Please Vote for Me!

Imagine my surprise this morning when I saw that LambAround nominated one of my posts for her Best In Show award!! Get out! And get this, out of 122 link-ups, my Kitchen post made it into her Top 10. I am very excited. And in perfect time since we finished the last of the grouting of our backsplash on Saturday. So I'll do an update later this week.

Could you take a minute to head over to her site and vote for my post?

Here's the link: http://lambaround.blogspot.com/2012/01/blog-hop-linky-time.html

The vote poll is on the right. THANKS!

Delivery Date Set!

There has been a lot of anticipation since December 16th around here. We finally decided on and ordered a new sectional couch on that day. Because we picked a color that is not a 'stock color', the turnaround time would be 5-10 weeks. Well, this week we finally got the email to set up the delivery and it is coming tomorrow!



The Amafali Sectional from Havarty's.



But in this color...Mocha, and a lounger instead of cuddler, but on the left!

 We also researching gas logs. We're finding they're pretty expensive for our local Patio and Hearth store. A bit over $2000. SO, we'll be looking at some other local shops to see if we can get a better deal. YIKES. After that, we have to be at a stopping point for a little while so our bank accounts can catch up! We plan to save up and look at rugs and plantation blinds for the room. We may paint it too, but for now we are undecided and do not dislike the tannish beige color that is in there now. So even though this room will be a 'work in progress' for a while, I will do a before and after post, but instead of before and after, it should be before and in progress!

In other news we are in the grouting stages of our tile so I should have another Kitchen Post Number 2 coming up soon!

Happy New Year!

WOW. Is it me, or did 2011 fly by in a matter of minutes? I can not believe it is over already. I wish I could find the secret to slowing the months down. Maybe I'll make it my personal goal of 2012 and then share that secret with everyone.

While I took a break (I know, shocker) from blogging over the Christmas and New Year holiday, I was busy lazy with laptop on couch reading all my regular favorites. I loved reading the recaps of favorite posts of 2011, and the New Years Resolutions here and there. I am working on mine right now and will post it later this week. Commitment phobe, right here.

We were actually busy on the 30th and 31st preparing for the 6th annual New Year's Eve dinner party with close friends, which we hosted at our new house this year. In the past, we've had a theme and each couple makes a dish and pairs a wine and presents it to the group in a friendly competition. This year we pared it down and had teams and you could choose not to enter the competition. The theme was Hawaiian and the food was great. We have some really competitive and accomplished chefs in our group of friends.

Of the seven dishes, four completed. To change up the competition this year, we added a Chopped/Iron Chef element. Competing teams had to use one or more of the following secret ingredients: Pineapple, banana leaves, ginger, macadamia nuts, Taro, Sugar, Seaweed, Puna Goat Cheese, Fish: ahi, shutome, opah, or opakapaka OR [wait for it] SPAM!!

We ended up with 3 appetizers (all entering the competition): 1) a rumaki, 2) a spam sushi roll with tuna poke and 3) a pineapple risotto with tempura shrimp and Spam), an Ox Tail soup, Salad with papaya and avocado, Entree of Kalua Pig with pineapple and Spam rice and Dessert of grilled pineapple with vanilla ice cream, macadamia nuts and a rum sauce (also in the competition). While the Spam was no one's favorite, it came out surprisingly well.

Setting a table for 21 was a bit challenging when it came to using what we had. There was definitely a Hodge Podge of differing lace tableclothes, 3 styles of napkin rings, 2 different sets of dishes, 2 different sets of flatware, 21 wine glasses, 21 napkins, 21 champagne glasses. All in all in still looked nice. Three dishwasher loads full and an awesome time had by all.



One of the three appetizers being plated for presentation, which took 2nd place to Dessert.

 

Salad preparations (YES, on my new bench cushion!)