Crave: Food Processor.

Yes, I realize I sound like I'm ninety years old but I am seriously craving a food processor.  Every day it seems I find a wonderful recipe that calls for a food processor.  And word to the wise, a blender does not cut it.  Major Kitchen Fail.  

Anyway, here are a couple I picked out from Target Boutique:  

KitchenAid Contour Silver 7 Cup Food Processor, $99.99 online

Giada Food Processor, $59.99 online

Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor, $52.99 online

Any suggestions?  What have you been craving lately?

Happy Weekend!

[as happy as kings]

The Past Couple Weeks.

Well, hi!  

The past two weeks have flown by.  K and I spent 90% of it studying like mad, cramming the law into our brains, hoping we could remember it when the bar exam arrived.  But we did need a few study breaks:

We got our yard back when the sod arrived!

We finished our Lazyman Triathalon...more on that later!

I flew to Columbus, Ohio and spent some quality time with Kappas at Headquarters.  HQ means plenty of Cheetos and M&M's to go around.

While in Columbus, I scoped out the Challenge Course for a leadership retreat I will be facilitating in September.

When I returned, I was surprised with welcome back flowers,  What a sweet surprise!  Aren't they just gorgeous?

On Monday night, K and I headed to St. Paul to prepare for the bar exam.  We decided to get a hotel room so we wouldn't have to worry about the morning commute or being distracted by things around the house.  

There's not much to say about the bar itself.  It was long, brutal, and thankfully, it is now over.  Results will arrive in October, and we'll just deal with all that then.  

Last night, we had a delicious dinner at the Downtowner, where it was 1/2 off bottle of wine night...yum!  We enjoyed a lovely bottle of Moscato to wash away our bar stress. 

That's it.  A busy couple weeks, but now summer finally begins!  Tomorrow we are off to the lake for a little relaxation.  Can't wait!  

XOXO,

Al

P.S.  And this baby has been waiting patiently on my nightstand for 2 weeks, and I can't wait to finally crack it open!  [The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova]

Peach Perfection.

The Grill + Peaches + Sugar & Syrup = Peach Perfection. 

This is the most delicious treat I have ever made.  No joke.  If you do anything this weekend, you have to try this.

What you need: a grill, butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and a peach (or two if you aren't the sharing kind).  Get the grill heated up.  

Slice the peach in half or in slices.  We tried it both ways and it works great either way!

Melt a little bit of butter and brush it on both sides of the peach slice.

Place the peaches on the grill and let is cook for about 2-3 minutes.  If you sliced in half, they'll take a little longer since they're a little thicker.

Flip!  Look at those grill marks!

Once they are ready to go, add brown sugar to the top.  We like a heavy sprinkle, especially when it starts to melt and caramelize a bit.

Drizzle the maple syrup over the peaches.

And enjoy while hot!  Peach Perfection.

It's the perfect dessert for a summer meal!  And who doesn't love fresh peaches?!  Let me know if you try the grilled peaches!  

A Million Things To Be

One week.  That's all.

[they all hate us]

[table tonic]

It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.

It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture.

It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no starts to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is sin.

- Benjamin Elijah Mays

[swiss miss]

This is it.

This is exactly how I feel.  Two weeks from tomorrow, we will sit for the Minnesota bar exam.  Two weeks.  It feels like yesterday I was accepted into law school.  And that was 4 years ago (I deferred a year).  Holy crap.  Time flies.

Two weeks to stay cool.  Two weeks to learn 6 subjects real well and the 9 others decent enough to maybe write an essay on it.  Two weeks to pray my computer doesn't crash at the exam.  That I don't crash on my way to the exam.  That my fingers type as fast as I can recall any smidge of the law I may have learned.  That I know an average amount of information.

It's hard not to lie awake at night and worry.  But I read somewhere this week that we need to be more of a WARRIOR, than a WORRIER.  I love that.  

So this is it.  It's time to kick a little butt.  Knock down 15 subjects and ask for more.  (Well, not really, but I'm channeling my favorite badass Bruce Willis here.  I'm sure he'd ask for more when the dust settles.)  Stay focused and stay motivated.  I'm kicking ass and taking names.  Starting with you, Property.  Contracts, you're next.

[Source]

This is it.  Don't get scared now.