Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes!

As the oldest of four, I had to learn to share just about everything from an early age. That also meant that if as a family of six, we went to an event, A) we ALL had to go and B) It didn't happen often because really paying to even go to a movie for six is pricey! But one exception my mom has made for her oldest, theatre loving daughter was to take me, and only me to see the Rockettes twice, now {even at twenty-nine, having a night with just my mom is special. I guess the oldest child syndrome does exist, ha ha}.


So when I received an opportunity through the Tampa Bay Bloggers to attend opening night of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, at the Straz Center, downtown, you know I was in! And who else could I take but my dear, sweet momma?

My mom, who does not read my blog, or care about most technology suggested we "take a selfie".
How could I deny her?

Have you seen the Rockettes live? It's pretty impressive. When I told Jason I was going, he asked if all I would see were, "a bunch of ladies kicking?", and I had to tell him that seeing the Rockettes is so much more than, "some ladies that kick"...It's an entire show. There are twelve scenes full of singing, dancing, and the BIG GUY himself, Santa. It is quite beautiful, really. The Rockettes dance their way through a story with scenes, an array of glamorous costumes, dramatic lighting effects and a 50-foot LED screen that enhances the show with breathtaking scenes.

To me, seeing the Rockettes is a classic Christmas event, that you should see at least once, in you life, live. Fortunately for Tampa, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular will run Dec. 12 - 29, 2013 at the Straz Center.

Chicken Parmesan {a recipe}

In my immediate family, my mom is a seriously wonderful cook. But being the oldest and helping with dinner growing up, I do have some specialties of my own amongst the fam. Chicken parm is one of my winners. When we eat together for birthdays or other occasions {Mothers' Day}, usually my mom will request my sister's chicken marsala and all the boys will request my chicken parmesan {should I be offended by that? I'm totally not}.

My brother came over last week just 'cause, though I may have bribed him with my chicken parmesan.

{little bro and my mom {"little" when the kid is the tallest in our family}}

Josh and I are both trying to lose weight and while I love the original version I make {lightly fried in olive oil and then baked to crispy perfection}, I decided to lighten it up a bit. The only two things I really had to do were, cut the breasts in half {portion control} and bake, instead of fry.

My brother had seconds, so I'd say the lighter version was a success!

Baked Chicken Parmesan {serves six}

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless chicken breasts, halved and pounded thin
• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs {you will really only need a little over 1, but it's okay to have extra}
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese {you can use whole slices; whatever floats your boat}
• 3/4 - 1 cup tomato/marinara sauce

Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in one bowl. In another bowl, crack eggs and slightly scramble for an egg wash. Gently dip chicken into egg, then dip into breadcrumb mix. Place on a baking sheet {if your pan is NOT a non-stick, make sure to use a little cooking spray beforehand}.

Bake at 400° 30-35 minutes {in between this time, you can flip the chicken half way through to cook both sides evenly}. Remove from oven, place tomato sauce on top of each piece and add cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes, allowing cheese to meet. Enjoy!  

My weekend (in pictures!)

Oh heyyyy. It's Monday and time to link up with Savanah & Ashlee for some weekend recaps!

This weekend I had a lot going on. Friday night, my littlest sister graduated from USF.

Littlest sis and her boyfriend

The ceremony got out late so we just went back to  the parentals for pizza and some of us did dinner the following night at a Japanese steakhouse (yes, very Cinco de Mayo-ish, lol).

During the day Saturday, I helped set up my last  wedding for the Spring. Cross Creek Ranch has a few more May weddings but then not another one until...September. Since its all outdoors, they don't have anything going on in the ridiculously hot months (and after working Saturday in that heat, I am glad to get a break from the sun!)

The bride & groom opted to play up the Cinco theme for their wedding. I initially thought, "I could never do that for a wedding!"...until I saw it all together. Ya'll, I am eating my words because this wedding was so beautiful. I've loved most all the weddings I have helped to set up this season, but I think this one is one of my top faves  (and why I have way more photos of this one to share).

These banners really made the stable! BUT they were tissue paper; I'd say if you ever use flags like this, don't use tissue paper outside. Other than that, they are gorgeous!

For eats, they had tapas and a fajita bar, margaritas and churros.

 I wish I was a guest at that wedding! LOL...

The flowers made the tables. Did I say I was in love with this wedding?!

...their florist used Patron bottles for the bar area. Loved!

After being deliriously hot and tired, Emilee and I decided to take our own photo with props!

After work, I hightailed it home to get ready for dinner with the fam. After eating (a gazillion carbs), littlest sister, her boyfriend and some friends came over for margaritas and games. It was a very chill "holiday" but considering how busy of a day it had been, I was glad to drink at home and no one had to drive. I had a great time (and I hope my friends did too?!).

I know Gigi loved all the attention she got!

Hiding under the coffee table after grabbing her toys. This is my life...

How was your weekend?

XOXO,

Nichole

Last Friday Night...

Haha, what I am about to share does not include a Katy Perry song and yet, now it's stuck in my head...

This past Friday, we babysat out niece and nephew (three & four) overnight.

Those kids love them some Justin Bieber, ya'll. Usually, J picks them up and plays Baby or Party Rock on the car ride to our place. But the Biebs cd seems to have...disappeared. Evidently there is an On Demand channel called, MC on demand. Should be named, "toddlers demand more pop songs"

Those brain ninjas danced their booties off...

Yes, he is trying to fist pump...

after asking for another song, sister told brother to, "shake your bootie", and he did. Oy

Also, I didn't even realize I laugh like an a-hole until I heard myself on video. I apologize.

*Ignore the mess; I've stopped cleaning up until the kiddos leave...

Zucchini and Sausage Skillet {Shauna E's Easy Eats!}

I've been trying to plan our meals in advance as to save money and watch we put in our mouths (I say "our" but specifically, mine. Jason can be self sufficient for dinner when/if he needs to be. I don't have that kind of willpower, however). This week, zucchini and Italian sausage were both on sale and I knew I had to try this recipe. It's not too cold in Tampa right now but this is somewhat comforting for "winter".

I totally stole this recipe from my sister, Shauna. We all have a little bit of  the"foodie" gene in my family, but I never knew my little sister could write about cooking so eloquently until she started blogging about it.

Shauna E's Ridiculously Easy Recipe: Zucchini and Sausage Skillet
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil, separated

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Italian Sausage links, leftover or partially boiled

2 medium zucchini squash

1 can diced tomatoes with basil and onion

2 tbsp parmesean cheese (we used shredded but you can use grated if you prefer)

2 cups cooked pasta (No pasta was added at Casa de Crews, but you can totally use it)

Salt and pepper to taste

Prep:

Boil the sausage about 10 minutes to start. Slice zucchini into coins, about the same thickness of the sausage. Toss with one teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Preheat a skillet over medium heat, and add the reserved teaspoon of olive oil and garlic. Sauté until garlic is softened, about one minute. Place the zucchini coins flesh side down and fry until golden brown, anywhere from one to two minutes. Flip over and sear other sides. You may need to do this in batches depending on how big your skillet is. Add the cooked sausage coins and heat through. Plate the mixture over hot pasta. Heat the diced tomatoes in the same skillet, making sure to scrape up any garlicky bits from the bottom of the pan (extra flavor!). Mix all ingredients together and add cheese.

This was so so so good, easy (hence the title?) and we had leftovers for lunch. Yum!

Christmas 2011 Recap (Part 2)

So sadly, my camera broke a few weeks back at our ugly sweater party (I swear I didn't drop it while drinking. I have lost a camera or two that way so I now know better, promise!) and I didn't get a lot of photos from Christmas. I'm really bummed because it was our first married Christmas and also, I'm a photo fiend...


BUT....I did get a lot of nice things from my siblings, parents and the spouse on Christmas Day. The only other person I ever exchange gifts with is the bestie and we did that last week. On J's side, we just get gifts for the kids and we did that last week too (those kids made out like tiny bandits, ya'll).


My super sweet momma gave me a ton of our wedding pics framed on Christmas Eve, after dinner. She *also* got my dress cleaned! Finally. I may have left my dress at her house on purpose because I didn't want to deal with it? Maybe, but I'll never say for sure. (P.S. what did you do with your  dress after the wedding (if you're married?) I need ideas).


I don't think I have just one fave thing that I received. My mom is seriously ah-mazing. Not only did she frame all those pics, she also gave me a new camera!! So I don't have to rely on my crappy camera phone any more! I  got some other goodies from the parentals (candles, slippers, a coffee mug, etc).

My littlest sister and brother got me this fragrance sampler from Sephora! Seriously, this is the best idea ever. It has trials to try and then once you decide, you can trade in a voucher (that is included) for a full size perfume. LOVE IT.

Little Sister and her husband got me a day planner...I am going back to school this Spring and also losing my job (yea, another story for another day) and will be back on the job hunt very soon and they thoughtfully picked this out for me to plan my days...


Even though Jason said he didn't want or need anything, ya'll know I got him some fun stuff. Mainly movies, a video game, season 1 of Modern Family (please tell me you watch, yes?) and you know, underthings.  Plus, the LOTR marathon (we're halfway through the 2nd one) that we're working on.


Hubs, totally got me a great gift though. Since we have our cruise to save for and I am losing my job I wasn't expecting anything real "big". I have hinted hardcore for a new phone (Good Lord with a better camera!) or an e-reader, but seriously wasn't sure what to expect.

Nook Color

But hubs delivered, kids!! I love this thing. I was totally not expecting this awesome gadget! I also got some sock monkey slippers and comfy pj's!

Gigi, being the first "grand-pet" got a ridic amount of gifts, too. From treats (and a huge bone) to hair care products from my mom (she's a hairdresser), her first Christmas was great as well. Jason's fave gift for Geeg...? A snuggie from little sister.

Jason's reaction to said Snuggie

 Snugg Love (though it looks more like a straight jacket to me)

All in all, our first married Christmas was pretty great. Too bad we both had to go back to work and cut the holiday feeling short.

This would be all 3 of us passed out on mom's couch, Christmas Day. Not the most flattering of photos but I had to share




How was your Christmas? What fun things did you get?

Christmas 2011 recap (Part 1)

I hope every one of you reading this, had a wonderfully spectacular holiday weekend! We sure did. Like always, Christmas Eve was at our pad and while I am still trying to clean up from that  ordeal, we had a really great evening! Hubs and I got up early to finish cleaning our place, prep the food and set up the tables.

Since we don't have the biggest of spaces, our dining room table for four wasn't going to work (there were nine of us eating and ten total by the end of the night), so I bought a folding table that came with four chairs to go with it. I wanted to pretty up the tables:



{Table 1}

 

{Centerpiece: $1/pack of small ornaments at Target piled into glass bowls/vases. Sooo easy!}

  

{Table two: The "kids" table}

I knew I wasn't even going to try and use real plates and have to clean all that  up at the end of the night! I bought a package of Vanity Fair durable plates for dinner, and found these decorative plates at Target for a whopping $2 to jazz the white ones up! I thought that was so easy and the smaller guys doubled as appetizer plates, as well. Cha-ching

What do you think of my easy and affordable centerpieces? I already had the vases and bowls on hand so all I had to do was fill away! I loved how clean they were (not a fan of clutter, people) and really how could I beat that price?!

Those silver/damask votive holders were also an entire dollar (!) at Michael's. They had a huge clearance on their sparkly, blingy ish. All of this loot was for sale back when I was planning my sister's bridal shower, but we didn't have the budget for all of it at the time. Figures.

For eats, I def went overboard. I will always blame my mom and her Italian blood for this! But her motto (and mine now too, I guess?) is, "I'd rather have more than not enough"... And more than enough was what we had.

Appetizers:

Stuffed Mushrooms

Bruschetta

Veggie Trays

I was going for this thanks to pinterest:

Via

Ours:

Jason had two jobs: The steak and veggie trays. He did the first tray (above) like I asked and also made this one to look like a Christmas tree (all his idea, folks):

Main Course:

Ny Strip Steak

Baked Mac n' Cheese

Roasted Green Beans w/ Balsamic and mushrooms

Dessert:

Red Velvet Cake

My camera broke (when we threw our ugly sweater party ::sigh::) and I was too busy running around to get any real food photos on my crappy BB, but I think ya'll know what a steak and some mac n' cheese look like, yes?!

All and all, it was a really great night and as our first family shindig hosted as husband and wife, I couldn't have asked for a better day. Well, maybe some cooler weather. That would have been nice!

Shauna E

Is my little sis!! She's the newest newlywed in our family and she blogs about foodz. She used to blog as The College Gastronome but since she has graduated college and is now a married lady, she's changed her name and I love it (still weird we both have different last names now, but I digress)! We love to cook (and eat) in our family but only my sister seems to know how to blog about it in a way that makes my mouth salivate...Go check her out and show some love, friends!!

http://easyeatsshauna.blogspot.com/2011/12/shauna-es-easy-eats.html



{Sister's bachelorette weekend; I *think* we're singing? This is a pretty accurate picture of the entire weekend}



{MOH at my wedding in April}

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

Ahh, my fave holiday is here! I love Thanksgiving. It is the "kick-off" for the season (and ends with my birthday, yay!). I'm also that corny nerd at dinner, who likes to go around the table and say what we're all thankful for this time of year...that request, however usually gets shot down by my family because I am the ultimate cheeseball and they, have no souls are not.

But I am thankful for a lot of things. I won't get über sappy on ya'll, but I feel like I am one blessed kid. Sometimes, I am be-yond stressed with all the stuff going on, but one thing hubs and I always say to each other, is that we have a full life. And for that, we're pretty damn lucky.

Okay, enough with my corniness--I am ob-sessed with the "Keep Calm and..." posters. Yes, I do know that they were originally created during WWII for obvious reasons, but I still like em' now and since I'm on (another) pinterest kick, I thought I'd combine the two for the heck of it. Next year, I'd like to print and frame some these babies for around the house:

Source: Polkadotsonparade via NicholeC on pinterest

Since I am in charge of the pies and all....

Source: cakeeventsblog.com via NicholeC on pinterest

Anyone else like cranberry sauce or is just me? I only like the gross canned stuff, but whatev



Source: craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com/ via NicholeC on pinterest

I actually did print this, but its sadly still sitting in its envelope....next year, I plan to do better

Source: weheartit.com via NicholeC on pinterest

Okay, okay this last one is really just for Jason...figured he would appreciate 

Tomorrow, we'll head to the parentals to celebrate. J's side celebrates the Sunday before so that no one has to attempt two dinners in one day (smart people). It's our first Turkey Day as married folks and I'm totally o-kay with my momma cooking. I'll bring the pies, and help with clean up. That is just fine by me!

How are you spending your Turkey Day?



Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll!

Little Sister Gets Married

As you know, there are now two newlywed gals in our family and I couldn’t be happier. The entire weekend was great and we gained another sibling in the process.

We started Friday off with the rehearsal (11/11/11 @ 11:00am), followed by lunch at Brio. If you have one near you , go people, food is good.

The happy couple

Ah-mazing eats at Brio

                                                

I was in such a food coma after, but there was no time for a nap. I had to high tail it to the salon I visit, for a quick micro sesh (According to my esthetician if I keep it up regularly I won’t have lines and wrinkles as I age…I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it makes me feel better) before hitting up the nail salon with the bridal party, our momma and friend for mani/pedi time. Dinner after was at BD's Mongolian Grill.

Yes, yes, yes I did make us take a photo of our nails

Sisters, mom and I after dinner

On Saturday, the bride to be, littlest sister, mom and I checked in to the Embassy Suites downtown for the night so we could get ready there on sister’s big day. Um, did you know that this hotel chain offers a free happy hour everyday from 5:30pm-7:30pm?! I did not, but that is worth the price itself, hell-o! Obvs, we attended said happy hour before hitting up dinner at Taverna Opa in Channelside for eats and more drinks. It was nice to have one last girls night with the awesome ladies in my family (side note: before my sister was engaged, hubs and I had wanted a fall wedding and had were looking to seal the deal on 11/12/11, just funny how this weekend still ended up being important to us, after all).

Free booze

                                     

Getting roped into dancing...Opa!

Sunday was of course, the BIG day. Hair was done, makeup was applied and nerves were…coming a tad undone. All in all, it was a beautiful day and try as I might I teared up like a baby as soon as I saw my dad and sis walking down the aisle (I debated having a drink beforehand but the day wasn’t about me, so I just had to suck it up, emotions and all. I just hate to cry in public). Hubs got a few photos on his cell of me standing next to the gorgeous bride but thanks to the sun and my tears, I feel as though I look über…squinty.

The food was delish and the drinks were aflowin’.

Before the ceremony

Mr & Mrs! 

Some of my fave girlfriends were able to come...

I think my three fave parts of the entire day were:

1) Seeing my sister and dad walk down the aisle
2) The wedding party entrance music, I’m on a Boat!

3) Their first dance. Sister’s husband (!) is way quiet but I saw him singing the words to her and it made me tear up (again) to see how much they love one another…

Happy Wedding, sister (and new brother)!