Party of Two: Thanksgiving Dinner

It’s hard to cook for two people on a regular day without tons of leftovers, but holiday cooking is especially hard for a party of two. Matt has to work the day after Thanksgiving, so we decided to stay in Columbia for this holiday. My mom always cooked a Martha Stewart worthy turkey with all the traditional fixings every year with plenty of leftovers. (There’s nothing better than a turkey and stuffing sandwich the day after Turkey Day.) This being the first year that the meal preparations are up to me, I was a little uneasy about the daunting task of selecting, prepping, and cooking my very own bird. So I came up with the perfect solution to order a fully cooked Greenberg Smoked Turkey. These birds get rave reviews and this way we will still have a yummy Turkey Day dinner and enough leftovers for two without the hassle.

With the main course out of the way, I can focus on some yummy side dishes. I decided to keep it simple to save time and to reduce the amount of leftovers. This is what I’m thinking:

- Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (of course!)

- Green Beans

- Mama Caccia’s stuffing

- Cranberry sauce (we prefer the canned version)

- Pumpkin or Apple pie (Haven’t decided yet, but we might have BOTH!)

An early HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all our family and friends!

A Fall Recipe

A special thanks to Mother Nature for reading my previous post and turning our hot fall weather into cool, brisk days. This week has been absolutely gorgeous (minus the few rainy days). In honor of our cool weather, I’d like to share an apple recipe that is a quintessential fall cuisine. It’s super easy to make and oh, so yummy. A MUST for this season!

Homemade Applesauce

1 Lemon, zested and juiced

3 pounds apples, a mixture of your favorite varieties (about 8 apples)

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Place the zest and juice from the lemon in a large bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples (reserving the peel of 2 red apples) and toss them in the juice. Pour the apples, reserved apple peel, and juice into a slow cooker. Add the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and allspice. Cover and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours, or until the apples are soft.

Remove and discard the apple peel. Mix with a whisk until smooth. Serve warm or chilled!

(If you don’t have a slow cooker, bake in a 350 degrees oven for 1-½ hours)

You’ll never buy applesauce from the grocery store again.

Enjoy!

It's Fall Y'all

It’s the first day of fall and for Columbia that means a balmy 95 degrees. Yikes! Last year, I was spoiled with the perfect fall days of New York and Connecticut. So this morning, with a warm cup of tea in hand, I snuggled up on the couch and closed my eyes. My memories took me back to this time last year.

The leaves changed from luscious greens to warm golds, reds, and oranges.

The weather was cool and breezy.

Boots, sweaters, and scarves- an essential part of everyday.

Apple picking, football the Ivy League way, strolls through Central Park, staying warm with bowls of French onion soup in a little cafe----all the ingredients to an ideal autumnal experience.

In the reverie of last year’s autumn, I developed a growing excitement for making memories of a Southern Fall. Here’s to the start of a wonderful season!

Catch Up

Please excuse my absence. We were without the internet for a few weeks. I’m back now, so let’s play catch up!

First and foremost, the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT....

WE HAVE FURNITURE!

After 7 weeks of patience and occupying a large, empty condo, we now have gorgeous furniture to make our condo feel like a home. Here are some pictures I snapped literally minutes after the delivery men left. If you can't tell, I'm super excited!!

A few weekends ago, two of my closest girlfriends (Alexis and Liz) and I went on a little getaway to Atlanta, Buckhead more specifically.

We ate. What’s a vacation without food? If you’re ever in ATL, go to Antico. The. Best. Pizza. Ever.

We laughed. A lot.

We braved the MARTA, the subway system. No an easy task for three girls.

We saw Eat Pray Love. A great movie.

We people watched. A very interesting pastime in ATL.

Last month, Matt and I celebrated our second anniversary in Hilton Head. The peaceful ocean and warm sun was the perfect backdrop to celebrate our love.

We dined at eclectic restaurants.

We lounged on the beach all weekend.

We relaxed with good books.

We remembered the beautiful day when we became husband and wife.

Things I LOVE- August Edition

August will be our first full month in Columbia. There is still a lot to explore, fun adventures already planned, and and lots to love this month!

Celebrating 2 Blissful Years.

Whew! Time really does fly by. When we were dating, we had a long distance relationship for so long that it seemed there was no end in sight. Now that we get to spend every day together, it's hard to remember ever being apart. We are celebrating with a relaxing getaway!

A Girls Getaway.

Atlanta, here we come! Since I graduated from college, my friends and I have made a point of getting together at least once a year for a little fun. This is the first year we've all lived in different states so we picked a neutral location. It will be so nice to have a little girlfriend time!

The Hope of Furniture.

This is a big one! We have lived in our fair share of small apartments, however now that we finally live in what feels like a palace we have nowhere to sit. The furniture takes 6-8 weeks for delivery. So I am hoping and praying that everything will arrive the last week of this month. (Your prayers are greatly appreciated as well!)

Birthday Celebrations Galore.

There are several very special birthdays this month. Liz is turning 24! One of my dear college friends. Simply put, she is wonderful! Barbara is celebrating the umpteenth anniversary of her 25th birthday! My sister's 25th birthday was the first time I became aware of how old people were. So from that birthday on, she was 25 in my book! I guess that means this year we will be the same age=) Trey is turning 17! Eekk! This one makes me feel old, because as cliche as it sounds I remember changing his diapers. To me, he'll always be my little Treyster! Happy Birthday to you all!

School.

This is the first August in about 21 years that neither Matt or I are starting school! So this one goes out to all those that do start this month (especially MOM and Alexis)! There is something nostalgic about walking into Target and seeing all the back to school supplies. I always loved the first day of school, but more so in elementary school when it was more about meeting your teacher and seeing your friends than tests and homework. Happy Back to School!

Home Sweet Home (The before)

Here it is folks, our new place! While the condo is still in its raw form, we have a great canvas to work with.

Living Room

The Den

Dining Room (the only room with furniture)

View of kitchen from dining room

The Entryway

Just a sneak peek at our new home. Can't wait to share the "after" with you once the decorating process is complete!

Welcome

Some might say our journey just ended…

After traveling over 5,000 miles in the past 2 years.

After living in our cute first apartment, a “shoebox”, a quaint B&B, and then back to our old stomping ground.

After packing, unpacking, and then repacking countless boxes.

After leaving three cities just as they start to feel like home.

After finally settling down with no plans to move in a few months.


In almost 2 years time, Matt and I have explored, experienced, and learned more than the average newlyweds. Whenever asked, “So where are you moving from?” I am always at a loss for words and usually blurt out. “Well….I’m a Florida girl at heart who moved to Memphis while Matt finished school. Then Greenwich, CT/ NYC on to Newport, RI while Matt finished his externs. Oh yeah, then we went back to Florida, but only temporarily. Now we are here in South Carolina with no plans to move anytime soon!” At this point, I have thoroughly confused the questioner and regret not saving the details and just saying “Florida!” But it’s not that simple; each new city we moved to became a little bit like home. Each new city denotes a special time in our first years of marriage. A piece of me was left in each of those cities, therefore it’s not as simple as being just a Florida girl.

So while some may say our adventure has come to an end, I believe our journey is just beginning.

A new tale that has yet to be written.

Uncharted territory that I am excited to explore.

Allow me to share this new journey with you!