Friday, February 18, 2011

Thank you TJMaxx

I can't believe it is nearing swimsuit time. While I have finally lost all my baby weight my body ain't what it used to be. All you mommies know you may lose the weight but your stomach still jiggles and just doesn't look exactly the same. Since I have had Sterling I have been smitten with one-piece bathing suits. So imagine my delight when I found this Spanx swimsuit at TJmaxx. Retail price $198, what I paid $39.99.


This swimsuit is amazing! Although I should not be surprised as I have several Spanx under garments I absolutely love! I think this bathing suit is cute, sexy, and flattering all in one. I would honestly consider paying full price for another Spanx swim suit that is how fabulous they fit!

My next find was this Marc Jacobs two piece. I have been scouring for a bikini I feel comfortable in since I had Sterling and this one fits the bill. Also from TJMaxx for only $49.99, a steal for a Marc Jacobs Swimsuit. It is strapless but comes with straps if you feel like it. I love the navy color, classic and great with a tan.


Anyone else brave enough to start their swimsuit shopping this early? I think you have to start early to find the best swimsuits and good deals. Especially at TJMaxx they get in great swimsuits, but the cute ones sell out fast!

Have a great weekend! We are having Sterling's Birthday Party on Saturday, I am so excited to see my family and celebrate. Pictures to come next week!
xoxo

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Swiss Enchiladas

If you love Mexican food, you will love these Enchiladas. I love me some Mexican food, could easily eat it everyday. This is a recipe I had saved out of a past House Beautiful Issue. Although the recipe is originally from the Cookbook "Rosa's New Mexican Table" by Roberto Santibanez. I will not lie, this was a little labor intensive to prepare. Not hard, it just involves several steps. Next time I will most likely make the sauce a day earlier to cut out that step. However, I will most definitely be making this meal again. It was well worth the time and effort. The enchiladas tasted like true authentic Mexican food. The flavors of the salsa were so fresh and vibrant. I served this with a side of black/refried beans and it was the perfect dinner. Bon Appetit!

PHOTOS OF MY ENCHILADA MAKING SKILLS:









SWISS ENCHILADAS
(Enchiladas Suizas)
Serves 6

FOR THE SAUCE
4 cups Cooked Green Salsa (recipe follows)
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 cup heavy cream
12 6-inch store-bought corn tortillas
1/4 cup vegetable or light olive oil
4 cups cooked shredded chicken

FOR THE TOPPINGS
1 1/2 cups shredded queso Chihuahua or Muenster cheese
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Make the sauce: Pour half the green sauce into a blender, add poblanos, and blend at low speed until smooth. Pour into a medium saucepan, add the remaining green sauce and cream, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from the heat.

3. To soften the first six tortillas, heat half the oil in a medium-low skillet and lay each tortilla in oil for 15 seconds each side. Repeat with other six. Drain on paper towels. Fill and roll tortillas, using 1/3 cup of chicken each. Place enchiladas seam side down in 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Can prepare up to 4 hours in advance. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Remove 30 minutes before baking.

4. Pour hot sauce over the enchiladas. Jiggle the dish so the sauce settles in between them. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Bake until the sauce around the edges bubbles and cheese is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

5. Scatter the onion and cilantro over the enchiladas. Scoop 2 enchiladas and plenty of sauce onto each serving plate.


COOKED GREEN SALSA
(Salsa Verde Cocida)
Makes 4 cups

2 pounds tomatillos, husked and washed
2 jalapeños
3 small garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bunch cilantro, thick bottom stems removed (keep cilantro in a bunch and put in the blender stems first)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

1. Put tomatillos and jalapeños in a medium saucepan, pour in enough cold water to barely cover (about 3 1/2 cups), and bring to a boil. Cook until jalapeños are soft and tomatillos tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

2. Gently drain mixture in a colander. Wipe out saucepan and set aside. Put the tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, and cumin in a blender and blend for a few seconds, just until the tomatillos are coarsely chopped. Add the cilantro and blend until the sauce is smooth and speckled with finely chopped cilantro. Do not overblend, or you will grind the tomatillo seeds and make a thick and pasty rather than smooth and shiny sauce.

3. Heat oil in pan over medium. Pour in the salsa, bring to simmer, and simmer until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Store sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat before using.

**A few notes on my Enchiladas: I used the Mexican quesadilla cheese and Monterrey Jack. The recipe calls for just the chicken to go inside the corn shells, but I thought it might be too dry so I added some of the green salsa to the chicken before I rolled it in the corn shells. I recommend serving with sour cream and guacamole. These reheat perfectly.**

PRINT RECIPE HERE

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Sterling


It is hard to believe that this is what I was doing a year ago ago today.
Gettting ready to have my sweet baby boy. This picture is actually from the day before when we headed to the hospital. That is a seriosly forced smile as I had already been in labor for like 12 hours. Please excuse my jazzercise looking outfit. Leggings and that tank top were pretty much all I could fit in at this point.

31 hours later (yes I had an extremely long labor, but it was all worth it) we welcomed Sterling Holton Mason at 9:46 am. He was 8lbs, 4oz and 21.5 inches long.






My life forever changed on that day. I have experienced so many different types of love in my life, but none as strong as the love of my own child. I can't even put into words how incredible my love for Sterling is. He is the light of my life. I love how when I look at him I see a combination of Matt and I. His dark hair and brown eyes are all Matt, but I like to think his nose and mouth are mine. It is truly amazing to me that we created this perfect little baby. I can't imagine my life without Sterling in it.

Sterling, you have made me a stronger and more selfless person. I have learned to put others before my own needs and that has been a welcome change. You have enlightened my life this past year and brought me an immense amount of joy and love. Your laughter is like music to my ears and your smiles melt my heart. And now when I hear you say what sounds like "mom" it literally makes my whole day. You are the sweetest little boy with the most loving personality. You love to give hugs and just lay your head on my lap. You are not so interested in toys but boy do you love walking around and digging through our kitchen cabinets. You are a curious little boy who loves to eat! I know I am biased but you are the most beautiful baby I have ever laid eyes on. That face is going to break many a hearts in a few years! Thank you for making this the best year of my life. I love you to the moon and back again, a million times over. You are a true blessing that I thank God for everyday. I am so proud to be your mom. Happy Birthday sweet boy of mine.




Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Obsessions- Pawleys Island Posh

Happy Tuesday Loves! I am finally feeling back to normal! Thanks for all the well wishes! Today my gal pal Julia from Pawleys Island Posh is guest blogging to share her current Obsessions!

I had the pleasure of meeting Julia a few weeks ago and let me tell you, we were instantly friends. Julia is beautiful, sweet and incredibly funny. She has the most precious 6 month old baby girl named Wells (I love that name) and she is starting her own photography business. She is seriously talented. I love her blog, it is a must read! Thanks for sharing your obsessions today, Julia!! So happy to have you! xoxo



Hey friends!

I'm Julia from Pawleys Island Posh.


I am so thrilled to be here chatting this morning about my current faves.

Natalie has got some style and Designer Bags and Dirty Diapers is one of my daily must reads.

We met up at Starbucks a few weeks ago and I can assure you that this girl is just as polished and stylish in person.

And she's just as sweet as can be.

I can't wait for our next coffee date!


1.  The color grey


I'm finally getting on board with the grey walls train.

It's the perfect neutral and backdrop for bright colors like teal, yellow or pink.

I painted my front hall and kitchen Antique Sterling by Glidden.

I'm getting ready to paint my master bedroom this rich taupey-grey color I found in House Beautiful.



{Dutch Boy Cathedral Gray DT136}























2.  scarves


I'm a new mom of a six month baby girl and scarves are my daily staple.

Every morning I throw on my old jeans and a white shirt with a new colorful scarf thrown on top.

Add some Reva's and I'm out the door.

BabyGirl can grab and pull on my big earrings and she can tug and break my necklaces but scarves are safe.

(and they hide spit up and coffee spills beautifully)




3.  Pink Hunter Boots


Y'all I seriously find myself getting excited on rainy days because it means I can wear these pretties.




4.  Graphic Pattern Pillows


I'm completely obsessed with adding pops of color to a room with throw pillows.

Two of my favorite places to find modern patterns are  cococozy and kravet.


Etsy is also a mecca for inexpensive pillow covers




cococozy




kravet


5.  Gratitude and a positive attitude




Thanks again Natalie for having me over to talk about my current loves!

xoxox, Julia



Sunday, February 13, 2011

Love.

Happy Valentine's Day! This post is going to be short and sweet as the Mason household has fallen under the dreaded stomach bug this weekend. That's right, all three of us. First Sterling got sick Friday, then Matt and I both caught the bug Saturday night. Remember the vows "through sickness and health?" Well, we got a strong dose of that this weekend. We have both never been sick at the same with a baby to tend to, it was BRUTAL. And let's just say Matt is the worst sick person ever. You would have thought he was on his deathbed the way he moaned. Men are such wussies when they are sick.

On a lighter note, I was excited about the Grammys all day. I loved Juilanne Hough's Dress. Gorgeous.

Heidi Klum was another of my favorites in her gold sparkly dress. She looks amazing after having 4 kids!



Loved the Cee-Lo Gwyneth duet! Girl can do no wrong. She looked and sounded amazing!


I was also was thrilled that my favorite band Mumford and Son's preformed!!

Who did ya'll love?

I will leave you with this picture of me from last Valentine's Day hours before I went into labor. We've come along way this year. I was literally about to pop. I did wear tights with dress when we went to dinner, I realize it looks especially short for a preggo lady to wear!


Here's to hoping we can keep our meal down tonight! I hope you all get spoiled rotten today and have a fabulous Valentine's Day! xoxo

images: google images

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Man Pleaser = Beef Stew


I am really not a beef stew lover, I like it fine, but it is probably not what I would choose to eat. Matt on the otherhand loves it, it is one of his favorite meals. The last time we had this stew was the week Sterling was born. My mom made it for us and it was delicious, perfect for this time of year. I decided since it had been almost a year, it was time for me to bust out the recipe and surprise the hubs with one of his favorite meals last night. The stew did not disappoint! It is so rich and tasty, the meat literally falls apart when you bite into it. We served ours with toasted French Bread slathered in butter, pure heaven. The best part is since this recipe calls for wine, you can finish drinking the bottle you opened while it cooks! I used a tasty Malbec in mine, delish!
Ingredients

Meat with Onion Soup Mixture

Meat and Veggies covered with Cream of Celery and Wine Mixture, ready to bake

5 hours later....

Dinner is Served

This beef stew really did not photograph well, I promise it tastes better than it looks!

BEEF STEW
- 2LBS BEEF STEW MEAT
- 6-8 SMALL POTATOES QUARTERED
- 2-3 LARGE ONIONS QUARTERED
- 7-8 CARROTS SLICED
- 1 PACKAGE DRY ONION SOUP MIX
- 1 CAN CREAM OF CELERY SOUP
- 1/2 CUP RED OR ROSE WINE
- 1/2 CUP WATER

SPREAD MEAT IN BOTTOM OF BAKING DISH. SPRINKLE WITH SALT AND PEPPER AND ONION SOUP DRY MIX. ADD IN SLICED CARROTS, POTATOES, AND ONIONS. IN A BOWL MIX SOUP WITH WATER AND WINE. POUR OVER MEAT AND VEGGIES. COVER WITH FOIL. BAKE AT 250 DEGREES FOR 5 HOURS.