House Update

My favorite spot in the house...the kitchen.

My one basin sink that I fought hard for.

Rain rain go away so they can pour our driveway today.

Shrimp and Grits

This was my first time making Shrimp and Grits but definitely not my last. Chad and I married a few recipes together and added a few things here and there to suit our taste. I'm not trying to brag but I must say the results were pretty amazing :) We both cleaned our plates.

Shrimp & Grits

- Start by cooking 4-6 strips of bacon in a pan until crisp. Set aside bacon and reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease/drippings.

- In the same pan that you cooked the bacon in, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the reserve bacon drippings over medium heat.

- Dice 1 small onion and 1 red bell pepper and add to the hot pan. Cook until tender

- Add 1-2 pounds of large raw peeled and deveined shrimp to the pan. Salt and pepper the shrimp once in the pan.

- Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 3 tablespoons of white wine, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

- Cook shrimp mixture 3-5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and curl up. Please don't over cook because I think there is nothing worse than tough chewy shrimp.

- In the meantime start making your grits.

- 1 cup of instant grits (just follow the directions on the box)

- When the grits are almost finished, whisk in 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 cup of extra sharp Cheddar Cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of paprika.

- Remove grits from heat until ready to serve.

- To serve, spoon grits into dish, top with shrimp mixture, crumbled bacon, and chopped scallions.

Lighting is Key

In my many hours of watching HGTV I have learned that lighting is a key element to any room and from the moment we decided to buy a townhouse I have been browsing every store in a 50 mile radius for the perfect lamps. One day Chad and I ventured out to Home Goods (the best store ever) to look at a pair of lamps I saw earlier in the week with my mother. I was really bummed when I realized they were sold but Chad and I spotted another pair that we BOTH liked. That's huge! We both liked the base and the shade just not together. We decided to buy the lamps anyway and change out the shades. After our little switch-a-roo we love the lamps and have found ourselves designing rooms around them.

This is an old base with the new Home Goods shade on it. It is the center of our bedroom design of browns, blues, and whites.

And here is the base from home goods that is the inspiration for the living room. I just love the mustard color! We found pillows and candle holders in the same color from Pottery Barn. Oh I'm so excited, aren't you? Okay maybe not as excited as me...

Anyways, I think Candice Olsen would be proud.

Because it's Thursday...

and I'm not quite ready to go to work yet I thought I would waste some time blogging. :)

Our chandelier in the dining room. Of course we are gonna lower it down some and maybe put some shades on it. The house is sooo close to being ready and it is just killing me. I have to keep telling myself "just a few more weeks."

Wow you say. What a great picture of raspberries. Well thats because...

I bought myself a new camera! I had been eyeing them at Best Buy and finally broke down. I love it. It is a Nikon CoolPix P90. I'm still trying to figure it all out though.

Marley's first picture with the new camera. Isn't he beautiful?

Baked Ziti

You know those nights when you can't decide what to fix for dinner and nothing really sounds good? Well Chad and I had one of those nights on Sunday. I wanted pan fried pork chops from Pioneer Woman but I think Chad is over my obsession with her and all her recipes. He wanted baked ziti like the kind we get at Maggiano's. Well you can tell from the post title who won that fight. Anyways, we had no recipe but Chad is the kind that just goes willy-nilly into the store and ends up creating something so delicious and thats exactly what happened on Sunday.

Baked Ziti

- Start by browning a pack of ground Italian Sausage

- Cook a box of ziti or penne as directed on the package

- Saute veggies of your choice in oil for about 5 minutes (we used zucchini and onions)

- Heat a jar of marinara sauce (or you can make your own). We add chopped fresh tomatoes to make it feel alittle more homemade.

- When all the above are cooked, mix together in an oven safe dish.

- Top with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella. We used chunks of fresh mozzarella and it was amazing.

- Place under broiler under cheese melts and gets slightly browned.

MOO Cards Are Here!

When Chad told me my MOO cards arrived in the mail I couldn't wait to get home and check them out. I LOVE THEM!! They come in a pack of 100 and have different pictures pertaining to food on one side. The other side has all my blog info.

Spoiled

Seriously. Look at that face. How do you say no? I'll tell you how...you don't! It's impossible.
I swear he is part human. He likes to be held like a baby. He stayed in Chad's arms for a good 10 minutes.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Brrr...its cold outside. What happened to fall? It seems like it went from summer to winter in 0 to 60. Anyways, this cold weather makes me crave warm comfort foods like my White Bean Chicken Chili. Its fast, simple, and hits the spot on a cold day.

White Bean Chicken Chili
- In a large pot start by adding 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth over medium heat
- Add two cans of Great Northern Beans (drained)
- Add 2 1/2 cups of diced chicken (cooked). You can use boiled chicken, rotisserie chicken, or canned chicken
- Add 1 small onion diced
- Add 1 can of green chilies (drained)
- Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- Add 1 teaspoon of oregano and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Simmer for about 30 minutes.

I like to eat mine with crushed up tortillas, a sprinkle of cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!

Me Tarzan You Jane

Last weekend Chad and I got together with a group of friends/co-workers and went zip lining through the woods. Yes, right here in Nashville at Adventure Works. I have always wanted to zip line but thought it was something you only find in Costa Rica or Belize. We had a blast and I highly recommend it.

I believe this is Chad flying through the air like Tarzan.

Chad double checking his harness for safety.

So proud of Jennifer who is not a big fan of heights.

The gang. Aren't those harnesses flattering?

Cabinets Are In!

Its amazing how fast these construction workers are working. Tuesday = no cabinets. Thursday = all cabinets. I got so excited and immediately went home and started packing. Too soon...well maybe but I just can't wait. I am gonna have so much fun in this kitchen. Look at all that counter space. I just won't know what to do with myself. I am one lucky girl!

Long Day Dinner

Don't get all excited, this isn't a new wonderful recipe or anything. I like to call this my "go to dinner." I try to keep the ingredients for this dish on hand at all time. It is just so quick, easy, and filling. Try it out the next time you are short on time and tired from a long day.

Easy Jambalaya
- Prepare a box of Zatarain's Low Sodium Jambalaya as directed on the box, leaving out the meat.
- Dice up whatever kind of sausage you like. I usually use a turkey sausage by Butterball.
- Brown sausage in a pan while the rice is cooking.
- Mix sausage in with rice and enjoy.
- You can also grill a chicken breast or two and chop it up and add to the rice mixture.
- If I can find fresh okra I dice it up and cook it with the rice.

Sorry the last picture isn't better. I got hungry and forgot to take a photo before I started eating.

MOO Cards

I got this email today from Foodbuzz and it was about a free order of MOO cards for all their featured publishers. I immediately thought there was probably a catch to it but nope, they really gave us a free pack of mini MOO cards! What you may ask are MOO cards. Well check out their website and see for yourself. I love that you can personalize your cards and the price really isn't that bad. I can't wait to get mine in the mail. I think they are gonna come in very handy. It is so hard to remember websites and this way I can just say "here is my blog card"...get it? Instead of business card its a blog card. I will post pictures as soon as my little MOO cards arrive. They are coming all the way from Europe so it might be a few days.

Happy Hump Day everyone and remember the weekend is just around the corner! :)

Help!

I'm having the hardest time picking colors for the wedding. We are thinking about September 25, 2010 for the big day so it will be an early fall wedding. Below are a couple of my favorite color combos. Tell me what you think...

Sausage Pinwheels

I wanted to remind and share with everyone what I like to call an oldie but a goodie. I have made these sausage pinwheels twice now in recent months and each time they were a hit. They are sooo simple to make and a crowd pleaser for brunches, tailgating, or just because. So tuck this little recipe away a use it on a rainy day.

Sausage Pinwheels

- 2 Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations (This is just the crescent rolls in a can but without the seams. You can find it in the same section as the crescent rolls. If you can't find it just use the regular crescent rolls.)
- 1 16oz tube of sausage (I use Jimmy Dean Hot)
- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup of fresh chives

Preheat oven to 350
Lightly flour a work surface and unroll the crescent dough until it is flat.
Spread 1/2 of the uncooked sausage on top of the dough. Be careful not to tear the dough.
Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese
Sprinkle with half of the chopped chives.
Start at one of the long side and roll to form a pinwheel.
I wrap mine up in wax paper or saran wrap and pop into the freezer for about 10 minutes. This allows the dough to firm back up and makes it easier to cut.
Cut dough into 1-2 inch slices and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Cook at 350 for 16-19 minutes.
Repeat these directions with the remaining ingredients.
Makes about 20 pinwheels.

I like to serve mine with a simple sauce of equal parts yellow mustard and mayo. Delicious!