the trail ( a good 30 minutes of up and down a mountain to the car).

Downsides of hurting my ankle
(my doctor thinks its just sprained ...when I called home to tell my mom she happened to be over at my house!)
-I can't walk anywhere.
-No dance or climbing for awhile.
-Pain

Benefits of hurting my ankle:
-Last night we got to eat noodles and company for dinner (one of my favorites)
-We had nutella and almond crepes for dessert - divine!
-Ben carries me half the places we go...its kind of cute
-I got to spend the evening at Spark with new friends
-We ride the scooter lots of places so we can park really close.
-I conserve water by taking really short showers
-Everyone is always trying to help me :)

Anyone have any tips on things to do with your foot has to be iced and elevated constantly?

Thanks,

Elisabeth

Friday Favorites: German Chocolate Cupcakes

Friday's Favorites:

I've concluded I need a little more order to the madness that is this blog. I'm not quite set on what I want to write about everyday - and I"m not sure I want a set schedule, but as for Fridays ...the theme will be favorites. This could be favorite people, things, products, looks, past activities, things I'm excited for, poems, movies, just about anything... we'll see how this goes :) 

---

from You Cup of Cake 

Today's Favorite: Chocolate

I love chocolate. I know that doesn't make me all that unique - but it really is my happy on bad days, my joy on good days, and my go to favorite everyday in between. Did you know that in Perugia, Italy they have a festival every October JUST for chocolate?  Don't believe me? click here) It's called Eurochocolate and its a little piece of heaven. When my family spent a few months in Italy we were lucky to be living in a small town outside of Perugia from October - November... just in time to enjoy the wondrousness that is a week celebrating chocolate. 

My husband had a mission reunion recently and it was the perfect excuse to try out this double chocolate recipe I've been salivating at every time I checked my pinterest. I have yet to invest in a frosting kit so they aren't quite picture perfect, but let me tell you, they were delicious! I love anything with chocolate and nuts..and this is quite the combo! I also was able to use my new cupcake holder I got at a bridal shower ...its a carrying tupperware case that has little inserts for the different layers with circles in the bottom which hold each individual cupcake in place :) 

German Chocolate Cupcakes:

Chocolate Cake:

1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix

3 eggs

½ cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup buttermilk

1 cup sour cream

German Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1/2 cup butter

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cup chopped pecans

1 ½ cup flaked coconut

Chocolate Buttercream:

4 ounces cream cheese

½ cup butter

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk or cream (if needed)

    So they didn't come out exactly as picture - but you can see the super neat cupcake holder ... and Ben taking the very first bite of our cupcakes :) 

    Thanks to Your Cup of Cake for this fabulous recipe! 
(check out her website for more great dessert recipes) 

   Enjoy!  

   Love,

   Elisabeth

           Are you doing anything fun this weekend?

I love....

I LOVE FALL. 

1. I love crisp weather.

2. I love beautiful leaves.

3. I love vibrant colors.

4. I love peacoats and scarves. 

5. I love hot chocolate.

6. I love down comforters. 

This time of year always makes me miss New England and I'm so excited for the time, sometime in the next four years when I'll get to spend a fall there again. Everyone here in Utah gets excited for the leaves to change - but there are hardly enough trees to constitute an actual change! (okay okay - I'll admit it is still lovely there, just not quite the same). 

I love sun without sweating and I love the crunch beneath your feet as you step on freshly fallen leaves. I love the excuse to make chocolate chip pumpkin bread (while I do not like the feeling after eating almost an entire loaf by myself). I do not like waking up in the dark but I do like bikerides and afternoons in the park. 

Just a little countdown: Two months from tomorrow Ben and I will by flying to the East Coast - and I could not be more excited! 

Love,

Elisabeth

What are your favorite parts of fall? What are you looking forward to? 

I just came across this and thought it was the perfect addition to Wednesday Wedding Details - why didn't Ben and I think of this? I can imagine they'll be watching this for decades... :D

Enjoy!

Wednesday Wedding Details: The Dress

Every girl envisions her wedding day sometime before she dresses in white. 

I can remember keeping a little folder of magazine cutouts of what I wanted my wedding to be like - I wish I could find that now! It was hard for me to picture a dress. I always thought I wanted and empire waist, made of a simple satin flowing floor length fabric .... but I'm so glad I didn't! How many times in your life do you get to put on a huge gown and feel like a princess? Not enough I've decided. 

As I'm winding down with my own wedding details (all thats left is the honeymoon next week) I wanted to take a post to focus on one of my favorite details, and maybe one of the most sentimental. 

My mom got married in May 1989. 

She was 26.

and beautiful. 

In all my debates over a dress I'd think back to this picture and I'd fall in love with the big skirt and flowing train that my empire waist was never going to have.....

on August 6, 2011 I got married. 

I am 20. 

look familiar?

My mom was wonderful enough to share her dress with me and now I'd like to think its our wedding dress (I hope thats okay mom :) I felt almost royal as I climbed into the hoop underskirt and was helped into the elaborate dress. My favorite part? The back. My mom had a layer of lace added back in 1989 when she wore it and I love the little buttons and lace intricacies. The bodice features lace and embroidery accented with cut pearls with the same floral theme continuing into the skirt. The flowers on the skirt matched the veil (also worn by my mother). 

I've said this in wedding posts before - but my mother was everything behind this wedding. She was supportive through the whole relationship and share din my excitement in the earliest stages of planning. It was here great ideas and impeccable organization and orchestration that created such a beautiful wedding weekend. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful mother (who also happened to have great taste in wedding dresses). 

I love you, Mom.

Here are a few other bridal details: 

photo credit: Michele Doying and Bedford Photography

the back of the dress

The morning of my mom  took me aside and gave me my own set of wedding pearls (earrings and a bracelet  - I had been planning to wear hers). 

What are your favorite wedding details? Would you ever consider wearing your mother's dress?

Love,

Elisabeth