Better late than never.

I've finally started reading Harry Potter.

I'm currently on 'Order of the Phoenix' and I'm captivated-- although I had to take a little break before reading it because the fourth book scared the crap out of me. {Yeah, I know}

So far, my favorite was 'Prisoner of Azkaban'. I'm not sure why, but I think it was all the backstory and character development.

As much as I would love for the other Willi to read them along with me, I've had to settle for watching the movies together once I've finished the latest book. I'm actually glad I've started them now that all the books and films are out, because I don't think I could've handled having to wait for the next release. 

All my HP readers out there-- which is your favorite?

A-hunting we will go

We're a Christmas tree-choppin' family. It hasn't always been that way-- Amwilli grew up with "forever" trees, and my family usually picked ours up from a tree lot. It's nice to have this tradition to share with each other...  

...and the Teeb. 

This is our fourth year and she still gets pretty darn excited when we pull up to Gaver Tree Farm. There's a lot of whining and pacing (which isn't too cute and we always spend the first couple minutes trying to chill her out). We think she can smell the other dogs, but who really knows for sure? 

Our journey starts at the hastily written, yet charming white board sign. Our go-to is usually the good ole Douglas Fir-- firm and unprickly needles, perfect for all sorts of ornaments.

It's a sea of trees! Decisions, decisions. 

Could this be the one? Nope. Too bare on the top. 

Ohh... this one had a little surprise: a bird's nest. For some reason we decided that was the piece of criteria that put it over the top. 

It didn't take long for that sucker to fall... and guess who had her little eyes trained on the guy holding the saw?

Tree meets cart. 

I foolishly decided to get a little piece of the stump to start a set of DIY ornaments I spied on Pinterest (they should really just call it "Obsession," but maybe Calvin Klein has the trademark on that). Anyhoo-- my foray into lumberjacking didn't go so well, but I got my piece, so I'm happy. 

And away we go... well, away he goes...

At some point, the mister thought it'd be a great idea for the pooch to get out some of that energy by helping to pull the cart. Genius! Next year, we're bringing her harness (don't worry, he's still doing most of the work). 

On the way back to the car, I made a new friend. 

After a stop at the shake machine to get all the dead/loose needles off, and a quick bailing, we were set.

Who doesn't love a big, strong man?

She's got no complaints! 

Stay tuned for decorations... Happy December!

Gobble Gobble

Wishing you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Lyrics to Live By

One of my favorite tumblr blogs... some of my favorite lyrics... midweek pick-me-up if I ever saw one:

source

Amen.

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

So I finally recreated something from Pinterest {and yes, of course it was food}.


Best thing about this recipe is that measuring isn't really all that necessary. I don't mind all the measuring and exactness in baking—but when I'm making something savory, I just want to throw ingredients in a pot and end up with something delicious. Thankfully, this was just such a dish!


Here's the original post: Mini deep dish pizzas 


As I mentioned before, I only used this recipe as a guideline-- I didn't measure any of my ingredients at all, and I left out the sweetener and black pepper.


For much more aesthetically pleasing photos, please refer to the original post... these are quick and diiiirty {cue Christina Aguilera}:

Ingredients. And now for a little critical thinking: which ingredient is most important and why? 

What does one do with leftover tortilla pieces?

I bet this goober has an idea. He may or may not have gotten a few pieces for faithfully guarding the kitchen. Puppy dog eyes get me every time. 

I used the Don Pepino can to cut out perfect tortilla rounds.

I used a whole can of pizza sauce, a heaping handful of both the mini pepperonis and mozzarella cheese, then gave it a good stir.

It was surprisingly easy to fill the tortillas, hardly any spillage!

Top them with cheese and some mini pepperonis and pop them into the oven at 400º for about 15 minutes {or until the cheese is golden brown}.

And there you go! Easy Peezy, lemon squeezy! {I obviously spend too much time with third graders}. I know they're looking a little dubious with those burnt cheesy shreds, but only a crazy person would get rid of that goodness, so the jagged edges get to stay. 

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas - ☆☆☆☆☆

♡ quick and easy

♡ great recipe to mix and match ingredients

♡ healthy! {whole wheat tortilla, reduced fat cheese, mini pepperonis}

♡ built-in portion control 

Fact: These mini pizzas have already had an encore appearance this week. Hope you enjoy yours just as much!

Caffeine is my friend.

Meet my new Bialetti moka pot, and its bff, Lavazza:

This is literally my first coffee maker and it's pretty badass. I needed something that could make a fabulous {read: bold} cup of espresso—my bean of choice. Since I'm the only java nut in our family, this little guy fits the bill and looks cute on our stovetop. 

Next up for the coffee collection is a french press... oh life's simple pleasures ☺  

Adorbs.

Let's set the scene: 

The babe prances into the room and spies a comforter that's hanging off the bed. 

She manages to make a little pad out of the shrivel that's hanging on the floor. 

After a couple seconds the rest of it falls on her.

She didn't move.

And then we had ourselves a little Teeburrito. 

Just the perfect dose of adorableness. 

Happy Friday!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

We're US Open bound (even the Teeb!)... and I can hardly contain my excitement!! Wishing everyone a happy and safe long weekend. Cheers!

Whew.

{source}

Bought The Hunger Games on a whim in June but didn't actually pick it up until August 8th. I only remember that because it was two days before we left for Seattle.

It only took three days to get through this series... and I'm not a fast reader.

Needless to say, I enjoyed it. Literary masterpiece? Who am I to judge? — but this series made me feel things. Certainly not all good, if you're familiar with the premise, but it was captivating. I guess it's classified as sci-fi/fantasy {I suppose that's the default genre for post-apocalyptic tales} which is not usually my cup of tea, but after the first chapter I needed to know what happened to these characters.

I will say, the first book in the series was definitely my favorite. The second one was pretty good, but Mockingjay felt all kinds of rushed.

I'll be interested to see how this translates to the silver screen. A's reading it now, and is worried they're going to go overboard with the CGI... guess we'll have to wait and see. The movie is slated for March!

Next up for me is the 'Dragon Tattoo' series {yeah, yeah-- I know I'm late}. I just finished the first book {which took considerably longer than any of the 'Hunger Games' novels, mostly because of the suuuper slow beginning}. I hear the second one picks right up in the action, so I'm excited!

Have YOU read any good books lately?