Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thanks and Giving
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you're all stuffing your faces and spending time with those you love!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Weekend Recap
T and I had a great time in Clemson at the Clemson vs. Citadel game this Saturday. I love the campus this time of year. The leaves are changing and the campus is beautiful. We really lucked up on weather, too. The high was in the 60's, and no rain. The sun even decided to peek out later that afternoon.
The game started at noon, and we planned to tailgate beforehand. Noon games always throw me for a loop; I never know whether to bring breakfast food or lunch food. So in attempt to combine the two, I brought these Sausage and Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls which were a hit.
The game started at noon, and we planned to tailgate beforehand. Noon games always throw me for a loop; I never know whether to bring breakfast food or lunch food. So in attempt to combine the two, I brought these Sausage and Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls which were a hit.
After the game we made our way down to the Esso club to celebrate our win with some friends. If you're not familiar with Clemson, The Esso Club is the town's oldest bar. It started as a service station in the mid 30's and has been there ever since. The bar is iconic to the town of Clemson and has received a lot of national attention recently.
It was so great to be back in my college town, but it was also so weird to look around and barely know a soul. Amazing what can change in just three years. We sat outside at a table with friends listening to Doug McCormick, a fellow Clemson grad and country music singer. After a few drinks we headed back to Greenville for the remainder of the night.
On Sunday, T and I woke up and headed to Charlotte for my sister April's gender reveal party. We had a great time with family while we were there, and we are SO excited that we will have a NIECE in just a few months!
Hope y'all have a great {short} workweek!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Sushi Murasaki
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I get to a restaurant and know there are menu items that I love, but can't remember exactly which items those are. I get so frustrated knowing there's something there that I'm going to love, but can't recall what it is.
I think I've shared my weird restaurant notes method that I keep in my phone
with y'all already, but just in case I didn't here's what I do.
Every favorite restaurant gets its own notes page. For example, T and I went to Sushi Murasaki this weekend. Here's my notes page that I pulled up before we ordered.
This time we opted for no nigiri, and just went for the Poinsett (left) and the Rainbow (right) rolls. Both were good as expected. And the wine was glorious.
Sushi Murasaki is one of our favorite sushi places, mainly because of the atmosphere and location; it's right on Main Street. We typically grab a seat at the bar instead of having a table. They're always playing great music and the lighting is really cool in there- as you can see from my picture. It's the kind of place that makes you feel cool just being in there. While the sushi isn't the very best we've had in Greenville, their wine is always cold and the sake is always hot- and that alone keeps us coming back!
Every favorite restaurant gets its own notes page. For example, T and I went to Sushi Murasaki this weekend. Here's my notes page that I pulled up before we ordered.
This time we opted for no nigiri, and just went for the Poinsett (left) and the Rainbow (right) rolls. Both were good as expected. And the wine was glorious.
Sushi Murasaki is one of our favorite sushi places, mainly because of the atmosphere and location; it's right on Main Street. We typically grab a seat at the bar instead of having a table. They're always playing great music and the lighting is really cool in there- as you can see from my picture. It's the kind of place that makes you feel cool just being in there. While the sushi isn't the very best we've had in Greenville, their wine is always cold and the sake is always hot- and that alone keeps us coming back!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Our Weekend in Pictures of Food
I was just looking back at the iPhone pictures I took this weekend, and realized that not one of them had a person in it. Every picture I took was of food. Every. Single. One. And man did we eat well!
Friday: Lunch at Thoroughfare Food Truck
Saturday: Appetizers at home and dinner at Sushi Murasaki
Sunday: Chicken Enchilada Soup
I think I may need to plan on eating salads for the rest of the week, a little detox is in order after the amount I consumed this weekend. Y'all have a great week!
Friday: Lunch at Thoroughfare Food Truck
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| Meatloaf Sandwich with grilled onions and balsamic ketchup on ciabatta |
Saturday: Appetizers at home and dinner at Sushi Murasaki
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| Brie with Raspberry Preserves- Pepperoni, Pepperoncini and Goat Cheese Bites- Red Grapes |
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| Two of our favorite Rolls, Poinsett and Rainbow |
Sunday: Chicken Enchilada Soup
I think I may need to plan on eating salads for the rest of the week, a little detox is in order after the amount I consumed this weekend. Y'all have a great week!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Sunday Meal Planning #3
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| Honey Teriyaki Hot Wings by damndelicous.net |
This week on the menu:
Sunday: Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Monday: Left overs
Tuesday: Roasted Sausage and Grapes with Southwestern Rainbow Carrots
Wednesday: Honey Teriyaki Hot Wings, edamame, and Japanese sticky rice
Thursday: Left Overs
Friday: Takeout
Thursday, November 14, 2013
The Other White Meat
Last night T and I tried a new pork dish that we loved. If you had a chance to read my Sunday Meal Planning post from this week, you may have seen it; Sauteed Garlic Lemon Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Onion. T's been asking for pork chops a lot recently. I cook chicken all the time, and I think we are both ready for something different. I was really pleased with how the recipe turned out, and I thought I'd share.
Sauteed Garlic Lemon Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Onion
Adapted from Savoring the Thyme
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 boneless pork chops 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
A few pinches of salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 lemon
4 oz sliced mushrooms
1/3 sliced sweet onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.
2. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. On a plate, place the flour and then zest the lemon right over the flour and place the lemon aside. Coat each pork chop with the flour-zest mixture on both sides and place into the skillet and cover with a splatter screen. Cook for about 2-3 minutes depending on thickness. Repeat on the other side and then place the chops on a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow the pan to cool a minute. Add the mushrooms to the pan and saute for 2 minutes. Add the onion, saute for one minute and then add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
4. Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan. When the liquid is reduced by about half, add the pork back into the pan. (if you're having trouble reducing the liquid, add some flour into it and whisk to combine) Cut the lemon in half, juice half of the lemon and add the juice to the pan. Cut the remaining half of the lemon into slices, toss them into the pan and cook for another couple of minutes. Serves 4.
Do y'all have any pork recipes you like? I'd love to add some more into my recipe file!
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| via |
Adapted from Savoring the Thyme
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 boneless pork chops 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
A few pinches of salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 lemon
4 oz sliced mushrooms
1/3 sliced sweet onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.
2. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. On a plate, place the flour and then zest the lemon right over the flour and place the lemon aside. Coat each pork chop with the flour-zest mixture on both sides and place into the skillet and cover with a splatter screen. Cook for about 2-3 minutes depending on thickness. Repeat on the other side and then place the chops on a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow the pan to cool a minute. Add the mushrooms to the pan and saute for 2 minutes. Add the onion, saute for one minute and then add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
4. Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan. When the liquid is reduced by about half, add the pork back into the pan. (if you're having trouble reducing the liquid, add some flour into it and whisk to combine) Cut the lemon in half, juice half of the lemon and add the juice to the pan. Cut the remaining half of the lemon into slices, toss them into the pan and cook for another couple of minutes. Serves 4.
Do y'all have any pork recipes you like? I'd love to add some more into my recipe file!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
JC Penny Finds
This weekend my mom and I ventured into JC Penny because they have a full Sephora inside, and I need some blush. I haven't been into a JC Penny in years, and I don't think I've ever purchased something from there. I had every intention to make a bee line for the Sephora store, buy my blush, and get the heck outta there- but it didn't quite work out that way.
We walked in and were immediately entranced by the Joe Fresh section. I've seen a lot of their stuff on commercials and on other blogs, but hadn't seen it yet in person. From the Joe Fresh section we made our way around the entire ladies clothing area. Everything was so cute! Here are some of my favorites. I actually purchased the top three, and I'm loving the looks of the bottom three.
Joe Fresh Sequin Skirt
a.n.a. Mandarin Collar Popover
We walked in and were immediately entranced by the Joe Fresh section. I've seen a lot of their stuff on commercials and on other blogs, but hadn't seen it yet in person. From the Joe Fresh section we made our way around the entire ladies clothing area. Everything was so cute! Here are some of my favorites. I actually purchased the top three, and I'm loving the looks of the bottom three.
I ended up getting blush while I was there, too. It's actually kind of a funny story. I was ready to finally jump on the NARS blush train, and I did a little research before I went. I liked the look of Orgasm (their most popular color), and had also heard good things about the Deep Throat. When I went to go check out those colors, they appeared to be out of both. I called one of the associates over for help, but she wasn't sure if they had more of either. So, she screamed over to her coworker asking if they had more orgasm or deep throat in stock. Oh the looks I received. At that point no blush was needed. I could just feel the blood rush to my cheeks.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Weekend Recap
This weekend we went to a wedding in Columbia. This wedding ended our marathon of weddings for the last two years. We don't have another until November of 2014, and we sure did end it with a good one! The bride, Meg, and I have been friends since high school. We also went to college together, and were in the same sorority. Meg married William, her sweet long-time boyfriend who is a Citadel grad.
The wedding and reception were absolutely beautiful. Southern and romantic with a lot of great Citadel tradition. I love the Sword Ceremony at a military wedding. This is where they stop the bride and groom from exiting the church until they provide the password, which happens to be a kiss.
One of my favorite parts about a wedding reception is seeing the personal touches that the couple adds to the event. I love seeing how a bride and groom's reception reflects who they are. Meg and William are both big hunters. Don't be fooled by Meg's small figure and beauty. The girl can out hunt and fish you any day. So, in addition to the traditional wedding food (which was awesome) they also served venison. I must admit, that's the first time I've ever seen that offered at a reception, and I loved it!
Here I am with the bride and all of my best friends from high school.
The band was soooo good. Something about them just made me want to dance all night, and their music even managed to get T out on the dance floor. It was so much fun dancing the night away surrounded by some of my best high school and college friends.
What a fun night we had, and congratulations to Meg and William!
The wedding and reception were absolutely beautiful. Southern and romantic with a lot of great Citadel tradition. I love the Sword Ceremony at a military wedding. This is where they stop the bride and groom from exiting the church until they provide the password, which happens to be a kiss.
One of my favorite parts about a wedding reception is seeing the personal touches that the couple adds to the event. I love seeing how a bride and groom's reception reflects who they are. Meg and William are both big hunters. Don't be fooled by Meg's small figure and beauty. The girl can out hunt and fish you any day. So, in addition to the traditional wedding food (which was awesome) they also served venison. I must admit, that's the first time I've ever seen that offered at a reception, and I loved it!
Here I am with the bride and all of my best friends from high school.
The band was soooo good. Something about them just made me want to dance all night, and their music even managed to get T out on the dance floor. It was so much fun dancing the night away surrounded by some of my best high school and college friends.
What a fun night we had, and congratulations to Meg and William!
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Sunday Meal Planning #2
Here's a look at we've got on the menu for this week.
Sunday: Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese {and bacon} Sandwiches
Monday: Left Overs
Tuesday: Honey Soy Grilled Salmon with Garlic Parmesan Green Beans and cous cous
Wednesday: Sauteed Garlic Lemon Pork Chops with Mushrooms & Onion and Roasted Zucchini (for the second week in a row- we love this zucchini)
Thursday: Tailgate Food- Clemson Game!
Friday: Take Out
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| Garlic Parmesan Green Beans from foodnetwork.com |
Sunday: Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese {and bacon} Sandwiches
Monday: Left Overs
Tuesday: Honey Soy Grilled Salmon with Garlic Parmesan Green Beans and cous cous
Wednesday: Sauteed Garlic Lemon Pork Chops with Mushrooms & Onion and Roasted Zucchini (for the second week in a row- we love this zucchini)
Thursday: Tailgate Food- Clemson Game!
Friday: Take Out
Friday, November 8, 2013
Five On Friday: Hair Edition
Everyone has that one thing about them that they're always super self conscious about. The thing that you notice first in every single picture. Mine is my hair- or lack thereof. I have baby fine super thin hair, and not a lot of it. Since I was in middle school, I've always been on the search for the perfect hair products that would make me look like I had more hair. I've practically tried everything under the sun, but I finally have a few products that I really love.
{one.} Moroccan Oil Extra Volume Shampoo- I would have never thought that Moroccan Oil shampoo would work for me. Oil and thin hair typically just aren't a good combination, but this stuff is great. It keeps my hair moisturized with out weighing it down. I've been using it for the past few months and I've received several compliments on how shiny and healthy my hair has been looking.
{two.} Style Sexy Hair Spray Clay- If you have fine or thin hair, you know how lifeless it can look sometimes. No matter what you do to it, it just falls. This Spray Clay is a great solution. It adds texture to your hair and actually helps it to stay in place.
{three.} John Frida Luxurious Volume Blow Out Spray- Although I have to add a lot of products to my hair, I hate feeling like my hair is completely gunked up with product residue. I love this spray because its super light. Your hair still feels clean and soft even though it's been volumized.
{four.} Sebastian Shaper Hairspray- This is the best teasing hairspray I've ever used. I typically tease the crown of my hair to add some extra height and to hide the crazy cowlick I've got going on. This is the first hairspray I've found that will actually hold my tease throughout the day.
{five.} L'Oreal Professionnel Fibercuetic Masque- When you're using all of these things on you're hair, you've got to make sure to keep it moisturized. I use this L'Oreal masque every Sunday to cleanse, repair and moisturize before I begin my week.
Y'all don't judge on the amount of hair products I use. It takes a village.
{one.} Moroccan Oil Extra Volume Shampoo- I would have never thought that Moroccan Oil shampoo would work for me. Oil and thin hair typically just aren't a good combination, but this stuff is great. It keeps my hair moisturized with out weighing it down. I've been using it for the past few months and I've received several compliments on how shiny and healthy my hair has been looking.
{two.} Style Sexy Hair Spray Clay- If you have fine or thin hair, you know how lifeless it can look sometimes. No matter what you do to it, it just falls. This Spray Clay is a great solution. It adds texture to your hair and actually helps it to stay in place.
{three.} John Frida Luxurious Volume Blow Out Spray- Although I have to add a lot of products to my hair, I hate feeling like my hair is completely gunked up with product residue. I love this spray because its super light. Your hair still feels clean and soft even though it's been volumized.
{four.} Sebastian Shaper Hairspray- This is the best teasing hairspray I've ever used. I typically tease the crown of my hair to add some extra height and to hide the crazy cowlick I've got going on. This is the first hairspray I've found that will actually hold my tease throughout the day.
{five.} L'Oreal Professionnel Fibercuetic Masque- When you're using all of these things on you're hair, you've got to make sure to keep it moisturized. I use this L'Oreal masque every Sunday to cleanse, repair and moisturize before I begin my week.
Y'all don't judge on the amount of hair products I use. It takes a village.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Old Navy Steals
I've recently been loving a lot at Old Navy. A lot of their items are spot-on with the trends I've been seeing this fall, and their price points are always so reasonable. I practically live in big sweaters and cardis in the cooler weather, and I can never have enough plaid shirts and vests. Here's a few of the items I've had my eye on.
Happy Friday eve!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Greektown Grille
Greenville's culinary scene has been growing at a very rapid pace. So rapid recently that I can't even keep up with every new restaurant that opens downtown. A new Mediterranean place, Greektown Grille, opened up a few months ago and I recently tried it out for lunch.
I was pleasantly surprised at the prices of their sandwiches. They are all served with a small portion of seasoned steak fries and ring in under $7.00. It's rare to get that downtown these days. I opted for the Chicken Souvlaki Pita at $6.55. The pita was nice and soft, and the flavors were just right. When I got it I thought I would want more taziki sauce, but once I started eating it I realized it had enough flavor without additional sauce.
I have a problem when I go to new restaurants. I get so excited to try the menu items, that I can't just order one thing. So I also ordered the Spanakotiropita, layers of filo dough filled with spinach, feta, and herbs.
The Spanakotiropita was equally as tasty. The crispy layers of filo dough are so good in combination with the creamy cheesy spinach-y goodness inside. This is one of my all time favorite Greek foods, and their version was executed very well.
Overall I was very pleased with Greektown Grille. To be honest, I typically shy away from any restaurant with "Grill" or "Grille" as part of its name. Why do they have to add that extra "e" in there? And isn't it obvious that some of there menu items are grilled? Is it completely necessary to put it in the name, too? I think that's just the inner marketing major in me coming out, it's no secret that I can pick apart a restaurant's branding. Regardless of my weird hang-up about the name, the food is great (and cheap) which is the most important part. If you live in the Upstate, you should give it a try.
I was pleasantly surprised at the prices of their sandwiches. They are all served with a small portion of seasoned steak fries and ring in under $7.00. It's rare to get that downtown these days. I opted for the Chicken Souvlaki Pita at $6.55. The pita was nice and soft, and the flavors were just right. When I got it I thought I would want more taziki sauce, but once I started eating it I realized it had enough flavor without additional sauce.
I have a problem when I go to new restaurants. I get so excited to try the menu items, that I can't just order one thing. So I also ordered the Spanakotiropita, layers of filo dough filled with spinach, feta, and herbs.
The Spanakotiropita was equally as tasty. The crispy layers of filo dough are so good in combination with the creamy cheesy spinach-y goodness inside. This is one of my all time favorite Greek foods, and their version was executed very well.
Overall I was very pleased with Greektown Grille. To be honest, I typically shy away from any restaurant with "Grill" or "Grille" as part of its name. Why do they have to add that extra "e" in there? And isn't it obvious that some of there menu items are grilled? Is it completely necessary to put it in the name, too? I think that's just the inner marketing major in me coming out, it's no secret that I can pick apart a restaurant's branding. Regardless of my weird hang-up about the name, the food is great (and cheap) which is the most important part. If you live in the Upstate, you should give it a try.
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