A Few of My Favorite Things (Right Now, Anyways...)

I kept trying to decide what post I should write next. So in the end, I decided not to make a decision. I thought, "Why not throw it all together in one random post?" Yay for you! You get to read my rambly (is that a word?) thoughts.

Lets talk about some things I am loving right now.

1. These biscuits.

 

I saw this recipe for Sweet Plantain Drop Biscuits on PaleOMG about a week ago and couldn't wait to make them. I am always wary of Paleo baked goods- but these are fantastic! I have eaten them with sausage patties, with jelly, and with butter. Always a win. I will be making these again! Do yourself a favor and make them. You can click the link above to get the recipe!

 

2. Yes, I am stalking PaleOMG. I also made her stuffed sweet potato.

 

There's some food porn for you. Fantastic. (I wonder what kind of weird hits I will get on this post now that I wrote the word "porn." Twice.)

 

3. Frank's Hot Sauce. Best stuff ever.

Use it to make wings or the stuffing for those stuffed sweet potatoes. Or put it on anything. Drink it.

 

4. This song.

It's like I am a teenage girl or something! Whatever... Go ahead and judge me. I like it, and I like Justin Bieber, too.

 

5. This book.

I just finished it, and it was awesome. Have you read it? So many twists and surprises. Loved it. I want to know what you thought. Any opinions on the ending? I wanted a different ending, kind of.

 

6. This local market.

I have been stopping at The Peach Stand in Fort Mill to get sausage, strawberries, and more every week or two. The strawberries from Springs Farm are the best I have found around here. They put the ones in the grocery stores to shame! Their local meats are also wonderful. If you are in the area, check them out!

 

Well, I tried to make this list a nice round number: 10. But then I ran out of favorite things. So this will have to be my top 6 favorite things for right now.

What are YOU loving right now?

 

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Weekend Recap and Recipe Reviews

Sunday... Here we are again at the start of another week. We just returned home from a busy weekend away with family. I thought I would give a quick weekend recap and also share a couple of reviews of a few recipes I have tried lately.

Yesterday, we headed down to Aiken, South Carolina for a wedding. We were looking forward to a fun (adult) evening away with my parents, sisters, and brothers-in-law. The wedding was so nice, and we had lots of fun at the reception.

I did a terrible job taking pictures... But we did take some interesting shots in the photo booth! I will have to share those soon.

I had one of the most amazing cupcakes I have ever had in my life. This red velvet cupcake was so pretty but it was so light and fluffy and sweet... Worth every calorie/fat gram/carb...

This morning, we had a quick breakfast and headed to Columbia. My brother-in-law Paul was able to score tickets to the South Carolina Baseball game today.

The weather was perfect! The Gamecocks won, 1-0! The last few seconds of the game were intense!

It was a great way to spend a Sunday!

Thanks to technology... I ordered our weekly groceries in the car as we traveled. When we got home, we swung by and picked them up in a matter of minutes!

Speaking of food, I have two recipes I have tried over the past week that I loved that I want to share with you!

First of all, I loved this one! Creamy, lemony, silky, and filling-- and it passed the husband taste-test! This is comfort food at its finest! Plus, the extra pesto makes a great veggie dip!

And now this one... I made this tonight and I ate almost an entire head of cauliflower.

It was that good, I tell ya.

Alright, let's get this week off to a great start! Happy Sunday!

 

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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Salad

Here is a confession. I love trashy TV.

Housewives? Yep. All cities.

Bachelor/Bachelorette? Every season. Back to Season One.

Jersey Shore? Seen every episode. Teeeee Shirt Tiiiiiiiiiime!

Nip Tuck? Watched the whole season on Netflix. Oh, Sean and Christian, how I miss you.

 

This weekend, I found a new trashy TV show that I am now hooked on: Gossip Girl. I know I should be ashamed to admit it, but...I'm not. I figure that since I am reading 3 professional books about teaching right now, it cancels each other out intellectually.

I know what you're thinking. "What does TV have to do with pork carnitas?"

Well, that's one of my dirty secrets. And so is this. When I get home late after teaching a hot and sweaty Zumba class, it's really hard to spend time cooking. So sometimes I just throw a bunch of stuff on a plate and hope it works well together. Tonight, it really did.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Salad

I have been thinking about making this ever since a friend shared this recipe with me. Every time I make one of Melissa Joulwan's Recipes from her website or from her cookbook Well Fed, it is always delicious! I made a couple of changed to the recipe (click to view the original).

First, I used a 2 lb pork loin because it was what I had on hand. I prepared the spice mix as written except I left out the coriander. I rubbed the spice mix into all sides of the pork and then placed it in the slow cooker. For the marinade, I used 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, juice from 1 lime, and 1/2 cup of Orange juice, and about 1/2 cup of water. I poured this over the pork and set the slow cooker to low for about 8 hours.

Let me tell you... When I came home, it smelled soooo good in this house. And the pork? Tender and falling apart! It was so delicious. I decided to serve it salad style on a bed of lettuce and topped with salsa, Wholly Guacamole, diced tomatoes, and crumbled plantain chips.

 

I wish you could try a bite. You'd love it.

 

Next week I plan to make this again, but as it is written in Melissa's recipe with stovetop preparation. I will let you all know how it goes!

 

Ok friends... it is growing late and I am pretty sure there is time for one episode of Gossip Girl before bedtime. So.....

 

Xoxo...

 

Confessions Girl...

 

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First 5K of 2013 & Great Eats!

Happy Saturday! I hope you all had a wonderful Saturday. Today was amazing. I was sad to see the holidays go, but now that the decor is put away (well, most of it), it feels clean and fresh again. Funny how January always feels like that.

I started the day by participating in my first 5K of the year.

It was COLD this morning. Like below 32 when we got ready to start. This was a pretty challenging course- VERY hilly! I wasn't very happy with my time of 40:56. I don't like to be above 40 minutes. However, I have to admit I didn't run during the holidays. And this week as I was doing my first week of the Whole 30, my energy was a bit down. (This is normal as you make some changes in your diet.). So... I am just going to consider it a starting point to try and improve upon for the next race.

Post race eats:

Easy Hash with sausage, sweet potato, onion, and apples.

We spent the afternoon taking down our holiday decorations. Yep, we still had them up this morning. However, I WILL say that we are NOT the last house in our neighborhood to un-decorate. ;) Here's a confession just between you and me: once, we left them up until February. Only on the inside, though.

In between all that, I managed to put together a fabulous dinner that I can't wait to share with you. This is a great comfort meal that is perfect for a cold wintry day. I threw this together quickly and let it cook all afternoon. The beef was great- but the rice you see in this picture... well, it isn't rice after all! Wait till you hear what it is!

Paleo Stewed Beef with Tomatoes and Onions

Ingredients for Beef (See notes at the end of the recipe for "rice directions.")

• 2-3 lbs of stew beef (uncooked)
• 2 diced onions (I cut my onions very chunky for this so they don't disappear after cooking all day)
• 2 cups of sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• Salt, pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the beef is tender and pulls apart easily. (I have found that every crock pot is different, so you should check yours periodically.). Just before serving, prepare your "rice."

Now, for the surprise... the "rice!"

Rice Directions:

As I mentioned, this wasn't really rice at all! I recently saw this blog post from Juli over at PaleOMG, and I knew I had to try out this rice trick. Did you know you could "rice" a cauliflower?! This turned out to be AMAZING and was a complete hit with both the hubby and the kiddo. If you have trouble feeding your child vegetables, this is a great trick to try!

To make cauliflower rice, just follow steps 6-10 in Juli's recipe to prepare the rice. I think I could probably have subbed in beef broth and maybe a little onion powder to blend the flavors of the beef and the rice, but I am being overly critical. This "rice" was a huge surprise and I will definitely make this again!

Ok, now I am settling in after my super-productive day! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

 

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Ultimate Chicken Salad & Your Photos!

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all enjoyed a safe but fun New Year's Eve! For the first time, the hubby and I stayed in. And literally did nothing. Seriously. I made mayonnaise and an artichoke. That's pretty much it. We had some fun plans, but were thwarted by a nasty stomach virus that has been making its way through our household. Oh well... I guess we saved a little money... Thankfully, I believe we are nearing the end of the tunnel!

I absolutely love January. I am always sad to see the holidays go, but there is something wonderful about starting a new year! It's great to see so many people taking an interest in their health and well-being. Yes, the gyms will be crowded and annoying, but in the grand scheme of the world, it is great to see it.

I am on Day 2 of my New Year's Whole 30! Click here to read about Whole 30. I made a delicious sausage and onion frittata (recipe courtesy of Everyday Paleo- click here for the recipe) for breakfast which will make for easy breakfasts this week. It's a big recipe, so there were a fair amount of leftovers.

Frittata + coffee fresh brewed from my new Keurig = delicious start to 2013!

I have a quick recipe to share with you today: my Ultimate Chicken Salad! This one is always a hit at parties and gatherings. If you like sandwiches, it is great on bread, but it is also great alone or stuffed into giant celery stalks or lettuce wraps. It is also Paleo and meets the Whole 30 guidelines.

Ultimate Chicken Salad

 

(Serves 2-3 people)


Ingredients:

• 1-2 chicken breasts (I used 1 1/4 cooked bone-in split chicken breasts), chopped
• 1/4-1/3 yellow onion, chopped (use more if you like more onion flavor)
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• Handful of raw almonds, chopped
• 1 small apple, chopped (any variety will work, but I like one with a red skin, for color)
• 1-2 Tbsp. Homemade Mayo (click here to find out how to make mayo- use as much as you like- more mayo will give you a creamier salad)
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve! It's that simple!

A couple of notes: I use my Pampered Chef chopper to chop the almonds. It keeps them from flying all over the kitchen. This recipe would work with store-bought mayo, but that would not be Paleo or Whole 30 compliant. However, if you aren't following that kind of plan, that would work fine! I have also used grapes in place of the apples, and I have used cashews in place of the almonds. Play around and try it different ways!

 

And now... Your photos! I was hosting a post-holiday photo contest. I have one major winner for the category of "Most Unusual Gift!"

Congratulations, Helen! Your can of olives was the most unusual gift that we saw!

 

I also have 2 honorable mentions for Deb, Erica, and Toya- for sending in such cute holiday pet photos. That wasn't a category, but they begged to send in some pet pics!

 

Henry (Deb's fur baby)

 

Fisher (Erica's fur baby)

 

I didn't have entries for some of the other categories, so we will save those for another time!

 

Helen, Erica, and Toya, I will be sending you a cookbook soon! I will be in touch!

 

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Weekend Fun & Holiday Breakfast and Brunch Ideas

Happy Sunday! I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday weekend. We have had lots of wonderful time with family and friends this weekend. We actually had three holiday parties to attend this weekend! This year, it seems that all of our gatherings were early in December, and from here until the big day, it is not quite as crazy. Relatively speaking, of course. The holiday season is always a little bit crazy right?

A couple of pics from the weekend...

 

So, I know many of you are hosting holiday breakfasts and brunches. Or maybe you are not hosting one, but you are attending one, or maybe you are just looking for some ideas to cook for your family. I thought I would throw out some ideas! Some are my recipes...some are from around the Web. All are (or look) delicious!

 

1. Obviously, Mimi's Christmas Breakfast is my favorite. You can click here to read about this easy and delicious egg casserole that is always a hit. It is also my most popular blog recipe! (And I have to mention that Mimi is actually a reader of this blog- thank you, Mimi for this recipe!)

 

 

2. This Monkey Bread recipe from The Pioneer Woman (Pastor Ryan's Monkey Bread) looks absolutely delicious! It is a simple recipe and uses ingredients that you may even already have on hand. I think that some of these sweet rolls with a cup of coffee on Christmas morning might be just perfect.

Here is one more monkey bread recipe from Our Out-of-Sync Life that looks wonderful. This one looks a lot like the one my friend Julie made in the mountains (picture below).

 

 

3. This Cranberry + Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast Casserole from The Delicious Life looks amazing. It looks hearty and sweet and tangy and heavenly. This could be a great option for a family breakfast. I love that it uses cranberries! I saw lots of ideas for strawberry stuffed French toast... But I think Cranberries are a great touch in fall and winter.


 

4. This one is another Confessions recipe: my Dixie- Style Dining Recipe for Sour Cream Coffee Cake is a perfect brunch or breakfast recipe. As you bake this, your entire house will be filled with the scent of cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla. It can be made in muffin tins to keep it individual-sized, or you can make a nice big dish. No matter what form you use, it will be a hit!

 

 

5. This Sausage and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole looks like it would be a definite hit. Sausage? Good. Potatoes? Good. Cheese? Good. What's not to love here?

 

6. One more- a beverage. Although I think that coffee makes life worth living is essential to a good breakfast, I will acknowledge that there are some non-coffee drinkers out there. But I think most everyone can appreciate a great cup of hot chocolate, especially on a cold morning. Caroline of The Broccoli Hut recently posted this recipe for Homemade Minty Hot Cocoa! I love chocolate and mint, so I think I will be making this very soon! Plus, it makes a great gift!

 

Hope that gives you a few ideas for the next couple of weeks! I personally love this part of the holidays... just cooking for your family (or yourself!) on lazy holiday mornings. We sometimes get so busy during this season, and we forget to slow down and enjoy having time with friends and family. This year, our family has SOMEHOW managed to be ahead of the game. This is unfamiliar territory, but I am so looking forward to the next 2 weeks and NOT having to rush around getting last minute gifts. I am looking forward to just enjoying the holiday season!

 

Invitation to Share: if you are a blogger or reader and you have a great holiday breakfast or brunch recipe, I would like to invite you to share it in a comment at the bottom of this post. Let's make a great list so that we will all have some ideas! If you are sharing a recipe posted online, post the link and a quick (one sentence) description. Thanks in advance for sharing!

 

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