Recipe: Seasoned Pretzels

As mentioned in yesterday's post, Mr. T and I went to the Bojangles' Southern 500 NASCAR race this past weekend.  I wanted to bring something for everyone to snack on, but I always have difficulty thinking of things to bring to these kind of events.  What can stay out in the sun for 6+ hours?  What is easy to transport?  What can I bring that can be displayed on disposable/unbreakable dishes? And what will be easy to pick up and eat with no utensils?  Here's my solution.

Seasoned Pretzels

These things are so stinkin' good and so simple to make!  No baking necessary, just a simple assembly of ingredients.  People can't get away from them either.  They're incredibly addicting.  Here's how you make them.

Ingredients
1 lb bag pretzels (I like the thins)
1 package Hidden Valley ranch dressing
1/2 tsp lemon pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup oil

Mix all ingredients in large ziplock bag or tupperware and let sit 24 hours.

A special thanks to my future mother in law for introducing me to this recipe!

Too Tough To Tame

Well this weekend was an absolute blast.  On Saturday, we went to the Bojangle's Southern 500 NASCAR race in Darlington, SC.

 The day was filled with beer, cars, and ribs.  These aren't just any ribs, either.  They are award-winning, falling off the bone, sweet and savory, best thing you've ever eaten ribs.  And they made enough to feed an army.  

As we arrived at Darlington Raceway, we pulled into the infield and parked near several RVs.  T's uncle manages an RV dealership and every year they bring down several of their RVs to show at the race.  These things are insane, too.  Fully equipped with buttery leather interiors, stainless steel appliances, several flat screen tvs and even crown molding.  Yeah- you read that right.  Crown molding in an RV.  The two best parts about these things is that you always have a nice bathroom to go to (no yucky porta pottys) and when the race starts you can climb on top of them and get a perfect view.

 

When the race ended we headed back to our lake house at Lake Wateree, where we were celebrating Mother's Day with my family the next day.  We woke up on Sunday and had a great Mother's Day brunch on our screened in porch.  I've recently developed an interest in Depression Glass, and while I was perusing different websites I found a beautiful candy dish to give to my mom from Etsy.

Isn't it just gorgeous?  I love the color, and it's very rare to find one with a lid still in tact.  After all, this thing has been around since the 1940's.  Hope y'all had a great weekend, too!

Grilling Weather

The weather was incredible last night so T and I decided to take our dinner outside.  I picked up a bottle of wine for us on the way home so we had something to sip on while we grilled our dinner.  That morning, I had already started marinating chicken for Greek Chicken Kabobs, one of our favorite summertime recipes.

Greek Chicken Kabobs

1 (8 ounce) container fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
1 large bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  
In a large shallow baking dish, mix the yogurt, feta cheese, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place the chicken in the dish, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate at least 3 hours in the refrigerator. 

Preheat an outdoor grill on high heat. 

Thread the chicken, onion wedges, and bell pepper pieces alternately onto skewers. Discard remaining yogurt mixture. 

Grill skewers until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. 

We served it with a Greek salad, just a simple combination of romaine, cukes, kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, tomatoes, red onion, and feta cheese.  I made a red wine vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil,  sugar, oregano, salt and pepper.

T and I love grilling out.  Most apartment dwellers don't get the luxury of great outdoor space, but we are very lucky. We have the prettiest space outside complete with a lake, pool, fire pit, tables, and several grills.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Off To The Races

When Mr. T and I asked our moms what they wanted to do for Mother's Day weekend this year, they both shocked us by saying "NASCAR!".  Both of our moms are not the typical NASCAR fans, the total opposite actually.  Last year we spent the same weekend at Darlington Raceway where my mom had her first race experience.  She loved it.   She was enamored by the speed of the cars, the noise, and the incredible people-watching.  So this weekend, we're off to the races!

Here are a few pictures from last year.

Riding Around and Making Friends

Mom and Dad in the Pits

With Mom and MIL to be

Now I don't know if I like NASCAR racing enough to sit in the stands, but our experience has always been a little bit different.  We were able to snag some infield passes through Mr. T's uncle.  He brings several RVs down and that's where we tailgate all day. We had a golf cart to ride in around the infield, and that's where the best people watching and friend making happened.  Once the race started, we climbed to the top of the RV to get a better view of the track.  It's absolutely amazing how loud and fast those cars are.  TV just doesn't do it justice.

We're so excited to celebrate Mother's Day again at the race!  Stay tuned for pictures and stories from our experience.

Crock Pot Update

Well here's an update on my crock pot adventure.  I'd love to say that it was a complete success and I'll be making it over and over again, BUT that's not the case.  The flavor was great but the chicken was waaayyy overdone.  The recipe said to cook it on low for 8 hours, but it really needed about 4.

It still looked great, didn't it?  Too bad it was powdery inside.  Guess I'll know for next time.  On a better note, I served the chicken with one of my favorite summertime side dishes. Sliced tomatoes with goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, and a basil chiffonade.

I love this dish because it's light, colorful, and healthy, but most of all it's super simple! No cooking involved.  Just slice the 'maters, top with the remaining ingredients, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. What are some of your favorite simple summertime dishes?

Crock Pot Chic

I've recently changed jobs, which I love, but the new hours are throwing me off.  Mr. T and I like to eat earlier than later, so getting home at 6:30 and whipping something up is not the easiest task.  To alleviate this problem, I've recently started researching crock pot recipes.  I've got a crock pot on my registry, but this impatient girl just couldn't wait to start cooking.  SO, for the time being I'm using this baby.

Isn't she a beaut!  This actually isn't my exact one, just an identical version of mine, sans the big chip in the top right corner. But no worries, mine still has the harvest gold tone and is adorned with the oh-so-seventies motif of fondue pots and sea food creatures. It was a gift to my mom from a boyfriend before she met my dad.  Mom and Dad are going on their 33rd year of marriage this summer, so this thing is very seasoned to say the least.

The recipe I'm trying tonight is incredibly simple.  I seem to always be drawn to recipes with the fewest amount of ingredients.

Salsa Chicken
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz sour cream (I used reduced fat)
8 oz salsa
Mix salsa and sour cream in crock pot.  Add chicken breasts and make sure they are fully coated in the liquid.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat

THAT'S IT!  Let's hope that it turns out a little more flavorful than that bland name.  If it's a keeper we'll definitely be renaming the recipe.  I'll keep you posted!

Our NYC Adventure

Mr. T and I recently took a trip to New York to visit my sister Sarah, her boyfriend Cameron, and their cat Puck.  Mr. T had never seen the city of New York from a non-tourist perspective, so it was quite fun to experience that with him.  We flew out of Charlotte at 6:00 am to ensure that we spent the most amount of time possible in the city.  We arrived around 8:00 am and took a cab to her apartment.  Sarah unfortunately had to work, but Cameron spent the day with us giving a tour of Manhattan.  We met Sarah at her office and went out to lunch.  After lunch Cameron, Mr. T and I took a leisurely stroll on the High Line.  If you haven't ever walked on it, you're majorly missing out.  The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It was originally used to bring animals in from the Hudson River to the Meat Packing District.  It's a great escape from the crowded smelly roads of the city.

That evening we went to dinner at Pipa, a Spanish style tapas restaurant that has amazing Sangria.

The next day the boys got up and went to the Yankee's game.  It was Mr. T's first time at one and he loved it.  The weather was absolutely perfect for it and they had a blast.  Sarah and I spent the beautiful day shopping... of course! That night we went to a great little Italian place for dinner.

Yankee Stadium

Sunday morning we got up relatively early to make the most of our last day.   While we were walking on the High Line on Friday, Mr. T spotted the driving range at Chelsea Piers.   It had been rated the best driving range in the country, so obviously he was dying to try it out.  Cameron and T headed out there for a few hours on Sunday morning, and met up with us later that day for lunch.

We went to lunch at Mottorino, a great pizza place where you can get real Italian pizza, not that by-the-slice crap.  We decided to keep that European thing going and head out to the Beer Gardens in Queens.  The only place I've ever been with beer gardens before was Munich, and when I found out that New York had some I was dying to go. We hopped on the Subway and ended up at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden.  It was awesome.

Cheers!

We Then returned to Sarah's apartment, packed up, and headed to the airport.  I must say, having a slight buzz on the airplane made it much easier to nap!  I was out like a light.

Mr. T absolutely loved the big city and we're already planning our next trip back.  He is even trying to convince me that we need to move there. I guess I could always be the Hudson River Recessionista!