Cheesy Olive Balls

My husband is a FANTASTIC cook. He should seriously be a chef on the side of being a physical therapist (is that possible?). He makes great waffles, homemade mac + cheese, steaks, I could go on and on. So I thought I would share with you the tasty goodness that is the appetizer he made for my birthday dinner, Cheesy Olive Balls. They are super easy and super good, perfect as a dinner party starter or munchies for a tailgate. We will definitely make more of these once football season rolls around!




Ingredients
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
24 pimento-stuffed olives

Directions
Heat oven to 400° F. Drain olives and pat dry with towels. Combine cheese and butter in a bowl. Add flour and cayenne and blend until well mixed. Drop the dough by tablespoons onto wax paper and wrap or mold each piece of dough around an olive, covering it completely. Bake the wrapped olives on a baking sheet on the middle rack for 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

Bon Appétit!

twenty two.

Man, I am loving this day.

First, I woke up to a trail of M&M's (my husband is a man after my own heart!) leading all the way downstairs to a funny poem of what Kyle had planned for my birthday.





Tonight he's going to make me dinner and he did a fabulous job coming up with the menu: Cheesy olive balls for the appetizer (recipe post to follow), teriyaki-marinated steak and grilled zucchini and squash for the entrée, and peanut butter brownies à la mode for dessert! Doesn't it make your mouth water?

The celebration will continue tomorrow with a shopping trip with my mom and sister and then a family dinner at The Bonefish Grill. Kyle has never been to TBG, so I am very excited about going there! They really do have some of the best seafood for a chain restaurant. And then to top it all off, Kyle is taking me to dinner at Two Urban Licks in Atlanta on Saturday night. I can hardly contain my excitement! We went there to celebrate our one year dating anniversary, so it's almost been three years since we've been back and I've been dying to go! Two is truly one of the most unique dining experiences I've ever had and trust me, it is a delight to the taste buds. I mean, they have a bocce ball court with a view of the Atlanta skyline in the background. They just win.


But I do have to admit, one exciting tidbit I enjoyed about my birthday was that Her Majesty The Queen of England visited Wimbledon for the first time in thirty-three years today. Anyone who knows me knows that Wimbledon is my favorite Grand Slam tennis tournament, and it just tickled me slightly that this momentous occasion happened on my birthday. And can I just point out how much I love her Tiffany Blue outfit? I want to look like that when I'm 84 (er, speaking of getting older).



{Photo by AELTC/Pro Sport} Well, I'm off to enjoy the weekend. I'll be busy getting things ready for Megan's bridal shower Saturday morning and preparing for my NEW JOB, which starts on Monday! Lot's going on, but life is good.

We're an Aunt + Uncle!

...of a super-cuddly miniature schnauzer puppy, that is! Meet Brody, the newest addition to the Bradford family:

{Photo by Kam Roberts}

My sister Ashley and her husband Alan just brought him home on Saturday at 7 weeks old. They got him from the sweet Roberts family, who've been keeping a marvelous blog on the progress of the puppies. If you want to ooh and aah over some really cute pups, check out their blog here. We got to meet Brody and play around with him on Father's Day, but we didn't have nearly enough time to love on our precious new nephew! In the meantime, we'll have to oogle over some photos of the Brodster:

Chillin' with Uncle Kyle



Auntie LA



Resting on Mommy's lap



Hello Uncle TJ!



You gotta watch out for Uncle Drew



Mom loves her new granddog!



One thing's for sure, he is too cute to boot!

Our Humble Abode

Here are a few snapshots of our home in Augusta before we moved in:

Welcome to The Townhomes at Sanctuary!



Pantry area



Half of the kitchen



Other half of the kitchen



Patio



The awesome backyard! :)



Dining/living room area



Living room



Stairs!(I don't know what it is about them, but they make it feel more like home).



Master Bedroom



Guest Bedroom (where YOU get to stay if you come visit us!)



Upstairs hallway(ish)



...And the one you've all been waiting for, The Fenton Front Porch!



Be sure to keep checking back for more photos, it's a work in progress!

Our Marriage {Thus Far} in a Nutshell

When Kyle and I decided to document our adventures as newlyweds through a blog, we wondered where it should begin. Do we reflect back on our wedding day? Do we gush about how much we loved our honeymoon trip to Jamaica? What about everything that has happened the past three months (okay and eleven days for all you perfectionists out there)? Well, we came up with this list that will hopefully serve to catch you up on the happenings of the Fentons since that lovely day in March.

1. We got married on March 6 (duh).*



2. For 5 days after the wedding, we honeymooned at Sandals Montego Bay in Jamaica (miss it so much!).



3. We came home to a LOT of wedding presents. I'm still working on the thank you notes (eek!).



4. We were able to spend our first Easter as a married couple with both sets of parents.



5. I surprised Kyle with a trip to Lake Oconee for his 23rd birthday. Here he's enjoying some crab cake instead of birthday cake from The Landing Restaurant. Fair trade I suppose. :)



6. As our "big" wedding present, Kyle's parents got us a front-loading washer and dryer. Such a blessing! And here's my plug for front-loaders if you're in the market: They use 40-60% less water than top-loaders, saving you money on your water bill, and they clean by tumbling instead of pulling, which gives your clothes longer life. We love them!



7. On May 8, I graduated from UGA with a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations. Magna cum laude baby!**



8. The very next day after graduation, we moved into our 2 bedroom townhome in Augusta. To say we were tired would be an understatement.



9. Kyle started Physical Therapy school at the Medical College of Georgia on May 16. He's going to be a ballin' PT! But since I have no photo for that, I'm including my roomie Julie's wedding in #9 too. She became the beautiful Mrs. Minton on the sweet 22nd of May!




10. Weetle brudder graduated from Loganville High School and officially became a Georgia Bulldawg on May 28. So proud of him! And #10 is doing double time too, because the next day Kyle and I flew up to Williamsburg, VA for his cousin Amy's wedding. You'll have to ask me why her wedding wins for 2010 so far! ;)





So there you have it, folks! As you can see, we've been really busy this summer, and this weekend will be no exception. Kyle's childhood best friend, Andy Morris, will be getting married on Saturday to the beautiful Kallie Barber. And Sunday we'll be chilling with the always interesting Dr. Fenton for Father's Day. Stories and pictures to follow :)

*Photo by Belletti Photography
**Photo by Blane Marable Photography