Sight Seeing

As I mentioned, Landon's cousin, Laura, came and visited us over the weekend. So, rather than spending my weekend working around the house, we took a trip around the metroplex to show Laura the sites. First stop ... IKEA! Okay, it's not really a tourist attraction, but Laura had never been to an IKEA, so we thought she needed the experience. And, of course, I picked a few things up while I was there. I'll show you my finds later this week.

Next was a stop for some great Mexican food! The weather was so great. It's hard to believe we were able to eat outside in January!

Laura is a big sports fan, so we also took a trip down to Fort Worth. The entire DFW metroplex is getting ready for Sunday's Super Bowl. ESPN was already setting up for their broadcasts , which will be live from Sundance Square this week.

And, after that, we hopped over to Arlington to see Cowboys Stadium. Apparently, a lot of other people had the same idea, because the traffic was crazy. But we were able to park at the Texas Rangers Stadium, which is next to it, and walk over to see all the excitement. The stadium was all decked out for the big game.

I'm actually pretty glad we took the trip, because we won't be heading down there next weekend. Our goal is to stay away from the crowds in Arlington, and watch the game at home. Do you have any big Super Bowl plans?

Our First "Official" Overnight Guest

Landon and I have a guest coming today! Landon's cousin, Laura, is coming down from Oklahoma to spend the weekend with us. We haven't seen her in a while and she's never been to this area, so we are excited to show her around. It's going to be a beautiful weekend here in Texas ... the temperatures will be in the high 60s! If you are a little jealous, just remember, our temps will get up to 110 degrees this summer ...

Laura is our first "official" overnight guest in the new house. I say first "official" because technically my coworker and friend, Monica, house/dog sat for us while we were in Nashville for Thanksgiving. So, she has stayed in the guest room, but we weren't here to enjoy her company.

As you may remember, I recently bought some new bedding and pillows for my guest room. Well, this week has been a busy week at work, so I haven't had time to do much around the house, but I did make one little purchase to add to the guest room in prep for Laura's visit. I had an extra reed diffuser at home and found some new fragrance oil and these cute reeds at Walmart, so I thought I'd make good use of it!

I know, it's not much, but I was excited to add it to the room. It's the little things.

So, because Laura will be here this weekend, I'll have to put my table project on hold, but hopefully I can make some headway next weekend.

My Cookbook Fetish

I'm beginning to think I have a cookbook fetish! Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but I do love to buy new cookbooks. The other night, I picked up one of my favorites at Whole Foods (I was picking up Whole Foods' awesome Three-Cheese Focaccia bread ... I don't buy much at Whole Foods, but their bread is so good!).

It's really more of a magazine than a cookbook. If you haven't discovered "America's Test Kitchen," then you are missing out! I first learned of "America's Test Kitchen" when we moved to Texas last year. We have chosen to be a family without cable, which means there aren't a lot of shows worth watching on a Saturday morning. One Saturday, while on the search for our morning entertainment, we stumbled upon PBS and the "America's Test Kitchen" TV show. I fell in love immediately.

I come from a long line of amazing cooks. If you have ever been privileged enough to have a meal at my Mema's house, then you know what I mean. My mom is also a fabulous cook. I can definitely follow a recipe, but I don't have the knowledge and instinct that my mom and Mema have ... but I wish I did.

Well, that's why I love "America's Test Kitchen." It's a product of "Cook's Illustrated." Not only do the "America's Test Kitchen" books have amazing recipes, but with each one, they tell you the techniques used, why certain techniques and ingredients work better than others and step-by-step instructions. They identify what brands are best and why they stand up to others. The concept is that they have "tested" each recipe to perfection. 

I have made lots of their recipes, and I can tell you that I haven't found any yet that I don't like from mac and cheese, shrimp and grits, pan fried pork chops and Italian-style meatloaves. Some take a lot of time, so I reserve them for Saturdays. And, they also usually have some different type of ingredients that I don't typically keep at home, so you have to prepare, but the prep work is worth it.

I now have three different "America's Test Kitchen" books - 30-Minute Suppers (Summer 2010), Best of 2010 and now the Best of 2011. Here is a sampling of what's in the 2011 book, taken from the "America's Test Kitchen" website:

"The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2011 features a wide range of recipes from starters to desserts, from meat and pasta to vegetarian dishes and desserts, including Hot Crab Dip (from our cookbook Best Potluck Recipes), Grilled Vegetable and Bread Salad ( from the Healthy Family Cookbook), Slow-Cooker Chicken Chili (from Cook’s Country magazine), Steak Tips with Mushroom Gravy (from Cook’s Illustrated magazine), Black Bean Burgers ( from our cookbook Light and Healthy 2010), and Individual Fallen Chocolate Cakes for Two (from our Cooking for Two cookbook)."

The Wall Street Journal reviewed it and said:

"While the skilled team at America's Test Kitchen doesn't shy away from the occasional elaborate recipe—their six-layer Strawberry Stack Cake requires 15 ingredients and a lot of patience—most of the 175 recipes in this compilation concentrate on mastering the basics and turning out delicious home cooking with a minimum of wasted time ... If, like frontiersman Kit Carson on his deathbed, you've ever wished that you had 'time for just one more bowl of chili,' this one is for you."

That's exactly how I feel with their recipes! I get excited every time I plan a dinner from one of these books, because I know it is going to be so good. Mmmm ....  I can't wait to try out some of these new recipes!

Do you have any cookbooks that you just love? If so, let me know!

The Big Reveal ... Dining Room

If you are looking for a workout, I highly recommend painting! My legs haven't been this sore in a long time (which may reveal how out of shape I am).

As I already mentioned, Landon and I painted the dining room this weekend and I couldn't be more thrilled with how it turned out. If you'll remember, we decided to go with a dark grey after testing out a few shades. It definitely darkened the room, but I think it gives it that "dark, dramatic" look I wanted.

Here is the room all prepped and ready for painting:

We had read that if you'll put some holes in the rim of the paint can, it will help not leave a gooey mess of dried paint around the rim, so we thought we'd give it a try. 

It did work, but we probably should have put a few more holes in it. 

Landon and I have a good routine for painting, which is I handle the trim and he rolls. That worked great until I got a little slow on the job (I trim by hand with a paint brush), so Landon started trimming around the ceiling while I did around the baseboards. In the end, we got it done in a relatively quick time frame. Because the paint was so dark, we didn't need to prime and only had to put on one coat.

Once the paint dried, I was able to unpack our final boxes, at last, which was my china. (Notice the "original" boxes from when we got married nearly six years ago. Those have stayed with us through ALL our moves, which have been a lot!)

And, I was able to put my china in my china cabinet. This is a really special piece of furniture to me, because my dad made it for my mom when they got married. When he made her a newer one right before I got married, I laid claim to this one. I love it not only because it's beautiful but also because I think of my sweet dad every time I see it!

And, now, the dining room is one step closer to being done! Here it is with the new grey walls. I  already love it, especially with my black chandelier! I think it's going to look great when the dining room table gets done and we hang some things on the wall.  Oh, and I'm on the lookout for curtains, too. I have a few ideas but haven't exactly decided what I want yet. I'm open to any thoughts you have!

Creating a Beach Oasis

Whew, yesterday was such a busy day! Landon and I finally accomplished the big task of painting the dining room. It looks great. I can't wait to show you the pics. We have to get everything back in place today, so pics will be coming soon!

Another room I've been thinking about lately is my sunroom. It's located right off of my living room and looks out onto the backyard. Currently, it's empty except for a bookshelf, but my goal is to make it a serene reading room. I'd love to give it a "beachy" feel, and matter of fact, I brought home some shells with me last time I went to visit Landon's parents in Miami.

Well, the other day, I was in one of my favorite stores - Kohl's - on my lunch break, browsing for various things. I stopped by the "home" section and a few things definitely caught my eye:

I'm thinking these would be perfect for my beach theme. I didn't get them but may have to watch for them to go on sale. Also, I saw this:

Who knew Kohl's had furniture? Just another reason to love that store!