Weekend Whereabouts

I didn't get around to blogging on Friday so I'll start with a quick recap of Halloween. We bought tons of candy to give out to the neighborhood kids but it was a fairly slow night leaving us with a dangerous amount of leftovers. I made a tutu for Lola's costume which was sparkly and cute but malfunctioned horribly the entire night so that was a major flop on my behalf. Either way the neighborhood kids loved Ballerina Bulldog.

 Friday night was a quiet one at home. We watched Neighbors 2 and relaxed. Most of Saturday was spent furniture shopping to pick up the final pieces for our house. K and I got our cars detailed and then settled for some dinner and drinks before heading home. Nothing fantastically exciting to report.

On Sunday, I enjoyed the time change and used that as an excuse to get a little extra sleep. Once we were up and about, we decided it was the perfect day for some brunch and bubbles. My pineapple mimosa and eggs benedict were just what the doctor ordered! 

This week is going to be a crazy busy one at work and party planning for next weekend.

Joining the lovely Biana.

Favorite Brunch Spots in the US

When we travel for quick weekend trips within the US, I usually pick a must-try brunch spot ahead of time so we can eat and experience brunch in new settings. I'm sure the list of excellent brunch spots within the US is very lengthy but these are my favorite gems that offered an amazing experience. Titles are clickable if you want to read my reviews.

Bridge House Tavern - Chicago
 

Mr. B's Bistro - New Orleans

Pinewood Social - Nashville

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox - Denver

Maxine's on Shine - Orlando

image source

Ok now I'm craving brunch. Is it the weekend yet?

Turkey & Eggplant Lasagna

Lasagna is definitely one of the most classic Italian dishes and one I don't make often enough. I wanted to try my hand at creating a slightly healthier version by substituting ground beef with turkey and replacing half the amount of noodles with sliced eggplant to cut the carbs.

Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients

16 oz. lean ground turkey (cooked)
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch slices
3 lasagna noodles (cooked)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
 36 oz. tomato & basil pasta sauce
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

Extras
9x13 baking dish
 Aluminum foil

What To Do
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil drizzled with olive oil. Place the eggplant slices in a single layer on the sheet and bake for about 20 minutes until tender.

Line the baking dish with foil to save time on dish cleanup. Pour 1 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of baking dish and layer evenly with ground turkey. Sprinkle with one-third of mozzarella cheese and top with the 3 cooked lasagna noodles side by side. Repeat with pasta sauce, ground turkey mozzarella cheese and then layer with eggplant slices. Spread remainder of pasta sauce on top, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
 

Shortcuts: the ingredients include pre-made pasta sauce, fully cooked ground turkey, and prepared lasagna noodles cooked according to directions on the package

Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes until bubbly.
 

 

Let cool before serving and ENJOY!

Weekend Happenings

Although we didn't manage to get into any Halloween festivities over the weekend, I'm armed with a few pounds of candy and Lola's princess costume for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters tonight.

I enjoyed another relaxing yet productive weekend getting our house decorated and shopping for some final pieces of furniture. On Friday I attended a business awards luncheon which was a great event and it was nice to see some of our business partners take home those pretty crystal trophies.

On my way home from work, my anticipation to get the weekend started was quickly dulled by the highway being shutdown for Obama's motorcade arriving in town. At first I thought it was a high-speed chase but then I saw all the black unmarked SUVs zoom by after the flood of police cars and bikes.

I baked a couple quiches on Saturday morning - one for us for breakfast and one to bring over for Kate that evening.

 

I got some decorating around the house taken care of, picked out some more furniture online, and headed out to do some errands. I was a sucker and bought these cute party crackers from Pier 1 for Christmas dinner since we're hosting this year.

In the evening I went over to Kate's house to meet baby fashionista Serena who I immediately fell in love with. After she was fed, I got some baby snuggles while we caught up with Kate and H about their labor & delivery experience.

Kate had a tough labor so she's needed some downtime but is hoping to get back to blogging once things settle down for her a bit. Serena is such a doll and I already can't wait to see her again!

On Sunday we finished hanging a bunch of wall decor and ventured out to Target and Home Depot to get some random home things like ceiling fans and medicine cabinets. (Fun, fun!) I'm happy to report we're about 90% done with getting our home completed.

After all the back and forth home decisions between K and I, it was time for some lunch and a Ruby Relaxer cocktail to end the weekend on a high note.

Sharing my weekend whereabouts & joining the lovely Biana.

For the Love of Weekends

This week was a good one ~ I got started on some Christmas shopping, checked off a few house-to-do items, and today my coworkers and I are attending an awards luncheon for being nominated as one of the best businesses in the county.

I mentioned recently that I started listening to audiobooks on my commute which has made the drive so much more fulfilling than listening to music or talk radio. I finished The Girl on the Train on Monday and then started Behind Closed Doors. So far so good!

I've been on a major brussels sprouts kick recently and I've made a similar recipe but I love the addition of butternut squash in this Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe even though I'd probably leave out the cinnamon since I'm not a fan.

My nails have been a train-wreck recently but as we approach some busier weekends with travel, social happenings, and some family fun, I have some gorgeous Fall Essie colors in mind.

Fall Into Fashion  /  Carry On  /  Indulge Yourself  /  Cuddle With Color

Halloween is just around the corner so I shared some cute pet costumes on Wednesday to celebrate the occasion. I'm currently working on doctoring Lola's costume since it arrived too small.

I'm looking forward to catching up on some rest and blogging this weekend since the holidays are almost here and things are going to get BUSY!

I hope you have a fab weekend!

Pet Halloween Costumes

Our neighborhood is having a Halloween block party and since we don't have kids, we thought it would be cute to dress Lola up in costume and bring her to the party to play with the kids. These are some of my favorite finds for both male and female pups.

50's Girl

 

Lady Gaga Inspired

Holy Hound

 

  

Pinata Pup

UPS Delivery Pup

Hula Girl

Puppy Latte

 Festive Mexican

 

Cheerleader Chick

Like all the cute collars I've bought for Lola, I got her a costume over the weekend that is apparently too small even though it says 'one size fits all'. I'm adamant about making it work because it's too pretty to return so I'll be playing seamstress this week to make it fit. Stay tuned!

Sunny Fall Weekend

The weather this weekend was exactly what Floridians crave after a blistering hot summer. Cool yet sunny days. The perfect relief from the heat even if a sweater was needed at night.

On Friday we celebrated Pinktober at work for Breast Cancer Awareness month. I also received the shipment of furniture we ordered to finish decorating the house.

K and I met up after work for a quick happy hour and then went to try out a new-to-us Thai restaurant. The food was excellent!

Saturday was the productive day. A million loads of laundry and cleaning were done. We then arranged the new furniture, hung artwork and photos throughout the house, and then went to Home Goods to pick up a few random things. 

After all the running around we settled at Marlows Tavern for an early dinner and spent the rest of the evening relaxing at home.

Lola was loving the weather on Sunday so we took her out of the house to watch some football & have lunch on the patio at a local sports restaurant.

I love relaxing and productive weekends like this one. Our house is still not complete but the end is much closer after this weekend.

Sharing my weekend story and joining the lovely B.

Brunch: My Favorite Weekend Meal

I'm sure that takes you by no surprise for those that follow along frequently! My weekends often involve Sunday brunch whether at home or at a nifty restaurant to gather with friends.

Brunch is the perfect way to celebrate a baby shower, bridal shower, birthday or even if you just need a reason to celebrate the weekend. I found some creative brunch party ideas on FTD's blog that I wanted to share.

  

From creative DIY floral ice cubes and ice buckets to floral tablescape decor, there are plenty of genius ways to host a memorable brunch party at home.

Their website gave me many cute ideas, I already want to gather up the girls and get the champagne poppin!

After helping to host Kate's Brunch & Baby Shower a few weeks ago, I'm already looking forward to having another brunch at home for future celebrations to come.