Last Friday, I had my friend Ian over for dinner and to be a taste tester for a few new recipes. I can always count on Ian to be an honest food critic. My husband thinks any food he doesn’t have to make is good…so not really the feedback I’m looking for. I decided on a Spanish inspired menu and went to work on a grocery list. Here's what I came up with... a Roasted Corn and Shrimp Ceviche, a Cilantro and Agave Lime marinated sizzler steak served with a Cool Avocado Arugula P

First off sorry for the delayed post, but I must have been a little loopy thinking I would get to posting over our anniversary weekend. This weekend Brian and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary in Traverse City, Michigan. We got married on July 27, 2013 and time has flown! Traverse City is where we got engaged and mini-mooned. The city is well known for the Traverse City Film Festival (which is going on now) and their Cherry Festival. In most recent years, they have

After saying goodbye to Tuggie on Monday, I needed a little pick me up in the form of a Goodwill trip. Some people deal with grief by eating, drinking, or chain smoking. I on the other hand thrift for projects. Tuesday my little Tuggie Dog angel was looking down on me because I scored the most festive, fun crepe paper flowers and an angel wreath. (Ironic..right?) I know what you're thinking, "What the hell are you going to do with that hideous angel wreath?" Don't worry I o

Pets become such a huge part of our lives. They make us laugh when life gets hard, make us smile on our worst days, bring us comfort during times of sickness, and make us remember how the simple things in life can bring great pleasure. If you’ve ever watched a pet grow old and eventually had to make their final life decision, you also know they can break your heart. Yesterday was the day we laid to rest our dog of almost 14 years. After a long list of health issues, including

You know when you get to the end of the week and the food selection in your fridge is dwindling and you’re at a loss of what to do with the small odds and ends left over? Well this Pear Berry Plum Salad is a product of the left over fruit and goat cheese in my fridge at the end of this week. Sometimes experimenting with flavors and food is the best way to find a winning recipe. Don't be afraid to mix it up and pair things together! Plus this is a great way to elminate some of

I grew up in a household of five kids! Always something to do, someone to terrorize, and a friend to talk to. Five kids always kept my parents busy and also strapped for cash. Even though we didn’t have a ton of money, my parents always taught us to appreciate everything we had (or to keep our mouths shut)! Every summer our neighborhood hosted a neighborhood wide garage sale. This was an event I looked forward to every year. My parents would give each of us $5.00 to spend on

Mondays are never a ton of fun, but yesterday I had an extreme case of the Mondays! I'm not usually much of a drinker during the week, but exceptions had to be made. I had some plum wine left over from making some Pad Thai for dinner, so I decided to put it to use! These plum and pom martinis are the perfect dessert drink after a very long day. Plum & Pom Martini Ingredients: 6oz Vodka 4oz Plum wine Kikkoman’s makes a cheap plum wine (yes, like the soy sauce) 4oz Hulu POM Jui

Who doesn't love pancakes? Pancakes are the easiest breakfast foods to manipulate and fancy up! Saturday morning, I decided to do some experimenting and came up with yummy blueberry lavender pancakes! This would be a great recipe to share with friends during brunch (it sounds so gourmet and difficult, but really simple and easy. Sure to impress!) Blueberry Lavender Pancakes Ingredients: 1 cup of vanilla almond milk 1 1/2 TBS of dried lavender I cup of flour 2 TSP baking powde

Thrift store shopping is like a sport to me! I love the challenge of finding great pieces for my home, snagging cute additions to my wardrobe, and shopping for DIY projects. Not all people share my sentiment. Today I’m sharing my top ten tips to thrifting success. 1 Don’t put anything down! If you even think there is a chance you might purchase the item, for the love of thrifting DON’T PUT IT DOWN! As soon as you toss it, there will be someone behind you to swoop it up (No I

Hello my name is Amber and I'm a thrift-storeaholic...no really I am, and it's bad! We rolled into town yesterday around 5PM, after being in Missouri and the first thing on my mind was a trip to Goodwill. I love to find little treasures, especially when I can make them new and improved. So I decided to drag my little brother along on a quick trip to the local Goodwill (let's be honest it wasn't quick) I found this old diner condiment caddy. It was a little rusty, but other th