Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone, and Happy New Year!

Love, The Marandos

Here are a few pictures from our Ugly Sweater Christmas Party....

Thanks everyone for coming we had a blast!! Hope you all have a great Christmas break. xoxo

Pinterest Inspired Wall Collage

Hello everyone, hope you had a great weekend. I wanted to share something with you that I worked on last week for our house. I have been on Pinterest a lot lately, and one thing I kept seeing that I loved were wall collages....so I decided to make my own.

First I went to Michael's to get everything I needed: different sizes of black frames, letters, black spray paint, and scrapbook paper. I also ordered the pictures I wanted to use online and picked them up from being developed at CVS. I got home with everything and didn't really know where to start, so I decided on an easy task..spray painting my letters black. I got a small "K" for Katelyn and a small "R" for Ryan. I also bough a big "M" for Marando, or so I thought. (Later when hanging the "M" on the wall, I noticed the holes were in a funny spot, and no way it was going to stay on the wall. That was because my "M" was an upside down "W" -- so I scrapped the "M/W" idea all together, but if anyone wants a black "W" let me know.)

Next I started to put all my pictures in frames. I went back and fourth on black and white versus colored prints but ultimately decided on the color, while having everything else in black and white. I chose pictures of places we have recently visited on vacation: Charleston, SC; Carmel, CA; Miami, FL; and Marblehead, OH. I think they turned out pretty neat. In the other frames I cut to size black and white patterned scrapbook paper.

Finally Ryan watched and gave advise as I laid the pattern out on the floor below the wall. Once I had it how I wanted it I began to measure and hammer nails into the dinning room wall. A great tip I learned on Pinterest: place a dab of toothpaste on your picture frame hook. Then hold the frame up to the wall exactly where you want it. The toothpaste will leave a small mark on your wall and this is where you place your nail...genius! This worked great!

I'm sure everything is not perfect, but it looks good to me, and Ryan loved it...

More Pinterest inspired projects to come....

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I just realized that I had not posted on my blog in exactly one month! November was a really busy month for me at work, and also for Ryan and I at home. So naturally this past month flew by. I can't believe it is already December, and with Christmas and holiday parties right around the corner, I have a feeling December is going to go by just as fast. A few posts ago, I did mention we were going to have a busy, but fun November. So I should probably back track and let you know how it went...

The first weekend in November I headed up to Chicago to hang out with Taryn, Katie, and Jackie. We had such a great time in the windy city. We got to see Jackie's new apartment and hang out with two of her sisters, Tiffany & Vicki. Football & drinks, then some getting ready and we went out for the night. It was so nice getting to catch up with everyone, and I can't wait to do it again.

The second weekend in November, Ryan's Birthday, we had both parents in Indy with us. Friday night we all went to Ruth's Chris to celebrate Ryan turning 26. Saturday we did a lot of shopping, the girls, and had dinner then went to the Stacked Pickle to hear Dave & Rae. We finished off the weekend with breakfast at the Roost before everyone headed home. It was such a nice weekend with family : )

The following Thursday we were off to Miami. This was such a nice break from everything. Neither one of us had ever been to Miami before, but I can assure you we will be back; we loved it! We stayed at the Fontainebleau and it was first class, just amazing. There was a lot of relaxing by the pool, fun dinners, shopping and partying. We were lucky that LIV, an amazing night club, was right in the lobby of our hotel. Friday night we got to meet LMFAO and then see them perform there. We also met up with Molly and her sister for sushi, and it was really nice getting to see them again. I love everything about South Beach from the actual beach itself, to the shopping, restaurants, and night life...I can't wait to go back!

So we returned from Miami on Sunday, then re-packed our bags for Wednesday, and drove up to Cleveland for Thanksgiving. The weather in Cleveland was no Miami, but it was surprisingly nice for this time of year, with temperatures in the high 50's. I even ran outside almost every day we were there. Thursday we had the most amazing Thanksgiving dinner. Ryan's mom makes the best meal for Thanksgiving, it was so good! I think we probably spent Thanksgiving how most people do: eat, drink, nap, football...repeat. Friday we got up and worked off some of our Thanksgiving dinner and then headed to the Public House to see all of our friends from Cleveland, some of them we had not seen since our wedding! We really are lucky to have such great friends, even if they live all over the country now. Okay, so Saturday of course we watched the Bucket Game, but my most favorite part of Saturday was going to Lola. It is in downtown Cleveland and a Michael Symon restaurant. This is a pretty bold statement, but I think I am going to make it...Best Restaurant I have ever been too! From the amazing wine we had to everyone of our dinners I tried, perfect. Oh and I can't forget about the "6:00am" dessert. French toast with a maple, pecan, bacon ice cream and fried apples. Amazing!

Well I think that brings us to this week, and the end of our November...wheww. December is going to be another busy month, but it's the holiday season, and I wouldn't want it any other way. This weekend Ryan and I are going to decorate for Christmas and go to the first ever BigTen Championship Football game at Lucas Oil. Sunday we will probably finish decorating and that evening Taylor & I are going to the Nordstrom card holder party. We have a lot of Christmas parties to go to, including ours. On Friday, December 16th we are having an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party. Let Ryan or I know if you want to come!!

I have a lot of good blog entry ideas to come, I just hope I get around to posting...Pinterest has really inspired me lately to be more domestic & crafty haha. Happy Friday, hope everyone has a great weekend!! xo

Bruschetta Chicken

I've been trying to come up with new recipes for dinners, so we aren't eating the same meals each week. It seems like every time I try to duplicate a recipe online I'm disappointed in how it turns out. Yesterday I went to the grocery store with just some staples on my list and decided I would come up with our dinners by what was on sale or looked good this week. Last night I baked chicken that was healthy & so good! I made extras to pack in my lunch, but Ryan kept going back for more until it was gone haha.We will definitely be making this again.

Pre-heat oven at 375 degrees.

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Soft Goat Cheese
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Basil Leaves
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and split down the middle without cutting all the way through. On one side of the chicken load it up with small pieces of sun dried tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese, top with a basil leaf, and lightly salt & pepper. Do this to however many chicken breasts you are cooking, then fold your chicken back together and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.

Diced Can Tomatoes (seasoned with basil & garlic - if you can find these)

2 garlic cloves minced

5 Basil Leaves chopped

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

So whenever I make bruschetta, I put this mixture on top of the bread. I thought it would be just as good on top of the baked chicken. Drain about half of the juice out of the tomato can and put whats left of the can into a bowl. Add in your basil, minced garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt & pepper.

Once your chicken has been cooking for about 30 minutes, remove from the oven and top with your bruschetta mixture. Place back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes so the tomatoes warm through. Remove from oven and serve.

This would be really good with a big bowl of pasta or some roasted red potatoes. We went the healthy/ easy route and served with brown rice and steamed vegetables. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. Let me know what you think.

November

I can't believe it is already November 1st!! This Summer & Fall have just flown by. It's such a beautiful day out, but this will probably be one of the last. Despite the cold weather coming soon, November is going to be such a fun month for us.

This weekend I am going up to Chicago to hang out with my girls. We all met at IU and don't get to see each other as much since we all live in different cities. I can't wait to spend time with them.

Next weekend is Ryan's 26th birthday!! 11/11/11 Both of our parents are coming to Indy and we are going to dinner and out to celebrate. I have a feeling this will give us an excuse to party all weekend long.

The following Thursday, Ryan and I are headed to Miami Beach 8 ) We decided to take a long weekend vacation just because.

We get back from Miami on Sunday and have a short work week, because that Thursday is Thanksgiving. Cleveland is where we are going to be spending the long weekend. I'm so excited to see family and friends while we are there.

Looks like November is going to fly by as well, and Christmas will be here before we know it.

Happy November Everyone!

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween Everyone!! I can't wait to get home tonight and hand out candy to all the trick or treaters. Last year was our first time being in a home where we actually had trick or treaters, and it was so much fun. We are all set, Ryan replaced the burnt out light bulb on the front porch, and I already have chili made for dinner. Trick or Treating hours in Fishers are 6pm - 8pm...over just in time for a bowl of chili, Monday Night Football, and leftover candy : )
We celebrated Halloween this past weekend in Bloomington. We went down to tailgate for Homecoming and then headed to Sports that night. Taylor made us the cutest costumes this year, OPI Nail Polish Bottles. We had fun putting them all together on Friday night, and they were a big hit at the bars on Saturday, at least among all the ladies. Most guys just gave us a funny look until they got it, which some I don't think ever did.

Hope everyone has a fun & safe Halloween this year!!

"Fake-Bake" Healthy Casserole

A few nights ago I decided I wanted to make some comfort food because of the cold, rainy weather, but I did not want it to ruin our diets. I thought a casserole would be easy, so I searched online for some different recipes. I found 3 that looked interesting and took bits and pieces from each one. It does take a little while to cut everything up, but shouldn't take more than 40 minutes or so to make this, especially by using the 90 second rice...

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Next brown up ground turkey sausage (I already had sweet Italian sausage on hand so I used that).

While the ground sausage is cooking, chop up the following:

2 zucchini
2 peppers (I used red & orange)
1 squash
1 yellow onion
season with salt & pepper

(remove ground sausage from pan and place aside in baking dish - you can now use the same pan to saute your vegetables in in olive oil.)

While your vegetables are cooking you can prepare the sauce, in sauce pan add:

2 cups of low fat milk

3 tablespoons of flower

(whisk these together on medium heat until it begins to thicken, then reduce heat)

Stir in:

2 cups of frozen corn

1 1/2 cups of shredded pepper jack cheese

salt & pepper

(if this thickens up to much just add more milk)

Next take two bags of Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice and microwave.

Once your veggies are done add a splash of chicken broth to keep everything moist. Then add your veggies, rice, and sauce to the baking dish and mix in with your ground sausage. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove from oven and top with:

1 diced jalapeno

1/2 cup of low fat cream cheese (just dabble this on top and it will melt in)

Return to oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes.

Hit with a dash of hot sauce. Serve. Enjoy.

Relaxing Fall Weekend

This weekend Ryan and I had a lot of fun, not doing much of anything. I was glad we didn't have a schedule and didn't need to get much done around the house, especially because Ryan leaves tomorrow to go to Dallas for the rest of the week.
Friday after work I met Ryan at Brebeuf where he reffed his last regular season high school football game for the year. The weather was perfect and it was fun to watch him. Well, until about half time when I decided to head out and meet up with some friends. I went over the the Dunn's new house to hang out with them and the Mays. Ryan met us after his game, and we had some drinks around the bonfire. We then found our way to the hot tub, which felt amazing and was so relaxing! It was great getting to catch up with everyone.

Ry reffing (sorry about the Iphone quality photos)

Me & Jax by the fire

Saturday morning Ryan and I got up and went to Starbucks before our counter top search. We went to a few different places and I think we now have a good idea of what we want. We haven't bought anything yet, but we came close. We went to a granite warehouse and got to see the huge slabs as well as remnants that were really neat. After a few hours of this we found ourselves sitting outside at Muldoon's with a cold beer and 9-layer dip. It was just so nice out, we had to be outside. We finished up our snack and walked around downtown Carmel, stopping at Joe's Butcher shop and of course Huddles! About 2:30 we decided to head back home and watch the Hoosiers! After the game we worked out, made dinner, and then got ready to go out downtown. It was our first time at Sensu, and it was really fun. I'm still trying to decide if we liked it because we didn't have to pay cover, we didn't have to pay for our drinks, and we had a VIP booth all night, or if we would go back without all of these perks? It's a great place to dance and I'm sure would be a blast with a bunch of friends.

Cheers!

Huddles, Red Velvet & Cake Batter Swirl : )

Sunday I woke up early to pick up Bentley from PupTown. Taylor & Kyle had a wedding in Columbus and had to board him Saturday night. Ryan had to coach at St. Luke's Sunday so Bentley and I enjoyed another nice day and went for a walk at Heritage Park. We got home just in time to watch the Colts game, even though it was pretty disappointing. Ryan and I went to Taylor & Kyle's for dinner and then we all went to our volleyball game later that evening. We won all 3 games, and are on a 9-0 roll : ) Next Sunday is the tournament. Hope everyone else had a great weekend and got enjoy this amazing weather!!  

Bentley & the New Cat had a Show Down

Nap Time!