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4.03.2011

It’s Sunday.

I’d like to introduce you all to someone very special tonight.

Friends, meet…

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Cabernet, meet friends.

It has been way, way too long. And by too long, I mean two weeks. Regardless, I’m still sitting here with my head in a cloud, after only a half a glass of wine.

It’s kind of wonderful.

Today in general has been kind of wonderful. Do you want to know why?

Because I’m celebrating.

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I’m celebrating seven spectacular years with this handsome guy. We’ve been married less than a year, but I think that seven years is too long to just forget about our dating anniversary.

Seven years ago we were teenagers {he was fifteen, I was seventeen}, sitting at a friends birthday party, being bombarded with questions about how long we had been together. We weren’t “official” yet, so that night he asked me out.

Literally, he asked if I would go out with him. And in high school terms, that meant we were official. I have no idea if I would have believed anyone that long ago if they had told me I was committing myself to my future husband. But now, I couldn’t be happier.

So, Happy Anniversary  to my best friend. To the only person in this world that knows who I am, completely. To my husband, and to the person that I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with.

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I’ve already said that today has been pretty wonderful. I finally started shopping again on Friday night, after a three and a half month dry spell. This morning I finally found the perfect pair of black flats {Steve Madden, duh!} that I’ve been searching for.

I also made some delicious deliciousness.

Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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And I told you last week that I would make this bread and give you the recipe if it’s any good. It was pretty amazing, so here’s the recipe:

Macaroni Grill’s Famous Rosemary Bread {via Food Network Magazine}

  • 1 packet of active dry yeast {1/4 yeast}
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  1. Stir the yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil, the flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary, the fine salt, and 3/4 warm water; stir with a wooden spoon (or with the dough hook if using a mixer) until a dough forms.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or knead with the dough hook on medium-high speed, adding a little more flour if the dough sticks to the bowl, about 8 minutes.)
  4. Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours.
  5. Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Generously flour a work surface; turn the dough out onto the flour and divide into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour on the dough, then fold the top and bottom portions into the middle. Fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, putting 2 balls on each baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, until more than doubled, about 2 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the the loaves 10 minutes; brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve with olive oil seasoned with pepper.

I hope you all had a wonderful Sunday as well! And try that bread. Seriously, it’s kind of amazing.

Love you,