love me some jesus

We had a great Christmas this year and got to see most of our family, which was the biggest treat for us. There were 5 dogs total at my parents house, which left four of them much like this after a hard day of play

A few months ago I made this little sign. Our formal dining room just need more of a personal touch. If you know me... you know I love to say ,"love me some Jesus", because it's clearly true I do, but it is also just a little something I like to say.

I got clever with some paint, an old plank board, and some braided twine and here you have it. I figured no sense in paying someone else to do your idea for you! Hope you and yours had a very blessed and Merry Christmas.

oh babycakes...

I have been a terrible blogger for months now. I’m trying to get back on the train. Thanksgiving, along with my Birthday, all came in a fast forward motion was last month. We spent time with family and friends, eating, and ran a few races (or maybe just I did).

Nevertheless, my family was very sweet in making my Birthday special, even those that are miles and miles away. One thing that I felt like I can to share with you was a new recipe… (surprise, surprise). My Aunt Margaret gave me this wonderful cookbook, which I found myself completely immersed in, BabyCakes Covers the Classics. My first product with a few adjustments was her granola recipe. A girl needs variety in the GF cereal department! Even if you’re not GF you will enjoy this. Put over yogurt, frozen yogurt (or in our house now Yonanas, thanks Mom), with fruit, or plain for breakfast. So, here ya go, I toast a full bowl to you!

GF & Vegan Free Granola
4 cups GF Oats or Old Fashion Oats1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 ½ cups Unsweetened Coconut
½ cup Pecans
½ cup Almonds
1/3 cup Sunflower Seeds (unsalted)
½ cup dried Cranberries
½ cup dried Blueberries
1/3 cup MELTED coconut oil… or Canola Oil1/3 cup Agave Nectar
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-In a medium bowl, combine oats, salt, cinnamon, ginger, coconut, pecans, almonds, seeds, and berries and mix together.
-Add Oil and Agave to bowl, and mix well together.
-Pour mixture on baking sheet(s), spread, and bake for 15 min.
-Give the mixture a stir and continue baking for 10-15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
-Store granola in a covered container. (I use a Tupperware container).
 Also, if you haven’t heard of Yonanas it’s amazing. Makes your own GF/Lactose Free frozen yogurt. It’s pretty amazing… tastes just like ice cream. Seriously. I love having this granola on top!

diy bracelet

I made this, and it was so easy I thought I had to share. You should give this easy bracelet a try!

stella the deal

I love a good deal. While I get ready for work every morning I usually have the Today show or GMA on. I like to get a little news and a little fluff in the morning. Once a week GMA does a Steals and Deals segment. I love this Stella & Dot bracelet that they showed today... and with their promo code it's 50% off. Ummm hello... makes you love it a little more. 

Get it here using promo code GMAOCT (expires 10/27)

Was $59 with this code $29!

chocolate chip... gf & vegan...could it really be good?

There has been quite a bit of experimenting in the baking department of our kitchen these days. I have to be honest; I think this might very well be the best tasting Chocolate Chip Cookie I’ve ever had. I’m soft bake kind of girl, so if that’s not you… well you probably won’t enjoy it half as much as I did. So sit outside, enjoy the fall air, bite into one of these cookies, and it will make you raise your glass of cold milk!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan)

•2 1/2 cups Blanched Almond Flour

•1/2 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt

•1/2 teaspoon baking soda

•1/2 cup grapeseed oil

•1 tablespoon vanilla extract

•1/2 cup agave nectar

•1 cup dark chocolate 73%

1.Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2.Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.

3.Mix wet ingredients into dry.

4.Form 1/2 inch balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

5.Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

6.Cool and serve.

hatch

In the summer of 2006 I lived in Nashville, TN working at CMT. As many people know I don’t really listen to country music; I leave that to Aaron. So, when I would have an embarrassing moment with a musician in the elevator or have them around my desk, I would be completely reactionless. I couldn’t recognize anyone. I was probably the ideal candidate for the job; a clueless 20 something, that would do whatever my boss told me to do, and didn’t care about country music. But seriously, great job, great people, great experience.

On my lunch break one of my favorite things to do, was to walk down to Hatch Show Print. I’m pretty sure I went once a week. I have a problem; I love music/concert posters. That summer, I brought 4 home. I still have them on display in our office at home with one of Aaron’s guitars hanging in front of them. I think soon we will have to add this one for Aaron:

And this one for me:

You should check out Hatch. It might be a nice addition for you too!

6 ways... sseko

July was the month of visitors. Aaron and I loved having friends and family in town. Now that we are officially in August without a break from triple digits, I'm counting down the days till fall! However, I can't bare the thought of looking at a pair of jeans or boots right now.

With that in mind I found these amazing sandals the other day. I know that Sseko might be old news to some people, but it was totally new to me. I love what they're about and I love the teal and pinafore color! Just a bonus, you get one pair of shoes and can wear them 6 different ways. How can you not love helping women in Uganda and get a pair shoes. Check out Sseko!

new music wednesday

Well the Dirty Guv’nahs totally reminds me of, if the Avett Brothers and Marc Broussard decided to have a baby they would produce the Dirty Guv’nahs. If that is your sound then I bet you would like them. Click here to get a download of their latest album Youth is in Our Blood for free. Happy Wednesday!

free friday

I know, I know, it’s usually new music Wednesday. I have been a little delayed in the world. Here is a new one for you from Austin, TX. I can think of 3 different bands that sound just like them, but you might just like this indie sound by The Wooden Birds.

I have a few concert goals this year, I hoping for the best, but it looks I may have to travel to see some artists. Imagine that, no one comes to Shreveport except Travis Tritt and the American Idol Tour. Hummm not so much. Happy Friday!

the salad of the summer

When I make a salad for dinner, it has to pretty special to wow Aaron. We have salad every night with dinner, so salad as a main entree needs to have a little pizazz. I found this recipe and added a few extras, and it was delicious. You have to try it!

Grains & Fruit Summer Salad

Ingredients:
¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked grain (quinoa, wild rice and/or brown rice*, I used brown rice)
½ cup sliced green onions
4 cups mixed spring greens
2 cups blueberries (9-10 oz.)
1 cup cantaloupe cubes (I hate cantaloupe…so I omitted.)
1 cup yellow or red cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup of red pepper* I added
½ cup of orange pepper* I added
1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise in narrow ribbons
½ cup walnut pieces, toasted
4 oz. smoked salmon, flaked (I cooked 1lb. of Sockeyed Salmon)
¼ cup snipped or shredded fresh herbs (dill, basil, and/or mint)

Directions:
1. For basil dressing, in a blender or small food processor combine the 1 cup basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and blend or process until nearly smooth,stopping to scrape down sides as needed; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl stir together cooked grains and green onions. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of the basil dressing to coat.
3. For the salad, line a large bowl with greens. Top greens with grains mixture, blueberries, cantaloupe, tomatoes, zucchini, pepper, walnuts, and salmon. Drizzle with half the remaining basil dressing; toss gently. Sprinkle with fresh herbs. Pass remaining dressing.

patty cake, patty cake, baker's man

This weekend I was what some of you may call… “a baking fool”.

Thanks to Linnae’s sister Sara, my world of living G-Free has been quite enjoyable. Almond Flour, people, God Bless it! Some of you know I eat the same thing every day for Breakfast and Lunch. I have been able to still swing my 2 bowls of cereal; it just isn’t the same old favorites, and a sandwich. Now, the sandwich has been the most depressing of all. I have hated every GF bread known to man. They all crumble, taste like mushed up rice, and/or not filling. Until, Sara shared this beautiful thing called: Almond Flour. I have made some of the most delicious bread I have ever had and some amazing crackers. Thanks to Elana!

I’m not sure why, but Aaron thinks I make amazing Pizza. I haven’t made it in over 2 months, and thanks to my sweet friend Martha, I had a great recipe to try for myself. For those of you who are trying to Low Carb it or are GF you really should try it; I was pretty pleased with it. I just couldn’t look at Aaron’s too long! Hope you can enjoy!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

it's a g thing

Well I have had to get creative at times in the G-Free department lately, But I have really enjoyed being creative and cooking new things. This weekend I made some delicious homemade herb crackers. Um… they were pretty awesome! Now that my new kitchen is stocked I’m ready to roll.

I’m really looking forward to starting to make my own bread this weekend. That might be sad that I’m looking forward to that, but I really am. Here is a great recipe I got for using Polenta, and I paired it with a homemade pesto Salmon that was quite tasty. Enjoy!
Grilled Polenta with Tomatoes and White Beans

Ingredients:


1 (17-ounce) tube of basil and garlic flavored polenta, cut into 9 slices
Cooking spray
2 tsp Olive Oil
2 cups halved Grape Tomatoes
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained
1 TBS White Wine Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh Rosemary
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Rosemary sprigs (optional)


Directions:


1. Heat a grill pan or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan and polenta slices with cooking spray. Place polenta slices on grill pan or skillet; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from pan; keep warm.


2. While polenta cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and garlic to skillet; sauté 4 minutes or until tomatoes soften and garlic is tender. Reduce heat to low. Stir in beans and next 3 ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.


3. Place 3 polenta slices on each of 3 plates. Spoon tomato mixture evenly over polenta, and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired

lobsta daily

We had a wonderful last week. My brother got married and then Aaron and I had a quick trip to Maine. Unfortunately, I didn't get my camera out once at the wedding. Not sure what I was thinking. I will say that Aaron and I did love the photo booth that they had. That was the only photo that I brought home! I can't wait to see their pictures.
Maine was absolutely amazing. It has been a dream to go there in the summer, and we did it! We stayed in Freeport, ME just 30 minutes outside of Portland. We drove to different towns on the coast, and every single one of them was beautiful! A little preview...

 View from our backyard in Freeport, ME.

 Nubble Lighthouse

 About to see some whales off of Baybooth Harbor!

 Minke Whales- we saw several of them within 30 minutes.

 Then we got to the Fin Whales. They came right next to our boat. They are the 2nd largest whales, 60-70ft long!

 Windjammers were everywhere.

 Best popcorn ever...seriously.

 Aaron's Lobster Roll. He was super excited about. This was our night at 5 Islands Lobster.

 So I ate the same meal a lot...it was awesome.

 We found this awesome beach, thanks to this sweet old lady that liked our bikes. In Winslow Park.

 The rocks were perfectly smooth to layout on.

 Our cute cottage. Looks can be deceiving, we could have had 4 other people stay with us.

 Aaron's Idea

 Hiking in Bradbury State Park

 McDonald's... Seriously nice.

 Portland Head Light Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth.

Such an awesome trip! Maybe one day we'll get to go back. See you soon Maine!

i grew a pizza

This was one of those moments that I really wished that I could have eaten what I was cooking. Last night I made Aaron a Garden Grilled Pizza for dinner. I made this last summer, but this year everything was from our garden! I basically made an almost free pizza (minus making my own whole wheat crust and store bought cheese). If you have a surplus of veggies that you don’t know what to do with, try this recipe.

Summer Squash Pizza
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
1 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
Cooking spray
1 (12-inch) packaged pizza crust (I personally, like to make my own)
2 plum tomatoes, cut into (1/8-inch-thick) slices
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano


1. Prepare grill.
2. Combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, zucchini slices, and yellow squash slices in a large bowl, tossing gently to coat. Place squash mixture on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until tender.
3. Reduce grill temperature to medium.
4. Lightly coat pizza crust with cooking spray; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Arrange zucchini and squash over crust. Arrange tomatoes over squash; sprinkle with pecorino Romano cheese. Grill 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from grill; sprinkle with basil and oregano.

may it all begin

May the countdown begin.

My brother gets married this weekend and we leave for our trip to Maine. We are so excited about both that we can barely stand it! It should be interesting packing for 2 different places with temperatures in the 90s and another in the 70s. Sounds like outdoor heaven will quickly be approaching.

Some things that are must do’s on our list in Maine are: Relax, Eat lots of Lobster, Whale Watching, Hiking, Kayak or Paddle Board, Learn to Fly Fish, See Light Houses, Get a picture of a Puffin, Bike Rides, and Have Amazing Runs. Looking forward to all of the fun festivities!

Missing Steph, but we're all about to be sisters!

I hope this happens next to our boat!

sometimes its easier to buy than make

I saw something like this at Anthropologie.

So, I thought, ‘please, I can make those garden markers’, remember this thought. After I drove around to different antique and thrift stores I finally found some spoons. Who knew it would be such a challenge. The good thing was they were old Army spoons that were used in the military. (Free added character.) Well, that was only the beginning.

I hammered the mess out of these guys for two days; someone should have mentioned in a tutorial that you need silver spoons! Then I purchased 2 different metal stamps and had no luck, because the spoons weren’t real silver. (ugh) So, then I got clever with what I had. I stamped each halfway flatten spoon with the plant/veggie/herb’s name on it, and then sealed them.

I think they came out ok, and Aaron loved them. That was all that really mattered. They weren’t spot on fruit or flowers marking 4 years, but it was for your fruit and flowers. Kind of a stretch, but it worked!

Here is to the many years ahead!