A Great Labor Day Weekend

After a long wait I finally got the 3 day weekend I deserved. It was both relaxing and productive.

Pilot and I started the weekend french style. We went to a local Paris cafe for breakfast.

Nothing like a little cafe au lait and a croque madame to make you feel like you’re back in Paris. A croque madame is based on the croque monsieur but topped with an egg.

A french ham and cheese sandwich, cheese, cheese, and more cheese topped with an egg.

With my belly full of cheese I was ready to hunt down a dresser. Ok, maybe it wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had.

It took many weeks but we finally found a bedroom set…on sale. Just my style. 🙂

The best part of my weekend was a visit from my bestie, Natalie, and her cutie pup, Lola! We rushed home after our furniture find just in time for her arrival. YAY! I don’t know who was more excited, me or Bosco.

They played and played and played. Now that’s what I call entertainment.

Poor guy was so exhausted today after all that playing he couldn’t even get his tired little bones into his bed.

Of course it’s never a Labor day weekend without some grilling. You can call us the “grill chicas”.

While Pilot was running errands we manned the grill. We made steak, turkey burgers, corn, asparagus, and salad.

We were very proud of ourselves. The turkey burgers were slightly dry but that was not our fault. We were using meat that was just a little too lean to stay juicy. The steak on the other hand was perfect (not pictured…you’ll have to take our word for it).

Even though the turkey burger was a little dry the fast was perfect.

Turkey Burger

• Ground turkey meat
• Egg
• 1/2 medium onion
• salt
• pepper
• chili powder
• mexican fiesta seasoning – oregano, tomato, chili, garlic, and onion powder

Combine above ingredients. Don’t overmix. Make into patties. Grill.

Grilled Corn

• Corn
• Aluminum foil
• Spray olive oil
• salt

Place corn in aluminum foil square. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap corn and twist off edges. Place on grill over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes. Careful not to overcook. You’ll know you did if the corn cob becomes flexible. We didn’t! 🙂 Our corn was sweet and delicious.

For dessert we had fruit salad and caught a little sun before we decided it was time for a nap.

Puppy play time, grilling, and naps? Now THAT is a perfect labor day weekend.

I took it easy after all the weekend activity and keep tonight’s dinner simple with egg salad, snap peas, and cucumbers. I took it so easy I even used a paper plate and plastic utensils for a no fuss clean up.

Good night.

Missing Paris

So I’m back in the states!

I’m slowly adjusting to the time change and continuing work on the house. We finished painting one of the guest bedrooms. I’m super excited to get the trim done so I can properly share it with you.

Since I was only able to get in a couple posts while I was away I figured I’d share some of my favorite things about Paris.

Coffee…espresso…cafe au lait…and more coffee. 😉 

Cafes

Paris made me realize that we don’t have enough cafes. I loved stopping at every cafe I could find for a little coffee break and to rest my feet. I’m not kidding when I say we walked…we really walked. We left the hotel at 10am and wouldn’t get back until 5pm. Here’s the view from one of the cafes we stopped at. Amazing, right?

Croissants

Food! Lots of food! 

The food never disappointed. Pictured above is one of my favorite meals – white fish with a butter sauce, julienne carrots and green beans, and mashed potatoes. The fish was light and flaky, the veggies done perfectly and crisp, and the mashed potatoes airy and delicious

Wine

The Architecture

Every building, every house, every church, every statue was gorgeous. I was out and about all day every day and loved everything I saw. I wish we had architecture as amazing as what I saw on my trip.

Sacre Coeur

This was one of my favorite sights. It is 300 steps to get to the top. The hike was well worth it. Even better was the view from the top of Sacre Coeur. We were even able to go up in the dome.

Shopping

I was able to get so many fun things – rings, scarves, this coat, paintings (for my new office), and of course chocolates…just to name a few.

Dressing up

Because Pilot was in Paris for business there were many nights out where it was recommended we look our best. Since I am a girly girl I had no problem with this…and I came prepared…with 6+ pairs of shoes. Yes, I may have a problem.

I can’t say enough good things about Paris. I had an amazing time walking the city all day, taking breaks at their many cafes, and enjoying the restaurants at night. I look forward to visiting again.

A special thanks to my special Pilot for taking me on such a wonderful trip! 

Now it’s back to the gym, eating my greek yogurt, and working on our house. 🙂