have a lovely weekend.

my mom's parents-Rome-circa 1966

ahhh weekend, so nice to see you! I am planning on a quiet night tonight in preparation to a fun-filled Saturday when we will be celebrating one of our good friend's birthdays and another's approaching departure to India with terrific food at the odd duck and drinks at Boone & Crockett in the Bay View neighborhood. With mother's day on Sunday, we'll be having some quality time with both of our moms which is perfect!

What will you be filling your weekend with? If you feel like perusing the web, here are some links to check out....

Can't afford photoshop, try this free photo editor recommended by TIME magazine

Hilarious goof-ups at work documented for your viewing pleasure

Wonderful things happening in world of marriage equality; NZ Parliament was even singing about it! 

Love this iPhone case and super excited for this iPhone photo app via A Beautiful Mess to come out!

Some really great blogging tips and advice

Work best in a cafe? You can create a cafe ambiance from anywhere!

Gorgeous 1000 Shillings hasnu infintity scarves made from recycled saris

Pretzel bites that I must convince Ry to make for me!

Clever starter kits for first time dog owners

I just love John Krasinski, don't you?   

in the kitchen (with mom): linguine with brie, tomato, and basil

image via

Some of my favorite times with my mom (and dad too!) have been in the kitchen. Our Sunday night dinners have become infamous among our friends-it is always a delicious meal and is always served at least an hour...maybe two hours later than planned! Being able to share stories, cook alongside my parents and learn all sorts of new recipes is such a wonderful experience. There is just something about the kitchen and cooking that brings people together, making life just a little bit better...and tastier!

SO I figured I would continue on with my mother's day "theme" and share a recipe with you that my mom has made for us many times and is definitely one of my favorite comfort dishes to have-both in the summer and winter! Best part, it's super simple and usually a big crowd pleaser...try it out tonight! 

Linguine with brie, tomato, and basil

adapted from mom! (serves 5-6)

4-5 ripe tomatoes (if you like roma, then go with at least 5), diced

1 pound brie cheese, cubed (remove as much rind as you prefer)

1 pkg/bunch basil, cut into strips

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 C olive oil

1 1/2 lb linguine pasta (feel free to use your fav pasta)

Salt & pepper to taste

*optional add-ins: Italian sausage, grilled chicken, toasted pine nuts

1. Toss diced tomatoes, cubed brie cheese, basil. and garlic in a large bowl with olive oil. Let ingredients sit in room temperature for 2-3 hours to let the brie cheese soften and all ingredients marinate in the olive oil/garlic goodness!

2. Prepare your pasta; Bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil (make sure to salt your water and a little bit of olive oil), then add pasta to the pot. Stir occasionally, letting the pasta cook for about 8-10 minutes. I like my pasta a little al dente, so just check a piece or two to see if it's ready!

3. Strain your pasta and toss it all into your bowl with the brie, tomato, basil and olive oil mixture. If you decided to include any protein or the toasted pine nuts, toss these in now. 

4. Serve immediately...pair with a fresh garden salad or homemade bread! 

bon appetit! 

fave finds 4.0 | mother's day edition

garden-friendly tote \\ wine cork labels \\ seasonal cooking \\ zucchini bread

Mother's Day definitely snuck up on me this year! I thought some of you might be in the same boat as me and it would be beneficial to everyone to have some ideas for all the lovely moms out there! 

My mom is really excited to step up her vegetable garden this summer and you can never have too many gardening supplies, so a garden tote seemed perfect, a lil diy action using wine corks to label your garden, a cookbook with a focus on cooking seasonally with your vegetables, and one of my favorite treats: zucchini bread- exactly what I would love to have with my mom and a cup of coffee in the morning...

What will you be picking out for your mom this year? If nothing else, an extra hug and a big ol' "thanks for all that you do" always goes over well! 

celebration in indy

What a weekend! I had SO much fun in Indiana with the family-we BBQ'd, drank some craft beers, played Jenga and Yahtzee (Ry kicked all of our butts with FOUR Yahtzees!), watched my sister graduate, zip-lined!, and had one of my favorite comfort foods-linguine with tomatoes, brie, and basil (recipe to come).  Our accommodations at the Rawhide Ranch in Nashville, Indiana worked out perfectly! Didn't have to feel cramped in a hotel room and we didn't have to constantly eat out. Plus the owner, Derek, and his staff were all really wonderful and hilarious people, so we all felt really comfortable and at home throughout the weekend. All in all, a really fun and cozy weekend with the family...can't wait to celebrate my brother's graduation in just a few weeks! 

feeling nostalgic

As we head to my sis's graduation this weekend, I can't help but feel a bit nostalgic about my own college years. I kind of can't believe that I was preparing to walk across the stage for my own diploma just about four years ago-time really flies! I feel so lucky to have had the college experience that I did...living in Chicago, meeting some of the best people, really growing up and figuring out the things that were and still are important to me. Oh yes, and having tons of fun all along the way!

My girlfriend and I were discussing the need to really live moment by moment, taking time to appreciate the people and places right in front of you because it all can go by so quickly! So make sure to soak it all in today and every day people...life is good!

currently 6.0

Reading...honestly, I am still reading In Defense of Food (it's been a busy week or so!), but I am wanting to dive into Gillian Flynn's Dark Places real soon! I really liked her other book, Gone Girl (disturbing and creep as it was), so I think that this murder mystery will be right up my alley. Have any of you read it yet? If all else fails, I've got tons of books on my GoodReads list that I can check out!

Listening to The Great Gatsby's soundtrack (finally!). Once again, NPR's First Listen gets a high-five from me for giving us a sneak peek at the much-anticipated and talked about musical score. The soundtrack was produced by Jay-Z himself and features some of my favorites: Florence + the Machine, The xx, and Goyte. We still have to wait a week for the film itself to debut (who's planning on seeing it?), but I think this will keep me satisfied until then!

Loving SPRING! 'nuff said. No but really, despite this weekend's forecast not being that exciting, this past week we finally got a taste of some long overdue, glorious spring weather-thank goodness! Now I just need to get myself a new bike and life will be really good...

Excited for a weekend with the family to celebrate Liv's college graduation. One of the best things about being back in Milwaukee has been the time we have been able to spend with both of our families. Even with this extra time together, weekends away with everyone are still just as fun and meaningful-especially when celebrating such an exciting accomplishment. We opted to use airbnb.com to find accomodations for all of us and stumbled upon this great ranch house...literally...it's a ranch! So I am sure the weekend will be nothing less than entertaining and full of laughs.

on the road: snack time!

cinnamon almonds // energy bar // celery & peanut butter // rosemary & thyme roasted chickpeas 

This weekend we are heading to Bloomington, IN to see my sister graduate from college (!!!). While my parents are heading down Thursday, Ryan, my brother (TJ) and his lady (Danielle) take off Friday morning for our own little road trip. As we have been making our travel plans, it has been agreed upon that two things are at the top of our road trip essentials list: 1. music and 2. snacks! 

I will fully admit that I am using the term "road trip" very loosely, since this drive is only about 6 hours BUT that doesn't change the fact that some good tunes and tasty snacks can totally make any drive a little more enjoyable. I thought I would round up some good lookin' snack ideas that I have been wanting to try out. So check out the links above and then get ready to hit the road with your new favorite snack! As far as music goes...I've got a few favorite Pandora stations in mind and I might just have to make a "mix tape" too...