...beginning to look a lot like christmas...

If you were to tell by the weather, you certaintly wouldn't think we are only a few weeks away from Christmas, but if you were to tell by your mailbox you would know the holiday's are here. One thing I love about the holidays are the adorable cards you get from family and friends, here are a few that visited our mailbox recently...

[love this christmas/hanukkah card]

[adorable card to match and adorable couple]

[the commentary in this one is hilarious]

xoxo,

R+M

...cure for a cold...

This past week Mikis and I have been fighting an annoying cold that has left us drained, tired and wanting to do nothing else but lay on the couch. With this nasty cold we have had itchy sore throats (tired of us complaining yet?), which has made dining not too enjoyable. To help cure our cold we have been indulging in Dilly's Deli Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup and sipping on Trader Joe's delicious Candy Cane Green Tea. Add a little Zicam and Airborne and were on the road to recovery!



xoxo,

R+M



...brunch with besties...

As I have mentioned here and here, some of my closest girlfriends live outside of Arizona which makes anytime I get to see them extra special. This past Saturday was just that, extra special, because I got to have brunch with two of my best friends, Tara and Julie. These girls are one's I have known since High School and have grown with through college, marriage and now babies. They are two girls who know just what to say to make me laugh and smile, and they just "get" me. There is an unspoken bond between the three of us that is there to stay. So, this past Saturday I got to have brunch with Tara, Julie & Genevieve (julie's adorable one year old). Tara brought the coffee, Julie brought the donuts and baby, and I obviously brought the camera. Our brunch was filled with stories, laughter and fun. It's truly something I wish we could share more often, but cherish the time we did have.

Thank you ladies for a memorable Saturday! Until next time...

[seriously, how cute is she?]

[tara trying to coax her]

[can you tell she's a mom?]

 

 

[just the girls]

xoxo,

R

...first day of hanukkah...

As mentioned here, Mikis and I are in an interfaith marriage, which means a lot of things throughout the year, but in December it means we celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. Yep, we get the best of both worlds and traditions. Unlike traditional Hanukkah celebrations, we don't celebrate all 8 day's with family, but do light our menorah each night. Tonight, we will be lighting our first candle, and wishing our family and friend's across the U.S. a very happy and joyous Hanukkah. We invite you to celebrate with us by making this Hanukkah must-have, Potato Latkes. Enjoy with Applesauce, they are delish!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 2 pounds of 5 medium peeled potatoes
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• applesauce and sour cream, for serving

Directions  

1. Heat oven to 450° F. Brush 2 baking sheets with 1 tablespoon of the oil and set aside.
2. Using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding blade, coarsely grate the potatoes. Place the grated potatoes in a large bowl with the onion, flour, salt, pepper, eggs, and the remaining tablespoon of oil. Toss to mix well.
3. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets and press lightly to make patties. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Turn the latkes with a metal spatula and rotate the baking sheets. Bake another 5 minutes or until golden.
4. Transfer to a platter and serve with the applesauce and sour cream.
    This recipe makes 2 dozen latkes.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

R+M

...thanksgiving celebrations...

Thanksgiving has taken on many different look's throughout the years. My first memories were of us bundling up and heading to my grandparent's house in Colorado and piling into the breakfast nook in the kitchen and feasting with my cousins. As I got older and after we moved to Arizona, the holiday's would alternate each year, with some years being celebrated at home and other's with trips back to visit the fam. Either way, Thanksgiving meant celebrating with the whole family, and noshing on Grandma's delicious Maybouillon Rolls.

As I have gotten older, and started working in the retail industry, as mentioned here, Thanksgiving has taken on a different look. Since part of my job is to report to the center at 4a.m. on Black Friday, I am no longer able to go to Colorado and celebrate with the Stevenson's. Although at times this makes me "home sick", it also has given me the opportunity to celebrate with Mikis and his family. Mikis's Thanksgiving memories have been celebrating with some of his parent's closest friends, who to them have become family. Everyone arrives at the Gordon's home with side in hand and knows their in store for an afternoon of delicious food and catching up with old friend's. It's a tradition that I thankfully have been apart of for the last few years.

This year, Thanksgiving was a culmination of both of our tradition's. For our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, we held the holiday at our home. We hosted 21 people including our parent's, grandmother's, my siblings, close family friends, and family from Colorado. Thankfully, my dad and step-mom are GREAT cooks and they did the bulk of the cooking. We had a TON of food including two turkey's, one fried and one baked, and ham as well as over 8 sides. It was one of the best Thanksgiving's we've had. We had family and friends surrounding us, and it was a day filled with great food, great company and love. 

Here are a few photos from the day...



[my step-mom and her apron]

 

[the stevenson-troyan clan]

[pooped from the day]

xoxo,

R+M



...feeling thankful...

Thanksgiving is always a great time to reflect on the past year, and life in general and to feel appreciation for everything you have. It's a time to realize how lucky you truly are, and to appreciate the positives and disregard the negatives. Mikis and I have alot to be thankful for, and while sitting here writing my thankful list, I realized why do we only think about this every year, why not every month? So, moving forward each month we will feature a new list of what we are thankful for.

For now, here is a shortened list of what I am thankful for...

• Mikis: I couldn't ask for a more supportive and loving husband. He makes me laugh and inspires me to believe in my dreams and make them reality.
• My Dad: The older I get, the more I love and appreciate my dad. He is there no matter what! He is someone I can vent to, or to call for car advice. My dad is the all around “cool” dad, and a person who is hard not to like. Everyday I am thankful to have him as my dad.
• My Step-Mom: My step-mom has been in my life for 15+ years and has always treated me as her own. She is an amazing cook, a great friend and mom. She has been there for me when I needed her the most and there is not a day that goes by that I am not appreciative of that.
• My In-Law’s: I couldn’t have asked for more loving or welcoming in-law’s. Since day one, they have treated me as a Troyan, and have been even more welcoming now that I am one. They have such a warm friendly nature, now wonder why they have so many close friends!
• My Brothers: I don’t know what I would do without my brothers. These two have been through more than most humans would endure in one lifetime, and they have come out to be the coolest most positive kids around. They have a passion for life and everyday they stay with us, they show me what type of parent I want to be.
• My Sister: My sister is still growing into her own and it’s amazing to see the young lady that she is becoming. She has a passion for photography and is a tech whiz, and is there for whenever I need some helpful tips.
• Milo: Even though he can be mischievous at times, his cute face can make your heart melt. He keeps you warm when your cold, and makes me feel safe on nights the hubby is away.
• My Friends: I am SO thankful for the many incredible friendships I have been blessed with. I am thankful for the close relationships and sweet memories I have with my college girlfriends and old roommates, and I am also thankful of the new friends and bonds I have been able to make since they have moved away. I truly would be lost without any of my girlfriends.
• My Family: Even though we are spread throughout the U.S. I still have a close bond with my family, and am so thankful for that. Each celebration is sweeter with them there, and each loss is easier with them by your side. I couldn’t ask for a better set of grandmother's, aunt’s, uncles, and cousins.

This is just the beginning of a long list of what I am thankful for, but the most important things in my opinion. Take this time to reflect on what your thankful for. It’s guaranteed to give you a happiness boost!

I hope your Thanksgiving is full of great food, great family and all around love!

[happy thanksgiving from the troyan's]

xoxo,

R+M

...bah-holidays...

Don't let the title deceive you, I truly do love the holidays. Spending time with friends and family to indulging on delicious treats and spirits, to decorating the house, just the overall feeling of the holidays get's me excited. Although with the warm feelings I have for the holidays, I also have a bit of a bah-humbug spirit. You see, working in the retail world holiday time means long hours, working on Christmas Eve AND the day after Thanksgiving, as well as dealing with grouchy customers. Work wise, I dread these two months out of the year, but it helps to know I'm not the only one going through it. Tonight, while catching up on a little DVR Mikis and I watched an episode of Outsourced that I can relate to all to much (well at least the first part :)). Here is the episode that gave me a little chuckle tonight: http://bit.ly/dcS1y2.

xoxo,

R+M