Sweet Tooth...

I have a sweet tooth, which can get me in trouble some times. But I love the 4th of July and Martha makes these desserts look so scrumptious!

Weekend Away...

This weekend we will be at Lake Martin for Memorial Day. I look forward to spending the days on the lake, watching the sunsets in the evening, and indulging in red velvet cupcakes for turning a year older. Enjoy your long weekend!

lake photo courtesy: me

cupcake courtesy: myrecipes

Good Eats...

I never really make New Years resolutions but I do like to set goals. One goal for the new year {and decade} is to eat fresh. We eat right {minus the few splurges here and there}, but what I want to do is to eat more fresh food. We often have one fresh meal to one frozen meal a week. I would like to reduce the frozen meals to one or none a week. The Food Network is one of our favorite channels to watch; often while we eat, is that weird? And to be honest, the hubby is the chef in the house, so naturally he got cookbooks for Christmas {this one, this one, this one, & this one}. One blog I check often that gives me cooking and baking inspiration is SammyW. I was introduced to her blog when she won one of the giveaways I had. Not only does she give yummy recipes {like the Rustic Potato Chowder above}, but she includes wonderful photographs throughout the meal. Be sure to visit, even if it is just to drool at the food. Do you have a quick, go-to cookbook or recipes for a fresh dinner?

Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

Spinach-Bacon Quiche with Whole Wheat crust

Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

Irish Soda Bread

photos courtesy: sammyw

November Living...

Have you seen the November issue of Southern Living?! It will definitely get you ready for the upcoming holidays, with all the trimmings. They started with giving you a simple centerpiece idea, mum balls paired in pretty silver vases. Love it! I am not sure what it is about fall and Thanksgiving, but I think mums are the perfect flower for the season.

They showcase a great Guest room makeover that gives you plenty of ideas you may need for sprucing up your space for the holidays. I loved the framed wallpaper artwork. It is graphic enough to make a statement in the room, but subtle enough not to take over the space. {And they list all there sources...love that!}

And we can't forget the food! With the holidays quickly approaching it is definitely one the things we look forward to...eating. They have dozens of recipes to help you through the holidays if you need any ideas; from appetizers to desserts and everything in between {don't miss the recipe index on pg. 189}. My mouth was watering just reading over each recipe! {Warning: do not read when you are hungry or you may want to eat the pages!}

Southern Love...

Have you noticed the new look and changes in this months Southern Living? Take a look here! I really enjoyed their new contemporary layout, playful fonts, and beautiful photography. Southern Living has noticed that even though the South {and the Southern woman} respects its values, manners, warmth and hospitality, it is also evolving, modern, vibrant and busy.

The magazine provides a little bit of everything a Southerner needs for the home, garden, health, food, and travel. I liked it that their tips are realistic, inspiring, and give you confidence to achieve them. And with the fall season here, I loved all their travel ideas and the calendar of events of everything going on. By now I am sure you have seen the 3/50 project throughout the blogsphere, so it was great to see them showcase and support the local artists. It is also full of recipes to prepare you for the holidays {that are approaching quickly!}, it would make me feel like a better cook!

There is so much in this magazine, I would need a week to talk about it. Check out the Chattanooga Bungalow feature; I love the artwork used, from blueprints to an enlarged letter to maps. I also enjoyed their 'Done in a Day' and 'Step by Step' features. And if I had a yard/garden, I would know exactly what to plant right now. All-in-all it's a magazine good for the Southern soul.

To the Island...

This past weekend we visited one of my best friends who lives on St. Simons Island, GA. While there we got to go on the house tours of house tours, unfortunately no photos were allowed, which was a real bummer (you all would have loved to see some of the interiors!). To give you some highlights, we got to see things like French oak vintage flooring, custom-made antique fixtures of reclaimed ships, Irish bluestone countertops (very yummy), crème Venetian plaster walls, and antiques and collectibles until you were content. On Saturday we grilled out and stuffed ourselves. My friend, Bethany, doesn't like heavy salad dressings so she created her own. It is the perfect Spring/Summer dressing for a salad. She was nice enough to share it with me and all of you! She also made a yummy Pesto Pasta salad. Here are the recipes:

Bethany’s Famous Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette:

-2 tablespoons chopped curly leaf parsley and basil (I prob do a little more)

-1 tablespoon minced shallots

-1 teaspoon minced garlic

-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

-2 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt

-1 1/3 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

-¼ cup olive oil or canola oil

-¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients (except oils) in a food processor and blend.While processing, add the oils until the dressing emulsifies.

It's really good with just baby mixed greens and some feta. DELISH!!!!

Pesto, Pasta, and Peas

(If you're not serving this right away, don’t let the peas completely defrost, to avoid “squishy peas”)

- 12 oz. fusilli pasta

- 12 oz. bow-tie pasta

- ¼ cup olive oil

- 1 ½ c pesto (I used packaged!)

- 1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

- 1 ¼ c mayo

- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

- 1 ½ c frozen peas, defrosted

- 1/3 c pignoli/pine nuts (toasted)

- ¾ tsp kosher salt

- ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes or until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with olive oil. Cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayo and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Image of the day...

Yummy.

Give the gift of food. Mummmm!

Image of the day...

Sweet.

Do you have a favorite Holiday dessert?

I am pretty sure cookies are one of my all time favorites.

For the Love of Chocolate Chips...

While out shopping with the girls this past weekend, I bought this book. I am very excited about it! I can't wait to heat up the oven and get to baking.