DC - Part 1 - Chocolate and PB.

this past weekend i visited a few of my friends that live in DC. and in order to start the vacation blog in the right direction, i'd like my readers to understand that although i visited one of the busiest and most historial cities in america. i had 3 of the very best cupcakes. victoria took me to 3 of her favorite cupcake bakeries. the cupcake below was my favorite. it was from a bakery in georgetown. oh by the way - the 3 cupcakes i ate...were chocolate cake with PB frosting. i had to stay consistent amongst all 3 locations. don't get me wrong...there will be tales of sailing in the chesapeake bay,  listening to brad paisley at the memorial day concert and of course walking the monuments. i just needed to start the week off in the right direction.

WiCHiTA

This past weekend, the boyfriend and the girls (hurl & harp) made a road trip to Wichita, KS to see some friends from college. Megan and Biff (aka Sean) live there. Friday night we ventured to over to WSU to see the Shockers play some baseball. They had young lawyers night at the game so we were able to meet a lot of their fun friends. Saturday we got up and decided to go car shopping. They are not in the market to buy a car...but I have been eyeing the Ford Edge and I really wanted to test drive. I loved it and was ready to trade in my fusion. However, it was out of my price range. Maybe I'll start looking for a used Edge. Anyways- that was interesting and everyone should buy a vehicle at some point in their life.  It is such a game...and is really annoying. I wish they could just be straight up with you on the price. If only it was as easy as going grocery shopping. Saturday evening we headed West to Cheney, KS to a local bar called, Hank is Wiser.  The owner is a homebrewer from Cheney. He and his famiy run the joint. They have a Cherry Beer...that was a hit. The boyfriend and I decided to have the sampler...which consisted of their 6 main beers. I preferred the Porter and Stout. The boyfriend enjoyed the IPA. Sunday we got up and went to breakfast then drove home. We had such a great time with Megan and Biff. They have a lovely home and 2 cute dogs! By the way - Harp and Hurl slept the entire way back to KC. They were so tired from playing with Rudy and Henry. 

We are hoping to make another visit later this year so we can attend the KS State Fair in Hutchinson. Just thinking about it makes me want a corn dog. LOL.

I wanted to share a recipe with all of you - Megan made it to have as a snack.

McGivern Cheese Dip
1 can of mushrooms, sliced (drained)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg of HOT pork sausage (roll) - cook in skillet then drain excess juice.
1 head of broccoli cut the florettes off and add to cheese (minimal stalks)
1 brick of Velveeta
1 can of rotel (don't drain).

Heat in crockpot and serve with tortilla chips

fLoWeR - SwAp

So this past Saturday, I invited several of my best gal pals over to plant some flowers! Everyone was asked to bring their own favorite pot and some flowers. I provided snacks, drinks and the soil. It was super fun and everyone left with great flower pots.

the goods

the planting

the perfecting

look at that awesome green pot

the end product

Happy 4th Birthday!

Happy 4th Birthday Hurley!!!

Here are '4' things I love about you!

• You stay in bed until the very last moment...like a teenager not wanting to get up in the morning. Are you preparing me for later in life?!?!?
• You're chill and just go with the flow.
• You've out smarted your parents by making them spell words we know that you understand - W-A-L-K.
• You're a great big sister to Harper.

Love you Hurley-girl!

Did You Know - Thursday

I love Vera Bradley. I just bought a new tote for 2 upcoming trips this summer. I cannot wait to use it. I am not sure why I love Vera. Maybe it is the way the colors are incorporated into the patterns, the creativity of the patterns or the multitude of pockets inside and out. Maybe it is because you can wash the bag to keep it clean unlike any other purse or bag?!?! If you don't have a Vera...I suggest you try one out this summer. They make great summer bags!

Blueberry French Toast

Did the title of the blog get your attention?!?! Sunday morning, the boyfriend and I were watching Giada - on Food Network and she made this amazing baked blueberry frenchtoast. It was a good thing we were going to the grocery store that morning because we picked up the ingredients and made it for a late breakfast. It was delicious and is now my 'Go To breakfast / brunch recipe' to serve to friends and family.  I would definitely recommend this...super fast and super easy!

Baked French Toast with Blueberries

Herbs

So remember this post...Good Mail, Good Friend, Great Idea ? Well, Sunday afternoon the boyfriend and I threw it together. I have to say, it turned out pretty awesome. We have the following Herbs - basil, rosemary, cilantro, italian parsley, mint, chives and oregano. We can't wait to get cooking this summer. I just hope that once I put them to use, they'll grow back!