erica danielle

Another year has come and gone- and it was a good one. I must say, being 25 was AWESOME! And if it's true that things get better with age than 26 will be my best year yet. I have so many fabulous memories from the last year, and was able to spend time with so many amazing people. I have the best friends and family. I celebrated my Birthday Eve with some girlfriends at Lago . Ever been there? It has the best Italian charm and the company was perfect. We had a lot of fun. Last night we met friends at my very favorite BYOB , and celebrated with more Italian food and more great friends. I am one lucky girl. Trick candles... they totally got me! I have a lot of things on my list for 26: 1. Eat less sugar. 2. Go camping. 3. Drink more water and less other beverages. 4. Go see and take pictures with the Chicago river when they dye it green. 5. Hold my new baby niece and nephew until they fall asleep. 6. Go to a concert. 7. Run a half or ful...

While in Wisconsin this past weekend I snapped TWO pictures of dogs in cars. It was like a dream come true. I think this is hilarious! Every time I look at it, I crack up! The dog on top looks a lot like my dog from growing up -Toby. He was THE BEST dog in the whole world. I loved him so dearly. I don't think Sten and I will ever be dog owners. I always tell Sten that I would rather have an additional child then get a dog.  happy wednesday! 2 days until the weekend!

I can't believe that one year ago I became a blogger. It's easily become one of my favorite pastimes and an excellent way to catch all our memories. I have become much better at enjoying the small things life has to offer, and making grand plans in the areas I wish to expand my life. Here is a snapshot of some of my favorites this year: my first post. my quarter century goal list. our new table sharing the banana chocolate chip muffins recipe running the half marathon with Em. going to Pennsylvania, MN, Michigan and Door County over the summer. when i surprised stenny with a new tv. finding out that my sis and my sis-in-law were pregnant and expecting in MAY! aunty x2! friendsgiving 2011 recapping my 3 fantastic years with sten as a husband. finding a small group who encourage, love, and pray for one another christmas in MN mexico vacation with friends. finding pinterest. It has been a fantastic 1st year blogging and I can't wait for year ...

When in Door County ...... a quick snap shot: my 3 favorite pics from the weekend. first stop: Bayside Tavern. looks 100% Wisconsin. Corsica Bread and wine at Door County Bakery.  warm fire + games   Bowling, old school. The Carlson's won... Sorry! Ephraim hike. such a beautiful day. Perfect. We had a great weekend in DoCo. It was relaxing, sunny and wonderful. We ate lots of great food, played games and explored Ephraim. What a special place, and SO very different in  the summer .  Tomorrow I don't work so I plan on starting the day with spinning class, signing up for my free week of core power yoga and getting my week in order. xo. e

What a wonderful day it is. We opted out of the typical 'Valentine's dinner out sitting 1 foot away from another couple trying not listen in on their awkward conversation', and we planned a menu sure to please: prosciutto and goat cheese wrapped asparagus garlic mashed potatoes steak with a special marinade rice crispy brownies red Zinfandel. It was tasty and the company was the best. just: us, our smoky kitchen, the noises from Foster (because we had to open the door to let out the smoke) and the crackling of a million candles lit. I would say it was a perfect Valentine's Day.  I love my new candelabra from my mother in law. It was the perfect accent to our Vday table. my Valentine. We ate like royalty and both wore our pink button ups. I just love my man. He let me pick out Lululemon yoga pants and I got him a massage and some gummy worms. (He's easy to please). We don't do presents very often so it was fun to pick something out for him. ...

 In the spirit of Valentines Day (tomo) I broke my no-sweets fast and indulged in one of my favorite dessert candies of all time- Saltine toffee. It tasted so good and I am not regretting my choice. You won't either... The great thing about this recipe, is that you may already have already have the 4 ingredients on hand. It's an easy clean-up and I've never met anyone who doesn't like these tasty treats. Recipe: 1 C Butter 3/4 C Brown Sugar 1 sleeve Saltines 2 C Chocolate Chips. Preheat oven to 400. Line a 10x15 inch cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Cover foil with saltines. Boil sugar and butter for 3 mins. Pour mixture over saltines and spread evenly. Bake at 400 for 5 mins. remove from oven. Sprinkle with choc chips. Let set 1 min, then spread melted chips with spatula. Let cool in fridge or freezer then break up into pieces.  My co-worker Mandy and I went to see The Vow last night. Cried through the whole thing and lo...

                               I've noticed in the past week I have been swapping my iPhone for my regular camera. It's so handy and it takes great pics. Here's a review: 1. Sten came to meet me downtown after work on Friday. We sat in the Starbucks right across from my building on Michigan Ave and talked about life and enjoyed a snowy afternoon in the city. We ended our Friday evening at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba. #'s 3 & 5. They have the best tapas and a GREAT happy hour. Were we home at 7:30p on Friday night? - yes... :) #2. Last Sunday (before giving up caffeine) I made a latte and had some quiet time. It was one of those times that you don't forget. #4. My boss brought her adorable baby girl into the office to meet us all on Tuesday. She is the sweetest thing ever and so cute. I was able to hold her- and holding an infant is most definitely one of my favorite things. This morning Sten and I slep...

For dinner on Monday night I made Lasagna Rolls. They were easy, delicious, healthy, and the recipe made a lot so we have been having leftovers -- which is fantastic! Recipe ( skinnytaste ): 9 lasagna noodles cooked 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained 15 oz fat free ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 egg salt and fresh pepper 32 oz tomato sauce 9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish. Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles. Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put ...

Pulled Pork Sandies with Cilantro, Jalapeno and Adobo Slaw. I think the Super Bowl was a success. I, personally had a great time with fun friends and delicious food. I made Pioneer Woman's Cilantro Jalapeno Slaw (with some of my own personal flare). This was the easiest recipe and filled the house with a wonderful aroma... Try it for your next party! Four ingredients in the pulled pork: Pork shoulder, 1 can Coke Zero, Sweet Baby Rays, 1 onion.  Purple cabbage.   Green cabbage, jalapeno, cilantro Pioneer Woman . You've done it again. Also featured: guac, mexican dip, spinach artichoke dip, buffalo chicken dip, hummus, goat cheese dip, pickle ham rolls, cupckakes, trail mix..... Of course I made everyone take a group picture... Love that 10 second timer! It really feels like a Monday today. I need a little extra love. On top of no sweets, I am trying to kick my caffeine habit... First day of no coffe...