Health Nut

Are you a health nut?  I’m trying to be!  I truly am dedicated to feeding my sweet husband and myself the healthy goods.  There is just something about KNOWING you are giving your body the fuel that it needs.  Oh yes, we splurge often on tasty treats (like this post when I made a pie AND a cake for the 4th), but I would like to think we keep it to a minimum.  My hubsy craves sweets but I have no problem turning down dessert.  I crave the chips and guacamole, macaroni and cheese, pasta with bolognese sauce, baked potatoes…yum…I need to stop typing these so my mouth can stop watering.  I am a total foodie and look forward to the nights we eat out at delicious restaurants.  BUT, on the nights that we are home, I am all about making sure we’re grilling the fresh meats and veggies.  Well, I’m trying.  I’ve shared quite a few recipes with you but hopefully you will start to see a trend of even healthier and more delicious recipes.  It’s my goal!  I am so excited to try and make my own baby food when we have little ones (of course if God blesses us with little ones!) and I think I should start with adult sized concoctions now.  I don’t mean just baking, grilling and sautéing, but whole wheat breads from scratch, granolas fresh from the oven, vegetables from my own garden out back (which we are currently in the process of setting up) and the list goes on.  Granted, once we actually do start to have babies, I know the task of creating baby food from scratch may be quite daunting.  But, it is a desire dear to me heart, nonetheless.

I am leaving this Sunday for beautiful Maine, leaving my husband all alone for the week, poor thing.  I have grown up going to Maine every summer and several winters.  There are certain foods that make me extremely nostalgic for my second home there: blueberries, lobster, popovers, and of course granola.  Granola and Maine go together so perfectly.  My mom has the BEST granola recipe given to her by my grandfather that I will have to share some time.  My husband is now just as in love with granola as I am; it’s such a perfect snack and easy meal for breakfast.  I’m going to make Alton Brown’s granola recipe for him to munch on while I’m gone.  If he can’t be feasting on lobster with me at least he can be feasting on granola.  This one has some coconut, which sounds yummy to me, but for those who dislike it – leave it out - I don’t think Alton will mind. 

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cup cashews

3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup raisins (or dried cranberries)

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut and brown sugar.

3. In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans.  Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

4. Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl.  Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.  Voila!  Enjoy!

Happy munching!  What is your take on eating organic?  Do you eat EVERYTHING organic? Only splurge on organic fruits and meats?  Organic dairy products?  I’d love to hear! 

Happy Wednesday!

Blessings/XOXO

Peanut Butter Cup Pie Recipe

Hello B-Loves!  Thank you so so much for your encouraging comments about the new layout.  I am so glad you like it!  It honestly is a little bit of a relief.

My goodness, so much to catch up on.  The U.S. Women’s Open was a blast!  Unfortunately, I have absolutely NO pictures to show for it.  They check your bags and make you turn in your cameras and phones at the door.  It’s understandable, but was a bummer.  It was so neat being a part of the big day.  I love the movie The Greatest Game Ever Played; it’s based on the true story of the 1913 Open when a 20 year old defeats his idol and wins the whole tournament.  That is honestly the closest I have come to watching golf, by watching that movie, and it was neat to see how the tournament was in the movie and then see one in real life.  Everyone is SO quiet!  And everyone follows the players around just like in the movie, haha.  A lot of fun!

The 4th?  Also a blast!  We actually spent the weekend at home and went to a neighborhood cook-out.  It was so nice staying home for the weekend!  I wanted to share the pie recipe I told you about.  My husband’s favorite dessert combination is chocolate and peanut butter.  I have a vase that I keep on our coffee table filled with different candies for the seasons.  Whenever I have Peanut Butter Cups in there, they last about a day.  He is obsessed!  I found this pie recipe and thought I would give it a shot.  He loved it!!  And, so did everyone else.  It’s also easy to make.  Here it is.

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

20 milk chocolate kisses

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 (5 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 3/4 cups milk

1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked

1. Melt chocolate with the whipping cream over the stove. Stir until smooth and spread evenly over the bottom of the pie shell. Refrigerate until ready to fill; chocolate should be firm before filling.

2. Put dry pudding mix and peanut butter in heavy saucepan. Over low heat, gradually stir in the milk using a wire whisk. Stir constantly  until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Cool for 15 minutes, stirring often.  Pour peanut butter filling into crust.  Chill several hours.

3. Top with whipped topping and crushed peanut butter cups or, like I did, Reese’s Pieces.  Voila!  Enjoy!

And, of course, I had to find a reason to make a funfetti cake, my absolute favorite.  So, I decided to make one and call it a “fireworks cake”.  You cut it open and see a burst of colors.  That works, right?  Maybe it’s a stretch.  I painted blue stars on top and used red sprinkles to fill in the gaps.  Here is a side shot.  At least I was able to get in my fix of funfetti!

Next post, update on our furry baby!!  I mentioned in a previous post how I will be out of town when we can pick him up, which is a week from this Saturday!!  Eeek!  Well, God is good.  Update to come!

Happy Wednesday!

Blessings/XOXO

Good Stuff

1. Ah, ya'll are AWESOME! Your comments were SO helpful and made it so much easier for me to make a decision on the Pottery Barn rug. As of now, I'm keeping it. My mom is coming up on Friday so she and I will go out shopping and play around with the room a bit more. I will take a picture after we accessorize. Unless she convinces me other wise (I take to heart what my mama says), then I'm keeping it! My husband is also thankful for your helpful comments; I think he is a bit tired of hearing me stress about it. But it's a big decision! Haha, men just don't understand. Every time I walk in the door and see those big yellow dots staring at me, I just have to smile. And I think I will eventually put it in a kitchen or playroom or home office. THANK YOU times a billion for taking the time and telling me what you think! I'm going to have to ask for your advice more often!

2. Thank you SO much for stopping by my sister's blog. I know how encouraged she felt from your sweet comments and I am so thankful for you taking the time to say hello. It's so fun having a sibling in the blogging world! Today she wrote about her trusty cooler. She cracks me up! Ahhh, love her...sigh.

3. GUESS WHAT. Do you remember this post when I mentioned that I wanted to take up running again? I have successfully gone running EVERY SINGLE DAY since then! Well, at first it was a lot of walking mixed with jogging, BUT, I am so excited to report that today before work I ran 3 miles, nonstop. I am so excited! It just proves that if we set our minds and hearts to something, we can do it. Trust me ladies, I am by no means an exercise guru. This is BIG STUFF happening here. I think I may put up a running tracker on my sidebar to keep track of how much I am running, solely to keep me in check. If I feel like I have to record it, it will motivate me. But I am warning you, it will probably stay around the 1-3 mile mark for now, haha.

4. Dinner last night was yum-o! I have to share. OH, and check out this little menu planner I downloaded and have started using from Project Girl. I think I am going to come up with my own menu planner (at some point...down the line...when I have time...no idea when this will be) and will definitely share it with everyone. I love tools of organization that are done creatively and with a touch of style. So, on the menu for last night was: Honey/Lime Shrimp over Rice and a Tomato and Avocado Salad with a homemade dressing. Pics below were taken quickly after preparation, I didn't take the time to make it extremely presentable. If you wanted to serve it for company I think you could really make it look nice. Add some parsley or lemon wedges in the middle of the salad, etc. Here are the recipes! Enjoy!

Tomato and Avocado Salad

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 pinch ground pepper

1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced into wedges

2 small tomatoes, each cut into about 8 wedges

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pepper. Arrange the slices of avocado and tomato alternately like the spokes of a wheel on one big serving plate, or individual plates. Drizzle lightly with the dressing, and serve immediately.

Honey & Lime Shrimp

(taken from this recipe, altered)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper

1/3 cup worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons dry white wine

2 tablespoons italian-style salad dressing

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and devained

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

cooked rice

1 lime

1. In a large bowl, mix together garlic powder, black pepper, 1/3 cup worcestershire sauce, wine, and salad dressing; add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover, marinate in the refrigerator for an hour.

2. Throw shrimp and marinade in a pan over the stove and cook until slightly pink. Add the honey, melted butter and remaining worcestershire sauce, cook shrimp until done.

3. Place rice in serving bowl, squeeze fresh lime juice on top. Place shrimp and sauce over the rice and squeeze the remainder of the lime juice. Voila! Enjoy!

Happy Tuesday!

XOXO,

ynkrxte2d8

'Lil Easter Recap

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter weekend! We had such a great time and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Friday night we went to dinner with some friends and then to the Good Friday service at our church. Afterwards we went home and watched Bolt, the animated Pixar movie. My husband may kill me for saying this, but he has been wanting to see it and picked it out! It was the cutest movie and I loved that it was his choice for our date night. On Saturday we did a MAJOR Spring cleaning of the house, and it feels so good to have that behind us! After we were finished, we went to a BBQ joint and had the best food, including fried alligator tail as an appetizer. I wish I had taken a picture of it for you to see. It was SO good! The seasonings they put on it, and the sauce it was served with, made it so tastey. I would highly recommend trying it if you ever get the chance. Church on Sunday was amazing and the rest of the day was just as great.

We had some surprise Easter guests! My sister, her boyfriend and our niece came over and had lunch with us. We dyed Easter eggs and hid jelly beans around the house for her to find. It was so much fun watching the joy of Easter through the eyes of a child. Every thing turned out yummy and to perfection! Please make the cola ribs if you ever get a chance. Everyone loved them! The only thing that didn't turn out as exactly as I had planned was my carrot cake. I put a picture below; it looked terrible! Luckily, it tasted good. I thought I let it cool long enough, but apparently I didn't. The icing kept picking up the cake and made it impossible to look pretty. It was pretty humorous. I have a few pictures of the food below and also included a little step-by-step guide on how I made the twice-baked potatoes. A few of you hadn't heard of them before so I thought it might be helpful. They sure are DELCIOUS! I hope you have a chance to make them soon.

My sister and niece coloring Easter eggs

My carrot cake full of holes - I put chopped walnuts on the top to cover them as much as possible.
The ribs and corn on the cob. The ribs were sooo yummy! I used Sweet Baby Ray's Award Winning Original BBQ sauce and really didn't add anything else! I did mix in a little honey BBQ that I had on hand.

My sister brought over a yummy salad, so we nixed the insalata caprese. Here are the finished twice-baked potatoes. Sometimes I add bacon but since we had bacon in the salad I left it out. So yummy!
Twice-Baked Potatoes: Bake your potatoes in the oven for an hour. Allow them to cool and then cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides, leaving a little layer of potatoes so the skins aren't too thin.
Prepare the insides like you would mashed potatoes. I added sour cream, butter, a little bit of milk, salt, pepper and green onions.

Scoop the mixed potatoes back inside the skins, cover with a layer of cheese and scallions and then bake them for another 15 minutes. Please ignore my sloppy job.That's it! It really is so simple. The whole meal was so easy to prepare and was really stress-free. It definitely helps that it was also yummy! I hope your Easters were full of wonderful memories with your loved ones. Enjoy the start to this new week!

Happy Tuesday!

XOXO,

Le Menu & Easter Blessings!

Tomorrow is Good Friday, or as I like to call it, Great Friday. What AMAZING love that my King would die for me!!! I hope everyone has a phenomenal Great Friday and Easter Sunday. I know my heart will be rejoicing and celebrating! Although the Easter meal is insignificant compared to what we're really celebrating, it's still been heavily on my mind! I want it to be special, and a fun meal that my hubsy and I will enjoy. So, without further ado...

Le Menu

This is definitely not your typical Easter fare, but it is something that both my hubsy and I loveee to eat. I'm from Texas and still crave a good helping of BBQ. We have decided to forego the more traditional lamb and ham, and instead have....BBQ'd Ribs! It is making me hungry just thinking about. My real-life lovie, Michelle, from The Ardent Adventurer told me about a recipe that she tried at a crock-pot cook off (which, by the way, sounds like the BEST idea for a get-together - it's on my list for the summer). There were two key things about this recipe that made me realize I just had to try it ASAP - 1. The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender (and) 2. It is SUPER easy to make. Sign me up!

Coka-Cola Ribs: (not trying to endorse the brand or anything, just relaying the recipe as I heard it)

1. Break your slab of ribs into smaller sections that will fit in your crock-pot (I looked online and found several ways to also make this in the oven or on the grill, but I'll do it the crock-pot way so it can cook while we're at church.) The amount of ribs you get depends on the number you're cooking for and how many left-overs you want!

2. Pour 1 liter of Coke into your crock pot and cook the ribs for about five hours.

3. Drain the Coke from the pot

4. Add any type of BBQ sauce you want to the ribs in the crock-pot (I'm going to use Sweet Baby Ray's and add a few of my own ingredients - I'll let you know what I use) and let it continue cooking/simmering for another 2 hours.

5. Voila! Fall-off-the-bone, tender ribs! Mmmmmm. Apparently you don't taste the Coke, it's just the secret to such tender meat. I don't think it can get any easier than that! And the fact that I can put it in before we leave for church makes me love it even more.

Accompanying our meal will be the following: (pics found on google images, except for the first one which probably looks familiar :o)

Insalata Caprese - (of course).

Twice Baked Potatoes: (if you're wondering what these are, there are SO many variations, but a good recipe can be found here - the pic posted at that site shows a TON of toppings that I will probably skip on and just mix in with the potatoes beforehand.)

Corn on the Cob

Instead of the Twice Baked Potatoes, I may make this Ranch Chicken Macaroni Salad that looks super yummy - and substitute with whole grain macaroni. Which would you choose? The recipe can be found here. Heck, they both look good - maybe we'll splurge and have both!

For dessert, I'm going to attempt a home-made carrot cake. I've never done a carrot cake before, so I'm crossing my fingers! The recipe can be found here.

Now I'm so hungry! What are you having? I love any excuse to make a fun meal! I truly hope each one of you has a blessed weekend no matter where you are or what you do!

and

XOXO,

Low "Fat" Tuesday

Happy Mardi Gras! I wanted to make something for dinner tonight that goes along with the theme of today, but with less calories than the normal dishes. Here are two traditional recipes that allow for a fun Fat Tuesday without turning us into a full out Fat February!

Shrimp Jambalaya (pictured above) - using reduced-fat sausage and fat-free sour cream to make a healthier rendition!

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) jar roasted pepper and garlic chunky salsa

8 ounces reduced-fat smoked sausage, diced

1/2 pound peeled small shrimp

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 bunch green onions (scallions), sliced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

3/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions:

Mix salsa, sausage, shrimp, thyme and 1/3 cup green onions in skillet. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix cayenne and sour cream. Serve with an extra dollop of sour cream on top.

~

Crawfish fettuccini - made with whole wheat pasta and skim milk

Ingredients:

1 pound whole wheat fettuccine

1/4 cup margarine (Smart Balance butter for healthier alternative)

1 large onion, chopped

2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded chopped

3 cloves garlice, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups skim milk

2 pound light pasteurized cheese spread

2 pounds crawfish tails

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspooon cayenne

Directions:

Cook fettuccine according to directions on package, omitting oil and salt. Drain and set aside. In a large pot, melt Smart Balance butter and saute green pepper, red pepper, and garlic until tender. Add flour, stirring until mixed. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Rinse crawfish tails and drain well. Add crawfish, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne. Toss with pasta, heat, and serve.

Recipes and picture from sheknows provided by Holly Clegg, author of Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific Home Entertaining The Easy Way

Bon Appetit!

XOXO,

What's for dinner tonight?

Thank you so much for your sweet comments on the post below! What girl doesn't want to hear nice things about her love story? They meant a lot, thank you.

Sooo, what's for dinner tonight? I really want fried chicken! But, I know better. I found this recipe (Submitted by Ena Quiggle) for a much healthier alternative and will try it out tonight. I'll let you know how it tastes!

Oatmeal Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 (3 1/2) pound broiler chicken, cut up

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons (Smart Balance) butter, melted

1. Coat a 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a shallow bowl or large resealable plastic bag, combine oats, paprika, chili powder, salt if desired, garlic powder, cumin and pepper. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with oat mixture. Place in prepared baking dish. Drizzle with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until Juices run clear.

~

Before I go, I want to share one more recipe with you. My husband loves meatloaf, but I've never been a fan of it. I don't like the idea of it having a lot of "fillers", breadcrumbs, etc. I want to make it for him since he likes it, so I went on a hunt for a recipe that doesn't use "fillers". I found this recipe online and am actually pretty excited about making it. The member of RecipeZaar who submitted this recipe says it's from the Chez Melange Restaurant in Redondo Beach, CA. It's unusual in that it doesn't use bread crumbs as a filler and was done originally for the texture, years before the "low carb craze". At first I was a littler nervous about the length of ingredients, but if you notice, most of them are simple and don't require a lot of dicing or chopping. I plan on making this one Thursday evening. :o) I'll let you know how it goes!

Restaurant Style Meatloaf

(no breadcrumbs!)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (Smart Balance) butter

2 finely chopped green onions

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper

1/3 cup finely chopped celery

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup half-and-half

2 lbs ground beef (or mix with part veal or pork or beef)

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper sauce

1. Melt the butter in medium skillet over medium heat.

2. Add the green onions, regular onions, red pepper, celery, and garlic and cook until softened.
3. Stir in salt, cumin, peppers, nutmeg and bayleaves and cook 1 minute.
4. Stir in ketchup and half and half and simmer 2 minutes
5. Coll and remove bay leaves
6. Heat oven to 350 degrees
7. Combine meat, eggs (lightly beaten), worcestershire, red pepper sauce in large bowl.
8. Stir vegetable mixture into meat mixture until well blended.
9. Spoon mixture evenly into a 9x5 pan or freeform the mixture (author says she uses the 9x5 pan as the mold and then places on a rimmed cookie sheet.
10. Bake 70 minutes or until temperature of meat registers 160 degrees.
11. Cool in pan 5 minutes (at least) and drain and unmold onto serving platter.

Bon Appetite!

XOXO,

Valentine's Day Breakfast

Hi lovely ladies! I found the perfect recipe for this weekend's Saturday Morning Breakfast, for my sweet Valentine. The plan is to make homemade French crepes filled with a sweet cream sauce over bananas and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. YUM! And yes, fattening. But I know my honey will love it. I hope it turns out well!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
6 bananas, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 cups whipped heavy cream
1 pinch ground cinnamon
fresh, cut up strawberries

1. Sift flour and powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, butter, vanilla and salt. Beat until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly greased 6 inch skillet. Add about 3 tablespoons batter. Tilt skillet so that batter spreads to almost cover the bottom of the skillet. Cook until lightly browned; turn and brown the other side. Repeat process with remaining batter, grease skillet as needed.
3. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet. Stir in brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in cream and cook until slightly thickened. Add half the bananas at a time in a skillet; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, spooning sauce over them. Remove from heat.
4. Roll a crepe around each banana half and place on serving platter. Spoon sauve over crepes. Top with whipped cream, fresh strawberries and a pinch of cinnamon.

Bon Appetite!

Homemady Hershey Kiss

Thank you for following me and leaving all of your sweet comments! It's so encouraging. I feel like I've been a little MIA! I have off work on Fridays (FABULOUS!) and tend to find myself wrapped up in the weekend shindig already by Thursdsay night. I think of my fellow bloggers often, and always plan on sitting down with the laptop, but somehow other things seem to find me, fun things none the less, so I consider it okay to postpone all writing actions. But then come Monday I find myself with the dire need to POST. So here we go!

Valentine's Day is this weekend! YAY! I'm so excited it falls on a Saturday. I'm still on the quest for the perfect V-Day, Saturday morning breakfast idea. I'll let you know what I find. We didn't have one this past weekend because we had a baby shower. It was a couples baby shower. Have you ever been to a couples baby shower? It was definitely a first for my husband and he really didn't know what to think about it, or what to expect. He and the guys ended up playing cricket (i know, cricket?? random) in the basement for a good, solid hour. Too funny. Speaking of V-day and my hubs...my honey-hubby is actually pretty romantic and gets MAJOR brownie points every year on V-Day for originality and creativity. This year I'm busting out the home-made gift theme. It's been hard thinking of things that aren't the usual home-made gift ideas: coupon book, decorated picture frame, etc. I was looking online for some fun ideas and found this one that I just have to share - it's so stink'n cute - a homemade 'Huge Hershey Kiss'. All credit goes to this little site I found, here.

This is how it's done...

Melt chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave until smooth. Use a clean funnel and a plate for the rest of the process - the funnel is how you get the Hershey Kiss shape. Put a little bit of aluminum foil in the neck of the funnel and then spray the inside of the funnel with a nonstick cooking spray. Place the funnel on its neck on the plate being careful not to tip it - the website where I found this says it will hold up if you're careful. Spoon the melted chocolate into the funnel. Wait overnight. Remove the dried chocolate from the funnel. If it's hard to get out, take a knife and run it around the perimeter of the funnel until it slides out. Wrap the kiss in tin foil and make a little message to stick out of the top. Too cute!

Do you have any good, home-made gift ideas?? Please share!

Gametime Salsa!

Miche, this one's in your honor! Okay, honestly, it is crazy how EASY this recipe is and it's crazy how many people ask for it. It really is so good! Again, I take NO credit for it. One of my bffs in college was from State College, where Penn State is located. So we would go over to her parent's house and have home cooked meals every once in a while. Her mom always had the best recipes. Here is her super easy salsa! I hope you can make it and try it!

Ingredients:
1 jar of store bought salsa
(I have several times just pulled out whatever I have in the fridge)
1 chopped red onion
1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 sm bag of frozen corn
fresh cilantro
'lil bit of lime juice
& sometimes I chop up fresh garlic & throw it in

Mix everything 2gether! One thing to note - leave the corn frozen. This actually helps keep the salsa chilled and ready to serve, even if it's a new jar that has been in the pantry. You probably won't use the whole bag, considering how much salsa you are making, try it and see if it needs more! I use a lot of Cilantro, but again, we love it. SO EASY! And yummy. Special thanks to Katie's mama for hosting us through college and feeding us!

I'm always about simple. I love, love LOVE Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade show and recipes. Who has time to slave in the kitchen?! Not me! In case you need some other quick dip ideas, here ya go!

~ Sour Cream & Onion dip - I know this one is pretty much known about everywhere, but it's still funny how popular it is and how GOOD it is. Buy dry Onion Soup Mix (I use Lipton) and mix the package w/a 16oz container of sour cream. EASY! The guys love it.

~ Pick up a bottle of raspberry chipotle sauce and pour it over a block of cream cheese and serve with club crackers. Can't get easier than that!

Phew, my next post should probably be about exercising. Ha! HAVE FUN THIS WEEKEND!!

Does anyone actually watch the game or just the COMMERCIALS? I think the commercials are their way to get us ladies involved! We'll have to reconvene on Monday and share our faves. :o)

XOXO,

Dips and drinks for Superbowl!

First off, I have to mention that I went back to my old design - a few friends of mine said they liked it better. :o)

Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend! All this talk of hosting for the big event, but now we're going out of town to Baltimore! Ha. So one of our neighbors is hosting instead. I feel badly, but hey, things happen. I will still make these yummy things and bring them over, because any excuse to make and eat food I jump all over. I loveee dips. I think a "dip party" is one of the best ideas ever. Mmmm, yummy. Here's one to start off with!

I absolutely LOVE guacamole. I have tried several recipes and honestly, this one doesn't seem like anything super fancy, but I have found this recipe to be the best and people love it! I don't take ANY credit for it; it was given to me by a friend. If you can't read the ingredients above, they are:

7 avocados (soft), 1 small red onion (chopped), 1 small tomato (chopped), 1 fresh lime, fresh cilantro - I use a lot, but we love cilantro! Start small and then add more. 1 tsp ground cumin, garlic powder (to taste - or fresh garlic), salt (to taste)

Remove the avocado pits and mash (I use a potato masher) the avocado in a bowl. Add all of the ingredients above leaving the salt, garlic powder and paprika at the end - it depends on how much you like each flavor, but I like to have a LOT! I usually start with half of the lime (microwave it for a few seconds and it's easier to squeeze) and then add more after I taste it. I almost always end up using the whole lime. Play around with it! I hope this is a good base. If you live near Philly feel free to invite me over to sample it. Mmmm.

Okay, I've been on a hunt for fun drinks to have that are Superbowl themed and here's what I'm going with. I found these at the about website, great site. For the Pittsburgh Steelers' theme (my hubby has been a Steelers fan his whole life, so you can see how big of a deal this year is!) it's called a Black & Gold. It features Blavod vodka, which is appropriately black in color, and goldschlager, which tastes like cinnamon and has gold flakes floating around in it. So pretty!

Black & Gold
2 oz Blavod vodka
1 oz Goldschlager

Pour the Blavod into a glass/cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake it really well. Strain it into a cocktail glass and top it with the Goldschlager. Voila!

Next up is the Cardinal's theme drink - it's called the Cardinal Cocktail. Mmmm, this one looks delish and you make it with red wine. Sign me up! You add some creme de cassis to the wine which is a sweet liqueur made from French blackcurrants.

Cardinal Cocktail
1 oz creme de cassis
red wine

Pour the creme de cassis in a wine glass filled with ice and then fill the rest of the glass with wine. So easy! And pretty.

Next, more dips!

XOXO,

Shoes & Greek Yogurt. Both are yummy.

I loveee shoes. There are a slew of designer shoes out there that I adore and will take a little detour at the mall to stop and admire. These are not the shoes that occupy my closet - oh how I wish they were. But they are oh-so-pretty and tickle-me-pink every time I look at them. I look at it like this: these little designer beauties are the queens of stiletto-land, and it is my duty to search every kingdom for the perfect, most suitable match at more than half the cost. A challenge indeed! But one that is quite necessary to save our bank account. Anyways, sometimes I find some really great look-alikes and sometimes they are mediocre. Regardless, I will start sharing them with you!

Christian Louboutin Platform Mary Jane Slingbacks - $895.00

Promiscuous line featured on Zappos, design is called "Sweetie" - On Sale for $61.95

Next up is my new breakfast FAVE. Here is the background story: I have been searching for a healthy, quick breakfast idea that is suitable for my need to eat on the run a lot. I am NOT a morning person. AT ALL. So something that can be made ahead of time and easily grabbed on the way out, is key. I love yogurt but hate all of the sugar that is added. On our way to church Sunday we stopped at Starbucks so I could get a peppermint tea (I am on a huge kick right now) and while we were there I asked for a yogurt parfait. The woman said they only had a "Greek" one left, which was fine with me, so we paid and were on our way. Oh my goodness. DELISH! This I have known - Greek yogurt has double the protein and 1/2 the sugar and sodium of regular yogurt, but it still never occured to me to incorporate this in a healthy alternative for a breakfast meal. It's thicker than normal yogurt and the consistency is quite pleasant. Sooo, I went to the store and bought the ingredients and made it. And it was again, DELISH! I'm not on my personal computer so this won't be on a fancy recipe card. :o)

Stir together oats, coconut, wheat germ and sesame seeds (really, put in it what ever you want..pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, etc.), stir in a little maple syrup if you want and then bake it at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. The night before, have your Greek yogurt on hand (which can be bought at any health food store plus most of the regular g-stores, ask your grocer what they have), and then the next morning pour in some honey, the yogurt and your granola and GO! I ate mine in the car today. :o)

French toast w/1000+ calories so you KNOW it has to be GOOD.

Saturday mornings in our house are spent in the kitchen cooking up something DELICIOUS and FAR from the normal health conscious recipes. I do have a slew of recipes I have acquired that I'm dying to share that don't fatten you up, but tomorrow is Saturday and therefore those recipes will have to wait. My hubby-hunny eats what I give him and never complains - probably partially because he knows what's coming on Saturday, ha. Anyways! We're going to my nieces gymnastics recital early tomorrow and therefore will be skimping out a little bit, but this is what I had planned on making. I found this recipe a while back at Epicurious (a website dedicated to those who like to eat, I visit it frequently) and can't get through reading the recipe without salivating. It was taken from Bon Appetit magazine - December issue of '06. I will constantly be sharing recipes, and in return I hope you share with me! I can never get enough! Next Saturday we are having a bunch of people over and I already have the perfect thing to make that I can't wait to post next Friday. It will be part of next week's blog theme dedicated to Super Bowl parties. Woo Hoo! Can't wait. One more thing before I get going, Valentine's Day is on a Saturday this year! The hunt is on for the PERFECT V-Day, Saturday Breakfast recipe!

K, here we go...

In case you can't read the ingredients above:
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 large ripe bananas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-think rounds
1 1-pound unsliced loaf egg bread, ends trimmed, bread cut into 6 slices (each about 1 1/2 inches thick)
2 cups milk (They say not to use low fat! It's up to you!)
6 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 extract vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water and stir until sugar dissolves. Continue stirring until mixture is foamy, about 2 minutes. Add bananas; cook until tender, stirring occasionaly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl; cool. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Preheat oven to 350'F. Using small sharp knife, cut 2-inch-long slit in 1 side of each bread slice, cutting 3/4 of way through bread and creating pocket that leaves 3 sides of bread intact. Divide banana mixture equally among pockets in bread. Whisk milk, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Pour into large glass baking dish. Place bread in egg mixture; let soak 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

Place almonds in shallow bowl. Carefully remove bread from egg mixture and coat both sides with almonds. Place bread on heavy large baking sheet. Mix brown sugar, oats, flour and remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon in medium bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup butter and rub in, using fingertips, until moist clumps form. Sprinkle topping over bread.

Bake French toast until topping is golden brown and filling is hot, about 25 minutes. Transfer toast to plates. Serve hot with maple syrup.

** Recipe card above was made using Whimsical Romance at digitalcandy.

Have an amazing Saturday Breakfast, whatever it may be! Bon Appetit!

XOXO,