scenes from the weekend

{lazy morning pancakes and clementine slices}

{sorting through bins of christmas lights}

{right in the middle of the action}

{picking out his favorite strand of lights}

{decorating the dining room with snowflake lights}

{supervising}

{very serious squirrel watching}

{more squirrel watching with daddy}

{homemade soup}

{his and hers hot chocolate}

{festive christmas sweater themed nails}

. . . 

hope your weekend was a good one!

love, laurie

cappuccino ice cream pie

last night after work, we got together with my parents to celebrate my mom's birthday.  for her birthday, ryan and i made a cappuccino ice cream pie.  making this dessert for my mom reminded me of making the homemade ice cream cake for ryan's birthday this past summer.

ice cream pies are so incredibly easy to make.  however, they do take a little bit of patience.  after all, it's hard to wait for desserts to freeze when you just want to dive right into them!  for this ice cream pie, you could use any flavor ice cream you like.  you don't even have to make homemade ice cream, store bought ice cream would work fine too.

my mom's birthday ice cream pie had a chocolate graham cracker crust, a layer of chocolate fudge, and homemade coffee ice cream.  the pie was topped off with frozen whipped cream, dusted with cocoa powder, and decorated with chocolate shavings.  it was absolutely delicious!

cappuccino ice cream pie
prep time: 20-30 minutes
baking time: 8-10 minutes
freezing time: 8 hours
yields: one 9-inch round pie

crust ingredients:
9-10 chocolate graham crackers
2 teaspoons decaffeinated instant coffee
5-6 tablespoons salted butter, melted

ice cream ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons decaffeinated instant coffee
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

whipped cream topping ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sour cream

directions:
to make the crust: preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they are the consistency of fine crumbs.  in a separate bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the instant coffee and the melted butter.  mix well, making sure that all of the graham cracker crumbs are evenly coated with the butter.  press the mixture into a 9-inch round pie plate.  bake the crust for 8-10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely.  once the crust has cooled completely spread chocolate fudge evenly over the crust.

to make the ice cream: in a large bowl whisk together all of the ingredients with a hand mixer on low speed for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves.  using a 2 quart ice cream maker, turn the machine on and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl.  (the freezer bowl must be already pre-frozen.)  let the mixture mix in the ice cream maker for about 25-30 minutes, or until thickened.  transfer the ice cream to the chocolate crust (there will be some extra ice cream left over that will not fit in the crust).  cover the top with plastic wrap and freeze for about 4-6 hours, or until the ice cream is completely frozen.

to make the whipped cream topping: in a large bowl combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla.  whisk together with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.  gently fold the sour cream into the whipped cream, being careful not to deflate the whipped cream.  spread the whipped cream topping over the frozen ice cream.  allow the whipped cream topping to freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

once the pie is completely frozen, dust the top of the pie with cocoa powder.  optional: add chocolate shavings to the top of the pie for additional decoration.

enjoy!

love, laurie

snapshots of life lately, according to my iphone pictures

{iphone pictures via the instagram app}

happy birthday, mom!

happy birthday today to the world's greatest mom!

love, laurie

xoxo

andes mint chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache

when we visited ryan's brother and sister-in-law this weekend to celebrate christmas a little bit early we made dessert (of course).  i always crave the combination of peppermint and chocolate during the christmas season, and i love any dessert that combines these two flavors.  so, we decided to make something that was both minty and chocolaty for our early christmas celebration dessert.

what we ended up with was the perfect holiday dessert: andes mint chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache.  this cake was a huge hit with everyone, and we definitely will be making it again.

this three-layer cake bursts with flavor in every bite.  the chocolate cake is moist, and the peppermint frosting is sweet, yet refreshing.  the chocolate ganache on the top of the cake is reminiscent of the chocolate on andes mints.  if you have any holiday parties or holiday gatherings this season, i highly recommend this cake.  it is a crowd pleaser, for sure!

andes mint chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream frosting 
and chocolate ganache
prep time: 30 minutes
baking time: 20-25 minutes
yields: one triple layer 8-inch round cake
adapted from bird on a cake

cake ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup water
1 cup andes mints, finely chopped

frosting ingredients:
16 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-4 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
1/2 cup milk, divided
6 cups powdered sugar, divided
4-5 drops of green food coloring (optional)

ganache ingredients:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions:
to make the cake: preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  grease and flour the sides of three 8-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.  in a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa powder to remove any lumps.  in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sifted dry ingredients with the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.  beat until combined.  in a saucepan, bring the water to a boil.  carefully add the water to the batter, and stir until it is completely combined.  beat the batter for 1-2 minutes on high speed.  fold the chopped andes mints into the batter, and distribute the batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans.  bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.  once done, allow the cakes to cool in the cake pans for 10-15 minutes.  remove the cakes from the cake pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

to make the frosting: in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the butter, vanilla, peppermint, 1/4 cup of the milk, and 3 cups of the powdered sugar.  gradually add the remaining milk and powdered sugar until you reach your desired frosting consistency.  optional: add a few drops of green food coloring to the frosting and mix well.  once the cakes have cooled completely, spread the frosting evenly on the bottom cake, then place the second cake on top.  repeat with the next layer.  spread the frosting over the entire cake, covering the top and the sides of the cakes.

to make the ganache: pour the chocolate chips into a metal bowl, then set aside.  in a saucepan, over low heat, heat the heavy cream.  stir constantly, and remove from the heat when the cream starts to boil.  pour the cream over the chocolate chips.  gently stir the chocolate mixture until all of the chocolate chips have completely melted.  stir in the vanilla.  allow the ganache to cool before drizzling it over the top of the cake.

optional: decorate the top of the cake with additional andes mints.

enjoy!

love, laurie

celebrating christmas a little bit early

this week, ryan's brother and sister-in-law are in town visiting from north carolina.  this is the first time they have traveled to pennsylvania since they had their baby in the spring.  since we won't be able to see them for christmas this year, over the weekend we went to ryan's parents' house and celebrated christmas a little bit early . . .

merry (early) christmas!

love, laurie

oh, christmas tree.

i am definitely not one of those people who starts to get all geared up for christmas before thanksgiving even rolls around.  i like my holidays separate, not all crammed together.  i like them to be able to breathe a little before we go rushing on to the next holiday.  so, after thanksgiving i like to finish off all of the leftovers before i even consider digging the christmas decorations out of the basement.

now that thanksgiving is officially behind us (and the leftovers have been demolished) i think i'm ready to get started on the next holiday.

bring it on, christmas.

earlier this week ryan and i pulled our trusty christmas tree out of it's hibernation in the basement and dragged it up to the living room.  after assembling it and giving it a good dusting off, we decorated it with our ornaments.

we weren't too sure how leko would react to the christmas tree since it has been a whole year since he has seen it last, but as we predicted, he quickly rediscovered his love for climbing the tree.

the poor tree.  i feel so sorry for it.  it is 6.5 feet tall, but it sure is skinny and scrawny, and it can barely support the weight of our 12 pound furry baby as he shimmies his way up the trunk of the tree each day.  it's sad to watch the branches bow under his body weight.

needless to say, i made sure to secure the ornaments on the tree very tightly this year, wrapping the ornament hooks around the branches numerous times.  however, between the shaking of the tree and the batting at the ornaments, i 'm not sure if our tree and our ornaments even stand a fighting chance this year.

for some reason our christmas tree skirt can't seem to stay in place around the base of the tree either.  let's just blame it on the wind . . . a blur of orange furry wind, that is.

we hung our stockings on the back of our front door (that's what you do when you don't have a traditional fireplace or a staircase banister, right?) and we put all of our christmas decorations around the house too.  of course, we had a helper when we tried to put the christmas table cloth on the dining room table, and we have saved the dining room table centerpieces from several close calls already too many times this week.

our next task is to hang the christmas lights outside.  i'm pretty sure when we are ready to put up the lights, we will have a helper directing us from inside the window as to where we should put each strand of lights.

we sure do love our silly little kitten!

have a wonderful weekend!

love, laurie

olive garden's pasta e fagioli soup

now that it's cold outside, it is the perfect weather for soup.  typically, i am not a fan of soups at most restaurants since they tend to be overly salty.  however, i do enjoy having soup, salad, and bread sticks at olive garden from time to time.  so, i was excited when i found a copy cat recipe for olive garden's pasta e fagioli soup.

this copy cat recipe is super easy to make, and it is pretty close to the real deal.  except of course, it is less expensive, far less salty, and healthier than the original.  you could substitute ground turkey or even ground sausage for the ground beef.  you could also make this soup vegetarian by simply omitting the ground beef and substituting vegetable broth for the beef broth.

this soup is a meal all by itself.  we took it to work for lunch, and it sure did fill us up.  this soup is hearty, and it warms you from the inside out.  it is absolutely the perfect soup for a cold day.  i recommend serving it with some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top, and a french baguette or a slice of italian bread on the side.

olive garden's pasta e fagioli soup
prep time: 10-15 minutes
cooking time: 40-45 minutes
yields: 6 servings
adapted from cooking classy

ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 medium carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
2 small yellow onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 (8 oz.) cans low-sodium tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can low-sodium diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (15oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15oz.) can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup ditalini pasta, dry

directions:
in a large pot, over medium heat, saute the carrots, celery, and onions in the olive oil until tender (about 5 minutes).  add the garlic and saute for another minute.  reduce the heat to low, and add the beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, and spices.  bring the soup to a simmer, stirring often.

meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat, cook the ground beef until completely cooked throughout.  drain any fat from the beef.  add the cooked beef to the soup and the beans to the soup.  prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package.  once cooked, add the pasta to the soup.  allow the soup to cook with all of the ingredients (about 5 minutes).

season with salt and pepper to taste.  serve hot with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a baguette.

enjoy!

love, laurie

product review: firmoo eye glasses

did you know that i wear contacts?  it's true, i do.  unfortunately my vision is less than stellar, so i have been wearing eye glasses since third grade and contacts since ninth grade.  ever since i made the switch to contacts, my glasses have been neglected, to say the least.  i often let my glasses prescription go for several years without changing it since i only really wear my glasses for a little bit in the morning when i wake up and for a little bit at night before bed.  whenever i do get around to buying a new pair of glasses, i usually opt for the least expensive pair possible, since i wear them so infrequently.

recently, i was contacted by the team at firmoo.com to see if i was interested in doing a product review for their eye glasses.  i'm telling you, they could not have contacted me at a better time!  for a while now, i have been telling ryan that i desperately need a new pair of glasses since the prescription in my current glasses is over four years old!  (i'm slightly embarrassed by this.)  so, i was super excited to see what firmoo had to offer.

when i went to firmoo's website, i was amazed at how many options they had to choose from: different colors, materials, shapes, sizes, and styles.  i was able to use their tool bar to narrow down my search in order to find the perfect glasses for me.  after sorting through all of the available options, my two favorite frames were #SD2249 in amber and #SD2267 in tortoise.  i was even able to upload a picture of myself and use their virtual try-on feature in order to see what each pair of frames would look like on me.  after asking ryan's opintion, i finally chose #SD2267 in tortoise as the frames that i would get.

after i placed my order, i was surprised at how fast my glasses shipped and i had them even earlier than i expected.  i loved that i was able to pick out my frames without ever having to leave my house, and it was really easy to use the firmoo website.  my glasses came with a hard storage case, a soft storage bag, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and even a repair kit too.

even though i only wear my glasses for a little bit of time each day, i have been loving my new frames so far.  they are a lot bigger than my old frames, but they fit perfectly and they are a great quality.  the only thing that i was disappointed with was the fact that there were a few small scratches on the right arm of the frames.  other than that, they look great.

i definitely would recommend firmoo to anyone who is looking for a new pair of eye glasses, sun glasses, or even safety glasses.  if you don't need to wear glasses (lucky you!) but you like the look of glasses, firmoo has non-prescription fashion frames to choose from as well.

right now firmoo is offering the first pair of glasses free for new customers.  all you have to do is pay shipping.  you can even get a refund or an exchange if you are not completely satisfied with your frames.  you can find out more information about firmoo's "first pair free" offer here.

let me know if you decide to try out a pair of glasses from firmoo, i would love to see your new frames!

love, laurie 

. . .

*please note: this is a sponsored post.  firmoo sent me a free pair of glasses in exchange for a product review post.  however, the content of this post is based solely on my own personal opinion and experience.