Pork and Sweet Pepper Kebabs

One word I can never spell right:  ”kebabs” – I always want to make it “keBOBS.”  Moving on…this dinner recipe from the most recent Cooking Light magazine is not only delicious and easy but it’s easy on the wallet, too. You probably have everything on hand except the pork tenderloin and bell peppers.  Or you may have it all tucked away in your fridge.  I’m sure you could substitute in any protein (beef or chicken) but I really loved the pork since it’s not something I eat and/or cook every week.

The pork was cut into 1-inch pieces about an an hour before I wanted to eat and marinated in a super delicious soy-based mixture.  Other ingredients:  lemon juice, ketchup, brown sugar, crushed red pepper and lots of garlic.  When I was ready to eat – we simply arranged the pork on skewers and threaded the veggies on separate skewers.  I used regular ole bell peppers – taste the same – and I added in some red onion that I needed to use.  I kept it simple with the veggies, just a sprinkling of salt.

kebabs

The pork was cooked perfectly (way to go, Big Guy!) and was perfectly paired with the grilled veggies on top of rice.  The rice soaked up the flavor of the pork – the bites with rice were my favorite.

Simple, healthy and delicious.  Can’t beat that!

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.

Spring Stir-Fry

This week it’s all about quick dinners.  And this stir-fry is no exception.  The beauty of this recipe is that you can substitute in what you have on hand.  I made my portion vegetarian with edamame while Big Guy enjoyed the addition of chicken.  Additionally, instead of carrots I went with sliced red bell pepper.  If you don’t use the chicken, dinner will be ready in under 15 minutes.  I served our Spring Stir-Fry over white rice.

 

I almost didn’t get green onions at the store but I’m so glad I did!  The freshness really brightens up the dish.  Also, I didn’t come armed with an intense grocery list.  Who knew I was out of soy sauce (tamari)?  I sure didn’t.  Fish sauce came to the rescue.  Seriously – don’t freak out if you’re missing an ingredient.  There is almost always a substitution.  Have fun in the kitchen!  Don’t make cooking dinner a chore.

 

The calorie count is rather low for this dish (without the rice) as a dinner – so if you’re not into rice, you might want to double your portion or add another starch.

 

Wedding Wednesday, 10 days.

Big Guy and I will say “I do.” in 10 days.  That means we’re in the single digits tomorrow.  Holy cow.  It seems like just yesterday I was picking out my wedding dress.  And next week my Momma picks up the dress for the last time.  What an incredible journey it’s been.

On Monday we got our marriage license paperwork.  Now all we need is the pastor’s signature and two witnesses.  It’s real, y’all!

There are little things that need to be completed, but for the most part all is said and done.

My To-Do List:

• Wrap wedding party gifts
• Anything Momma Bell tells me to do

Yep, that’s it.

I have written a Wedding Wednesday for over a year now (minus one week) and I can’t believe it’s coming to a close.  Don’t worry, post wedding I’ll catch everyone up on the events leading up to the wedding the week of plus all things reception.

April 27th is going to be the best day ever.

Charred BLT Salad

I think Spring is finally here!  This weekend was unbelievably gorgeous.  Unfortunately I spent a good part of my Saturday in a mall, frantically searching for a white dress.  However, I found a dress and was able to get home in time to enjoy the 70 degree afternoon with Big Guy on the back deck with a glass of champagne.

this is the life.

Once the sun started to set, I got to work on dinner.  We kept it simple with Charred BLT Salads.  I knew we had to welcome Spring by firing up the grill but I also wanted to keep it light (19 days!  but who’s counting?).  This recipe is so simple and you can play around with the ingredients to make it work for you.

I got to work on the salad toppings while Big Guy got BQ ready to grill romaine.  I crisped some pancetta on the stove and then removed and allowed to drain on a paper towel.  I think cooked grape tomatoes (halved) in the pancetta drippings to make sure the salad was full of flavor.

To grill the romaine, simple dress with EVOO, salt and pepper and throw on the grill until it begins to wilt and earns it’s grill marks.  I would suggest cutting the romaine in half (lengthwise) before grilling – I step that I didn’t do until after cooked.

To complete the salad, top the romaine with the crisped pancetta (or bacon or prosciutto), tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles and green onions.

BLT-inspired

How did  you welcome Spring this past weekend?

Friday Favorites

The excitement is starting to set in!  One week and I’ll be getting ready for an epic “hen party” with 8 of my favorite ladies.  And in three weeks I’ll be getting ready for a bridesmaid luncheon and a weekend full of wedding bliss.  I honestly can’t focus on many things without my mind wandering to something wedding-related. But can you blame me?  It seems like yesterday we were 6 months away..

Here are some of my [random] favorites of the week!

Favorite DYI project:  Like I said, I have my upcoming girl’s weekend on my mind.  How awesome is this glittered champagne bottle?  I’ve gotta find a reason to do this.

pop the bubbly

Favorite non-Big Guy dinner:  Big Guy might not like salmon but I adore it.  I’ve seen this salmon recipe in my Self magazine, on Pinterest and a friend posted it on Instagram.  Basically, I gotta try Salmon with Sriracha Sauce and Lime.

Salmon with Sriracha Sauce and Lime

Favorite Stripes:  This dress is summer perfection.

s-t-r-i-p-e-s

Favorite Grilled Cheese:  In case you aren’t aware, it’s National Grilled Cheese month.  The thought of a grilled goat cheese sandwich with honey-roasted grapes and walnuts makes my mouth water.

grilled cheese, please!

Favorite Wear to Work:  I’m loving these red pants and stripes.  And that gold chunky necklace?  Amazingly perfect.

red + stripes + gold

Favorite Date-Night Idea:  Create a food passport!  Write down all the restaurants you want to visit  in a small notebook.  Throughout the year, when you can’t decide what to do, visit one of the restaurants and write down the date you went.

food passport

Favorite Honeymoon Essential:  I’ve pretty much bought/gotten everything I need for our honeymoon.  But how gorgeous is this bathing suit?

bathing beauty

Favorite Cocktails:  Every edition of “Friday Favorites” needs a cocktail…How about Pear & Bubbles?

pear&bubbles

Favorite Bedtime Ritual:  These face wipes are the best!  Not only do they take off all my makeup but their affordable (cheap) and easy to find!  Oh, and they smell amazing.

essential

Favorite Salad:  So light, so refreshing, so…avocados are involved!

Grilled Shrimp Avocado Fennel and Orange Salad

Happy Friday!  I hope the weather is warming up wherever you are so that you can enjoy the weekend outside!  I’ll be on the hunt for a LWD all day Saturday…wish me luck!

Wedding Wednesday, the 6th grade sway.

There are only 3 weekends between now and April 27th.  Three!  And one of those is my “hen” party.  So that leaves TWO weekends.  Oh my.

Well this weekend we have a major task to accomplish.  Choosing our first dance song.  We’ve talked about it before but it’s crunch time and we must make a decision.

 I would love to waltz but I think we’ll be doing the 6th grade sway.

So, Big Guy, grab a cocktail ’cause Saturday night isn’t over until we’ve chosen a song.

Any and all suggestions are welcome…

 

 

Barbecue Turkey Meatballs

I’ve never made Big Guy meatballs (that I can recall).  But don’t think I made the traditional Italian meatballs.  That would be too predictable.  This dinner got chosen in the truck on the way back from a Easter weekend at the beach.  It’s a 20-minute recipe and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand.  A short grocery list was the goal on Sunday.

The barbecue turkey meatballs made the house smell like I’d been slaving in the kitchen all day long.  Such a comforting smell!  Instead of blending up the sauce in a blender, I used my food processor which worked like a charm.  I also used cinnamon instead of cloves.  I used the leanest turkey I could find which is why the meatballs were drier than I would have liked.  But I’m trying to watch our figures a little more carefully now that the wedding is months weeks away.  I also left out the breadcrumbs.

barbecue meatballs

Big Guy was struck with an okra craving while walking around the grocery store so that’s what went on the side.  Simply roasted with a drizzle of EVOO, salt and pepper.

Delicious Sunday dinner.  (We had our Easter ham, potato salad, asparagus and peas on Saturday with all of my family – so don’t think we’re not into the traditional Easter dinner.)

Lost in the shuffle.

The past few weeks have been a blur!  Between wedding planning (who’s getting married?) and well, life, I haven’t had a chance to share everything!  So here’s a run down of things that have gotten lost in the shuffle.

pizza and wine

Sometimes frozen pizza is necessary.  A few weeks back, one of those times happened.  This was my first time trying Trader Joe’s 3-Cheese Gluten Pizza and I must say it was awesome.  This will be purchased again.  And the wine?  It was a red wine blend that somehow appeared in our wine rack.  Though I don’t consider myself a “red wine drinker” this was actually rather tasty.

frozen dinner

With the frozen pizza, I served frozen green beans.  What can I say, it was a Betty (not Martha) kind of night.  But I did doctor up the green beans with caramelized onions and balsamic vinegar.

jam bars

I baked!  My Momma mentioned jam bars she made using a recipe from the Pioneer Woman and it made me excited to try Jenna’s Jam Crumb Bars.  I used strawberry jam and Big Guy loved ‘em.

green pizza

St. Patty’s Day seems like moons ago, but I can’t help but show you our creation.  Corned Beef and Potato Pizza.  I made a few changes to the recipe – using a gluten-free pizza dough mix, less creme fraiche and a “real” potato instead of frozen mashed potatoes.  Big Guy also cooked up some corned beef to chop up.  The pesto guoda is where it’s at, though!  It is an insanely weird color but it is insanely delicious.  But honestly, can you go wrong with pesto infused cheese?  It was available in limited amounts at Trader Joe’s.

Can you believe it’s the last week of March?

 

Friday Favorites, Spring Edition.

I am so ready for Spring I can’t stand it.  I’m over these cold mornings and wind that slices through you like a knife.  Be gone!  I heard crickets the other evening and it made me smile.  Since Spring will officially be here next week, what better way to welcome it than a Spring Edition of Friday Favorites.  No more cords, no more Frye boots.  I want my sundresses and Jack Rogers.

Favorite Cover-Up:  Is this not fantastic?  Such a classic look but totally not boring.  I could see myself wearing this on the honeymoon (not to rub it in) while grabbing lunch poolside.

Favorite Use of Hard Boiled Eggs:  I still dye Easter eggs.  Big Guy dyes them now, too.  It’s a tradition.  But what to do with all the leftover eggs.  I usually make egg salad but this year, I think I’m making this twist on the deviled egg.

Favorite Cocktail:  This reminds me of my favorite sangria at Cantina 18 in Raleigh.  I want a pitcher of this Sour Apple and Pear Sangria on my back deck on the first day of 80 degree weather.

Favorite Sandal:  I love this strappy sandal.  You could pair it with white jeans (ohhhh, white jeans!) or a fun dress for date night.  Adore.

Favorite Spring Bag:  This sunny striped Michael Kors bag screams spring.  I would rock it all season long.

Favorite Side Item:  I love Spring time because that means I don’t have to cook inside on the weekends.  You can take it outside.  (I must note, we grill year round, but in the Spring it’s more fun because I can annoy Big Guy and sit on the deck with a cocktail while he’s grilling.)  Take your veggies outside and throw them on the grill!

Favorite Workout:  Walking in around those strappy sandals above means you gotta keep those legs lookin’ lean.  I plan on trying out this leg strengthening workout Saturday AM.

Favorite Thing (no matter the season):  Champs!!!!

Happy, happy weekend!!!!!