getting engaged - part two

Hi friends!
Hope your week is going well and that you enjoyed part one of our engagement!
If you missed that, feel free to catch up here.

Without further ado, let's finish this love story.

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Where we left off, life was good.

Joe and I were settled in Alpharetta and doing really well at our jobs.

We hadn't talked about getting engaged since the wine incident, and even though I was a little sad it hadn't happened yet, I was very content in our relationship.

Before we knew it, it was December - our five year anniversary, Christmas, and New Years.
December has always been one of our favorite months {clearly because there's a lot of celebrating to be done}, and this one was no exception.
We had a lovely, low-key anniversary on the 19th, and then spent some time at Joe's parents' house for Christmas.
For New Years, we had planned to have Kayla and her boyfriend over for a couple of days to celebrate.
They were set to arrive on December 30th, and I couldn't wait!

I remember that day being a very normal day.
I had to work and Joe didn't, so he was tasked with cleaning the apartment before our friends arrived {which obviously had me slightly panicked...will he get it all done in time?!}
I was grumpy because something at work wasn't going my way, so basically I was watching the clock - ready to get off, have drinks with my friends, and relax for the next couple of days.
Because Joe was in charge of cleaning {and I know that he would choose Xbox over actually cleaning any day of the week}, I texted him a few times throughout the day to make sure things were getting done.
But he never answered.
Which is so strange, because normally we talk pretty much all day.  If an hour or two goes by that we haven't touched base, it's unusual.
So by 3:00, I was straight up worried.  Worried enough that I told my manager that I needed a minute to FaceTime him because this was so unlike him not to answer.
And thank goodness, he finally answered...only to tell me he had been playing Xbox and was just about to start vacuuming.
What?!  Please start cleaning, they'll be here in two hours!
That's pretty much how the conversation went.
My manager laughed once I got off the phone, and at 5:00 she wished me luck on the cleaning, to which I responded, "If he hasn't vacuumed, he's dead."
If I knew what he had really been doing all day, I never would have said that!

{What he was really doing all day was ring shopping with Kayla and July...

...and buying me the most beautiful ring!}

I got home, and thankfully the apartment was spotless, so I proceeded to tell Joe all about how awful my day was - so awful that I didn't even feel like changing out of my work clothes for dinner.  {These days I'm kicking myself for that...}

Our friends arrived around 6:00 and brought their dog along with them, which AJ was less than thrilled about.

I remember offering at least three times to take him to daycare, and everyone kept insisting I didn't leave {which I totally didn't understand...why is everyone being so weird?! It's not a big deal!}, until finally Kayla suggested we go freshen up for dinner.

The two of us went into the bedroom and started touching up our makeup and chatting about our day.

After a moment or two, Joe peaked his head in and asked me to come to the living room real quick, which I assumed would just be him asking me a question about the plans for the night...

He quickly walked over to our Christmas tree, so {still oblivious} I followed him to see what he needed.

When he turned around, he handed me a glass of red wine...

"Taste this - is it good?  Do you know what wine this is?  Do you remember what you said about this wine?"

It immediately clicked, and all I could said was "yeah...I do..."

{In my head I was thinking is this really happening?!  NOW?!}

He took my glass, set it down on the TV stand, and took both of my hands in his.

Then he said the things I had been waiting to hear for five years.

I wish I could remember it all verbatim, but after he said, "I can't wait to have kids with you one day," I honestly think I blacked out from the realization that this was actually happening.  Here.  In our apartment.  On what seemed to be a normal Monday night.

He asked me to marry him right there in our living room, in front of my best friend and her boyfriend, and obviously I said yes immediately!

That wasn't the last surprise of the evening though.

Joe had planned a celebration for us {clearly he was confident in the 'yes'}, so immediately afterwards, his family and a ton of our friends were at our place, toasting and celebrating and admiring my sparkly new addition.

freshly engaged :)

It was the single most perfect night I've ever had, hands down.

And this brings me back to my original point on 'perfect timing.'

If Joe had proposed back in year one when I was ready, we wouldn't have been surrounded by all of the amazing friends we've made over our years together, it wouldn't have been as personal and intimate as it was {in our shared living room of the place we both call home}, and {biggest of all} we wouldn't have been able to afford the wedding we both envision having with each other.

It was so important for Joe to make sure we were taken care of {education, careers, savings} before he felt comfortable taking us on this next step, and now I understand why.

Wedding planning so far has been virtually stress-free because we're so settled, and for that, I am grateful.

That guy of mine, he's smart.

So there you have it folks.

That's the story of how we got engaged.

For those of you that are wondering, the wine we had was a Kathryn Hall cabernet.

I think it was this one, but I'd have to double check to be sure.

It was amazing though, and totally worth the wait {much like our engagement!}.

Lastly, since I was lucky enough to get engaged with my best friend present, I have a video of the whole thing that I will cherish for the rest of my days.

Thanks, Kayla!

It's a little dark, but you can hear the sweet words he said and I love it.

I can't wait to show it to our kids one day.

Enjoy!

getting engaged - part one

We've been engaged for two and a half months now, and things have finally calmed down enough to where I feel like I can actually write about it.

I know, about time!

Let me just start by saying this.

I've always had an irrational fear of becoming that bride - you know, the bride that never stops talking about her wedding and annoys everyone within a 20 mile radius because she can't talk about anything else.

My MOH can attest to this.

She may or may not have told me once that it's like pulling teeth to get me to tell her details about the wedding...I just don't want to be that bride!

So, naturally, I didn't want to turn this into a wedding blog either.

But as I thought more about it, I realized something.

This is the perfect place for me to share wedding stuff.  Whoever wants to read it can read it, and I don't have to feel like I'm talking about it all day everyday in real life {although sometimes I am...the half of me that isn't worried about being annoying loves to relive it all :)}.

So without further ado, I'll start from the beginning.

The story of our engagement.

Joe and I have been together for five years - that's five years full of college and tailgates and graduations and new jobs and moving and buying our first puppy and vacations and laughter and tears.

All of that and more.

And I've known since year one that I was going to marry him.

I just couldn't see myself with anyone else.

He was so different than any other guy I had dated.  No guessing games, no lying.  I always knew where I stood with him, and I loved it.

Being with him was so easy.  He was total husband material.

One thing I've always loved about him is how level-headed he is about big decisions.

He puts a lot of thought into the future, and he doesn't take decision-making lightly.

If I had it my way, we would have been engaged before I graduated college.

Why wait?!  We're meant to be!  Let's do this!

But he would always brush it off - we're not in the right place, things need to happen before we can get there, and my personal favorite, stop asking me about this, Amber.
There was a lot of frustration over the years regarding these responses, but looking back on it now, I'm actually grateful.
Grateful he was smart enough to wait until the timing was right.  I truly believe it made all the difference.
And to those of you that think "the timing will never be perfect," you may be right - but from my experience, timing was everything, and it was pretty darn close to being perfect.
I'll tell you why.

One particular night last summer, we went out to dinner after work - our Friday routine.

We were having a great time together, and on our way home Joe suggested that we crack open a fancy bottle of wine he brought home for us from his trip to Napa Valley.

We had been holding on to that bottle for a few months because it was pricy, way more expensive than anything we'd buy ourselves on a regular night, and in my head I just assumed we'd be saving it for a very special occasion - i.e. our engagement.

I hadn't told him this before though, so when he suggested we open the bottle I just blurted it out - I was thinking we'd drink that when we get engaged!

Obviously, blurting it out in the middle of a date {completely out of the blue, by the way} was not the most smooth way to suggest this, but what can I say?

After four and a half years together, I hardly felt the need to dance around my thoughts and feelings.

Long story short, we did not drink the wine that night.
Joe was hardly thrilled with my revelation, and the wine went back in the corner of our kitchen - out of sight and out of mind.

Six months or so passed without either of us mentioning the wine incident, and besides the occasional complaint to my girlfriends {I'm a girl, what do you expect?!}, we were really happy.
I got a new job, Joe was doing really well at his job, and we had settled into a comfortable routine together in our new city.
Basically an unmarried married couple, if that makes sense.
I had no idea whatsoever that soon he would give me the surprise of the century.

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Because this post would be the longest and wordiest post I've ever shared if I continued the story, I'm breaking it into two parts.
Please don't hate me!
And tune in later this week for part two {plus a video of the big moment!}!

5-ingredient chocolate pie with vanilla whipped cream

It seemed appropriate to share this recipe with you today, what with it being Pi Day and all!

Last weekend, I got in one of those moods where I just had to make a pie.
Particularly pie crust.
I really love making pie crust.
It's so easy to make, and it just tastes so good.
Happiness resides in freshly made pie crust.

So on Sunday, I had big plans to make a pie.
Until we ate so many stuffed peppers that I couldn't bring myself to move from the couch.
Attractive, I know.
It ended up working out better though, because I made it on Tuesday and got to share it with my coworkers the next day!
The last thing we need around our place is a whole pie for just the two of us.

Personally, I'm more of a fruit pie kind of gal.
Apple, peach, blueberry...you name it, I love it.
But Joe has this idea that it's not really dessert unless it's made of chocolate.
{Okay, he has never said that...but considering how much chocolate I've seen him eat over the years, there has to be a little bit of truth to that.}
So chocolate pie it was!

recipe via

For pie:

1 refrigerated pie crust {or make your own! I always use Carla Hall's recipe}

3 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 stick melted butter

1 can evaporated milk

*optional: a pinch of cayenne pepper for a bit of heat!

For whipped cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp granulated white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If you made your own dough, roll it out and place in a pie dish.

I haven't quite figured out how to correctly pinch the edges yet, but practice makes perfect, right?

Using a fork, poke holes in the crust.

In a bowl, mix together cocoa powder and sugar.

Whisk in eggs, melted butter, and evaporated milk.

Carefully pour mixture into the crust.

Don't worry if there's lumps - as you can see, mine was a bit lumpy, but it still turned out great!

Bake for 50 minutes.

When it comes out, the batter will look like it's risen a little.

As it cools, it will fall a bit and set more.

I'd suggest letting it cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it.

You don't have to let it cool all the way though!

We ate it warm, and it was dreamy.

For the whipped cream, put cream and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whip {with the whip attachment} on speed 8.

Slowly add sugar, and whip until thickened.

It's ready when peaks have formed!

It takes about 30 seconds or so, I'd say.

Serve up the pie with an obnoxiously large dollop of vanilla whipped cream, and enjoy!

If you need an easy dessert for a party or holiday dinner {or for just a random Tuesday, if you're like us}, I'd absolutely suggest this.

It was a real crowd-pleaser!

Joe ate two slices in one sitting, so I deem that a success.

Plus, it only has five ingredients!

It doesn't get any easier than that.

The whipped cream is obviously optional, but let me just say, it was divine.

This was my first time making whipped cream in the Kitchenaid, and I can't wait to do it again!

It was so easy, and the possibilities are just endless.

I can't wait to sub the vanilla for peppermint extract to make a peppermint version!

Don't you think that would be an amazing way to top a big glass of hot chocolate?

Oh, the possibilities.

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

Or St. Patrick's Day?

Joe and I are attending a birthday party tomorrow afternoon {happy 1st birthday, Stella!}, and I'm going shopping for a new pair of jeans.

Big weekend, clearly.

There's talk about throwing a trip to Mexican in tomorrow night, so I'm not complaining!

Regardless of your plans, I hope you start your weekend off right - enjoying some chocolate pie!

overnight banana oats

I'm writing this tonight in the hopes that you are as lame as me and instead of celebrating Fat Tuesday, you're sitting on the couch with a glass of wine watching Couples Therapy on the DVR.

No?

Just me?

Fine.

But trust me when I say that you should prep this breakfast tonight before you stumble to bed.

You'll thank me tomorrow, I promise.

I've been saying for months that I was going to try overnight oats, and yesterday I finally remembered to do it!

It only took about a year.

And shame on me, because this breakfast was the bomb.

I should've known I'd like it just based on the fact that I can make it ahead of time.

Is there anything worse than having to pack breakfast in the morning when you're exhausted and would rather just:

A. go through a drive-thru, or;

B. skip breakfast altogether?

I wish I was the kind of person that could skip breakfast.

I just can't do it.

When I wake up in the morning, I'm ready to eat my own arm I'm so hungry.

Clearly it's best case scenario that I wake up and breakfast is already made.

recipe adapted via

Things you'll need:

2/3 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats

2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 banana, sliced

In a mason jar {or any jar with a lid}, combine oats, almond milk, vanilla extract, and syrup.

This is the syrup I used.

You want 100% pure maple!

Put the lid on tight, and give it a good shake!

Put it in the fridge overnight, and let the oats do their magic.

In the morning, the oats will have absorbed 90% of the liquid and look like this!

Plump, soft, and full of flavor.

Slice up some banana and toss it in.

Give it a stir, and enjoy!

The original recipe tossed in some chopped pecans too, which I think would be great if you're looking for some texture.

Or a sprinkle of granola.

I will say, though, that it was perfectly delicious with just the banana.

The maple syrup gave it just enough sweetness, and I honestly think the vanilla is the secret weapon.

It took the flavor over the top.

If you're not a fan of banana, feel free to mix it up.

I think blueberries would pair quite nicely with this flavor combo.

Also, feel free to warm it up if you're not into eating your oatmeal cold.

This was my first time trying cold oatmeal though, and I loved it.

Don't knock it 'til you try it!

I'm definitely going to try the other variations of overnight oatmeal on the site where I found the original recipe, so I will gladly report back about those.

What are your go-to breakfasts on weekdays?

I'm always looking for new ideas {considering I've had yogurt and granola every morning for the last year and a half, at least}.

mustard-dipped oven "fried" chicken

I'd say "happy Monday," but I'm not sure such a thing exists.
So, lets just dive right in.

How was your weekend?

Mine was pretty darn amazing if I'm being honest!
One of my bridesmaids hosted an engagement party for us at her house, and it was nothing short of amazing.
I mean above and beyond, times ten.

You can't really read the sign in this photo, but we decided on the hashtag #destefanieverafter for the wedding.

No one warns you how hard it is to come up with a good wedding hashtag!

But if you want to see what's new with our wedding, you can search that on Instagram and have at it.

Or click here to see more photos from the engagement party.

I'll spare you a photo recap here since we have that nifty link above, but I will share one thing.

My MOH, Kayla, taped the speech Joe gave, and it's just to sweet not to share.

Thanks again for the amazing party, friends.  We love you all!

Jumping back about a week, I made something to tell you about last weekend and never got a chance to write about it.

Do you ever get a craving that's so intense that literally nothing else sounds good?

Last weekend I had that issue with fried chicken.

Which is so weird, because I hardly ever eat fried chicken.

But out of nowhere on Sunday night, I could not stop thinking about it.

As you know, fried chicken is not so great for a person on a diet.

That's part of the reason it tastes so good, I suppose.

It's not supposed to be healthy.

It's just fried deliciousness that you have to embrace if you're going to eat it.

And I'm all for indulging when the time is right.

Last Sunday was not that time though.

After a weekend of indulgence, I was ready to get back in the kitchen and make something a bit lighter to get us back on track for the week.

So what's a girl to do when she wants to be healthy, but she's also dying for a piece of fried chicken?

Embrace the oven and bake it, that's what.

recipe adapted via

Things you'll need:

2-3 thinly sliced chicken cutlets

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup dijon mustard

2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on top of it.

Lightly spray cooling rack with cooking spray.

In a dish {I used a flat tupperware bowl}, mix together breadcrumbs, Parmesan, cayenne pepper, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and one tablespoon olive oil.

Feel free to add a little more olive oil if you don't feel like one tablespoon was enough.

I added an extra little splash for good measure.

In a separate bowl, use a fork to gently whisk together dijon mustard, two tablespoons of olive oil, water, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

One piece at a time, coat the chicken in the mustard mixture, and then dredge through the breadcrumb mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, flip the chicken and bake for an additional 10 minutes {to give both sides a chance to crisp up}.

Serve with your veggie of choice and enjoy!

This chicken was so so good, I can't say enough good things.

I had never heard of using a mustard coating before, so I was a little nervous about that part {Joe's not a huge fan of mustard}.

But, in this recipe, it makes ALL the difference.

We both loved the flavor it gave to the chicken, and it also kept it extremely moist and juicy.

That, paired with the little bit of heat I added with the cayenne, made for quite a yummy dinner if I do say so myself.

And, because this chicken is baked instead of fried, you can feel a little less guilty about eating more than one piece {because if it's available, you will...trust me}.

Do you have any tricks for oven-fried {or regular fried} chicken?

The mustard mixture blew my mind, so now I'm curious as to what else I can dip it in!

friday things

I have been going through a slump lately.

Let me clarify - I've been going through a cooking slump lately.

Like, the only things I cook are soup or tacos {because those are the best meals anyway}, and then I feel like a crappy wife-to-be because a man can only eat so many grilled cheese sandwiches before he goes crazy.

That kind of slump.

Hence the silence on the recipe front lately.

I am getting back in the groove this weekend though.

I'm determined.

Meal planning, shopping, the whole shebang.

Until then, let's catch up since the last time we spoke.

Here's what I've been up to.

Joe got a promotion at work!

So we did the adult thing and celebrated with caramel gelato, naturally.

So proud of you, lover!

I found my wedding dress {and bridesmaid dresses}!

And I'll tell you, it was way less stressful than I was expecting.

I'm notorious for being a bad decision-maker, so frankly I was terrified at how the process would go.

But then I put on the dress, and it was just so easy to say yes.

To celebrate the engagement {and marking that huge task off the list}, my dad came to town and took us out for a celebratory dinner at Atlantic Seafood Company.

Who can turn down an engagement brownie?

Atlanta suffered through it's second snowpocalypse of the year.

Personally, I don't mind waking up to a winter wonderland.

You know I'd stay in my pajamas all day everyday if I could!

Joe, pup, and I ventured out into the ice once for an icy stroll.

It was so pretty!

And strange...seeing our street nearly abandoned.

You can't tell in this photo, but there were tons of people like us out walking, enjoying the sites.

Note: That photo was taken last week, and yesterday it was 70 degrees here.

#georgiaweather

Somehow, after working from home for a week, I managed to get sick.

More sick than I've been in years, actually.

So I stayed in my pajamas and drank tons of hot water with lemon and honey out of the new coffee mug my company gave me {which is giant by the way...obsessed}.

Lastly, Joe and I celebrated Valentine's Day.

If you know me, you know V-day is one of my favorite days of the year, and it never disappoints!

Since we were working from home, Joe made me breakfast.

Then we headed off to Chattanooga for the weekend to visit some friends and have an amazing dinner at Riverside Food Works.

We had a butterscotch creme brulee that singlehandedly convinced me I should register for a mini blow torch.

Dessert party at my place, anyone?

Joe's gift is still growing on him...

He'll get there.

So in a nutshell, that's been my life the past couple weeks!

What have you been up to?

Made any good meals lately?

Tell me everything!

This weekend we're off to celebrate my MOH, Kayla's, birthday and new job!

{Can't wait to celebrate with you tonight, friend!}

Then Sunday we're registering for the wedding at Crate & Barrel.

Which means this could potentially be the best weekend ever, clearly.

crockpot salsa chicken bowls

For those of you who aren't Atlanta natives, let me bring you up to speed.
We are in the midst of the snowpocalypse over here.

It may not look like much, but us Georgians aren't prepared for anything more than flurries that melt as soon as they hit the ground, so this has been quite the disaster.

Like, a people-sleeping-in-their-cars-and-commutes-taking-18-plus-hours disaster.

I was lucky enough to be sent home from work just in time to miss the madness.

Thank goodness!

Joe is off on a business trip this week, so pup and I have been holed up in the apartment snuggling and keeping warm.

{Working from home is the best!}

Except for the couple of times I've pulled him outside to see the sights, which he was not thrilled about to say the least.

This morning, I woke up, took the pup on a walk through the winter wonderland outside, and decided I wanted something cooked low and slow for dinner.

I didn't go grocery shopping before the storm hit {I know, blasphemy}, but luckily I had a couple of staples on hand that I thought would make a decent meal.

And I was right!

This salsa chicken is so so good.

I've made it in the oven before, but it's even better in the crockpot {as most things are}.

Plus, it's incredibly easy to make and multi-functional!

I made a bowl out of it, but it would be delicious as a taco filling or on top of a bed of nachos.

...and my love affair with Mexican food continues.

Things you'll need:

4-5 chicken cutlets {breasts or thighs will also work!}

1 jar of salsa

1 cup of cooked rice

toppings of choice: shredded cheese, lettuce, sour cream, cilantro, sauteed peppers...sky's the limit!

Lightly spray your crockpot with cooking spray.

Put chicken in {I used frozen cutlets, no need to thaw!} and cover with salsa.

For five cutlets, I used almost 2 cups of salsa.

As long as the chicken is covered, it'll work!

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours {or on high for 4-5 hours}.

After chicken is cooked through, use two forks to shred.

Cook rice according to package directions.

You want about a cup of rice for each serving.

Spoon the chicken mixture over the rice.

Sprinkle on toppings of your choice!

Because I didn't grocery shop beforehand, all I had on hand was cheese and low fat sour cream.

I think it'd be great with some shredded lettuce, black beans, and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Maybe even some tortilla strips?

Make it your own!

Stir it up to melt the cheese, and enjoy!

If you're looking for something easy and relatively quick {I mean you really only touch it while you're assembling}, then I definitely recommend this!

Also, it was very filling.

The perfect meal for a day when you're in your pajamas taking refuge from a snowstorm!

{Besides soup, that is...we all know I'm also having a love affair with soup lately.}

How has your week been going?

Besides the weather, everything is pretty slow here.

Just taking it easy with pup, working from home in pajamas, and marking things off the wedding checklist.

Officiant and dj are officially booked!

Hope you're all staying warm!