{my life at this moment}

With Caroline keeping my hands full all day, my photography business has kept me busy at night. I can't believe I have been blessed with this opportunity. I have loved every minute. Aside from becoming a parent, I don't know anything else I have done where I have learned so much in such a short time. I can't wait to see what 2012 brings!

If you haven't checked out my other blog, feel free to peruse here. I feel so blessed that God has given me the heart for photography, and I only hope I can serve and glorify him in all I do.

I also want to thank those who have been my support system. You know who you are. I don't know if I could have done this without you!

All my love--

kate

{throw it all together}

Today was a confidence boost kind of day for me... cooking-wise.

I put Caroline down for her nap, and walked into the kitchen to scavenge for my lunch. I really wanted some tomato soup and a grilled cheese, but alas- "no soup for you." ;)

So, I grabbed the ciabatta bread, sliced it in half, buttered it, and then topped it with shredded mozzarella cheese. I broiled it in the oven (at 400 because our broiler on high burns stuff really fast. not speaking from experience or anything.) It came out perfectly brown and melted.

At that moment, I looked into the fridge for something to dip my grilled cheese into. Salsa? Nah. Ketchup? No way. Hmm... Tomato juice. Surely I could just heat that up in a mug, and it would be close enough?

I pour it into a mug, and just as I was about to stick it in the microwave, I had a lightbulb moment. Whole milk. check. Basil? check. garlic? check. I added those ingredients together (1:1 ratio of milk to tomato juice, but you could adjust that to taste) in a small saucepan, quickly whisked together, and turned it up to medium/medium high. After I checked to make sure it was warm enough, I poured it back into my mug.

Voila! Tomato Basil Soup a la kate. Is it La Madeleine's? No. But, is it good? Absolutely.

So proud of myself for thinking outside the box and whipping something up with what I had on hand.

{no regrets: microsuede}

Back in the fall of 2008, Zach got a bonus in the form of a gift card he could use at several places. Crate and Barrel was included on that list. We had been saving gift cards to Pottery Barn so we could get a new sofa, but decided to use the bonus gift card to Crate and Barrel instead. We had $1000, which doesn't always get you very far when buying a sofa. We went to the store, and found one we thought would be great. It was $999.00. Perfect! Clean lines, no back cushions for Sadie to smash, and it was made of microsuede. Hmm... I was a little leary of microsuede, because at the time, my perception was that it was a little cheap-looking. The microsuede had a very classy herringbone pattern, and a rich mocha color, so we went with it. It has been a great couch. Still going strong 3 years later!

Fast forward to nursery-gear. I wanted a rocker/recliner for Caroline's room, but had a hard time finding one within my budget. I returned all of the duplicate items we had received at baby showers and hoarded those gift cards and store credits until I had enough. I found one at Babies 'R Us that was a deep chocolate brown, had great reviews, and could rock AND recline without having to need an ottoman. Again, it was made of microsuede. I was hoping for cotton or velvet, but didn't have any problems compromising on that. It was a great choice. Not only has Caroline thrown up on me several times while sitting in it, but I have also clumsily spilled coffee on it more than I care to admit. All I have to do is soak up any extra spill, and then wet a washcloth to clean the surface. It dries, and you can't tell at all. Amazingly enough, it doesn't smell either.

When you have kids, or tend to spill a lot (guilty), this is one of the best things to have for your upholstered furniture. I am sure leather is great for it too, but that hasn't been in my budget thus far. I am so happy with both choices, so I wanted to recommend it in case you have looked past it too!

Microsuede. Thumbs up!

{comfort food}

I just emailed this to a handful of family members and friends and thought- what the hey. I should do a blog post! So here it is...

Now that it is cooling down outside...

I found this recipe a few months ago and have made it a handful of times. I really love tuna noodle casserole for some reason, even though we didn't eat it much growing up. It definitely counts as comfort food for me. Zach grew up with tuna casserole, and usually isn't very fond of it, but does like this version.

It is also really easy to exchange some of the ingredients for a healthier version. (i.e. olive oil for butter, less cheese, skim milk) It's from scratch, quick, and very easy to make.

Another great thing about it is that you usually have most of the ingredients on hand, so usually I just have to buy the tuna and the cheese. Super inexpensive to make!

Just thought you might like it and wanted to pass it along! Here is the link:

http://tammysrecipes.com/easy_tuna_noodle_casserole

I love recipe swaps. So, if you have anything easy, sort of healthy, and want to pass it back, I'd love you for it!

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Kate

{Happy Halloween}

Caroline was Peppa Pig for Halloween this year. That is a character on Nick Jr. that she loves to watch. It is an adorable british cartoon that even makes me laugh! She was adorable :)