Gimme Goulash

We recently had the opportunity to travel to Austria for a week-long adventure in performing arts and while there partaking of authentic cuisine topped my to-do list. We managed to find  dining experiences off of the beaten path and especially enjoyed restaurants where no one spoke a word of English. Since our German linguistic skills were limited to mostly enunciation ability with little knowledge of actual meaning, we  were able to clearly state what we wanted from the menu without actually knowing what we were going to get. Thank you, UCO, for German diction class. A few times the "surprise" meal was a little questionable, but after assuring myself the restaurant would not be in business if people were dying, I ate what arrived at my table with only slight hesitation. I'm still not sure what all I consumed in Austria, but I didn't die. So there's that. 

One thing we particularly enjoyed was authentic goulash. Typically made with an egg noodle accompaniment, my american-ized version sports potatoes - you could easily substitute 8-10 oz of  radiatore pasta or if you're feeling really adventurous, whip up some egg noodles from scratch. 

As most good things begin, cook half a pound of diced bacon in the bottom of a heavy pot. Nice and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Keep the meat coming, and add 2.5 pounds of cubed chuck roast to the piping hot bacon grease and brown. You do not need to cook the meat through at this point, just brown it and remove, again with a slotted spoon. Add it to your bowl of bacon and set aside.

Next, add 4 onions (chopped) and four cloves of minced garlic. Every since reading Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, I hesitate to mince garlic in a garlic press as this is a big no-no in the Bourdain world.  Nonetheless, I press, mince, and ask forgiveness from the fowl-mouthed celebrity chef. Cook and stir onion/garlic mixture in meat drippings until nearly translucent. 

Stir into the onion mixture 1/3 cup flour and 3 Tbs paprika. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. The longer you cook flour, the more starchiness cooks out.

Add to the pot a 6 oz can of tomato past that has been mixed with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar...

Cook and stir together for about 2 minutes. This mixture will be very thick an goo-like. Stick with me, it gets better. 

Now add two red bell peppers (chopped) along with 5 cups of beef broth and 4 cups of water. You could use straight beef broth for the entire liquid portion, but as beef broth is a bit stronger than other broth (and since there are so many other strong flavors in this dish) mix the beef broth with water to tame it a bit.

Also add about 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed. At this point, you could substitute 8-10 oz. uncooked small pasta in place of the potatoes. 

Return the bacon and beef to the pot. Stir together well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for about 45 minutes.

Serve it up with your favorite vino on a cold winters night.

Hearty Goulash

1/2 pound bacon, chopped
2.5 lbs boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBS paprika
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
6 oz. can tomato paste
5 cups beef broth
4 cups water
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed

Cook bacon in the bottom of a heavy pot until crispy; remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add meat to pot and cook until browned. Remove with slotted spoon and add bacon. Set aside. Add onions and garlic to pot and cook until tender. Stir in flour and paprika; cook for about 2 minutes. Add tomato mixed with the red wine vinegar and stir/cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Whisk in broth and water; add red pepper and potatoes, return meat to the pot as well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!

xox,
A

A Day in the Life of....

• 5:30a - is that really the alarm? did I set the coffee maker to brew last night? oh, I smell it - yes.
• 7:30a - out the door to ENT for a pre-tonsillectomy consult with 3 & 4 year old in tow. Schedule tonsillectomy - sure to be a joy at 37 years old. 
• 9:30a - stop to reward good child (and mommy) behavior with donuts. 
• 10:00a - return home to find oldest teenager having skipped school, stating illness, in order to complete forgotten assignment. 
• 10:30a - load said teenager up and take his sorry *@#$ to school.
• 11:00a - drive thru car wash to remove salt sludge from weekend snow fall.
• 11:30a - arrive at work.
• 11:45a - husband arrives with lunch - yay! 
• 12:00p - husband leaves-this is his long day teaching, he won't be home till 10pm; I start cranking out batter - ovens get filled with cake.
• 12:45p - two boys down for nap at bakery.
• 1:00p - cake consult with bride. *she books - yay*
• 2:00p - boys might actually fall asleep; keep ovens going with more cake.
• 2:50p - teenagers text they are home from school; chore lists are handed out via text.
• 3:30p - newest employee arrives.
• 4:00p - one last oven full of cake goes in.
• 4:30p - employee hand paints on cake like a freaking boss; cooled cakes are getting filled and crumb coated.
• 5:00p - 13 year old texts her head and throat hurt, she wants to skip ballet....*score* I don't have leave early to get her there on time. Text back with fever instructions. 
• 5:10p - boys wake up from long nap.
• 6:00p - clean up - let's go home.
• 6:30p - out the door.
• 6:40p - pick up prescription.
• 6:50p - pick up dry cleaning.
• 7:00p - pick up wine.
• 7:15p - pick up gallon of milk.
• 7:30p - throw together dinner for three hungry boys.
• 7:40p - girl offspring appears with flaming fever.
• 7:45p - girl into the car heading to dr.; leave 14yo with two pre-schoolers eating dinner.
• 8:15p - strep diagnosis; head to pharmacy.
• 8:45p - arrive back home, load girl child full of antibiotics, send her to bed; find three boys well-fed and messy kitchen.
• 9:00p - everyone into the bath/clean the kitchen.
• 9:30p - everyone into the bed.
• 9:45p - grab wine and head to hot bath; reflux be damned.
• 10:00p - start latest episode of "The Good Wife"; sink into tub
• 10:15p - husband arrives home to bubble bath/wine scene and states "looks like you've had a good day".

You will never find his body.

Rock on, motherhood, ROCK ON.

Carrie Be Mine

As busy moms, I think so many of us are grasping for anything we can do to make our lives more streamlined and harmonious.  I completely went paperless a couple years ago, taking full advantage of Macbook, iPhone, and iPad products and their ability to seamlessly sync - allowing calendar access no matter which device I have on hand. This has been so very useful when needing to check appointments at-a-glance. I absolutely love that my calendar and my husbands calendar are synced and color coded so that we each know when the other is out-of-pocket or when to book mutually necessary appointments. However, for detailed day-to-day to-do lists, I've found I was still searching for the perfect fix. I caught myself making hand written, hour-by-hour, daily strategies on post-it notes....cause no one has ever lost a post-it note, right?!? Of course not. *insert sarcasm here*  I tried sticking it to my iPhone case - I have no idea why that didn't work. Ha. I downloaded a variety of to-do list apps, but there is something therapeutic about scratching off accomplished items at the end of the day on actual paper. If your business is a potentially messy one, as mine has proven time and again to be,  there is the added benefit of a list just lying there, open and easily visible, without turning on a device with possibly sticky fingers to see what is up next. 

A fellow Oklahoman and Mompreneur, Whitney English, developed the Day Designer specifically with busy, working, creative mom's in mind. For years I was a faithful Franklin Covey day planner devotee and have been hesitant to return to paper after my streamlining brigade...but I mentioned the post-it notes, yes? Besides, I have saved every single planner that I have owned and the notes therein serve as a sort-of journal - I enjoy thumbing through them and walking down memory lane. Obstetric appointments, buying our first house, life goals - they are all fun to look back over and remember the life and times of our younger selves.

After a couple of months of perusing various day planner options, I settled on the Day Designer though I will admit it was a close call between Day Designer and Simplified Planner. They both have great qualities, a slight variance in size, and several differences in content, but ultimately...I'm a huge believer in supporting our Oklahoma home-front first and foremost and while I probably would have been happy with either planner, the Day Designer won. I'm all about an Oklahoma girl and her biz. Not to mention Day Designer has colors more fitting to my personal aesthetic. I know...deep, intelligent, profoundly wise decision maker here...the Day Designer choices are darn purdy. 

Carrie Floral 2015 Day Designer

Roughly the same size as an iPad, there is a single page per day format (with Saturday/Sunday sharing a page). I'm super excited to scratch the post-it to-do lists and keep everything where I can find it.  

In the front of the Day Designer are a series of worksheets. I think these will be fantastic tools for a young entrepreneur, or someone not-young but new to business ownership, or someone just seeking to clear the extra fluff in their life and streamline focus to the important things. I am neither young, nor new to entrepreneurship, so while I personally don't feel that I will utilize the sheets, I do think  they will be very helpful to someone working their way through their purpose and goals. I created and sold my first product nearly 28 years ago - and I was hooked. I knew at a young age that I loved to create and I loved business - my two Jewish genes got together with my one Native American gene and the idea of art and business collided into something that simply ran away with my heart. The point is, I cleared the fluff a long time ago using a similar method of worksheets.  I know many accomplished business women who have found this hugely beneficial and I totally recommend working through skill sheets such as these.

While I won't be parting with my digital appointment calendar, I am happy to have found a tool to combine to-do list with meal plans and notes. If you found this review helpful, please do give a shout out and let me know. Happy Planning!

xox,
A


Note: my review was in no way prompted by the folks at Day Designer, nor am I receiving any compensation for my comments or photos.

Can't Take My Eyes Off of You

Every now and then a cake is simply so gorgeous I must take tons of photo's and share them. I fell in love with this little black and gold number somewhere during the 8 hours I invested in the ruffles alone. We shared a bond that day. Ha. While the ever-popular pink and gold combo has certainly held steady over the past couple of wedding seasons, black and gold is emerging strong and is sure to bring sexy back to the cake table. IT'S JUST SO GLAMOROUS. I cannot get enough. Obviously. I delivered this cake with time to spare and couldn't help moving it around a bit, gathering shots along the way. I love twinkly lights and the amaze-balls bokeh they provide. Here are a few of my favourites! 

Manic Mani How-To's

Essie Turquoise and Caicos

I set out to write this post after sharing a pic on social media of my mani-Monday's.  I love nail polish and love to have a fresh coat almost weekly. A few friends asked that I share the steps I take to keep the polish in place for at least a week. It's no secret I work with my hands, and that takes it's toll on my cuticles, big time. I think one of my favorite parts of the manicure is cleaning up the dry skin around my nail bed. If your hands are in water often, wearing rubber gloves will definitely help, but often I fail to take the time to put them on before scrubbing down cake pans. And yes, 90% of the cake pans are scrubbed by these two hands...have I mentioned that I'm hiring? 

When it comes to manis,  the #1 reason I take matters into my own hands (pun intended) is time. I really despise wasting daylight working hours sitting in a nail salon waiting my turn for a manicure. Even if you have an appointment, chances are you'll wait.  With a full to-do list, I prefer to take advantage of hours between 9p-11p or 6a-8a. That said, I hope my steps work as well for you as they do for me. Shooting the photo's has definitely made me self conscious of my crooked, chubby fingers - blame my German genes for big hands...at the end of the day, they are clearly the set up God wanted me to have and hey...all the better for kneading fondant.  

• Start with clean, dry nails - shaped however you prefer. 

• I apply a cuticle cream to the nail bed that helps to exfoliate the dry skin. Follow the directions on the cream of your choice. I usually leave it on a little longer than the directions because my skin is very dry.

• With a cuticle stick, push back cuticles around the entire nail bed. 

• After washing the cuticle cream off and drying nails thoroughly, the next step is one of the two most important - buff the nail surface with a fine grain buffing block. You can see mine is quite worn and has been around a while. I find these at Sally's Beauty Supply.

• You are not only buffing out any fine ridges on the nail surface you are also helping to dehydrate the nail. Dehydrating (aka removing oil from the nail bed) is critical to keeping nail polish on. 

• Rinse the nail "dust" from buffing and then wipe the nail down with nail polish remover.

• This step is the very most important. You are removing all oil from the nail bed and completely dehydrating the nail. Oils prevent the nail polish from adhering. Even though I use a base coat before the color coat, the nail bed still needs to be completely dry. After you have wiped down each nail, it is important that you do not touch anything else - don't run your fingers through your hair, put on hand lotion, fix a cup of coffee - nothing. The first thing to come into contact with your nail will be what sticks.

• I always apply a base coat of some sort - usually a nail strengthener. I have used several different brands and so far like this one the best. It will go on smoothly and adhere quickly because your nail bed is dry.

• By the time I get through all ten digits with base coat, the first hand is dry and I'm ready for the color. I don't really notice a big difference in brand of color, though the three brands I use the most are Essie, OPI, and Sally Hansen. Most Essie polishes seem thinner and require two thin coats - I don't notice a huge difference between two thin coats or one coat of a thicker polish, but sometimes I think the two thin coats stay better somehow. In this post I'm using OPI Color so Hot it Berns - yes, it is actually spelled "berns" - and I only applied one coat.

• Again, by the time I get through all ten digits, I'm almost ready to go back to first one and apply the top coat. You could wait a couple of minutes to allow the polish to slightly set and then go ahead and apply a single coat of Rapid Dry top coat. I'm currently using one by OPI, but I have also used one by Sally Hansen and don't really see a difference in the formula's.

•  Now, after the rapid dry top coat is applied don't run right into the kitchen and start cleaning or anything. I try to take it easy for a good 20 minutes to let everything set up nice. One thing that can speed drying is to place some ice cubes and cold water into a small bowl and dip your fingertips into the icy water. The cold can help to harden everything up. Another thing that buys you time, so to speak, is to be dressed for a work out before beginning - running shoes and all. Then head out the door for a brisk 30-minute walk - the lack of hand contact with any objects will give time for things set up. Last, but not least, be ready for bed before the manicure process and then sit down with a good book. I typically never take it easy for more than 30 minutes and they set up just fine and last a good week. A week may not seem long enough to you, but for me, after a week I'm ready for a color change and my cuticles are definitely ready for more help. 

That is my entire bag of mani tips and I do hope they work for you as well as they do for me! I think doing a regular buff and dehydrate over time has helped. Dehydrating the nail may worry you that you are stripping too many natural oils from the skin around your nail - but rest assured, once the nail is dry, I rub lots of lotion and cream - sometimes even straight up almond oil - into my hands and cuticles. I really like the lotion with alpha-hydroxy that St. Ives makes. It's my favorite right now and absorbs quickly. 

Happy polishing!!

xox,

A

“Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our family loves adventure. And we love to travel. We have kind of unofficially adopted Emerson’s quote as our family motto. We are blessed to have had opportunities to travel. And when we travel, we love to get outdoors as much as possible. We are a camping, hiking, exploring kind of family.

When we camp, hike, and explore, we find ourselves in national parks. Just this past summer, we visited three national parks, two national monuments, and one national military park. So, it was really no surprise when our son announced that he wanted the theme of his upcoming birthday party to be about national parks.

Theme parties are fun, but my philosophy is that they shouldn’t be stressful. I want to have as much fun as my son at his party (as opposed to being stressed out about getting the party together).  My style of party planning is fairly laid back. I gather items we already own, make easy and thematic snacks, and plan a couple of fun activities. This party was no different.

For the National Park Service cake, I made a chocolate chip cookie cake. After it was baked, I cut it into the shape of the NPS emblem, then iced and decorated it to mimic that emblem. This was fairly easy and became the focal point of the table.

Other snacks included Buffalo Chips (no-bake chocolate cookies) and popcorn.

Since water is a must when hiking in national parks, cold bottles of water were the beverage of the day (it doesn’t get much easier than that).

The table was decorated with items we already owned, most of which were souvenirs from recent trips to national parks. We used stuffed animals, Junior Ranger badges, maps, wildlife signs, postcards and books.

The activities at the party centered around what you might do if you were at a national park. Since most of what you do at national parks is done outside, we set up the party on our back porch. We also set up a tent. Before the party, we asked each participant to bring a backpack and a pair of binoculars.

My husband talked to the boys about reading maps and using a compass while hiking. 

Then, he led them on a short hike in a nearby group of trees. They watched for wildlife (saw a snake), observed plant life, and looked for interesting items along the trail. Many of the boys picked up items and brought them back in their backpacks.

After eating goodies and opening gifts, the boys (as all boys in Alabama do any time they gather) played some two-hand-touch football.

Need more activities for your NPS party?
Try making a geyser (like Old Faithful) using Mentos and Diet Coke.
Play Rattlesnake Tag.
Printables and coloring pages for NPS can be found here.

One blogger posts about a similar themed party: Junior Ranger Party.

Bad Weather, Good Times

What a doozey of a trip across the pond we have had. From an 8-hour flight with no a/c to accidentally falling asleep in the Muslim airline terminal during our 4-hour layover, I can honestly say I have more than once wished I had stayed home. It has been a number of years since I have been the passenger on a flight long enough to include a meal (one could safely question if it really was a meal) and, true-to-form, I found myself wondering just how many hands had touched my salad, how far in advanced was it prepared, and where exactly was it kept anyway? Is it really possibly to keep things sanitary 37,000 feet above the ground? I mean, sanitation (or lack thereof) was the motivating factor behind my successful determination to avoid the in-flight lavatory. Disgusting. Traveling as a party-of-90 is not without struggle - patience topping the list of mountains to overcome. Largely the reason I'm laying low this morning and enjoying my room at the Haydn Hotel. 

We arrived Sunday evening, a little worse for wear, to pouring rain (curse you, weatherchannel.com, for telling us we would be the lucky participants of a 75-degree, sunny climate) and no umbrella. Only one closed-toe pair of shoes in my bag - even these were thrown in last minute - and thankfully a sweatshirt and jacket made it's way into my carry on as the 57 degrees I spent all of yesterday with became the most ill-loved companion thus far. Fashion be gone - a girl has got to stay warm. It's noon on Tuesday as I type, though it feels like I should be sleeping as most of you probably are. The ballet rehearsal yesterday was beautiful and after snapping quite a few shots in the the a.m, I snuck away in the afternoon for an amazing wine tasting at a local vineyard. The enchanting history behind the family-owned vineyard left me wanting to spend an entire summer here learning the process and working among the vines with the fifth generation owner, Eva Wagner, who appears to be about the same age as myself. All things handmade and artisan by nature have appealed to me for as long as I can remember so it shouldn't be surprising that I would want to learn wine-making. 

I don't have have the ability at this time to pull any photos from my camera so I am forced to share only iPad/iPhone pics for now. Thanks for following along!