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! 

friday fancying. - royal wedding edition.

Countess Lauren Musgrave Buckton of Greenvilleham

Oh you know ... Just what according to this name generator my name would have read on my Royal Wedding invite ... If of course, it hadn't been lost in the mail. 

{because obvi that's what HAD to have happened to it}

I've been looking SO FORWARD to linking up with {av} for the Royal Wedding edition of Friday's Fancies. 

HOWEVER, trying to find an 'appropriate' outfit for the royal wedding .... eeeeeeesh.

DIF.FI.CULT. 

Does anyone know what a "lounge suit" or "morning jacket" is? 

Yea, I didn't either. Until the LOVELY Miss {av} linked this article in one of her posts ... 

{Thank you for that. :)}

So I'm not much for a dress + jacket ... Afterall, I'm not 60. {sorry if this is your style} that being said,  I did read that baring your shoulders at the wedding was a BIG no-no ... 

So this is as conservative as this gal could get ... 

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

How fab is that hat?!?! 

Looks like something KM herself would wear. Which means I.LOVE.IT.

What would YOU wear to the Royal Wedding? 

stormy days.

What happened to just April showers? 

So far all we've seen here in the South is April Devastation ... 

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the terrible storm that wreaked havoc all over several Southern states, including my home-state -- North Carolina. 

Yesterday, Alabama was hit HARD. 

The outcome was catastrophic. 

And it truly breaks my heart. 

The stories, the devastation, the lives lost 

...

 It's hard to think of anything else today 

... 

I know that my heart is with these people. 

As are my prayers. 

And now, I'm asking for yours too. 

{all photos via}

I'm loving.

It's Wednesday ... It's rainy ... but it's WEDNESDAY! :) 

And I'm linking up with Jamie on this humpday ... 

{can y'all tell I'm glad the week is 1/2way over?!}

I'm loving ... 

~ that my sis is coming in TWO DAYS!!! B's having the guys weekend that was postponed several weeks ago and so we're having a GIRLS WEEKEND! :)

{also loving that between all of our visits we will spend 5 out of 6 weekends together in April/May! love.me.some.sistah.time.}

~ CAD.BERRY.EGGS. {need I say more?!}

~ these adorbs neons 

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

~ POTENTIALLY loving my new Droid ... but am DEFINITELY missing my iPhone. 

{thank goodness I have 30 days to change my mind!}

~ LOVVVVVVING that my sunburn has gone from burn to sun poisoning to FINALLY a nice shade of tan! :) 

{definitely needed this slide before our kayaking trip}

~ and as always I'm LOVING LOVING LOVING you sweeties!!!! 

Happy Humpday Y'all! 

wedding ceremony.

It's about time, right? 

I can't believe this is my second to last wedding post ... It's been SO much fun reliving what was such an incredibly special time in my life ... 

Ok so now up ... The ceremony! 

I absolutely love the church that I grew up in ... We have a great minister who I adore listening to on Sundays and the church itself is absolutely gorgeous, especially the sanctuary. 

The only drawback ... No pictures during wedding ceremonies. Now part of me understands this and I was honestly thankful that I didn't hear the constant clicking of cameras during our vows BUT it means that I have VERY few photos from our wedding ceremony. 

And that's about it folks ... Aside from the random cell phone pictures that people 'illegally' snapped! :) 

So now ... I have a confession ... It's a big one ... Are you ready? 

I have a SERIOUS potty mouth. 

Now the reason I'm telling y'all this is that I almost fell down DURING our ceremony ... Notice that at the beginning of the ceremony we are out in front of the altar and then we had to walk up those TINNNNNNY little stairs and stand in front of the altar with the minister and our maids of honor and best men. 

Well, I almost didn't make it y'all. 

As soon as I took the first step, my heel got caught in the lining of my dress and I stumbled ... and said a bad word ... which of course was projected forward TOWARDS the minister ... 

Luckily I didn't fall {thank you B} but I did have to push my heel through the lining of my dress ... 

This picture is one of my absolute faves ... all of our wedding party and family heard my 'four letter word mishap' and this pic is of me and my stepmom talking about it after the ceremony ... 

And then of course me showing my girls THE rip ... 

Now from the church to the reception site we took a trolley ... That we had to trot to in the POURING RAIN! 

Next week ... One of the MOST fun nights I've ever had ... OUR RECEPTION! :) 

**sorry for the picture quality ... I had to take pictures of our pictures because our photog shot only on film {which I love}!***

Happy Tuesday 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

friday fancying.

It's Friday .... And I'm finally feeling {almost} back to normal ... {thankfully}

B and I are heading to Ocean Isle Beach this weekend ... 

Both my mama and middle sister live there and we go almost year to celebrate Easter ... 

So this weekend we have a kayaking adventure, relaxation, and lots of family dinners planned. And on Sunday, we'll head to the Easter Service on the beach .... There's nothing like going to church with your toes in the sand! :) 

Saturday night we're having a big family cookout ... 

And this is what I'd be wearing if my wallet were overflowing with el casho ... 

{earrings}{bracelet}{belt}{shirt}{shoes}{jeans}

I am LOVING the look of a chambray shirt and white jeans ... And I especially love the boyfriend fit of these jeans! Plus those shoes and some punches of colors with accessories ... swoon.
I'm linking up with {av} for another FABULOUS Friday's Fancies! You should join the fun! 

So what do y'all have planned for Easter weekend? 

Visiting with Family and/or Friends?

Happy Good Friday Y'all! 

what.a.week.

holy MIA blogger. 

I apologize for my absence but this has been one CRAZY week. You know one of those "what else could POSSIBLY go wrong?" weeks. 

Beginning of the week ... sinus infection caused by allergies. {again, I hate you pollen.}

{via}

Middle of the week ... food poisoning from what, at the time, I thought was delicious sushi. I'm still feeling pretty lousy from that ... And really tired of the BRAT {bananas, rice, applesauce, toast} diet ... 

Needless to say, the creative juices were NOT flowing. I promise I'm back in the game now though. And man, have I missed y'all! 

Happy Thursday Y'all! 

after the storm.

Today I had a witty post prepared for your reading pleasure but instead I need to talk about something that is weighing heavy on my heart at the moment ... 

Yesterday, a storm that had already ransacked Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, and several other Southern states ripped through North Carolina yesterday afternoon ... 

A total of 62 tornados were reported in my home-state ... The worst storm in over 2 decades ... 

Homes and businesses were destroyed, cars were overturned on the highway, lives were lost ... 

So today I need your help ... 

I need your thoughts and prayers for the people of NC and surrounding states whose lives were left in shambles by this violent storm ... 

The people who have no home to return to ... 

The people who lost a loved one ... 

The people left to clean up the pieces ...

These are the people that are on my mind today. 

{all images via}

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! 

friday fancying.

This weekend I'm heading home-home ... To Charlotte, NC! 

My baby sister is finally back from her Central America travels and I cannot wait to see her! 

{if only hubs could come too :(}

{us after the Military Bowl in DC}

Tonight we're having a Girls Night Out with some of our friends who live in Charlotte ... Dinner and then maybe a little dancin'! 

So as usual ... 

I'm linking up with the fabulous {av} for Friday's Fancies ... 

Here's what I'd be wearing tonight if money really did grow on trees ... 

{top}{cami}{jeans}{shoes}{bangles}{clutch}

I'm totally diggin' those red jeans ... What are your thoughts on red jeans {or colored jeans in general}? 

And of course ... What are your plans this weekend? 

Happy Friday Y'all! {it's finally here!}

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? 

new accessories!

Several weeks ago I signed up to be in the Accessory Swap that the oh-so-sweet Jessica at creative index was hosting! 

I got my accessories in the mail the other day and love them! 

Kristin at Little Lady sent these cute things to me ... 

How fun?! Definitely brightened my week! 

As for other accessories I'm loving on this gorgeous Wednesday ... 

{hat}{shades}{clutch}{scarf}{earrings}{bracelet}

What accessories are you currently obsessing over? What are your go-to accessories?! 

Happy Humpday Y'all! 

***linking up with Jamie***