Day Off

I took the day off today after waking up ridiculously late (7:30am) and me and Kevin BOTH needed to hop in the shower.  I was already planning on taking a 1/2 day so I just extended it to a full day.  The plan was to grab lunch and catch up with one of my oldest and dearest friends who recently set her date to be married!  So exciting :)  But unfortunately, both her kids are sick and she can't get away from the sick babies in good conscience.

So, I'm left with an entire day home with Rudy Girl.  Wish I could say I'm planning something exciting to do but I'm just going to clean this house from top to bottom and get as much laundry as possible done.

But first, here's my partner in crime for the day...

My pretty girl :)

Kevin and I had a fairly busy week including eating out of the house THREE days this week (we started to really limit our time going out to eat).  Tuesday we went out to the "G Bar" the lounge portion of the delicious Giumerello's in Haddon Twp.  This restaurant is within walking distance from our house so no need to worry about too many glasses of wine & driving.  We had a yummy meal together to celebrate another one of Kevin's grad school classes finishing.  I am beyond proud of my husband...he has been tirelessly working towards his graduate degree for school administration all the while working full-time as a teacher and a bartender on the weekends.  My boy knows how to hustle. (and he looks cute doing it too).

Wednesday night saw us going on a triple date with two couples.  We went to Melange in Haddonfield -- it is a BYOB which I love because you can bring a big bottle of wine and not worry about being charged $8.00/glass :)  Melange was a Lousiana/Southern Cooking "Fusion" (I despise that term) place.  I had BBQ Shrimp (spicy, salty, yumminess) as an appetizer and then I gobbled up some Shrimp & Cheese Grits (featuring some mushrooms, onions and sun-dried tomatoes).  My dinner was scrumptious!  Kevin had the Jumbalya and said it was amazing.  We even all had dessert (a rare occurrence for me), I had bread pudding w/ a Bourbon glaze - YUM!  A wonderful night spent with friends, it truly doesn't get much better than that.

Thursday was my cousin Shane's senior night for his high school soccer team.  Shane's 2 older brothers are away from home (1 is at school in NY and 1 is living in a hut in NH, yes a hut) so my aunt had sent an email out about this senior night to see if anyone in the family/friends would be up to coming to watch.  Of course my family said yes (Shane is like my youngest brother instead of cousin) and we braved the not so awesome weather to watch Shane be escorted onto the field by one of his teachers and then walk my Aunt & Uncle down the center of the field while Shane's words of thanks were read aloud over the PA system.  It was very nice and I know it meant a lot to Shane and my Aunt & Uncle that we came to show our support.  Kevin and I could only stay for the first half but when we left, Shane's team was up 3-0 and Shane had assisted BEAUTIFULLY on the first goal.  I took lots of photos - tried to get some action shots - it is amazing (and makes me feel old) that he is a SENIOR now!  Where did the time go?

Shane in action on the "Pitch"              //            My Uncle, Shane and my Aunt

So a busy and fun week had here at our humble abode - looking forward to a fun/relaxing weekend.  Hopefully going to see the author Justin Cronin speak on Saturday in Philadelphia :)  Can't wait to start reading "The Twelve"

Podcast Obsessed

I work at a job that requires me to sit at a desk.  It stinks!  Sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day can (sometimes) make the day drag!  About 3-1/2 years ago I stumbles upon something called a Podcast.  iTunes features them right along with music, movies and TV shows.  I started out by listening to the few (free) Ricky Gervais Show podcast episodes that were available.  Unfortunately for me, I was joining up with his show WAY too late (it had ended maybe a year before I started listening) so I only had a few archived episodes to listen to.  What I did gather from listening to Ricky's show was that I was not opposed to listening to people talk while I worked!  In order to quench my thirst for more podcasts to listen to, I started browsing iTunes for ideas.  On the side of every genre page (music, TV, movies) you'll see a top 10.  I took a look at the top 10 podcasts and realized I had to narrow down the genre I wanted to listen to.  I decided to go with the comedy genre since I enjoyed it so much with Ricky Gervais' show.


I found several shows that peaked my interest (including Doug Loves Movies and Comedy Bang Bang (formerly Death Ray)) but one in particular I've listened to religously since I first came upon it -- it's called 'Never Not Funny' (NNF website) and it is hosted by Jimmy Pardo.  He is a comedian out of LA and his style/take on things is so honest and hilarious it's hard not to smile the ENTIRE time you listen to his show.  He's joined by a producer/co-host Matt Bellknap and a rotating 3rd guest (usually an LA based comedian) each episode.  There is also an "intern" Dan Katz and videographer Elliot Hochberg (position originally held by Andrew "AK47" Keonig, RIP).  


This show is just some people sitting around a table talking about whatever comes into their heads.  There's no formula, no predictable segments, or stupid drop-ins.  It's simply, just perfect.  Since season #3 the fist 20 minutes are available for free through iTunes with the entire episode/season being available through a paid subscription.  I've been paying since season 3 and there was absolutely no hesitation on my part to do so.  This show is priceless to me and I gladly pay two times each year when a new season comes out (the seasons are 26 episodes long).


If you happen to stumble upon this post and are willing to give it a try, you won't be disappointed.  Jimmy is an amazing comedian who just talks and "finds the funny" in any situation.  Check it out!


Other mentionable podcasts:

• "Who Charted?" with Howard Kremer and Kulap Vilaysack 
• "Doug Loves Movies" hosted by Doug Benson
• "Rock Solid" hosted by Pat Francis and Gary Lucy (and Matt Bellknap)
• "Comedy Film Nerds" hosted by Graham Elwood and Chris Mancini

4th of July Fun

4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays (there is, without a doubt, a strong correlation between the 4th of July and the fact that my birthday is on the 7th but I digress...)  I love the BBQs, parades and most importantly the fireworks!


This year the 4th fell on a Wednesday.  Pretty much the worst day of the week for a holiday to fall on because most people had to go to work the next day (me included...)  So I decided to get my partying in as early as possible.  What's the best way to do that?  Why, by having a brunch at my house, of course!

Rudy Girl being all patriotic.  So regal, that one.

So I invited over some of our closest friends as well as our immediate families to come have some breakfast cocktails, some light brunch fare and to watch the (weak) parade that passes the bottom of our street.

 Getting the drink station ready.  This is a photo before I put out the Bloody Marys (yum)

 I bought some buntings from the Christmas Tree Shop (only for them to be way too big for our windows) so I put them on the mantle!

 My brother keeping an eye on Rudy for us.

 Cute parade idea..

JKFM

After we had our parade fill (it lasted MAYBE 15 minutes total?) we headed back inside for a visit with our friends and had a couple more cocktails before proclaiming the brunch a success.

Our next stop was my Uncle Bill and Aunt Chris' house for a Pool Party/Birthday Party for my Grandpop.  We have one every year around this time for his birthday (late June) and this year they decided to hold it on the 4th.  It was a blast hanging out with my family in the pool (very hot day).  We laughed, drank, ate and took fun photos with each other.

A great time was had by all!  I did keep reminding my dear husband that I HAD to see fireworks before the night was through.  Luckily I married the best guy ever who threw caution to the wind and SPED home in order to catch our neighboring town's fireworks display.  We missed probably about 10 minutes of the 40 minute display but it was great!  We pulled over and parked the car and then laid a towel down on the grass and watched the fireworks together.  Quite magical if you ask me.  After the fireworks were over, we headed home and went to bed after a busy but very fun day!

Didn't get very many photos of the fireworks -- but they were gorgeous!

Concert Goers

In whats becoming a more and more rare occurrence for me, I headed to two concerts in one week this week!  Both of them I got to enjoy with my brother, Pete!




First up was Eric Hutchinson (Eric's website) at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia (WCLive).
I saw Eric for free about 6 years ago in the upstairs restaurant portion of World Cafe Live.  It's a very cool venue, having a couple of areas for concerts.  The stage downstairs is where we saw Eric this time and even for being the larger room to see someone in, it was still intimate and fun!  After grabbing some pre-show beers and watching 2/3 periods of Flyers playoff hockey at a bar around the corner we headed to the show and Eric took the stage 5 minutes after our arrival (perfect timing).

Eric doing his thang!

He plays feel-good music that makes you want to dance and sing along.  His band was clearly having a blast playing with him especially his bass player.  That guy didn't stop dancing!


At one point, the band left the stage and Eric played an acoustic cover of Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears".  It was an excellent rendition.  He also played a mid-song tribute to MCA by playing a piece of "Sabotage".


We had a great time and for a Sunday night, it couldn't get any better!






The 2nd show I saw this week was at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, in Philly.  I went with my brother, Pete again and we saw Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros!  

12 people up on that stage including TWO drummers!

Hard to pin down their style of music.  It's fun to dance to and at times can bring out your inner hippie!  Pete and I agreed they can certainly play and with so many people on the stage it was amazing how they all coexisted and the harmonies that they were able to create.  Their song "Home" was very popular thanks to a You Tube video of a girl and her father singing it (see that here)  Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros are a band worth giving a listen. (to get started: "Home" // "Janglin" // "Man on Fire")






I love living so close to a major city-- it allows me to see such great artists when they come to town!

Sup, Philly? <3

And They Called it...Puppy Love

Just a quick post (you deserve more than that after a month of being away!) but I need to start making dinner and it's already 7pm!  Rudy and I just enjoyed a play 'sesh' outside, basking in the later sunlight available this time of year and the super-nice temperatures we have right now in South Jersey!


I snapped a few photos of her over the past week, figured I'd share them now.  Enjoy :)

Napping with Mommy...

outside enjoying the beautiful day

 She saw a squirrel...

Recipe Love: Jalapeno Popper Dip

I absolutely love to cook.  I love making a mess in the kitchen creating yummy things for Kevin, friends and family to try! (I hate cleaning up that mess but if the food is yummy enough I can sometimes coax Kev into cleaning up, hee hee). I'm not a good baker and tend to shy away from dessert making.  Baking is too precise of an art and I'm not one who likes to follow a recipe.  


Recently via Pintrest (AKA: the best website ever) I re-pinned a Jalapeno Popper Dip and tried it on some unsuspecting family members at a party.  Pintrest took me to Brown Eyed Baker and her amazing website! (Note to Self: cruise Michelle's blog again for more recipe ideas!)


The verdict?  Yummy and multiple requests for the recipe! Most people could not figure out what type of dip it was -- which I was happy for since when some people hear "Jalapeno" they decide not to try it because it might be spicy.  The recipe calls for (6) fresh jalapenos but they did not overpower the dip or make it too spicy to try.  Instead the peppers left a slightly spicy aftertaste to the dip.  Like I said, most people couldn't figure out the dip and were guessing artichoke dip, crab dip (this one I didn't get! Seafood, really?).  Anyways, everyone was pleasantly surprised to hear it was jalapeno dip.  I served it with Multigrain Tostitos Scoops (yummy, yummy) and it was all eaten.  Sounds like a hit to me!


I'll post a photo next time I make it so you can see how mine turned out!.

Jalapeño Popper Dip (via Brown Eyed Baker, see link above)

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 30 minutes

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise
8 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped up
6 jalapeños, minced (if you can’t get fresh, substitute a 4-ounce can diced jalapeño peppers, drained)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon cumin
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Topping:
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, bacon, jalapenos, garlic, cumin and cheddar cheese in a mixing bowl. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish or 9×13 baking dish.

3. Combine the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and melted butter in a small bowl, tossing with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened. Sprinkle evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the dip is bubbling. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips, crackers, vegetables, etc.

It's a Dog Eat Dog World...Rudy's 1st Post.

Our 4-legged lady, Rudy Huxtable Greway recently had a fun adventure with her best buddy Mr. Wilson.  


One of my best friends Ashley was looking for a doggy play-date the next time she was in town for Wilson and Rudy Girl.  I had heard about a dog park not too far from my house and suggested we check it out.  Boy oh boy, what a fun time these pups had!


We headed over to Timber Creek Park in Gloucester Twp., NJ -- it's right off of a main drag so it's very easy to get to from just about anywhere in South Jersey! (The 51st state)

Timber Creek Park Info

So when you arrive at the park you must keep your dog on a leash but a short walk away you are at the gates leading you into the dog park.  Both Wilson and Rudy were beside themselves pumped for just the parking lot.  I told them "It's like being excited for the Disney World parking lot!".  

We made the short walk through the woods to the dog park gates, got our pups in there and the energized awesomeness ensued.  Wilson, being the older of the two, kept a watchful eye on Rudy Girl who, overstimulated at best, was following any pack of dogs she could find.  We were able to make one lap around before we put them back on their leashes and took a hike through the woods.  There is a pond/small lake as you walk which two labs were having fun playing in.  

Overall, an amazing place to take your dog and the best part of the whole thing was that Rudy was so sleepy afterwards Kevin and myself were able to get a lot done during the day :)

Rudy, checking out the many smells (I'm sure)

Rudy & Wilson, off on an adventure!