21st BIRTHDAY

I have a major week ahead of me. I am on a mission to get finished with a couple of big cleaning and organization projects.  My plan is to have my garage loaded with Goodwill donations by the end of this week and my closet, bathroom, laundry room and living room to feel and look like a model home. You know who is out of town this week.....again..... in balmy Palm Springs and it is just me and my animals all day long working our little tails off while #3 is at school. 

On Thursday the contractors will be here to install the office cabinets upstairs. The sheet rock has all been replaced and the room has been painted. I am very excited to get everything in and in place. Right now there are boxes from the office stacked up in the TV room and I cannot wait to not have to see that mess every time I go upstairs. On Friday, the carpet is getting cleaned upstairs and while that is being done I figure I would unpack the office stuff and get that all organized. I want so badly to pull all of that carpet up and install hardwoods and just do big rugs in all of the rooms. That might be a project for the spring. 

So that is my week ahead and for some strange reason I am too excited about all of this cleaning and organization I will be doing!

We had a great weekend!

It was #1's twenty-first birthday!

Her roommates threw her a party in Chapel Hill on Friday and then she and #2 came home on Saturday.

It was so nice to have everyone here at once.

Here are some pictures of her celebration:

#1 and BF1 (boyfriend 1)

He has been hanging around our house for over fours years now. 

This champagne was given to me in the hospital after

 #1 was born. I kept it all of these years just for this very picture!!

"It's a Girl!"

 No birthday would be complete without looking back at old picture albums. 

This is #1 and her great grandmother, "Granny". 

This is our "You Are Special Today" plate. 

Someone gave it to us as a wedding gift and I love it more today than I did back then. 

We use for any and every special family day and celebration, not just birthdays. 

I cannot believe my little girl is twenty-one!

Happy Birthday Brittany!

ITALIAN HARVEST ROAST

We finally have experienced some autumn weather here.  

The other day it was a dark dreary wet day and it got me in the mood for cooking one of our favorite autumn time meals. I love this  Italian Harvest Roast because it is so easy. With all of the fresh herbs roasting away in the pan, along side the onions and garlic, the house smells wonderful.

All I do is place onions, potatoes, garlic, carrots (which I forgot this time), grapes, hot Italian sausage and chicken breast into a roasting pan. 

I sprinkle an Italian seasoning blend (I use Pampered Chef), salt, pepper and heavily drizzle olive oil on top.

I then place fresh thyme and rosemary on top of the chicken and pop it into the oven for about forty five minutes. 

(425' on convection roast)

While that is cooking, I make a balsamic glaze with brown sugar and balsamic vinegar on top of the stove to drizzle on top of each serving. 

It is the perfect hearty meal on a damp dreary day...

and it is soooo easy!


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And yes, it does sound really strange that there are grapes in this. I thought so too until I tried it. They roast down and become rich and wonderful. They are a good counter to all of the earthy flavors of the herbs and the heat from the Italian sausage. I guess they add to the "Harvest" theme. 

HALLOWEEN AT OUR HOUSE

Just some pictures from around our house of Halloween weekend.

I love this potpourri with the ghost and candy corn in it. 

The table in the foyer...

Front door...

This was the first Halloween in 19 years that  I did not have a trick or treater !

So guess who was volunteered to be outfitted in costumes this year?

Little Lola was a Banana Split. 

Charlie was a hotdog. 

He was not as cooperative as Lola. 

There was a lot of wrestling going on.

That was the funniest sight ever..... a hotdog and banana split chasing and dueling all over the yard. 

Mr. Bubbles was a pumpkin again this year.

And this  perfect pumpkin...

became an awesome jack-o-lantern! 

I guess it is about time to pack all of these things away and start thinking about Christmas.

I walked through the mall last week and was dumbfounded at the Christmas decorations already out. 

Can you believe that?