Easter Excitement

Hooray for Thursday!! I always love a Thursday..it's Friday eve which is super exciting because who doesn't love Friday?? I have some exciting new recipes brewing up and I am so excited to post them!! This year I am "allowed"(<<<---- yes my mom is very particular about the holidays) to host Easter!! I am so excited to hold my first holiday in my own home. Brandon has a work event that Friday so we figured we would just stay in San Antonio. This year Easter is going to be THEMED ( because I am theme obsessed) as a Southern Style Easter. We are going to have lots of the traditional dishes served at Easter..only with a southern twist :) I have been researching and flipping through cookbooks for two months now picking out some of my favorite home cooked recipes that will fit with our Easter theme. Just an example of some that I have picked are,

BBQ Deviled Eggs with pulled pork

* Such a fun twist on the original deviled egg recipe!

photo courtesy of southern living magazine

 

Grit Casserole

 

cheese, butter, and grits

yep sounds pretty southern :)

 

 

BLT Potato Salad

Totally HAD to try this one..it had bacon in it

duh!

 

 

These are just a few of the many side dishes I have planned. I also have a homemade caramel butter cake on the menu as well as a glazed ham!!! I am so excited to host this special holiday!

 

Edmame Quoinoa Salad

This salad is packed with so many healthy additives its crazy! I found this recipe off of a cooking site and decided to try it. I made a HUGE batch and decided to munch on it for the rest of the week and pack some for Brandy's lunches as well.. it was a hit!

shopping list:
one frozen bag of shelled edamame
one frozen bag of corn
one cup of cooked quinoa ( it expands so it makes a lot!)
one red bell pepper diced
one small bunch of cilantro diced ( to taste.. I love cilantro so I added a lot)
two green onions diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
salt
dried thyme
chili powder
ground black pepper
dash of cayenne

Preparation:

briefly boil the edamame and corn until tender
drain and cool completely

in a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, edamame, corn, cilantro, onions, and red pepper and mix

then in  a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon and lime juice, black pep, thyme, salt, chili powder, and cayenne until well combined. Drizzle over the salad and toss to coat.

chill for two hours and enjoy!

Hometown Happenings and a Monday Beet Salad.

Happy Monday!! I wish I were saying Happy Friday.. these weeks are starting to run together. I am so happy that we had the opportunity to race home just for a night to see family and celebrate two birthdays that are very special to me. My D.G's and my bestie Lindie's 25th birthday! We ate some yummy Mexican food and had so much fun with friends. I always enjoy a quick trip home..and for lunch today I have a yummy beet salad on the menu!! Those who might be reading this are probably trying not to gag at the sight of the word Beet. Let me explain.. beets are SUCH a nutritious food selection and if seasoned with the right spices and paired with the correct flavors they can actually be quite enjoyable! I love fresh beets from the ranch but our farmer Felix didn't have any for us so I bought some at the grocery store in the produce section.

to prepare beets you need to:

soak them and scrub them
cut off the tops and then peel them with a vegetable peeler
quarter them into bite sized cubes
lay them evenly on a baking sheet
drizzle with EVOO
sea salt/pepper
fresh rosemary
fresh thyme
cook at 400 degrees for 40 minutes

** BEETS are very messy!! the beautiful crimson juice will stain your hands and while peeling so don't wear white pants :)!

for the salad:

fresh arugula lettuce
roasted pecan halves ( you can buy roasted or do it yourself)
a log of goat cheese or crumbled
a light and fresh vinaigrette of your choice

set your lettuce on a plate then top with the roasted pecans, crumbled goat cheese, and when finished, add the beets. Pour your favorite vinaigrette over this salad and enjoy!

Isn't it pretty?! The tangy goat cheese marries so well with the bitter beets. Try it its not terrible!

 

 

Some pictures from over the weekend :)

 

 

A pedi with mama!

 

and the Birthday Girl!

 

My hot date!

 

Happy 25th Birthday diff!!

 

Love at its finest :)

 

me with my stripe obsession coming from three different angles!

 



Whipped peanut butter creme

Last night I was wanting ice cream after dinner so bad but we were out..then I got the brilliant idea of empervising with ingredients we already had! This turned out to be one of the best creations ever!!! I grabbed peanut butter (because I am peanut butter obsessed), plain Greek yogurt, and lite whipped cream. I added about a half cup of Greek yogurt, a cup of the whipped creme, and maybe two or three tablespoons of peanut butter. I also added one trivia packet and started my hand mixer and whipped this mixture until it was smooth and blended. Then to that, I added slivered almonds and fresh cut fruit!! BEST DESSERT EVER. Your welcome!!!

My Dolly's Peanut Butter BLT Sandwiches

I know what your thinking.. peanut butter and bacon..gross!! I promise I thought the same thing when I was a little girl as I curiously watched my great grandmother assemble this sandwich with its very intriguing ingredients. I was both pleased and surprised.  I have been eating these sandwiches since I was 5 years old..and my mom has been eating them her whole life.. and my grandmother.. and so on. You get the point right? Anyways this is such an easy recipe.. and I bet kiddos would even love it too!

Shopping list:

one package of center cut bacon

FRESH bread: the best that work with this sandwich I feel are ( Brioche, Ciabatta, Rye, or Pumpernickel)- I also recommend toasting the bread just a little to bring both a golden crustiness and a soft underbelly to your sandwich foundation.

Lettuce: When it comes to the lettuce, the goal is to provide crunch and flavor that can stand up to the rest of the mix. Greenery that I would choose would probably be romaine or butter lettuce. They are versatile and easy and taste yummy.

Tomato. The tomato AKA the "T" is an essential part of this amazing sandwich so its important to pick a good tomato. The type of tomato does not matter so much as the quality. Try and pick one with little or no cracks, intense color, and always slice these with a serrated knife!

and here it goes..instead of MAYO you add PEANUT BUTTER

I choose Jiff..but its totally up to you :)

There you have it .. the perfect BLT..
some additional add ons that taste great could be some really yummy farm house cheddar. This cheese will brighten up your sandwich and make your taste buds pop!!! ( I have really been watching to many cooking shows.. my vocabulary is totally GIADA DE LAURENTIS!)

ENJOY PEEPS!

The Cast Iron Skillet

In life we go through so many different seasons. Seasons of change.. seasons of growth, seasons of tribulations, seasons of joy, and seasons of hope. I am such a huge believer that God gives us these seasons not only to fill us with joy and happiness but to also mold our spirit into one of trust and faith.  In my kitchen I hold a very prized possession...my cast iron skillet. Anybody who has a cast iron skillet knows the number one rule is to never wash it with soap because the seasoning will dissipate and your skillet will turn to rust. The beauty of the cast iron is that it is open to different seasons which in turn make delicious food. Sometimes I feel like God is using my soul like I use my skillet.. always seasoning and always changing. I am not the person I was last year.. I can sense a change about myself and it makes me happy. Finding out how God is working in your life is the beauty in living and walking in faith! I have had so many struggles walking in faith and trusting. I love to be in control. OH YEAH. It is how I thrive.. how I feel comfort... and how I deal with situations. For a long time I was turning to people to comfort me because this gave me a sense of control. I was receiving an answer and in turn,  the answer gave me complete relief and comfort. throughout these few months I have turned everything over to God and released my beloved control in his hands. I cannot begin to tell of all the wonderful things God has done in my and in my husband's life. I am so grateful for these seasons of change because they have truly helped me become the woman of faith I have always imagined myself. Letting everything go into His hands has given me the comfort I need and in turn he has blessed us tremendously. It sounds strange but I am grateful for the hard times as much as I am grateful for the good. For those who have anxious hearts and are reading, know this " Trust in the Lord with your whole heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and he will make your path straight" This scripture from proverbs is used to heal many anxious hearts and at first I thought it was just words. It wasn't until I truly let go and believed in what these words mean that the miraculous hands of our Lord touched my life.

BBQ Chicken Tacos

Last night for dinner I wanted to make something quick, easy, and simple. I recently re-read my Rachel-Ray 30 minute meals cook book for the hundredth time and came across a pretty yummy sounding taco recipe. While I always make my own little spin on things (BBQ was my idea:)) I loved the spices she used to marinate her chicken and thought it sounded very appealing! A quick side of sautéed zucchini and squash medley was my side of choice and also pretty quick and easy..which we love!!! For this recipe you will need"

Four boneless skinless chicken breasts
two zucchini and two squash
cumin, cayenne, chili pepper
salt/pepper
BBQ sauce of your choice ( I use sweet baby rays)
one can of black beans
1/2 of a yellow onion chopped
tortillas ( I love the black bean tortillas from artisan!)


Directions:
** If you have a crockpot marinate your chicken the day before and pop them in the crock pot to let them cook all day. That way when you are ready for your dinner you only have a few steps to follow!

marinate your chicken with a little salt/pep, cumin, cayenne, and chili pepper, and BBQ sauce. Be sure and rub them really good so the spices settle in and really make your chicken tasty! Then pop those chicken in the crock pot and let them sit with a little chicken stock.  Cook for about 6-8 hours. Once the chicken is cooked you can take two forks and shred them...

NEXT

pour your beans (drained and rinsed) into a sauce pan with your chopped onions and let the onions cook with the beans. Add a couple of glugs of BBQ sauce to give them a smoky flavor! Once the beans are cooked, take your shredded chicken and add it to the beans and onions.. mix them all around until the chicken is coated with the beans and onions.. the spices from the chicken will marry with the BBQ flavors of the black beans and make for a great taco filling!!!!

Fill your tacos up with the mixture and top with fresh tomatoes and romaine lettuce!!!! YUM!


For the squash and zucchini medley

I simply sliced them in rounds then quartered them to make them into smaller bites.
Then I sautéed them in EVOO, salt and pepper and cooked until browned.

EASY!!