Superbowl Snacks.

Confession: I could care less who wins the Superbowl this Sunday.

I'm just excited for the food, drinks, and gathering of family & friends!

 

These are a few of the ideas running through my mind on what to prepare for everyone to snack on!

What is your favorite snack that you make or that someone else brings?

 

Salami, Cream Cheese, and Pepperoncini Roll-Ups

Recipe

Italian Skewers 

Recipe

Veggie & Ranch Cups

 

French Dip Bites

Recipe

 Greek Pinwheels

Recipe

 



Wedding Wednesday: February To-Do's.

It's getting real, y'all!  Today marks the 2 month countdown! I am so ready for this thing to get here!!

Let's see if I got my list of January to-do's accomplished..

-Pre-marital counseling. Check! Our last session was supposed to be last night, but our Pastor forgot to put us on the calendar. :(

-Oyster roast in our honor. Check! See post here.

-Bridal shower. Check! See post here.

-Book honeymoon. Check! We didn't wind up using the original travel agent that we planned, which turned out better for us because we are using a girl who grew up in the same neighborhood as me and she has been SUPER helpful! Her company is called The Shady Umbrella if anyone is looking for a wonderful travel agent!

-Send out invitations. Check!!! Guests should have all received theirs by now! :)

I have a feeling February's list is going to be rather lengthy..

-Purchase Cameron's wedding band

-Purchase bridal portrait to display at reception

-Reserve the hotel room for the wedding night (yep, I'm cutting it close!)

-Purchase Cameron's wedding present(s)

-Finalize cake 
-Purchase fabric for lounge pillows

-Purchase random items like bins for koozies, something to put cards in, etc

-Get signs to Shea for calligraphy

-Stock the Bar party thrown for us by our wonderful wedding party!

A lot of purchasing going on in February! Thank you tax returns! :)

Tasty Tuesday: Everything Flatbread.

Everything Flatbread

Recipe and photo from Confections of a Foodie Bride. 

For the dough:
1 cup warm water
1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast (1/2 envelope)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as necessary
1 tsp salt
Oil for greasing bowl and baking sheet

For the flour paste:
1/2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water
Cornmeal, for baking sheet

For the Everything topping:
2 tsp dried minced garlic
2 tsp dried minced onion
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp poppy seeds
2 tsp sesame seed

1. Add the water to the bowl of your mixer and sprinkle yeast over top, letting proof for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add the flour and salt, and knead for 6 minutes until the dough is smooth and only slightly sticky.
3. If the dough doesn't mostly form into a ball after ~2 minutes, add an extra 2-4 Tbsp of flour.
4. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
5. Lightly grease a baking sheet and divide the dough into 4 pieces. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise for another hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 450 and place a baking sheet or pizza stone into the oven.
7. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, heat the oil and whisk in the flour, sugar, and water until mostly smooth.
8. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, and then remove from heat to cool.
9. In a small bowl, stir together the ingredients for the everything topping.
10. Generously sprinkle cornmeal onto a sheet of parchment or a pizza peel (or something else to help you transfer the dough onto the heated pan in the oven).
11. Gently stretch a piece of dough into an oval on the peel, lifting the dough and adding additional cornmeal to prevent it from sticking (this is important).
12. Spread flour paste over the top of the dough and use your fingers to press lines or dimples into the dough.
13. Sprinkle with a generous spoonful of everything topping and transfer the dough to the oven.
14. Repeat for the remaining dough (I formed and baked two at a time), baking each for ~15 minutes, until golden brown.
15. Best enjoyed as fresh as possible.
16. Extra flour paste can be discarded, extra everything topping can be stored in a zip-top bag.

Babies, Birthdays and Boats.

That's what my weekend revolved around!

 

My cousin, Sam, is due with her second little girl just 2 weeks before the wedding so her sister in law threw a shower for her on Saturday in Summerville. She got lots of great presents and the cake you see below was delicious!

 

Later that night, we went over to my co-worker/friend's house to celebrate her birthday. She made an amazing gumbo (and she brought me leftovers for lunch today, woohoo!!). There was another engaged couple over there and come to find out, they're getting married the day before us!

 

Sunday, we ate lunch with our friends, Justin & Jenny, at Jim n Nicks then went to the boat show. Cameron's uncle's side of the family owns a boat dealership so it's always fun to go see them and the boats that they've got for sale!

photo sources

 

Great weekend! Can't wait to get home and check the mail for RSVP's! :)



Mex 1 Coastal Cantina.

Wednesday night, after our pre-marital counseling session, Cameron and I decided to check out a new restaurant in West Ashley called Mex 1 Coastal Cantina! It's located on Highway 61, where Jack's Cosmic Dogs used to be. All of their food is fresh, tasty, and they have a nice bar menu, including a TON of different tequilas. The atmosphere and decorations are very laid back and surf bar-esque, and the customer service was top-notch.

Upon being seated, they give you fresh chips with homemade salsa. Always one of my favorite parts. 

We started out with the Mex 1 margarita, which is their standard margarita with their homemade mix for $6. It tasted delicious, but I thought the serving size was a tad small. It was gone in literally 4 sips.

Mex 1 Margarita

 We ordered the triple dipper appetizer which came with queso, guacamole and smoked chipotle salsa. The queso was good, the guacamole was AMAZING, and the smoked chipotle salsa was just meh. We both preferred the free salsa more.

For my entree, I ordered the baja fish taco, mainly because that's what I order at Taco Boy and Zia, and I wanted to compare. The result? I wasn't impressed. The fish itself was good, but I felt like the sauce and the cilantro-onion relish lacked flavor. I'll be trying something new next time.

Cameron also ordered the baja fish taco, along with the bangin' shrimp taco. Think of Bonefish Grill's bang bang shrimp in a taco. He let me have a bite and it was so good! Wish I would have ordered that instead.

Triple Dipper & Baja Fish Taco

We will be back!

Loving.

Happy Thursday! One more day until Friday! I took the day off from work today to run errands and go to my yearly check up at the doctor. So...I'm still in my pj's right now and watching Kelly & Michael.

Other than still being in my pj's, here's what else I've been loving lately..

-Saturday night, a group of girls that were still in town from the bridal shower and I went out to dinner at Coast and then decided we were craving something sweet. Emily told us about a gelato place that served gelato on top of a hot Belgian waffle.  It's called Belgian Gelato - duh. The girl who was working there was super friendly, letting us sample any flavor we wanted. The majority of us settled for the Irish cream and holy moly it was good. Will definitely be back! If you're interested in trying it out, it's located on King Street, across from Pottery Barn.

Pic borrowed from Kelly Anne :)

-Invitations are going in the mail today! I am so glad I started the stuffing process early because man, it takes forever!

-Loving this Milly dress! She can do no wrong in my book.

 

Ok, it's a short but sweet one today! Got lots of stuff to do!

Have a great day!

Wedding Wednesday: Honeymoon Booked!

Well, as of last Friday, Cameron booked our honeymoon AND our passports arrived in the mail! Talk about great timing! Side note - Our passports only took 3 weeks to arrive in our mailbox. High five!

We are going to.....

Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita in Riviera Maya! 

We fell in love with the Zoetry resorts (there are 3) because of their boutique feel (our resort only has 91 suites), their all inclusive packages, and the top notch customer service we read about. It also helped that our travel agent has actually been to this resort. We just really wanted a place we could relax and not fight for a lounge chair. 

So happy to have this checked off of the to-do list!

Tasty Tuesday: Clean Eating Greek Salad with Baked Pita Bread.

 Mmmm I want to make this and eat it for lunch every day. Such a nice change from the go-to turkey sandwich.

Greek Salad with Baked Pita Bread

Recipe and photo found here.

2 6-inch whole-wheat pitas
1 English cucumber, unpeeled and chopped
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 15-oz can low-sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 oz low-fat feta cheese, crumbled
Paprika for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut each pita into 4 strips and cut each strip into 1-inch triangles, splitting apart the 2 “sides” of the pita as you cut. Spread on a baking sheet and toast in oven until pita is crispy, about 10 minutes, tossing once.

In a large bowl, combine cucumber, tomatoes, onion, chickpeas and parsley. Add oil, lemon juice and pepper; toss well. Add feta and toasted pita and toss again. Garnish with a dash of paprika and serve immediately.

Let the Wedding Parties & Showers Begin!

This weekend was full of great friends, wonderful hostesses, good food and lots of fun! It was the weekend of my bridal shower! 

The shower was held at my aunt's house in Summerville and was hosted by my sister, aunt and grandmother. The menu consisted of croissants with raspberry preserves or Nutella, cheese straws, fresh fruit, mini muffins, breakfast casserole, and shrimp & grits! 

We played a fun little game before we got started opening gifts - everyone wrote down a memory they had of/with me and I had to guess who wrote it. It was so fun reminiscing! 

Cameron even got a gift! :)

Had to get a pic with Cocky!

The wonderful hostesses!

LOVED my dress and got so many compliments on it! It's by Trina Turk and I rented it from Rent the Runway!

 

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Last week, I mentioned that we had an oyster roast thrown for us by Cameron's mom's friends. It was a great way to kick off the 3 month countdown!

It was held at one of their houses on the marsh, with an amazing view. The oysters were some of the biggest I've ever seen!

Sorry in advance for the crappy Iphone pics. 

 

 

Can't wait for the next one in February!

2013 House To-Do's.

I'm posting this so that we can hold ourselves accountable and actually get back on the home updating train! Most of this stuff will obviously happen after the wedding because ain't nobody got time for all of that before then. 

-Paint front door black..it's now white and surrounded by white trim and white windows. Painting the door black will make it pop!

 -Paint interior doors that need it

-Clean out junk room, which has turned into the wedding storage room

-Finish laundry room, which includes installing cabinets, finding a small rug

-Fix cabinet door in hall bathroom..just a little sanding and re-painting

-Fix window screens of junk room

-Hang curtains in guest room

-Finish painting guest room wall..either finish the stenciling or paint over it

-Clean out dog pin in backyard and plant garden..really need to get this done before the wedding to be ready for spring planting!

-Paint fascia and window trim

-Clean out and organize garage

-Paint garage ceilings, walls, and floor (epoxy on floor) 
 

Wedding Wednesday: Honeymoon Essentials.

 

Cameron and I are deep in the middle of planning our honeymoon and are so close to making a decision! Looking at all of the pictures of clear blue water, frozen drinks and infinity pools have really got my mind thinking about what I am going to need to pack!  

 

Am I missing any essentials? I do know I will need to bring bugspray just in case!
Where did you are/are you going on your honeymoon? Do tell!!

 

Tasty Tuesday: Spicy Sausage Pasta.

If you're looking for a fast, flavorful, one pot meal. Try this. I was at the gym until 7pm so I knew I wanted to make something that could come together in a hurry. It has a slight kick to it, too, because of the Ro-Tel. If you don't like spicy food, I would just use a can of diced tomatoes.  And, it made enough for myself, Cameron and my sister, with leftovers. Enjoy!

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Recipe and photo found here.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Wonnnnderful Weekend.

I am so sad to see Monday again because we had the best weekend! 

Friday after work my parents stopped by since they were in the area and we wound up grilling burgers and eating outside on the porch since the weather was so awesome. Later that night, we went to see Zero Dark Thirty with Emily & David. Great movie! 

Saturday I woke up, had a gym date with Emily, went with my sister to try on her bridesmaid dress, ate lunch outside with her and Cameron, sat outside in the backyard with Emily and our pups and drank a beer, then went to our first official wedding party thrown for us! More details to come on Wedding Wednesday. :)

Sunday was one of those unplanned, super fun days. The temps were supposed to be in the upper 70's so we all decided to take the boats out to the sandbar, marking it the first official Sandbar Sunday of 2013!

 Around 5pm, the boats looked like this, which meant we would all be there for a while longer waiting on the tide to come back in. Which also meant that we had come up with some news ways to entertain ourselves. 

 

So there was some limbo..

And some javelin throwing..

And finally, some group pics.

 

We ended the day with this beautiful sunset!

Loving This Week.

I've got a lot of lovin' for yall today! A few beauty products for you product junkies, a couple of super cute items to add to your closet, and a yummy new twist for your sandwich routine.

Let's go.

The $5.99 conditioner that I bought at Target on Sunday is making me so much happier than my $25 Bumble & Bumble conditioner. I am seriously tempted to just throw the B&B in the trash, y'all. It does not detangle or make my hair soft AT ALL. I do like the B&B shampoo, however. Anyway, back to the L'Oreal conditioner. I have a lot of hair but it is really fine, which makes it tangle easily. This conditioner detangles it wonderfully, smells great and leaves it so soft after I blow dry it. Win!

 
I must have this dress for the honeymoon! It looks like the perfect combination of comfy & cute. 

Are you stuck in a sandwich rut? We usually are. We always get sick of the same ol' turkey sandwich for lunch. So when I saw these Flatout Foldits at Harris Teeter, I snatched them up immediately. We made shrimp salad and slapped it between one of these rosemary/olive oil slices and it was SO good. Very soft and only has 100 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 3 grams of fiber per slice.

Emily gave me this amazing hand creme by Lollia for Christmas and I am in love! She actually gave me the three-pack, which is perfect to store one on my nightstand, one in my purse, and one at my desk at work!

I finally read enough beauty blogs / articles / reviews to convince me that I needed to start using a make up primer. I bought Bare Minerals Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer and I REALLY like it so far. It goes on my face so silky, controls the shine on my face, and makes my foundation go on super smooth. 

And last, but certainly not least, I'm loving this beautiful top by Pim + Larkin. Too bad I just had my birthday 10 days ago. Maybe it will still be available after the wedding. I have officially put myself on a non-wedding related spending freeze as of today.  And that dress mentioned above it totally wedding related. :)