I made this bread last week and posted it on my Instagram with the above picture. Unfortunately it was pretty much gone by the time I had thought about taking a decent picture with a real camera. But I think all you need to know is that this bread is amazing. The coconut is such a welcome addition to the traditional banana bread. There is just enough coconut where you can taste it, but it is not overwhelming. And I must add that the lemon glaze is the perfect addition. It's amazing that these 3 flavors work so well together. The bread is delicious hot out of the oven, but we also liked toasting it the next day. Toasted coconut? Yes please.

2 C flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sugar
1/4 C (4 Tbs) real butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 large bananas)
1/4 C plain yogurt
3 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C coconut

Topping : 2 Tbs additional coconut
Glaze: 1 C powdered sugar whisked with 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended.  Add eggs and beat to combine.  Add banana, yogurt, milk, and vanilla.  Beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat at a low speed until just combined.  Stir in 1/2 C coconut.

Pour batter into a 9×5″ loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.  Sprinkle additional 2 Tbs coconut on top. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until a knife or skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Note: Check bread after about 40 minutes.  If the top has browned and the coconut pieces are looking toasty, cover top of bread lightly with a piece of foil.  Continue baking until done.

When done, remove pan from oven.  Let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan.  Whisk powdered sugar and lime juice together for the glaze and then drizzle over top.    Cool for another 15 minutes before slicing.

*Slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

It's June! Summer is here!

My parents were in town this weekend! Hooray! I have had the fortune of seeing them practically once a month this year. Oh, the blessings of being closer to family. I sure do love it. They drove down for a cousin's wedding. It was great to see some extended family as well.  Here are 3 of my favorite guys in the whole wide world (brother, dad, husband from left to right :)) with my amazing grandparents. I really like this picture. 

We even had our first outdoor dinner party that included more than just Russ and I! We've loved our patio furniture and patio. It was such a warm and peaceful evening. I can't wait for the many barbecues and outdoor parties to come this summer. Summer is the best.

And then of course, we had delicious food which I feel I must document. Grilled tri-tip steak, summer fruit, green salad, and this amazing Lemony Cream Butter Cake that was uhhhh-mazing, if I do say so myself. It's the perfect summer dessert. We served it with strawberries and whip cream. Mmm Mmmm.

And because I'm usually the one behind the camera, here are a few instagram pictures of recent happenings where you get to see my smiling face. Lucky you! :)

Top left: Loving life at the Blind Pilot / Head and the Heart / Shins concert. Take me back, please?

Top right: Paint chips for a recent project! Details soon to come.

Bottom Right: Enjoying National Doughnut day with Marcella and kids at Kripsy Kreme. What a happy place.

Bottom Left: Documenting the last day teaching our adorable Primary class at church. We will sure miss these smiling faces.

Life Lately, via Instagram

I'm a new-ish member of Instagram. Hooray! (If you have Instagram, find me! My username is camille_elise). Anyway, life lately has been super crazy and hectic, so if it weren't for camera phones I would have no documentation! I love real pictures, but luckily the phone is always there for spur of the moment shots, which are sometimes my favorite.

Here's a rundown of a few things I've been up to lately --

Cooking! I've been a on a cooking kick lately and have spent lots of time in the kitchen with new recipes (which I love!) Two recipes I highly suggest trying -- Puffed pancakes and Martha Stewart's apple crisp (served with vanilla bean ice cream, of course).

Running... a lot. As they say, running is quality time with me and the road. I'm not signed up for any particular race yet, but there are like a bajillion half marathons coming up in the area, so only time will tell what I do.

Spending lots of time at the piano, both with pieces I am working on as well as teaching students. I am now up to 5 students! They are adorable, and I am loving teaching.

Heavily perusing pretty fabrics, both online and in some local fabric shops. There are way too many projects brewin' up in my mind, so hopefully some will come to fruition soon. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted.

The Best Banana Muffins Ever

These may be my most favorite muffins to date. Yup, I said it. They are sweet without being overly so, and can act as your breakfast, mid-morning/afternoon snack, or even your dessert. Needless to say, these little guys don't last very long in the Lewis household. This was my second time making them, and I fell more in love with them than before. Point is -- TRY THEM OUT. You probably have everything you need in your kitchen. Those are my favorite things to make.

For the muffins:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten (simply crack the egg in a small bowl and mix the yolk and egg white together first before combing with the rest of the ingredients)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the crumb topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a muffin tin.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour (the all-purpose and whole wheat flour), baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together mashed bananas, sugar, egg, vanilla and canola/vegetable oil. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. (I have found this recipe makes 11 perfectly-sized muffins :)

3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. flour and cinnamon. Cut in 2 Tbsp butter until mixture resembles course cornmeal. (I used my hands to thoroughly integrate the butter into the sugar/flour mixture)

Sprinkle topping over muffins.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

*Adapted from A Hint of Honey

Herb-Roasted Veggies

These roasted veggies have been our favorite go-to dish for a while now. Please make these and tell me you don't like them, because I'd be willing to bet even those people that don't like vegetables will enjoy! You can literally throw in whatever vegetables you want or have on hand. I'm a particular fan of the butternut squash (they are like candy!), and Russ loves the potatoes. It's a perfect combination... I pay special attention to pick out the butternut squash and he gets the potatoes! Best part? Leftovers for lunch at work. Mmm mmm. Here are some rough instructions on how to make these bad boys:

What you'll need:
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
4-5 red potatoes, washed and cubed
1 small sweet potato
1 small onion, peeled and sliced into thick slices
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch thin slices
(Other vegetables I have used include red peppers, zucchini, gold potatoes, and more! Experiment!)
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Thyme
Rosemary
Salt & Pepper

How you do it:
Once all of your vegetables are peeled/cut/sliced, use a large bowl to splash some olive oil and balsamic vinegar -- the amount you need will vary on how many vegetables you are roasting. Basically you need just enough to cover the vegetables, but not too much where they are drowning in the oil. :) If you don't have a large enough bowl, you can throw the vegetables directly onto a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil (I used a Silpat baking mat) and slowly spoon and cover the veggies in the oil/vinegar. Sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Roast in oven @ 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally.

* Adapted from A Hint of Honey

Bowls & Oats

Last night a package arrived on my doorstep that made me extremely giddy. It's amazing how the most random purchases are so exciting. Like bowls, for example. Do pretty, colorful little bowls also make your heart go pitter-patter? I sure hope so. Otherwise Russ's suspicions that I'm going loony are correct. 

I've been eyeing these bowls from West Elm for quite a while. So last week when I saw that they were on clearance with free shipping (wahoo!), I snatched them up. They remind me of the days when my good friend Sada and I used to kill time on our lunch breaks oooh-ing and awww-ing at pretty things at the West Elm store in San Antonio. Sadly there is no West Elm here in Utah, so now I just ooh and aww through a computer screen. :) Anyway, now it looks like I will need to make some sort of dessert to serve these in. They're just calling for something tasty to be served in them.

Speaking of tasty things in bowls, let me introduce you to my new favorite breakfast:

My mom was in town last week and brought these lovely little steel-cut oats into my life. Thanks Mom!! I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat instant oatmeal again. The texture and flavor of these little guys are amazing, and might I say, leave you feeling full for a lot longer. I'm sure the add-in possibilities are endless, but so far I have been adding in some brown sugar, a little bit of vanilla soy milk, craisins, apples, and a dash of cinnamon. They take about 30 minutes on the stove to cook, but once you have a big batch made they will literally last you all week! Mmm mmm. I'm a cereal girl at heart, and always will be, but I'm so happy to add these steel-cut oats into my morning routine. Give 'em a try!

Trenches to Dig and Berry Tarts to Eat

How and why do weekends fly by at an alarmingly fast rate?! It's Sunday afternoon and we are trying to soak up any last amount of relaxation we can before another crazy-busy week starts. Today is September 11th, ten years after the day. We are watching memorials and documentaries about the fateful event that changed, well, everything. I am feeling so grateful to be an American. I am grateful for my freedom. I am grateful for opportunities. I started this post wanting to whine about the fact that every spare second we have had as of late has been digging trenches in our yard for sprinklers. And then I thought, "I'm healthy and alive. I am safe. I am lucky to have a yard to dig trenches in."

 

We are now to the point of covering up all the sprinkler pipes to get ready to spread top soil. That means Russ got the sprinklers to actually sprinkle! Yahoo!!! One step at a time, people. Russ is calling this adventure "one big experiment." And that it is. Yesterday Jace came over to offer some additional manual labor, and he even was lucky enough to see the big black truck come and dump piles and piles of top soil. It's amazing how all men will literally stop what they are doing and stand in awe at a truck. It helped that it was shiny and black, I'm sure.

We did stop and have a bit of fun yesterday. We had some {new and awesome} friends from the neighborhood over for a BBQ, and to watch the BYU football game. Sadly, they lost... by one point. Next time, cougars. 

I was lame enough to get only one picture of the evening -- the dessert. I call this the "End of Summer Berry Tart." Mmm mmm good. I would highly recommend whipping it up, it really was simple and fast.

{The End of Summer Berry Tart}

Adapted from Betty Crocker

{Crust}

10 oz. animal crackers, crushed in a blender or food processer

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 Tbsp sugar

{Filling}

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 pint blackberries

1 pint raspberries

1/2 strawberry jam

1 Tbsp orange juice

Heat over to 350. In medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, butter, cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp sugar. Press into bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9" tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. 

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice on low speed until combined. Add whipping cream and beat on high for 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Spread onto tart crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Microwave strawberry jam for 30 seconds or until warm. Add orange juice. Drizzle glaze over berries. 

Enjoy!

Disguising the Green Stuff

Russell's parents have an amazing garden that is producing loads and loads of delicious tomatoes and zucchinis. We are some of the lucky beneficiaries of this garden. :) Before this summer I've really only used zucchini to make zucchini bread. I guess you could say I was a novice to zucchinis, so I've started looking for other ways to use this vegetable. Last night I made some yummy waffles for dinner and a after a few bites Russ exclaimed "what are these little green specs??" Mwwahahahaha! Besides the green flecs here and there, he couldn't even tell that I loaded one extremely large zucchini into those waffles. I do love vegetables, but I love them even more when they are disguised in some scrumptious waffles slathered in syrup.

via

So if you have zucchini's that need to be used or feel the need to disguise some greens in your family's diet, I dare you to try this recipe. Zucchini may become your new favorite food. 

// If you do happen to try this recipe, I ended up adding another 1/2 to 3/4 a cup of flour. The first few I made were a little limp and were asking for some more substance. Just a tip. //

The Longest Day of the Year

image via

Who here is as excited as I am that summer is here?! I'm seeing trips to the lake, hikes, swimsuits, barbeques, hot dogs, family, and lots o' fun in our near future. There is something so exciting about the summer solstice and making the most of the longest day of the year. Here are a few ways we have welcomed summer into our lives:

We closed on our house! It's quite a scary feeling being in charge of getting the biggest check of our life to the title company. This also means we signed our life away. But, looking on the bright side, once the funds go through tomorrow, that little blue house is ours!!

I bought Russ a new swimsuit for $5 at Old Navy in anticipation for our many family trips to the lake in the upcoming weeks.

Made a delicious meal to celebrate summer. This Ravioli with Apples and Walnuts recipe from Real Simple is a must-try meal... trust me. It's quick and tasty, and always brings a smile to our face.

And last, but not least, we took advantage of the cool evening and walked up to Rock Canyon and watched the sun set on this longest day of the year. What a beautiful sight to behold.

And how about you, my friends? How did you say goodbye to spring and hello to summer? Anyone have exciting plans for this lovely season??

Bar Gelato?! Yes Please.

Maybe it's the fact that our little temporary one bedroom apartment does not have A/C and a cold treat sounds so refreshing, summer is in full force, or the fact that I just have a major sweet tooth... but these little bars of goodness look ahh-mazing. Can someone please convince bar gelato to be sold in other states than California? I will buy them. I can promise you that.

Turkey Pesto Panini

Yesterday was one of those make-something-for-lunch-based-on-the-few-ingredients-you-have-in-your-fridge type of days. The finished product was so good that it was no longer a "scavenger-type" meal, but may be one of my new favorite sandwiches. I loved it so much I couldn't wait till noon to make it again today. I thought to take a picture mid-scarf mode, so I apologize for the half-eaten sandwich. But if your looking for something tasty (and quick!) to make, I highly suggest throwing this little guy together!
 

A Chocolate Chip Cookie Evening

What does a girl do when she's home alone on a Friday night? Bake some fantastic chocolate chip cookies and catch up on the Royal Wedding, of course!  (Which was incredibly beautiful, wouldn't you agree??)

 

I've been meaning to try this new chocolate chip cookie recipe for a while. It claims to be the "best chocolate chip cookies." A little skeptical, yet hopeful, I whipped them up. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to exclaim which cookie is "the best," but DANG! These were amazing. You can't stop at just one. My advice? Follow the recipe exactly. Even the whole "whacking the cookie sheet" recipe part. I think I am going to need to find something to do tonight in order to refrain eating the rest of these. I'm running a 5K in the morning, and I'm pretty sure these are not the recommended pre-race meal. Just guessing.

PS. I just realized my last three posts have involved desserts. Don't judge me.

Rays of Sunshine

Whew! What a week, right? Russell made the comment that he knew I was crazy busy when the blog is neglected. I've been preparing taxes like a mad woman and trying to stay sane in the meantime. I've realized this week that it's those tid-bits of happiness that are in a sense "rays of sunshine" that get you through busy and stressful times of life. Some of the rays of sunshine I've seen this week include:

Wearing my shoe clips. I don't know why they made me so happy, but spicing up some of my go-to shoes just put a little spring into my step. If you want to learn how to make them, go HERE.

Taking a long Sunday nap. I don't remember the last nap I took, maybe 6 months ago? It felt sooooo good.

Going for a beautiful run in the park near our house after working yesterday.

The lovely 70 degree weather San Antonio is blessing us with.

Making salmon and liking it! (Did you hear that Mom??? I'm a big girl now!) I've never been a big seafood person, but I am growing up. We made this Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon recipe, and it turned out perfect (and was incredibly easy! Bonus!) Pair it with some asparagus and brown rice and you've got yourself a meal.

Getting to play the piano at church. I haven't touched a piano for almost 3 months, and I have missed it. A lot.

And most of all, hanging out with this crazy guy.

Hope y'all have had a wonderful weekend and have been able to find some rays of sunshine in the craziness of life.

The Holiday of Love

It is February 15th, and I am thinking about the last few days feeling incredibly loved. Not just by my wonderful husband, but by friends and family around the world. Words really cannot express how grateful I am for my husband, friends in Texas and elsewhere, for my family, and for the amazing family I married in to. I definitely felt the love this year!

We got to spend time with lots of friends this weekend. Saturday night we went to the good ol' rodeo down here in Texas. We went with a huge group of friends, most of which were some of the first people we met here in Texas. We don't get to see each other that much since we moved to our new house, but when we do it's always a good time. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures with the group, but here we are at dinner with Brandon and Megan.

The next day we threw a little Valentine's shin-dig with a few friends. These are some of our "newest" friends here in Texas, and I am so grateful for them. Karen and Brittney have especially been "there for me" these last few months as Russ has been out of town every week. We've had some good times. You know you've got some good friends when they ditch their husbands to come watch the Bachelor with you... every week.

There was lots of good food, laughing, and extreme game times. (I forgot how fun Catch Phrase is! Holy moly). I think we were all a little enamored by the Valentine-themed Fruit Pizza I made. You guys, this thing was seriously amazing. It's all about the crust. Oh, and the frosting. And heck, it's also about the fruit. The only thing I'm sad about is that it didn't stick around longer. Needless to say, it got eaten. Really fast.

And isn't Karen (on the right) just the cutest? She also happens to be the most pleasant pregnant person I've ever been around. Here she is a week past her due date, and I still have not heard her "complain" once. I hope I can be half as nice as she is when I'm that big. Here's the best part... she's in the hospital delivering that little guy as I type!! Hooray!

{This is my Valentine. I love him}

By the end of the night I think we all got a little slap-happy. I blame it on the sugar rush. Those Valentine hearts I told you about a few days ago turned out to be excellent photo shoot props.

 
 

I hope everyone got a little lovin' this past Valentine's Day. Stay tuned to find out how Russ got clothes lined. Confused? Don't worry, you'll see..

Chicken Pesto Stromboli

I'd like to introduce you to a Russ & Camille staple. 

I originally got this recipe a few years ago from Just Cook Already, a really great source for some good family recipes. We've made it time and time again, and I'm telling you, it never disappoints. And the best part is, depending on how I roll it all together, sometimes it's short and fat (like above), and other times it's long and skinny. Either way, it's absolutely delicious.  It's great for entertaining, and even better for leftovers (if there is any). I mean, how can you go wrong with chicken, pesto, cheese, spinach, and bread? Oh yeah, you can't. Alright, let's just get to the important details:  

1 Rhodes Rolls Frozen bread Loaf

1/2 cup Pesto Sauce

2 cups Spinach

2 cups Cooked Shredded Chicken

2 cups Shredded Mozzarella

1/2 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1 tsp. Garlic Salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

Thaw bread according to package.

On greased counter roll out to a rectangle about the size of a cookie sheet

Spread Pesto all over leaving a 1 inch space from edge

Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan on top of pesto. Sprinkle Mozzarella the layer of spinach, last your shredded Chicken.

Now roll, jelly roll style,  starting at the long end.

Roll it all the way so it makes a long tube.

Place on a greased cookie sheet, make sure seam is on the bottom.  Tuck ends under.

Brush with egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan and Garlic Salt.

Cut slits along the top to vent

Let Rise 30 minutes. Bake @350 until golden brown, 20-30 minutes.

This is essentially like a rolled up pizza, so, get creative! You can switch in or out any ingredient you'd like. Russ and I have also altered this recipe to use pineapple, ham, cheese, and BBQ sauce to make a "Hawaiian" rendition of the stromboli. The possibilities are endless! And if you're wondering what it looks like in the middle of this stromboli of goodness, I managed to snap a shot before it disappeared off the plate. Is it lunch-time yet??

Husbandless on a Snow Day

As I mentioned in the post before, San Antonio received a "winter blast," as they said on the news. The city practically shut down (freeways were literally closed most of Friday) and Russell was out of town... again. What does that leave a girl to do? Go crafting crazy, of course. One of the projects I did is the "have a heart" project, as found on this blog. Just take a book from Goodwill, some old scrapbook paper, a sewing machine needing some love, and...

... you've got some Valentine's decorations that will instantly bring a smile to your face. Trust me. I like these little hearts so much they might be up a little longer than February 14th. They just make me so darn happy.

I may have gotten a little carried away with the whole "heart theme" and made tons and tons and tons of sugar cookies. Holy moly, these babies are good. Remember Sheri? She is a fabulous baker, and this recipe is a Sheri special. As Lindsay calls them, they are the "Sheri Bird Cookies of Love."

And this next project was another result of a craft extravaganza my friend Megan and I had on Friday night. I've been wanting to attempt making some fabric flower poppies for a while, and I'm pretty sure I like the result. I may or may not have made them in multiple colors. I need to learn when to say "Camille... back away from the fabric flowers."

Anyway, as you can see in the picture, the snow is long, long gone. In fact, this afternoon Russ and I played a board game on the back deck and I think I may have even gotten a little sunburnt. Winter came and left in one week. But the snow was good while it lasted, and hey, it gave me an excuse to stay in, be lazy, and make crafts. 

TGIF

Wouldn't you agree?

For some reason this has been an eternal, never-ending week. Each day would draaaaaaaaag on longer than the next. Nothing bad, necessarily, just S.L.O.W. This is definitely one of those days I want to scream T.G.I.F. from the rooftops! Speaking of, does anyone else remember the amazing Friday-night-line-ups on ABC with Boy Meets World, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Family Matters, and Full House?? That was pretty much the highlight of my 11-year-old life. Yes, I had a very exciting life as an 11 year old. I'm sure you did, too. Anyway, this is besides the point.

I have been trying to have a more positive outlook on life (aka not be a Negative Nancy), so some positive moments of the week include, but are not limited to:

Getting back into the running/exercise groove post Holidays, which can be a rough transition. (See previous post)

Watching/being entertained by The Bachelor. Come on girls, no need to keep it a secret anymore.

Getting an unexpected raise!

My mom started a blog! (click HERE for a "joyful" read). I'm not surprised that her writing is so fun to read, she's quite an intelligent woman. But I'm just more impressed that my mom is a blogger now. With a recently purchased smart phone and a DSLR camera. Hellooooo techy mom! :)

Seeing my brother-in-law's band getting some awesome (and well-deserved, I might add) publicity. You all know Nie-Nie, right? Her sister, C Jane, has also gathered quite the following, and has become quite the fan of Fictionist. (See here, here, and most definitely here. She even named Stu one of her "people of the year".) Yeah C-Jane!

The "cold" weather here in Texas. It's refreshing and welcomed.

Making a boss-awesome homemade chicken noodle soup (recipe found HERE). It lasted me all week, and was quite tasty as well. (If you want to give it a try, I recommend using a rotisserie chicken... mmmmmmmm)

Getting my wonderful husband back tonight. That darn business travel thing. Nights at home have been quiet.

Whew! That list was longer than expected! I guess it pays off to look on the bright side of things. Hope y'all have a happy weekend where all of your dreams come true. (A girl can hope, right?)

Grill & Chill

Christmas came early this year! My parents surprised us with an early Christmas gift of a beautiful black grill. This gift was perfect for us for the following reasons:

It still gets in the 70's every day, even in December. Why not grill?
Grilling = considerably less dishes (perhaps my favorite reason for the grill)
Endless grilled entree possibilities, including, but not limited to burgers, chicken, salmon, corn, steak, etc.
It's fun!
Russ's manhood is enhanced considerably. A man needs his grill. 

Russ was very particular on the spatula we bought. It needed to be a uni-body metal piece of work that exudes strength and power. We grilled some chicken last night... I think the manhood power is evident, no?

Thanks again, Mom and Dad! We love the grill!!

Can't Wait To Eat the Leftovers

{picture via}

Yeah, you know you want some. This picture, my friends, shows the Caramel Apple Crisp (w/homemade Caramel Sauce) that I took to dinner at some friends last night. It was as good as it looks. In fact, I was caught red-handed "cleaning the edges" of the pan in our dark kitchen before we went to bed. Yes, I was that girl. I got the recipe from my ultimate favorite recipe blog, A Hint of Honey. I heard about this blog from my friend Lindsay, and can honestly say every recipe I've tried of Jessie's is fantastic. I love her style, her pictures, and of course, her food. Too bad she lives in Virginia, otherwise I have a feeling that we would be friends.

Moving on, it's a Monday, and we all know how I feel about Mondays. But I'm actually feeling quite optimistic about the upcoming week. Nothing huge to report, but I am looking forward to the following:

• Haircut!!! Ooooo I love getting an update in this department. I'm not doing anything too drastic, but am 99% positive I will bring back the bangs. I just don't think the long flowy bang-less look works for me. I gave it a valiant effort.
• Harry Potter 7. Need I say more?
• Potentially making a large plunge with a big purchase. If said plunge occurs, I will share. Until then, you must wait in suspense.
• Christmas list-making, Christmas decoration-shopping, Christmas anticipation, Christmas everything! I'm feeling it early this year.
• Last full work week until Thanksgiving!
• Family pictures taken by the wonderfully talented Sada Lewis.

Here's to making the most of a Monday afternoon, and to eagerly anticipating eating leftover apple crisp tonight. Happy Monday everyone!

This Weekend I Did the Following . . .

* Bought a new phone on Craigslist. Why did I do that? Let me tell you. A few days prior I pulled the genius move and dropped my phone in the toilet. Luckily the toilet had stopped flushing and did not flush the phone, but it did soak it enough that it would not work. Go team Camille!

* Came home from my Craigstlist deal to a man in a mustache making delicious quesadillas. See below.

If you look behind us you can see my new gray wall! I was so excited to get approval to paint from the landlord (even if it was just ONE wall). Oh, and don't judge me that we don't have pictures in our frames yet. One step at a time people.

* Ran half of a 1/2 marathon. (do I say a 1/4 marathon?) This couple from my church planned a 1/2 marathon on a Saturday (since there are like no races on Saturdays here) for anyone who wanted to run (obviously for free). It was basically a 6.6 mile loop twice. I haven't been training per se, so I opted for just one loop. But now I can say I have run a 1/4 marathon. Don't be jealous.

* Cleaned/organized/weeded/ran errands like a mad-woman on very little sleep. And then I crashed at about 4 pm leading to my first nap in a good 6 month period. It was glorious.

* Went on a date with the mister and friends to dinner, the Riverwalk, and back to Megan and Brandon's cute house for dutch-oven-peach-cobbler and s'mores around their fire pit. A fun evening had by all!

* Made pumpkin pancakes in honor of Halloween before church (click on the link for the recipe. It's worth it). Russ wanted to have "bats" in them... so I added some chocolate chips. yummmmm.

* Have filled the candy bowl and am anxiously awaiting passing out candy to eager trick-or-treaters for the first time in my own home.

Ahhh, the weekend. So short, but so sweet. Hope yours has been just as sweet! Oh! The doorbell has rung...