Happy Easter!

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. It's not as hectic as other holidays. All that's really involved is a good meal, and maybe church. If you're lucky, an Easter egg hunt. It's a relaxed time to be with family and indulge in some pastel colored marshmallows. It's the only holiday you can not only get away with, but are encouraged to wear a ridiculous(ly awesome) bonnet. You get to dye eggs into neon shades, and decorate them with stickers. It's totally acceptable to have chocolate for breakfast, as long as its in the shape of a lamb or a bunny.

Then there's the holy grail: Cadbury Eggs. I'm not talking about the gross kind with the gooey egg colored stuff inside. I'm talking about the delicious little milk chocolate ovals covered in a delightfully thin chocolate shell. I could eat an entire bag.

This year I'm spending the holiday in Hawaii with friends. We're making a big dinner together, and everyone is cooking up a dish. I plan to make the recipe below for Chipotle Cheddar Mashed Potatoes. They're spicy, they're cheesy, they're easy and they're delicious. The perfect salty antidote to the sugar high you had from eating half a box of peeps and jelly bellies before noon.

Chipotle Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

-2.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes with skins, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes. 

-2.5 tsp salt

-1 cup milk

-2 tbsp butter

-1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

-1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (4oz)

-2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped (1tbsp)

-1 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle

1. In large saucepan, combine potatoes, 2 tsp salt, and enough cold water to cover potatoes.  Bring to boil over a high heat.  Reduce heat to medium; gently boil about 30 minutes or until fork-tender.

2. In small saucepan, combine milk, butter, cinnamon and remaining ½ tsp salt.  Bring to boil.  Set aside.

3. Drain potatoes.  Return potatoes to saucepan.  Place over medium heat; toss about 1 minute to dry out.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese; stir to combine.  Add milk mixture, chipotles and adobo sauce.  Mash.  

Ranunculus, and beautiful weddings

Today I am in the wedding of two dear friends. In the spirit of happiness and love, I'd like to share a little beauty with you: the ranunculus. It is a lesser known flower that I like to think of as a cross between a peony (but smaller), and a rose, with a tight little blossom. They grow in the most wonderful array of pastel colors, and appear in florists markets in the spring. Ranunculus are my favorite flower.

Wouldn't these buds look great paired with a rainbow of tulle pastel bridesmaid dresses like these? How romantic!

Cute Roulette

Does anyone else primarily use YouTube to watch videos of cute animals doing cute things? Cats in boxes? Dogs in cake bowls? Hands?

Well, if you're anything at all like me, then you'll love Cute Roulette a website that randomly selects a video of animals acting adorable for your viewing pleasure. A friend emailed me the site with one line of text, "This has Janice written all over it." And you know what? It does. The first cute I got is the helpless little kitteh pictured above. The next? A little something they like to called puppy vs. mirror.

As my BFFL said, you can thank me later.

To-Do List for when I Return from Paradise

Hawaii Bound

As you read this, I am en route to Honolulu, HI for one of my dearest friend's weddings. I've visited her there where she lives once before, and I have to say its the most beautiful place I've ever visited. I mean, seriously, you look around and you just get why everyone honeymoons there. I could not BE more excited! While I'm there I have lots of fun stuff on the agenda.

 Hang out with this cutie: Kalia

 Lounge on picturesque beaches like this one

See gorgeous sights like these

 I was here last time!

 Watch sunsets on the beach

Drink as many fruity cocktails as I can get my little hands on (that's me in the purple on an evening cruise off of Waikiki beach!). Life is good.

Kitchen Fashion

Every girl who likes to cook needs a cute apron. How else are you supposed to look cute while you wait for your dinner guests to arrive, yet not ruin your outfit? My mom has a shiny gold apron I wear every time I'm home and baking Christmas cookies or making pierogies. I have been wanting one of my own.

I've had a thing for aprons ever since I studied abroad in Madrid. In almost every souvenier shop, there were flamenco style aprons, with polka dots and frills all over. The senorita I lived with loved to get dressed up while doing things in the kitchen. She did dishes in high heels with music blaring, and cooked all fancied up with a ruffled little apron. It seemed like a whole lot more fun than wearing old sweats just so you don't get batter splatters on your favorite top. I never made it to get one while I was in Spain, but have wanted an adorable apron since.

Then I popped into Ricky's for a new nose ring, and I was confronted with a plethora of adorable aprons, polka dots, cherries, little skulls. There's one for every lady's taste. I couldn't decide which one I liked most, so I decided to hold off purchasing for the day.

A couple weeks later I was in Marshall's, and there was a whole rack of adorable aprons! And they were cheap! I bought the lovely magenta one with the gorgeous scallopped pattern pictured. It's Taaj brand, and it only set me back $12.99. The design even reminds me of something an espanola would wear. Success!

I have already worn it twice, and I have to say it makes me feel lots more fancy making dinner. What do you do/wear to make kitchen chores fun?

Food for Thought