Tom and I went to see my mom this weekend. We had a wonderful lunch at Rockwell & Republic in Grand Rapids. It was a beautiful day, but it felt like we skipped right over Spring and jumped head first into Summer - it was 80 degrees!! Thankfully we were back to 50s yesterday (everyone knows how much I just love the heat, haha). But I'll admit it was nice to have a good sunny and warm day. That's what I love about Michigan - one day it can snow, and the next you wanna pack up the car and head straight to the beach!
Anyway, it was packed on the deck (and probably too warm to me, ha) so we stayed inside, but it was a great lunch, nonetheless, and we went over the details of our upcoming trip to Europe!
We leave May 7th. Just 25 days to go! This is going to be an interesting day, because I graduate at 11am, and then we will have just a few hours to get lunch and whatever loose ends we need to tie up before we hop in the getaway car (in this case, board the plane) for our vacation!
Tom and I will leave first, heading straight to Paris!! I'm so excited, I might just burst! We will spend three days and two nights in Paris, staying in the Latin Quarter at the Hotel de l'Esperance, http://hoteldelesperance.fr/. My mom, Jeannette, Carolien (my Dutch sis's) and I stayed there years ago. It's the cutest hotel and I'm looking forward to sharing it with Tom. I'm also super excited to get to go back to Paris and spend time there as an adult ;)
I had an amazing opportunity to be there when I was much younger and we had an incredible time traveling with the girls. We spent a couple days in Paris, and then drove to the South of France I got to visit Monet's garden and meet a direct descendant of Monet's cat! We stayed in a beautiful chateau in the Loire Valley, toured a vineyard, and I was even lucky enough to be a part of a wedding (my mom's friend was getting married). It was an extraordinary experience. But that was the experience of a twelve year old girl, so I am VERY excited to go back and see a different type of Paris!
Of course we will do a few of the most touristy things - visiting the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysee, Musee d'Orsay, etc, but we are also out to explore the great food and culture of Paris, as well! Thankfully we have some great friends who have given us some fantastic tips and ideas!
Just a few...
*We have been told by more than one friend we definitely have to take the Seine River Cruise. If we take the sunset cruise we will see Paris by day and night, and apparently we can bring our own bottle(s) of wine!
*Les Deux Magots is another place (in the 6th district) we've ben told to stop - a great place for afternoon cocktails :)
*I have a French classmate from Paris who has given us a few ideas as well, one of them he says is the "Best restaurant ever in Paris".....well we can't get that kind of review of a place and not check it out, so we will get lunch at Le Relais Gascon, too.
If anyone has other ideas we would love to hear them. We don't have much time there, so we definitely want to have as much 'research' done in advance as possible so we don't waste a minute while we are there!
THEN we will hop on the train and head to Amsterdam! I have family there, so we will stay with them, and we are excited to see some friends we haven't seen in a while, too. My mom is meeting us there, and then after about a week, Tom comes home and I stay for just a little longer for some girl time with my mom and sisters. I'm looking forward to showing Tom the Amsterdam that I know and love, and where my heritage is....I have gotten so much of the Polish tradition and culture from his family, so I am excited to show him mine now, too.
We are both very much looking forward to wonderful days of people watching, visiting new places, eating amazing cheeses, and sipping wonderful wine.
So I guess I'll spend the next few weeks trying to figure out the rest of the details of the trip, and of course brushing up on my French! Ahhh counting down the days!!!!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Waffles and Muffins and Floss - OH MY!
Let's start with WAFFLES:
I promised in the last post that we would tell you about these amazing waffles. I have to first say, sorry I didn't get on that a little sooner (I know you were all waiting on the edge of your seats), but I had a fairly busy weekend with work and homework, work and class all day Monday, and then finally when I had some time to breathe, I realized I'd only slept about 11 hours in over 72 .....so yesterday was spent getting some much needed sleep (like all day), and I am feeling a TON better today.
....still planning to make it an extra early night though hehe ;)
Anyway, as a little background into our excursion into waffle making, we need to step back in time to my birthday. Before that, actually....
I've been a fan of waffles for, well, my whole life, I think (waffles and hotdogs, that's what makes this girl happy...and sushi...but that's a different story). By fan, I mean FANATIC. We can't go by an exit south of the Michigan border without me getting excited to see those eleven giant yellow squares spelling out my favorite restaurant in 25 states.
For the last couple of years Tommy and I have thought it would be fun to get a waffle iron, but we never bought one because the only times it ever seemed to come up was when we passed Waffle House or when we were at a breakfast place that does not serve waffles (you'd be surprised how many places will give you eggs, pancakes, french toast, and the moon, but waffles are not an option). Well, the week before my birthday Rachael Ray did a "Waffle Week" special on her talk show. This seemed to spark some serious waffle interest in both of us, and so on my birthday there was a nice new waffle iron under my pillow.
Last weekend we finally got around to trying out one of RaRay's recipes...Buttermilk Biscuit Waffles.
Here is the recipe, link, and our own photos:
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/buttermilk-biscuit-waffles
The Waffle Mixture:
2 1/4 cups pre-measured buttermilk biscuit mix (we used a gluten free one)
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (we used more like 3/4 cup, haha)
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
salt & pepper
The Gravy:
3 table spoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
nutmeg
You can check out her website for the cooking instructions, but basically mix it all together and let the waffle maker do it's thing, and the gravy comes together super easily.
Then, as she also suggests, we topped it with chicken sausage (ours was apple-chicken sausage), the gravy, and voila!
Let me just say YUM-O! We are definitely doing these again. Not only were they SUPER easy to make, but they were a delightful start to our Sunday (I seem to remember we got a lot done that day...must have been the waffles).
Next waffle stop - Grilled Cheese and Ham Waffles - OH YEAH!
Onto the MUFFINS:
I don't know what prompted the muffin craze lately, but Tom randomly brought a box of mix home a couple weeks ago - blueberry streusel. They were DELICIOUS. We kinda decided we like muffins. I mean, they are pretty easy to make, and as long as we watch what kind we make they are not a horrible snack. At the very least, they are something to "quick grab," and we need a lot of those!
I made apple cinnamon ones with granola topping this week, and now we've decided we are going to get into the muffin game! So if you have any interesting (and easy) muffin recipes please feel free to pass them on!
Now that I've stuffed myself full of muffins and waffles, it's time to FLOSS:
Ha, so I know this is switching gears a little, but I occasionally (or frequently) watch Doctor Oz, and if there is something interesting or useful, I'll hit the DVR button so Tom can see it later. Yesterday Dr. Oz gave the "Five Wrong Turns That Can Lead To Cancer"
Let me just start by saying I have never really felt like cancer was a big concern for me. Not that I don't think about my health or that I think I'm superhuman or anything, but I don't have any serious family history, I don't smoke, drink excessively, tan too much, etc. I just didn't think the risk factor was too high.
Well was I ever wrong!! Of the five "wrong turns" Dr. Oz listed, THREE (and a half) of them are something I (we) do regularly!! There are definitely going to be some changes in this house!
Here is the article so you can see all of them for yourself, but did you know not eating at the same time every day can be a factor....eating too many LOW FAT foods, or too much Vitamin E are issues, too??
Getting less than six hours of sleep a night can increase your risk of getting colon cancer by 50%!!!
Did you know if you don't floss regularly (like daily), you could be 75% more likely to get BREAST cancer?? SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT!!!
Yeah, I flossed the crap outta my teeth last night....after I spent the whole day sleeping.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/five-wrong-turns-can-lead-cancer
I promised in the last post that we would tell you about these amazing waffles. I have to first say, sorry I didn't get on that a little sooner (I know you were all waiting on the edge of your seats), but I had a fairly busy weekend with work and homework, work and class all day Monday, and then finally when I had some time to breathe, I realized I'd only slept about 11 hours in over 72 .....so yesterday was spent getting some much needed sleep (like all day), and I am feeling a TON better today.
....still planning to make it an extra early night though hehe ;)
Anyway, as a little background into our excursion into waffle making, we need to step back in time to my birthday. Before that, actually....
I've been a fan of waffles for, well, my whole life, I think (waffles and hotdogs, that's what makes this girl happy...and sushi...but that's a different story). By fan, I mean FANATIC. We can't go by an exit south of the Michigan border without me getting excited to see those eleven giant yellow squares spelling out my favorite restaurant in 25 states.
For the last couple of years Tommy and I have thought it would be fun to get a waffle iron, but we never bought one because the only times it ever seemed to come up was when we passed Waffle House or when we were at a breakfast place that does not serve waffles (you'd be surprised how many places will give you eggs, pancakes, french toast, and the moon, but waffles are not an option). Well, the week before my birthday Rachael Ray did a "Waffle Week" special on her talk show. This seemed to spark some serious waffle interest in both of us, and so on my birthday there was a nice new waffle iron under my pillow.
Last weekend we finally got around to trying out one of RaRay's recipes...Buttermilk Biscuit Waffles.
Here is the recipe, link, and our own photos:
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/buttermilk-biscuit-waffles
The Waffle Mixture:
2 1/4 cups pre-measured buttermilk biscuit mix (we used a gluten free one)
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (we used more like 3/4 cup, haha)
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
salt & pepper
The Gravy:
3 table spoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
nutmeg
You can check out her website for the cooking instructions, but basically mix it all together and let the waffle maker do it's thing, and the gravy comes together super easily.
Then, as she also suggests, we topped it with chicken sausage (ours was apple-chicken sausage), the gravy, and voila!
Let me just say YUM-O! We are definitely doing these again. Not only were they SUPER easy to make, but they were a delightful start to our Sunday (I seem to remember we got a lot done that day...must have been the waffles).
Next waffle stop - Grilled Cheese and Ham Waffles - OH YEAH!
Onto the MUFFINS:
I don't know what prompted the muffin craze lately, but Tom randomly brought a box of mix home a couple weeks ago - blueberry streusel. They were DELICIOUS. We kinda decided we like muffins. I mean, they are pretty easy to make, and as long as we watch what kind we make they are not a horrible snack. At the very least, they are something to "quick grab," and we need a lot of those!
I made apple cinnamon ones with granola topping this week, and now we've decided we are going to get into the muffin game! So if you have any interesting (and easy) muffin recipes please feel free to pass them on!
Now that I've stuffed myself full of muffins and waffles, it's time to FLOSS:
Ha, so I know this is switching gears a little, but I occasionally (or frequently) watch Doctor Oz, and if there is something interesting or useful, I'll hit the DVR button so Tom can see it later. Yesterday Dr. Oz gave the "Five Wrong Turns That Can Lead To Cancer"
Let me just start by saying I have never really felt like cancer was a big concern for me. Not that I don't think about my health or that I think I'm superhuman or anything, but I don't have any serious family history, I don't smoke, drink excessively, tan too much, etc. I just didn't think the risk factor was too high.
Well was I ever wrong!! Of the five "wrong turns" Dr. Oz listed, THREE (and a half) of them are something I (we) do regularly!! There are definitely going to be some changes in this house!
Here is the article so you can see all of them for yourself, but did you know not eating at the same time every day can be a factor....eating too many LOW FAT foods, or too much Vitamin E are issues, too??
Getting less than six hours of sleep a night can increase your risk of getting colon cancer by 50%!!!
Did you know if you don't floss regularly (like daily), you could be 75% more likely to get BREAST cancer?? SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT!!!
Yeah, I flossed the crap outta my teeth last night....after I spent the whole day sleeping.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/five-wrong-turns-can-lead-cancer
Friday, April 1, 2011
She is Beautiful!!!
FINALLY we can talk about - and show off - the new niece (yay it's a girl!)!!! :)
Introducing Little Miss Findlay Teresa Jean Kaczmarek.
I'm so happy Tom and I got the chance to rework our schedules to be there last week when she was born. I mean, would we really want to look back and say we missed out on that!!?? She is precious, as you can see - just a couple hours old in these photos.
It was difficult to only be able to spend a few hours with her, but we had to get back to Michigan and back to work by 8am the next day (yuck). Can't wait to go back and see her again, which will hopefully be soon, but I'm not sure we are going to be able to fit it in before our trip to Europe in May :/ However, when we get back we'll have many more free weekends to take off to London and snuggle her up!
Introducing Little Miss Findlay Teresa Jean Kaczmarek.
I'm so happy Tom and I got the chance to rework our schedules to be there last week when she was born. I mean, would we really want to look back and say we missed out on that!!?? She is precious, as you can see - just a couple hours old in these photos.
Zanya was induced at about 8am Thursday, March 24, 2011, and at about 3:15pm Slawek and Zanya welcomed little Findlay into the world. Of course Z's jaw dropped to see that it was a girl, and daddy was smiling from ear to ear. 8lbs. 1oz. 20in!! She is going to be a tall gal!
Findlay is probably about the most perfect baby parents could hope for. She barely cries and only wakes up to poop and eat. She makes funny faces (that make her look even more like daddy) when she scrunches up her nose. Too cute!
It was difficult to only be able to spend a few hours with her, but we had to get back to Michigan and back to work by 8am the next day (yuck). Can't wait to go back and see her again, which will hopefully be soon, but I'm not sure we are going to be able to fit it in before our trip to Europe in May :/ However, when we get back we'll have many more free weekends to take off to London and snuggle her up!Here is the "baby announcement" I made up for Slawek and Zanya. I'm just getting into designing wedding invites and things like this, so it was fun for me to get to practice on Findlay, too (when I finish the other two wedding invites I'm working on I'll photograph and post them so you can check them out).
I guess that's about it for this week....although, stay tuned because we tried one of Rachael Ray's killer waffle recipes last weekend and it was so stellar we took photos and decided it deserved to be blogged about. In the words of RaRay herself, "YUM-O!"
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