Surviving a Michigan Winter // Giveaway

Happy holidays, friends! We are getting so excited to celebrate Christmas with friends and family this weekend and all next week. We haven't had any snow since it all melted away in November, but the weatherman is predicting a white Christmas in Michigan. 

Speaking of Michigan, we teamed up with some other Great Lakes gals to bring you a Michigan Winter Survival Giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a $75 Starbucks gift card, a coin purse from Tenden, a scarf from Oh Abigail, and a Michigan necklace from Sparrow Boutique! Talk about winter essentials!
All you need to do is fill out the entry form below.

Everything's Always Sunny, The Year of Slow Fashion , Binks and the Bad Housewife, The BeesKnees, Relatively Offbeat, Cassidy Lou, Bunnies and Pearls, Tenden and Sparrow Boutique

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

We sincerely hope you all have a blessed holiday season and that you stay warm!

Recipe // Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Earlier this week I decided to make something for dinner that I haven't already made before. One of my favorite dishes when we go out to a favorite local restaurant (The Winchester) is their stuffed poblano. It has the right balance of spicy and hardy. It's even a great dish for sharing with others at the table as an appetizer. 

Anyway- I decided to try a recipe of my own that sort of resembled my Polish roots but still had some Spanish flair. It turned out to be spectacular and my husband ate the leftovers for the next few days.

Ingredients: 

1 lb. ground  beef

4-5 poblano peppers

2 tbsp. chopped onion

2 tbsp. chopped jalapeno

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. black pepper

1 can tomato sauce

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

1 cup long grain rice

Directions: 

Set oven to 350 degrees. 

Cut ends off poblano peppers and take seeds out, rinse if necessary. Boil peppers in large pot for 10-15 minutes. 

Cook rice in separate pan until soft, set aside.

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet or sauté pan. Once browned, add rice, chopped onion, jalapeno, and garlic powder and black pepper, set to medium heat. Stir well. Stir in tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese to mixture. 

Remove peppers from water. Spoon in beef mixture until peppers are filled to the brim. Continue with each pepper and top with cheese. Place peppers into casserole dish. Spoon any remaining mixture into the dish or on top of peppers if desired (I had lots of extra because I made a double batch).

Bake for 35 minutes. 

 

Enjoy!

xoxo,
Laura

Sparrow Grand Opening

Last night was the Sparrow Grand Opening event in Muskegon from 5:30-7:30. As soon as I arrived I was delighted to see so many shoppers in attendance. Ladies were trying on clothing, sipping on wine, and snacking on food from Verdoni's. I was thrilled to see so many people out supporting Muskegon local business. It was also great seeing Kristin from Everythings Always Sunny!

I, of course, had to try some things on for myself while I was there. How could I not?

The event was a blast and I was ecstatic to be there. If you're ever in the Muskegon area, make sure to pay a visit to Sparrow and say hi to Kristi! She has put her heart and soul into this boutique and has certainly deserved all the success she gets. 

Support local!

xoxo,

Laura

Sparrow Boutique // Muskegon, MI

Our hometown of Muskegon is home to one of our favorite boutiques, Sparrow. Kristi, the shop owner, started her business as a fresh and fun e-commerce store with women's clothing and accessories. She recently opened a brick and mortar in Muskegon that showcases the modern and classic styles that are truly, uniquely Sparrow. We particularly love how all of the merchandise fits the 'working girl' panache. The clothing offered is great for transitioning from office to evening.

This Wednesday, December 10th, Sparrow will celebrate the grand opening of their new, larger space. We're looking forward to attending and shopping until we drop.

You may recall when Laura posted about the Sparrow Fashion Show in downtown Grand 

Rapids back in May. You can check it out here.

 

 Katelyn's wearing: Lucky Lady Blouse, Romantic Floral Skirt, Necklace, Clutch- Sparrow

We absolutely love how Sparrow also supports the local community by carrying products made in Michigan. What's even better? They also carry fair trade accessories that are hand-crafted to help rescue, educate, empower and employ victims of sex-trafficking.

 Laura's wearing: Geo Maxi Wrap Dress, Necklace, Clutch- Sparrow

We hope to see our local friends at the Sparrow Grand Opening tomorrow night! 

xoxo,

Laura & Katelyn

Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

I love pumpkin everything. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin soup, and so I thought it was only the right thing to do to make a pumpkin dessert for Thanksgiving this year. I had to work, so I wanted a recipe that would make enough for Alex to take some to my family, and so I could bring some to work. I've made plenty of cookies in my day, and this is BY FAR the best cookie/dessert I've ever made! You can check out the original recipe here.

What you'll need:

2 cups butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

4 cups all-purpose flour

For the frosting:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl beat the 2 cups of butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Beat until combined. Beat in the eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Beat in the flour by slowly adding a cup at a time.

2. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set.  Transfer to wire racks to cool.

3. For frosting, in a small saucepan heat the 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until melted and smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until smooth (I used 3 cups and it was the perfect amount). Spread frosting on cookies. ENJOY!
These cookies were gone in a matter of minutes once I shared with everyone! They're so soft and delicious, I couldn't tell you how many I had. What are some of your favorite pumpkin recipes?
xoxo,
Katelyn