Thanksgiving in DC

For the past few years we have spent Thanksgiving on the Eastern Shore with Mark and his Dad's side fo the family! It is a wonderful time and I love seeing his cousins. This year hwoever, thr crowd dropped to 6 and we couldn't spend the night so we decided to relocate the Friday after Thanksgiving lasagna night to DC! It was exciting tog et to host Mark's parents and grandparents in our new apartment and to finally get to play hostess. (We still don't have a kitchen table so we had to borrow some folding tables for the occasion - this is also why we have not had many people over for meals since we moved!)

We drove around the tidal basin, got out by the Lincoln, visited the Korean War memorial and then walked along the (empty) reflecting pool to the WWII Monument. The wind was fierce, making the walk quite brisk, but spending time with family was great.

After our walk, we went back to the house for dinner. Mike and Kelsey's wedding in October inspired a bit of the table decor as I used their place card holders for my table settings. The beautiful green runner was a gift from our friends Kyle and Courtney and the napkins were a wedding gift from my bridesmaids. Lots of love went into this table and I loved how it turned out!

Oh yeah, and the lasagna was pretty good too!

I Am Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

For the past few months I have been gathering thoughts in my head about the wonderful women I am friends with and how I am so thankful for their faith and strength. These women have impacted my life so dramatically, that I am certain I would be a different person without having met them.

Amanda: traveled with me on a missions trip to Guatemala, introduced me to many new foods and dietary restrictions! challenges me spiritually, constantly expanding my horizons, currently serving in the Peace Corps.

Karlene: makes me laugh more than anyone in the world, literally drove me everywhere in high school, most significantly bible study, church and Young Life (even though I was always out of the way!), the reason I played lacrosse in college and the reason I even had a lacrosse stick in college, currently living her dream job in Boston and pursuing a career in women's health.

Faith: pregnant working mother with incredible amounts of compassion and care for others, my high school confidant, I love that our husbands are such good friends! your faith and the way you raise a family (+ debt free!) are an inspiration and encouragement. Currently works as a pediatric nurse.

Brooke: my baby sister, incredibly humble, stellar basketball player and the wisest woman I know (she asks me about financial decisions and career paths as a teenager!) Currently living the high school experience.

Sarah: fully understands the importance of loving and serving where you live, defies the odds and lives outside of the norm for the sake of doing what is right. Currently works for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Katie: probably my best friend in the world. Katie reads my thoughts and knows me better than anyone, when life gets rough, Mark calls Katie! she has incredible faith, perseverance, and determination, has a heart for the less fortunate. Currently pursuing her Masters in Public Health.

I have known most of these girls since I was little and they still love me! They are wonderful women of God who are serious about making a difference with their lives. I am thankful for the impact the have had on me and more importantly the impact on their communities around them. Thank you for being such incredible people! I love you!

Amanda

This past summer a few friends were in Rhode Island for a wedding. We reflected on how much we were missing Amanda...so we decided to send her a message!

Weddings and Babies

This summer was full of weddings! Three in just two weekends!

(NOTE: These weddings will all soon be links! Or you can keep and eye out for them on my calligraphy blog: www.calligraphybyshannon.blogspot.com)

Teen and Brendan

Dave and Katie

Ashley and Mike

And then the weddings continued into fall:

Whitney and JD

Mike and Kelsey

We had a blast at all of them! We love weddings and all of the emotions they bring for the couple, their families and each marriage in attendance. Beautiful ceremonies, gorgeous brides, and lots of loving details sprinkled into the mix.

I thought that was a lot of excitement for a short period of time. And then the third week in November happened! Four friends had baby boys this week - FOUR! Congratulations to all the new families, happy moms, and healthy baby boys! I look forward to meeting you all! I am overwhelmed with excitement. Here are the big boys:

Top: Isaiah & Levi

Bottom: Carlton & Caleb

CSA Inspired: Brussels Sprouts Taste Good

I am fascinated by brussels sprouts. They might be the most unloved vegetable. They are under rated and often over looks. Brussels sprouts bring a depth of flavor to the table that makes me long for the first fall frost. Each week at my CSA I asked if it had been cold enough at the farm for brussels sprouts...and each week I waited. When it was finally time, I was brimming with ideas of how to prepare these lovely little gems!

If you have been reading my blog, you may remember my recipe from last year:

Curried Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Soup

(Hint: the smaller the sprout the sweeter - use the bigger ones for soups and the smaller ones for roasting!)

This year I tried a few different techniques:

Roasted:

Toss brussels sprouts with good EVOO a bit of lemon juice, freshly cracked pepper and plenty of coarse salt. "Roast" in the oven at 350 for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve as a side or tossed over pasta!

Sauteed:

Brussel Sprout Leaves with Crunchy Garden Radishes

- from Martha Stewart

Steamed:

• 2 pounds brussels sprouts

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 clove garlic

• Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Steam brussels sprouts for 5-7 minutes until bright green and tender.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add garlic; cook until soft. Stir in brussels sprouts. Add salt and pepper then lemon juice and walnuts. Serve warm.

Enjoy your brussels sprouts!

Blue Duck Tavern

Mark totally surprised me with a perfect dinner date to celebrate our third anniversary. We went to Blue Duck Tavern. The restaurant has an open kitchen with a wood burning oven so we enjoyed a show while our meal was being prepared. The menu was fantastic, listing the farms where everything was naturally grown or raised. It was so hard to decide what to order, but we settled on quite a few dishes so we could try a lot. During the decision process, we almost opted to split a pheasant! We had a fantastic meal capped with apple pie and carmel macchiato flavored ice cream!

Check out my really hot shoes! Awesome anniversary gift from the sweetie!