tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27393805013831172942024-03-05T06:19:26.446-05:00planning in bloomAbby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-16421437170958195032011-03-22T19:21:00.000-04:002011-03-22T19:21:52.678-04:00Teddy Bear Argyle Cake
This is the cake I made for my sister-in-law's baby shower, featured HERE.
The cake was my old standby - Martha's One Bowl Chocolate Cake/Cupcake recipe. It's the best. I made two 12 inch cakes, and put my classic swiss meringue buttercream icing in between and for the crumb layer. The cake is super moist and chocolately - dense, but not heavy. The buttercream complements it perfectly.
Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-69172227583168389532011-03-21T16:55:00.000-04:002011-03-21T16:55:04.029-04:00Alison's Baby Shower
My sister-in-law, Alison, is having a baby boy in April. We planned a surprise shower for her last weekend that went off without a hitch!
The nursery decor is blue, tan, brown and white argyle, so we took our shower decor cue from that, and added the teddy bear theme as Alison and Matt have temporarily named the baby "Ted" until his debut.
My talented friend Danielle designed the lovely Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-60976951241658711632011-01-11T09:23:00.000-05:002011-01-11T09:23:05.650-05:00Basil Orange Chicken
Back to real time blogging, this was dinner last night. Basil Orange Chicken. I found the recipe in the May 2010 edition of Good Housekeeping magazine.
Basil Orange Chicken
Serves 4
1 large navel orange
2 lemons
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 lbs)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup whole wheat Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-25172047645703336812011-01-10T08:48:00.000-05:002011-01-10T08:48:06.524-05:00Banana Caramel Cake
I mentioned this cake in my Thanksgiving 2010 post I wrote just yesterday.
As cakes go, this was pretty simple. Although, there are a lot of components that all should be made in the same day. I made the cake the day before Thanksgiving and kept it in the fridge until two hours before serving and it was a hit.
The recipe is from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, page 157.
Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-68249583636071545062011-01-09T17:18:00.000-05:002011-01-09T17:18:00.379-05:00Thanksgiving 2010
Continuing the 2010 catch-up, today's post is a recap of Thanksgiving.
Only the second time I've ever hosted turkey day, but the first time for Jim's family. I was certainly a lot less stressed about it than I usually am for Christmas - mostly because I felt comfortable with cooking all of the the Thanksgiving "regulars" and wasn't planning on anything new or fancy like I usually plan on Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-4041881357677730932011-01-08T17:14:00.000-05:002011-01-08T17:14:51.034-05:00Hello, 2011! But first, a look back on 2010...
I'm back! No real excuse for the hiatus, so I'm going to do a few posts of some older topics, and eventually get caught up to our current plans and projects of 2011. I finally have a snowy weekend of nothing planned to get organized and caught up on some much needed blogging.
So here's a look at a spice cake I made for Halloween...
Looks tasty, right?
It's actually a cake madeAbby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-43648788370746112192010-10-12T22:17:00.000-04:002010-10-12T22:17:39.297-04:00Greek Couscous with Chicken & Feta
I'm back on track with planning ahead, making menus, and cooking what I plan for dinner. Our hectic lives forced us to spend less time on dinner each night and I just hate that.
So I went to my trusty pile of recipes I've ripped from the pages of the countless magazines I am given, and found some great new recipes to try.
This one was quick, easy, and absolutely delicious! I'll Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-58123812172252006472010-10-10T22:31:00.000-04:002010-10-10T22:31:49.249-04:00Fall days are here!
Yes, it really has been over a month since my last post. I'm terrible. Well, terribly busy. But still, I made a promise to myself when I started this blog to not forget about it after a few months and add it to my pile of unfinished journals and diaries from my childhood. I fully intend to keep this one up and running.
So, what better way to get going again than to welcome a new season Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-44458860748483216032010-08-31T09:01:00.000-04:002010-08-31T09:01:35.582-04:00Sunday Funday
Jim and I spent this past Sunday doing something that we've been talking about for weeks - cleaning out the garage. I'm happy to say that our garage wasn't as cluttered as it could be - we certainly still fit my car in there - but it needed some organization. Rather than tackling the whole thing, we just took care of one section first - what I like to call "the nook". The best part about this Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-11836326092955972192010-08-17T08:22:00.000-04:002010-08-17T08:22:31.056-04:00Mosquito bite remedies
The only regret I have about this past weekend's visit to our friends' house in MA is that I did not douse myself in enough Off with DEET to kill a small elephant.
I thought that the several applications per day of regular Skintastic Off would have been enough to keep the little suckers at bay. It wasn't until we were about halfway through our six hour journey home that I discovered otherwiseAbby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-30284352944791454022010-08-16T20:32:00.000-04:002010-08-16T20:32:14.411-04:00Back in the saddle...
Hello there. Sorry I've been away for a while. Busy, busy summer, and no time to tell you about it.
I think I'll start with the most recent happenings and blog about the rest in between throughout the coming weeks.
Jim and I just returned from a wonderful weekend in Lancaster, MA with our great friends Jo and Eric, and their new baby boy Dylan. They have a beautiful historic home (built inAbby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-23158063604445675392010-07-06T21:58:00.002-04:002010-07-07T07:40:15.084-04:00Breakfast at Wimbledon - and celebrating the 4th
Most tennis fans know that the Wimbledon fortnight usually ends on Independence Day weekend. Not that the Brits care - in fact they probably planned it that way so that they could take their minds off of the fact that America is celebrating its independence from England :)
Anyway, I am English by birth, American by nature :) Also a big tennis fan. I've been lucky enough to attend Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-81875451286894593182010-06-28T23:07:00.005-04:002010-06-29T07:46:49.013-04:00Patrick's 13th Birthday dinner
Jim's (and my) cousin Patrick is also his godson. He turned the big 1-3 this weekend, and we volunteered to host the family birthday dinner at our house on Sunday.
Didn't get any photos of the main course, but the spread was delicious:
Mozzarella and Prosciutto Chicken on the grill
Prosciutto wrapped beef on the grill
Steamed veggies
Baked potatoes
Cheesy garlic bread
Chicken Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-14433906866039510672010-06-22T22:47:00.000-04:002010-06-22T22:47:36.251-04:00Father's Day Dinner - Dessert Recipes
As promised, here are the recipes from the three desserts I made on Sunday for Father's Day Dinner.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.
This recipe is straight from The Joy of Cooking - page 876. If you read it from the book there's a lot more explanation on how to bake covered fruit pies, etc - and variations of the pie. But I'll just list it the way I make it.
The crust I use is the same Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-79562986307936561512010-06-21T19:42:00.000-04:002010-06-21T19:42:23.255-04:00Father's Day Dinner
Yesterday morning Jim got up VERY early to golf with his dad, brothers, cousin, and uncle. I got up a little bit later :) to prep for the father's day dinner we were hosting. 10 people for dinner - my in-laws and my in-law's in-laws. Good times.
My plan to have dinner under our big beautiful walnut tree was ruined by the humidity, so I was forced to set up inside. We still all fit at one Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-6094736490593414042010-06-20T08:14:00.000-04:002010-06-20T08:14:46.673-04:00Happy Father's Day, Dad!
Happy Father's Day to all the great Dads out there - especially mine!
Mom, Rach, Dad, Me, and Jim at an Auburn game last year.
I won't be seeing my Dad for Father's Day this year - he's in South Carolina and I'm in PA. But we did get to spend some good time together in Panama, and he and my mom will be heading up to visit in July.
Hopefully he's spending today on the golf course or Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-79937036636662868172010-06-19T16:48:00.000-04:002010-06-19T16:48:22.051-04:00I've been featured!
Ooh how exciting! One of my past blog posts was featured over at The Idea Room!
I love Amy's blog and all the wonderful ideas she has. Thanks so much for putting a piece of the spotlight on my blog!
The post she featured was the cake I made for the birthday party for my sister-in-law, who happens to have a blog herself - check it out HERE. She's pretty darn creative with the cupcakes Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-80019180960378616202010-06-16T01:37:00.004-04:002010-06-19T16:36:29.494-04:00Panama wedding details - the chupah
For anyone visiting for the first time, to get the background on this story, read anything in my archives called "My Best Friends Wedding" and/or labeled "Panama Wedding". Too many posts to link to, but I will link to a few throughout.
So the biggest design element of the wedding ceremony was the chupah. I came up with the idea almost immediately after Zett and Bryan got engaged, and am Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-73770729741230811632010-06-14T23:14:00.001-04:002010-06-14T23:15:20.287-04:00Panama wedding details - the aisle runner
Only about a month before the wedding, Zett called me and told me about an idea she saw in a magazine, and wondered if we could do it for her wedding.
She wanted a fabric aisle runner for the terrace - but not just a plain white runner. She saw this one in Brides magazine and wanted one similar:
I found the photo featured HERE
Cute huh? Loved it. And since we were already Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-43069044520490661732010-06-11T08:12:00.001-04:002010-06-11T08:14:17.164-04:00It's Panama Week! - Day Three - Wedding Day! The Reception
OK I'm back to talking about the wedding.
In case you missed the other Panama wedding weekend posts:
For day one, click HERE
For day two, morning, click HERE
For day two, afternoon/evening, click HERE
For day three, the ceremony, click HERE
Also, to see a selection of photos from the official photographer (my Dad), check out his blog, HERE
So the ceremony was great - a little Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-31158069299007615632010-06-10T20:58:00.000-04:002010-06-10T20:58:01.949-04:00We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...
I will post more on the Panama wedding later tonight, but first...
One of the very first blogs I started following when I was newly introduced to this blogging world, was that of Abby Sunderland. I was browsing the "popular blog" list on the blogger homepage and of course the one titled "Abby's Blog" caught my eye.
The blog is that of Abby Sunderland, 16 year old sailor who is attempting Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-23099002213434089182010-06-09T22:38:00.001-04:002010-06-09T22:39:31.053-04:00It's Panama Week! - Day Three - Wedding Day! The Ceremony
The report on the Panama Wedding continues...
To see the post from Day One, click HERE.
To see the post from Day Two, Morning, click HERE.
To see the post from Day Two, Afternoon/Evening, Click HERE.
Sunday morning arrived before we knew it. We headed back to the Gamboa resort bright and early. Zett's orders were to relax and drink champagne, while I put my mom to work :)
I had spent a Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-30688876547412205702010-06-08T23:00:00.001-04:002010-06-08T23:05:51.486-04:00It's Panama Week! - Day Two, afternoon/evening
For the story on Day two, morning, click HERE. For the story on Day one, click HERE
Also please check out Hey Morand! Photography for more photos - my Dad's blog - the official wedding photographer.
So after we had a delicious lunch at the Gamboa resort, it was time to get cracking on all the wedding ceremony and reception decorations.
Here are some photos of what I had to work with at Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-53723380243739151252010-06-07T22:18:00.000-04:002010-06-07T22:18:39.796-04:00It's Panama Week! - Day Two, morning
Saturday was another fun filled day. The schedule was packed from morning to night.
First, an early breakfast with Jim and my parents, followed by a thirty minute ride to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort (the location of the wedding).
Zett's Dad, lovingly referred to as "Don Marcos", was our chauffeur and tour guide for the drive. Right before we entered the resort, we crossed over Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739380501383117294.post-83611153865094435532010-06-06T22:39:00.000-04:002010-06-06T22:39:32.878-04:00It's Panama Week! - Day One
Hello everyone! It's Panama Week here! We got back from a wonderful trip last Monday. We're done with the laundry and catching up on things around the house, and now I'm ready to tell you all about it. Each day I'll feature a different part of the trip. And the Panama theme will likely bleed into next week, as I write some more detailed posts about the wedding details.
For those that Abby McGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18356288940576307523noreply@blogger.com1