a tease

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this weekend we had perfect weather!

it was in the low 70's and we grilled out and sipped on mojitos!

it's a teaser of what's to come.  unfortunately, the cold will sweep back in at some point.

but i am waiting it out and looking forward to many nights of this.

via we heart it

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i am desperately craving spring.

these chilly days have me longing for picnics, fresh air, long hikes in the woods, bike rides, and most of all fresh and local fruit and veggies.

i cannot wait to hear the crickets sing me to sleep.

ahhhhh hopefully it won't be long!

peanut butter pecan biscotti

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these little delights are something you must try!

usually i'm not a big fan of biscotti just because it tends to be a little hard.

but these are just perfect.  the pecans are a perfect compliment to the peanut butter.

recipe adapted from joy the baker.

i was tempted to add chocolate chips.

i was also tempted to dip half of each one in melted chocolate.

i'll save that for next time.

enjoy!!

goodbye january!

i have never been so happy to see a month OVER!

january was a tough month.  i had such high hopes the end of december that i would start a clean slate.

i would accomplish things.

however, that hasn't been the case.  i feel like a whole month is gone.

so, where does that leave me now?  well, january may be over, but february is here and everything is made new again.  time to get down to business.

time to focus on my diet and health.

time to tuck away a few dollars.

time to make more time for those closest to me.

 and most of all time to smile through the tough times and realize all things happen for a reason.

soooo.....did anyone else have beautiful weather this past weekend?

it was in the 70's here!

my soul is aching for spring and this weekend was just a tease.

i did manage to sneak in some yummy treats and discover a fabulous new place.

books and breadboard.

it's a small artisan deli inside a local bookstore.

a novel idea right?

we had this delightful cheese board.

***

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an evening should always end with a cupcake.



bake it pretty

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i discovered a wonderful bake shop in downtown asheville a couple weekends ago.

bake it pretty.

they have some of the cutest things for cupcakes and decorating.  i've already made a list of things i want next time i'm in town.

it's a delightfully wonderful place and there's always great shopping music on too!



celebrating

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i had a celebratory day with a couple of our pals in downtown asheville.

we spent the entire day bouncing around this curious city and discovering new places.  we had lunch at the green sage cafe.  it was yummy.  i had the cowbow quiche that had black beans in it and was layered beautifully.

we browsed around galleries, had coffee at old europe, and ended the night at the french broad chocolate lounge nibbling on truffles.  i had the cosmic love truffle with a rose petal on top.

it was a blissful celebration.

beof bourignon

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my hubby and i had MLK day off and so i decided to get creative in the kitchen.

i made beof bourignon and not just any beof bourignon, but julia child's beof bourignon.

and let me say...it was nothing short of amazing!

i'm somewhat, only somewhat, obsessed with french food and the romanticism of france since seeing julie and julia last year.  i own the movie and have only watched it a few dozen times.

meryl streep played a brilliant part in the movie and always makes me smile throughout.

i bought mastering the art of french cooking.  it's a classic and the first recipe i made sure to try, definitely not the last, was her beof bourignon.

it did not fail to impress me.  i cannot wait to "master" more of her recipes.

any suggestions?