She's coming!

Who is "she," you ask?

Wait for it...

"SHE," is my MOTHER-IN-LAW!

The good news is I love her, so it's a good thing that she's coming to visit.

The bad news is that my house isn't ready and I'm going to be up late trying to make sure it gets somewhat presentable.

It's been three months since we moved in and I still feel like I'm unpacking. Seriously, I have no idea when or if it will ever end.

Anyway...just wish me luck and stay tuned for an update about our visit with Grandma Beverly. The last time she came to visit us the girls were just eight-months old. We've seen her since, of course, but not on our turf. Boy how time flies!

What's for dinner?

Although it's more of an appetizer, the dinner we're most enjoying in my house is the Chicken Wreath, made on a baking stone.

I recently made two in one night -- one for the family and one for recipe club -- and they were both a hit.

The following recipe is an altered version of a recipe from Pampered Chef.





Baking Stone Chicken Wreath

Ingredients:
1 can (10 oz.) Chunk White Chicken; drained and flaked
½ cup Red Bell Pepper; chopped
1 small bunch Broccoli; chopped
1 cup Colby-Jack Cheese; shredded
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
½ tsp. Salt
2 pkgs. (8 oz.) Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Directions:
Mix ingredients. Arrange crescent roll triangles into a circle or “sun” pattern on baking stone. Wide ends of triangles should overlap in the center with points facing toward the outside. Scoop mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring outside points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at the center of the ring. (Filling will not be completely covered.) Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

ENJOY!

Fall is here!

Miss Independent and Little Miss
October 2009

Okay, so it's not officially Fall until Tuesday, but it's close enough.

I was sorting through old photos today and came across this one from last year. We were living in Maryland and drove way out into the middle of nowhere to a pumpkin farm someone told us about. It was a drizzling day, but we figured all was well. However, when we finally arrived at the farm we were crushed to find out it was closed. It was a Chevy Chase Wally World moment for sure.

We kept driving and ended up at an Amish Farmer's Market. Despite the rain, we enjoyed picking out fresh fruits and vegetables -- including a couple of pumpkins -- as well as some yummy made-from-scratch cookies and sweet breads.

Anyway, reflecting on that day was all I needed to put me into a Fall State of Mind. I'm looking forward to things like:

• The State Fair
• The girl's birthday party
• The leaves changing colors
• The pumpkin farm
• Lower temperatures
• Caramel apples
• Trick-or-treating
• Pumpkin Pie

And so much more!

It's just about my most favorite time of the year. How about you?

I'm a Gleek and proud of it

I am now a Gleek.

I just caught up on Season 1 and am now officially ready for the premiere of Season 2, which airs next Tuesday.

I kept hearing the music and ended up buying a CD before ever watching the show (I have this thing for show tunes). I ended up liking it so much that I had to watch an episode. Within minutes, I was hooked.

It might be a little late, but that's okay. If there's one thing I've learned from Glee, it's that it's okay not to be part of the "in crowd." What's important is that I'm owning my inner diva-ness and singing with the rest of the Gleeks from now on.

If you're not a member, I would highly recommend checking it out. For me, the show has taken me back to my "I wanna be an actress" days and gets me up and moving. I can barely sit still and find myself singing and dancing -- Glee-style. And although they're not watching the show, Miss Independent and Little Miss have been enjoying a few of the tunes too. Our favorite right now is Don't Stop Believin' (by Journey). Good times!