A Season of Rest

We are firm believers, that every once in a while, a season of rest is needed.  We are fairly busy, constantly working, socializing, or busy with other commitments.  Sometimes a week (or more, let's be honest) will pass by before we actually have time to sit together at home for some R&R.  Now I don't mean to be complaining because let's face it, we choose to be busy.  But, it is so good to take time off from everyday life and just rest, relax, and realign priorities.  Whether it's taking a week off to be at home or go somewhere exotic, it's good to step back and slow down the pace every once in a while.

So, we are heading to Hawaii on Tuesday for vacation.  It's been planned for awhile now, and the anticipation is growing as it gets closer.  I am SO excited to show Matt my birthplace and our family's favorite spots.  The books and bottles of sunscreen are packed, and we're ready for the tropical temperatures and time together.

Take time to rest and enjoy the little things in life.

Matthew 11:28 - "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Tortellini Basil Soup

I promise this isn't becoming a cooking blog, despite the last three posts.  Apparently food has been on my mind or at least in our stomachs lately.  :)  Here's another easy, delicious dinner recipe if you're looking for something new to try.  No pictures this time, but take our word for it!

Tortellini Basil Soup

32 ounces fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
9 ounces fresh cheese tortellini
15.5 can cannellini or great northern beans
1 can diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional:  top with fresh parmesan cheese

Bring broth to a boil in large pot.  Add tortellini and cook 6 minutes or until tender.  Stir in beans and tomatoes.  Reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Remove from heat.  Stir in basil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  Ladle soup into individual bowls.  Yields 6 servings.

We had Matt's sister Shawna over for dinner this week, and it was a hit!  Thanks so much for coming over Shawna. We enjoyed relaxing and catching up on life with you.  Looking forward to next time!

Irish Feast

My mom and sister came for a short visit on St. Patty's Day which called for an Irish feast - Beef Guiness Stew, Colcannon Potatoes, and a Basil Beer Bread.  Although we're not Irish, it was fun to try something a little different for dinner!

   

What a fun, weekday visit! If only it was longer.  Lots of love and laughs at Zumba too.  We're looking forward to having my sister live with us this summer and future frequent visits from mom and dad too.   

Dreaming of Ireland...

Mimi Pizza

Jes (one of my best friends) and I love eating at Punch Pizza and getting the Mimi Pizza.  It's our favorite go-to roomie/best friend dinner spot.  When we lived together, we would frequently make our own Mimi Pizzas and watch The Proposal at home.  Although we aren't roomies anymore, we still frequent making Mimis and watching our fav movie together.  We could probably do this until we're old and grey and not get sick of it.  :)  Jes is such a blessing in my life, and I am so thankful for her friendship.  Although we don't see each other as often as we once did (every night), the times we do spend together are special.

Looking for a simple and quick lunch or dinner option?  Mimis are super easy to make and delicious for any season.  For some reason, they seem especially tasty as the weather starts to warm up.  Essentially, this is a cold topping pizza with a warm crust.  Sounds a little weird probably, but believe me, if you like fresh basil and tomatoes, you'll love this.

Ingredients:
-Fresh Basil
-Fresh Mozarella Cheese (NOT shredded Mozarella)
-Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
-Olive Oil
-Garlic Clove
-Sea Salt
-Pizza Dough (either homemade or bought from the store)

Tear basil leaves, cut fresh mozarella into mini squares, slice tomatoes in half, and combine in a bowl.  Add olive oil, and a dash of sea salt to the mixture.  Stir, and set aside.  Flatten pizza dough on a cookie sheet or pizza pan.  Cook at specified temperature (usually 375-400 degrees) until light brown (no need to be crispy).  Remove pizza crust and rub with garlic while still warm.  Add the basil.moz.tomato.olive oil mixture to the top of the crust.  Cut, eat up, and enjoy!

Mixture before adding to pizza crust

*Matt is even starting to enjoy this for dinner lately, although his pieces tend to be heavy on the moz and light on the tomatoes.  Oh well, it's a start! :)     

Family Time

There is nothing quite like spending time with family.  It was back to Wisconsin last weekend to celebrate my grandparents' 50th anniversary.  According to Matt, "We've spent more time in Wisconsin in recent weeks than the Democrats."  True story; the last 3 of 4 weekends have been spent in the Cheese State.  We just can't keep away!  :) 

My cousins Breanne and Jack flew in from Boston, and my uncle, aunt, and cousins flew in from North Carolina to surprise Grandma and Papa.  The weekend was completely devoted to family time, and as we were driving back Sunday evening, we couldn't help but talk about how we wanted to stay longer and didn't want to leave.  We are so blessed to have a wonderful family and to celebrate 50 years of marriage with my grandparents.  It's amazing how after so many years, Papa and Grandma are still beaming like newlyweds.  It's hard for me to imagine going on only one date and flying overseas to marry someone, but Grandma followed her heart, and they are happily married still today.  We enjoyed hearing some of their best memories and challenges throughout the years.  Thank you for sharing grandparents!      

I also got to meet my two newest cousins (one on either side of the family), Rebekah (born March 2010) and Madisyn (born in January).  They are the sweetest babies and so fun to have new cousins!

Now onto some pictures...    

      

They love their tea!

I loved rescuing Rebekah after naptime. She was so snuggly.

Sleepy baby

The family after Papa and Grandma's anniversary mass

50 years and still golden

Mom and Baby Bekah

Cousin Mary Beth

Cousin Ali

Jack snowmobiling, and Papa skiing

Uncle John and girls on the snowmobile

Dad did a lot of this :)

And showed the girls his deer stand

While some of us did this (we played many games)

And others of us did this...

We love you family and miss you lots! XOXO 

LeBron's Rival

We had the opportunity to attend the Lakers and Timberwolves game Tuesday night at the Target Center, courtesy of Peter and Emma Janson.  On the way, Matt was quizzing me about who was on the Laker’s roster.  Turns out the only person I could name was Kobe Bryant and half of the Boston Celtics roster.  Oops! I even half-heartedly suggested Shaq as playing for the Lakers desperate to name a few more players.  Normally, the NBA is not my thing (except when LeBron is playing), but we do enjoy sports so it made for a fun night out with excellent company!  Last time we were at the Target Center together, these two boys were in a daze watching their hero LeBron tear up the court.  This game was a little different, since LeBron’s rival Kobe was playing but still impressive to see him live.  Not to worry though, I don’t think the boys are joining Kobe’s fan club anytime soon. They are true LeBron fans through and through.       

Some flashback pictures from when we saw LeBron in town last year are below.  And yes, these boys have been to LeBron's high school - St. Vincent St. Mary in Akron, OH and own his high school jersey.  They are witnesses.

Birthday "Week"

In the Kramer house, we don't just celebrate a birthday; we celebrate birthday week and birthday month.  It's just too much fun to only last one day out of the year, so we try to extend it as long as possible.  If you have a birthday coming up, you may want to sign up for some birthday club deals!  More info at the very bottom of this post. 

Stratford Saturday - We celebrated with my family and a few hometown friends.  I love it when mom makes the traditional white, funfetti birthday cake, and this year was no different.  Funniest birthday cake memory was when Matt attempted to make my 18th birthday cake.  He wasn't exactly sure how to grease a cake pan and decided to use a shortening of some sort.  Let's just say there were chunks all around (nasty!), but as the saying goes,  "it was the thought that counts."

Snowstorm Sunday - In all actuality, I absolutely love snowstorms.  We came back from WI, spent the afternoon and evening relaxing, and ventured out on our skis during the blizzard.  Late night neighborhood skiing was a little chilly and windy, but definitely worth it!

Snow Day Monday - Northwestern was closed Monday, which meant Snow Day for me!  Matt got lucky too.  Wells Fargo opened at 10am so we slept in for a bit before starting up the snowblower.  Actually watched The Bachelor with Amanda B. and Sam.  Wow, is all I have to say. haha.

Twenty Four Tuesday - I had a busy day all around, so busy in fact, that I forgot to stop at Caribou and get my free birthday drink.  Big bummer!  Matt picked up a Buffalo Chicken Pizza from our beloved fresh and natural pizza place and had some friends over for game night. 

Wild Wednesday - Combine Matt, Andrea, and myself, and it's always an adventure.  Trader Joes, Teavanna, Pottery Barn, Antropologie, and Benihana to top off the night.  No way to explain this night in words, so I'll let the pictures do it justice (thanks Andie!).  By the way, Benihana has a great birthday club - $30 off your total bill. More birthday club info at the bottom of this post! 

Teavanna Love

Love Japanese food and hibachi!



Let the fun and hibachi begin!



Yes, there were balloons on the back of the chair too.

Love my Asian big sis!

Matt the Asian

Andrea tells us this is how the Chinese eat their soup. 
We need to perfect our soup slurping for when we visit her!

Can't forget dessert.

Teaching Thursday - Finished training for teaching overnights at the Zoo.  This is actually something new.  I was hired as an Interpretive Naturalist to teach overnights for school groups that come to learn about and sleep by the dolphins and sharks.  Loving it so far!

Fun Friday - We paid a visit to Grand Avenue in St. Paul (Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn) and continued on to the tourist trap - Mall of America. We try to stay away from MOA, but once in a while, it is fun to go.  Happened to wander into Banana Republic (love this store), and they were handing out Oscar envelopes.  Proceeded to open mine, and it said 50% off entire purchase.  Yes, please!  Matt and I each got a new shirt and for a good price too.  The real reason for going though - two free movie tickets, so we saw Just Go With It.  We NEVER go to movies so this was a special treat (seriously the last movie we saw was Four Christmases two years ago).  We love Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, and it was a good movie.  Go see it if you get a chance! 

One of our favorite stops at MOA - Rybicki Cheese.  We love the cheese samples!

Settlers Saturday - Brittany is visiting from Arizona, so we hung out, caught up on life, and introduced her to Settlers. So good to see her again! I've missed her SO much.

And thus ends, birthday week.  It was busy and full of birthday blessings and love.  Seriously, it's just too much fun for one day! Try extending it to a week-long celebration.

Birthdays also mean birthday clubs which mean free things or deals on or around your birthday! Don't worry, I didn't use all of these this year. Sign up online.
Caribou - Free Birthday Drink
Noodles and Co. - Free dish of noodles
Coldstone - Free icecream
Benihana's - $30 off your total bill
Bruegger's - Free Cookie
Applebees - Free Dessert
Famous Daves - Free Sundae
Buffalo Wild Wings - Free Dessert
Buca di Beppo - Free Appetizer
The local ice cream shop - 50% off ice cream cone