Oh How Pintresting, Wednesdays!

Today I'm joining the Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesdays! link up party over at The Vintage Apple.  Check out my favorite finds on Pinterest this past week, and then head over to The Vintage Apple to check out her fun blog and see other's Pinterest finds!

Source: thesaltypineapple via Dina on Pinterest

Once my Halloween butterfinger stash runs out, I can't wait to try making these.  Only 3 ingredients!

Source: etsy via Kimberly on Pinterest

Guilty as charged!

Source: amazon via Adrienne on Pinterest

This is genius!  I like this idea far better than the new sports bras that apparently have pockets in the front for your money and keys.  Who wants all that jingling around when you're working out?!

Source: etsy via Kathy on Pinterest

So true.  I love you, coffee.

Source: jamiecooksitup vis Emily on Pinterest

This will definitely definitely be on my Thanksgiving table this year.

Source: craftilyeverafter via Brooke on Pinterest

Love this idea.  Plus, the blog where this pin came from offers a free printable of the Keep Calm and Gobble On sign.  Score!

Source: net-a-porter via Kati on Pinterest

Love, love, love this.

What are some of your favorite pins from the past week??

Westie Wednesday!

WARNING!!: CUTENESS OVERLOAD!

Mack with his new friend Lanoy :)

Lanoy's California Adventure!

For the past couple of years, B and I have been big supporters of a major non-profit based in New York called Pencils of Promise (aka PoP).  The organization builds schools and increases educational opportunities in the developing world and trains young leaders to take action at home and abroad. B is currently serving as the chairman of the board and, in his free time (ha!), volunteers as the Director of Marketing for PoP.  So, with B playing such an active role in the organization we've had the opportunity to meet some pretty amazing people.

We got to spend time with two of those amazing people, Bryce and Noy, over Halloween weekend.  Bryce grew up in Oregon, but currently lives in Laos, and Noy is from Laos (where PoP has built over 50 schools) and works with the organization as the Laos Country Coordinator.  She also happens to be the nicest and cutest human-being on the planet.  True story.

Anyway, Noy had never left the continent of Asia before a couple of weeks ago.  But PoP wanted her to be able to attend their Gala fundraising event taking place in NYC in a couple of weeks, so they decided to fly her over to the states and show her some of the country before flying her to New York to attend the Gala.  Los Angeles happened to be Noy's first stop, so B and I got to host Noy (and Bryce, who was driving Noy to Denver for her next leg of the trip) for a couple of days at the end of October.

We had SO MUCH FUN!  Having grown up in the developing world, I think Lanoy definitely experienced some culture shock, but she was such a trooper and truly embraced the opportunity given to her.

Here are some highlights of her stay with us:

Here's Lanoy at the airport.  So happy to see us and finally be in the United States!

We cooked sliders and fries for lunch while watching some Sunday football.  Very American of us.  I think Lanoy was napping :)

Sunday evening we took Lanoy to El Matador Beach in Malibu to watch the sunset.  Stunning.

After eating tacos for dinner, we carved pumpkins for Halloween the next day, and roasted pumpkin seeds.  Yum!

The next morning, Noy made us some of her famous soup, called pho.  Those of you who read these blog often know of my obsession with pho.  I've eaten some pretty good pho, but Lanoy's version was the best I've ever had.  I watched her like a hawk and hope to try recreating her version some time in the near future!

After soup, we headed to Disneyland for the afternoon/ evening to attend Mickey's Halloween Costume Party.  We decided to dress as a bunch of bananas for the occasion.  It worked wonders for getting noticed and locating each other, since we stuck out like sore thumbs in our bright yellow suits!

Noy and Bryce left the next day on their way to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.  It was a short trip, but an amazing one!  I promised Lanoy that we would see each other very soon, so I guess that means I'll be making a trip to Laos in the near future!  I guess you never know...

Grandmas are Moms with Lots of Frosting...

My sweet Granny Graham, my mom's mom, passed away last week.  It was sudden, but not totally unexpected.  I made a quick trip home to Virginia to be with the family and attend the funeral, and I did something I've never done before...I gave the eulogy.

I've gone back and forth on whether or not to share the eulogy with you all online.  I finally decided that I should.  Granny had such a powerful life story, and I feel like it's something that should be shared as a way to remember such a special woman:

As children, we love visiting our grandmothers because they spoil us with their love.  As teenagers we start to view our grandmothers as role models and mentors—someone to aspire to be like when we are finally grown.  As adults our admiration for our grandmother continues to grow as we begin to realize that if we can become even half of the person she was, we’re on the right track.  At least that’s how my relationship with my granny developed over time.

Growing up Granny spoiled all of her grandchildren.  We had an entire playroom dedicated to just us, with all the latest games and toys.  But, I was never that interested in the new toys.  I was in love with my granny’s dollhouse.  Every time I came over, she would haul out this dollhouse and let me play for hours—lost in my own world of imagination.  Did I mention that this dollhouse was massive? Definitely not the easiest thing to constantly get out and put away.

It wasn’t all fun and games, however.  My granny was probably the greatest teacher I ever had.  She taught me to type (on a typewriter, not a computer….wow, am I really that old?)  She guided me through piano lessons, introduced me to musical theater, encouraged me sing any chance I could find, and instilled in me a love for reading.  Whenever I had a paper to write, she was my go-to editor.  Everything wasn’t always so idyllic, however.  We definitely had our moments of disagreement.  My granny could be stubborn and headstrong, and, well, so can I.  But, I think that’s why we got along so well.

As I headed off to college, graduated and moved away from home, I began to realize just what a special and unique woman I had been privileged to call my granny my entire life.  Not long into her childhood, her father passed away, and soon after her mother remarried growing her family to include her stepfather, Papi, her two stepbrothers Jack and Jim and her stepsister Rachel, in addition to her mother and brother Charlie.  She had to be strong at a very young age—a trait she would continue to exemplify her entire life.  In many ways, she was a “woman before her time,” graduating from college with a degree in social work and later returning to school to further her degree in library sciences.  For many years, she lived the difficult life of a military wife, giving birth to her first two children while living abroad in Japan.  In addition to her role as a mother and grandmother, she dedicated her life to others, working for the YWCA, the Red Cross, the Girl Scouts and later becoming an active member at our home church.   Truly an inspiring woman.

We all have our own memories of the amazing woman that we are here today to celebrate.  She has touched each of our lives in some special way.  I hope that someday I will be able to touch lives the same way she touched mine.  I love you, Granny.

This picture was taken the last time I saw my Granny, before moving to CA.  We took her to lunch at a local pizza parlor and had the best time.  Such a wonderful memory.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

We caught our first cold of the season earlier this week.  Well, actually B caught the cold.  So, I did the only really useful thing I know to do when someone gets sick, which is cook!   I made the best dish I know of for warding off runny noses and hacking coughs...chicken noodle soup.  Duh.

I wanted to change it up a little bit, though, so I decided to use cheese stuffed tortellini instead of the boring egg noodles I usually use.  The result was delicious, and I'm happy to report that the patient is now all cured.  Thanks to the soup, of course :)

You don't have to wait until you're sick to make a batch, though.  It would be the perfect belly-warming meal for all you East Coasters who are battening down the hatches in preparation for the Nor'easter heading your way this weekend!  Snow in October?  Crazy.  Make some soup.  You'll thank me later.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled, quartered and diced

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded

2 32 oz. containers of chicken stock (use low-sodium so that you can season the soup yourself)

1 16oz. bag cheese tortellini 

salt and pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese, optional

In a medium saucepan, boil the two chicken breasts in water until they are just cooked through.  When the chicken is ready, allow it to cool for a couple of minutes on a cutting board before shredding.  Set the shredded chicken aside until the soup is ready.

In a large stock pot, add the olive oil, onions and carrots.  Saute at medium-high heat until the vegetables have softened .  Add salt and pepper to taste.  When vegetables have softened, add the chicken stock.  Scrap any brown-bits that the vegetables might have left at the bottom of the pan, and then add a little more salt and pepper.  Taste as you go, so that it doesn't get too salty.

Add the chicken and then bring the soup up to a boil.  Immediately, bing the soup down to a simmer, and cook for another 20-25 minutes.  Right before you are ready to serve, add the tortellini.  Cook according to the directions on the package.  Once the pasta is cooked, turn the heat of immediately so that the tortellini don't get too mushy.

I like to sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top before serving, but it's great without it as well.

Westie Wednesday!

Mack and I have big plans for these this weekend!

Pumpkin Patch!

In my last post, I talked about how excited I am to start exploring all that California has to offer.  Well, I started this weekend...with a trip to a pumpkin patch!

Ever since summer ended, I've talking about finding a pumpkin patch once we got to LA where we could spend a fun fall afternoon.  Not just any pumpkin patch would do, however.  I wanted one where I could pick my own pumpkin and truly experience the tastes and flavors of fall.  There are tons of places to get pumpkins and plenty of fall festivals taking place all over LA, but I wanted the real experience...farm and all.  Not very me, I know, but we all like to step outside of our comfort zone every once in a while.  Right?

We finally found a place about 45 miles outside of the city in Moorpark and decided to go this past Sunday.  We went early in the afternoon and had so much fun!  The farm puts on a fall festival every year during the entire month of October, so there was tons to do from a pick-your-own-produce field and a corn maize to pig racing and pumpkin launching games.  We were probably the only couple there without children, but we still had a blast.

We had lunch.

Purchased some yummy pumpkin bread.

Bought some farm-fresh produce.

And, of course, picked out pumpkins.  We even got Mack a little one :)

All in all, it was the perfect fall day!