Recipe: Southern Style Green Beans with Potatoes

April 18, 2017Leave a comment

For most of my life, my mom worked for Pepsi. The first 15 years of that time was for a privately owned office, and it was the best company to work for ever. Once I was 17, they started offering me the chance to work at sampling events. I got paid really well to pass out samples of Pepsi products for a few hours. Most of the time, these jobs were a piece of cake.

But then I worked an event in April 2001 (I have no idea how/why I remember that…) and it was the worst event of my life. It wasn’t a grocery store grand opening, or a food & beverage trade show, like most of these were. This was a huge, open to the public event. This event brought in thousands of people. Rude, pushy, ‘unable to say please and thank you for my free soda’ people. By the end of the day, my jeans were soaked almost to my knees with soda, and I was feeling homicidal. It didn’t help that our booth was set up next to the Glory Foods booth. People reallllllllllly wanted that free soda after having a sample of their salty collards and black eyed peas.

But, it wasn’t a total loss. I made a few hundred dollars, and I was introduced to Glory’s green beans and potatoes. We don’t eat canned vegetables in our house often, but I always used to keep a few cans of those on hand. They are SO good! Then, Kroger stopped carrying them. Then, I did a Whole30, and realized how much bad stuff was in that can. So, I decided to make my own. 2017-03-12 05.13.33

These are so easy to make, and they were so delicious. I paid more for the bag of pre-washed, ready to use beans from Kroger (#worthit) and the smallest potatoes I could find, so I only had to chop them in half.

Southern Style Green Beans
(Adapted from this recipe.)

Ingredients:

2 T. of oil or butter
2 lbs. of fresh green beans
1 yellow onion; halved & peeled.
1/4 lb. Salt pork/ham bone/etc.
3 C. of chicken stock
1 lb. of fingerling potatos
Salt & Pepper to taste or Montreal Steak Seasoning to taste (I used 2 t. of steak seasoning to start)

Directions:

Wash the beans (and snap in half if you’d like) and chop the potatoes. The smaller potatoes can be left whole, but cut larger ones in half.
Heat the oil or butter in a large pot over medium heat, Add the beans and toss to cover in the fat. Let cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the stock, both onion halves, the salt & pepper/or steak seasoning, and the pork to the pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot & let simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the potatoes, recover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Remove the onion & the meat product, and serve!

Recipe: Scallops & Squid Ink Fettucine

April 5, 2017April 5, 2017Leave a comment

A while back I published a list of the 10 Best Things I’ve Ever Eaten. The scallops in squid ink linguine from So! in Little Rock claimed the number one spot on that list. The first time I had this dish was the week we got engaged, and this became our special occasion place over the next three years. Birthdays and anniversaries were all spent at So!, and one of us always ordered this dish (usually me, but one time a sea bass dish was calling my name, so Graham ordered it).

Sadly, it’s no longer on their menu. I’m not sure why that matters, since we no longer live in Arkansas, but whatever. Anyways. I was at Whole Foods recently, and when I walked by the fresh pasta case and saw squid ink pasta, I was inspired. Every time I would post a photo of my dinner from So!, I would always get a few of these comments: “that looks gross”, “ew”, or the barfing emoji. And I would always respond with don’t knock something you’ve never tried. Despite the dark color (obviously obtained by using squid ink), the pasta itself has a very neutral flavor.

This dish was excellent, so simple, and looks much more impressive than it actually is.

Ingredients:

5 T. unsalted butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 t. of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of white wine
zest of half a lemon
1/4 cup of parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 lb. of fresh pasta
6-8 large scallops

Directions:

Heat a large pot of boiling, salted water for the pasta.
Season the scallops with salt and pepper (on both sides).
Melt one tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted and the skillet is hot, add the scallops to it. Cook the scallops for 2 minutes on each side. Move to a plate and set aside.
Add the rest of the butter to the skillet. When the butter is melted, add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes. Saute for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is golden and fragrant.
Add the wine to the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Add most of the parsley and the lemon zest. Let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced. Remove from the heat.
Add the fresh pasta to the water, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain, toss with sauce, and plate. Top with the scallops, and sprinkle with additional parsley.

Blueberry – Banana Baked Oatmeal

February 9, 2017Leave a comment

One of my goals for the year is to get healthy. And as a part of that goal, I’m trying to eat less crap. Like cereal.

Guys. I LOVE cereal. Oh my gosh, I love cereal. After my Whole30 back in 2015, all I wanted was a bowl of cereal. I craved it. I actually dreamed about it. And a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch was my first post Whole30 meal.

But, while I love it, sometimes you just need to mix it up. And a warm breakfast in the colder months is just so appealing. I adore oatmeal. My favorite is an apple cinnamon oatmeal. But, it’s made on the stove top, takes about 20 minutes, and I’m lazy in the mornings. This baked oatmeal definitely did the trick. It was so good the day it was made, but when reheated with a splash of milk, it was just as delicious.
Blueberry – Banana Baked Oatmeal
(Recipe slightly modified from this one)

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup natural cane sugar or maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 t.baking powder
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
2 cups of milk
1 large egg
3 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 t. pure vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, 1 mashed, 2 cut into 1/2″ slices
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of a baking dish (an 8″ dish is recommended, but I couldn’t find one. So I used anoval one from Ikea. At the longest point it was 9″.)
In a bowl, mix together the oats, the sugar (if using), the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup (if using), the mashed banana, the milk, egg, the butter, and the vanilla.
Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries over the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

Women’s March on Washington

January 25, 2017Leave a comment

For the most part, I try to keep this space free from politics. But this past Saturday, I did something that was truly life changing: I participated in the Women’s March on Washington. For over a week, I went back and forth on whether or not I wanted to go. I wanted to go, but I was terrified. I was afraid that the march would turn violent. I was afraid that I would get mugged/raped/murdered walking alone. After a scary incident in Chicago, I’m afraid of public transportation, which meant I’d have to drive into the city and park, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find a parking place.

So, after a lot of back and forth, I decided I wasn’t going. Then on Friday, my brother texted me a photo of Trump, with the words 45th President on it. My brother likes to get a rise out of me, and not acknowledging him is the best way to handle it. So, I ignored him. Then I realized that I can’t just ignore him and Trump for the next four years. So, I made the decision to go to DC the next morning.
I woke up at 4:30, and actually left the house by 5:10 (my goal was 5:00, so I’ll take that as a win). The drive to DC was an easy one. I had decided to park at Arlington National Cemetery, since Memorial Bridge was closed to cars and I could walk into the city. When I was leaving the parking deck, I got sucked into a group of Democrats from Arlington. Since I knew all of the Virginians were meeting in a common area, I went along with them. Walking into the city, and all the way to the Smithsonian Castle was amazing. I actually teared up a few times. We were applauded by SO. MANY. PEOPLE. Cops, Park Rangers, random people out for a jog…Once there, I started wandering around. I took a selfie, and I’m glad I did then, because the rest of the day I was unable to even move. This moment was truly the calm before the storm. The rest of the day was a blur of people, and signs, and speakers. There were so many people there, it was truly unbelievable. At one point on Sunday, I saw a comment that referred to the people there as “fat hogs who want to kill babies”. The comment was rude and offensive, and completely untrue. From reports I’ve read, about 1/4 of the crowd was composed of men. There were children there. There were veterans there. There were elderly people there, worried about social security. There were people who are worried about the environment and public education. This wasn’t a bunch of man bashing, bra burning lesbians. It was people ( a whole lot of people) who are afraid. People keep telling all of us that are afraid to give Trump a chance. He’s been president for 6 days, and so far he has done nothing but make us realize how justified we are to be afraid. As I type this, he is signing executive orders to get the ball rolling on his precious wall, and to keep refugees out of this country on top of the environmental atrocities he committed yesterday.

I will fight him with everything I can. I’m only one person, but that’s okay. I saw about 500,000+ people like me come together on Saturday in DC, and millions others come together across the planet. When things get dark, and I feel like running away to Canada, I have to remember that. I have to remember that the majority voted against him.

Overhead shot in Washington, D.C. shows massive crowds in every direction rallying for Women's March on Washington https://t.co/tO5Wmqm5Vb pic.twitter.com/YFwLBkF5nU

— ABC News (@ABC) January 21, 2017

And, I will leave you with this. There have been many, many things written about the marches. But this one is my favorite: You Are Not Equal. I’m Sorry.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

January 10, 2017Leave a comment

This was the first year in my 33 years that my home did not have a Christmas tree. Which was sad and depressing, but putting one up alone would have been equally sad and depressing. Not to mention I can’t even wrap my head around the feasibility of putting one up alone (we do real trees in our house). So, no tree this year.

But even though we didn’t have a tree to hang it from, 2016 still deserved an ornament to commemorate the year. Back in January 2016, I declared 2016 the year or house and health. I had big plans to get the house in order, and to get healthy. The house thing happened. But because of the house thing, and the “screw it” attitude we have prior to a deployment, the health thing did NOT happen. So, I wanted an ornament that would remind me of our home. And that is definitely what I got!

I ordered this from Lots of Happiness and there are no words as to how much I love this ornament. The detailing is INSANE. She has shingles on the roof, and even our house number etched into the white frame. She was so communicative and helpful, and got this done so much quicker than I expected. I can’t recommend buying a replica of your home from her enough! I seriously have no idea how any future ornament is going to come close to being as awesome as this one.

So, in other Christmas news…

I loved 2015’s black and gold gift wrap so much, I used that theme again this year. And I have to say that I loved it even more. The kraft paper and white that were in the patterns provided a really nice overall look.
Graham came home on the 19th, which obviously was the best thing ever! He flew into DC on the 19th (it’s obnoxious how much cheaper it is to fly into DC than it is to fly into Norfolk). Hermione, the cats and I LOVED having him home. Pretty much every night was spent like this, and it was completely perfect. We had such a great time while he was here. We had a few days in Virginia, just the two of us, then went home for Christmas, then came back to Virginia, then went back to Charlotte for New Years Eve (after a quick trip to DC for our “anniversary”). We ate, we shopped, we binge watched The Crown (excellent, by the way) and finally saw Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them. We ate SO much while he was home. We had brunch at Bay Local Eatery (which I’ve mentioned before here). Graham loves their bloody marys, I love their sorbet mimosas. I had the shrimp and grits, with a fried biscuit and a side of tots. Graham had a kitchen sink scramble (eggs + about 6 kinds of meat). Mine was excellent, his was good, but would have been better with some vegetables. Of course we has a sushi date at Kero. All four of the rolls we shared were absolutely perfect, His last night here, we had Indian food at Aago. He had the chicken tikka masala, I had the chicken jalfrezy, and we shared an order of garlic naan. Aago is, hands down, the most delicious Indian food we’ve had in Hampton Roads and I highly recommend checking them out. For our 5th Anniversary (part 2), we headed BACK to DC for the day/night. I made reservations at my favorite restaurant in the city, Zaytinya. The food here is so, SO wonderful. The service was excellent, and it was only about 2 blocks from the hotel we were staying at. I won’t bombard you with the photos of all nine of the dishes we ordered, but every dish was excellent. After dinner, we headed to the Kennedy Center and say a production of Into the Woods. Into the Woods is my favorite musical of ALL TIME (and do not get me started on how much I HATE the Disney film that came out a few years ago). This was one of the more enjoyable live productions I’ve seen. The set was very minimal, the same actors played multiple parts, and it had a hipster feel to it. So, while it isn’t the version you’re familiar with thanks to the DVD of the Bernadette Peters version you’ve watched a million times (or is that just me…), that’s what made it so enjoyable. For the first time ever, I felt like the cast was trying to emulate those actors. They were doing their own thing, and looked like they were having a great time doing it. After seeing the show, I made my stop by the Lincoln Memorial. I always stop by the monument (since it’s my favorite monument and Lincoln is my favorite president). For New Years Eve, we carried on with a tradition we’ve had for about 6 years now: we spent a low key, fattening, alcohol laden evening with good friends.

Whole30 Compliant Chili

January 5, 20172 Comments

So… I’ve been tossing around the idea of attempting another Whole30. When I scroll through instagram and see the amount of crap I’ve had in the past year, I think even harder about trying again. But, even if I end up not doing one, I’ve committed to having at least one Whole30 meal a day (but I’m shooting for 2).

This chili is SO good. I know carrots may sound like a weird thing to add to chili, but I needed to bulk this chili up after removing the beans, and I had plenty of carrots in the fridge. And it totally worked. This chili is just as delicious as my original (bean heavy) chili, and just as easy to make. And making a huge pot of compliant chili (or soup, or pretty much a huge pot of anything) will make your Whole30 easier. In my opinion, being prepared and having a well stocked kitchen is THE MOST important key to having a successful Whole30, especially in the beginning. That first week SUCKS. And it’s really convenient having good food already cooked and ready to go. If you feel like most of us during that week (like you have a hangover, more than a little homicidal), you’re going to need all the help you can get.

Ingredients:

***Not all ingredients are created equally. PLEASE be sure to read the labels of any canned goods/packaged foods you’re buying.***

1 lb. of ground pork
1 lb. of ground sirloin
2 14.5 oz. cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes (with their juices)
3 10 oz. cans of mild Rotel (drained)
2 T. of tomato paste
1 lb. of carrots, peeled and chopped
3 bell peppers (any colors); chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 jalapenos; finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 c. of Chili powder
1/3 c. of ground Cumin
2 T. of cayenne pepper
2 T. of salt (or more to taste)

Directions:

Brown meat in a large skillet. Drain grease & place meat in the bottom of the crock pot.
Add chopped vegetables (I leave the seeds & membranes with my jalapenos, but remove them if you want to cut the heat a little), the canned vegetables and the seasonings.
Place the lid on and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.

Just a note: This chili IS spicy. Since sour cream is not allowed for a Whole30, add some chopped avocado, or even a spoonful of guacamole before serving. It’ll help cool it down a bit.

Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts women will love

December 14, 20161 Comment

Y’all. We are so close to Christmas! 10 days for me (my family celebrates on the 24th) and 11 days for what seems like the rest of the world. So, I’m back and sharing some of my favorite gift items for the ladies in your life.

If the lady in your life is…

Obsessed with Homegoods & HGTV:

So those agate coasters I mentioned in the stocking stuffers post… how pretty are these? If Santa brings me any of these, I hope they’re in this color combo. These will look SO PRETTY on my bar cart!

I’m not sure that I’d ever be able to spend $48 on measuring cups, so obviously I’d LOVE IT if Santa left these under the tree. They’re so pretty I can’t even stand it. When we do our kitchen renovation, it’s going to be super sleek and all white and grey. I’d love to have these beauties hanging out in my baking area.

A Sephora addict:I’m a huge fan of Kiehl’s products, and I’m super excited about this masque set. I’ve become obsessed with skincare over the past few years, and this year I’ve started using masques. I received a set of three in a Popsugar box earlier in the year, and since I’ve been different types. I received these yesterday, and I’m super excited to try each one.

This Lalicious Brown Sugar Shower Oil/Body Wash came in my Popsugar box a couple of months ago, and I’m in love with it. It smells so good, and it lathers so well. I was hesitant about trying it (anything with the word oil makes me uncomfortable – oily skin skeeves me out), but I realized mid shower I was out of body wash and didn’t have a choice. Now, I consider this in the top 10 of items that have been in my Popsugar boxes, and I’ll definitely order more when I run out.

A Foodie:The Chrissy Teigan cookbook is, hands down, one of my favorite cookbooks ever. I received it in a Popsugar box over the summer, and I’m obsessed with it. The book itself is hilarious, and the recipes are fantastic. Everything I’ve made from the book so far has been so delicious, the pictures are gorgeous, and it’s seriously hilarious.

There are SO many food subscription services out there, and I’ve tried a lot of them. I’ve talked about Blue Apron before, but honestly, I haven’t been pleased with my last few boxes. So, a few weeks ago I tried out Sun Basket. And I LOVED IT. More produce than Blue Apron, so many more options, bigger portions, better packaging, organic, and the recipes were delicious. And by more options, I mean SO MANY MORE OPTIONS. They have paleo options, Gluten free options, vegetarian options, dairy free, soy free, AND they have breakfast options. Sign up for a week with my referral link, and get three meals for free!

Enjoys her cocktails:

I LOVE this pink & rose gold cocktail shaker. I bought one for myself a few months ago. It’s so pretty and looks great on my bar cart. And when I’m feeling super lazy, I just take the top off, add more ice and a straw and drink right out of the glass.If your friend loves her cocktails, you absolutely can no go wrong with a bottle of her favorite liquor. Especially if it’s a pricier one. I bought a bottle of Hendricks on our cruise last year, and I just finished it. I went to buy another one and was shocked at how expensive it is at the ABC store. So, if someone gifted me with a bottle of this, or a really good tequila, I would be a very happy camper.

Loves jewelry:
I love these Stella & Dot earrings. They’re super simple, but not boring and you could seriously wear them with everything.

I LOVE Erin McDermott Jewelry, and I recently bought a few pairs of earrings from her. Some for others, and of course one for me. I bought the mint ones (bottom center) and I’m seriously obsessed.

Loves to read:Graham and I started listening to this series while we were driving to Boston in August. We listened to the first two books in the series (The Girl in the Ice (1) & The Night Stalker (2)) and I just listened to the 3rd one (Dark Water) last week. This is such a good series! The mysteries keep you guessing the whole time. I’m usually really good at figuring out the ending, but with each book I’m always surprised at the end.

I absolutely love most of Karen White’s more recent books. Flight Patterns came out this year, and I could not stop listening to it. She creates interesting characters, and I love the way she weaves back and forth between the past and present. This method of writing is super popular these days, but she does it better than most authors. Also – if you’re a fan of audio books, I highly recommend the audio version of these. It’s the same narrator for most of her more recent books (I will say I am absolutely NOT a fan of her older stuff), and the narrators are really excellent.