Good Eats and Good Times!!

So the hubs and I celebrated 8 years of marriage the other week, June 24th to be exact.  Amazingly it has taken me one whole week to post about it. You'd think I would have TONS of time, this being the summer and not working and all. I have no excuses really. 

We decided to introduce PC to a local "beach." In a couple of weeks we will be spending a whole week at the beach...of course this will be a whole new experience and probably not as relaxing as we are used to.  But....it will be another memory to add to the books, so for that I am definitely excited! PC had her first experience of a "wave." As well as her first taste of sand - blech! I'm hoping that the sand was a negative experience.  

 Sunglass Friends!

" I'm not eating the sand I promise!"

For dinner we decided to eat in, we typically do, usually G makes dinner, but this year we decided to co-make the dinner. I made bruschetta (the appetizer) and dessert (creme brûlée). G made homemade gnocchi with a brown butter sage sauce and grilled asparagus! DELISH!

Brushetta recipe:
2 tomatoes diced up
2 garlic cloves (you can add red onion instead, but I am not a fan)
freshly chopped basil
salt/pepper to taste
1 tbs of EVOO
2 tbs of balsamic vinegar
diced up mozzarella
sliced up and toasted baguette sprinkle with EVOO before toasting

The "snakes" that's what G called them....

 Waiting to be boiled

 Brown Butter flakes sticking to the gnocchi perfectly- I almost licked my bowl clean, but I stayed classy!

 Ohhh and the vino was from our 5 year anniversary trip to Italy- it was amazing(both the trip and the wine...mmmm......)

 See the specks?! Not pepper! Fresh Vanilla bean   

       Topped with white sugar

 Mmm...the sugary crust

Fresh strawberries- shoulda made homemade whipped cream, next time! 

Creme Brûlée for Two!
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean

1) Mix white sugar and egg yolks with whisk until light yellow and creamy
2) bring heavy whipping cream and vanilla bean to a slow boil
3) Add the cream a little at a time stirring continually
4) Pour mixture into two ramekins
5) Place ramekin in a large cake pan, or I used my pyrex casserole dish- pour hot water all around until the water comes up half way
5) Bake @ 325 F degrees for 40-45 minutes until creme brûlée is set, but still trembly in the middle
6) Place in fridge to set 2-3 hours, or overnight
7) Remove from fridge add white sugar to the top spread evenly (I kind of shake the dish around-let sit out for 20 minutes)
8) Broil the creme brulee @ 500 degrees F for 1 1/2- 2 minutes- monitor to avoid burning

Our First Easter

So another PC first, Easter, Easter Bunny, Easter eggs, I think you get it!

Just a happy go lucky lil girl

Friday morning PC and I kicked off a nice long 4 mile walk around DC, followed by a nap and then a trip to the doctor for her 8 month appointment(except it was really supposed to be her 9 month appointment, hubs got it a month early). Any who, poor lil girl was a trooper and took her 3 shots in her thighs like a champ.  The doctor even complimented her on how well she did and how calm she was throughout the appointment, a nice change compared to the wailing and screaming coming from the other rooms.

And....baby girl has shredded the mat

After the appointment we headed home to meet Auntie Jess who was coming for the weekend from NJ.

Saturday consisted of a walk up to Eastern Market with all three pups, our two and Aunt Jess' pup, Leroy.  Charlotte was enjoying her walk, Aunt Jess even let her hold Leroy's leash for a little while.
Ohhhh also, notice the two rings under PC's arm, there were two other links attached earlier with her raspberry teether. Apparently we lost them at some point along the walk.  I was kinda distraught over this, I mean it isn't expensive, but I don't like losing her things. However, love living here! Some assumedly, parent good Samaritan saw them, picked them up and hung them on a sign right where we dropped them. Yay! Found and cleaned very well. WIN!






Our church, NCC, was also doing an Eggstravaganza at Lincoln Park, before the chaos of hundreds of little ones rushing to collect as many eggs as possible, we got a few pictures in. PC was slightly interested. I'm still loving this non-moving stage!

The Easter Bunny before he gets run down by the hoard of children 5 and under(and their parents).

PC is a little unsure of what's about to happen. She's just taking it all in....wait till next year baby girl!

I almost think that there were more parents than children....also.....I was actually surprised that more children didn't get lost. We did see one kiddo, screaming "Daddy! Daddy!" Don't worry, he was reunited with his father.

After the chaos, we headed home for PC's nap.... this is how she started on the walk home. Happy and bouncy......

 And... this is how she ended up--so trusting...feeling safe in her daddy's arms....

PC took a good long nap and then we headed to Cava Mezze(one of my favorite Greek restaurants) for dinner.

Aunt Jess got to spend some more time with PC

 Loving me some pita! I am a bread lover- I take after my dad!

 Um....Auntie Jess isn't from the city, she left her GPS displayed in her car and ON!!!! She's one lucky girl, or.....we have a super awesome neighborhood(she's lucky!)

Hanging out with Aunt Jess after we've both had our shower/bath. So fresh and so clean clean!
Thanks for coming Aunt Jess! Please come back and hold me again soon! :-)

Happy Easter All!!!