A few of my favorite things!

Ok I have to admit, I am having a hard time with my photography at the moment.  The time change has really hurt my ability to take good quality photos in the evening - which is when I make dinner!!!  This is very frustrating!  I do have a few things that I could blog about, but they are not things that I want to blog about at the moment.  I refuse to let  my readers down, so I am taking a  little break for about a week to refocus my goals for the remainder of the year.  Don't fret I will be back next week fully refreshed.  I am really enjoying this blog and I really do have tons of things to share with you!  I am also looking forward to the new year and all the things to come! I am always open for suggestions and comments so please connect with me here.  In the meantime I thought it would be nice to share with you some of the things I am loving at the moment!

I am slowly learning how to knit!!  While searching for knitting ideas I stumbled upon this website Ravelry.  It is an amazing site for knitters and anyone that crochets!  There are tons of patterns and ideas!   Of course, I always jump in head first when learning a new skill ;)  I am currently making Lucy these legwarmies for the winter!  I can’t wait to see how they come out, I am using 4 needles at once!  Yikes!  Next I would like to make some cute fingerless mitts!

This is my favorite color right now OPI Russian Navy!  I love that it’s so dark with a slight sparkle! 

Yes I know we have not even gotten past Thanksgiving and I am already listening to Christmas tunes!  I can’t help it!!  I love Christmas music!!  You have to check out Kelly Clarkson’s new album.  It is so wonderful!  Here voice is so amazing!

http://www.amazon.com/Wrapped-Red-Kelly-Clarkson/dp/B00ENSHA62/ref=zg_bsnr_292572_3

The best part of my week!  Monday’s at 9pm!  I love this show.  It has everything I look for in a TV series!!  If you are not watching it then you should start! 

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

I don't make many casseroles.  I have a few that I really like, and that's about it.  I have just never been a huge fan.  I know, I know for a busy mom, like me, I should be making one at least once a week.  I have to be honest I am just not a fan of cream of whatever soup.  Yes, I have and will use them on occasion but I just don't like to use them very often.  I try really hard to eliminate as many processed food as I possibly can I am no saint but I can say I do make a very conscience effort!  I stumbled upon this recipe on Pink Parsley's  blog while looking for the chicken tortilla soup  recipe I made a few weeks ago and I knew I had to try it!  I am so glad I did because it is delicious!  I used the same ingredients but I changed up the prep a little to suite my busy day!  I hope you try this recipe soon!

Ingredients

2 Bone-in chicken breast, cooked, cooled and shredded

1 shallot, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 to 2 chipotle in adobo, chopped

1 medium tomato, diced

5 cups crushed tortilla chips

2/3 to 1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

1 tsp. chopped cilantro, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small sautee pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions, shallot and garlic.  Sautee until fragrant about 4-5 minutes.  Set aside.

In a medium sized casserole dish cover the bottom with 1/2 the tortilla chips.  Add the chicken, onions and garlic, chipotle in adobo, tomatoes, cilantro and 1/2 of each cheese.  Mix until combined  Add the chicken broth until it comes halfway up the casserole dish. Top the casserole with the remaining tortilla chips.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Serve immediately.  Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days  Freeze the leftover for up to 2 months.

Inspired by:

Pink Parsley

Classic Hummus Dip

The Holiday Season is quickly approaching!  It's a time for gathering with friends and family to catch up on the year's events.  We always have multiple gathering to attend.  Usually there is some sort of work gathering, a gathering with close friends, and of course, a family gathering.  I get our really close friends together at our house between Christmas and New Years for a nice dinner.  Since the gathering is so small, I make it a little fancy.  I like to pull out my "good" dishes and glasses.  This is most certainly my favorite time of year.  I get to see the people I care about most even if this is the only time of the year our busy schedule allows, and I cherish it greatly!  No matter what type of gathering you plan to attend this year, this recipe is sure to be hit!  

Ingredients

Yields 8 servings

3 cans Garbanzo beans

1/3 cup Plus 1 tablespoon Tahini

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

3 to 5 tbsp. cold water

Salt to taste

1 tbsp. Olive oil

Directions

Combine all ingredients except for the water and olive oil in a food processor or blender. 

Pulse the mixture until combined.  At this point the mixture will not be very smooth.  Add the water 2 tablespoons at a time and pulse.  Continue to add water until desired consistency. Don not over mix.  When desired consistency is achieved add the olive oil and pule 3 more times.   Remove from the blender and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a week.  

Recipe Source:

Pioneer Woman

Cheesy Shrimp on Grit Toast

This is my go-to "Fancy" appetizer.  Every time I make this delicious treat for a bridal shower, baby shower, or any get-together it always steals the spotlight!   This weekend I got to make it for a Baby Shower I hosted for my bosses daughter Joanie.  I absolutely love hosting events like this!  There were actually 3 of us that coordinated the event and everyone did an amazing job!  I posted a few pictures of the event below.  This dish would be perfect to bring to a Thanksgiving gathering or any gathering for that matter!!

Ingredients

For the grit crackers

3 cans chicken broth

1 1/3 cups quick-cooking grits

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic power

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

Freshly ground pepper

For the Filling:

1 pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

2/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

1 tsp. chopped flat-leaf italian parsley

1/2 pound cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped

2 tbsp. half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

For the grit crackers:

In a medium sauce pan on high heat, add the chicken broth and 2 tbsp. of butter.  Bring to a boil.  Add the salt and garlic powder.  Whisk in the grits.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes until the grits thicken.   Add cheese and stir until combined.  Pour the grits onto a greased jellyroll pan or cookie sheet.  Refrigerate the grits until they have solidified.  About 2 hours ( I make the grits the night before).  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Using a round cookie cutter.  Cut the grits into rounds.  Melt 2 tbsp. of butter.  Brush both sides of the grit rounds with butter and place them on a cookie sheet.   Bake for 15 minutes.  Turn over the grit rounds and bake for an additional 45 minutes.

For the topping:

While the grit rounds are cooking prepare the topping.  In a medium sized bowl, combine the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, parsley, shrimp, half and half and salt and pepper.  Top each grit cracker with about a tsp. of the cheesy shrimp mixture.  Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheddar cheese and Bake for 10 minutes.

Slightly Adapted from:

Food Network

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread with Apple Cider Glaze

This recipe has been going around pinterest and the blogosphere for a while now.  The first time I made this delicious bread was last winter.  We loved it!!  It is easy to make and a lot of the prep time is inactive time!  This is a breakfast you will have to plan ahead for but it is well worth it!  The first time I made a small batch of cream cheese glaze to drizzle on top.  This time I wanted to do something a little different so I decided to add some reduced apple cider to the glaze.  I am so glad I did it gave the bread a whole new flavor almost like a caramel apple!!

Ingredients

for the dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/4 tsp. (1 envelope) active dry yeast

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/3 cup whole milk

1/4 cup water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

for the filling:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted until browned

for the glaze:

1 1/4 cups apple cider 

2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup powder sugar

1-2 tsp. milk or half and half

Directions:

To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, salt  and yeast in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook.  

In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.  Add the milk mixture, water, vanilla and eggs into the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well combined and a cohesive dough forms.  Continue to knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding additional flour 1-2 tbsp. at a time until the mixture is tacky and not sticky.  Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

To make the filling: whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.  Melt 4 tbsp.of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease a  loaf pan. Set aside.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface or pastry mat.  Flatten the dough into a disk, then roll the dough into a rectangle shape 12 inches tall by 20 inches long.

Brush the dough with the browned butter using all of the butter!!  Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture covering the entire surface of the dough make sure you use all of the mixture!

Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. You’ll have six stacks of six squares. 

Stack the dough and place it into the loaf pan.

Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

While the dough is rising add the apple cider to a small sauce pan on medium-high heat.  Reduce the cider down until there is only 1/4 cup of liquid left.  About 7-8 minutes.  Keeping a strong eye on the pot.  Once the cider has reduced carefully transfer the liquid to a small glass bowl to cool.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

While the bread is baking make the glaze.  In a medium sized bowl add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth and fluffy.  I did this by hand but feel free to use a mixer.  Add the reduced apple cider, confectioners sugar and vanilla.  Whisk together until smooth.  At this point you can add the  milk or half-and-half 1 tsp. at a time until desired consistency.  I like mine kind of thick

Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board.  Drizzle with the glaze.  Enjoy!

Source:

Slightly adapted from:  Joy the Baker

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup

How do you take your coffee?  I like mine iced (yes, even in the winter months!) with flavored syrup and a little half-and-half!  I make cold-pressed coffee on Sunday so it's ready for me all week long.  What is cold-press coffee you ask?  Cold-press coffee is a way of making more concentrated coffee to keep in your fridge.  It's super easy to make and all you need is ground coffee and water.  The instructions are posted below.  This syrup is perfect for your morning coffee, however you prefer to drink it.  It has just enough spice to make you feel cozy on these cool fall mornings.

Pumpkin Spiced Iced Coffee

Ingredients

8 oz. Cold-Press Coffee

4 tsp. half and half

3 tsp. Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Ice

Directions

In your favorite glass add the ice, coffee, half and half and syrup.  Mix until combined.  Enjoy!

Cold-Press Coffee

Ingredients

8 oz. of your favorite coffee, ground

2 Quarts Cold Water

Directions

In a large bowl add the water and coffee.  Stir until combined.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture set for 6-8 hours.  The longer you let the mixture set the stronger your coffee will be.  

Using a fine mesh strainer and 2 layers or cheese cloth (you can also you a coffee filter).  Strain the coffee mixture into a large bowl or pitcher.  Chill.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/2 tsp. cinnamon, ground

2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Directions

In a small sauce pan on medium heat.  Add the sugar, water, vanilla and spices.  Stir with a whisk until combined.  Heat the mixture until all the sugar is dissolved.  Coll the mixture completely and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Cold-Press Coffee:  Google

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup:  for the love of the south

October Fun {in an instagram}

Wow!  We have had a super fun and busy October!  We took our babies to the beach for our first family vacation!  We had a few silly moments and we wrapped the month up with a fun Halloween!  Can't wait to get started on November!

1. This was when we first arrived!  We had been watching the weather channel like crazy a few days before the trip due to tropical storm Karen.  Luckily, the storm broke up.  It did leave behind some huge waves that you can see in this picture.
2. Lucy loved the beach!  We brought a blow-up pool for her to play in.  It was a big hit!
3. Jacob and I having some time alone on the beach while Lucy was napping.
4. Jacob LOVED playing in the sand!
5. I had to mark our trip with a message in the sand!
6. Gabe's parents joined us for a few days which meant we got to get out and have some fun one night!
7. Sweet Lucy!
8. Even after being together non-stop for a week they still managed to love each other!
9. We got the kids up at 5am to leave for the long drive home.  They both stayed awake pretty much for the entire 8 hour drive...until we got 30 miles from out exit!  Go figure!!
10. Say cheese!
11. Got back to reality with my first PSL of the season!
12. The next weekend Gabe and I went to the Tennessee/South Carolina Game to celebrate a friends birthday!
13. Came home to this HUGE caterpillar on my window.  I sure wish I could have seen the butterfly!
14. My co-worker, Tammy, raved about the chicken nachos from the Rolling Feast food truck so of course I had to try them.  She was right, they were amazing!  Nashvillian's you must give them a try!
15. We took Lucy to get fitted for glasses.  She looks so adorable.  Now if I can just figure out how to get her to keep them on.  We are failing miserably at this right now:(
16. One night we decided to have BLT's for dinner so I decided to cut the bacon and weave it to make it fit the bread.  I worked great!
17. Jacob running fast!
18. When we got back from our trip and  the weather got down into the high twenties at night which meant I had to go through the kids clothes and get some fall cleaning done.  It took the entire weekend.  This beer  was well deserved!  The chipped nail polish shows my hard work!
19. That night we had chicken ranch pizza.  It's still my favorite dinner at the moment!!
20. Getting ready for the holidays with these red velvet whoopie pies!
21. This was Jacob's design choice for this years pumpkin.  He is so into Star Wars right now.  Makes me so happy!
22. What's a  storm trooper pumpkin without the storm trooper!
23. Lucy was Tinker Bell.  She wasn't really into the wings or wand.  Maybe next year.
24. I actually made her costume.  It was pretty easy to do and she can use it to play dress up.
25. I painted this picture for our den.  I think it turned out pretty good!