I didn’t pay much attention to the gossip until I spent ALL DAY on Friday feeling sick as a dog. It took nearly 3 days to recover. Yuck! Having the flu is the worst.

At least I was nearly recovered by last night’s Super Bowl game.

Super Bowl Sunday is Jared’s favorite holiday, and Super Bowl foods are also Jared’s very favorite. Jared broke out the crockpot to make a massive batch of chili.

Whoa, I think we’ll be eating leftovers for a VERY long time.

My parents made their first trip to Wegman’s and brought home dozens of delicious goodies. My mom made meatballs while my dad feasted on sushi and chicken wings. The four of us shared a small carrot cake for dessert.

Even though it was a disappointing football game for New England Patriots fans, I had a great evening with my family and fiancé. Win or lose, quality time with family is what’s most important.

What I Wore… Blue Jeans

• When: Thursday, February 2nd
• Where: Antique shopping in Uxbridge and errands with my mom
• What: White ruffle long sleeve (Eddie Bauer), scottie dog sweater (J. Crew), royal blue jeans (American Eagle outlet), black boots (Madewell)
• Thanks to my mom for french braiding my hair. 28 years old and I still can’t manage to braid my own hair. I’m sure I’ll learn some day. Maybe I’ll add it to my Bucket List, haha.

What I Wore… Because I was Taste Testing Food for my Wedding

• When: Wednesday, February 1st
• Where: Tasting at the Boston Public Library
• What: Brown patterned silk blouse (Banana Republic), black jeans (Madewell), black boots (Banana Republic), bangle bracelets (Alex and Ani), silver watch (Skagen)

I wasn’t too sure about mixing black, brown, and navy blue. That can be a bold move. But when I look in the mirror, the rich shade of chocolate brown and the lighter shade of navy seemed to work well with neutral black jeans/boots.

What I Wore… Because I was ready for Nautical Combat

• When: Monday, January 30th
• Where: Errands to exciting locations including the Post Office, Petsmart, and the bank
• What: Anchor sweater (Lands End Canvas), denim leggings (American Eagle outlet), socks (Eddie Bauer), “combat” boots (Nine West outlet)

I really wish I had a closeup photo of the anchor knitted into the front of this sweater. I really like the way it looks! But this sweater would probably look a bit better with corduroys than with black lace up boots. The more I look at these photos, the more I think these boots would look better with dark denim leggings without any fading…or black leggings or even a skirt!

The saying goes, “A woman’s place is in the kitchen.” For me, the kitchen is usually a place where I rarely set foot. I steer clear of the kitchen to avoid being asked to cook dinner or worse, wash the dishes. But when the mood is right and motivation is high, I unleash my inner chef and whip up a terrific recipe.

Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie (adapted from a recipe I found in Real Simple)

• 4 carrots, chopped into pieces
• 1/2 onion, chopped into pieces
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• salt
• pepper
• ready made biscuits
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Proper form and knife for chopping an onion? Nope!

I chopped the onion half and the carrots and dumped them in the crockpot

Then I added the flour, thyme, bay leaf, and water. I mixed everything together and then topped it with the chicken thighs. I sprinkled salt and pepper on the chicken.

I set my crockpot on high and then left it alone for 3 hours.

Three hours seemed like a long time to wait. I peeked a few times, carefully lifting the crockpot cover to check on the progress of my chicken pot pie.  Finally it was time to add the finishing touches to my crockpot meal.

I popped open the ready made biscuits and followed the cooking directions on the package.

While the biscuits were baking, I added the frozen peas, frozen green beans, and heavy cream to the crockpot. I also added a bit more salt and pepper. After stirring the mix, recovered the crockpot and let everything continue to cook for another 20 minutes.

The biscuits were fluffy and golden when they came out of the oven, and they smelled delicious.

But the smell from the crockpot was even more mouthwatering! As soon as the biscuits were ready, dinner was ready to be served.

I filled a bowl with chicken pot pie and topped it with a biscuit.  Very different from my mom’s potato-heavy chicken pot pie, but I loved my crockpot version. Lots of green vegetables and a small amount of cream gave it a very light and healthy flavor. I especially enjoyed the biscuit in place of a typical pie crust.

The family and fiancé sang my praises. I tempted to declare that I’ll cook again soon. But it may be another few months before I’m back in the kitchen.

What I Wore… Because I was Shopping for Antiques

• When: Saturday, January 28th
• Where: Antique shopping in Chepachet, RI and dinner at Tavern 743
• What: Striped button down with ruffle collar (J. Crew outlet), sweater with bow belt (Anthropologie), denim leggings (Madewell), boots (Madewell), tile necklace (from the town of Bath in the UK)

Checking out my outfit and thinking, “Yup, this is as good as it’s gonna get.”

What I Wore… Because I was at Home Sweet Home

• When: Friday, January 27th
• Where: Hanging out around the house
• What: Green long sleeve t-shirt (Threads for Thought), grey 3/4 cable knit sweater (J. Crew outlet), straight leg jeans (Lucky Brand), “cormorant” rubber slip on (Sperry), silver bracelet (David Yurman), pearl bracelet, gold basket bracelet (boutique on Nantucket), red whale earrings (Kiel James Patrick)

For a day spent at home, I consider this formal attire. I had showered and straightened my hair. I was wearing some jewelry and makeup. I dressed in baggy jeans and a sweater instead of yoga pants and a hoodie. Fancy, fancy!

When I’m spending time at home with Miles, I never wear normal clothes because everything ends up covered in fur. My corgi is a shedder, but I can’t resist giving him constant hugs and cuddles.

What I Wore… Because I Attempted the Sock Bun Hairstyle

• When: Sunday, January 22nd
• Where: Visiting my grandmother at the nursing home and watching the Pats beat the Ravens (Yay!!!)
• What: Purple striped long sleeve t-shirt (Madewell), black sweater (Banana Republic), faded black denim leggings (American Eagle outlet), black rain boots (Hunter), black and green glass earrings (Disney World)

I really like the look of the sock bun hairstyle, but I need to practice to make it a little neater. It’s difficult to wrap the “sock donut” around my ponytail and there are 10 bobby pins to attempt to tidy the messy strands of hair.

My mom didn’t believe that there was really a sock in my hair. I made her watch when let my hair down and sure enough, there was one of Jared’s old navy blue socks.

Miles anxiously waited for my mom to come play in the yard.

Do you enjoy adventures and exercise in the snow?!?

What I Wore… Because there was a Frigid Forecast

• When: Friday, January 20th
• Where: Dinner and game night with friends while we waited for the snow to start
• What: Navy 3/4 sleeve shirt (J. Crew outlet), grey vest (Eddie Bauer), khaki cords (J. Crew outlet), red plaid scarf (Old Navy), “cormorant” rubber slip on (Sperry), red plaid headband (J. Crew outlet), single silver bracelet on each wrist (David Yurman and ???)

Cozy down vest! What what!!!