Friday Favorites! Almost no time to pin.

The key word in the above title:  ”Almost.”  I haven’t been on Pinterest in quite a while but I managed to pull myself from working too hard and did a little pinning.  I couldn’t leave you without “Friday Favorites” for two weeks in a row.

Favorite Small Bite:  Chicken and Waffles.  Let’s just say that we had an epic breakfast last Sunday morning.  Four girls ordered the chicken and waffles.  One of my friends insisted that I recreate the dish.

these bites just need blueberry Tabasco syrup

Favorite Bucket List Item:  I’ve never been sailing.  I don’t think Big Guy is a fan but I don’t care.  It’s on my bucket list as of today.

sail away

Favorite Table:  At the same place that we devoured chicken and waffles on Sunday, I fell in love with reclaimed wood tables.  How gorgeous and rustic at the same time!

reclaimed wood table

Favorite Bauble:  In one word:  adore.

make a statement

Favorite Dips:  Dips are totally different than appetizers, right?  I’ll just keep telling myself that…

Fire-Roasted Corn Dip

Favorite Grilled Cheese:  It is National Grilled Cheese month, after all.  So I think that I’ll celebrate this weekend.  You in, Big Guy?  How about we combine two of my favorites:  grilled cheese and pizza?

grilled cheese, please.

Favorite Truth:  This past weekend was simply amazing.  A lot of people would think that putting 8 girls together might cause some cattiness.  But I can honestly say there was no tears or mean words.  And that is why I have the best friends in the whole wide world!

laugh!

Well it’s my last weekend of being a single gal…so to celebrate, I think I’ll have a glass of wine and a grilled cheese sandwich.  Totally normal.

Small Bites

Like I mentioned Wednesday, this past weekend I had the most perfect bridal shower I could ever imagine.  But today, let’s focus on the food.  The food was incredible (and all gluten-free!).

the spread

The hostesses totally out-did themselves.  I wanted to share the small bites because most of them come together in no time at all and I think they’d be perfect for any Spring gathering (it is officially Spring now…despite this cold weather).

apricot and brie bites

Daphne was responsible for these addicting nuggets.  From what I can tell, dried apricots (TJs has some fantastic ones) were cut in half and stuffed with brie, an almond and a sprig of thyme.  Quite the perfect bite.

skewers

Maggie was in charge of these pretty skewers.  On the left, there are skewers with pepperoni, olives and mozzarella.  On the right, skewers of grape tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.  Super easy and delicious.

avocado salsa

Daphne made this dish, too.  I know for a fact that it has avocados, tomatoes, feta and cilantro.  Whatever it is, it’s divine.  Daphne – can you share a link or exact ingredients in the comment section?  I think she originally found the recipe off Pinterest and it’s amazing.

There was also a platter of fresh fruit kabobs,  a cheese plate and some gluten free spinach ball with marinara sauce (from Pinterest) that were awesome.  Like I said, all the food was delicious.

Now go enjoy appy hour!

mimosa bar

Fat Saturday

Last week was Mardi Gras but I didn’t get a chance to celebrate until Saturday.  Big Guy and I decided to have a Mardi Gras/Cajun-themed dinner Saturday and called it Fat Saturday.  Hey, better late than never, right?

 

We started off the celebration with a cocktail!  Fresh mango chunks, blood orange juice, lime juice and a little agave are muddled together and then combined with light and dark rum to make a Maelstrom.

For dinner, Cajun Crab Dip and Spicy New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp.   I was shocked when Big Guy suggested the crab dip since he’s not a seafood lover but I didn’t ask any questions because I was excited to make a new dip.  The crab dip was awesome!  Best served with veggies and bagel chips (gluten free – Glutino makes awesome ones).  The only change I made with the crab dip was leaving out the panko on top.

 

As for the spicy shrimp, prep them ahead of time.  They can even marinate over night – just make sure the marinade is cool before adding the shrimp or it will start to cook your shrimp.  The only change I made to the shrimp recipe was not using as much butter (ran out) and I used half the amount of liquid smoke the recipe called for.  I find that my taste buds are very sensitive to liquid smoke.  The shrimp are roasted in the oven until perfectly tender.  Finger lickin’ good!

 

The perfect Fat Tuesday Saturday!

Monday Musings

Happy Monday, everyone!

1.  Big Guy has been dealing with some sinus/inner ear pressure.  He Googles everything.  Here is him trying out one of his “Google cures.”

2.  Not everything he reads on the “intra-net” works.  (“Intra-net” is how Big Guy refers to the “internet”)

3.  On Friday night I had a lovely dinner with with my sister.

4.  It started with wine (duh!).

5.  Then we had sushi (from Kami).  We ordered three specialty rolls – they were amazing and totally hit the spot.

6.  We ended the night at Target.  All sister dates need a trip to Target!

7.  On Saturday night, we had a family dinner!  Maggie made guac (which is awesome!!!!) and I made a Jalapeno Popper Chili.  I subbed in lean ground beef for the ground chicken.  It was  fantastic!

8.  February is here!  I hope it’s a super sweet month for you.

Sip ‘n Dip!

I’m on a roll with football food!  If Big Guy and I happen to be around the house on a Saturday evening, there’s almost always going to be an appetizer involved.  This appetizer has less than 5 ingredients and is super simple to pull together.  I served our hot Parmesan dip with sweet potato fries (Alexia brand – found in the frozen food section) but anything would pair nicely with this super flavorful dip.  I happened to have all the ingredients on hand for the dip – you might, too!

Cream cheese (how can you go wrong?)

Greek yogurt (I used 0%)

Parmesan Cheese

That’s it.  I actually garnished the dip, after baking, with a little green onion.  And I sprinkled the sweet potato fries with cilantro for even more flavor.  Use what ever herbs you have on hand.

How gorgeous are is that football food?  Not quite as messy as yesterdays.  Instead, this is full of cheesiness!  And all Superbowl watchers need to eat something cheesy.

What’s your favorite dip?  (Or sip?)

Friday Favorites…It’s almost Christmas!!!!

It’s Friday.  I’m off work until next year (hah).  I’m the hap-hap-happiest girl right now.  Cheers to Friday and to Christmas!

Favorite Cocktail for Christmas Night/Dadom’s Birthday Dinner:

White Christmas Sangria

Favorite Cheese Board:  There are few things better in life than wine, cheese and good friends.

from spoonforkbacon

Favorite After-Dinner Cocktail:  Dessert in a glass.

sugar cookie martini

Favorite Holiday Circuit: After sangria…cheese…and cocktails I’m going to need to sprinkle in some of these throughout the next week.

work-it-out

Favorite Last-Minute Gift:  My momma, my sister and me all adore this candle.  Available at Anthropologie.

volcano candle

Favorite Christmas Card:  Simply hilarious.

the joy of children

Favorite Scarf:  So classy…so chic!

bow scarf

Merry Christmas to you ALL!

Mexican Date Night

Y’all know the usual date night for us…cheese, wine, steak.  Well we switched it up for our latest date night – date night with a Mexican twist!

Margaritas were a must!  I actually went the easy route…I used SkinnyGirl pre-made margarita and simply added a splash of cranberry juice.  I’m typically not a fan of the SkinnyGirl line but this hit the spot and I didn’t have to destroy my kitchen making the drink.

To complete “appy” hour, we enjoyed a Garlic-Feta Cheese Dip.  So flavorful!  I didn’t use the full amount of mayo that the recipe called for but I didn’t leave it out completely.

 

It was so nice to just relax and unwind next to our candle-fire and the Christmas tree.

And for dinner – this was incredible.  We prepared Flank Steak with a Tequila Glaze.  The glaze was so delicious and Big Guy grilled the flank steak to perfection.  The only change I made to the recipe other than using flank steak instead of chicken was using regular chili powder.

 

On the side, sauteed peppers and onions.

 

Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the usual.

Friday Favorites: Food for Holiday Parties

Whether it’s an intimated dinner party or a full-fledged tacky Christmas party…here’s a few of my favorite “pins” of food to take to a holiday party this year…

Favorite “Spin” on a Favorite App:  I adore bacon wrapped dates so why not try apricots?

Favorite One-Bite App:  Goat cheese + Bacon + Roasted Red Pepper

Favorite Salad:  How fun is this?  Cornbread Layer Salad.

Favorite Cookie:  You had me at salted caramel…

Favorite “No-Cook” App:  Antipasto Skewers.  I’m obsessed with mini pickles, and yes, I know they’re not called mini pickles.

Favorite “Sweet ‘n Savory” App:  Jerk Chicken topped with Rum Glazed Pineapple.  

Favorite Spiced Nut:  First of all, I love pistachios. Secondly, maple makes everything better…kind of like bacon.

Favorite for a “Brunch-time” Party:  I’m a little obsessed with butternut squash lately…they’re like little nuggets of gold, I tell you.

Favorite Cocktail:  Because it’s not a Christmas party if there’s no cocktail involved.  Just sayin’.

Happy Partying!

Black Friday Favorites

Are you out hustlin’ and bustlin’ with the crazies?  I’m not.  I’m pinning my favorite things per usual…

Favorite Side Dish I Should Have Made Yesterday:  Cranberry Orange Brussels with Walnuts.  

 

Favorite Holiday Party Dress:  I just adore this neckline!

 

Favorite Post-Turkey Workout:  Who knows, maybe I’ll bust out this sweat sesh sometime today.

 

Favorite 3 Words:  Pop. Fizz. Clink.

 

Favorite Bell Print:  ‘Tis the season for bells.

 

Favorite Sweet I made for Thanksgiving:  Salty Bourbon Squares

Favorite Appetizer In-a-Pinch: I’m loving the salty and creamy combo of salami, cream cheese and pepperoncini.

Favorite Closet:  I’m obsessed with closets lately.  I’ve also found a new obsession for renovated bungalows.

Favorite Tree for Haines to Decorate:  How adorable is this?  I wonder if Gigi could pull this together for us?

Enjoy your weekend!!!!  The holi-daze are here.

Friday Favorites

Apparently it’s all about food and drink this week…

Favorite Punch for the Holi-daze:  Any punch that includes champs is a favorite.  I may have to add this to our Christmas morning brunch…

Holiday Punch

Favorite Way to Warm Up:  Gumbo Soup!  How yummy does this look?

Warm Up with Gumbo Soup

Favorite Twist on  Favorite:  Brussels and coconut…say it ain’t so.

Toasted Coconut Brussel Sprouts

Favorite Bubbles:  A twist on a mimosa…POMOSA!

Pomosa

Favorite Man-Friendly Appetizer:  Pizza Nachos.  All men love pizza, all men love nachos.  (so do all women.)

Man-Friendly Appetizer

Favorite Way to Big Guy’s Heart:  Honey Ham Biscuit Sliders…come on!

Southern Goodness

Favorite Girl’s Night App:  I think the presentation would scare the boys away…but it’s screaming my name!

Cheesy Artichoke Pumpkin Dip

Favorite Sunday Chili:  I think Sunday is a chili day.  Well, that is, if it’s cold out.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

Favorite Salad:  Brussel Sprout Salad with Seared Shrimp and Bacon.

Bacon makes anything better.

Favorite Side Dish (that’s easy, too):  5 ingredients!  That’s it.

Honey-Dijon Roasted Tators

I hope you have a delicious weekend!