What a Whirlwind – Building a New Home Is NOT What We Thought It Would Be

There’s a saying that you’ve probably heard, the grass is always greener on the other side. In fact, I’m willing to bet you’ve had that phrase memorized since you were a kid.

And let me tell you, building a home is not necessarily better than buying a pre-existing home. I thought it would be. I dreamed of it being this great experience where you get to choose everything you want, and the home is in perfect condition when you move in. There’s no worries about something breaking or not working properly.

I’ve been proven wrong.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE our new home and the floor plan is just what we’re looking for. We love our floors and ten foot ceilings, our gas oven and spacious living area. But it’s not perfect – not even close. For two people who are detail oriented, it was nerve-wracking to walk through and notice all of the imperfections the builder most likely won’t fix. For example, the tile flooring is so inconsistently cut that some walls have a thin grout line between the tile and the baseboard, and some are 1/4″ thick. Outlets are not perfectly straight, there’s nicks and dents that a sane, normal person probably wouldn’t notice. But us perfectionists notice it all.

That doesn’t even include the stressful process of building a home – I think I sprouted a few gray hairs under my hair dye. Throughout the process, we kept a close eye on our home. Throughout the process, we’ve had to request things be finished correctly. We ended up with coffered ceilings we didn’t pay for because of a framing error and extra lights out front because of an electrician error (both were thankfully in our favor). Then, we ended up with outlets where they weren’t supposed to be and a missing outlet we paid to have added. If we had not said anything, we would also have a rainfall showerhead without a normal showerhead to accompany it. For someone that doesn’t wash her hair daily, that would have been a bit awkward.

Loan closing time was probably the worst of all. We ended up with the builder’s recommended lender, because you have to use their lender to get the closing cost credit. Not even two weeks before we close, I ask for a status update only to find out NOTHING had been done. After some pressure, our lender farmed out our loan to someone else without giving them the full details. We fought, struggled, argued, pestered and flat out annoyed the old lender, the new lender, the new processor, and our sales agent so that we could close only 3 days late. I mean, who partners with a homebuilder when you can’t close a loan in the 3 week notice they give you?

All in all, we’re excited to be in the house and finish settling down for a while. We’ve spent almost a month hear now (tomorrow to be exact!) and have almost finished painting and hanging curtains. I’ll share some design ideas as we finish the different rooms. But for now, I leave you with this parting thought:

The best things in life are worth fighting for and it pays to water your own grass instead of dreaming for someone else’s.

Update in the Houses

It has been a while since the last post and updates with our houses! In that time, our new home went on pause due to a framer shortage in the Phoenix market. So, for two weeks we sat and waiting (un)patiently until framers became available to work on our home. The one thing that kept me sane about it: all of the houses by our builder were waiting on framers. So, here’s an awesome photo of our house as we last saw it (pre frame work) 

   
   

This awesome slab of concrete is a new type of foundation called post-tension. They run fancy cabling through the concrete and tighten them as they go. An engineer could probably tell you more details, but it’s supposed to alleviate the majority of cracks that new homes see as they settle. 

Well, I’m off and running about. In this time, we have also sold our existing house and are going through inspections and appraisals. I’ll post how we sold our home in only 4 days soon! 

Interior Choices

Going through a builder has been such a crazy experience so far. Between appointments, phone calls, making choices and sending in documents, j have concluded these first few weeks are going to be as hectic, or even more so, than the last few weeks will be. I heavily advise anyone considering buying a house to clear their calendar for a few weeks after you sign the contract and to ask when every choice has to be made (electrical, low voltage, interior finishes, structural options, etc).

We were so excited to work with William Ryan Homes because so much comes standard. From pavered driveways to 10 foot ceilings, there’s a lot already included. But upgrades come in on items you wouldn’t even expect, and it’s hard to judge what everything will cost since all builders are different. 

We barely went over budget but got a lot of upgrades, including: 

• 12 foot sliding window door
• 8 foot doors
• Gas oven, stump in backyard
• 18″ tile offset to look like brick-lay
• Standard granite (thank god! I’d hate to see the cost of upgrading this)
• White cabinets
• Higher end carpets with upgraded padding
• Square sinks
• Cat6 cabeling with TV mount prebuilt in
• Added outlets
• Prewire for pendant lights

With all of the upgrades, we will still have to paint ourselves, seal the grout, install pendant lights and fans, and landscape our backyard. One thing at a time!! 

Here’s our design choices. We can’t wait to see them. 

The Search Is On: Time to Find a New House

It feels like just yesterday that Mike moved into the townhouse with me, and yet it’s been over three years. And just a few short months ago we started talking about the idea of moving into a bigger place, a more “traditional” home that doesn’t share walls with neighbors.

And just a few weeks ago, the search really began.

With the prospects of buying and selling, we thought it best to find a realtor to help us along the way. So we asked our friends for recommendations (and boy did we get recommendations)! I can’t believe how hard it is to tell someone you’re choosing to go a different direction – especially when you don’t like to tell people ‘No’ to begin with. But we did make a choice and are so thankful for our realtors help every step of the way so far.

Our first day searching, we visited 3 different communities from 2 different builders. The first community was nice, but talking to the sales office was a nightmare. It’s almost as if they expect you to commit to buying a house without knowing what comes in the base price and what you will need to pay extra for (and what the extra amount could possibly add up to). The second community, we loved the sales person but weren’t happy with the layout for our next home. Then, we found the home with a perfect layout and filled with light in a great location…. and almost no backyard.

Much to my dismay, we extended our search area and visited two more communities on the edge of the East Valley. After a few weeks, we ventured into Eastmark, a new master plan community in East Mesa, to see the model homes from William Ryan Homes. I walked in and all of the pieces just fell into place. The home just felt right.

So, now we have a signed purchase contract and are going through the mass of meetings and consulting appointments the first few weeks require. All while anxious for the final home to be completed already so we can move in! August cannot come fast enough!!

I’m very excited to share this journey and talk about our experience in buying a home. This should get interesting. It took Mike and I 6 months just to decide on a bed frame. Here we go…..

Roasted Chicken Potato Pizza

With so much leftover food from the roasted lemon rosemary chicken and garlic new potatoes, I had to come up with a recipe to use the leftovers. So, I picked up some pizza crust from Trader Joe’s and got to work. The pizza was absolutely delicious, and definitely a step up from your traditional take out pepperoni pizza. It works perfectly as a combination salad and pizza! Here’s how you can make it:

Ingredients:

• Pizza Crust (either make your own or pick some up. Don’t use the pre-cooked kind)
• Garlic Infused Avocado Oil (My favorite is from Gilbert Olive Oil)
• Leftover Roasted Garlic Potatoes
• Leftover Lemon Rosemary Chicken (cut up into bite size pieces)
• Quattro Formaggio Cheese Blend (or Italian Cheese Blend. I get this from Trader Joe’s)
• Asiago Cheese
• Parmesean-Gouda Cheese Blend (again, get this at Trader Joe’s)
• Arugula
• Raspberry Habenero Jam

Instructions:

1. Let the pizza dough rest for 20 minutes (or as directed on the box)
2. Roll the dough out to fit your pizza plan. Make sure you flour the pan before putting the dough on it.
3. Drizzle Garlic Infused Avocado Oil on the dough.
4. Sprinkle leftover roasted potatoes and chicken all over the pizza.
5. Top with a generous helping of Quatro Formaggio Cheese.
6. Dust the crust with Asiago cheese (freshly shredded).
7. Cook in the over per the pizza dough instructions.
8. When there’s only a few minutes left on the pizza dough, shred some parmesean-gouda cheese and heat up about a quarter cup of raspeberry habenero jam for 20 seconds in the microwave.
9. Once the pizza is out of the oven, top it with a few handfuls of arugula.
10. Sprinkle the parmesean cheese on top.
11. Drizzle with raspeberry habenero jam to your taste.
12. Slice it. Serve it. Enjoy it.

Have you tried this recipe? What’s your favorite pizza to make?

Succulent Fresh Roasted Chicken and Roasted Garlic New Potatoes

We recently reconnected to the world and installed Direct TV. Flipping through the channels, I discovered a new show with one of my favorite actresses called Dinner at Tiffani’s. Intrigued enough by her recipe for lemon rosemary chicken, I just had to try it out.

I’ve only roasted one other chicken in my life. I have to say this was the easiest recipe to follow and was the most tender chicken.

You can find the original recipe for the chicken here.

I served the chicken with roasted garlic new potatoes. You can find my recipe below.

Try them out and let me know what you think in the comments!

Roasted Garlic New Potatoes

1 small bag of new potatoes (2-3 lbs)

2-3 cloves of garlic

olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Start by rinsing then quartering the potatoes.

2. Toss the potatoes in olive oil and dump in a 8×8 square pan.

3. Mince the garlic cloves.

4. Sprinkle the garlic cloves over the potatoes

5. Top with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Roast with the chicken.

Spring Cleaning: The Office/Loft

I fell in love with the loft space in our home when I saw it. I wanted it to be an office and a library, a sanctuary and an extended living space. At some point in the past four years it has been all of the above, sometimes even all at once.

The past few weeks we have been cleaning and organizing like crazy. We both have an aversion to clutter – so this becomes a biannual chore. Here’s a quick look at our new space with my tip: you can never have too many bins and shelving units… Just remember where you out everything! Also, don’t be afraid to use the top shelf for storage. It doesn’t hurt to think outside of the box.

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The Art of Spaghetti Squash – The Most Delicious Thing I Ever Ate

Hate is such a strong word that I don’t use it very often. But it is not a strong enough word for how I feel about vegetables – I absolutely despise them. It’s true that I will eat most basic salads, but anything beyond that scope causes me to run screaming from the room. I’ve learned to cook with them, simply because my boyfriend shouldn’t have to suffer through my prejudices against them. I want to eat them, I really do! But my taste buds simply refuse.

That’s why I was so hesitant to venture into the spaghetti squash department. When eating at a friend of a friend’s house on vacation, I was extremely apprehensive to eat the spaghetti squash she prepared (while thankful there was a back up kid friendly dish). I took the teeniest tiniest bite I could manage….

… and was pleasantly surprised. Upon returning home, I recreated the menu for my amazing, vegetable loving boyfriend who exclaimed “This is the best thing you’ve ever made!” I’m going to assume that is a giant complement and not an insult to my cooking, since he seems to devour every other dish I’ve made fervently.

It’s with his vegetable loving blessing and my vegetable aversion that I whole-heartedly recommend Lou Siebert Pappas’s  Spaghetti Squash with Greek Meat Sauce.

First things first, prep the spaghetti squash. They’re not the easiest thing in the world to chop in half, but nonetheless you need to slice it long ways (or hot dog style as my elementary school teachers used to say). Clean out the seeds and strings like you do with a pumpkin. Then drizzle oil (olive, canola, vegetable) on the top and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. Place the squash face down on a baking sheet and roast at 350 (F) for about an hour.

Next, prepare the meat sauce. Disclaimer: I didn’t have all of the ingredients and didn’t like some of them, so I adjusted this to my tastes. Here is the recipe as I used it below.

1. Drizzle approximately 2 tbsp oil in a pan (olive, canola, vegetable – just make sure it’s not infused with something or another) and heat over medium.
2. Drop in half a large diced white onion and cook until it begins to look translucent.
3. Add in 1.5 pounds ground beef (or turkey or chicken). Cook until brown and you have large even(ish) chunks of meat.
4. Mix in 2 minced medium size cloves of garlic. I like to use the press so my hands don’t smell like garlic afterwards.
5. Immediately add 1 tsp salt, 9 ounces tomato paste, 1 cup of water, 1/4 tbsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp red chili flake, 1/4 tsp ground mustard, 1/2 tsp paprika, a dash of dried basil and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.
6. Stir until mixed thoroughly.
7. Cover and simmer for 1 hour – stirring occasionally.

Now you have sauce and a roasted spaghetti squash. Here’s how you put the dish together. Using a fork, shred the spaghetti squash. It should come out fairly easily. Place this in a large bowl and toss with 3-4 tbsp melted unsalted butter. Pour the meat sauce over the squash in the bowl.

For toppers, I recommend halved grape tomatoes and quatro-formaggio cheese (shredded).

Let me know what you think. Is it the best, most delicious meal you’ve ever eaten?

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Four years ago, my boyfriend and mom teamed up and bought me baking tools for Christmas. This included my much loved stand mixer. This year, my amazing boyfriend surprised me with a new 6-quart Professional series stand mixer – which of course means I have to play with my new toy as much as possible.

Today, I decided to make Chocolate Chip Mint M&M cookies. They were so good, I had to share this delicious recipe!

You Will Need:
• 3/4 cup Butter Flavor Crisco
• 1 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 Tbsp Milk
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 3/4 Tsp Baking Soda
• 3/4 cup Natural High-Fat Cocoa
• 1 1/4 cup Flour
• 1 bag Holiday Mint M&M’s
• 1 bag Milk Chocolate M&M’s

To Make the Cookies:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375.
2. Cream shortening and sugar until smooth.
3. Add milk, vanilla, egg, salt, and baking soda. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined.
4. Slowly add cocoa and flour.
5. Fold in the M&M’s.
6. Spoon onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

What Has Happened to Halloween?

When I was young, Halloween was one of my favorite days of the year. What was not to love? You got to dress up and play make believe, while ‘meeting’ new people, AND you got free candy.

Every year since I’ve lived in my house, I get excited about Halloween. Seeing the kids dressed up in old favorites and new ones brings back those precious memories of my childhood – Trick or treating with my friends. The thrill of going out so strong that my patience wore thin by the time I was allowed to put my costume on.

We’ve had some ups and downs in the number of trick or treaters, and Zoe is less than pleased not being able to great everyone who comes to the door. This year was by far the worst possible year in this neighborhood and I’m forced to wonder if we are losing our traditions of Halloween. Will my children be able to participate in this festive holiday?