Breakfast at Shaynie's

So yesterday, Shayne hosted a lovely pajama party at her house, complete with amazing food, champagne punch, and great company. I brought Diane J’s famous potato recipe (I’ll post the recipe for you guys…) that I got YEARS ago in NC and they were, like always, a huge hit. Those North Carolina recipes really are the best in the world!!! My *world famous* (I'm so not kidding!) artichoke dip recipe hails from there, too.

Di’s Breakfast Potatoes

1 large bag frozen hash browns
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2.5 cups cheddar cheese
½ cup half and half
8 oz sour cream
1 chopped onion

Mix soups, half and half, 2 cups cheese and sour cream in a large bowl or the baking dish you plan to use for the casserole. Add chopped onion and hash browns and mix together well. Use remaining cheese to top casserole. Bake uncovered for 1.5 hours at 350. I wouldn’t recommend making these often, given their nutritional value… but they’re a wonderful treat for a brunch or perhaps the holidays!

Anyway, I digress… the pajama party was actually supposed to be movie day, but get a bunch of girls in one room, and you know what happened… we talked most of the day about ???. However, we did manage to squeeze in one movie – Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Believe it or not, I had never seen this movie. And for those of you that haven’t… YOU MUST! I was so incredibly amused, I can’t even tell you. I haven’t really seen many movies before the year 1994, so I have a lot of catching up to do, particularly when it comes to classic flicks.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a comedic love story about Holly Golightly, a woman with a colorful history who defies society and marches to the beat of her own drum, who lives life to the fullest every single day. Holly goes to Tiffany's when she has "the mean reds" and needs to be surrounded by something comforting. She’s an elegant Manhattan sophisticate who throws extravagantly fun parties at her tiny, sparsely decorated apartment, dresses to the nines, and lives life to the fullest. A woman with no furniture and a life without strings (she doesn't even name her cat!), finally finds love with someone just as unique as herself when she’s least expecting it! I just loved the story, enjoyed the adventurous twists and turns, and the movie itself just resonated with me. Plus, who doesn't love happy endings?!

Saturday was a beautiful Mexican-themed summer party poolside at my condo complex, complete with carne asada tacos, gorditas, margaritas, great music, sunshine, and my awesome neighbors. I LOVE where I live - Prasad's never allowed to get married or move! After brunch yesterday, I attended the first birthday party for my friend Chris’s little boy, Winslow. Is there anything better than watching a little boy eat his first bites of cake? This little guy just made my heart sing and I can’t wait to watch him grow up! At 12 months old and 30 pounds, my guess is that he’s going to grow up and be just like his dad – a big, strong football player. My forecast – starting linebacker for the Chargers. :)

Anyway, I hope you all had a great weekend and have a great week. Love, Mer