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A little Kitchen Talk and an Eggplant Parmesean

Everybody has their own special way of winding down.. for some its exercise, crafting, painting.. but for me its cooking. 

Sipping a buttery Chardonnay and chopping a pungent onion is my FAVORITE way to relax. I love to feed people.. its my happy place. 

I know I listed my Fall bucket list and traditions below.. and while they are SO much fun to look forward to my most special and much awaited tradition is Sunday Dinner.

It all started when I got married...I had a TON of fancy glass wear and china and we really never used it except for Christmas Eve and Easter... I started to get creative in the kitchen and Every Sunday I would pull out my china and in the midst of Sunday Football..I would make us a nice little dinner to look forward to. After I got a little confident with the food I was making I started inviting over friends and family to join in on my special little Sunday tradition.. I learned to LOVE the company, the prepping, the wine drinking.. the conversation. It was the best. It still is. 

Now come Fall...every Sunday I make a really big To-Do dinner..

I don’t let it overwhelm me..and if one sunday I am to tired I simply skip it. I may not use my fancy china every Sunday anymore because #babies but I set the table, use my good silverware, and my stemmed wine glasses. 

Whether it is a crock pot meal, casserole, or five step classic dinner...

Sunday Dinner is Served :) 

I love to cook for the season.. and Fall brings out such a different array of produce and fruits.. appetizers like figs and goat cheese come into play and eggplants, fall squashes, and heavy rich sauces take the place of the lighter fare we grilled all summer. 

I thought up this egg plant dinner and y’all it is quite possibly one of the best recipes in my little back pocket ...but I wanted to share

Eggplant Parmesean with a Meatball Sauce

Shopping List:

• 1 large eggplant (about 1 ½ pounds), sliced into ½-inch thick rounds (12 to 14 slices)
• 2 large eggs
• ⅔ cup plain panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• cooking oil spray 
• 2 cups homemade tomato sauce ( favorite brand)
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly into as many slices as your eggplant
• 1 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

For the meatballs:  

• 1 lb ground beef
• Burratta Cheese ( ask your cheese monger for some)
• 1 cup Bread Crumbs ( italian herb style)
• Worstechire sauce 
• Mozzarella and parm cheese ( shredded)
• one yellow onion chopped
• One Jar of your favorite Tomato Sauce. My absolute favorite is William Sonoma Eggplant, garlic herb sauce.. 

Procedure:

Eggplant:

1. Line 2 baking sheets with a double layer of paper towels and spread the eggplant slices among the sheets evenly. Liberally salt the eggplant slices, using about a teaspoon total of salt, and let them sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour. Using fresh paper towels, wipe the tops of the eggplant to remove excess salt and firmly press to release any remaining liquid. Dry on both sides and transfer to a plate. Wipe the baking sheets and line them with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray well with cooking oil. 
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. In another medium shallow bowl, combine the panko, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 
3. Dip one slice of eggplant into the egg, coating both sides, and then press ONE side into the bread crumbs. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with all remaining slices. 
4. Spray the tops of the eggplant slices well with cooking oil and bake until the eggplant is soft and the crust is crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and set aside.

Meatballs:

While your eggplant is cooking in the oven you can get started on your meatballs...

1. in a large bowl combine ground beef, 1 cup bread crumbs, a liberal amount of S & P,  a few glugs of worstechire sauce and the shredded parm/mozzarella mixture. Roll into medium sized balls.

2.  Over medium high heat preferably in a cast iron skillet ( any skillet will do) heat up your onion with a glug or two of EVOO. once onions are giving off a yummy smell ..sear your meatballs on each side ( about 4 minutes each) to lock in flavor. Pour a generous amount of your sauce over the meatballs and stick them in the oven with the eggplant. Cook for up to 20 minutes.

3. Set eggplant aside and top with the meatball sauce and add your burratta cheese to top everything off.

4 Garnish with basil and serve

I wish I had a camera so I could take pretty pictures of my food.. but I don’t.. haha so this is a real life pic right before I devoured this dinner!!!

My Sunday Crew..

Fall Bucket List

My favorite season has arrived!!!!!

Almost...

We all know fall doesn’t truly start until September 22 however in my book fall starts the MOMENT a pumpkin spice latte comes out at Starbucks.. and that my friends, is September 1 :)

I promise myself I wouldn’t decorate for fall until October 1 since I always get way to excited and pull out the pumpkins during the 100 degree weather.. but can we just be honest here? When you look at a pumpkin inside your home and smell the smell of your new pumpkin spice candle that you got 50 percent off at Bath and Body.. you just FEEL cooler.. and more fall-ish. Am I right?? 

Yes I am! 

So in lieu of the upcoming fall season I decided to write my bucket list like I do every year and add some of my favorite pastime fall pictures!!! Fall with a baby is SO SO SO much fun! Mostly because I am a kid at heart and get into all of the fun festive excitement going on. So here we go!

Fall 2017 Bucket List

Visit the Pumpkin Patch!!!!

Drink a PSL from Starbucks with girlfriends 

Play with leaves 

Carve a Pumpkin

Trick or Treat!!!!!

Celebrate our 4 year anniversary in the wine country!!!

WurstFest 

Bake my Pumpkin Muffins and share with friends

Bake some more :)

Cook “ Sunday dinner” for a different couple each Sunday and watch football

Ranch Trips and Bonfires

Zoo trip on a cool morning with friends!

Read new fall books to Jax

Fall Festival

Lots of home made apple sauce

Painting and “washing” Pumpkins with water - activity for Jax

Homemade Play-doh and dye it fall colors ( also add a pinch of cinnamon!)

GET READY TO MOVE!!!!!!

I think that will do it for Fall!!!!

A few random pictures from past falls

Perhaps my FAVORITE fall ever... our little pumpkin 2016

Our first fall being married. Here we are at the Ranch

2013

I live for PSL during fall..

On my way to teach with my favorite latte ever.

We celebrate our anniversary in the fall!

We also did engagement pictures in the fall..

2012

Pumpkin Patch!

Right before I got pregnant with Jax.. also in the fall :)

Engagement pictures Fall 2012 at the lakehouse

Wine Country Fall 2016

William & Chris

Mango Curry Chicken... and a few extra photos

It has been a hot minute since I have even wrote a post.. I guess most of it is due to the hurricane, busying myself with my family, and of course #momlife. Sometimes when I get a spare minute I would rather sit on the couch and do nothing then type a post .. real talk here :) I actually just finished  one of my favorite books ( for the third time I might add) and like always, it resonated with me and sparked my love for cooking right back up! 

If you haven’t heard of Shauna Niequest then I highly suggest you go and grab a copy of 

Bread and Wine

and start reading immediately!!! If you are a foodie, like myself, you will find this book highly intriguing and useful since she adds some yummy recipes at the end of each chapter. She talks a lot about her faith, family, and love for the “table”. I find myself so similar to her in this aspect because there is nothing more satisfying to me, than having cooked a HUGE meal for my friends or family...and sitting ‘round the dining table..just talking, eating, drinking. That is the good stuff and that is a lot of what she writes about.

So anyways on to this recipe! 

I made Shauna’s Mango Curry Chicken

and y’all... It did NOT disappoint. I wanted to share because I am in LOVE! 

It is not a dish I would find myself typically making because ahem #ginger and #curry?? 

I am more of a Tex Mex gal myself but this was so great that everyone I made it for returned for seconds!!!

Mango Curry Chicken

* Taken from Bread and Wine 

Ingredients

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (or coconut flour to make it paleo)
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2-4 tbsp coconut oil
• 1-1.5 lbs chicken breasts, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• ¼ cups raisins
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 mango, pitted and diced
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (approx ½ a lime)
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2 cups dry rice (white or brown) prepared according to package directions

Instructions

1. Mix together flour, curry powder, salt and pepper. Cut chicken into small pieces, and toss with mixture until each piece is well coated.
2. Heat 2-3 tbsp coconut oil over medium heat until a drop of water fizzles (adding meat to oil that's not hot enough causes the meat to be greasy!)
3. Cook chicken pieces just until brown and crispy (only a few minutes, it's ok if it's not fully cooked!) Set aside.
4. If pan seems dry, add a little more coconut oil and let it heat back up. Combine onion and red pepper in pan and cook until onion is softened (about 4-5 min). Add ginger and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, watching carefully to make sure the garlic doesn't burn.
5. Add chicken back to the pan and lower heat.
6. Add 4 cups chicken broth. Simmer until the broth reduces by about ¼. This takes some time...
7. Add raisins, tomatoes, and mango until they are heated through.
8. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice, cilantro and basil.
9. Serve over rice (or cauliflower rice to make it pale!

A few pics of my loves!

We have been doing a lot of park time and this baby LOVES the swing

Headed to the DoSeum! 

We completed our August Project Handprint

Mama got some fall color in her hair

Splash pad fun!

Pearl Brewery

Love them so much!!!! They are my reason for documenting and blogging.. I love looking back and seeing how much life has changed!!!!

Baked Red Snapper

yes to this.

I was talking with a girlfriend today about how much we really LOVE a Friday. Technically we do not drive to a 9-5 job ( because ours is 24-7 :)) but there is just something magical about a Friday.. its the end of the week..all your people are home together.. it’s just nice. So cheers to Friday!!!

Anyways about tonights dinner...

I have been seriously craving fish like every week! There is just something about summer and the water and fresh fish just SPEAKS to me so I have been salivating over fresh white fish every week except my grocery store charges 25 dollars a LB for it.

 so um NO.

We went to our beach house this past weekend and I was so enthusiastic over catching some fresh fish for my infamous tacos!! 

Didn’t happen. 

So today when I was making my weekly grocery trip I saw that my fish monger had freshly stocked his fish counter with a TON of fresh fish and shrimp. The Red Snapper was 10$ a LB!!!!!

My eyes were wide with excitement!!! So I quickly ordered up two larger than life filets and practically skipped my way home.

Then I came up with this fabulous dinner:)

It went something like this:

Shopping List:

2 Large filets of white fish ( Halibut or Red Snapper work best)

1 bunch of fresh parsley( chopped fine)

1 clove of garlic pressed or minced fine

Juice of one Lemon

Creole Seasoning

Pink Salt

Black Pepper

Freshly Grated Parm

Plain Breadcrumbs

4 Tablespoons of butter - I used 6 whoops :)

Procedure:

Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees

salt and pepper your fish to taste

Lay your fresh fish in a baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam

mix 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup fresh grated parm.

over medium high heat melt your butter with your pressed garlic and stir aromatics.

Add in your fresh parsley, Creole seasoning, juice of a lemon, and stir until fragrant and parsley is wilted. 

Pour herb butter mixture over the fish.

Finally top the fish with the breadcrumb and parmesan mixture and bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until fish flakes.

This dinner is out of this world Amazing!!!!

** We served alongside roasted broccoli but Asparagus or an heirloom tomato salad would be perfect!

15 Things that make me really happy

Just a silly little bit of randomness for your week :)

15 Things that make this mama HAPPY!

1. Waking up to my son’s happy and smiling face EVERY SINGLE MORNING. 

2. My Fit4mom Group. Motherhood is so much fun with those girls..

3. Hot Coffee...

4. My Jesus Calling Devotional. I keep it in my purse, on vacation, I literally read it every single day. 

It saves my attitude a lot and allows me to remember that GOD is in control ALWAYS.

5. A good girls night. These are always so needed and SO fun!

6. Pumpkin spice candles.. they scream fall!!! I love a cozy feeling in my home and these candles seem to bring out just that:)!

7. Music while cooking dinner. I usually have my Michael Buble’ on while I am cooking dinner.. or Chris Stapleton.. whatever I am in the mood for but music while cooking is heavenly.

8. COOL FALL MORNINGS. You know that time after summer is just about over.. the smell changes in the air and when you open your front door you are greeted with that scent of fall...those are my favorite mornings.

9. A really awesome water jug. Ever since being pregnant I have been completely obsessed with drinking my water. I try and drink 70 oz a day and I find that it helps me to drink it when I have my water in some sort of a cute and extra large cup. I love my big Bubba right now.

10. A date with my husband.. The kind that are not fancy ( even though I love those too!) but the kind that are meaningful. The other day my mom watched the baby while we were able to fish on the back dock. We had a bottle of wine and caught smelly, slippery, and slimy fish. It was awesome.

11.  A cozy blanket, a glass of red wine, and a fire. Literally this is the best!

12. Wine. Duh.

13. Pushing my son in the baby swing. If I could love anything as much as he loves a swing I would have no problems in life!!! He LOVES the swing!!! And I love HIM!

14. Spending time with my Mom and Dad. Cooking dinner, hanging on the porch, and swimming are so much fun for us.

15. Christmas. Ya'll.. I have a Christmas voicemail each year on my cellphone, I decorate the tree and house before Thanksgiving, I start listening to Christmas music in October.. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! 

xoxo

Low Carb Parmesean Chicken Casserole

Happy Wednesday!!!!

Last night I had my mom over for a little girls night.. and since she is currently following a no carb diet I wanted to make something that would correspond with her eating habits but to also have a dish that was full of flavor!!

I found the base of this dish on Pinterest ( go figure :)) and then tweaked it to make it my own. I currently have an obsession with zoodles,cauliflower rice and spaghetti squash. They are so versatile and make for great bases to any type of dish. For example I made fajita taco bowls the other night and instead of using rice.. I used the cauliflower rice!! It was so healthy and honestly I could not tell a difference. A vegetable noodle is an easy fix to get your carb cravings in and that is exactly what I used as the base of this casserole. 

Shopping List:

Fresh Parsley

Fresh Basil

1 clove garlic minced

Fresh buffalo Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesean Reggiano Cheese ( shredded)

1 Jar of organic Marinara

1 yellow onion

3 cups COOKED chopped chicken breasts

4 chopped zuchinni and yellow squash

Procedure:

( have chicken cooked beforehand and chopped into large chunks)

Preheat your oven to 350

Saute’ 1/2 large yellow onion with 1 minced clove of garlic in some EVOO over Med/High heat and once cooked set aside.

Next-To a casserole dish or cast iron skillet, layer the bottom with your chopped zucchini and squash: add a little EVOO to the top. On top of that, add your freshly cooked onion and garlic, then add your cooked chicken ( layering like a lasagna) then pour your marinara sauce over everything. Finally add chunks of your buffalo mozzarella, pinches of Parm, and the chopped fresh herbs. Cook for 25-30 minutes until cheese is nice and bubbly.