Life Lately

Life lately has been pretty busy!!! Brandon and I both have a full plate this summer with lots of exciting things going on for us!! I am so excited for my mom and dad to be moving close to us I just can't get over it!! My parents and I are extremely close and they always wanted to be near us and really love the area we live in .so here they come! I wish I could say I have been lounging by the pool every day with an amazing book but the rain we have been having here lately has put a big damper on my plans! Here is life lately for us

Here I am using my new kitchen aid- baking a cake for my daddy!

White Chocolate Rasberry with Cream cheese frosting!!!

Table setting-ignore the orange napkin..it left

Frosted cake! So pretty

Okay I am ready for my Fam to show!

Father's Day dinner..Filet, risotto stuffed tomatoes and salad

Shopping day where I tried this bling on..

Then Sunday Night our favorite neighbors all gathered together and hung out..I love our little neighborhood~

Just some of the girls..no makeup no fuss... love it!

I made this DIY cheeseboard here for everyone to enjoy!

And the weather continued to do this....

Storms comin' in!

That is our life lately!

Weekend at the Ranch

It is already Wednesday and I am just now getting around to blogging about the weekend. #slacker #summerprobs

We spent the weekend at Laguna Vista Ranch which is our family owned and operated resort/huntingbusiness..plus just a really fun place for us to get away. I am going to be doing a separate blog post on the amenities and services we offer ( we do weddings people!!! Mine was GORGEOUS there:)) 

Anyways....

while we were there we

Swam :)

Worked on Colt's retrieving in the lake

my family!

Swam some more...it is breathtaking during sunset

see :) 

Had a Fish Off..? LOL Girls Vs. Boys and GIRLS WON!

Some lovin' went on of course!

Blurry but that is my youngest brother and me

And she won...

Favorite toy on the ranch is this thing right here 

stopped by to say hello to our friends

they are so handsome

Just a fun and realixing weekend...no makeup, no fuss, no hassle!

Shrimp" Quinoa" Fried Rice

Shrimp Fried Rice " Quinoa"

So Brandon's diet has been going AMAZING!!! He has already lost 15 lbs...I am being super supportive and only cooking things on his diet...so I guess this is kind of forcing me to be healthier too :) I found a great fried rice recipe on pinterest however the diet doesn't allow for rice but it does allow quinoa so I substituted!! Basically this dish was all about dumping into a pot.. super simple and super yummy which of course,we love!

Shopping list

1 1/2 lb deveined shrimp

bag of broccoli florets

three garlic cloves

1/2 chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup of julienned carrots

2 cups cooked quinoa

one yellow squash chopped

one zucchini chopped

one 8 oz box of pre washed chopped mushrooms

olive oil

salt and pepper

grated ginger

soy sauce

sirracha

Procedure

Add your chopped onion and garlic to a pot over med/high heat with a few gluts of olive oil. Let those two sweat for about five minutes before you add all the rest of the veggies. Let those cook down a bit and then add your quinoa and grated ginger ( I bought a fresh ginger root and grated about 1 teaspoon and threw it in there) Salt and pepper the veggies and some soy sauce. Meanwhile, peel your shrimp, salt and pepper them, and in a pan over medium high heat cook until pink ( about three minutes on each side) add your shrimp in the pot of veggies and toss gently...add more spice or soy sauce if you need it. Top with Sirracha and enjoy people!!! So easy and very healthy!!!!! Two things that love in a dinner!

Meditteranean Turkey Burgers with a Greek Yogurt Dill Sauce

Happy Monday Ya'll!!!

Today I have a very fun and easy recipe that is not only healthy but full of flavor!!!!!

Brandon and I usually live off of the grill during the summertime..there is just something that is so comforting about the smell of the grill heating up your juicy burger :) Since Brandon is doing advocare and has to be on a very strict diet, I came up with a burger recipe that fit the bill for his diet but also filled him up and tasted great!

Shopping List

two lb 93 percent lean ground turkey

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes

feta cheese

1/2 cup frozen spinach

1/4 chopped purple onion

oregano

salt & pepper

two cloves minced garlic

one lemon

one medium cucumber sliced thin

one 7 oz container of regular plain greek yogurt

fresh dill minced

Procedure

In a large bowl place the ground turkey and the next six ingredients and mash together ( when it comes to the feta eyeball however much you want) 

form your patties ( should yield six) and place on a baking sheet

either preheat your grill, warm up your cast iron skillet, or indoor grill pan and grill the turkey burgers until no longer pink. 

for the sauce

in a small bowl combine yogurt, fresh dill, s & p, and half of a squeezed lemon. Mix together and let chill for 20 minutes. 

when burgers are finished cooking..serve them either bun-less or on a bun and top with sliced fresh red onion, and sliced cucumbers..drizzle a little bit of the fresh yogurt sauce and you are good to go!!!!

Side options : fresh steamed Artichoke, Greek Salad, Meditteranean Black beans...endless healthy options!!!!! 

Friday Favorites!!!!

Gotta love a Friday right :) 

Like most Fridays, I am linking up and sharing some of my favorite things!!!! Here are my top four today!

1.  The Jenna Shimmer Bed set from Pottery barn. 

Recently Brandon started making comments over how "Grandma" our old bedding was...even though I thought it was totally fabulous...I used it as an excuse to buy something new ( and lighter for summer) Therefore I found this AMAZING bedspread and am so happy I bought it. Free shipping, and all the pieces were included!!! Shop the Jennna HERE

Here is a Picture of our bedroom sporting the new Jenna Shimmer Bedset. I am in love!!! I think that Calvin loves it too :):P

2. Kenra Hair Products

I am a huge fan of Kenra hair products!!

Because my hair gets so dull and dried out from swimming, and floating the river, and just sun damage in general..I have found a few products that really work!!! These can be found at your nearest Ulta or you can just order them online from right Here :)

This is the Blow dry serum and O.M.G. It works great!!!! My hair is soft and smooth with ZERO frizz from the humidity..it feels like silk and it smells amazing! Order some!

Because I am a Texas girl I live by that " Pile it high to Heaven" rule ...Texas girls, ya feel me?? This will help get you there! 

Finally to keep all that beautiful hair in place, you need to lock it down with this!!!! I love the Kenra finishing spray..it does not gum your hair down or give you helmet hair. It gives a pretty "stay in place" finish and leaves your hair with no flyways!

3.  THESE PEOPLE

These are my parents..and they are on my favorite list today because I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!! They are in the process of buying a home RIGHT next to us ( literally two neighborhoods away) so that they can be next to us, future grand babies, and enjoy fun times with us. They are my rock and mean so much to me!!!! My favorites ever!

4.  Bahama Bucks

People do you have one of these?? If so, please drop everything and go get the " Blue Coconut with Creme'" you will die and then thank me in heaven. It is the most delicious summer treat you will ever have ever!!! Just trust me!!! SO good! :)

Summer Pasta Salad

Summer Pasta Salad

I love making this dish in a big batch and then munching on it all week. It's perfect for coming home and eating a quick lunch in between summer errands or to even pack up in a little container and take to the pool for a pool side snack! It is obviously a cold pasta so that also makes it nice, light, and summery. This easy staple will not disappoint this summer!



Shopping List

Two packages of tortellini ( I used the Buitoni brand stuffed with cheese. The possibilities are endless though with Buitoni brand...you can choose whichever you like.)

1/4 cup Capers

1/2 cup Pepperoccinis Peppers

1/2 a bag of shredded Parmesean Cheese

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

One Can of Navy Beans

2 cups already cooked chicken

One & 1/2  cup of sliced Grape tomatoes

Large handful of Torn Spinach

Juice of a Lemon


Procedure

Cook your pasta according to the packaged directions...drain and set aside

in a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Add Pasta at the end and a few gluts of Olive oil..squeeze in the Lemon juice and add the salt and pepper to taste. I also added a few torn strips of basil for some extra flavor! Keep in the fridge when not eating.

Didn't I tell you how easy this was???

Peach Caprese Salad

Happy Friday!!!!!!!

I am one happy teacher..blogging at 8:00 AM with a cup of coffee in her hand and not oneeeee place to be :) I love summer. 

Summertime is usually when I unwind from the hectic school year and plan a lot of new recipes!! I plan to take a few cooking classes this summer and try a bunch of new things!

Peaches are one of my favorite fruits, and with their crisp mild taste I thought it would be great ( and not to overwhelming) to use in my caprese salad.

This will be a summer staple in my house this year out on my back patio with a few snacks...yum!

Shopping List:

One Large Greenhouse Tomato off the vine ( beefsteak works too)

one medium size ripe peach

buffalo mozzarella cheese

fresh basil

olive oil

salt

pepper

aged balsamic vinegar

Procedure:

Slice both the tomato and peach length wise until you get nice thin slices

slice the buffalo mozzarella the same way

layer a tomato, peach, mozzerella piece, and a few torn pieces of basil again and again unit you have used the tomato and peach slices up.

drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper, and finally balsamic vinegar and serve chilled

if you would like to make this into a lunch salad simply CUBE the pieces instead of slice and add some diced cooked chicken...this could also pair nicely with some yummy pita bread or in a wrap!!!! Endless suggestions but my favorite is the Caprese! Enjoy!