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Anyone who knows me knows that I am a dog lover of epic proportions. My five year old black lab Nina and I are the bestest of BFFs. She meets me at the door every night when I come home and she stares after me longingly when I leave for work in the morning. We play, we swim, we take long walks every night and I come home from every trip away loaded down with new toys and treats. Lately, my husband and I have been talking a lot about getting a second dog. And by “lately” I mean for the last year or so. And by “a lot” I mean nearly daily. Last week we found out about some golden retriever pups, one of whom has a minor “defect” and was having a little trouble finding a good home. (The defect being a birth mark of sorts leaving here with a small patch of black fur on one of her hind legs.) We decided to go visit. I fell in love. She’s nine weeks old and about 15lbs right now. Oh, and it should be noted, she’s hopelessly adorable. See for yourself…

Now begins the great doggie debate in earnest. Should we add a second dog to our family? Nina loves dogs and I think she’d genuinely grow to love a companion. But it’s a lot of extra work, a lot of extra hair to clean up, and potentially a lot of extra money if any health issues should arise. Plus, I don’t want Nina to feel like we needed a replacement doggie because she wasn’t good enough. And who am I kidding? I also worry that Nina will love the new pup more than me and my little buddy will be preoccupied. Does anyone have any experience with adding a second dog to the family? I’d love to hear your advice!

As the summer winds down, here’s a new spin on an old dish to take to those last patio potlucks. For those of you who also like your potato salads light, crispy, and packed with flavor, this one’s for you! (Note: any cukes and chiles will work fine!)

Tzatziki Potato Salad

via Food & Wine

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3/4 cup Greek-style, plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 Kirby cucumbers – peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 serrano chile, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint
1 tablespoon chopped dill
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook over high heat until tender, about 9 minutes. Drain, gently shaking out the excess water. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for about 10 minutes, just until no longer warm. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the yogurt with the mayonnaise until smooth. Add the cucumbers, chile, mint and dill. Fold in the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and serve.

A couple of weeks ago, my family had the joyous occasion of watching my sister and her fiancee be married at my parent’s home in Golden, Colorado.

It was a beautiful backyard wedding: elegant, sweet, and thoughtful.  I had the pleasure of debuting my new floral company, Petaling in Tandem, and I am so thrilled with the photos that I had to share them all with you!

All photos courtesy of Jason Long Photography.

Bride’s bouquet, wrapped with lace from mom’s wedding dress

Centerpieces and decor

Bridesmaid bouquet

{Read the rest of this entry…}

I’ve bitten the bullet, given in, finally caved… EAD now has a Facebook page! If you are on Facebook, I’d love for you to head over and “like” it!

As I do on Twitter, I’ll be uploading links to posts each day, announcements and anything else that strikes my fancy. Any thoughts about what you’d like to see on the EAD Facebook page? Photo albums from past favorites, perhaps?

Also, there is a Williams-Sonoma $200 gift card giveaway running on EAD Weddings that ends tomorrow, so run over and go enter for your chance to win and good luck!

Hope you all are having a great Monday!

Let me tell you about one of the most meaningful, touching gifts I’ve ever gotten.

Recently, my mother-in-law put together a very special recipe book for me. It’s a handmade collection of recipes from her mother, who passed away right around the time I met Andy. On the cover is a picture of my adolescent husband and his grandmother, and inside are photocopies of pastry recipes in Grandma Ida’s own handwriting. I never got to meet Grandma Ida, but she now lives on in my kitchen.

This recipe in particular stood out among the rest because of a little comment that Grandma Ida wrote in at the end: (tastes good). She was right.

Grandma Ida’s Orange Cake
A Playing House Original

For the cake:
1/2 c vegetable shortening
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp orange rind
3/4 c sour cream

For the glaze:
1/2 c freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 c sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine shortening and sugar until well blended. Add eggs and mix to combine. Sift flour and baking soda together and add to sugar mixture.

3. Stir in orange rind and sour cream, and pour mixture into a well-greased bundt (or other circular) pan.

4. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. While the cake is still warm, invert onto a cake plate. Combine orange juice and sugar until sugar dissolves (microwave for a bit if needed) and pour over the warm cake. Enjoy!