July 2010

Rainy Day Sunset.

July 31, 2010 · 22 comments

This is the puzzle from hell.

It is extremely difficult. I’m sure multiple margaritas don’t help either.

After our midday naps, we ventured out to Charlevoix to explore and watch the sunset.

To get there, we rode the Ironton Ferry , which has been around forever.

We oogled at this house.

If you have a few million, it’s up for sale.

Then we made our way to the lighthouse in time for the sunset.

And pretty things like this happened.

Check out the bridge being raised for the sailboat:

We found an amazing taffy store. Mary was more excited than a dog in heat. They had over 90 different flavors.

Someone spent a ridiculous amount of money on taffy.

We came home and had pizza, then sat by the fire and made s’mores.

I love the lake at night.

Why don’t I live here? I’d even let Mr. How Sweet come with me. I kinda miss the guy.

{ 22 comments }

Morning Stroll.

July 31, 2010 · 16 comments

It was rainy and dreary when we woke up this morning.

I don’t mind at all; as long as I am here I am a happy camper.

We decided to head to the farmer’s market early. My grandma loved this farmer’s market and it was always a tradition to go.

This was only my first or second time carrying my camera around and for some reason it makes me so self conscious. I am a loon.

Did you expect to see vegetables? You know I don’t roll that way.

Petoskey stones!

We walked around town some more and then we came across this.

We just couldn’t resist.

It was the perfect mid-morning snack. Pancakes leave you hungry.

I hope when I die, I go to a place like this.

Some bacon wouldn’t be bad either.

I relinquished control of my camera and handed it over to Mary who loves to take pictures.

This used book store has been around for ages. It is so quaint and quiet.

We had a little impromptu photo shoot too.

I might develop a complex since Mary takes better pictures than me.

We walked and shopped a little more before noon.

(Mr. How Sweet – pay attention.)

Then we started happy hour a little early.

In all seriousness we wanted to start around 10:30, but decided to behave and wait until 12.

It was worth it.

Now I have to go chug a gallon of water and pass out. Blogging under the influence is rough. I need to rest up for the festivities later.

I’m actually enjoying this daily-life blogging thing. I may continue when I get home. What do ya’ll think?

{ 16 comments }

Parmesan Garlic Tortilla Chips.

July 31, 2010 · 31 comments

I’ve talked about my obsession with La Tortilla Factory tortillas.

They are just so fabulous. The texture, the taste and the nutrition stats are great.

I often bake them with sea salt alone when I make homemade nachos, but I wanted to give some flavored chips a whirl.

These taste almost exactly like Stacy’s Parmesan Garlic pita chips.

I’m not sure if that is necessarily a good thing, since I eat them like they are going out of style.

Yesterday I was left to my own devices with a 2lb bag of Stacy’s chips in the car for 10 hours.

How I remained calm is beyond me.

But I was so tempted that I did develop the shakes at one point.

I love making homemade chips for a few reasons. They are definitely healthier than store-bought, but they also taste a bit heartier.

They work perfectly under healthy loaded nachos and dunked straight into salsa or hummus.

Or you know… chocolate.

Parmesan Garlic Tortilla Chips

8 4-inch tortillas

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

Cut tortillas into four’s, and lay on a baking sheet, not overlapping. With a sharp knife, mince the garlic clove then mash it with the back of the knife to turn it into a paste.

Spray each tortilla piece with non-stick or cooking spray, or spritz with olive oil. Spread a tiny bit of garlic on each piece, then top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until chips are golden brown and crisp. Watch them carefully so they do not burn.

They would be great for a small party, but just try not to eat them all.

I prefer to make them myself on a Saturday night alone so I can hog the whole batch to myself. Now you also know how wild my Saturday nights are.

{ 31 comments }

We finally made it to Northern Michigan after 9 long hours in the car. What did I do before I had a wireless network card? Even though it didn’t work for the first 3 hours I attempted, “George” from India got it all straightened out for me after 65 minutes on the phone. 35 of those minutes were spent with me trying to understand what he was saying. It was beautiful out when we reached our destination. Our Friday night tradition is to go to a local bar and get all-you-can-eat white fish and chips. The place has been in business for years and getting a table is impossible. But my brother Andy and his girlfriend Mary got there early and got us a seat. How cute are they? Somewhere in Pennsylvania my other brother is throwing up. I normally do not like deep-fried foods because I think they all taste the same. I can rarely taste the flavor, but this fish is a totally different story. It is lightly battered and probably the best fish I’ve ever had. They throw this on your table and you all fend for yourself. I cover my fries in salt and vinegar because [...]

22 comments Get More Sweet Eats →

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Bun Pancakes.

I’m sorry to have to do this to you. But you must be aware of the deliciousness that is these pancakes. I saw these pancakes on Tasty Kitchen a few months ago and my life has never been the same. Then my life really changed when I made them. Like, my pants got tighter. Understandable, right? I made a few healthier substitutions for the original recipe. You know how when you bake or cook something that tastes so incredible and you take 16 nibbles and bites but that is okay because you really didn’t eat it, you just had a few bites? Yeah. Well, turns out that isn’t really true. I may have made the pancake batter a bit healthier, but nothing can prepare you for the maple-butter icing that goes on top. You really can’t substitute healthy ingredients for that, and more importantly, why would you want to? I’d swim in a pool of butter and maple syrup if it was appropriate. It would be a bit sticky though. I wonder if they make a leave-in conditioner for that? Whole Wheat Cinnamon Bun Pancakes from Tasty Kitchen 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 3 tablespoons sugar 4 teaspoon [...]

70 comments Get More Sweet Eats →

Off to My Happy Place!

If you have been reading for a few months, you may remember that I wrote about my happy place. Tomorrow, we are leaving for Northern Michigan for vacation. I’M JUST A LITTLE BIT EXCITED! Sorry. Didn’t mean to shout. I didn’t mention it before, but one of the reasons that I hold vacations in Michigan so dear to my heart is because of my grandmother. No, not Mother Lovett. But my other grandmother – the one who passed away suddenly in February. See, she left this giant void in our life that has yet to be filled. The void is different for each of us – my dad, my mom, my brothers, even my husband, my aunts and uncles, and especially my grandpa. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and forget that she has passed away, and when I remember it is like someone punched me in the stomach. I still have her scarf on my dresser – it is a scarf that she wore when we were shopping 2 days before she passed away. Some days I can still smell her on that scarf, but the scent is fading too quickly for my liking. Growing up, this vacation [...]

33 comments Get More Sweet Eats →

Easy Enchilada Lasagna.

We all know how easily bored I can get. So would you believe me if I told you that I am making this meal for a second time in 4 days? At the risk of sounding dramatic, it is so incredible that you must rush home and make it this evening. It is easy and quick too! I can’t make real lasagna. Mr. How Sweet claims that he will go into convulsions if he eats ricotta cheese, though I have seen him taste his fair share of it. But that is fine with me. I don’t love pasta and tomato sauce makes me cry. However, I do love greasy, cheesy Mexican food. I mentioned earlier this week that I made some meals for Mr. How Sweet since I’m leaving tomorrow. I always make him meals on the weekends, but this time I tried to make him some more “fun” ones. I have been making enchiladas for him for years. When we were dating, I occasionally would make him a dish of chicken enchiladas to surprise him after work. Sometimes I even made them for his lunch, and we didn’t even live together. I guess he got some milk for free. [...]

104 comments Get More Sweet Eats →

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars.

I made these bars this past weekend and immediately put them into the freezer so I could take them on my upcoming vacation. Do you know what I learned? It doesn’t matter if sweets are frozen solid, I will find a way to eat them. The bars didn’t even freeze the whole way through. I only know this because I bit into one (or eleven) mere seconds after removing it (them) from the freezer. Lesson learned: freezing baked goods does not keep me from eating them. These are really just cookies baked into bars. I stole the idea from Heather, who often makes a batch of cookies into bars. She calls it lazy; I call it genius. They are so much better this way. They are thicker, chewier, and give you more cookie volume per square inch (centimeter?). And when you are dealing with chocolate and peanut butter, the more the merrier. We all know it is the best combination on the planet. It is a requirement that chocolate and peanut butter should be eaten together every single day. Sometimes multiple times a day. Hey, I don’t make the rules. I just follow them. Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars 1 cup [...]

80 comments Get More Sweet Eats →

Fitness Kick Start: Drop Sets.

Drop sets are torturous. I love them. What does that say about me? I am a freak. A freak who loves to feel the burn. I often use drop sets when working on machines. I don’t use many machines when it comes to strength training, with the exception of the lat pulldown and miscellaneous leg machines. It is easy to drop the weight on machines, as long as they are not plate-loaded. However, when it comes to doing drop sets with dumbbells, I literally throw drop the weight. Working out in the morning provides the benefit of having the gym to myself, so it you are about to go throw some dumbbells around, make sure no one gets hurt. If you aren’t familiar with drop sets, they simply require the ‘lowering’ of weight, immediately followed by more repetitions with less weight or no weight at all. No rest involved. Drop sets are a fun way for me to keep my strength training spicy. Dumbbell Drop Sets for Legs Walking lunges: 20 reps with 20lb dumbbells, 20 reps with no added weight Side lunges w/ tap to the floor: 20 reps with 20lb dumbbells, 10 reps with 10lb dumbbells Squats with [...]

15 comments Get More Sweet Eats →

Brown Sugar Balsamic Salad.

I can’t take credit for creating this salad. It comes straight from my friend, Kelly. See, last week we went to her house for dinner. Obviously, I was in charge of the dessert. But then I got busy. And things came up. And I didn’t get said dessert made. So I took store-bought cookies. Yes, store-bought. I was desperate. I don’t even like store-bought cookies. Unless they involve peanut butter. Then I like them enough to eat 14. Naturally, I bought cookies with peanut butter. The worst part? Not only did I not make a delicious, homemade dessert, but I ate 2 cookies on the way to her house. I really did. I presented her with a box of a dozen cookies that really only had 10 cookies. What can I say? I was hungry. I promise I have some class. Not only did she slave over the hot stove all day, but she also made this fresh, delectable salad. And come on, we all know that if I think a salad is good, it must be good. This salad doesn’t even have bacon or cheese, which are my 2 requirements for ingesting vegetables. So you can imagine how great [...]

53 comments Get More Sweet Eats →

← Previous Entries