Recipes Galore

I hope you all are having a fantastic week so far! I am sorry on the lack of the posts lately. School has been CRAZY busy! I have so much going on right now!  I somehow have found time to get in the kitchen, though ;) I wanted to share a few recipes with you from last week...

Monday Night:

First, I had one baked potato and corn on the

cob, so I both broke in half, and we shared :)

I just added some salsa, spray butter, and a little

cheese to my baked potato. I am trying to watch the

calories, so I did not need all the butter and sour cream.

Next, I sauteed some shrimp in a skillet with: red wine,

Dale's seasoning, W sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper,

and a little olive oil. They were VERY tasty! Last, I made

a Tomato, Summer Squash, and Caramelized Onion Gratin

from the website Food 52. It was amazing! I had some for lunch

the next day, and it was even better then! Here is the recipe..

Enjoy! It is a great Spring/Summer dinner.  

Tuesday night:

First, I tossed some romaine lettuce with a little

olive oil and vinegar. Then I topped the salad with

some sun dried feta cheese, bacon bits, and croutons.

Next, I am on my second week of groceries, so I

am running low on veggies, but I sauteed some cauliflower

and mushrooms together in a skillet. It was kind of different, but

tasted pretty good! Last, I had some Red Snapper in the freezer

that I have been DYING to cook. I finally found an awesome

recipe and could not wait to try it! Here is the recipe...

You can beat 223 calories and 8g of fat :)

Wednesday Night:

I guess I am craving fish! First, I had some

cauliflower left over from the night before,

so I cooked it with some fingerling potatoes.

I put it on a cookie sheet, seasoned with diced

onions, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cayenne

pepper, and tossed in the oven on 450 for 15 mintues.

Next, I had grouper to prepare :) Yummmmm!

I used this recipe from Cooking Light..

Once again, can't beat 200 calories and 5.7 grams

of fat :)

Thursday Night:

I had a dinner party tonight. I wanted to prepare

something that I have never made before! First, I

tossed some romaine lettuce in a large bowl, mixed

in some olive oil and vinegar, added some tomatoes,

parmesan cheese, croutons, and red onions. Next, I made

my yummy Cream Style Corn. I blogged the recipe last week.

I love to make this stuff because it lasts for days and tastes SO good.

Last, I cannot tell you how GOOD this was! I made Bacon and Goat

Cheese Stuffed Chicken from Kendall Jones' website. She is an

awesome cook! If you have never discovered her website,

 I highly suggest it. Here is the recipe....It is orginally

from Cooking Light. The only thing I did different was add a

little more cheese on the top....

Friday Night:

This was definitely not a healthy dinner,

but after the day I had, I needed something

comforting. A lot of people make their own

crust, but I had one already in the pantry,

so I used that. I don't usually cook a big,

fancy meal on Friday night....I am TOO tired!

I added some Ragu Pizza Sauce, some of our

favorite veggies, pepperonis, and stuck it

in the oven for about 25 mintues. It turned

out wonderfully! It was SO good! I will

no longer order pizza anymore. I will

definitely be making my own :)

Hope you enjoy!!! Bon Appetit!!!

Outfits

I wanted to share some outfits I have thrown together over the past week or so! Hope you all are having a great week!

Crawfish Festival Outfit:

T.J. Maxx Grey Knit Top

Red Skinny Jeans from Macy's

Leopard Scarf

Shoes not seen: Tory Burch Miller sandals

Watch: TOY white

School Day:

Top: Pink/White Striped Polo Tee

Pants: White Linen from Old Navy

Shoes Not Seen: Tory Burch Black Millers

I also paired my Blue Jean Jacket with it.

School Day 2:

Top: BCBG Silk Top

Jeans: J.Crew Matchstick

Shoes: Tory Burch Miller Sandals

Watch: TOY White

Date Night:

Jacket: Old Navy Military Vest

Top: J.Crew Black 3 Quarter Tee

Skirt: Black Maxi skirt from T.J. Maxx

Shoes: Tory Burch Miller sandals

Scarf: Express Leopard

Watch: TOY White

Sunglasses: Tom Ford Whitney

School Day Outfit # 3

Top: J.Crew Striped Tee

Skirt: Black Maxi skirt from T.J. Maxx

Scarf: Express Leopard

Watch: TOY White

This is the same outfit, but I just added my

Blue Jean Jacket with it. I also put my

Max & Chloe monogrammed necklace on.

By the way, I weighed myself on Wednesday morning and I have lost 6 pounds!!! Woohoo!!!!

Crawfish Festival

Sam and I went to Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival this past Sunday. We had a great time! It was VERY warm, but we enjoyed the craw fish, festival food, drinks, etc. After we left the festival, we stopped by Bardog to enjoy some Sunday Funday! :)

We were enjoying the Crawfish Festival

in Downtown Memphis.

There is NOTHING better than beer

with a major corn dog...LOVE

YUMMY Crawfish.

This has nothing to do with Crawfish Festival, but as

we were leaving on Sunday, I noticed our cat laying

like this...I immediately grabbed the camera. He looks

like he is modeling on the beach or something...I love it! ha!

This also has nothing to do with the Festival, but this

past weekend, we bought a new goose down comforter!

I was SO excited. I am LOVING it.

We needed a new one. After talking about it for a few weeks,

we finally went and just bought it. After we purchased

the comforter, I told S that I wanted to look at some

duvet covers for it. I feel like it will keep it in better

condition with a duvet cover over it....

Anyway, we found THIS one at  BB&B.

I loved it!!!!

I didn't plan to buy the pillows because we

already had pillows that would match the duvet cover.

Besides, I don't really care for that blue with it anyway.

I think this will look GREAT in our room. We decided

not to purchase it this past Saturday, because we wanted

to think on it. I am thinking it's a go...What do you think?

I love,love the pattern!

Recipes

I have been enjoying spending my time in the kitchen! ;) I wanted to share a few recipes with you that I have thrown together. If you know me in real life, you know I eat breakfast....Here is what I have been enjoying for Breakfast...

1 English Muffin with spray butter and jelly

1 Egg & a little salsa. I usually like

Egg Whites, but we were out.

Cabbage and Sausage, Jalepeno Corn Bread

White Beans with jalepenos

...This is a popular

recipe in my family. It is SUPER easy, too.

Ingredients: 1 container of Summer Sausage,

2 bags of Shredded Cabbage, Jiffy CornBread

 Mix, 1 can of White Northern Beans,

Jalepenos, Onion, and 3 cups of water

Directions: Cook the sausage and onion

in a pot until the sausage turns pinkish red.

I usually throw in some onion salt, cayenne

pepper, salt, and garlic salt, too.  After you let the sausage

 cook some, throw the shredded cabbage on top. Also, you need to

add about 3 cups of water after you have added the cabbage.

It will help the cabbage steam and get soft. Once the

cabbage has softened, it is ready to serve! Super easy!

Next, I made a container of Jalepeno Corn Bread.

I used the Jiffy Mix, added some diced jalepenos,

and then stuck them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

They were delicious! Last, the White Northen Beans

were from a can, so I poured them in a pot, added

some sliced jalepenos and let them cook! They were

pretty tasty, too! This is a very, very EASY meal!

Skinny Baked Chicken Parmesan

Basil Herb Cous Cous & Green Beans

Ingredients: Chicken Breasts, Parmesan Cheese, Egg

1 can of tomato sauce, Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs,

A box of Basil Herb Cous Cous, and 1 can of green beans.

Directions: I cooked the green beans on the stove

because they were from a can. I just added some

sliced pieces of onion and that was it. Next, I

cooked a box of Basil & Herb Cous Cous.

It was very, very simple to make. I just followed

the directions on the box. Last, I placed the chicken

breasts in an egg, dipped them in bread crumbs, then

placed them in a baking dish. Next, I used my can of

tomato sauce and "doctored" it up. I added salt, garlic

powder, sugar, etc. After I made my sauce, I poured

the tomato sauce on top of the breasts and then stuck

the dish in the oven for 25 minutes. Last, I pulled them

out, topped the breasts with some parmesan cheese, and then

stuck them back in the oven for 10 more minutes...Just enough

to melt the cheese. It was a quick, easy, and healthy substitute

to the regular Chicken Parmesan. Noted: You could use

pasta, but this particular meal, I was almost out of everything,

so I did not have a whole lot in my pantry to use.

Shake 'n' Bake Pork Chops with

Home-Made Cream Style corn and

cauliflower and greens beans.

Ingredients: Thin Pork Chops, Frozen Green

Beans, Fresh Cauliflower, Bread Crumbs, Parmesan

cheese, Shake 'n' Bake mixture, Fat Free Cream Cheese,

Green Onions, 1 can of Rotel, Dijon Mustard

Directions: I can't take credit for the pork chops. I

bought the Shake 'n' Bake mixture, because S LOVES it.

It is CRAZY how easy it is to make. I have made more

complex meals, but for some reason, he LOVES this stuff.

I just followed the directions on the box. Next, I found a lovely

recipe on Christin's blog for Cream Style Corn. It was lovely!

I had a small bag of frozen corn, so I threw that in a pot, added

some diced green onion, 1 can of Rotel, a little cream cheese, and

then let it cook for about 10 minutes. It was fabulous! Last,

I threw some cauliflower and greens beans on the stove. I let them

cook for a little bit with some different spices. Last, I topped them

with a few bread crumbs, added some shredded parmesean cheese,

and voila! We had a meal. :)

Roasted Salmon with Corn on the Cob

and Fingerling Potatoes and Asparagus

Ingredients: 2 Salmon fillets, Corn on the Cob,

Fingerling Potatoes, Asparagus, Balsamic Vinegar,

Honey, Dijon Mustard, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper

Directions: I placed the salmon fillets on a baking sheet.

I seasoned them with garlic powder, chopped onions,

onion salt, salt, and pepper. I set them aside  while I prepared

the veggies, because salmon does NOT take long to cook.

Next, I placed the asparagus and fingerling potatoes in a baking

dish. I added some olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.

I went ahead and stuck them in the oven because the potatoes

take a little while to cook. I usually let them stay in for about 30 minutes.

Last, I added the salmon in the oven. This is one of my all time

FAVORITE meals to fix. I am on a HUGE Salmon fix right now.

Speaking of food, this yogurt has been an obession

of mine this week. I LOVE Red Velvet cake...So what

better way to enjoy Red Velvet cake than in yogurt??

It's lighter, healthier, and tastes great! :) It's also only

100 calories...

I also scored this new Cook book last week.

I am LOVING it! It has AWESOME recipes for

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. The majority

of them are all healthy and gives you great ways

to keep it light and healthy. LOVE.

I hope you all are having a great week! I apologize for the lack of pictures on my recipes. They are definitely not the best, but I ALWAYS forget to take more while I am cooking. 

Eating Right..

I did a post last year about dieting, eating right, etc. I don't like to call it a "diet." We should ALL be eating this way, so I consider it a healthy lifestyle. Call it what you want, but I have never found success in starving myself and not getting to enjoy the things I love. I adore cooking, a good glass of wine, sushi, etc. I love good food, period....For many of you, following a diet plan is difficult and requires some work. I agree with you to a certain extent, but it does NOT have to be hard. I wil not sit here and tell you that I do not fall off the bandwagon. It happens...I eat fried food, pasta, pizza, enjoy my occasional Diet Dr. Pepper here and there, and skip the gym quite often....It does not make me feel good, but I'm human. We ALL enjoy the occasional "cheat night." Vacation is another time that I suffer...I do not want to watch everything I eat and drink while I'm on vacation..I just don't..In that case, the moment I get BACK from vacation, I'm back to my good eating habits. I eat a lot of veggies, fruit, and grains. I have learned that I MUST cook and eat well, to feel well...Period...If you think you're going to eat a hamburger everyday and still feel good, you're mistaken..I know for many SAHM's, eating healthy can be hard. Whatever you fix your child, you'll fix yourself the same thing...Learn to fix smarter and healthier meals for your children, so you don't feel guilty feeding your body the same thing...Granted, I do not have children, but I can promise you this....If I wouldn't eat it, I would not give it to my children...Period....Here is a list of some things I eat on a regular basis....


1. Breakfast--I eat breakfast. I cannot leave the house without it. It is the most IMPORTANT meal of the day, so I always make sure it counts. I love egg whites, fruit, toast, turkey sausage, grits, and the Smart Ones breakfast sandwiches. I don't have a lot of time in the morning for a gourment breakfast, but I'll get up a little earlier to make sure I have time to sit down and eat SOMETHING. Word of advice: DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST!

2. Lunch--I teach school, so I'm often not out and about during the day. I pack my lunch box with different things everyday. I'll sometimes have a turkey sandwich with a side of fruit and a handful of baked Lays, or I will pack a Smart Ones meal if I'm running late and do not have time to make my lunch. Often, I will stop by Subway and get a 6' inch Veggie Sub. I LOVE Subway. It is so filling and healthy. Lots of times, I will pack a salad. I always make sure to eat lots and lots of veggies. I love salads anyway, so it is not a problem for me. If you eat lunch, keep it healthy. I don't like to fill overly full during the course of the day, so I make sure to include veggies and fruit. If you have a job where you can eat out, download an app on your phone. I often will check the calorie and fat intake before I go out for lunch somewhere. It helps me decide what to order.

3. Dinner- I love to cook. When I fix a meal, I usually always keep it healthy. I cook a lot of chicken, pork chops, fish, veggies, etc. I do not fix many casseroles. I will, but there are usually a lot of hidden calories, so I tend to keep my casseroles down to a minimum. If you have never used Cooking Light, I HIGHLY suggest it. I use their website a TON. It tells you the Nutritional Facts for every recipe they have! I hardly ever cook with butter, but will use olive oil as a substitute. There are numerous recipes online to make your veggies delicious. If we eat out for dinner, I usually will let that be my "Cheat Night." If I have already had a "Cheat Night," I will work out extra hard that next morning ;) Remember: It is okay..

4. Snacks-- I don't snack a lot...I never really have...If I DO decide to have a snack, I usually eat yogurt, popcorn, string cheese with Wheat Thins, or TCBY. I like the occasional salsa and chips, too...Can you blame me?? ;) I try to keep pickles, grape tomatoes, celery, carrots, etc. in the fridge.

I hope this has helped some! I know it was probably WAY TOO LONG, but I wanted to give you an idea of how I keep up with my eating and what I do to balance and keep my diet healthy.

"Decorating is on the brain.."

Many of you know, but Sam's condo has been on the market for QUITE some time. We had a realtor for awhile, but did not have any luck. I am not sure what is to blame, but I think a lot of it was the advertising and marketing. It is MUCH harder to sell a condo, in my opinon. You have to let people know it is available! It is SO different than selling a home out in the 'burbs. Anyway, we have a new realtor. I am quite excited about this...He is on top of his game, knows the market, and knows what he is doing. I really feel good about this!  I cannot wait to see what he does to get this place sold! On top of getting the condo relisted, I can't help but wonder WHEN it will sell! I am ready to decorate, have cookouts, be the mother of an adorable puppy, and not have to walk 2 miles to carry groceries in. As you can tell, I am ready for a different scenery ;) This past weekend, I did a lot of browsing...a lot....I have already decorated our whole house...Yes, go ahead....Call me crazy...Sam already has....Until then, I will leave you with this...

I adore the wall with all the frames.

I hope I have a long hallway in my

future home, so I can copy this idea! ;)

I love the idea of double twin beds.

I think it is great for a guest bedroom.

I plan to have a guest bedroom with

a regular size bed, but this would be

perfect for another guest room. It

gives your guests options. I love the

variety.

I love everything in this sitting room.

I love whites, pastels, greens, blues, etc.

I love the brightness of this room, but adore

the accent colors even more. I plan to do

something similar to this for my sitting room..

Our master bedroom will be full of WHITE.

White bedding, creams, greys, etc.

I believe a bedroom should be peaceful, calm, and relaxing.

I am sure I will throw in some accent color somewhere, but

I want the majority of it to be whites and creams.

This is the EXACT kitchen table I want.

I want that French Country vibe when you walk in.

I love the white cabinets. I love floral patterns.

I love gingham patterns. I want color...You

get the picture ;)

For the den, I want rustic. I want reds.

I still want that French Country feel, but

would love an old antique wooden coffee table.

I want floral pillows. I want big,heavy drapes, etc.

I want the den to feel very, very comfortable

and cozy..

I love the elegant, classy look of this dining room.

I want simple, but dressy. I definitely want

really FULL drapes.

I found this picture on Pintest and fell in love with

this kitchen. I ADORE those drapes. I must have!

Another view...I love that kitchen table, too.

"I can officially see the light at the end of the tunnel."

I hope you all are having a fantastic week so far! I was looking at my calendar yesterday and somewhat freaked..Literally...I have SO much going on this month. I have something every.single.weekend...Don't get me wrong...I enjoy it, but it is going to fly by! I cannot believe graduation is only several weeks away. I spent some time this weekend filling out applications, filling out more applications, and filling out even MORE applications...;) I cannot wait to have a job...I am getting to the point where I am getting nervous ;) I have started a list of everything I need to do from now until the end of summer...

1. Finish applications
2. Touch up resume
3. Pass BOTH Praxis exams
4. Find a job
5. Get materials for classroom
6. Interview Clothes
7. Sit down and plan my calendar until the end of the year...( In case they need to know dates I need off...)

And the list goes on and on...I am looking forward to graduation...It is hard to believe that it is FINALLY here...I have already decided to go back to Grad school, but I am going to enjoy my time off from college for a little while....I need a break! ha! I have other things that I would like to get done before I start Grad school...I just want to have all my ducks in a row..Honestly, I would like to teach for a year before I go back. I have really been contemplating about what to get my masters in. I have some time to decide, but I know myself, and I know I will be happy if I go back...I know lots of people that did NOT go back and are completely happy. I think that is great! I just would like to further my education a little more and see what I can can achieve.....Until then, wish me luck...;)


BJH

Easter Weekend...

We had a wonderful weekend. It was nice and LONG! Hope you all had a fantastic Easter weekend!

Thursday night, we went to Skunkz with our friends for pizza and wine. It was yummy and so much fun! We love going out with them! :)

Jay & Jamie

I love Jamie!

My S...

Saturday morning, S and I went out for brunch, went to Farmer's Market, and just enjoyed the day! :)

I had the Smoked salmon.

It was divine.

He had a simple breakfast ;)

I had a couple of these...SO GOOD!

My sweetie sitting on the patio at Majestic.

After we had brunch, we walked to Farmers Market.

I scored these beautiful Spring flowers. I need to

put them in a bigger vase, but didn't have a chance

when I took this photo. BUSY DAY! They look so

good on the kitchen table!

Outfit for Saturday Fun:

Old Navy White Linen Pants

Old Navy Purple Cardigan

Express Leopard Scarf

Tory Burch Wedge Sandals

MK watch

Sunday afternoon, I decided to do my toes.

I STINK at doing my own nails, but decided

they needed to be touched up because I don't

have a chance this week to get by the nail salon.

I used my turquoise and caicos..I thought they

turned out pretty well! ;)

I also painted the fingernails ;)

I wore this J.Crew striped

dress on Wednesday, but I forgot

to post it earlier. I paired it with

my Tory Burch Thora Sandals..

SO comfy!

I hope you all have a fantastic week! I have a TON going on! 

Recipes..

I thoroughly enjoy cooking. I love this time of year, fresh veggies, fresh fish, etc. Sam went last week and bought fresh salmon, red snapper, grouper, crab, and shrimp. I could not WAIT to cook it! Last week, I made salmon again. I can't get enough of it right now. Here are a couple recipes I made last week...

Salmon: I baked it for about 25 minutes.

While it was baking, I made the glaze.

I mixed soy sauce, dijon mustard, honey,

and salt & pepper. After the fish had baked some,

I took it out and poured the glazed over the top.

I stuck the salmon back in the oven for another 15 mins.

It came out AMAZING! I loveeee salmon.

Asparagus: I threw some asparagus in a dish, topped it

with some balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper..

Fingerling Potatoes: I cut the potatoes in half, threw some

olive oil on top, salt & pepper, and balsamic vinegar.

Pork Chops: I cut a slither in the pork chops

and stuffed them with diced tomatoes and

mozzarella cheese. After I stuffed them, I

dipped them into an egg and then covered them

in Italian bread crumbs. After I breaded them,

I wrapped each pork chop in bacon. They were tasty!

Asparagus: Cooked the exact same way from above.

Fingerling Potatoes: Same as above, but threw in some

red sauteed onions.

Drunk Driving is Never a Good Idea...

We got a call around 4:45 a.m. Monday morning. My Dad had been hit by a drunk driver....I immediately freaked out. Mom was headed to get him and take him straight to the ER. It was such a nightmare. Dad was headed to work when a man rammed into the side of my Dad's truck. Dad immediately lost control of the car and almost went over the median. The "drunk" male had no idea what was going on. He was so incoherent. After spending several hours at the hospital, the doctor confirmed that he had a cracked vertebrae and fractured spine...I felt terrible for him. He had several cuts, abrasions, knots, etc. I am so thankful he was not badly injured or even worse, dead. God was definitely watching over him! He is home now and sleepng a lot. He's on a lot of pain meds, but the doctor wants him to take it easy for the next four weeks....Friends, drunk driving is never a good thing...Don't do it...People have parents, families, children, etc. If you're going to drink, find a designated driver...I am not here to lecture anyone, but don't be ignorant..Drunk driving never ends in a good way....Period...End of story...