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September 6, 2016

Zucchini Parmesan Sliders

Zucchini Parmesan Sliders are a real crowd pleaser. Vegetarian too! Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

The Slider Effect! It’s a new cookbook by my friend Jon. It’s a book for the slider enthusiast!

I am definitely a slider enthusiast.

Zucchini Parmesan Sliders are a real crowd pleaser. Vegetarian too! Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

How many will we have? Start with one…take another…three….four…oops.

Zucchini Parmesan Sliders are a real crowd pleaser. Vegetarian too! Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

I wanted to make the eggplant parmesan sliders from the book. I’ve had them in person at Jon’s book event and they were bonkers. Unfortunately my husband isn’t a eggplant fan like I am….so ZUCCHINI IT IS.

Panko crusted fried zucchini sandwiched in between soft rolls with marinara and melted parmesan. Basil is stuffed in for a little herbal kick. Bet you can’t eat just three.

CONTINUE READING

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September 5, 2016

My Everyday Life: Week 35

Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life Week 35:

We went to the Red Sox vs. A’s game on Saturday together. It was the last time I’ll see David Ortiz play (probably) in person. It was an exciting game.

My Everyday Life: Week 35 on shutterbean.com

It was also the day where I ate too many hot dogs… I had to shoot these Chicago Dogs for One Potato before we left for the game.

My Everyday Life: Week 35 on shutterbean.com

It was a big night. Casey CAUGHT THE FIRST FOUL BALL! We were on TV 🙂

My Everyday Life: Week 35 on shutterbean.com

And then…. COOPER ENDED UP ON THE REDSOX TWITTER FEED.

I guess I should start following them now. Sorry I didn’t follow them sooner, Casey.

My Everyday Life: Week 35 on shutterbean.com

This guy sat with us for an inning. Man where does that dude get the energy??!

My Everyday Life: Week 35 on shutterbean.com

A monumental day for the Benjamins.

My Everyday Life: Week 35 on shutterbean.com

Of course we celebrated with churros.

My Everyday Life: Week 35 on shutterbean.com

Next morning I woke up early to hit up the Alameda Flea Market with my friend Kris.

My Everyday Life: Week 35 on shutterbean.com

So many things to look at! This typewriter session intrigued me.

My Everyday Life: Week 35 on shutterbean.com

Stacks of books! We had a lot of fun. Kris ended up with some major treasures.

My Everyday Life: Week 35 on shutterbean.com

CONTINUE READING

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September 2, 2016

I love lists

I love lists // shutterbean

 

Welcome to I Love Lists Friday! Let’s surf the net together!

  1. These greek portobello burgers look bonkers
  2. I’m all for the slow blogging movement.
  3. Also related- Slowing Down – I listened to these while working.
  4. I didn’t know this about Madewell. Wow.
  5. I am glad that I’m not the only one who thought this while watching Stranger Things.
  6. Interesting talk by my friend re: empathy in the workplace
  7. Words for emotions you didn’t know you had.
  8. I want a pocket pet!
  9. This pin is so me.
  10. KFC recipe unlocked.
  11. Number 8 made me chuckle.
  12. The science behind red eye in photographs.
  13. Make your own DIY graphic tees!
  14. These stuffed shells intrigue me.
  15. A master list of photo editing tools. Thank youuuuuuuuu internet.
  16. Hello, dream dress. You are a vision. That’s for sure.
  17. These savory power bars will last you through many plane flights.
  18. This breakfast machine looks crazy…but I’d play around with it if I could.
  19. These cabins please my introverted brain.
  20. My new favorite websites- Read it Forward + Kaleidoscope Society
  21. Kids say the funniest things. Cooper is on a roll right now. We’re laughing constantly.
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September 1, 2016

Labor Day Food Ideas

A roundup of delicious Labor Day Food Ideas - check it out on Shutterbean.com!

You doing anything special for Labor Day Weekend? We have no plans and I want to keep it that way. It’s Labor day after all! No laboring. Gosh…can you imagine if you went into labor on Labor Day? That would be quite interesting. I bet that’s happened to someone reading this right now. Speak up! Let’s hear about it.  If you have a BBQ to attend or hey maybe you’re hosting one, I’ve dipped into my archives to help make your meal planning a bit easier. If you’re about to labor a baby, GOOD LUCK! I hope someone doesn’t make too many labor day jokes while you’re laboring. That would be awkward.

Here are some of my favorite Labor Day Food Ideas! CONTINUE READING

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August 31, 2016

Currently: August 2016

Currently - August 2016 on Shutterbean.com

Currently- August 2016

Currently on an airplane as I type this (August 24th). Drinking club soda with a lime, trying not to make eye contact with the guy next to me who is eating a cheese plate. I don’t know why they call it a plate when it’s in a white plastic container. It should be a cheese container. It’s practically a lunchable.

There’s a teenage boy in my peripheral vision who won’t stop moving. Like….he is listening to something, drumming on the seat in front of him and whipping his blanket around while chewing on the headphone cord. He’s also fighting with his Mom because she won’t give him her phone to play Pokemon Go! Meanwhile, my laptop is jammed at a 45 degree angle as I type this because the woman in front of me needed to lean her seat back to eat her tuna sandwich. Also, did I mention that I am near the bathroom and get frightened every time someone flushes the toilet? I’m listening to this playlist called Peaceful Piano. Only 5 more hours to go…. At least they gave me a biscoff cookie.

But seriously, what happened to our flying choices? Like…WHY DO WE HAVE SO MANY OF THEM NOW?! Half of the people have some type of priority on this plane.  I feel like it all went downhill when they started charging for bags. Remember when they were free? Remember when you could walk someone up to their gate? Give someone one last kiss or hug RIGHT before they went on the plane? Remember when you didn’t have to take off your shoes or worry about liquids?  Things change, man. Back to this whole priority thing. Did this all start happening because they started charging for bags? People are bringing so much on a plane instead of checking their bags. Since so many people want to make sure their bag gets on the plane as a carry-on, they’re paying a fee for the priority of boarding earlier. This particular plane  (American Airlines) charged $31 for that luxury.

Having a love/hate relationship with Pinterest. Actually I am having such an issue with algorithms in general and how everyone is messing up what I am able to access online. I had no idea that I had a birthday instagram from my maj until she texted me to ask me if I saw her picture. I DID NOT. I mean. That’s kinda rude, right? Also Pinterest is showing me nothing but the same pins over and over again and EVERYTHING is starting to look the same. But then I feel like everything is starting to look the same and I am scared that I am falling for this homogenous aesthetic.

Yes. I am totally complaining like a mofo. I think it’s because I’m on an airplane and I have no control. Also, I taught my Dad what MOFO meant last year. His life has improved 100%. He just passed me on his way to the bathroom while I typed this. I just gave him one of my cookies. Wait. I think I read somewhere that people are more likely to be emotional on airplanes. There you have it. Silver lining? They gave me an entire can of club soda during this flight.

I’ve been resisting buying a new planner at Target.  The self-talk I have to do in order to not buy one is ridiculous. I think I’ve snap-chatted (not the correct word) it before…. So, I am doing well with my bullet journal…but it has lines and I don’t like lines. I want dots but then I know that when I get dots I will want something else. Then it’s hard cover vs. soft cover and then the list goes on. I want this in black & gold. Can’t you make that??!! PLZ. Meanwhile, I started collecting some bullet journal ideas on Pinterest. At least that’s an exciting thing that keeps popping up in my feed.  But somewhere in the back of my head I feel like I could overcome ANYTHING if I can overcome this great urge to buy a new planner/calendar/notebook.  Also, will I talk about this problem every time I write one of these currently posts? Probably.

Cannot believe that Cooper is in 2nd grade. I wasn’t there to drop him off on his first day of school because of my New York trip and it made me sad. Like…really sad. Does that mean I have to stage the first day of school picture even though it’s not the first day?

Oh! Here’s something funny for you. I just went to turn down the music (peaceful piano) and I noticed that MY HEADPHONES WERE NOT PLUGGED INTO MY COMPUTER.  Hope you loved Peaceful Piano, plane full of people. It could have been worse I suppose. They could have been subjected to my Marky Mark Good Vibrations pump jams. Priority pass is really paying off for you now!

How many of you have done a Whole30? I’m thinking of doing it in September but there’s a wedding I need to go to… can one do a Whole30 and go to a wedding if one usually eats and drinks too much at weddings?  Please weigh in. Literally. Haha. But wait… can we do it together? Like…if I do it and you do it….we can maybe figure out a way to give ourselves a good reboot together?   I’m totally down with accountability and all. I just need to figure out a month in my life when there’s nothing to celebrate and/or drown my sorrows in bourbon in pizza for. So….ummm…I’ve been putting off the Whole30 for a year now and it’s time to RESET.

I have collected three crystal sun catchers this summer because I want my house to be full of rainbows in the morning and afternoon. Things are getting all sparkly around here.

One more thing before I go. I started using an app called Chimeo’clock on my phone that chimes every half hour/on the hour. When I have it on silent, I think it’s a text message and then I look over and then it’s just 5:30.  It’s really helping me keep track of time, which is something I have a major problem with. Also helpful- I got an extension on Chrome called Stay Focused that allows me to lock myself out of the internet when I’m trying to concentrate on work. OH MY GOD IT IS HELPING ME SO MUCH. You can go nuclear- which means you are locked out of the internet 100% for as long as you want.

Goodbye August (birthday month!) Hello, September.

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August 30, 2016

Night Cereal: Tahini Rice Crispy Cereal

Cereal for dinner? YES PLEASE. Check out the recipe for these Tahini Rice Crispies on Shutterbean.com #foodlovesmilk #gotnightcereal

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Sometimes we eat cereal for dinner. It’s easily Cooper’s favorite dinner because it always shocks him when I say YES to “night cereal.”  The reason why we don’t eat night cereal that often is because I’m always concerned about having that much sugar before bedtime. Also, it feels like dessert and I always want something savory afterwards. Can we just make a cereal that’s a bit savory?

YES WE CAN.

Cereal for dinner? YES PLEASE. Check out the recipe for these Tahini Rice Crispies on Shutterbean.com #foodlovesmilk #gotnightcereal

Cooper and I brainstormed a night cereal recipe and we came up with these Tahini Rice Crispies.

We combined crunchy puffed rice cereal mixed with oats, coconut and a ton of sesame seeds. We mixed it all together and stirred in a maple tahini concoction that created savory/slightly sweet combination.  It’s definitely more savory than sweet. The tahini makes it a bit nutty, the sesame seeds add a delicious depth and the coconut gets all toasty and delicious.  It’s like Honey Bunches of Oats cereal with a subtle halvah vibe and a lot less sweet.

Cereal for dinner? YES PLEASE. Check out the recipe for these Tahini Rice Crispies on Shutterbean.com #foodlovesmilk #gotnightcereal

But what should we serve with this night cereal? Cold milk and slices of banana to fortify our dinner.  Night cereal just got fancy and my kid approved, so it’s a win ALL AROUND.

CONTINUE READING

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August 29, 2016

Creamy Corn Basil Pasta

Creamy Corn Basil Pasta studded with crispy bacon. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Happy Monday! Let’s get into it. What are we making for dinner? How about something with corn? Let’s blow it out with the corn until Summer ends, OK?

Creamy Corn Basil Pasta studded with crispy bacon. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

This recipe for Creamy Corn Basil Pasta is extremely simple. Perfect for a Monday. We cook bacon and then we cook corn in the bacon fat. Then we add some cream to the mixture along with pesto and we stir that into hot spaghetti. We top the spaghetti with the crispy bacon and all is right with the world.

Creamy Corn Basil Pasta studded with crispy bacon. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Wait. I forgot to say that there’s also a ton of Parmesan in the mix because MORE IS MORE!  This is the dish I’ll be thinking fondly of when we’re in the dead of winter and there’s no sunshine to be found. If you want to push it over the edge and exploit all of summer’s bounty, add is some fresh chopped tomatoes while you can!

CONTINUE READING