Tag: recipes

Categories
Let's Get Cooking

Summer Pasta Salads and Appetizers

Hello all! Happy Wednesday! I hope you are all having a great week! I hate to say it but I have been slipping on making a new meal once a week. It’s definitely been harder to make it happen in the summer with more family time and a more relaxed family schedule. We sometimes eat later or go out more. I’m looking forward to getting back to cooking in the fall. 

I have still made a few recipes this summer, some of which are staples in my home.

We will start out with my Italian Pasta Salad. I think we got this recipe on a box years ago. We tried it and loved it and haven’t looked back.

My favorite summer pasta salad.

Here’s what you need and how to make it.

What you Need:

Rotini Pasta (or your favorite kind of pasta)

Italian Dressing

Cherry Tomatoes

Mozzarella Cheese Balls

Sliced Cucumber

Steps:

  1. In a pot, boil water to cook pasta. (I change the amount of pasta I use depending on who I’m cooking for and how many servings I need.)
  2. Drain water and then put pasta in large serving bowl.
  3. Slice cucumber and then add cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella, to pasta.
  4. Stir in all the ingredients and drizzle Italian dressing.
  5. Put in fridge to chill until ready to serve.

*If you plan on saving and serving again, make sure to add more Italian dressing

If pasta isn’t you choice, maybe you like to snack on chips and salsa.

When we went on vacation, we had a great shrimp cocktail sauce salsa. It was full of so much flavor. 

Appetizer night

Here’s an idea of how I’ve made this tasty dish.

What you Need:

Cocktail sauce

Salsa (I like a peach salsa or a medium hot salsa)

Baby Shrimp (can be frozen or in a can)

Steps:

  1. In a bowl mix half of the cocktail shrimp sauce and half of the salsa in a bowl
  2. Mix in the baby shrimp and then chill until you are ready to serve.
  3. Serve with tortilla chips or pita chips.

*If you aren’t a big fan of mixing half of each sauce you can change your parts to ¼ of one and ¾ of another. 

Also pictured is brie cheese with raspberry sauce. I like to cook the cheese and add the sauce at the end, it’s full of flavor and filling too.

I like to enjoy it with bread or crackers.

All of these recipes are super easy for entertaining in the summer and are easy to throw together. 

What are some of your favorite snacks to serve and share.

Drop them below!!

Categories
Fabulous living

Blog Anniversary

Hi everyone!

Happy Wednesday…I can’t believe I am typing this, but it’s my blog-anniversary.

I’ve been sharing bits and pieces of my life for the past four years, from college musings, to first time jobs, outfits, ways to organize, travel diaries, fitness routines, friends, family moments and more. 

When I first started my blog, I used it as a way to keep busy and have a creative outlet and it has given me that and so much more! It’s been fun to look and back and read some of my earlier posts to my posts today. In some ways I haven’t changed at all, in other ways I have grown a lot. 

In honor of my four years of blogging, I’m sharing some of my favorite posts of the past year.

Throughout the past year, my life has revolved around work, family time, trying new hobbies like reading and cooking, continuing to build friendships and relationships and of course the pandemic. 

Here are some of my favorite posts from the past year. 

Since work was a huge part of my life, it only makes sense that one of my favorite posts was about a day in my work life. To get a sneak peek into my work life, you can read about it here.

Working the anchor desk this weekend.

Sticking with news, December marked one year since I started working in news, so I did a post about what it’s been like along with some of my favorite stories. You can learn more about that post here.

New year, new head shots

Something that goes along with work is fashion. Since I have to dress up every day, I’ve enjoyed shopping for cute and affordable outfits and dresses. During the pandemic, Amazon was a huge help for finding dresses, here are some of my favorite looks. You can see them here.

One of my latest Amazon finds.

One of my favorite hobbies this past year has been learning to cook and bake. You can check out my Instagram stories to see my latest recipes. In the fall, I went apple picking and made a ton of apple recipes. Here are three of my favorites.  

Lots of apples equals lots of recipes.

Organization is another big part of my life. Establishing routines and habits are a game changer for a smooth day. I shared some of my favorite routines that you can read about here.

Staying organized keeps my life in order

The biggest thing that dominated my life both personally and professionally was the pandemic. I shared what the past year was like for me here.

The new normal while working, masks and all

And last but certainly not least, I was so happy to finally give my blog upgrade thanks to my friend Marley! You can read all about the upgrade here.  

New logo and branding

This year has been very different than I planned but I was so happy with everything I did this past year. In the next year, I’m hoping to have more travel diaries, more recipes, more adventures and more time with family, friends and loved ones. 

Thank you to everyone who has read, followed along and supported me. Whether this was your first time or you have been reading since Day 1, I’m so happy to have you along with me. Here’s to a new year!

Categories
Currently

Currently #14

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! This past month was packed and I can’t wait to update you all with all the new things going on. 

What I’m up to: This past month has been busier for work, I just finished a big project which was happy to get it done and see the end result. It’s been a cold month, so I have spent a lot of time inside, watching tv and doing lots of reading and doing some projects around the house as well as catching up with friends too!

My finished work project

What I’m wearing: It all depends on how bad the weather is. If it’s super cold, then it’s pants and sweaters and lots of layers. If it’s warmer, and by warmer, I mean above 30 degrees, then I brave the weather with a dress and tights. On days off, it’s a lot of leggings and hoodies or sweaters. 

What I’m reading: I have been doing so well with my reading this year. I have read 5 books so far. I keep a running list of books of my story called 2021 Books. If you are looking for new books to read this is a starting spot. I also have been doing a book club with my two high school friends, Maddie and Ryan, we have been making our way through a different book each month. We just finished Pride by Ibi Zoboi, which is a modern twist of Pride and Prejudice. It’s been so fun to read new books and share them with friends too!

I have also read, Make Room for What You Love by Melissa Michaels, it’s a book about organizing your home, keeping it clean and establishing new routines too. I already do many of the practices in the book, but it was still fun to learn new things.

Another book I read was, Traveling Light by Max Lucado. It broke down Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd” and had guided meditations and stories to go alongside them. Stay tuned for what I’m reading this month.

What I’m Watching: I finished Virgin River which was a lighter show to watch. It was nice to watch something that didn’t require my attention the full time.

I have been watching some movies here and there. I just started a new series, Lupin, on Netflix. If you are looking for mystery, suspense with lots of twists and turns, this is the show for you.

What I’m Loving: I’m loving reconnecting with old friends. This past month, I have gotten coffee with lifelong friends, I’ve been staying close with high school friends thanks to our book club, I have also stayed close with college friends with monthly facetime dates. Staying consistent with friends has been a new year’s resolution and I’m happy to report that I’m doing very well with it so far this year.

What Inspires Me: I’m inspired by food, not trying to be funny, but I have been doing a lot of cooking and have loved finding new recipes and trying them out. I have made soups, pastas, chicken dishes, and more. Every time I try something new, I love the sense of accomplishment with cooking and trying something new. My Let’s Get Cooking Posts has all the recipes there.

My latest pasta and shrimp recipe

What I accomplished: My work schedule has changed a bit, so I had to get adjusted to a new routine. One thing I really like about it is getting more family time. It’s the little things like that make the cold and gloomy days filled with sunshine. I also have really enjoyed getting started with my new year’s resolutions too!

Goals Accomplished from Last Month Last month was all about establishing new routines, I added some new rhythms in my daily schedule, and I am loving the results I’m seeing so far. By adding more reading and friend time, it has made me more well-rounded and lead a more balanced life. I also wanted to start cooking more and I have found a real passion and love for it. I can’t wait to try new recipes.

Baking on days off

Goals for the New Month: I know it’s still cold outside, but I want to make a point more to get outside and get more fresh air. I am also looking for a new project to tackle, I’m not sure what it will be yet, but I love getting creative with different projects. 

Categories
Let's Get Cooking

Let’s Get Cooking: Margarita Chicken Soup

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to do more cooking and make a meal a week for my family. For me, it’s a way to try out new recipes, brush up on my cooking skills, and do something nice for my family since they do so much for me.

 I have looked on Pinterest, blogs, and recipe books to find different and fun meals for my family and I have found a ton that I can’t wait to try out!

Shay Shull is a blogger and cookbook author. I read her blog every day and I love her posts about family, faith and life. Mix and Match Mama is my go-to for recipes. I have made so many recipes from her and I have been so pleased with every single one. From treats, snacks, dinners, and lunches…she has so many fun and creative ways to eat meals even on busy nights. 

Last week I made her Margarita Chicken Soup and it was incredible.  It was easy to make since it’s a crock pot soup, I put everything in at 3:00 p.m. and we ate around 7:00 p.m.. To see her recipe click here.

This soup as hearty and filling, there were lots of different flavors and it fed 4 with leftovers! I know this will be on rotation in my house for fall and winter months. Who doesn’t like a warm bowl of soup at the end of the day?!

Here’s how I made it:

The Prep

Ingredients 

1 pound of chicken breast (frozen or defrosted)

2 (10 oz can) of diced tomatoes

1 can of Sprite

1 can of Black Beans

Half a bag of frozen corn or 1 can of corn

1 packet of taco seasoning

2 limes 

Chips, Sour Cream or Shredded Cheese to garnish

Directions

In a slow cooker layer the ingredients (minus the limes and garnish)

Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours 

When done, separate the chicken with two forks in the slow cooker.

Slice limes in quarters and then add to the soup.

Serve and garnish with sour cream, cheese, and chips.

After!

Something else I have started to do is compile a list of my favorite recipes. This will come in handy when I am living on my own and I am craving some homecooked food or a yummy dish. 

What are some of your winter go-to meals?

Categories
Fabulous living

Fall Recipe-Apple Crisp

Hi everyone. I hope you all had a relaxing weekend and your week is off to a great start. Last week I shared my fall bucket list and one of the things on it was make a fall recipe. When I was home last week for fall break, I made one of my favorite recipes, homemade apple crisp. It is so flavorful and warm for fall. I am sharing how to make it today.

Before

What You Need:

6 large apples

1 and 1/4 cup of Sugar

1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon

1 cup of Flour

1/4 teaspoon of Salt

2 Tablespoons of Butter

1 Egg

1 teaspoon of Baking Powder

The original recipe

First slice all your apples and place them in a pan or dish that has cooking spray on it.

Then mix your 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon and mix that with the apple mixture. 

The sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon

Combine your flour, salt, butter, eggs, and 1 cup of sugar and mix thoroughly. Then spread over apple mixture. 

The completed mixture

Once your mixture is complete place in the oven for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

After it’s done in the oven, take it out to cool.

I like to serve mine heated with caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. There is so much flavor and it’s a warm dessert for fall, plus you don’t feel as guilty since you are eating apples. Haha! This is an easy dessert to make for family or friends, it’s simple to put together and easy to serve. All things I am looking for when I am cooking or baking.

Coming out from the oven

I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe, I will have more recipes coming soon. Have a great week!

Ready to enjoy!

What are some of your favorite fall recipes to cook or bake? Do you prefer apple flavored things or pumpkin flavored things?

Categories
Fabulous living

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

Hey guys! Happy Tuesday! 

I don’t know about you but I LOVE a good recipe to kick off my week. Back by popular demand I will be having more of my favorite foods on the blog in the next coming months. This summer my go to order whenever I was out was seafood tacos, whether it was fish tacos, shrimp tacos, or even lobster tacos…I loved mixing my two favorite foods of seafood and tacos together! After I ate and tried A LOT of tacos this summer, I decided to make up my own version of shrimp tacos.

  • Lobster roll
  • Fish tacos
  • Shrimp Tacos
  • Lobster flatbread

This is a light and flavorful meal, that can be assembled in less than 15 minutes depending on the prep. It was perfect for summer but still could be enjoyed in the early fall or even late spring. Plus, making this recipe now reminds me of the carefree days of summer!

Here’s what you need:

White flour tortilla shells

Grilled shrimp (for extra flavor)

Salsa (I love the peach salsa for something extra fruity)

*Lettuce

*Tomato

*Cheese

*Sour cream

*Guacamole 

*all of these are optional for extra flavor

Homemade Shrimp Tacos

To Prepare:

To begin you need to prepare your shrimp. I typically buy a frozen bag of shrimp and use it when I need it for a recipe. I begin to thaw it the night before I need it, then in the morning I boil them in a pot full of water with sea salt until they turn a light pink, typically between 12-15 minutes, once they are cooked to my liking, I drain the water and rinse them with cold water before storing them in the fridge with a few fresh cut lemons for flavor. 

Now, if you prefer to just have shrimp that’s not grilled you can begin to assemble your tacos, but I personally like extra flavor, so I remove the shrimp from the fridge and season it with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika. I mix in a bowl with shrimp and olive oil.  Then begin to grill them for a few minutes into the are golden brown.

Once they are done on the grill, it’s time to assemble the tacos. I personally like a few pieces of shrimp, peach salsa, and a pinch of cheese. 

Who doesn’t love a flavorful taco?!

If you want a healthier version, ditch the tortilla and make a shrimp salad with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and shrimp. 

In retrospect, I should not have been writing this post when I am craving shrimp tacos and can’t make them at the moment. But, if you are a seafood lover or loves to try new tacos then this is the recipe for you!

What’s your favorite meal that’s fast and easy?

Categories
Fabulous living

Smore’s Trail Mix

This summer I came out with a new blog series all about recipes.

 In June, I shared my favorite salads, an easy lunch or dinner option. You can read all about it here. 

In July, I shared my favorite pizza recipe, perfect for entertaining. You can find that here. 

Today, I’m sharing a wonderful snack or dessert option. This would go great for a snack by the pool, a road trip treat or something sweet for back to school. Plus, if you don’t have a bonfire to roast smores this is a fun and clean alternative. 

This treat takes less than five minutes to prepare and can be enjoyed by all. 

For starters, here is what you will need:

The supplies

Golden Grahams Cereal 

Mini Marshmallows

Chocolate Chips 

*amount needed will change based on portion sizes*

Directions:

Mix one cup of golden grahams with one cup of mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. 

Once everything is mixed, enjoy with friends and family. 

Up close of the trail mix

This is one of my favorite trail mix treats, although it’s not the healthiest, it is a fun alternative to messy smore’s. What are your favorite trail mixes to enjoy?

Perfect for on the go

Sorry, for the shorter post, I am on vacation with my family and doing my best to disconnect for a few days. See you on Thursday for a new look of the day!

Categories
Fabulous living

Slice of Summer-Pizza Edition

Happy Tuesday!

A while back, I shared some summer salads and I got so many positive responses back from YOU! 

I figured it was time for another recipe, today I’m sharing all about homemade pizza (well, kind of homemade pizza). 

In my family, we are big fans of Pizza Friday- a fun way to unwind after a long week and treat ourselves! Whether it’s ordering in or making our own, we all love Pizza Fridays!

I’m sharing our favorite types of pizzas-one that everyone will like and specialty pizza. Start taking notes, you will want to make these for yourselves!

Who doesn’t love pizza?!

We will start with the original cheese pizza.

What you Need:

-Pie Shell (Boboli pizza is my favorite-easy to use right away or freeze and save for later.)

-Pizza Sauce (whether you like to make your own or buy store bought-you need lots of sauce)

-Mozzarella Shredded Cheese (I typically don’t measure it out but rather sprinkler it on top of the sauce)

What you need

Directions:

After laying the shell out on a pizza tray, pour and spread pizza sauce on the pie shell, I prefer the more sauce the better on mine. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the sauce and spread evenly. Add basil or oregano for extra taste. Once your pizza is constructed, place in oven for 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees and Enjoy!

Before
After

Our next pizza will be a white pizza-which is personally my favorite!

What you Need:

Pie Shell (Boboli pizza is my favorite-easy to use right away or freeze and save for later.)

-Mozzarella Shredded Cheese (I typically don’t measure it out but rather sprinkler it on top of the crust)

-Cherry Tomatoes (They give so much flavor to your pizza)

-Olive Oil (for flavor)

-Basil Seasoning (for taste)

-Oregano Seasoning (for taste)

-Balsamic Vinegar (for taste) 

Add these spices to your plain pizza

Directions:

Start by sprinkling mozzarella cheese on top of pie crust evenly. Lightly drizzle olive oil on top on mozzarella cheese. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and lay on top of cheese. Sprinkle basil and oregano seasonings throughout the pizza evenly. Add a dash or balsamic vinegar for taste. The seasonings are optional, it’s mostly done for flavor. Once done with assembling the pizza, place in oven for 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees. Take out and enjoy! This is an easy meal for a family on a busy night, it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare and make. This would also make a great appetizer for an Italian night!

Before
After

What are your favorite pizza combinations?!

Share them in the comments below!!

Eat up!

Categories
Fabulous living

Summer Salads

Happy Tuesday Everyone! 

I hope your week’s are off to a great start! One thing you may or may not know about me is that I am a food lover! I love trying different things, whether it’s sweet or savory…although I prefer sweet! Haha! I hope to bring more recipes to the blog this year, whether it’s meals, sweet treats, or side dishes. I love to try new recipes and I would love to share them with you!

One of my goals for this summer is to start healthier habits, one of the ways I am working to achieve this is by making more healthier dishes.  I prefer to eat at home rather than going out, I like to know what I am putting in my body. Salads are a huge component of what I eat daily. Whether it’s pre-made salads from the grocery store for lunch or a large tossed salad for dinner, I try to eat a salad for a meal each day.

Today, I am going to share three easy salads to make for lunch or dinner. They are easy to make, nutritious, and filling. Let’s begin!

  1. Caprese Salad 

What You Need:

Spinach 

Sliced Tomatoes (1-3 depending on how much you want to make)

Mozzarella Cheese (1/2- 1 full ball depending on how much you want to make)

Olive Oil (for drizzling)

Balsamic Vinegar (for drizzling)

Oregano (for drizzling)

Basil (for drizzling)

Garlic (for drizzling)

Directions

  • Place Spinach on platter
  • Lay Sliced Tomato on top of Spinach
  • Put Mozzarella on top of Tomato
  • Drizzle your mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, basil, and garlic on top of salad for taste.
  • Enjoy!
Caprese Salad

2. Apple and Almond Salad

All the food

What You Need:

Lettuce

Spinach

Sliced Apple ( ½-1 full apple depending on serving size)

Sliced Grapes (1 cup-each grape cut in half)

Sliced Colby Jack Cheese (1/2 bar- or shredded cheese works great too)

Sliced Almonds (or your favorite nut)

Dried Cranberries

Directions

  • Slice Lettuce, Apple, Grapes, and Colby Jack Cheese and put in large bowl
  • Add Spinach to mixture
  • Add Slice Almonds and Cranberries to Salad for extra taste
  • Mix all parts together
  • Add your favorite dressing for taste
  • Enjoy!
Apple and Almond Salad

3. Poppyseed Chicken Salad

What You Need:

Lettuce

Sliced Grilled Chicken Breast

Strawberries (1/2-1 full apple depending on serving size)

Pineapple (I like to get pre sliced pineapple to make it easier when preparing meals)

Poppyseed Dressing 

Directions

  • Cook Grilled Chicken Breast and add your favorite seasoning for taste
  • Cut up lettuce and add chicken when cooled to mixture 
  • Slice strawberries and pineapples and add to mixture
  • Drizzle Poppyseed dressing on top for taste
  • Enjoy!
Poppyseed Salad

All three of these salads are super easy to prepare and meal prep! You can make a big bowl of it for dinner as a side or make a large bowl for yourself and eat it for lunch for the whole week. You can easily adjust portions to what works best for you. Not only are these fun and light for summer but also healthy and filling.

What are your favorite meals to meal prep? What are your go-to summer salads? Share them below!

Categories
Fabulous living

Pinterest: Success or Fail?

I love baking, and trying new things. I was home for Fall Break a few weeks ago and besides being home and seeing my family, I wanted to try some new recipes. I hit up Pinterest and a few of my favorite blogs for some ideas.

Here’s the first one I tried. You can see the full recipe here. It was a delicious fall treat for October.  Here’s a quick recap:

All you need are some apples, crescent rolls, cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, all spice seasoning  and butter.

You are going to lay out all your crescent rolls all spread out on a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet.

Slice your apples and peel the skin off if you so choose.

Apples and butter mixture

In a bowl you are going to melt your butter and mix in the sliced apples.

Crescents with the mixture on them

In a second bowl you are going to mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice and then you are going to spread it over each crescent roll.

Rolling crescent rolls with the apples and mixture

I used the large crescent rolls so I put two apple slices per roll, in the future, I am going to put more than two because I found while eating them there was too much pastry and not enough apples.

Ready to be put in the oven.

You are going to roll the crescents up, put one coat of the melted butter over top each roll and put some of your mixture on top of each crescent. Bake it for 28 minutes at 350 degrees.

Ready to eat for delicious fall treat!

Take them out and cool. Eat them warm for a delicious fall treat.

I hope this gives you some ideas for fall treats. I ate this as a dessert but they would also be great as an appetizer or lunch snack. Give it a try and let me know what you think of it. What are your favorite fall snacks?