Crock Pot Brisket

Have you ever fallen in love with a recipe you found on Pinterest and then discovered that it had been deleted? Well, that's what happened to me the last time I went to make this crock pot brisket. I clicked on the Pinterest link and this was what I got instead of the recipe:

I was so upset! This recipe has become a favorite in our house and I never bothered to write it down because I knew it would always be there when I needed it. WRONG! Luckily it's a pretty simple recipe and I could pretty much do it in my sleep, so it wasn't hard for me to recreate, but there's just something about having a recipe in front of me that just makes it better. Ya feel me? ;) This is literally the easiest recipe, but I still feel better having it written down, so here you go!

Crock Pot Brisket

Ingredients: 

2-3 lb. brisket

1 bottle of beer (dark beer is best, but use whatever you have on hand/your favorite)

yellow onion

Better than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base

flour (used as a thickener)

Slice the onion and throw it in the bottom of your crockpot.

Place the brisket, fat side up, on top of the sliced onion.

Pour the beer over the meat and onion. The last time I made this I used Saint Arnold Lawnmower because that's what we had available, but dark beer is best.

Follow the directions on the Better Than Bouillon to create a broth. I usually use about two cups of boiling water to two teaspoons of BTB and add 1-2 tablespoons of flour as a thickener.

Pour the broth into crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.

After 8 hours take two forks and shred the brisket.

Lately we have been having it on Hawaiian Rolls with swiss cheese and horseradish mayo, but I've also made brisket tacos with it. It is delicious however you serve it! Enjoy!

XOXO,

Peanut Butter Bottoms

One of my favorite treats my mom made when I was growing up was a dessert bar called Peanut Butter Bottoms. It is really easy to make, and tastes so yummy, so last week Sophia & Carter helped me make them. I love when I can get them in the kitchen, and I'm hoping that the more they help me cook, the more they'll be willing to try new things. Of course, getting them to try Peanut Butter Bottoms, or any sweet treat, isn't really a challenge. 

Mom advice: when your kids start eating solid foods DON'T make them something different (you know, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, hot dogs, buttered pasta) than you at dinner. Feed them the same thing you're eating. Otherwise you'll have a power struggle every time you try to get them to eat something new/different.

Peanut Butter Bottoms

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup white Karo syrup

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups Special K

6 oz. chocolate chips

6 oz. butterscotch chips

Directions:

Mix together sugar and Karo syrup and bring to a boil.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the peanut butter and vanilla. Tip: measure out the peanut butter ahead of time.

Cream together and add three cups of Special K.

Once the cereal is coated, spread into a buttered cake pan.

Melt the chips and spread over cereal mixture.

Allow the chocolate to cool and harden. Cut into squares and enjoy!

XOXO,

Shopbop Sale

Shopbop is having an AMAZING sale through the end of the day tomorrow (Friday, 10/14)! They are offering 25% off for purchases under $500 and 30% off for purchases above $500 with very few exclusions. Now is a great time to buy those Sorel Boots you've been lusting over or a new pair of Hunter Boots! I just ordered a pair of Sorels and love my Hunter Boots! Here are some of my favorites from the sale!

Happy shopping!

XOXO,

At the Orchard

Michael grew up in Binghamton, New York, so one of his fondest childhood memories was going apple picking every year. I don't recall ever going apple picking in Minnesota, but after we were married we lived in Connecticut for a year, and I got the chance to go then. When Sophia was 13 months old we attended a wedding in Binghamton, and we made a point of taking her while there. She loved it! I couldn't resist sharing a few pictures from that trip. She was such a cutie!

Burberry Quilted Jacket {old, similar here and here}

We hadn't been apple picking again since that trip, so we decided to wrap a trip upstate into a NYC trip with both Sophia and Carter. This time around we went to Tantillo's Farm in Gardiner, NY. It was absolutely perfect! There was a cute little pumpkin maze in the front that Sophia and Carter played in while we waited for the tractor to take us back to the orchard. They both had so much fun, and the apples were definitely worth it! I think I finally know what my mother-in-law is talking about when she says the apples in Texas don't hold a candle to the ones in New York! After we finished picking apples, we went back to the farm stand and bought some fresh apple cider donuts - yum!

 Poncho {old Forever 21, similar here and here} / Tee / Jeans {exact, similar cheaper here}

Booties / Blanket Scarf {exact, similar}

It was warmer than I'd expected, so by the end of the day I'd lost the sweater and scarf. The tee is cute on it's own - just tuck the front into your jeans and you're good to go!

 

After we left the orchard, we went to Angry Orchard in Walden, NY. We sampled the hard cider and then went outside and played cornhole. If you're in the area I'd definitely recommend visiting!

XOXO,

Decorating My Home for Fall

In the past, the only holiday I really decorated for was Christmas. I had a few little things that I'd put out for Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving, but Christmas has always been the holiday where I went all out. Well, this year when September came I was ready to switch out some of our decor and when I saw these salad plates at Pier 1 I decided to decorate for fall. It makes sense because we have Thanksgiving at our house every year, so we might as well decorate for it!

I found the cream pumpkins at Home Goods and the Give Thanks blocks were an Etsy purchase several years ago. The shop was called SimpleBlockSayings, but I'm not sure she's a seller anymore. I've included a few other options below.

Reversible / Always Be Thankful

I added a little pumpkin from Michael's to this little alcove by the stairs and have started burning my Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake candles from Bath & Body Works here and in the kitchen. I also have several fall wallflowers going in the house. I think the Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte is my other favorite pumpkin scent from their fall collection.

I found this adorable Football Turkey Shelf Sitter at Kirkland's and then Pumpkin Patch sign is from Down Grace Lane on Etsy. Right now she doesn't have anything for sale, but if you follow her on Instagram (@downgracelane) she announces her sales a few days ahead of time - her next sale is on 10/8 at 1 PM EST.

One of my favorite pieces in my kitchen is the lazy susan I purchased from Signature Swag on Etsy. Gather is a word that makes me think of Thanksgiving, so I thought it would be appropriate to include it in this post. However, I keep it on display year-round, and it's perfect for serving appetizers on when we have company over!

An easy way to decorate for the season in your kitchen is by adding seasonal towels. It drives Michael a little crazy that he's not allowed to actually use the towels that I have hanging up in the kitchen, but they're "for display only." ;) Target has several cute fall towels. I picked up these at Home Goods last year, so I showed some restraint and only bought two. ;)

I loved this one and this one, but I'm kind of partial to burnt orange, so I picked up the orange plaid and this fun pie one.

I found the pumpkins at Home Goods and Michael's, and the placemats were another Target find. The cute little give thanks sign is from Kirkland's and the Eat, Drink, and be Thankful sign and the pumpkin are from Michael's. The Rae Dunn BLESSED mug, pumpkin container, and topiary are all Home Goods finds.

I definitely didn't go over the top decorating and kept it pretty seasonal as opposed to focusing on the fall holidays, but I love the little touches of fall that I was able to incorporate in our home. How do you decorate for fall?

XOXO,

Affordable Quality Denim

Shirt / Jeans / Booties / Sunglasses

I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point in my life I became a denim snob....that's actually a total lie. I know exactly when it happened. Michael was a Senior at E&Y and the girls that he worked with told him all of the brands he needed to buy me: Coach, Burberry, 7 for All Mankind, etc. That's right, it's all Michael's fault. ;) Now I'm not complaining at all - I loved the name brand items that were appearing in my closet, but at some point I started to believe that if my jeans didn't cost upwards of $200 then they weren't worth buying. Ridiculous, right? Now don't get me wrong, I still love me a pair of Hudson or 7 for All Mankind jeans, and they do seem to last years, but it's hard to justify spending hundreds of dollars on new jeans every year. Okay, so me saying "they do last years" is a total contradiction to me needing to buy "new jeans every year," but as a girl who loves to shop, I like buying at least one new pair of jeans every year. Ya feel me ladies?

Anyhow, I discovered Vigoss jeans during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I followed the advice of another blogger and ordered a size smaller than I usually wear and they fit perfectly! And they're so comfortable! I have a pair of sevens that I love, but the leg openings are so small sometimes I feel like they're suctioned to my legs - not the most comfortable feeling! Affordable jeans that make you look and feel skinnier? Yes, please!

Tee / Jacket / Jeans / Booties / Scarf (old from GAP, similar here and here)

Right now I only have this pair, but I have the grey and white ones on my wish list, and I'm kind of loving the detailing on the black moto jeans! I linked several below. Which pair is your favorite? Happy shopping!

XOXO,