perfect pizza.

I'm going to let y'all in on a little secret, since we're besties and all. 

I LOVE pizza. 

like obsessed. 

could eat it everyday. 

for almost every meal. 

{after all, sometimes a girl needs cereal in the morning} 

As I was looking for a tasty pizza recipe for B and I to make last night, I found this heavenly number. 

Nectarine & Prosciutto Pizza

• 
  
• Ingredients
• 3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Yellow cornmeal for dusting
• 1 pound whole-wheat pizza dough
• 3 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1 large ripe nectarine or peach or 2 fresh apricots, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 
  
• Directions
• 1. Preheat grill to low.
  2. Mix provolone and blue cheese in a medium bowl; set aside.
  3. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a pizza peel or large baking sheet. When you’re ready to get your pizzas on the grill, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the top with flour; dimple with your fingertips to shape into a thick, flattened circle"don’t worry if it’s not perfectly symmetrical. Then use a rolling pin to roll into a circle about 14 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough to the prepared peel or baking sheet, making sure the underside of the dough is completely coated with cornmeal.
  4. Slide the crust onto the grill rack; close the lid. Cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
  5. Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread pesto on the crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Quickly sprinkle three-fourths of the cheese mixture on top. Top with prosciutto, fruit and the remaining cheese.
  6. Close the lid again and grill until the cheese has melted and the bottom of the crust has browned, about 8 minutes.
  7. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the pizza and season with pepper just before slicing and serving. {via} 

And y'all it was DIVINE. A must try. We paired it with a simple spinach salad and some white wine.

to.die.for.

Off to the beach! 

Happy Saturday Y'all! 

memorial day shindig.

Can you believe that Memorial Day weekend is HERE?!? This year is flying by ... But I am oh-so-ready to WELCOME summer with open arms! 

We're having a cookout at the beach and I'm LOVING all these ideas for Memorial Day parties! 

{1}{2}{3}{4}{5}

What fun and easy decor ideas?! Perfect for casual parties with friends and family! 

{1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}

I love the idea of slider bars for a spin on the classic cookout! Everyone can make their own and with the burgers being so small you could even make several different kinds! And of course macaroni salad and potato salad are a MUST at any classic American cookout! And that avocado salad? well you know this gal loves all things avo! :) 

Do you have cookout plans this weekend?! Happy Saturday Y'all! 

faux s'ghetti & meatballs.

I have a confession: I LOVE pasta. 

As in it's an obsession of mine. 

I could eat it every day. 

But alas, the hubs is STILL making us 'diet' ... No carbs after lunch. STILL. 

{though I have made him cheat several times}

Last week I was CRAVING pasta ... So I made the next best thing ... Spaghetti squash and meatballs 

I totally made up the recipe but here she is ... 

~ 1 spaghetti squash

~ 1 lb. ground beef {or turkey}

~ 1/2 C. breadcrumbs

~ 1 clove minced garlic

~ 1 egg

~ 1 Tbs. dried parsley

~ Cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Place in a microwave safe dish; add some water to the bottom. Microwave for 15-25 minutes or until tender. Let cool slightly then scrape with a fork ... This makes the s'ghetti! Drizzle with olive oil. 

~ While squash is cooking, mix beef, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg and parsley together. Form into 1 inch balls. Heat 2 Tbs. olive oil in large pan. Add meatballs and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. 

~ I put about 1/2 C. spinach in the bottom of both of our bowls then added spaghetti squash, topped with more spinach and meatballs. Then for a little extra kick I drizzled the bowls with a balsamic glaze! 

This was SO SO good y'all! A must try! 

Happy Monday! 

**linking up with**

must try: 2 for 1. {recipe}

So the other night B and I went to dinner with some of our absolute favorite friends. The four of us always have the BEST time together. And while I was super excited about our double date, when my food came I was beside myself. 

{yes, I get that excited about food}

I was really craving pizza but have REALLY REALLY been trying to eat more healthy {we are entering bathing suit season after all} and the restaurant had the PERFECT compromise ... a "2 for 1" ... 

Legit a SALAD on top of  PIZZA. What?!?! 

I'm not sure who the genius behind this creation is but I'd like to give him/her a BIG {and awkwardly long} squeeze. 

Now of course this hungry girl did not snap a pic before annihilating my oh-so-heavenly grub. 

So I did the next best thing ... Googled recipes! 

Here's one I found that I must try: 

Grilled Salad Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 package dry yeast 
• 2/3 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 3 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped trimmed arugula 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped seeded tomato
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Preparation

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, salt, oregano, and thyme. Add to yeast mixture; stir well. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
• Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into the dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 9-inch circle on a floured surface.
• Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Place one dough portion on pan; cook 10 minutes. Turn dough over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Cook 10 minutes; remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and cheeses.
• Combine 2 teaspoons oil, arugula, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Spoon 2 cups salad onto each pizza crust using a slotted spoon. Cut each pizza into 4 wedges. Serve immediately.

The pizza that I had was more a Greek theme ... Spinach, tomatoes, cuks, feta all drizzled in a vinaigrette ... I think it'd be yummy to add olives and artichokes to that combo! 

Oh y'all the options are ENDLESS! And what a fun new idea for grilling! :) 

Happy Saturday Y'all! 

menu monday. {salads galore}

We're still on a major diet overhaul in our house ... 

Especially after eating my weight in Easter candy this past weekend!! 

{and all the other YUMMY goodness my SWEET mama made for us!}

Plus I've recently been craving all sorts of salads ... I think it's the warm weather ... Makes me long for all things fresh and light ... 

Check out these DELISH salads ... I'm sure we'll be munching on these this week! 

Spinach Salad

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 (8-ounce) bag baby spinach

1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 can whole chunk tuna in water

1 orange, cut into segments

1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Dressing:

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium saute pan over medium heat add oil. When oil is hot add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until onions release their natural sugar and become golden brown, about 20 minutes.

To make dressing: In a small jar or pint container with a lid add mustard, honey, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Place top on container and shake to combine.

In a large mixing bowl add spinach, roasted pepper, beans, feta, tuna and 2 tablespoons dressing. Toss to combine. Garnish with caramelized onion, orange segments and toasted almonds.

Grilled Salmon and Grapefruit Salad

Ingredients

• 2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (1 to 1 1/4 inches thick)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• Cooking spray
• 8 cups mixed baby salad greens
• 1 (24-ounce) jar red grapefruit sections (such as Del Monte), drained

• Preparation

  • 1. Prepare grill.
  • 2. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Coat fillets and onion slices with cooking spray. Place fish and onion on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Cover and grill 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and onion is tender.
  • 3. Cut onion into bite-sized chunks; break fish into chunks. Place 2 cups salad greens on each of 4 serving plates; arrange grapefruit sections, onion, and fish evenly over greens on each plate. Drizzle Blood Orange Vinaigrette evenly over salads.
  
  
  
  
  So how 'bout you ... When the weather warms up, what light and refreshing meal do you crave? 

happy easter.

Happy Happy Easter! 

I hope your day was filled with as much goodness as these cute sweet treats! :) 

xo

so long diet. {a DELISH waffle recipe}

Remember way back when {on Monday} when I told you we were having a diet overhaul in our house? 

Whelp, that ALL went out the window this morning when my lovely stepmama served up these most DELICIOUS waffles. 

I should say that I'm a sucker for waffles and for ALL THINGS red velvet ... So there was absolutely ZERO willpower when it came to these divine culinary creations. 

Red Velvet Waffles

{via}

- 2 eggs

- 1/3 C. vegetable oil

- 1 1/2 C. water

- 3 C. waffle mix

- 1/4 C. cocoa powder

- 1/2 bottle red food coloring

- 3 oz. cream cheese

- 3 Tbs. powdered sugar

- 1/4 tsp. vanilla

- 3 Tbs. milk

- 1/2 C. toasted pecans

- Combine eggs, oil, water and waffle mix and mix well. Add in cocoa powder and blend. Add red food coloring. 

- Cook waffles in a preheated waffle maker. 

- While waffles cook, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk with a handheld electric mixer. Pour glaze into a saucepan and heat over low-medium heat, stirring frequently. 

- Serve waffles with cream cheese glaze and toasted pecans. 

And be happy for the REST OF THE DAY! I know I will be! :) 

Happy Saturday Y'all! 

ode to jillian. {and a yummy recipe}

I know I've mentioned it before but several weeks back I started Jilllian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD ... And can I just say it is kickass. 

{pardon my french!}

I'm on Level 2 of the DVD and have been breaking a hardcore sweat during my 20 minute workouts with Jillian. 

Here's a clip of all 3 workouts ... 

I'm moving up to Level 3 on Monday and can I just say that I'm slightly TERRIFIED. 

{and by slight, I mean extremely}

The Mr. and I have also been trying to eat more healthy and I have discovered my new FAVE breakfast food ... 

the breakfast cookie

essentially overnight oatmeal but you get to say you're eating COOKIES for breakfast ... no way you can go wrong there! :) 

Recipe: 

1/3 C. oatmeal

1 Tbs. nut butter 

1/2 scoop protein powder

~ Mix all of these in a small bowl, using the back of the spoon to break up nut butter. Add in 1/8 C. of milk and mix until fully moistened. Then add in your fixins' {banana, raisins, cranberries, chocolate chips, almonds, pumpkin ... you get the point! can be whatever your heart desires!}

~ Pour mixture onto a small plate and press flat with a spoon. Refrigerate overnight and ENJOY in the AM! {via}

You know you wan to eat cookies for breakfast too! :) 

Happy Thursday Y'all! 

Do you eat breakfast? What's your fave breakfast food? 

menu monday. {loads of protein and veggies.}

Is it REALLY Monday? Already? Goodness! 

I hate to disappoint but this menu Monday is going to be a lot more boring than usual! 

The Mr. and I are on a detox of sorts. We're both trying to drop a few lbs {you know pre-swimsuit season} and so we're cutting carbs after lunch. 

Which means no pasta, sweet potato fries, roasted potatoes, or samis for dinner. We're also adding in LOTS of lean protein. Which for us means LOADS and LOADS of chicken. 

So instead of a menu today ... how 'bout some delish chicken recipes? 

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

1/3 C. dijion mustard

1/4 C. honey

2 Tbs. mayo

1 tsp. steak sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

- Mix all ingredients. Set aside a small amount of honey mustard sauce for basting and coat the chicken in the rest. Grill over medium heat, turning and basting occasionally. {via}

Spicy Grilled Chicken

1/3 C. vegetable oil

2 Tbs. lime juice

1/2 tsp. grated lime zest

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 1/2 tsp fresh chopped oregano

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

- Mix all ingredients in a shallow dish. Add chicken, turn to coat and marinate for at least 1 hour. Grill over medium heat. {via}

Lemon Grilled Chicken

1/2 C. lemon juice

1/4 C. vegetable oil

3 Tbs. chopped onion

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 crushed garlic clove

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. 

- Combine all ingredients in a large plastic bag. Shake to mix well. Reserve 1/4 C. of liquid for basting. Add chicken to the bag and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Grill over medium heat - turning and basting occasionally. {via}

And of course some grilled veggies 

{because I can only do so much steamed broccoli and cauliflower} 

So it's not that boring but I sure am going to miss my pasta! :) 

Happy Monday Y'all! Hope it's a great one! 

dear pollen.

Dear Pollen, 

I do not like you. I am not your friend. And I don't see the need for you to stick around any longer. You are causing my eyes to itch and water, my nose to run, and my head to hurt. And I for one am OVER you. So if you don't mind ... kindly leave. 

P.S. - You are also causing me to feel badly for myself and indulge in these today. 

{stupid pollen}. 

Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• Sprinkles' Strawberry Frosting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Do y'all hate pollen as much as this girl? 

We can hate pollen and love strawberry cupcakes together! 

Happy Saturday Y'all! 

menu monday. {and a sweet treat!}

Monday ... Monday ... How do you ALWAYS come so quickly!?!

Thanks for your sweet comments yesterday about my store ... It's my little pride and joy! We had a great day yesterday ... Lots of people turned out for the open house and I had lots of positive feedback on my space {along with a few sales! :)}

On our menu board this week: 

~ Monday: burgers & sweet potato fries

~ Tuesday: sweet potato gnocchi with brown butter and asparagus

~ Wednesday: huevos rancheros

~ Thursday: spaghetti with meatballs

~ Friday & Saturday: hubs is going out of town for a guys weekend :( which means I will be eating a lot of this ...

It's a pretty easy week in the kitchen this week! I'm so excited for the gnocchi ... It's by far one of my fave dishes! :) 

Now onto a sweet treat for y'all ... 

Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread 

{via}

Ingredients

2  cups  all-purpose flour

3/4  teaspoon  baking soda

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1  cup  sugar

1/4  cup  butter, softened

1 1/2  cups  mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)

2  eggs

3/4 cup plain yogurt, Greek or regular

1/2 cup  semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 chocolate covered almonds, or other add-in of your choice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add banana, eggs, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.

4. Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch greased loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. 

Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

This bread turned out delicious! 

I didn't have chocolate covered almonds so instead I used some sunflower seeds! YUMMMM! 

Now I promise before y'all think I buy bananas only to let them over-ripen so that I can bake with them ... this was a rare occurrence! :) 

Happy Monday Y'all! What's on your menu this week?  

** linking up with**