previously on instagram...

Previously on Instagram...

1// a beautiful butterfly
2// espresso shots
3// a very sleepy boy
4// PaperBlogs Blogger of the Day
5// pool time
6// first try at Synergy
7// food shopping with that guy
8// lego shenanigans
9// me, very happy to be done with my extra loooong week!

xoxo. 

on crisp sweet potato fries...

I can eat these every day of my life! No joke. I am in love with sweet potato fries and making them at home as been a treat. I swear I've made them at least three times in the past two weeks. Now, I don't know about you but I love my sweet potato fries crisp on the outside and tender in the inside. Well, I have a great way of doing just that and it can be done in the comfort of your own kitchen. Hip hip HOORAY!

All you need: 

A few sweet potatoes (two of them was plenty for us!) 
1/4 cup corn starch 
1/2 cup of corn meal
salt & pepper 
zip lock bag
olive oil

Peel and slice your sweet potato. I like my cut long and on the thicker side however not anything like steak fries. Once you cut them to your desired length and width then soak them in cold water for about an hour. This is a little trick when making crispy fries. By allowing the potato to soak, some of the starches release from the potato. This is a great because starch in the potatoes doesn't allow for moisture to escape so alas get the starch out and the result will be happy fries! Once they soak make sure you rinse them off and pat them dry.

Secret ingredients! A little corn starch and some corn meal. Coating your sticks with this mixture and I'm certain that those fries will be delightfully crisp. Just place corn starch and corn meal into a zip lock bag and seal the bag with some air in it. Shake it up before you place your sticks into it.

Place all your stick inside and shake what your momma gave ya. Just kidding.

Place them on a baking sheet in a way that they are spread apart with space in between them. If they are all bunched together don't expect them to become crisp. You might need a couple baking sheet or you can just do fries in batches.
Last step is to brush on some olive oil and add some salt & pepper and they are set to be put into an oven that's at 400 degrees.  Bake them for about 15 minute and then flip them with a spatula. Another 15 minutes and they will be done!

How gorgeous are they? I mean just looking at them and you can see how crispy they are! Try them out as a quick and easy side for any meal. You are getting this crispy texture without having to deep fry. It's a win win. Enjoy!

xoxo.

on sweet tunes...

Music is such a beautiful thing. It's there so we can dance, listen and brightens our days. I've been a music lover for as long as I can remember, I think my first real memory of music is sitting in my dad's work truck while out with him on a job site and listening to The Beatles. They were my first band that really got my attention and every since then The Beatles have been dear to my heart just for the memories that they helped create. Funny how music does that! We tend to always remember bands or even songs that represent special occasions in our lives. I always love when songs from our wedding come onto the radio and I get all warm and fuzzy from remembering that amazing day!
Every since I got my IPhone I've been obsessed over Pandora and all it's glory! It's brilliant and I am always so excited when I discover new music. Here are my most recent sweet tunes that I have been listening to on repeat...

1\\ Glee Cast (Rachel Berry)- Don't Rain On My Parade // All Glee songs have been on repeat around here in getting ready for the new season to arrive. I can't wait to see what is in store! 2\\ Silversun Pickups- Common Reactor //  One of my favorite bands! 3\\ Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros- Home // new tuneage that I adore.  4\\ The Lumineers- Ho Hey // cannot get enough of this song.  5\\ Vitamin String Quartet- Everything's Not Lost // this instrumental song has me staying relaxed on those hard live long days. Rock'n'Roll with a classical spin to it!   6\\ First Aid Kit- Lion Roar // Swedish ladies singing. Lovely! 7// Lana del Rey- Video Games // Can't get enough of this ladies voice and unique style.  What sweet tunes have you been listening to? xoxo.

on omelet pepper rings...

Yes indeed I hopped on the world wide web bandwagon and made some of these Omelet Pepper Rings and let me tell you it's become quite a favorite in our house. I've already made them the past couple weekends for breakfast! Today even! I gave my husband an option between Omelet Pepper Rings and homemade Waffles and he chose the pepper rings and that there tells you a lot about this fun colorful breakfast food.

Making these are a snap and there is so many different things you can do with them! Pick your peppers and cut them in rings. Place them in a frying pan that is coated with oil so they do not stick.

Pour your egg mixture into the pepper. Add whatever you fancy to your eggs. We've been keeping it simple with some onion, cheddar cheese and spices. Don't worry if the eggs seeps out a little. It will happen with some and others will be perfect. In the beginning I would have a fit when egg kept creeping out, ask my husband, not a pretty sight but I got over it.

Let the bottoms cook for about 2-3 minutes on low and then flip it gently to the other side to cook. It really took me only about 15 minutes to make a dozen pepper rings!

I ate them with the traditional toast and turkey bacon while my husband got creative and came to the table with this thing...

Now that is a serious MANWICH! With some four layers of pepper rings and turkey bacon in between on a roll will make any hubby a happy man. Try it out! Next time I'd like to do a mash-up of pepper rings and eggs benedict. Yes, I think that shall be my next endeavor.

xoxo.

on this birthday of mine...

I'm twenty-four years old today! Hurray! Today is for snuggling on the couch, not doing a single chore around the house, spending time catching up on my favorite television shows, painting my nails and cooking food. This birthday is for relaxing!
xoxo

on chia seed pudding...

Chia Seeds are my new favorite in the whole wide world! I've been seeing it all over the place and finally decided it was time for me to try this new superfood! So happy I did. After studying about Chia I've learn that these seeds come from southern Mexico. It's a seed that is stuffed with omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and calcium! You can put them in just about anything from cereals, bars or smoothies. It's said that ancient Mayan and Aztec people used Chia for energy. Sweet mercy! Right up my ally. I'm totally digging these tiny little black seeds and for my first adventure with them I made a simple Cinnamon Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding. 

The cool thing about Chia Seed is that they swell. The best comparison I can give you is like tapioca. When they are mixed with any liquid whether it's water or milk the seeds create a gel like texture. The seeds swell and thicken up the liquid they're in hence the pudding consistency. 

Ingredients: 
serving 2
1 cup Almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
3 tablespoons Chia Seed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 tablespoon honey (or any sweetener of your choice)
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon 

Combine all ingredients together into a small bowl. I used vanilla almond milk but you could use anything that you like, also since my almond milk is already sweetened a little I just used a small amount of honey. Whisk mixture together.

 

Once whisked together put it in a glass or jar, cover it and set it in the fridge. It really only needs about 2-4 hours to thicken up but I let mine sit over night and was perfect by the morning to take to work. This recipe makes about two servings each measuring to be about 1/2 cup. I know looking at it might not seem like much but this pudding is really filling.

This is a basic pudding that you can quickly dress up with fruit or granola. I am so excited to have this new superfood added to my diet and looking forward to experiment with this wonderful seed! Oh and don't forget to keep your seeds in a Ziploc bag that you can push all the air out of and keep it in the fridge or even the freezer for a longer shelf life!

Have you made anything with Chia Seeds? I would love to hear about it! 

on kitchen inspiration...

1//2//3

I am always on the hunt for fresh new kitchen inspiration. Most of the time I already have a plan of action but other times I'm at a loss. I can get so irritated with some ladies I know who tell me that they can't cook. You can! Believe in yourself!!

Today I wanted to inspire all women especially the ones who need that extra boost of confidence in the kitchen. I love to cook. It's really not a manner of being able to cook but more of wanting too. I think people are put off my the number of steps or the photo that you see on the website or blog because they look so perfect and there's no way mine is going to turn out looking like that! Not true. There are so many fun and creative resources for all of us to take advantage of when it comes to making meals for our families. And no, you don't have to subscribe to magazines!

1// Pinterest. If you don't already know what Pinterst is then I'm sorry you're a lost soul...Just kidding! Basically it's a pin-style photo sharing social website. It's all done with photos which is great because of course, pictures tell a thousand words! Everything is set up into different categories which makes it simple whether its food/drink, crafts or beauty is all there at your finger tips. Not only do all the photo link right to the website or blog that it originates from but also you're able to "pin" things right to your virtual pin-board and keep everything organized however you'd like. Super sweet thing for us who have a need to have everything broken down. Like moi! I use Pinterest quite often but can also get tired of it very easily. Especially when looking for food inspiration it can get a little repetitive but I do always find myself coming back for more!

2// Foodgawker. This is by far, as of right now, my favorite website to find delicious meal ideas! The site is laid out similar to Pinterest although it only consists of FOOD. The photos on this site are a little more professional, taken with great cameras in artistic ways which for me is always more inviting! You can search for something specific or just browse around the most gawked at foods. You can favorite anything that pleases your lovely eyes. Once you favorite any photo it will be stored and you can come back to it at anytime, all you have to do is click on the photo and it takes you to the website or blog that the recipes came from. Beware sometimes you will find yourself at a foreign website/blog which is always discouraging even though you probably could take the time to at least translate the recipe but usually I'm too lazy for that! The best part is that Foodgawker even has a IPhone app that is so convenient for this busy lady who is finding that she is on her IPhone more and less on her MacBook. And I'll go totally off topic and tell you that they have a Craftgawker, Weddinggawker and Dwellinggawker! No joke people. I. Die.

3// Food Sense. This site is a collection of plant-based, vegetarian or vegan recipes. I do not consider myself any of those three things but I enjoy finding fun and creative ways to serve our veggies or incorporating more plant-based meals into our week. My family will never be vegetarian or vegan for that matter, it just won't happen but I am always health conscious and this is a great resource for just that! Also it's fun learning about cooking with certain foods instead of others. I always make it my goal to at least have one straight plant-based meal a week or more if my family allows it!

4// Obviously there are a bazillion food bloggers out there that are brilliant and each and everyone has their own twist to their food creations and that's why I love stumbling across a new blog. Here are my top four food blogs that I find myself always seeking guidance from:

• Baked Bree. Bree is such a nice and warming person. Her blog is so pleasant to visit. She has all her recipes listed by categories which makes it simple to find what you have in mind. My favorite part is that she is such a down-to-earth gal with a family and someone I can relate too. All the foods and desserts she is creating in her kitchen are for her family! I was lucky to get to interview her right here on my blog, check it out to learn a little more about Bree and her blog. 
• Noble Pig. This was my very first food blog that I happened upon!  Another family oriented and easy to navigate. This lady actually owns a vineyard and winery in the heart of Oregon. How cool is that?!
• The Pioneer Woman. Really? Not much I have to say about Ree's spectacular website. She is such a talented women and I'm inspired by her everyday. I mean, heck she has her own television show! And let me just add that I was beside myself when I found out that Ree was at one of the vendors at BlogHer this year and I MISSED HER! Grrrr. Totally hate all the women that got a photo with her. 
• The Comfort of Cooking. Another talented young lady who presents her foods and drink in a way that make you droll. No joke. Again all her recipes are all easy to find and get you motivated to make some yummy things in your kitchen. 

5// Also, since I became a proud owner of the IPhone I've been able to study and collect quite a few fun foodie apps that are really super useful when you need to figure something out for dinner...and fast! I was on my IPhone figuring out dinners towards the end of last week. With me working double shifts and overtime I was finding myself with no time at all to really sit down on my MacBook and do my usual meal planning. Instead I did all of it on my IPhone. What a lifesaver and my family is thankful since now I will be able to feed them. And the best part is that a lot of these apps tell you what need to go on your shopping list or just creates one for you! Here are some of my all-time favorite (free) IPhone (and maybe Android but not sure) food related apps:

• Pepperplate. This is really cool! This app works hand in hand with Pepperplate's website. Basically it allows you do store all your online recipes in one place. You have to go to the website and load all your recipes and then BOOM it's at your finger tips on the IPhone. So cool. Pepperplate even has a neat little button you can put on your bookmark bar so that you can just click and add recipes that you come across. I am in love!
• Better Homes and Gardens Must Have Recipes. Quick and easy recipes. I used this app the week before I left for NYC and found two great recipes that I prepared for my husband so he could just pop it in the even while I was gone.
• Allrecipes. This app has a neat spinner. You can choose dish type, main ingredient and how long for it to take to make. For example, I can choose main dish, vegetable and slow cooker. Then you can view all the matches that come up under what you just chose. Very easy and straight forward. Plus it's just fun to play with the spinner. 
• Whole Foods Recipes. I adore Whole Foods and the app allows you to type in ingredients that you actually have on hand and it will give you recipes to go along with it! I've used this when trying to put together a dinner meal with just a few things in my pantry. It worked and I ate! 

Hoping all this will help any of you that are always looking for ways to get creative with your cooking or just tools to cut down on time! For me it's definitely a helping hand while I work full time and juggle everything else us momma's got to do on a daily basis.