FOODIE FRIDAY....MENU PLANNING and DESSERT

We're back on track peeps!!! Momma's cooking in the kitchen and don't forget when spelling DESSERT there are 2 "S"'s BECAUSE we always want seconds!!!

In my last house I had this menu board (actually in like my last 3 houses I had it). It was an old pic I snagged the last day at a flea market from the $1.00 pile (I bought it for the FRAME). Popped some chalkboard paint over the picture and VIOLA!!

Got my pink #chalkbistromarker at HobLob for a song (I can't tell you how LONG I looked for these THIN chalk markers...2 years ago I couldn't find one to save my life and there I was perusing the HOBLOB clearance aisle and WHOOP there it was! For less than $2.00 I found one and it's PINK (I have hated the color pink most my life BUT lately DANG! I can't get enough)!!!!

Below is my menu for the week...now lest you think I'm THAT organized this has been more of an "outline" this week BECAUSE We have been on the run! Sunday we went to IHOP for breakfast for dinner (we were out running errands and were STARVED).

SO pot roast got moved to Tuesday....

I served this with french bread I popped in the oven to warm and get that crispy crust....

MY version of potroast was more like "Button Soup" ie what I had on hand!!! The meat I cooked ahead of time (I browned it in a fry pan with olive oil). Tuesday morn I got the slow cooker out and added a packet of "brown gravy mix" (I mixed this in 2 cups of water prior to just dropping the packet of seasoning in the pot). I added a few potatoes, minced garlic and carrots....let cook for about 5-6 hours and dinner was ready!!!

Later that night we had some DEE-LISH Key Lime Pie truffles....

Three came to a pack - PERFECT for us! Plating them made them a lil more special than just gobbling them down!!! I enjoyed my cuppa coffee with coconut creamer (and after I took the pic I noticed my mug was CITRUS too!!). I guess I'm in a Florida State of mind (speaking of and TOTALLY not food related....I thought I heard of a pink sand beach in Florida BUT all my research brings me to exotic places instead...looking to plan a trip to Florida soon and wondering if y'all had any suggestions....we're looking for a beach getaway and did Clearwater last year....)

I noticed I seemed to be on a bit of a KEY LIME kick!!! 

TRY IT THURSDAY.....Small Changes make ALL the difference

Small changes can make a BIG difference!!! A new lightbulb, a few inches one way or another, a fabric shade vs a glass globe....In this post I am showing you a few different ways that subtle changes make a world difference ....

When I moved in the bulbs on the left were what was all over the house (I kinda hate those energy saver lightbulbs)

I switched out the energy saver bulbs for the clear globe lights....When I post the bath in it's entirety you will see the diff .(I just did this in my master bath yesterday too and LOVE it)

Curtains...High-LO.....this is ONYL fashionable with a dress!!! As you can see from the photo below, the higher hung curtains make the ceiling LOOK taller and look chic-er (at least that's what I think).

Do YOU hang your curtains high or low?!?!?

I posted about changing the builder grade light fixture HERE http://objectofmayaffection.blogspot.com/2016/01/try-it-thursdaychanging-your-builder.html

AND I just can't STOP myself!!! I added this shade to the kitchen ceiling fan (the blades are down so they can get a fresh paint job) AND there's another in the master bedroom too!!! I think it just gives an air to the fans (because honestly THIS one in the kitchen was going to be cut PERIOD until I decided to do a SMALL CHANGE make-over! 

I posted about this too...mirrored chandy....The one on the left is exactly how it came from the kit....the one on the right is with added *BLING* crystals from the Dollar Spot @ #Michaels 

 Added knobs to the cabinet in the bathroom....THIS will be a future post BUT I just wanted you to see the difference!!!

ALL of these changes were COST effective and either FREE or under $5.00 (WITH the exception of the blue shade - that was $6.48). SO as you can clearly see the small changes can sometimes make the BIGGEST impact!!! Attention to details is ALWAYS a good thing!! 

WHAT I WORE WEDNESDAY....WIWW

Whoop whoop! Back to linking up with The Pleated Poppy for WHAT I WORE WEDNESDAY WIWW....you too can link up here http://thepleatedpoppy.com/category/what-i-wore/ OR get outfit inspiration!

 NO JOKE!!! This DOG photobombs EVERY first WIWW pic!!! It's like he knows when the camera's out!!!

 What I'm wearing:
Statement Necklace - Macy's
Chambray Shirt - Chico's
Leggings - Maurices
Moccasin Booties - Target

IF you follow my instagram you know this was day 3 on the road to recovery from a MAJOR migraine (that actually had me in the ER friday night for the pain...after a nice cocktail of shots I was on the mend!!! But Saturday was touch and go and Sunday I felt fragile enough to get my lil guy in for a haircut - FINALLY)

What I'm Wearing:

Green Vest - Thrifted

Black & White Stripe Shirt - H&M via the Thrift

Jeans - YMI via Burlington Coat Factory (MORE than just great coats! LOL)

Boots - Uggs

THIS was really for my son....before he left for school the other day he says "I bet you don't get dressed today" about 10 minutes after he left I sent him this pic!! His response was "NOOOOOOO". LOL!!! No make-up (wait, there may be a lil leftover mascary that I see there)

NOT my best WIWW pic but whatevs...keepin it real people, keepin it real....

What I'm wearing:

Boyfriend Cardi - Walmart (SO SOFT and warm)

Tank - Target

Leggings - CVS

*** I thought by poppin on a bright lipstick I'd rawk it out....but I just look like a straight up mess....oh well, at least I got dressed! 

Off to see what YOU wore!!! Since quitting my job in the fashion industry I'm feeling a lil outta touch...

MANI MIONDAY.....SINFUL and HEARTS

LOVE is in the air....Valentine's Day will be upon us soon....and I"m seeing HEARTS everywhere I look!! (in fact I even visited my Valentine's Day Pinterest board....you too can visit it here https://www.pinterest.com/janaec/valentines-day/)

I got this new #sinful color lat month "Endless Blue" and loved the deep yet BRIGHT shade...

I wanted a heart...so I freehanded one on y ring fingers....when the blue dried I did a silver glitter lining....

What color are YOU wearing this week?!?!

SUNDAY....PLAY DAY....DOLLHOUSE

and furniture galore....you want thingamabobs?!??! I've got 20, who cares, no big deal, I want MORE......(name the movie that's from).

The thrift store is my kryptonite.....I LOVE everything about it....the deals to be had, the wandering through never knowing what you'll find and the hunting and gathering process....One day while I was there I found this dollhouse...

Um yeah.....$1.29....really?!??! HOW could I pass it up?!??! (now the "normal" thing to do would be to sell it....)

BUT instead I played with it!!! I removed the floors (they are reversible - WHAT?!?!?)

Removed the stickers.....

Placed the flooring.....

Terrazzo tile on the rooftop deck.....

What started all of this was finding this dollhouse furniture while unpacking (I used to have a gorg Victorian dollhouse.....lost the house along the way BUT somehow retained the furniture)

I popped the adirondack style furniture on the rooftop....

Decorated the house (I don't know where the living room furniture went OR the bedroom furniture - I had both).....

The kitchen is all ready to bring home baby....

The living room remains empty for now....

The nursery is ready....

Master bedroom is missing the bed.....

OK, Barbie may be too big (and I don't know where her maternity dress is) BUT her baby would fit! LOL!!!

A DAY IN THE LIFE >>>>

>>>>>Pics via my iphone from the past week >>>>>

While UNPACKING the boxes, the dog decided he's outta here....hopped in the box and packed himself!!! He's funny...last week he sat at the table ON the chair while I blogged and this week he's jumping in boxes....NOW only if they didn't bark so much they'd be PERFECT!!!

Worked on this project (an entire post will be dedicated to this once it's FINISHED)

I start my Monday's by planning out my blog posts for the week...

BIG or SMALL I decorate them all (yep, I'm in my 30's and playing with a dollhouse...There will be a post about this too - SUNDAY)

Working on another project for the kitchen (SEE my pretty new rug in the background?!??! HobLob)

Lunch date with my darling @ Olympic Tavern in Rockford...I'm a SUCKA for presentation....Warm bread and herbed butta served on a rustic cutting board

and the STEAK was PERFECT!!!!

If you follow me on instagram a lot of these are repeats from the week as they occurred....but PRAISE God my microwave came yesterday!!!

SO until the install it will remain a countertop fixture (because I can still USE it)

What have YOU been up to this week?!?!?!

FOODIE FRIDAY.....GARLIC CHICKEN with TORTELLINI and BROCCOLI

I SWEAR one day I'll stop talking about the move! (Like when I'm FINALLY settled and then it will probably time to move again!! LOL).  SO, on moving day we realized the spice cabinet at the old house was still FULL (apparently I had these lofty ideas in between moving, packing and the holidays I was going to bake cookies with the kids -yeah, that never happened AND I forgot the spice cabinet still had to be packed....so in a hasty it's 2am and we have no more room in our 4th truckload full and the cars are full we put the box of spices in my neighbors garage - where they still live today). Long story long, it's challenging for ME to cook without spices....I finally cracked and bought some S&P the other day.

Last night's dinner looked like this....

 It was REALLY DELISH!!! I cooked up the chicken breasts in some olive oil, S&P and minced garlic....While that was cooking I boiled the water for the tortellini's (these are from #aldi There are 2 kind they sell there - GET THE KIND found in the REFRIDGERATED section - those are the best!!).

Once the chicken was browned, I removed it from the frying pan saving the "gravy" because I wanted to toss some broccoli and the tortellini in there.....I added some crushed red pepper to the top of mine (and lemme totally BRAG for a minute here....THESE red pepper flakes are from the red peppers I grew LAST summer - YES!!!! This was the EXACT reason I planted them from SEED....to make my own red pepper flakes). 

Tuesday's Dinner here...

Jasmine Rice with Cayenne Pepper and Lime juice, A turkey patty (NO BUN because I was already "cheating" and having rice) and homemade Guac!!

I am so excited for the summer when I can GROW my own herbs and veggies again BUT this time I actually have dirt real estate vs. a patio garden!!!

What's YOUR fave HEALTHY dish to cook!?!?!