Taste of Summer

Last night I made dinner using one of the easiest recipes from Martha Stewart and it was such a hit with the hubs that I had to share here too! Instead of grilling the salmon (due to time) we simply baked it on 350 for about 20 minutes. The corn, tomato and avocado relish is so refreshingly good it could be eaten alone - or used as a salsa instead!

What are your go-to summer recipes?

My Mom Makes a Mean Margarita

In honor of my Mom's birthday today, I thought I would share her killer margarita recipe that we have been enjoying this week while at the beach.

Mel's Top Shelf Margarita (for one)
- 1/2 oz Cointreau Orange Liqueur
- 1/2 oz Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur
- 2 1/2 oz Sweet & Sour Mix
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 1 1/2 oz 1800 Tequilla (or Patron Silver 100% Agave Tequila)

Fill mixing glass with ice. Pour in all ingredients. Shake well. Pour into salt rimmed glass and add lime wedge or wheel. If you prefer your margarita blended, add 2 cups of ice into the blender. You can also freeze the mixture in a plastic cup and take it with you to the beach :)

Enjoy!

Meal Planning Update

Although we still haven't completed an entire week according to my new meal planning schedule, we have experienced some improvement (and improvising).

Last night Taylor was going to grill some salmon, but with a torrential down pour, we were limited to baked the fish in the oven. Did you know you can still use a grilling plank in the oven? I can't say it was the same flavor produced by the grill, but it sure made our house smell woodsy.

I added the most basic sides that we already had on hand for a simple meal to be enjoyed while watching the Yankees game (and drinking my favorite summer beer).

Planning It Out

When Taylor and I both changed jobs in February, I was surprised by how seamless the transition was for us mentally and emotionally. We have been in heaven with more time together in the evenings and on weekends. One aspect of the transition that was surprisingly un-smooth was figuring out a meal planning schedule. While we share a lot of responsibilities like going to the grocery store, cleaning up the house, running errands, etc Taylor has done way more grocery shopping over the past two months.

I can't quite pinpoint why I have been so unmotivated to plan our weekly meals and sometimes I just need to write it all out to get a clear picture of what I am trying to accomplish. Last week I came up with a plan:

Monday - Microwave. We have family group time with couples in our church at 7 p.m. so we are typically grabbing something fast after Taylor finishes with personal training clients. Trader Joe's has some yummy (and quick!) microwaveable meals- like Orange Chicken or Kung Pao Chicken that we mix with rice and steamed broccoli.

Tuesday - Tacos. This is usually the cheapest meal to plan and we can always mix it up week to week between beef or pork. Add the toppings, chips, salsa and a margarita and we've got ourselves a meal that makes me oh-so-happy.

Wednesday - White Meat. The options for chicken are endless so this night will be dedicated to perfecting the staple recipes and getting creative with new ones from this cook book. I could easily add a side of summer pasta like this recipe.

Thursday - Trout. Well not trout every week, but I needed a fish that started with "t" :) We love cooking fish on the grill or in the oven- especially salmon with flavored wood planks. And the sides can be something basic or intricate. I love pairing salmon with cheese grits and asparagus.

Friday - Fast food.Taylor has baseball on Friday nights so that leaves me fending for myself and grabbing something on my way to the field. I have never claimed that this was a healthy food blog, so I might as well be honest and admit my weakness for Chick-fil-A sandwiches. With fries. And a milkshake. Judge me.

Saturday - Sushi. Usually anything goes on weekends, but Taylor and I have been making it a weekly habit to pick up sushi rolls from The Fresh Market and practicing our chopstick skills.

Sunday - Southern. If we're not going to grab a post-church lunch with friends, I plan to whip up BLTs or chicken salad before we take our beloved Sunday naps.

I'll be keeping y'all posted on how this goes...I told Taylor I also wanted to do a better job of consistently having people in our home to eat and nothing motivates me to cook and clean like company!

How do you plan your weekly meals?

// Photo via Coffee in the mountains. //

taste buds

How was everyone's Valentine's Day? I hope y'all had a great time celebrating love or being spoiled by your significant other. A couple weeks ago I was inspired to whip up a batch of chocolate souffles simply because I wanted to put my little ramekins to use and get better at baking.

chai

Every fall I am reminded of one of life's sweetest gifts...chai lattes. I reserve these little luxuries for this time of year only (although an iced one in the summer is pretty killer) and since they usually cost around $4, I have been looking for a tasty recipe so I can make them at home too. This one will probably do just the trick.

// Photo via bloom //

spicy linguine with clams

Last night we had the best seafood pasta I have ever had. My mother-in-law used Giada de Laurentis' Spicy Linguine with Clams recipe and it was good enough to make me wish I lived on the beach all year long. Here are the ingredients with our adaptations:

• 1 pound linguine pasta
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large or 4 small shallots, sliced (The store was out of shallots so we improvised with a white onion)
• Kosher salt, for seasoning, plus 2 teaspoons
• Freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning, plus 1 teaspoon
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup white wine (recommended: Pinot Grigio)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 12 littleneck clams, cleaned (For the 6 of us, we cooked 36 clams)
• 12 mussels, cleaned (We didn't add mussels, but I'd love to try this in the future!)

You can find the full recipe here. Even without fresh clams, the spicy linguine should be a summer staple. I can't wait to try this out again back home for our friends!

xoxo

// Photo from My Life in Food //

rain & dinner

It was rainy here in Athens this morning and all I wanted to do was snuggle under a blanket and read a book. Instead, I'm watching the kiddos and hoping the weather clears up so they don't get cabin fever :)

Last Thursday I made dinner with some girlfriends. We usually go out together (which is always a fun excuse to dress up), but we decided on an evening in to make things cheaper for everyone. For our main dish, Alisha made this incredible twice-baked squash with sliced sausage.

I baked brie topped with raspberry jam and wrapped in pastry. Anna made a yummy squash soup and Carol Anne brought the carrot cake dessert & wine.

We stuffed ourselves silly and are very excited about our new tradition. I will post the recipes once I get them from the gals.

After watching the kids today, I'm hoping to go to an event on campus for careers in event planning and tonight hubby & I are going out for drinks with friends. It should be a lovely Thursday.

soup for the soul

Tonight hubby and I are having taco soup for dinner. We both love a hearty soup and this one in particular is similar to Paula Deen's recipe.What is it about soup that just makes you feel so cozy & comfy? Yum.

Here are some recipes I'd love to try out soon:

Cream of Potato Soup

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Banana Bread

Curry & Kale Fried Rice

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Spinach Goat Cheese Pizza

Here was our creation...

// Top photo via How To: Simplify //