Dinner Last Night: Brown Sugar & Balsamic Slow Cooked Pork


This is a recipe worth writing down...immediately. Brown sugar and balsamic slow cooked pork. After marinating in a crockpot for 7 hours, all I could say was yum! While my version didn't turn out as aesthetically pleasing as the picture above, this dish is decisively delicious. It also keeps well so I've been indulging in pork sandwiches that continue to exude flavorful, sugary, balsamicy goodness. Whoever said school lunches were boring was seriously mistaken! So now, seriously, GO! Bookmark this recipe, write this down...for real! You won't regret it!

image/bakedbree

Last Great Book I Read

I brought this book on our honeymoon for poolside reading and devoured it. Season to Taste is a very unique, interested read. I'd heard about this book via another blog, and I'm glad I decided to pick it up.

The premise is this; an aspiring chef looses her sense of smell in a horrible car accident. Having to shelve her dreams of culinary school for the lack of having an ability to smell and therefore taste - the book details her journey through coping with this loss, and understanding how to live a life without smell. It is a very engaging story, unlike any other I've read. I had never ever contemplated NOT having a sense of smell, so it was very interesting to read about this experience is like firsthand.

It was a quick read - with some science woven in (but in an interesting way - I swear!)
Check it out!

image/amazon

Currently...



Reading this and this...

Looking forward to this premiere tonight...


Enjoying a lazy day.

image/bloom

Happy Birthday Blog!

Happy Birthday blog!
I can't believe you are 4 years old today, wow how time flies!
This blog has been a creative outlet for me to air my thoughts, share little bits of my life and loves, and get to know others out there in other parts of the world. I love being able to look back through old posts and see a snapshot of what I was doing, thinking, and spending my time doing many moons ago.

Happy Birthday blog, these past 4 years have been quite memorable, I'm eagerly looking forward to those to come!

2011 in Review

Can you believe it's already 2012? I feel like we just partied like it was 1999! That was 11 years ago, crazy, right?!

2011 Goals in Review

+ Travel somewhere new (always the top of my list)
YES! New destinations: New Orleans, Denver, and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Join a yoga studio and go consistently
Um...not quite. Went to a few hot yoga classes, but definitely didn't go "consistently..." Next year?

+ Take another sewing class
YES! My friend Philly & I took a sewing class and followed a pattern to make pajama pants.

+ Dine at 25 new restaurants (new in that I've never been to them)more details on this goal to follow...
YES! See posts here.

+ Throw a party at our house
Sort of...we had people over for a BBQ this summer and had a casual pre-wedding pumpkin carving get together.

+ Bake more
YES! Evidence here, here, and here.

+ Make date night a weekly ritual
Yep! We usually make dinner together or go out to eat at least once a week.

+ Pull off planning my wedding without getting too stressed out
I actually think I did pretty well at this!

* * *

Now, onto Goals for 2012

+ Drink more water

+ Travel somewhere new

+ Do a better job at separating work and home

+ Continue to try new recipes and bake consistently

+ Try and eat more locally, organically, and sustainably

+ Only buy clothing I love and enjoy wearing (not simply because it's on sale)

+ Try and do some of the projects I've pinned on pinterest

+ Make soup on Sundays

+ Spend as much time as possible with family and friends

We're Back!

Happy New Year!
We're back from our honeymoon, relaxed, rested, and a little reluctant to get back of the hang of the real world after chilling on a beach in the Dominican Republic in 82 degree sunshine for 7 days straight.

I have many posts to catch up on including 2011 in review, and New Year's Resolutions. Hopefully I can get my s*&@ together and post all by tomorrow!

Until then...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Quote for a New Year

"Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you!
Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing."
~ Oscar Wilde

Cheers to all the excitement, adventure, and surprise to come in 2012!