Yummy Potato Soup

Because tonight I need comfort food...

INGREDIENTS

• 3lbs of potatoes, scrubbed and pierced in several places
• 1tbsp. of butter
• 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped onions
• 2 tbsp. of minced garlic
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) of garlic broth
• 3 cups of milk
• 1 tsp. of salt
• 1/4 tsp. of pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese
• crumbled bacon
• chopped scallions

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Bake the potatoes 1 hour or until tender when pierced. Peel when their cool enough to handle.
3. Melt the butter in a 4 - 6 qt pot over medium low heat. Stir in onions and garlic, cover and cook 10 minutes until soft, but not brown.
4. Add 2/3 of the potatoes and mash. Add broth, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occassionally.
5. Cut remaining potatoes into small cubes, add to soup, and stir gently to reheat.
6. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped scallions.

Enjoy!

~HG

Some days...

I wonder if it's really worth it. I know that it is. I know that this is just the first year adjustment, and really getting to know who the other is. However, somedays, I honestly want to throw in the towel, real talk. Then I think...at the end of the day, will I still love him? Yes. Will this seem like it was really worth separating over 5 years, or 5 months even, from now? No. Does that make it hurt any less? No. So right now I'm choosing to stick it out, go silently within myself, and ask God for a little more peace, joy, and quiet.

~HG

I LOVE My Husband!

Tuesday my husband an I celebrated 4 months of marriage. I know that for some that seems like a silly anniversary to celebrate, but not us. We celebrate our marriage every month, usually by just having a special dinner, to show each other that we appreciate one another. We like to take a moment to sit back and reflect on how much we've changed and gained through marriage. A moment to realize we are truly blessed.

Tuesday was a particularly hard day for me. I was stressed due to a presentation I had to give that nite. It was after the storm of the presentation that I really took a look at my hubby and realized how lucky I am. He quietly gave me my space to deal with my stress, checking on me here and there but pretty much just letting me be. I even kind of snapped and rushed him off the phone when he had called me earlier that day to see what kind of coffee I liked. "How trivial!" I thoguht to myself. There I was stressing about school and he wanted to talk about...coffee? I'm sorry, what sir??? Ugh. Anywho, I rushed home to cook us a nice romantic dinner with a bottle of riesling to accompany it. It was in the midst of cooking that he exclaimed that he had a gift for me. Of course I was excited, what woman wouldn't be?

It was a coffee maker and for me, that was a really big deal. I'm broker than broker and have been wanting a coffee maker forever! Well Sunday I expressed this to him, and apparently, he listened! Not only that, he got me the single cup one with the pods, exactly what I wanted! Squeeeee! Loves it, and loves him. This feels so special to me. Now every time I have a cup of coffee, I think of him, and trust, that's a lot!

~Hidden Gem

NRW: Angel Hair Pasta in a Garlic Butter Sauce

For the past two days I have served this with every meal we've had, mainly because hubby says it's addictive. It's fast and easy, and good all by itself. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Stick of Butter
• 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic or garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 pound of angel hair pasta

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook pasta until al dente
2. Melt butter on medium low heat
3. Add the garlic, pepper, and salt to the butter and stir
4. Pour sauce over pasta, mixing well.
5. Plate pasta, and sprinkle paremesan cheese on top

You could always add some broccoli to this dish, like I did today. Tuesday we enjoyed it with lobster and crab stuffed tilapia, and today with steak. Yummo!
~Hidden Gem

NRW: Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
• 3 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled
• 2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix cream cheese spread and bacon in small bowl until well blended.  
2. Separate each can of dough into 8 triangles each. Cut each triangle in half lengthwise. Spread each dough triangle with 1 generous tsp. cream cheese mixture. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point. Place, point sides down, on ungreased baking sheet. 
3. Bake 12 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Back to Black

Every once in a while a collection comes along that makes me wish I was making more money (or in this case, making money period since I'm unemployed) and MAC's Style Black is definitely one of them:

Gaw! You have no idea how inlove I am with this collection! I'd been avoiding going into Pentagon City Mall in VA just for that reason. I needed to escape the MAC store and various MAC counters because I knew that this collection would call my name. I currently own the Mineralize Eyeshadows Gilt By Association, a Black with gold bronze pearl and Cinderfella, a Black with silver pearl. I desparately want the Black Cream Colour Base and all of the Nail Lacquer's, but this out of work business is making it impossible. I do, however, accept donations :~)

Mineralize Eye Shadows: $19.00

• Cinderfella – Black w/ silver pearl
• Young Punk – Black w/ pink purple pearl
• Gilt by Association – Black w/ gold bronze pearl
• Blue Flame – Black w/ blue pearl

Grease Paintstick: $17.50

• Intense Black – Black w/ purple shimmer

Penultimate Liner: $16.50

• Rapidblack – True black

Eye Kohl: $14.50

• Smolder – Intense Black

Lipsticks: $14.00

• Black Knight – Creamy true black

Mattenes:$14.50

• Midnight Media – Matte black
• Night Violet – Deep grape purple

Glimmerglass: $18.00

• Bling Black – Sheer black w/ gold pearl
• Blackfire – Sheer black w/ pink purple pearl
• Blackware – Creamy true black

Nail Lacquer: $12.00

• Nocturnelle – True black
• Seriously Hip – Black w/ gold particle pearl 
• Baby Goth Girl – Black w/ pink and purple pearl

Skincare:

• Volcanic Ash Exfoliator: $19.50
• Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask: $19.50

Cream Colour Base: $16.50

• Black – Creamy true black
• Bat Black – Burgundy black with pink pearl (Pro)

Pink & Grey Look

My friend Kristin asked me to do a pink & grey look, so here we go!

Face:

• 
  
  Bobbie Brown Oil Free Even Finish Foundation SPF 15 in Almond (7)
  
  
  
• 
  
  MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Dark
  
  
  

Eyes (I mainly used Coastal Scents Palette #78):

• Lid - section 4, third pink down on the left
• Crease - Section 4, dark grey above the blush and Section 6, dark, greyish black color
• Brow bone - MAC eyeshadow in yogurt
• Inside corner and below bottom lash line - MAC eyeshadow Seedy Pearl (frost)
• Liner - Stila smudge pot in black
• Mascara - Maybelline great lash

Cheeks:

• 5th blush in Costal Scents Palette #78

Lips:

• MAC lipstick in Lovin It
• MAC lipglass in Mimmy (limited edition)

~HG