Home

 I'm sitting here at work and just noticed the clock... I have one more hour before I click my heels and repeat, "There's no place like home". Now, if only the good witch of the north could help me bypass the LA traffic... Hey! I can dream, can't I?

An Irish Blessing...

Read this. Loved this. Wanted to share this.

{Image from tinywhitedaisies}

Who's in?

Doesn't this look divine? I could definitely see myself lounging on one of those couches, sharing a Sunday brunch with my best girlfriends.

{photo: A Colorful Mind }

Mama's Enchilada Cassarole

Ok, so my mom didn't invent this recipe, but she made it a lot when I was growing up. So to me, it's Mom's.

My friend, G-Fur (well, Jennifer, but I haven't called her that since 8th grade) came over last Friday and we attemped to make the enchilada cassarole that made my tummy happy as a kid. It was a cold, rainy, and very windy evening; perfect for slaving over the stove and creating a dish from my childhood.

We started with the ground beef. Brown with onions, garlic, salt & pepper. When the meat is just about done, add one beaten egg and sliced black olives.

While the meat is cooking, heat your canned tomato sauce & one can of water in a sauce pan.Once your meat is finished and sauce is hot, you're ready to start the layering.

Dip the corn tortillas in tomato sauce and layer on the bottom of a greased 9x13 dish.

Add your meat and spread evenly over the tortillas, layer with sauce, then sprinkle cheese over the meat. I love cheese, so the cheesier the better for me!

Then, add another layer of tortillas dipped in tomato sauce, pour remaining sauce over, and top with remaining cheese and chives.

Bake at 350 degrees (covered) for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Accompany with chips, salsa, and homemade guacalmole.

I like to add a dallop (or two) of sour cream... and VOILA!

Enchilada Cassarole

1 lb. ground beef
2 medium cans tomato sauce (I used one can of sauce and one can of crushed tomato)
1 large onion, chopped
1 egg beaten
2 cloves of garlic
1 can sliced black olives
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 corn tortillas
Grated Jack cheese
Grated Cheddar cheese
Chopped chives (optional)

If you try it, let me know what you think!

New projects: Organization

Our house is pretty organized in some areas; then there are those other areas that need a little help.

Our closet is one. We both have so many clothes that we don't wear. I know there are people out there that could really appreciate a few pairs of pants and sweaters. A good friend of mine came over a few weeks back and helped me clear things out, and get rid of the clothes and shoes that I've held on to since high school. Yes, you read that correctly... high school! 3 trash bags full of clothes and shoes are now in the hands of those who are in real need of them. Its awesome when I walk in our closet now, I'm able to find things so much easier. Scarves (which I have a TON of), nail polish, shoes, sweaters, hats & belts... everything has its place now.

I didn't get a before photo of the closet, but here's what our bathroom looked like while we were in the process of organizing:

Here's the "after" photo:

Next on my list is our home office. I'm really excited about this project! It's located just upstairs in the loft area. There's a built-in desk, which eventually (years down the road) I'd like to rip out and replace with a pretty work area. But for now, I will do my best to make it look fun, organized and appealing to the eye. I've been looking at purchasing this. They are actually all separate pieces, but I want to accomplish a similar look. I will add a few shelves and some nice paintings to bring some color in, and voila! Our new home office! We will be working on the filing system in the weeks to come, and hopefully start to put things up on the wall soon after. I can't wait to see it all finished; but for now, I will leave you with a "before" photo:

Lastly is our garage. We're forced to purchase our own shelving and cabinest, since the sellers of our home ripped out the ones that were orginally there. It's been a year a half, and still not done. I'm eager to stack our holiday decorations on shelves in the garage, rather than having them take up space in our guest rooms. Hopefully this Spring we can start in here, before it gets too hot. I see boxes & tubs on shelves, paint cans, tools & gardening items in cabinets and out of site. I have a vision. 

"Sweet Love"

Mike and I celebrated Valentine's Day early this year, since he will be working on the actual holiday.

We went to Claim Jumpers for an early dinner on Saturday. Then came home to snuggle on the couch, eat the giant sugar cookie (got the idea from my sister-in-law) I made for my valentine, and watch movies. It was both romantic and relaxing.

Today, we woke up at 630am to cheer on my little cousin, Zachary, at his hockey game. He did awesome, and they won 5-3!! My cousin, Caroline, introduced us to Dink's, a Jewish Deli that serves breakfast and lunch. We ordered omlettes and the BEST bagles I've ever had! I'll be trying their Motzo ball soup, which I hear is amazing. I love trying new restaurants in our area... so refreshing. Lastly, Mike and I attended early mass at church, and came home in time for a nap before he had to go to work.

Wishing you all a lovely and happy Valentine's Day!

Nella's Story

I sat down on the couch Sunday night and read a story that was shared by a friend, and I am now sharing it with you. It is powerful, encouraging, heartbreaking, so inspiring, strengthening, and overall, a beautiful story about how precious life really is. This is the story of little Nella Cordelia. The challenges we face, no matter how big or small, come to us for a reason; for us to look at the positive and know that life really is beautiful.

It's just a name...

I went to the Social Security office a few Fridays back to change my last name. I never thought a name change could be so emotional. I cried all the way to the office, and when the lady handed me the recipt when it was all finished, the tears came again. It's so common for women to take their husband's name. Everyone I know has done it: Grandma, Mom, aunts, friends, cousins.

Well, my new card came in the mail today, and it is SO strange to see "Angela Louise" with a different last name. My first two names have been attached to my last name for 29 years. The 3 names were buddies... pals...BFF's. The whole thing is bittersweet, I guess. Don't get me wrong, though, it was my choice to take on my husband's last name, and I'm happy I did! It will just take some time for me to get use to it. I never thought I would have these feelings over a name. I just feel so silly...

Just a spoonful of sugar...

Is that all it takes to make the medicine go down? I remember liking the taste of cough medicine when I was little. I guess I grew out of that one... yuck!

This weekend was spent doing nothing but sleeping, watching movies, taking 2 pills every 4 hours, and eating lots of chicken soup!

I'm hoping this next weekend will be more productive... :)

End of the year recap

Well, Christmas is over and its a brand new year! We were busy this past weekend putting all of our decorations away, and we finally took our poor dried tree out to the curb. I took advantage of the quiet weekend to clean, unclutter, and reorganize the house. Spring cleaning done a little early! Before we move further into the new year, I'd like to share a little bit of our holiday season:

Mike and I had breakfast with Dad and Linda on Christmas Eve. We went to Egg Plantation in Newhall... very yummy! It had been a few years since I'd spent Christmas with my dad, so I enjoyed having that time with him.

Christmas Eve night was spent at Mom & Bob's house. We had about 30 people over for dinner. Lots of food, family, and fun! I love going "Home" for the holidays. Mom's house is always so cozy and welcoming. Here's a photo I took that shows a little family history:

The mirror belonged to Bob's grandmother; the ceramic lit Christmas tree was made by my grandmother Teresa Trotta; the glass basket was used for the favors at my grandmother & grandfather Trotta's wedding in 1938, and the buffet belonged to my great grandmother Angelina. My mom had it, along with the dining room table and chairs, shipped from Dearborn, Michigan to California.





Mike and I woke up Christmas day and opened our gifts together. Mom and Bob came over for breakfast. Then we all headed to Bobby & Betty's for a while, before Mike and I went to his aunt and uncle's house for Christmas number 4!


Mom & I cooking breakfast



Family trip to Disneyland for Mom & Bob





New Years weekend was spent in Kernville. A place to:

curl up by the fire
play games
eat lots of comfort food
throw rocks into the creek
sip hot chocolate and take in the gorgeous views and fresh air
celebrate a 12th birthday
snowboard & ski
admire the snow
be with family and friends



Jordan's 12th Birthday!







Mike and I came home to SNOW!! It was amazing!

For the new year, I bought a bunch of yellow and white daisies to put around the house. A friend of mine told me yellow is for "Luck" and white is for "Pure & Clean". I chose to use Daisies because they're always happy and make me smile. I just love how they bring sunshine into any room!

HELLO!

It's a new year and time for new things! I've decided to start this blog as a way to document my life and share my stories and photos. I'm still learning my way around this site and how things work, so forgive me if I mess up on posting photos, links or other fun things we're able to do on here. I'm really excited to start this and to receive comments from ya'll.

The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie of all time. I have quite a large collection of everything from books, plates, dixie cups, music boxes, posters & paintings to dolls, videos, ornaments and more. I have my mother to thank for this. She, too, has a special place in her heart for The Wizard of Oz. She decorated my nursery in everything Oz and rainbows, and even wore a 1970's t-shirt with a rainbow on it during a lot of her pregnancy with me; I was destined to be an Oz fan. Here's a photo of one of my newest Oz ornaments:

There truly is no place like home. "Home" is where I:

feel safe and warm

am creative

can be cozy

can be lazy

love to cook

curl up to read a book

Just this past November, I married the man of my dreams. The wedding was held at The Dana Powers House in Nipomo, CA. We had the ceremony out near the orchards, and the reception inside the barn. I love everything vintage, rustic, and country... this place has it all! I'll share more about the wedding in a later post. Many fun photos to share. But for now, I'll leave you with a photo of me and Mike seeing each other for the first time that day.