Friday Night Dates :: 25

I'm inviting romance into my life

one Friday Night Date at a time
and documenting each one here on my little ol' blog.

I want to remember every detail
of these splendid home spun dates.

Date #25

We were going to watch
a more romantic movie
but this one popped up on Netflix when
we were looking for the other.

We both had wanted to see it s
so we watched Limitless instead.
See, spontaneity lives on after marriage!

The movie was suspencful
and you know that I love
to pretend to be scared
so that Roger can pretend to comfort me.

It was a great night
until I got some ancho sauce in my eye.
OUCH!

Here is the recipe for the crostini
Oh the chocolate and the basil...SO GOOD!

Chocolate Crostini with Roasted Tomato and Basil

{By Jamie Oliver}

Ingredients
16 plum tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices
3 T• olive oil
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 French baguette, cut into about 30 ½ inch slices
4 oz Scharffen Berger 62% cacao semisweet dark chocolate, or other dark chocolate of your choice
4 t sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, or more/less to taste
1 bunch fresh garden basil, washed, leaves patted dry and picked from stems
Maldon salt, to garnish

Method
For roasted tomatoes:
Preheat oven to 275 F. Spread olive oil onto a foil lined baking sheet. Place tomato slices in a single layer on baking sheet and season with black pepper. Roast for 3 hours until very soft, golden and caramelized around the edges. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the baking sheet. (Can be prepared 1-2 days in advance. Store the tomatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before assembling the crostini.)

For the bread:
Put the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 400 F for about 5 minutes until lightly toasted.

For chocolate sauce:
Break chocolate into squares and place in a microwave proof glass bowl. Melt in 30 second intervals until creamy when stirred. Add 2-3 teaspoons of adobo sauce, mix gently, taste, and adjust to your liking.

To assemble the crostini:
Place a slice of baguette on work surface. Spread about 1 t of the chocolate sauce on top. A basil leaf goes next, followed by 1 or 2 tomato slices (depending on how big they are). Sprinkle with a few grains of Maldon salt. Repeat with remaining baguette slices. Serve immediately.

Any romance for you over the weekend?

Freakshow Friday : Hunting Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, this guy has it all!

What a catch!

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award

and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll link up to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

Last Call, Ladies!

Last chance to enter the Mary Kay giveaway
doing on over at my review blog.

Click on Mary Kay up there

to head on over!

You Capture : Something Fun

I have so much fun
buying reduced flowers
from the grocery store.

With our tight budget
buying fresh flowers is
a bit of a luxury.

I only buy the bouquets that are $2.00 or less.

Sometimes they look like
they might be coughing a little bit.
I love them anyway.

The center of my dining room table
is a place of honor for
my cheap little flowers.

I love to clean them up
and put them in a pretty vase.

I can feel their appreciation.

Barbie Gets Inked

My weekly column is up

over at Athens Patch.
Parents are in a tizzy
over a new Barbie covered in tattoos.

Do you think that she could
be a bad influence on children?

Click here to read the story and
comment over at Athens Patch.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : When I Meet Them There

I'm realizing that my days around here seem to run together.
Ordinary moments unfold around me daily
and I need to stop and relish in them.
One day, my boys will be out living life
and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document
the simple moments that pass between us.
I'm calling this little collection of memories...

If you read my column a few weeks ago,
Zen and the Art of Motherhood
then you already know that
I went to LOVE BEYOND LIMITS:
The Spiritual Practice of Parenting
with Zen Buddhist priest and author Karen Maezen Miller
(I just copied and pasted that btw)

Miller quoted my favorite Rumi quote-
"Out beyond the ideas of the final way and the only way
there is a dreamy field.
I'll meet you there."

She said that scholars and philosophers
were always debating where that dreamy field was.
Was it the heavens, in our hearts, in our minds?

She said that she believed that that field existed
in that place early in the morning when you
hear a little voice calling out "Mama!?"
That moment when you meet your child with groggy eyes
and they smile when they see you, that is the dreamy field.

I decided to start collecting the
moments in my life
where I dwell in that dreamy field with my children.

As we drive to school
and have wonderful
and imaginative conversations
through the rear view mirror.

I just love the creativity and trust
that we have in each other as
we make up stories
or talk about life.

When my little one
follows me into the laundry room
and "helps" me put clothes in the dryer.

He says "Thank you, sir!"
as I hand him the wet clothes.
It's the sweetest thing.

When I take a moment to sit at the table and
help Griffin with his homework.
I can feel his little spirit
thanking me for taking the time
to stop and help him when he needs it.

Those moments when Koen
feels so big as he "helps" daddy
with an outdoor project.

I can see him learning to be strong
and handy around the house,
juts like Roger.

That dreamy field is all around us
as we sit together and read bedtime stories
Koen literally tries to climb into the book
and fly the rocket ship sometimes.

Playing airplane
is such a thrill.
There is so much freedom in pretending to fly.
The joy of being silly is contagious.

Perhaps my most treasured time of day
is sitting at the foot of Griffin's bed
and telling him bedtime stories.

Even though I'm usually tired
and grumpy around the edges,
I feel so privileged to watch him
as his drifts off to sleep.

My days are spent weaving in and out
of that dreamy field.

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 36

I had the BEST birthday last week.

The morning started with these
beautiful flowers.

Years ago, when my husband and I were dating,
I told him that I liked to get flowers.
He has given me flowers for
every birthday since then.

Smart man.

My mom asked me what I wanted
to do on my birthday
and I told her that I wanted a day by myself.

Funny how things change after you have kids.
So, she took the boys for the day
and I ate lunch all alone.

It was wonderful.
I sat on the patio and ate
Tortelli di Zucca- Butternut squash ravioli with
mascarpone cream and radicchio sauce.

I drank a glass of wine
in the middle of the afternoon
and read People Magazine.
I was in heaven.

Then, I indulged in dessert.
Dulce le Leche frozen yogurt
with cheesecake bites and caramel.

While I ate this dreamy cup of sugary delight,
Radiohead just so happened to play on the radio.

Total bliss!

Then I treated myself to a massage.
It was so serene and relaxing
that I almost drooled all over myself.

Later that evening, we all met up at my parents' house
and celebrated my big day
with a delicious cake made by our Uncle Kroger.

I opened a ton of presents and felt so loved.
My 37th year is off to a great start!

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Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky