i was in iowa this past weekend

visiting my family and sweet little niece and nephew.

while perusing downtown we found the cutest little old fashioned soda bar! take a look;

macy jo's cute little shoes...love love love.

afterwards i got to snuggle them lots! i am so lucky!

it's saturday, and i'm still full from thanksgiving. as the pickiest eater in the family, i omitted turkey/gravy/stuffing/all the usual thanksgiving foods for cheesecake, pumpkin pie and whipped cream, and popcorn balls!

my grandma's cheesecake recipe.....top secret, obviously

yummy pumpkin whipped cream

 and flowers for my boyfriends mama! 

hope you had a delicious thanksgiving :)

i'm thankful for starbucks and blackberries, obviously

tonight i am oh so thankful for an amazing, restful week with my family!
oh, and my fave shoes

can't wait to share the little things that made me smile tomorrow :)

happy thanksgiving!

this weekend included a trip home for a birthday, deliciously adorable cupcakes on Mainstreet, a book that looks better than it actually is (no offense, Ernest Hemingway), and stumbling across my grandpa's old camera collection; 

hope your weekend was charming!

This year I love my Thursday schedule, I only have class until 11am! I love coming home from school, putting my pajamas back on, and making yummy breakfast - today I made muffins!

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Little Chocolate Muffins

recipe from blog chef

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup butter (melted)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package of chocolate chips (or less- whatever your heart desires!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use cute little liners. In a big bowl, mix together flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl, stir in your eggs, milk, butter and vanilla until well blended. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Lightly stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into muffin cups or tins. Bake for 15-20 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Last week I said farewell to fall with the first snow of the season!

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What does the first snow call for? Snuggling up and making yummy soup of course! 

Loaded Potato Soup 

recipe slightly adapted from handle the heat

4 potatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 ish teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoons ish pepper

3 slices of bacon

1/3 cup shredded cheese

4 teaspoons thinly sliced green onions

1. Pierce potatoes with a fork. Microwave on high 13 minutes or until tender. Cut in half; cool slightly.
2. While potatoes cook, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk in measuring cup; add to pan then add the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil; stir often, being careful to not let the milk boil over. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper.
3. Arrange bacon on a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a paper towel; microwave on high for 4 minutes. Crumble bacon.
4. Scoop potato into soup and discard potato skins. Coarsely mash potatoes into soup using a potato masher. Ladle soup into four bowls and top with cheese, green onions, and bacon. (I like my potato soup to have chunks, so I didn't mash all of them - only about 1/3 - that way I still got those chunks! mmmm)