TWD ~ Crunchy & Custardy Peach Tart

Whoo Whee! This was a fun one to make! I had my new assistant helping me out. A.K.A. Husband Extraordinaire. His job was to make the streusel and the cream. Ladies & Gentlemen I think we have ourselves a chef. We had fun make the "spokes" on the pie. I would typically put the peach slices haphazardly all over the pie. Where my mathematician hubby insisted that the peaches should go in a symmetrical form... he was right! It looked way prettier. I usually make substitutions when I bake, but this tart was very strait forward. I had made the sweet dough many times when I made Dorie's French Pear Tart. So i could practically make that one in my sleep. Everything went really well with the tart, but I put the streusel on too soon. So I covered it with tin foil and then took it off after 20 minutes, and then baked it for another 20 minutes.

Every time I peered into the oven I would see it bubbling and crisping and I couldn't wait to take a bite.

Dorie said that you could serve it warm or serve it cold, and since we couldn't wait, we tried it warm. I was a bit sceptical because i don't like cream based tarts, but this one was delicious! A new favorite at our home!

TWD ~ Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

Hello! I'm baking again! It's been awhile because I've been a bit busy planning... a Wedding! Last Sunday I got married (see previous post). So I have put Tuesdays with Dorie on the back burner. But I am officially back and ready to bake. My hubby is pretty happy about that too.

This week's recipe is Oatmeal Breakfast Bread. Not sure why the recipe signals out the oatmeal, when I think the star of the show is the dried fruit. (I just used dried apples, someone who I love very much detests raisins). I also left the walnuts off the topping too. So really this was more like an apple cinnamon breakfast bread. Either way the whole house smells delicious!

I took it out of the oven when the bread turned a golden brown. Dorie says you should wait until the bread is room temperature to cut it and eat it. But we couldn't wait! Complete success... it might now even make it to breakfast!

8\8\10

The wedding day is here and gone. It's hard to believe that all that time and work and now it's just a memory. The wedding weekend was a blur, but it was also so much fun. I had all my favorite people by my side. We jammed packed a lot of events in 3 days, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Friday night was a night out for my bachelorette. Let me tell you that having a bachelorette two days before your wedding is crazy! You want to have a lot of fun, but all you can think about is what needs to get done. Nonetheless, I really had a wonderful time with all my favorite ladies! Saturday was a day of picking out flowers at the Farmer's Market, Pedicures with my girls and a really wonderful rehearsal dinner in my backyard. I had so much fun just hanging out and chatting with all the people we love so much. We had the food catered by Famous Dave's and I think people all had fun munchin' on the corn bread!

And that brings us to the wedding day. HOTTEST DAY IN ALMOST 100 YEARS!! I am not even kidding, nope, not even a little. It was painfully hot, humid and sticky. Let me tell you that it is really hard to feel beautiful on your wedding day with sweat dripping down your face. ick. BUT... everything else about the day was beautiful and wonderful! There were no major complications, everything looked beautiful and the ceremony was amazing!
Tim and I did our own vows, along with friends reading poems, prayers and singing.
I could barely get through my vows... it was so hard to fight back the tears. I think i loved the ceremony best out of all the events. Our location was on a park reserve with a barn pavilion for the reception. The sky was bright and the lake and greenery were spectacular. At the reception we went all out with a photo booth, candy buffet, dessert bar, dance and fun picnic-type food. We all sweated happily together and it seemed like, despite the heat, everyone was having a great time!
It all went by so fast! Everyone says that, but it really did! I could hardly catch my breath, no time to sit, just moving around, greeting friends and loved ones and SWEATING!
But who cares about a little (ok a lot) of sweat when I got to marry the most wonderful man in the world! I am so happy to spend my days on this earth with someone that makes life so much sweeter!
Here are a few pics of our wedding day...
Enjoy!

my cutie pie brother Buddy

Rev. Kyle & Tim


the happy couple

our cake, that we forgot to cut... and eat!

S+T Forever!

dessert table

cousin of honor kelly giving a toast... beautiful!

my handsome hubby!

ceremony site

we do!

converse all stars

lovely ellen reading The Prayer of St. Francis

my most gorgeous and fabulous bridesmaids, kelly, shannon & rachel

"s"

farmers market flowers

at my parent's house

hair flower change mid reception

I Do!

Hello UPDATE Already!!!

Whooo Wheeee! The month of July has just flown by! This being my month off of work, the days zip by and I want them back. My life has been consumed by wedding planning. August 8, is just one short week away! I need this week to slooooow dowwwwn!

Everything is pretty much done. My floor is littered with paper flower pom poms, candy boxes and programs. This is a real life DIY wedding! It has been a really BIG labor of love, but I've had some wonderful people helping me. I can't wait to see it all come together next Sunday!

Next week is all looking up, except the fact that I have to go back to work! PUKE! But i knew this was coming, and I only am working half of the week... but still! I would much rather be at home.

I am really looking forward to next Friday. Not only is it my Bachelorette party, but all my favorite peeps are coming into town. Including 2 of my Bridesmaids. I'm so excited to FINALLY have everyone here!
Saturday night is the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Which will be held in my backyard! Some may think I'm crazy to have a party at my house the night before my wedding, but I love my backyard and wouldn't have it any other way.
Sunday is the big busy day! WOAH!
I hope you all have had a great summer.
I'll be posting again when I am a MRS.
Cheers!

Closer and Closer

Wedding planning... oh JOY! I'm at the point where I can finally take a breather and just enjoy the time right now. I have been a bad friend... not returning phone calls, not answering emails. I get stressed out and crabby about wedding invitations and silly wedding to-dos. Tomorrow is my last day of work for 5 glorious weeks! I need these days off. I come home from work and there is always something going on at night! ALWAYS! T and I made a pact to not add so much to the month of July. To just enjoy the last month as a "dating" couple before we are a "married" couple. T has to work on selling his house, I need to work on my house getting ready for out of town guests and a rehearsal dinner in my backyard. So if we are absent in July... it's just because we decided we need some us time. On a great note, our pre-marriage counselor says we make a great couple. I mean we already new that, but it's nice to hear it from a professional. :)

The invitations are in the mail!!!! There is no turning back now... 225 invites arriving in mailboxes from Minnesota to Michigan to Texas to Massachusetts to Florida to Canada to Germany to Australia! OOOFTA! I am pleased as punch on how they turned out... despite the fact that I broke every etiquette rule on the addressing the envelopes. Ask me if I care?

I am realizing more and more that when it comes to a wedding, that it's okay to break a few rules. It's a special day about two people who love and care about each other deeply and those that love and care about them. So who cares if I used labels instead of hand writing each envelope!

So 45 days until the big day! I have my dress, my shoes and my big pink flower I will be rockin' in my hair.

Wedding Shoes!

Par Avion

I am now in the summer months of my job. Meaning no kids, no teachers. But that also means the piles of overdue notices I have to get out. Because God forbid that i didn't get these out and some kid can't register for the their parking permit next year because "We didn't know lil' Bobby had an overdue book!". ugh.
So while am addressing and stuffing some 300 envelopes, it reminds me that when I go home I have to do the same thing!!
The wedding invites are done! I decided to create my own and I found $14 packs of 50 blank invites at Walmart. We started printing the first batch last night and they look beautiful, simple and chic. I also saved a lot of moola! Invites were one of the things I didn't want to spend a lot of money on. Yes, i know they set the mood for the wedding, but they also get thrown away. So i feel like I accomplished both agendas.
I am also realizing that planning a wedding is all about the little details. It is easy to find a venue and a photographer, but what about all the decorations, wedding favors, brides maids jewelry and gifts? I am getting there, with 53 days left, it's all about the little things.

Oh... and amidst all this wedding planning and overdue notice sending, we got a dog! I insisted that we wait until after the wedding but I knew that Tim really wanted a dog now. So we picked up Laeza from my mom. My mom raises and breeds Bichon Frises and Shitzu. Laeza is a 4 year old Bichon and she is sweet and cuddly. Our family is slowly growing. But just by animals for now.