Rustic Wedding - The Intro.

Whata Gwon, Islanders?

Don't go playing crazy, you know what it means.  We've talked about 'whata gwon' a kajillion times as recently as here.

Anyhoo, do you recall the rustic wedding I first mentioned here?  The on-trend barn wedding that we've all seen all over Pinterest?  I found the perfect venue for my bride's vision and budget, The Barn at Aspen Grove:

And then they decided to build an entirely NEW facility for receptions!

Yes, you pay for a venue and months before your date, they announce they will perform some renovations to the facility and landscape.  A few weeks after the initial announcement, you receive an email that says the RECEPTION venue is well underway.  I'm sure you can imagine the panic.  As a matter of fact, my initial post spoke to the panic.  Well, I shared a sneak peak of images (here) so you know all went well day-of.

Now that it's over, I can share the level of panic when we showed up just two weeks before our wedding and saw the old barn was now for the bridal party:

Bridal Suite

Groomsmen suite

The old reception space had become living space for the owners:

Islanders, brace yourself.  What you are about to see is what we saw exactly two weeks from our wedding date:

Minecraft Party Wrap-Up

Hey, Islanders!

I owe you a few posts so, this week, I'm circling back to give you details on some events you've been waiting on.  We're starting with the Minecraft Party :)

Let's get to it, shall we?

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Maya Mondays: CONTROL.

Maya Mondays

  More about this new series on the blog here.

 

Let's decide to make this week a GREAT week!

 

Quick Recipe - Chili Mac

Hey, Islanders,

 

I may not talk about it often but this Mama cooks.  Every night.  I also try to cook a balanced meal.  Every night.

 

Now, that doesn't mean I don't have my moments but... I believe if I make our food at home I KNOW what's in it...  can't trust everybody's everythang, ya know?  Over the years, I've gained some quick go-to meals.  I figured I should start sharing some of my go-to weeknight recipes for others who may be interested in meals that don't break the bank and aren't SO fancy they intimidate you from trying.  These recipes may not be pretty but they taste good :) They also are designed for my real cooks - the ones who try to squeeze something to eat into the 3-4 hours between the time they get home and the time they [should] climb into bed.  Can I get an Chandelier CHAN-DALAY?!

Are you lost by where that term came from? Read about it here!

---ANYHOO---
 

I believe my inherent desire to ensure meals are prepared at home, and with as little "processed" assistance as possible, came from my parents.  They made sure we always had a home-cooked meal.  They didn't use store-bought or ready-made anything...  Things most people take for granted nowadays like homemade spaghetti sauce or gravy were always homemade in our house.  When I think about it, my parents used to make a dish called Chili-Mac.  It's what I relate Hamburger Helper to be.  It takes the same amount of time as Hamburger Helper but is MUCH healthier and makes more servings. 

I guess one could consider this recipe my version of Chili-Mac.  Enjoy!