Friday, June 28, 2013

Five on Friday Through Instagram Pics

The week is almost over, just a few more hours and it will finally be the weekend.  We've got a fun-filled weekend in store.  Tonight T and I are going to Charlotte to spend the night with my sister April and her husband Ian.  On Saturday we'll head up to Raleigh for my cousin Drew's wedding.

This week's Friday Five is comprised of all Instagram pictures that were posted this week.  If you don't follow me you should!  Find me at @thereedyreview.

{one}  Fresh Summertime Food-  I love a fresh summertime side dish, and I love it even more when there is no cooking involved. Earlier this week I just sliced up some tomatoes, avocado, and red onion.  Made a mixture of lime juice, EVOO, and cilantro and poured it over the veggies.  Let it sit in the fridge for 30 or so minutes and it was so good!  It tasted a lot like ceviche without the seafood.  Next time I'm tempted to add some shrimp in the mix too, and make a whole meal out of it.   


{two} While I do love fresh healthy side dishes, this southern girl loves her fried food. T and I whipped up these Fried Pickled Okra for an afternoon snack on Sunday.  Holy Moly were they good, especially when we dipped them in Chipotle Ranch. Come to mama.  


{three} Downtown Alive on Thursday Nights- Last night we joined friends at Downtown Alive in Greenville.  One of our Clemson favorites Doug McCormick was performing and we all got together to see him and celebrate our friend Sallie's birthday.


T also got some new sunnies.  What to ya think?  I think I've finally gotten him to branch out from the frat boy Costa Del Mar's that he's had since 2006.  Now he's just upgraded to the frat boy Wayfarers...I'll take what I can get. 


{four} Chick-fil-a Treats- I've had to go to the doctor TWICE this week.  When I was little my mom used to always treat us with an ice cream cone when we had to get shots at the pediatrician.  Now even as an adult, I make sure to reward myself with a calorie-loaded scrumptious treat.  Monday morning I indulged in Chick-fil-a breakfast and you better believe that after my appointment this afternoon I'm going right back to that drive through.  I'm already fantasizing about which combination number I'll be getting this time. 


{five} Dry Rosé- I sometimes hesitate to drink a this in public with the fear that someone thinks I've ordered White Zin. Thank goodness Lisa Vanderpump helped get the word out that rosé wines aren't the same as your mama's boxed blush.   I do love a glass of cold rosé in the warm weather, and thoroughly enjoyed this one during a work lunch.  





Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Update: Pinterest Recipes

Last week I posted a few recipes on Pinterest that I was wanting to try.  So far I've tried two of them and both have been a success!  One of the things I don't like about Pinterest recipes is that my renditions of them never seem to look as good.  I know I've found a keeper when my attempts actually resemble the look I was wanting them to have.  I've posted the professional pics of the recipes along with my crappy iPhone ones.  That way you can see what to really expect when you make these recipes.  I thought looks-wise both of these turned out pretty darn good.  And taste-wise they were awesome.

Their Picture:

My Picture:

I made a few revisions to this recipe. I omitted the cilantro because I didn't have any on hand, and added in some finely chopped red onion.  I served these in pitas with butter lettuce and topped with even more blue cheese.  At under 100 calories per serving, this recipe is going to be added to my list of staples.

 Their Picture:

My Picture: 

I love any meal that can be cooked in one dish, veggies and all (and so does my husband that so graciously does the dishes). The recipe calls for a nice expensive organic tomato sauce.  Don't skimp on that.  I used Muir Glen Tomato & Basil. This is important because nice tomato sauces have chunks of tomatoes in them.  The ravioli will soak up a lot of the liquid, and you're left with nice juicy chunks of tomatoes. 

After two successes in a row, I've got some momentum under my belt.  I hope to try out the three remaining recipes next week and post with pictures and my thoughts.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Fried Pickled Okra... Oh Yes I Did


A few months ago I had an epiphany.   I love fried pickles, and I love fried okra, and I love pickled okra, but why have I never tried Fried Pickled Okra?  I've never seen it on a restaurant menu, but its not a crazy concept.  This weekend T and I decided to give it a shot and it was so freakin' good. 

 

Ingredients: 

Pickled Okra
Egg
Hot Sauce
Flour
Seasoning Salt
Pepper
Cayenne
Canola Oil 

Directions: 

Cut the pickled okra into 1/2" to 3/4" slices, eating discarding the pointy ends and stems.  Lay the slices out on a paper towel for a few minutes to get the extra moisture out.  

Dip the okra into a mixture of  beaten egg and hot sauce.  A good mix is 1 egg and 1 tsp hot sauce.  

Dredge each slice in a mixture of flour, seasoning salt, black pepper, and a dash of cayenne.  You can play around with the spices here, too.  These are just the ones I had on hand.

Fill a dutch oven with 1/2" of oil on medium heat.  Once you hear the oil start to pop, its ready. Gently drop the okra in the oil and fry until they are uniformly browned on all sides. Remove from oil, and place on brown paper or a wire rack.  Sprinkle with salt.  Let cool and serve with ranch dressing for dipping.  

They were so tasty.  Very similar in taste to just plain fried okra, but with a nice little vinegary kick.   We'll be doing these again for sure!


From Our Kitchen To Yours

Monday, June 24, 2013

Mel's Bachelorette Weekend in Athens

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  I know I sure did.  I spent mine pretending like I was a college kid again, and I'm still trying to recuperate from it.  This weekend my girlfriends got together to celebrate our dear friend Melanie who is getting married later this summer.  We spent Friday night in Greenville and left first thing on Saturday for Athens, GA.


 Friday night was really low key.  Everyone came over to Mel's house after work and we just sat around and caught up with each other.  We grilled out and had a lingerie shower later on that night. 



Saturday morning we got up and left for Athens.  Athens is the home of the University of Georgia, and is only about an hour and a half away from Greenville.  We arrived just in time for lunch and ate at a cute Mexican place called Fuzzy's Taco Shop.



We couldn't have picked a better weekend.  The town was having a music festival, and was full of people.  We spent the rest of the day shopping around in boutiques and sipping on girly drinks on the rooftop of the Georgia Theater.   After a quick late afternoon power nap we all got changed and made our way to Speakeasy for tapas and drinks.


We bar hopped a bit after dinner and ended the night at 8e's Bar (an 80's bar, duh).  I loved spending the weekend with my girlfriends.  Saturday night felt like we were back in college together, but Sunday morning was a harsh reminder that we definitely are not. 


Have a great week everyone!

Friday, June 21, 2013

Link Up: Five on Friday

It's FRIDAY!!!  One thing I love about this link up is it makes me reflect on my week and pick out the truly great things that I want to share with everyone.  Typically on Friday I only have my mind set on the weekend ahead, but doing this post helps me look back on the great week that's wrapping up.  Here's what I loved about this week:

#1. New Nail Look- I've been getting a little bored with my nail color lately, so after a few glasses of wine last night I decided to switch it up a bit.  I kept with the neutral on the majority of my nails, but then did a platinum metallic on each ring finger.  What do you think?   I'm debating whether I like it or whether it looks like I only painted one of my nails...


#2. Arm Candy Update- Remember last week when J. Crew Factory had that big sale?  Well I did some damage.  Among several things that I bought, I got a new bracelet that is perfect for layering. 


#3. Aldi- I did it.  I finally tried out Aldi for the first time, and boy was it worth it.  I've been on a pretty strict grocery budget lately. I try to spend under $50 a week for both T and me.  It's typically pretty tough when I shop at my normal grocery store, but Aldi makes it easy.  Last week I picked up groceries to last us over a week and a half and my bill was $31.00.   It may not be the most glamourous grocery store, but they've got something working for them.

#4. Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp-  If you read my post yesterday you know that I'm getting back into Pinterest recipes.  I got a little bogged down a few months ago with Pinterst recipes after I tried several in a row that just weren't that tasty.  Last night and the night before T and I had these Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp.  So good we had to have them two nights in a row.


#5.  Celebrating Melanie- This weekend I'll be getting together with some college girlfriends to celebrate one of our best friends Melanie at her bachelorette weekend.  We'll be spending tonight in Greenville doing appetizers and a lingerie shower, and tomorrow morning we'll make our way to Athens, GA for a fun filled wild night!
Mel, Maggie, and Me

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Back on the Ol' Pinterest Wagon

I recently took a several month hiatus from Pinterest recipes.  After cooking a few recipes that were just down right disappointing I got a little discouraged, and went back to my tried and true recipes that I've been cooking for years. 

And then I got bored of cooking the same old things over and over, and decided to give the old Pinterest another shot.  Here are some of the things I'm looking forward to making in the next couple of weeks. 







Have any of you tried these recipes?  I'd love to get your thoughts before I attempt.  Check back soon and I'll update you on whether they were a success or not.

Happy Friday Eve Everyone!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Passerelle Bistro

Last week T and I tried out Passerelle Bistro downtown.  They are still in their soft opening phase, but should be doing their grand opening later on this month.  Passerelle is the French word for footbridge, which is so appropriate for its location. The restaurant is located right off of Greenville's iconic Liberty Bridge that overlooks Falls Park.

T and I took the scenic route to the restaurant stopping to look at the waterfall that runs through downtown.  With all the rain we've been having lately, the falls were extra loud and lush.  


They have great outdoor seating overlooking the park, and you can even get a little taste of the outdoors while you are inside.  There are several dutch doors along the side of the building and they open them up when the weather is pleasant. 


I was thrilled to see dry rosé on the menu.  I  got into this wine a couple of years ago when it was really trendy, but I've noticed that a lot of restaurants haven't been offering rosé wines this year. 


We started with the Rillettes.  I had no idea what Rilettes were, but when I saw that they came with cornichons (those little savory French pickles) we decided to order it.  The staff seamed very knowledgeable about the entire menu.  Very impressive considering we came on the second night they were open.


  So if you're wondering what Rillettes are here's what we learned:  It's a pork-based dip similar in consistency to pâté. It is served with rustic bread, grainy mustard, and cornichons. I could have completely butchered the Rillette etiquette, but we thought it tasted best when all ingredients were combined. 


As for our entree, I chose the Cheese Crepes as recommended by one of their employees, and T had the Steak Frites. 



Both entrees were great! The crepes were perfectly done and very flavorful.  Steak was perfectly sized and seasoned. I do wish they served the fries with some sort of aioli for dipping though.  It's socially unacceptable to dip your fries in mayo if you're anywhere else than a French restaurant.  But if you're in a French restaurant, it seems so Parisian and cultured.

Overall we were really pleased with everything.  Their outdoor area is going to be great for summer nights. I'm hoping they'll have live music outdoors sometimes.  Maybe even an accordionist.  I think that just screams French Bistro.

Passerelle Bistro on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Link Up: From Our Kitchen To Yours

From Our Kitchen To Yours

Oh how I love a link up.  Thanks to the Observant Turtle and Laws in the Lowcountry for hosting this!  Earlier this week I tried a Summer Salad with Fresh Tomato Dressing that I found on Pinterest. I loved it so much that I just had to share the recipe.

Summer Salad with Fresh Tomato Dressing
(From Kayotic Kitchen)

Tomato Dressing

Ingredients:
3 Roma tomatoes
1 small garlic clove
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp oil
pepper
salt

Cut an X at the bottom of each tomato.  Boil the tomatoes for about 60 seconds and then plunge them in an ice bath.  At this point you should be able to peel the skins off easily.  Cut each tomato in half and squeeze out most of the seeds.  Roughly chop the tomatoes and transfer them to a blender or food processor.  Add 4 tbsp. oil, 1 coarsely chopped garlic clove, 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  Blend until the mixture is smooth. 


Summer Salad

Ingredients:
4oz bacon
1 avocado
romaine lettuce
  fresh mozzarella
1/4 c. red onion
rocket (or arugula)

Cook the bacon over low heat until it is golden brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Finely slice the red onion. Break a ball of mozzarella with your hands. Don’t cut it; that looks way too clean. You want it to look a little rustic, so just yank it in coarse pieces. Serve over romaine lettuce with a handful of rocket or arugula mixed in.  Top with roughly chopped bacon and avocado slices.
 

T and I served these on Sunday night for entree salads, So I added some grilled chicken on top.  They were so yummy!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Father's Day Weekend


Happy Father's Day to my very special Dad!  We had a great weekend celebrating together.  Love you Dad!

Friday, June 14, 2013

Friday Five: Father's Day Edition

Here's what I'm loving this Friday.

1. Spending Time with Family- This week I worked Monday and Tuesday and took the rest of the week off to spend time with my mom and dad.  I'll admit it, I'm a homebody.  Its been so nice to spend time with them the last several days.  

2. Wedge Salads- Nothing says summer to me like a cool crisp wedge salad.  We made these last night to go along with shrimp and Corn Souffle.  The dressing on this salad was the best I've ever had on a wedge.  Check out the recipe here.


 3. New Kicks- It's been way too long since I bought a new pair of running shoes.  I finally decided to fork up the money and get fitted for a new pair this week, and I love them!


4.  Home brewed beer-  Well I'll redeem myself from last week's post raving about my love for Bud Light Lime.  This week Dad's homebrew put a smile on my face.  Oak chip IPA.  And those fancy Chimay glasses always make beer taste that much better.



5. It's Father's Day Weekend!  I was able to spend some great quality time with my dad this week, and will continue to do so this weekend at the lake.  Here's a picture I snapped from a jam session we had on Wednesday as he was testing out his new audio system. I love that I have a cool dad. 


Have a great weekend everyone!


Monday, June 10, 2013

Calling All J. Crew Lovers!


There is a J.Crew Factory flash sale going on today!  Everything is an additional 40% off until midnight tonight.  There are so many temptations, I don't know what to get!  Here are the things I'm loving.


Gold Plated Chain-Link Bracelet $17.70
 Crystal and Neon Stone Bracelet $14.70
Dorset Wallet in Pale Gold  $38.70
 Teagan Ruffle Popover $38.70
Shiny Stripe Mini $32.70
 Printed Crinkle Tunic $29.70

Happy shopping everyone.  Have a great week!

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