Turkey Day recap

Brendon and I decided to try and "skip" Thanksgiving this year. Brendon was working and I was in serious need of quiet chillaxation. So we decided to just hole up in the apartment, relax, and put up Christmas decorations (my favorite part of Thanksgiving!). Of course, that didn't happen.

We had a mini Thanksgiving the night before at our place with Brendon's mom and little bro, and my mom, her friend Ray, and my sister came up for the day of. Lots of food, lots of dishes, and unfortunately, no relaxing. However it was really great to see family and totally worth it.

My mom brought up and made all the food so I didn't really have to cook any of the Thanksgiving dinner, but I was in charge of dessert because, duh. And I'll give you a hint, the recipes came from certain cookbook I've been fawning over for weeks. I MUST MAKE ALL THE RECIPES.

I made two desserts, one for chocolate lovers, a chocolate silk pie, and a more traditional Thanksgiving dessert, a pumpkin cheesecake.

And this is what happened to the latter:

It fell, no, tumbled, to it's demise. It was in the fridge cooling, perched on top of our water filter pitcher (Thanksgiving = ZERO fridge space), and in the midst of the craziness in our tiny kitchen it fell from it's perch, bouncing down all the shelves, landing in a pile on the floor. I had high hopes for this little guy. It took me forever to make, mostly because I had to crush 100 gingersnap cookies (slight exaggeration) by hand for the crust. And I don't even want to talk about how long it took us to find that size tart dish. So when it fell, I had a "moment" in the kitchen, and I cried.

Luckily, I had also made the best pie in the world, so it was okay.

 

This pie you guys. I am obsessed. One of my favorite foods in the world is chocolate mousse and this pie is basically a chocolate mousse pie, covered in freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings. I mean, it's heavenly. I plan on skipping the crust and just making little bowls of this goodness next time. IT IS SO GOOD, Y'ALL. So good.

And here are the holiday mug group shots:

Sheesh, someones immature, who does bunny ears anymore?

It was a good Thanksgiving, full of family and good food. To wrap up the night Brendon and I put up some Christmas decorations and then curled up on the couch and watch Elf to ring in the Christmas season. It was a good day. And the leftovers are phenomenal.

And coming soon, our ridiculous Christmas tree!

Happy THANKSgiving!

Happy Turkey Day, y'all! How are you spending this day of thankfulness? Stuffing your face with deliciousness surrounded by loved ones? Relaxing? Working, getting that time and a half? Far away from home? Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, have a good Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday. I know, I know, I live and breathe Christmas, but still. Thanksgiving is like Christmas with out the stress. You've got the hope and promise of a whole month of holiday cheer ahead of you. You're surrounded by family without the stress of presents and gifts (don't get me wrong, I love presents, but you know what I mean). The point of the holiday is to get together with your family, eat some great food, chill out, and be thankful. I am thankful for this wonderful life I live everyday, and so often I think, how did I get so lucky? Since today is the biggest day of the year for saying thank you, I am going to blog my thanks. This is going to be long, because I am thankful for a whole lot. Feel free to skip it and continue munching on turkey or giggling with your family; this is about me and your Thanksgiving should be about you.

I am thankful for pharmacy school. SAY WHAT? You're going to lead off with PHARMACY SCHOOL? Yes. Because it means that Brendon and I are living the dream. We are right on track with where we've always wanted to be. Brendon has to work his butt (and brain) off, but he's doing so well and I'm so proud. Not every one gets this opportunity, and I am thankful that Brendon did. I am thankful for all of the wonderful people he has met through pharmacy school, friends and teachers and pharmacists. I am thankful that he is stressed and studying nonstop, because that means he actually cares about what he's doing. And I am thankful that we are almost done with half of our second year, because four years is a long time and it is nice that time is flying.

I am thankful for my job. This "job" has turned into so much more than I had ever imagined. I am thankful for this wonderful company for having so much faith in me, for giving me the confidence to do things I never thought I could, and for helping me kick butt and take names at work everyday. Thank you, Coffee Bean, for creating such a fun work environment where I laugh my way through my days. I am thankful for all the fantastic people I've worked with that have become such good friends and for working at a place that feels more like a family than a company. And of course, I am thankful I come home smelling like espresso beans everyday. Because it could be way worse.

I am thankful for this city we live in. I am thankful that we landed in Austin and that we've made our home here. I am thankful that we live in such a forward thinking city, in a state that is not always so progressive. Thankful that we didn't hate it forever and love it now. Thankful that we've learned our way around this big city and have found our little niche in it. Austin is such a fun, beautiful city. I am thankful for our small corner of it, in this big apartment with the little kitchen, that we don't pay too much for. I am thankful for all of the wonderful things we are so close to, for being minutes away from downtown, from parks, from lakes, and there is always something to do. And I am thankful for all of the good things Austin has brought us. You've thrown lots of challenges at us Austin, but you've also been very good to us. Thank you for being such a good little big city.

I am thankful for Sophie and Greg. THESE CATS. You know how I love them. I am thankful that they fell into our lives and allowed us to be their humans. I am thankful that they are healthy and fluffy and let us cuddle with them (sometimes). And I am thankful that Sophie let me hold her in the kitchen the other day for five minutes straight when I felt truly terrible and extra lonely. She let me sing to her and she purred the whole time. If you know Sophie, this is not the norm. I am thankful that Greg is always excited to see us (and give us headbutts) and that he loves us so dearly. I am thankful that these cats know the sound of our cars and our footsteps and come meeting us at the door when we get home. There's nothing cuter than sitting on the couch with Sophie and Greg, hearing Brendon pull up, and seeing them perk up and run to the door. And it makes me feel extra special when Greg runs and hides when it's anyone but us coming through that door. I am thankful that I am a crazy cat lady and married a crazy cat man, because I know, I know, it's spinster material with this paragraph here.

I am thankful for my friends, here and far away. I am thankful for you all, thankful for those of you in Austin, those of you in North Texas, and those of you who are spread across North America and chilling in the Pacific Ocean (shout out to the Chistys). Thank you all for being so fun, so weird, and putting up with Brendon and I. I am thankful that we have made such GOOD friends. Friends that are there for you no matter what. Friends that feel and are more like family. I am thankful for the quality of friends that have stuck around for the long haul. And I am extra thankful for my best friend Kristy. For her and her wonderful daughter Kennedy and her sweet husband Ryan who have welcomed us into their family. I am so lucky to have snatched her as a bff all those years ago. I miss and love you. One day we'll live in the same city again!

I am thankful for my family. I am so so so thankful for my family. I am thankful that they are just a couple cities down the road instead of a couple hundred of miles away. And that both Brendon and my families live in the same town and that they get along! I am thankful that we have so many "families", and at a time like the holidays when seeing them all might seem stressful, I am grateful that we have so many to see! And that they are all so awesome and fun. I am thankful that my family loves Brendon and his family loves me, that I have been welcomed into his family from day one, and vice versa. I am thankful for all of my wonderful family members across the state and across the country. We have family everywhere. We miss all of you and although we don't get to see you nearly as often as we'd like, we are thankful for the times we have had together. And thankful for the internet for keeping us all connected and making the distance feel so much smaller! Families are never perfect but I wouldn't trade ours for anything in the world.

And of course, you knew this part was coming, I am thankful for my husband. I am thankful for Brendon Hogan. Oh, how I am thankful for him. I am the luckiest girl alive. I am thankful to have met my other half at such a young age, to have had all of these years with him. I am thankful that I fall more in love with him everyday, that I have never been crazier about him than I am now. I am thankful for all that he is, that he is so smart, so funny, and so kind. Thankful that he is such a badass, such a hard worker and so determined. I am thankful that he puts up with me and my shenanigans. I am thankful that he loves me. That he married me, that he loves us as much as I do and works hard at us everyday. That we are never bored together, that there is never any amount of time together that is too much. That as soon as he walks out the door I want him to come back. I am thankful that he is so supportive and has more faith in me than I do in myself. I am thankful that he takes care of me, helps me remember all the things I forget, helps me up when I fall (figuratively and literally), and that he always knows what medications I can and cannot take together. I am thankful that he is handsome and getting more handsome everyday, because, yes, I am shallow and it is really nice that my husband is cute. I am thankful for this loving life we've created for ourselves, for how far we've come and how hard we've worked. I could write about how grateful I am for this man all day, it seems cruel to fit it all into a paragraph. Simply, I am thankful that he exists, that we found each other, and that we are happy.

I have a good life. It is not always easy, but it is good and filled with good things. And as often as I say "I am lucky", it is not luck. Brendon and I have worked hard for this life. We have busted our butts everyday for who knows how long to be where we are, to have this wonderful life. We surround ourselves with good and push out the bad. And I am thankful that we are capable of this. Thankful that so many people in our lives are too. And I wish nothing but the same for everyone. It's your life, do with it what you want. And that's the best part, you can. Above all, I am thankful for this. The ability to live life and live it well. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

Cape in progress

Somehow I forgot we live in Texas and decided to make a cape. My first adventure in outerwear! I will probably get to wear it twice, because apparently seasons don't exist here. It's still hot outside and it's November. You'd think being a Texan my whole life I'd be used to it, but nope. I still have dreams of winter wonderlands where you wear scarves and sweaters and capes.

I am using this Burda Style Magazine pattern. And when I say "in progress", I mean seriously in progress. That hood is definitely not attached to the rest of the cape in that picture. It's just hanging out on my head. And it's held together by pins, not stitches. It took me a good half hour to figure out how those hood pieces went together. The pattern is very.... simple. As in no pictures and very minimal instructions. Luckily I have something that might resemble a brain in my skull and a decent amount of sewing experience. But it has still been a challenge. Once I figure out where things go I'm like, "duh, that makes absolute sense!" but getting there is the rough part.

But I have high hopes, it's a simple and classic design and it seems to be coming together beautifully, although slowly. I'm using the softest charcoal grey wool/poly blend. It's a dream to sew. And although there are no instructions for it, I'm fully lining it with some pretty maroon lining. Flying by the seat of my pants with that lining nonsense, so wish me luck.

I have roughly 100 projects lined up. Holidays, y'all. I'm interested to see how many get finished and how many get pushed onto the giant pile of would-be-but-Marie-doesn't-have-the-time-or-the-attention-span-to-see-through projects. It's like the Island of Misfit Toys. All my almost and unfinished projects hang out together and talk about how ridiculous I am. One day I will rescue (finish) them all. Maybe.

Meatloaf and movies

I have never liked meatloaf. I'm still not sure if I do, because these were really just big ol' meatballs. And they were good! Meatloaf has always freaked me out because ketchup is a key ingredient and I despise/fear ketchup. I hate the way it smells, looks, tastes, and I put my hand in it enough times on accident while waiting tables to tell you I don't like the way it feels. But this stuff has a sweet and tangy sauce that is damn good in place of ketchup. This lovely meal was straight from, you guessed it, the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook! Yes, again. It's a gold mine, okay?

So Mr. H and I were extra wild this week and saw two movies in the theater. We saw Sky Fall and... Breaking Dawn Part Two (poor Brendon, I know). Two very different movies for sure. Let us discuss.

I really enjoyed Sky Fall. Casino Royale was fantastic and Quantum of Solace was pretty good. Sky Fall was better than Quantum of Solace but wasn't quite good as Casino Royale. BUT it was still awesome. Daniel Craig is a boss and I love him as James Bond. He reminds me of my dad. Oh and Voldemort was in it. Kinda. I cannot see Ralph Fiennes in anything and not immediately think of Voldemort. But I liked him in this movie, he was great and I forgot about him being He Who Must Not Be Named after a while which gives credit to him as an actor. I loved all the throw back references and everything coming full circle. The movie was well done aesthetically, very visually pleasing. So many beautifully laid out shots. And that house at the end? Such a fantastic old house. Also, Q was EXTRA cute. Smart messy dark haired boy in glasses? Yes please. Obviously I have a type.

Breaking Dawn Part Two. Sheesh. Those movies are all pretty terrible. And I went into this one knowing that fact. I was prepared to watch a bad movie but secretly love it. But it was just really kind of bad. Worse than the others. Maybe it will grow on me, but I was mostly like "are you serious?" the whole time. Brendon and I were actually laughing at some points, and not because the movie was funny. I mean, it's corny stuff, but damn. Renesme was creepy. And the movie seemed a little short. To be fair, the material is uneventful in that half of the book. The end is pretty anti-climactic and I think they did a good job drawing it out and creating a little action. I feel like I'm being overly critical, it is Twilight after all. Over all it was a fairly entertaining movie, it was nice to see it all come together (and end). And the opening credits were really great actually. I like well done credits. Come to think of it, I didn't care for Sky Fall's opening credits at all. So I guess that means squat.

I'd go see them both (obviously only see Twilight if you've read the books/somehow got hoodwinked into being a fan of that nonsense). Sky Fall is great and Breaking Dawn Part Two is... well it's a Twilight movie.

I am very excited about the Hobbit coming out next month. I was a big Tolkien nerd when I was younger. My mom played the Hobbit for my sister and I in the car (on tape y'all) when we were real young and it was all downhill from there.

I love going to the movies! It's such a nice little escape from reality. If only it weren't so pricy.

Brownie cookies

I had grand plans of baking through my two days off, but I mostly ended up just curled up on the couch pouting about not feeling well. I did manage to whip up some quick cookies though!

This recipe is courtesy of the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, which I'm sure you'll see a whole lot of in the coming weeks. And yes, I copied Deb and totally used a flower cookie cutter too.

Nom, nom, nom, sugar and butter. The back bone of any acceptable cookie. I need to give a shout out to my Kitchen Aid hand mixer and baking sheets for rocking so hard. Those things get lots of (ab)use and they take it like champions. A big thank you to whoever wedding-gifted them to us, I love them and you.

My favorite thing about these little guys is the perfect amount of saltiness they have. I'm a big fan of salted sweet things, and the salt and chocolate combo is no exception. They're simple cookies, nothing fancy or crazy. A snap to make and real yummy. I'm all about recipes you can just throw together, and this sure is one of them. Added into my "omg we need dessert NOW" recipes, right next to snickerdoodles. My only complaint is that a few of my "flower petals" broke off. But that's just cosmetic and another reason for me to consume more cookies. Oh no, another one broke, I guess I'll have to eat it...

Bake on folks! I'll leave you with my cat-child who loves hanging out in the warm kitchen with me.