#101in1001 Update

Howdy y'all - happy Friday! To keep ME accountable and to keep YOU up to date, the last Friday of every month, I'm going to give an update on what I've crossed off my #101in1001 list.

So here goes...

✔ 27. Inspire someone to write their own 101 in 1001 list. I'm proud to report I've heard from several friends and readers who are joining me on this challenge - some are even sharing some of my goals for us to do simultaneously AND we're already STRONGER TOGETHER.

Eat Montana. It's no surprise, the Hubs and I have had success here, especially during winter.

✔ 35. Montana Ale Works. Although this restaurant isn't entirely new to us, after reading in Edible Bozeman about their renewed commitment to serve more local food, I was intrigued. But as before, it's pretty typical bar food with no real excitement. Thank you, next...

✔ 37. Foxtrot. A great breakfast burrito. Nothing to write home about but it's solid for a casual or on the go breakfast.

✔ 38. Fresco Cafe. This was the scene of our Valentine's Day lunch and we were pleasantly surprised by their generously portioned and tasty salads and the wine list. The outdoor patio will definitely be our jam come warmer weather.

✔ 40. Saffron Table. We know we were spoiled with food in DC but had heard this was the not to miss Indian cuisine in Montana. But their buttered chicken... Ugh. And that's a pretty easy dish. Before we entirely rule this place out, we need to go back.

✔ 41. Seven Sushi. This sushi is reminiscent of Sticky Rice and we're here for it on the nights we feel like eating creative but not authentic sushi.

There are a few items on the to-do list that take a little more planning or include some time, so here's what we've gotten started on...

18. Explore at least one new place every month. To reacquaint ourselves with Montana and dive a little deeper, we're taking this challenge head on with our first adventure hiking to Grotto Falls in Hyalite Canyon. It was the Hyalite of our weekend with all the dad jokes!

52. Annual trip to Palm Springs. Keep your eyes peeled for a trip in late April...

57. Hike in Moab. Henry's daycare has a spring break, which puts us in a bit of a pickle but we're trying to make lemonade out of lemons and have started thinking about driving down to Utah.

85. Shoot annual family photos. I mean if you missed our shoot with Loneman Photography, immediately check our session here. Eeeepp, now what photos to print?!

87. Sell at least $500 worth of clothes. I've already sold over $800 worth of clothing via Poshmark but this new goal is for 2020 and I'm half way there...

89. Choose a cookbook and cook it all. This is one of my favorite goals and now is even better because Paulo and I are doing it together. Check out recipe one and recipe two and don't forget to follow along via our #pandwdinein.

90. Have a date night at least once a week for six months. With our work travel schedules in the next few weeks, this goal may go off the rails but just having this on the list helps us get a babysitter and really spend that one on one time.

91. Work out five times a week for three months. I'm in week four and feeling like I'm getting my groove back. I'm also convinced working out has helped me stay healthy the month of February (knock on wood!)

P.S. Words and motivation via Castle.

RECIPE 2: Whole-Wheat Pasta with Brown-Buttered Mushrooms, Buckwheat and Egg Yolk

For our second recipe from Alison Roman's Dining In, Paulo and and I chose Whole-Wheat Pasta with Brown-Buttered Mushrooms, Buckwheat and Egg Yolk.

We doubled this simple but hearty pasta dish for my mom who was visiting this past weekend and my sister and her two kiddos (ages 8 and 5), which meant 4 pounds of mushrooms - WOAH! But it was an easy recipe to cook for a crowd (simply split up your saute into two pans) and pleased all ages - just hold the raw egg yolk for the young'ins. None of us had ever had buckwheat groat and what a wonder! It adds an unexpected but appreciated crunch that's likely to now get added to salads and the like.

And talk about good leftovers! This recipe is great the next day as a fancy lunch and good even a few days after that. (Further evidenced by the photo as this was taken on day two!)

P.S. In case you missed recipe #1, click here! #pandwdinein

WEEKDAY MUSINGS

EATING // ICYMI, we've been cooking and eating through Alison Roman's Dining In. And you guys! It's so fun to page through a cookbook and pick out what's next but also know the whole book will get cooked and we're not going to miss a thing! Did I mention it's also GORGEOUS?!

HOME*WORK // Remember the black hole in our family room? I'm happy to report it is drab no more! We wrapped the paneled accent wall and it feels just right. Big thanks to Austin and his Trimbach Builders crew for the quick fix. Pictures coming soon but first this mama is going to relax and take it all in.

CRUSHING ON // Oatly. Post-pregnancy, I developed a dairy intolerance. Maybe it's hormones or maybe it's always been lurking in the background, all I know is that the only way I've felt better is by limiting my dairy intake. But have no fear! There are so many good dairy substitutes these days and  frankly oat milk (specifically the Oatly brand) is as good as they come.

READING // Ronan Farrow's Catch and Kill. An inside look at how a powerful TV network can bury stories no matter how big, it leaves you with a strong feeling of ick. To be fair, I'm only about a third through but I'm really hoping more than the author and victims prove to have moral compasses.

THANKFUL FOR // Henry. Next weekend, my girlfriends and I are showering my best friend Katie in PDX to celebrate her coming baby girl and it's bringing up all the feels. I've been rummaging around Henry's room taking out and refolding a few newborn clothes while the Hubs looks on with a giggle. How is Henry almost two? SOB. Please make time stop.

THINKING ABOUT // A total wardrobe revamp. As I inch closer toward 35, I really want to love my clothing from head to toe which means my closet is ready for a MAJOR spring cleaning. Curious about what's on the way out? Check my Poshmark and don't hesitate to make me an offer if anything piques your interest.

WATCHING // We sailed through the second season of Killing Eve, loved it but are ready for what's next. Any new favorites?

WEARING // Even though it's winter, I can't stop wearing my Superga classics and - dork alert - I can't wait until Henry slides into his matching kicks. Have I mentioned his birthday is just around the corner? It's time to start party planning...

RECIPE 1: Slow-Roasted Citrus Salmon with Herbed Salad

You've seen my 101 in 1001 list, right?! Whelp, exciting news about #89 on my list - to cook through an entire cookbook. I'm one lucky gal because my bestie Paulo (yes, him again) decided to choose a cookbook with me and cook every recipe.

After almost five years of week to week rendezvous in the same city with Paulo and his fiance Josh, living in separate states has been hard. At least we're west coasting together with Paulo and Josh in Seattle and us in Montana but long distance is still the worst.

So... drumroll please... Paulo and I chose Alison Roman's Dining In to stay connected, eat well and live colorfully. Get ready for VERY GOOD content via #PAndWDineIn as we cook through all 125 recipes. Here goes nothing and recipe #1: Slow-Roasted Citrus Salmon with Herbed Salad.

This past long weekend while the little beast napped, the Hubs and I began to cook. We sliced lots of citrus... including Meyer lemons and blood oranges... Pulled out a pound and a half of fresh caught King Salmon from our stash in the freezer. And paired our dish with Ina's tried and true couscous with pine nut and mint and a dry white wine for a relaxed lunch for two. 

Want the full recipe? Follow along as Paulo and I cook the book...

Now ENJOY and be MERRY while eating this deliciously joyous and easy dish! It won't disappoint, I promise. AND don't forget to follow our journey via #pandwdinein on Instagram OR - even better- join us on this crazy quest, let's cook together!

2019 Family Photos

Happy Valentine's Day! To celebrate, I'm flashing back to early December when we spent the morning with Doug and Stana of Loneman Photography to capture time with our little family. Here's to Henry at 20 months old - let's do this!

That's all for now y'all... I'll be here ugly crying wishing another two months hasn't already flown by while flipping through our 2018 family photos when Henry was only 10 weeks.

P.S. Here are the outfit details... On Henry: Polo Bodysuit, Overalls, Shoes + Jacket; On Dan: Flannel, Jeans, Shoes + Jacket; On me: Sweater, Jeans, Booties, Jacket.

Handmade Valentines

Anyone who knows me, knows I love holidays but with Valentine's Day... it's true love. A holiday that celebrates snail mail is what dreams are made of. AND now I have a mini, I'm getting crafty!

So in addition to some tastefully markered heart cutouts for family and friends, baking 48 sugar cookies and procuring five pounds of delicious sour gummy lips - I made these heart shaped crayons for Henry's class. I love these little handmade Valentine's because they're not only unique but they're also not just another sweet. Big thanks to by GF Clara for the inspo, now here's a how to...

THE SUPPLIES

A variety of crayons
One sharp knife
A cutting board
A silicon mold (try this one from Michael's)
Cellophane bags
A card or label (I picked up mini cards with envelopes from our local Paper and Grace)

DIRECTIONS

Sort the crayons into colorways (try orange, pink and red; blue and purple; yellow and green).
Peel the paper labels from the crayons.
Using a sharp knife cut the selected crayons into a size that easily fits into your selected mold.
Place the mold onto a cookie sheet (it will help keep things steady) and fill the mold with your cut crayons.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes at 250 degrees F.
Allow the crayons to cool and harden completely before filling your cellophane bags with your handmade Valentines and cards.

Not feeling crafty but want heart shaped crayons... Click HERE.

P.S. Did you make Valentine boxes to receive cards + candy at school? EEEepeeepp - I CANNOT wait for that stage with H!

Valentine's Day Edit '20

With only seven days until Valentine's Day, you know I can't pass up an opportunity to celebrate!

Mori Heart Zip Up Sleeper | I love an on-theme set of pajamas, especially for our mini.

Ferm Living Quilted Lumbar Pillow | I first set eyes on this smart cushion at a coffee shop in France and haven't stopped thinking about it since.

Red, White & Royal Blue | You've already heard about how this book pulled on my heartstrings, so what are you waiting for?!
Marimekko Bud Vase | Sometimes, I fantasize about this little number atop our master bath counter.
Gimbals Sour Pucker Up Gummy Lips | Two years ago these gummy candies ended up in my Amazon cart and I ordered 5 lbs. The probability of it happening again... is HIGH!
Naked Cashmere Puff Slippers | My hospital bag for the birth of Henry included the all black version of these foot snugglers - it's time for another pair!
Normann Copenhagen Circus Pouf | This ottoman was another overseas love at first sight moment.
Banquet Workshop Neon Heart Art Print | After admiring this print for what felt like a decade, our besties gave us this print as a house warming gift and it's getting framed just in time for the holiday. 

WEEKDAY MUSINGS

EATING // All the Alaska King Salmon. Our neighbor's buddy fishes in Alaska part of the year and hooked us up with 20 lbs at less than $10/pound. We love Ina's salmon with melting tomatoes. Any other recs out there?

HOME*WORK // Ugh. A couple of weekends ago, we decided one small wall in our family room should match our dark grey paneled accent wall for a full effect in the space. It seemed like a pretty straightforward job but a small miscommunication led our painter to give us wrong color information. Now we have a BLACK HOLE and it's killing my sunshine - please send help!

A weekday cheers (and Gray Malin's genius!)

CRUSHING ON // Jacey Duprie's "modern mariniere" collaboration with Summersalt. We're headed to Palm Springs for our annual pilgrimage and I'm 100% certain I need the polka dot triangle bikini with lace-up bottoms. I haven't worn a two-piece in at least 5 years but with this suit, I'm ready to bare it all. Now just restock ASAP, please!

READING // When my bestie Paulo recommends anything, I hop to it. So when he said he loved Red, White and Royal Blue, I immediately downloaded the book on Audible and took it on the road with me across the state for a long work road trip. I was happy to learn it's the perfect book for getting in the Valentine AND election spirit. It also has some very DC scenarios that pulled on my heartstrings and made me a bit nostalgic. This romcom did not disappoint,

THANKFUL FOR // Snow (and dare I say a consistent temperature drop?!) We've witnessed extreme highs and lows here in Montana the last few months. This past weekend it was sunny and 50 degrees but less than 24 hours later we had over six inches of snow. I'm not a scientist but I know that if this temperature ping-pong continues, it does not bode well for summer. No snow results in fires, smokey skies and I just can't!

THINKING ABOUT // Bailing on The Bachelor, because I can't think about SOTU or the impeachment vote today. Yes, Pilot Pete is adorable but he's one lost puppy and the girls seem too extra this season. But it's also one of those car crash scenarios and I can't look away. I mean, who bumps his head while getting into a golf cart and smashes a glass to his forehead? Apparently lovesick Peter Weber. Are you tuning in this season? How you feelin' about ol' Pete?

WATCHING // Netflix's The Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez. You guys! If you love thrillers and true crime, this documentary is for you! It's got a real Serial vibe with recorded interviews from prison and makes you sympathize with the complicated Patriot footballer despite knowing the evidence. I just could not stop watching. But if that's not your jam... The GoopLab with Gwyneth is fascinating. It's definitely more Goop indoctrination but I'm here for it. 

WEARING // I'm a goal digger and with Palm Springs two and half months away, I'm laser focussed on crossing off #91 (working out five times a week for six weeks) on my #101in1001 list. I'm generally "in shape" but I'd love to be fully toned. What's your favorite workout gear? This girl is ready to sweat!