Keeping up with the Joneses

Weekend as Charlestonians

2014-07-14T22:19:00.002-05:00

Hey there!

While we've been here in Charleston for one whole month today, this past weekend was our first real, "normal person"weekend we've had. Initially we had family here helping us move (total lifesaver), then we turned around and went right back home for a wedding (Keith's best friend's wedding), and then we had another guest (my sweet girl MC), so it's been a whirlwind of fun, entertainment and activities from the start. It was quite nice to feel like we really, really live here now and have a couple of agenda-free days off.

We slept in on Saturday. We went to the Farmer's Market down the road. We stayed up late and went out to bars both nights (both nights!? who am I!?). We rode our bikes. Went to a pool. I did laundry. I cleaned (oh wait, I didn't do actually do that but should have). It was a well-rounded, relaxing time.

Here are some of the pictures I snapped along the way. Just a little taste of life here in Chucktown!

Marion Square Farmer's Market - Love the valet bike parking.

Of course, I'm all "That is SOO cute! Lookie, lookie! Let's use it!"

Keith was all "Yeah, I'm a real man. I can park my own trike, thankyouverymuch."

That statement alone is hilarious, but I digress.

The Farmer's Market is a hustle and bustle of local vendors - everything from delicious foods and produce to flowers and crafts. You see things like homemade juices of kale and blueberry, and someone peddling artisan popsicles like watermelon mint. This is not your average market, folks.

The food trucks serve breakfast, and it's out of this world. This was a bacon egg and cheese sandwich that we had to split. Charleston knows a thing or two about big portions!

Summer in a photo!

I did buy some of those berries, y'all. Keith said they are "money." His words, not mine.

Tomatoes, and my tennis shoes.

I loved seeing this in an artist's booth. I would agree with that sentiment about Arkansas.

I may (slash will) have to go back and buy this.

Peddling to pick up some lunch. Even the fast-casual dining places here rock my socks off.

This was a fresh salad with peaches, bacon, goat cheese, arugula and a champagne vinaigrette. Oh, and a refreshing green mint tea. Easy, and healthy.

Just riding down the streets under the canopy of trees is an activity in and of itself.

I made a few new friends (gold star! social interaction!) and got invited to hang out poolside here.

My new friend is house sitting from time to time at a total dream home in a rilllll nice part of town. 'Round here, that's anything "South of Broad" street. Yeahhhh, we was definitely past that.

Crazy beautiful. Old. Charming.
A lawn like this downtown? Amazing.

I died.

But made more new friends first.

I would have loved to snap 100 photos inside the fabulous house, but that just wouldn't be right, y'all.
So, on the ride home, I took a bunch of photos of other dreamy houses.

This was the ~~house~~ estate across the street. That tree! Gasp.

Gorgeous at every turn.

Window baskets are a thing of beauty around here, and this one would be considered very simple.

B.T.dubs, this was Keith's grandparent's tricycle. It was sitting idle in their garage, just waiting to be restored to glory. It says Sears & Roebuck on it. It's from the early 70s. We love it! Keith is "that guy with the old trike" downtown :)

It gave out on him on the ride home. It's currently in the shop and he misses it so much! When you ride a bicycle well over 30 years old, it has it's moments of weakness. We're working to get it back to it's riding potential.

This meant that Keith walked it home. Meaning, I circled him a lot. I also went slower and took more photos.

The Westie.
At the iron gate.
The front door that leads to the porch, before the real front door.
The American flag.
So much I love about this!

There are iron gates galore. But, I loved these on Queen street. Totes appropes.

Wentworth Mansion. You can stay here.
Or with us. Whatever.

Even this house closer to our neighborhood is in need of some TLC, but isn't it still so charming?

We also had a little Thai dinner date, and stopped for a sitting spell on the College of Charleston campus. We tried a few selfies, and didn't like any of them.

"Ooooh, do I really have this many wrinkles under my eyes now?" -Keith
"Wow. For once, the humidity hasn't done horrible things to my hair. This is progress" - Kendall

"The flash is better." -Keith
"Yeah, but you can't tell anything about where we are." - Kendall

"So, you really think this grainy pic is better?" -Keith
"You're right. That's enough. I just won't have any pictures of us for the blog. I hope people like houses" - Kendall

:)

Thanks for stopping by!!

Catching up!

2014-07-09T11:07:00.001-05:00

Hello out there!

I'm not even sure where to begin with this post. I can't believe it's been 9 months since my last entry on this blog. First, I had no intentions of walking away from it, and still don't!
Life just happens.
Priorities shift.
And, I'm okay with that. I reached a point where this felt like an obligation that I needed to maintain instead of a passion project, which is the whole point. So, I needed a break. And, sometimes a break is a wonderful thing.

I so appreciate the emails I received and the friends that gave me a hard time about missing my recipes. Thanks for making me feel missed! Everything is okay. Keith and I are doing well and have been busy for all good reasons.

(we recently celebrated 6 years of marriage!)

After much thought, I've decided to pick back up on the blog, but it's time for a bit of a reinvention.
New name. New design. Fresh start.

You'll have to stay tuned for that development, but I'm excited to begin again and I am optimistic that this will be able to fit into my life a bit better now. Speaking of which, we've had a few things going on, so I'll get you caught up on all of that!

First up, we've moved to Charleston, South Carolina!

(Goodbye, Memphis!)

Yes, I actually live here now. Pinch me.

We don't actually live in this house, but man aren't those flowers gorgeous!

My husband, Keith, has been practicing dentistry for two years and decided to specialize as a pediatric dentist. Last Fall, we went through the application, interview and match process. We visited many schools, but one city stole our hearts and went straight to the top of our rank list. So, you can imagine our joy when we found out we matched to Charleston! We found out in January and just moved here 3 weeks ago.

I'm so proud of Keith. I cannot think of a better person to specialize in the needs of children. He is the most patient, kind, relatable, down to Earth person I know and kids adore him. After much prayer, and lots of years in school, it is so amazing to see God's plan unfold.

The program is for two years and then he'll be able to buy and/or start his own practice in the city of our choosing. We don't know where that will be, so for now, we feel incredibly blessed to be able to move to a wonderful place for this little window of time.

God's hand is in all things, and finding a place to live was no different. Through a connection in the pediatric dental field, we found a townhouse right where we wanted to be. We are a couple blocks from King Street (hellooooooo shoppping and restaurants) and a few blocks from MUSC (where Keith works). It's perfect for us and I already love, love, love this house.

Here are a few pictures, but I have so many more to share!

(Before)

(Part of the After)

In addition to all of this falling into place just right, I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home for my company based in Memphis. I love my job, so I couldn't ask for a better opportunity. There are huge perks to working from home, but there is a downside to being alone and away from your team. It's an adjustment that I'm getting used to, but I think it's going to be fantastic.

(my new office at home)

With all the new, exciting things we have happening in Charleston, we have so much to share with all of our friends and family that are 600+ miles away. I'll be using this blog to tell our story - both what I'm cooking and how I'm decorating, but also what adventures and discoveries we're making in this historic, charming town.

It's nice to be back! Stay tuned for more....

Skinny Sweet Potato Soup with Turkey Bacon Crumbles

2013-11-03T22:02:00.001-06:00

Hey there friends! I'm back with another light recipe! Even though I'm really focused on lowering sodium, lowering carbs and eating more protein and veggies, I'm still craving fall flavors! So, I'm getting more creative and finding ways to make recipes work for me. This Cooking Light soup is fantastic! I made just a couple of changes. It's got just a little bit of a kick to it, which I love! The leftovers were great for lunch throughout the week.

If you don't have an immersion blender, you could put the soup into a blender in two batches. Just remove the center of lid to allow steam to escape, but cover it with a towel to avoid splatters. But, really, if you love to cook, you'd love an immersion blender. It's one of my favorite gadgets.

Skinny Sweet Potato Soup with Turkey Bacon Crumbles
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise (about 2 large) 1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons olive oil 1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1/4 teaspoon salt $ (I omitted) 6 turkey bacon slices, cooked and crumbled 1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved (about 1/4 cup) 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)

Place potatoes, cut sides down, in an 11 x 7-inch microwave-safe baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cool slightly; discard potato skins.
Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 1 minute or until translucent. Stir in cumin and red pepper. Add stock to pan; bring to a boil. Using an immersion blender, blend until the soup is smooth. Add salt, if desired. Divide soup evenly among 6 bowls; sprinkle cooked turkey bacon and Parmesan cheese evenly over top. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Enjoy! Happy Fall :)

Skinny Root Vegetable Chip-Crusted Chicken

2013-10-26T15:04:00.001-05:00

I have the easiest recipe for you guys! This could not be more simple: 3 ingredients. Light. Full of flavor. So... you should definitely make it.

Kroger has a fairly new line of organic, natural products called Simple Truth. I love everything I've tried. These Natural Exotic Vegetable Chips are fantastic! They are low in sodium and fit within my Total Transformation eating requirements.

The other day, I was snacking on some and thought there had to be a way to use these in a recipe. I've seen a lot of chip-crusted chicken recipes on Pinterest, but the chicken is either dredged in flour and egg, or soaked in buttermilk first. To make it healthier, I dipped mine in egg white. It was DELISH!

To ensure crispiness, I placed an oven-safe cooling rack on a baking sheet and sprayed with cooking spray. This allows the heat to circulate around the food and cook it more evenly. I do this with any coated chicken, fish, etc. It makes a big difference!

Skinny Root Vegetable Chip-Crusted Chicken
click-here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
1.25 - 1.5 lbs of organic chicken breasts or tenders
1 bag of Simple Truth Natural Exotic Vegetable Chips (or Terra chips, but they are tad higher in sodium)
1/4 cup egg whites
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 375. Place cooling rack over baking sheet and spray with a little cooking spray.

Pulse all of the chips in a food processor until large pieces are broken down. You could also place in a large ziplock bag and crush. Place in a small dish.

Cut chicken breasts into tenders, if not already. Place the egg whites in another small dish.

Dip chicken in egg whites, allowing excess to drip off, then place in chip pieces and coat. Place chicken on baking sheet. Repeat until all are coated. Before placing in over, spray chicken with a little bit of cooking spray.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. My tenders were pretty small, so 25 minutes was perfect.

These made for pretty good leftovers, too. The natural chips have a slight oiliness to them, so I stored them on wax paper in an airtight container.

Each serving of 2 tenders is about 185 calories and 270 mg of sodium. Yay!

Naked Turkey Bruschetta Burger

2013-10-20T22:09:00.001-05:00

Hey there! I'm 2 weeks into my Total Transformation and so far, I'm really pleased with the results. It's amazing what a change in your eating habits and exercise can do in such a short time frame. I can't wait to see how I'm feeling 4 weeks from now! The food component of this hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be, as long as I have a plan for the day. I don't want to eat bland food, so I've been researching "skinny" versions of recipes even more than I used to. Here is one of my new favorites! This comes from SkinnyTaste.com - a great resource for lighter recipes.

The turkey burger would be great by itself (and I plan to use that basic recipe from now on), but adding the bruschetta really amps it up. It also looks beautiful - and we do eat with our eyes first :)

To reduce the sodium, I left out salt.

Naked Turkey Bruschetta Burger
click here for printer-friendly version

Bruschetta Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
fresh cracked pepper to taste
3 medium vine ripe tomatoes
2 small cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 oz part skim mozzarella, diced (I chopped up 3 string cheese)

For the turkey zucchini burgers:

1.25 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
1 small zucchini, grated (1 cup, or 5 oz)
1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tbsp red onion, grated
fresh pepper
oil spray

For serving:

2 medium tomatoes, sliced into 10 thin slices
4 loose cups baby arugula (I used mixture of spinach and arugula)

Combine the red onion, olive oil, balsamic, and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside a few minutes while you chop the tomatoes, then place in the bowl. Add the garlic, basil and additional pepper, to taste and mix well and set aside. Toss in the cheese when ready to serve.

Squeeze the excess moisture from the zucchini in a paper towel. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, shredded zucchini, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, and pepper. Form into 5 equal sized patties about 5 oz each, forming them as flat as possible.

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, lightly spray with oil. Add the burgers to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook another 4 minutes, careful not to burn.

To serve, arrange 3 slices of tomatoes on each dish, then place 1 cup arugula on top in the center, then top with the burger and finish with the bruschetta (don't forget to add the cheese), serve right away.

Enjoy!

Skinny Egg White Veggie Muffins

2013-10-17T13:05:00.002-05:00

I have another tasty, clean, low-calorie, healthy dish to share! In my Total Transformation challenge so far, I've discovered breakfast is a challenge for me. I need something convenient and fast as I tend to grab on my way out the door and eat at my desk. My favorite thing is Chobani yogurt, but the reason it tastes so good is the amount of sugar included....of course! In an effort to cut back a bit more, I tried these egg white muffins from Eat Yourself Skinny. I made a few modifications and they turned out great! I baked them on Sunday afternoon and they keep well in the refrigerator or freezer. The are super low in calories, so I microwave 2 each morning. You could use any combination of veggies and herbs to mix things up.

Skinny Egg White Veggie Muffins
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
14 egg whites
4 eggs
4 green onions, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 red pepper, minced
1/2 zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp fresh chopped parsley
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Fresh-cracked pepper
Sea salt (I omitted to reduce sodium)

Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin tin evenly with cooking spray, or line with baking liners.

Combine veggies in a large bowl and toss to combine. Fill each muffin cup roughly 2/3 full.

Whisk eggs and seasonings in a bowl and pour into the muffin cups. They will be full to the top by the time you spread the mixture around the tin.

Bake muffins for 30 minutes until they are slightly browned.

Enjoy!!

Skinny Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

2013-10-13T18:56:00.001-05:00

Last week, on the first day of my Total Transformation fitness challenge, I came down with a nasty cold/sinus/bug thing. I was all excited and ready to begin my 6 weeks of clean eating and working out, but my body was wiped out. I had to stay home from work all day on Tuesday. And I don't know about you, but when I'm sick I really want a hot, broth-y soup. All of the sudden, my lunch of cooked chicken breast, nuts and grapes just wasn't exciting. I checked all of my canned soups for anything pre-made, but the sodium was off the charts! So, I opted to make something from scratch. I'm so glad I did, because it was fantastic and served as a great meal for the next couple of days.

This recipe is based on one from Cooking Light, but I made a few adjustments based on what I had and did a few things to reduce the sodium. It's really quick and easy to make! Trust me, I made it while I was loaded up on several medications and dragging myself around the kitchen.

Skinny Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn
4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained (I used Kroger's Simple Truth Tri-Bean Medley)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 ounces part-skim mozzarella
8 lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil, onion, garlic and bell pepper; sauté 3 minutes. Add chili powder and next 3 ingredients; sauté 30 seconds. Add chicken and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes. Top evenly with cilantro and cheese. Serve with lime.

Later in the week when I was down to the last of my soup leftovers, I combined a little bit of the soup with some cooked rice and it was a very tasty Tex-Mex-style rice bowl. With a sliced avocado and part-skim mozzarella stick, it was a very satisfying light lunch!

Mango Ginger Salmon Salad

2013-10-10T22:14:00.000-05:00

I almost titled this recipe "Quick-Easy-Healthy-Clean Mango Ginger Salmon Salad" but I though that was a little long :)

I'm currently participating in a 6-week health and fitness challenge at my gym called Total Transformation. It's pretty intense, which is just what I need. It means that I'm drinking gobs of water, eating lots of small meals throughout the day and working out and strength training more in a week than I usually do. I'm 4 days in and so far, so good! My hope is to be a slimmer, more healthy version of myself 6 weeks from now, and to have adopted these habits long after the 6 weeks ends. And, you'll probably start seeing lots of cleaner, leaner recipes on Keeping Up with the Joneses!

This salad is super fast, fresh and flavorful.You could easily mix in different veggies and herbs.

Mango Ginger Salmon Salad
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
2 salmon filets
1 tbsp Naturally Fresh Mango Ginger Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
4 cups spinach leaves
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 large carrot (or handful of baby carrots), sliced
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Additional dressing

Preheat broiler. Line baking pan with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray.

Brush salmon filets with with salad dressing. Broil for 12-14 minutes. My oven has a high and low setting choice, so I used low and bumped it up to high for the last few minutes for a little extra crisp.

While salmon broils, assemble salad with remaining ingredients. Top with salmon filets and drizzle with additional dressing.

Yum!

Chicken Vegetable Tostada

2013-09-29T23:11:00.001-05:00

I have such an easy and delicious dinner recipe to share with you guys! This would be a great way to use some of the last of the tasty summer corn and zucchini, although you could easily adapt this recipe with a variety of veggies.

Even though Cooking Light ranks this as one of their best recipes, I was skeptical that it would be all that special. I was wrong. This was a hit! And, it could not be easier.

Chicken Vegetable Tostada
click here for printer-friendly

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (omit to reduce sodium)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 ounces chicken breast tenders
1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup salsa verde
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Cooking spray
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over chicken. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Add onion, corn, and zucchini to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in salsa and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Working with 2 tortillas at a time, arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese. Broil an additional 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese. Sprinkle each serving with about 3/4 teaspoon of remaining cilantro. Serve immediately.

For a faster meal, you could always use rotisserie chicken. If you don't have salsa verde on hand, any salsa would work! I happen to love a peppery corn salsa from Kroger, so I used that instead.

Enjoy!

Light Spinach Artichoke Pasta with Veggies

2013-09-25T18:28:00.001-05:00

Eating light does not have to mean sacrificing things you love. You just have to approach it differently. In my quest to find ways to eat healthier, I have really relied on Cooking Light. I feel like I've said that 1,000 times on this blog, but it's such a fantastic resource. The magazine really gets better and better with each month!

This PASTA is on the lighter side. Yep, pasta can be on the lighter side, folks...and still be delicious! Almost better than that is how quick and easy this dish is. It uses a package of Friday's frozen Spinach Artichoke Dip as a foundation for the sauce. Ever tried it?

When I saw this in the pages of their magazine, I laughed at first. This frozen dip has been one of my husband's main food groups since I've known him. For the last 10 years, he has always had a package of this frozen dip stashed away. His mom kept it on hand. He had them in college. And, I too support his habit and purchase a few boxes regularly.
My man can eat like a horse, so it's not uncommon for this to be his pre-dinner snack, or 10:00 fourth meal. He likes to put a little bit of salsa in his before eating with pita chips. I, for one, do not care for T.G.I. Friday's, or frozen snack items like this, but I have to admit, it's pretty good. So, I was so excited to surprise Keith with this dinner!

It did not disappoint. I LOVED how fast this was. It's not something I will make a lot, because I don't need to be having pasta very often, but when were' in the mood for it, this is the ticket. I added some rotisserie chicken to it for added protein, but it would be great without.

Light Spinach Artichoke Pasta with Veggies
click here for a printer-friendly version

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked rotini pasta (or whole wheat penne)
2 cups (2-inch) cut asparagus
1 cup (2 x 1/2-inch) cut yellow bell pepper
2/3 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 (8-ounce) package frozen spinach-and-artichoke cheese dip (such as T.G.I. Friday's), thawed
1 cup cooked, chopped chicken (I pulled pieces from a rotisserie)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved (about 1/4 cup)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add asparagus and bell pepper to pan; drain.

Combine milk and spinach dip in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, and cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Combine pasta mixture, spinach mixture, chicken, salt, and tomatoes in a large bowl; toss to coat. Sprinkle with basil, pine nuts, and cheese.

ENJOY!
This would be a great recipe to experiment with. You could try other yummy veggies like mushrooms!

Backyard Wine Party

2013-09-23T00:32:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to tell you about our backyard wine party from last Sunday! We are part of a Supper Club and I LOVE when it's my turn to host. I love any excuse for a party anyway.
I was feeling inspired from our recent trip to Napa and knowing that summer was winding down, I decided a relaxed backyard gathering would be perfect.

Here are all of the pics!

This is my favorite photo of the evening. I feel like it totally captures the mood and how it felt to be outside enjoying the wine, food and friends!

Keith took this picture and I love it, too! Cheers. Salud. Prost.

It was a gorgeous night to be outside! The sunset was perfect-o.

Jessica and I, the originators of said Supper Club.

Kate and Sarah, my best gals from work, came in twinsie attire, unplanned but oh so cute.

Good times.

My fellow host and I - he is always so patient with me and my big party ideas!

Here are some of the detail photos:

We have a very flat, treeless backyard that has always felt so boring to me. So, it was really fun to transform it! We ordered 4 boxes of lights from Target, and strung them up using the edge of the house and 2 purchased dowels from a hardware store. They are pretty sturdy, so we'll keep them up as long as they'll survive!

I ordered 2 of these table sets from Walmart. I saw someone with one at an outdoor concert recently. It's perfect because the height is adjustable and they collapse down to an easy-to-carry format. I put 4 of them end to end to make one long table. I love how cheap these were! I can use these for tailgates, parties, garage sales and pretty much any time I need a table.

For the long tablecloth, I went to Joanne fabric and bought almost 8 yards of a cheap cheap white fabric. It was on the extra wide roll, so I didn't have to sew anything. I just rolled out the fabric and was done. Handy!

I decorated the table with a mix of lanterns I already had, blue mason jars with candles, and recycled wine bottles holding some leftover birthday flowers.

Oh, and there was definitely a hashtag for the evening.

Between the two poles, I strung up a banner I made using pre-cut burlap pennants. I bought the pennats at Hobby Lobby for $8 total and painted the letters on using gray paint and a big stencil. At the last minute, I decided this needed something else, so I went to my ribbon scraps (from crafts and gift wrapping) and assembled two bundles of a variety of ribbons and tied them to the poles. I loved how they looked when the wind blew!

I also got my craft on by making some of my own blankets. Going into this party, I knew I didn't have enough picnic blankets to surround the table. I saw a few ideas on Pinterest around painting your own using a canvas drop cloth, so I went to town. I bought 4 square drop clothes at Home Depot for $7 a piece. Be sure to buy the ones that are lined with a thin layer of plastic if you plan to put on the grass.

Here they are!

This is the first one I did. I used a Martha Stewart stencil from Michael's and a mixture of 3 colors. It looked better in person and I loved the combo of colors. It was a great first start to get my confidence up for the others.

This is the second one I painted. I used painters tape to grid off the entire cloth. I used 3 shades of a teal blue color and rolled the paint using a small sponge roller. In some of the squares, I blended two shades so there would be a gradient. This one probably took the longest, but it's my favorite!

For this one and the next, I made my own projector! I printed out our monogram that I created on this site. I slid the print-out into a page-protector and outlined the whole thing in sharpie. Then, I cut the monogram transfer out, and cut a hole in similar size out of a box. I taped the transfer onto the box backwards, and placed the box over my iphone on flashlight mode. I had to do some adjusting on the height of the box and of the iphone, but I was able to project it onto the wall of the (very dark) garage. I taped up the drop cloth and transferred the monogram using white chalk. Then, I put it back on the ground and painted over my chalk outline. Easy peasy!

I used the same method for this pig version. I printed out a jpeg of a pig and outlined the silhouette. I used a mixture of free fonts to create the Hey Y'all! I think I'll be able to use this guy for Arkansas tailgates, too!

I scattered the blankets with pillows that I had collected over the years. I have an outdoor pillow addiction and every season, I tend to snag a couple at Target or another cheap store. I love to rotate the pillows on my front porch regularly, and my collection came in handy!

Inside the house, it was all about the wine and the food!

In my entry way, I set up the white and rose wines in a pretty bowl.

In the corner of the dining room, I used my bar cart tray for all of the drink glasses

I made my own drink tags and got creative on the names! All of them were tied to wine or drinking in some way. I printed them out on a thick kraft paper, punched a tiny hole and tied using a burlap twine. If you'd like the print-out, just email me at mkendalljones at gmail dot com.

The food spread!! I swear I still haven't learned how to not go ALL OUT on food. It's a sickness that runs in my family. We tend to go overboard. I just get so excited and want to make 1,000 things.

Another view after candles had been lit.

We provided a sampling of a few wines, but lots of folks brought bottles, too. I didn't want to complicate things by covering labels and having people vote on favorites, although that would be very fun and I'd like to do that someday!

A wine party would not be complete without a charcuterie board. I received this big wine barrel lid for Christmas and it was perfect for this. I loaded it up with grapes, pears, cheese, breadsticks, salami and some Parmesan crackers I found at our farmer's market.

I also placed more cheese on a couple of chalkboard slates I found at Hobby Lobby. I also got one of those chalk markers and LOVE it. New favorite craft item!

I also served the cheese board with a cracker assortment and some toppings: honey, mustard, olive tapenade and sun-dried tomato pesto. There were also some pickles. olives, pecan and blackberries to combine with the cheeses.

I made some Caprese Tortellini skewers. I bought a package of Bertolli Chicken tortellini, boiled it and threaded onto some cute picks with marinated mozz balls, tomato and basil, then drizzled with balsamic.

This little appetizer was a big hit. Everyone LOVED this. I brushed baguette slices with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Toasted in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Then, spread each slice with goat cheese, added some orange fig jam, a piece of proscioutto and topped with a basil leaf. SO GOOD.

I made this Southern Living recipe for Marinated Shrimp and Artichokes. It was quite good and is something I know I will make again and again.

For a more hearty appetizer, we grilled up 4 pork tenderloins using my favorite recipe of all time. We served with King's Hawaiian rolls and Archer Farms Ginger Orange Barbecue sauce.

You can also see where I made a recommended wine pairing notes with each food item.

I made my Stuffed Mushrooms, which don't look so pretty here, but are always a knock out. These were devoured.

I also could not have a wine party without some cheese truffles. I made my Gorgonzola version, rolled in bacon. You just can't go wrong!

In the kitchen, I set up the dessert bar. I also had some sparkling wine out as it was a great way to round out a yummy meal.

I made the best chocolate mousse! I have been making this for years, but never blogged about it because I've never had a good picture. That will soon change. This was the one food item that was most discussed at the party!

These little strawberry bites were my favorite new recipe to try. I used those pre-made phyllo shells and in each one, I placed a few tiny pieces of chopped brie, some chopped strawberries and drizzled with honey. I baked them at 350 for about 10-12 minutes and they were delish. Couldn't be easier!

As cliche as it sounds, I do love drinking some red wine and having dark chocolate. I purchased 3 varieties of Lindt chocolate - regular dark chocolate, dark chocolate with sea salt and dark chocolate with orange. The orange was by far the winner in my book!

I picked up these macarons at the Farmer's Market as they were too pretty to resist. That was not something I was going to find time to make myself!

I also put out some cucumber water and mason jars. You can't just drink gobs of wine without balancing it out with water!

It was such a wonderful night, and quite possibly, my favorite party I've ever hosted. It was relaxed, laid back and exactly the way an end-of-summer party should be.

No matter how many decorations, how much food or how much planning goes into a party, it's meaningless if you don't enjoy it and the people you share the evening with! For me, the planning is just as much fun as the night of - entertaining is one of my biggest passions! And, I'm so thankful to have friends that get that. They know I didn't do this to show out or try to be Martha Stewart. They know how much joy it brings me! Oh, and I think they like my cooking, too :)

Once it was dark, the mosquitoes of the Delta swarmed us and carried us off. We headed indoors for NFL football and a hilarious group narration of the Miss America pageant. Even though we had Citronella candles and treated the yard, those pesky bugs still invaded in full force. It would have been so great to lounge out here under the stars all night, but we had such a fun time laughing inside, too. I can't wait to do something like this again when it cools down and all the bugs are dead :)

Thanks for stopping by and reading about our party! It is now one of my favorite memories of the year....a great night with dear friends.

Fresh Green Bean Salad with Basil and Tomatoes

2013-09-16T18:44:00.001-05:00

I'm so behind on my blogging! Sorry, guys! I haven't had time to squeeze it in during the day, and sometimes the last thing I want to do is be on my computer once I'm home. But, I still love y'all more than my mixer.
And, I had a pretty great party last night that I can't wait to share all the deets on.

Here's a great recipe that I hope you'll make before the delicious tomatoes and green beans of summer go away. It's SO good! I could not stop eating the green beans. It was like they were french fries and I just couldn't resist reaching in the fast food bag one more time. But, no need to feel bad. These are beans, not fries, so stuff your face all you like!

Also, the dressing recipe is so good, you'll love it on just about anything.

Fresh Green Bean Salad with Basil and Tomatoes
Click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp and 1 tsp salt (4 tsp total)
5 firm ripe tomatoes
4 springs fresh basil

Garlic-Basil Dressing:
1 clove garlic
1 shallot
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup canola, corn or other vegetable oil
15 fresh basil leaves

Trim the stem ends of the green beans (you can leave the pointed tips). Halve the longer ones, if you like. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. While the water's heating, fill a large bowl with ice water (using at least a dozen cubes of ice). Once the water boils, add the beans and cook briefly: 1 or 2 minutes for tiny haricots, 4 or 5 for bigger beans. Don't walk away. Drain the beans quickly. Then shock them by dumping them in the ice water, agitating them briefly until they are quite cool (about a minute).

Then drain again and set aside. They can be refrigerated in a tightly sealed plastic bag for several hours with no loss of color or texture. If you do refrigerate, first dry them extra-thoroughly on a dish towel.

In a blender or food processor, mince garlic and shallot. Add the vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and sugar. Slowly drizzle in the oil. Add the basil leaves and coarsely chop with several on/off pulses.

When ready to serve, toss the green beans with 1/3 cup of the dressing in a large mixing bowl. Taste and add more dressing or salt as needed. Pile the beans high in the center of a large platter. Arrange the tomato slices overlapping around the edge. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt, and drizzle 3 tablespoons of the dressing on top of them. Garnish with the basil sprigs. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

Source: NPR of all places

Watermelon and Chicken Salad with Pepper Jelly Dressing

2013-09-04T18:15:00.001-05:00

The fact that we are now in September completely blows my mind. While I am so delighted to welcome Fall and all of its glory, the foodie in me is not ready to give up summer produce. The fruits and veggies this time of year cannot be beat. So, we are making the most of it until these goodies run out. Then, I'll shift my focus to squash and apples and be excited about that, too. Until then, DON'T LEAVE ME, PEACHES. I'm not ready to say goodbye to you.

Another summer treat I love is watermelon. We've been buying a small, personal-sized seedless watermelon each week and cutting it up. It's a great snack to keep in the fridge. It also made for a really, really good salad the other night. I found a Southern Living pepper jelly dressing recipe and thought the combo of grilled chicken and watermelon on a salad would be a quick weeknight meal. I wasn't expecting it to rock my world, but it did. Keith was obsessed and said at least 8 times that night how much he loved this salad. He has since mentioned it to me twice. That's when I know I've found a good one!

Watermelon and Chicken Salad with Pepper Jelly Dressing
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients
Chicken:
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp honey
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salad:
5 cups cubed and seeded watermelon
1 (6-ounce) package mixed greens (I used Romaine)
1/2 cup feta crumbles
3/4 cup honey roasted almonds (I buy them in a package to save time)
Small handful of chopped fresh mint leaves

Dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup pepper jelly
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon grated onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a plastic bag, combine chicken breasts with lime zest, lime juice, honey, garlic, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Seal bag and toss around to combine. If you have time to marinade, that's great, but these can go straight to the grill after a few minutes and still be full of flavor.
In a small bowl, combine rice wine vinegar, pepper jelly, lime juice, onion, salt and pepper. Whisk until the jelly begins to dissolve. Slowly add the oil, whisking until it all combines. Set aside.
Toss together the watermelon, greens, feta, and almonds. Drizzle dressing over, or toss. Slice chicken and serve on top. Sprinkle with fresh mint.

Note: Since I was making this for just two of us, I did about half of the salad ingredients. I made the full batch of chicken and salad dressing (for leftovers), but assembled the salads using less of the greens, cheese, watermelon, etc.

Don't be surprised if you freak out over the dressing. It's AMAZING.

Happy end-of-summer!

Panko-Crusted Chicken Drumsticks and Roasted Potato Salad

2013-08-25T22:27:00.001-05:00

Goodness gracious. This may be one of the best recipes I've made all summer. Or, all year. Either way, it blew our minds. SO GOOD.

Eating light doesn't have to mean eating boring foods. Cooking Light is my favorite resource, and the September issue is packed with recipes I could not wait to try. Last week, I tried 3 and I bookmarked at least 20 more to make soon. But, I'd be surprised if we topped this.

These chicken drummies are so tender and full of flavor. I am anti deep-frying at home, so this oven-fried version is perfect. I followed the recipe to a T and wouldn't change a darn thing. In fact, it's such an easy recipe that CL magazine had this in their kid's column!

I also served it with another Cooking Light recipe for roasted potato salad. It's German-style with a mustard dressing, which is fab. I haven't been crazy about any of the homemade potato salad recipes I've tried, so this solves that problem once and for all.

I really hope you'll try both of these recipes! This will be our new favorite not-so-guilty pleasure.

Panko-Crusted Chicken Drumsticks
(click here for printer-friendly version)

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks, skinned
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 tablespoon grated garlic
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Using a paring knife, cut 3 slits in the meatiest portion of each drumstick. Place buttermilk, onion, garlic, and drumsticks in a large zip-top plastic bag; refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Place a rack on a jelly-roll pan; coat the rack with cooking spray. Remove the drumsticks from the bag; discard the marinade. Sprinkle the drumsticks with pepper and salt. Combine panko, cheese, and chives in a shallow dish. Dredge each drumstick in panko mixture. Arrange drumsticks in a single layer on the rack; coat drumsticks lightly with cooking spray. Bake drumsticks at 425° for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.
Combine mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Serve sauce with chicken.

Next time, I don't think I'll make the mustard dipping sauce. It was delish, but the chicken doesn't need it, in my opinion.

source: cooking light

Roasted Potato Salad
(click here for printer-friendly version)

Ingredients:

3 pounds small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 bacon slices (uncooked), chopped
2 cups diced Vidalia or other sweet onion (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring once. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 15 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized, stirring frequently. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds. Add onion mixture and bacon to potatoes; toss gently. Let stand 15 minutes.
Combine mustard, mayonnaise, honey, and vinegar in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add mustard mixture and parsley to potato mixture; toss gently.

source: cooking light

Enjoy!!

Skinny Egg White Breakfast Melts

2013-08-19T21:23:00.000-05:00

Breakfast. It's definitely not my strength during the week! I tend to grab a yogurt on my way out the door and eat it when I get to work. I'm so obsessed with Chobani Flip Coconut with Dark Chocolate and Almonds. Every time I'm at the grocery store, I literally swipe all of the containers they have into my cart. I apologize to anyone that shops after me!

But, it is the most important meal of the day, and I love it when I start off with a little more substance. This recipe from Skinny Taste is so delish! It's easy and full of flavor, considering the short ingredient list. Each melt is only 160 calories! That's less than my yogurt.... score!

Skinny Egg White Breakfast Melts
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:

2 whole grain English muffins, split
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 egg whites, whisked
4 green onions, finely chopped
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
2 oz (about 1/2 cup) reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, grated
1/2 cup grape or cherry heirloom tomatoes, quartered

Preheat the broiler on high. Place muffins, cut side up, on a baking sheet and broil for 2 minutes or until beginning to lightly brown on edges. (Or you can do this in your toaster oven)
Heat a medium skillet on medium heat. Add oil and sauté 3 of the scallions about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg whites, season with salt and pepper and cook, mixing with a wooden spoon until cooked through. Divide on toasted muffins and top with tomatoes, cheese and remaining scallions. Broil for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until cheese has melted, careful not to burn.

Enjoy!

Macadamia Crusted Tilapia with Strawberry Mango Pineapple Salsa and Coconut Jasmine Rice

2013-08-18T22:34:00.001-05:00

Is that not the longest title for a recipe ever? To make it any shorter would have meant leaving out one of the big flavors of this dish. And there are a lot. It's like a tropical explosion, and you'll wish you were eating this somewhere close to crashing waves. That's where my mind drifted as I ate this at the coffee table, watching yet another episode of Burn Notice....a show that we've stuck with to the bitter end, but I'm not sure why. I'm getting tired of Michael Westen. He's starting to remind me of Horatio Caine circa a CSI Miami episode from 2007 (remember those great one-liners and how dramatic he was with his sunglasses?). But, we're sticking to our TV show series commitment - I guess so we'll have closure when it ends? These are real problems, as you can see.

On the flip side, I will not grow tired of this recipe any time soon. It was FAB. Keith loved it and devoured the leftovers the next day. It was also pretty easy to pull together and was really refreshing after a good workout. The salsa ingredients could be switched up based on what you have. You can't go wrong!

Macadamia Crusted Tilapia with Strawberry Mango Pineapple Salsa and Coconut Jasmine Rice
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
4 tilapia filets (about 6 ounces each)
1 cup macadamia nuts
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 can light coconut milk
1 lime, juiced
salt
1 cup jasmine rice

Salsa:
1 mango, diced
1/2 pineapple, diced
8-10 strawberries, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (optional - I used a little green onion instead as Keith doesn't like spice)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 and 1/2 cups water (coconut water, if you have it), 1 cup jasmine rice and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-16 minutes until the liquid is mostly evaporated. remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.

Once the rice is going, cover a large jelly-roll pan with foil. Add an oven-safe cooling rack to the inside of the pan and spray with a little cooking spray (this is optional, but I've found it's the best way to cook things that are coated). Combine the nuts and panko in a food processor and pulse a few times. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish.

Pour the remaining half of the coconut milk into another shallow dish. Dip each tilapia filet into the coconut milk and then dredge in the nut mixture. Place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the filets with a little salt and drizzle each with some of the fresh lime juice. Spray with more cooking spray and place in the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a light golden brown.

While the rice and fish are cooking, make the salsa by combining all ingredients.
Serve fish over rice and top with salsa.

Recipe adapted from eat-drink-love.

Blackberry Basil Peach Crisp

2013-08-14T09:35:00.001-05:00

This has been the dessert of our summer. Granted, I've been cutting back on the sweets (among many things) in an attempt to get in shape. But, sometimes, I have to make something sweet for Keith. And I have to try it, obviously.

And, y'all, this is gooooooooooooood.

This tasty crisp is easy to make and could be switched up based on whatever fruit you have handy. I've used blackberries and blueberries with the peaches and both are great. And, the addition of fresh basil? Stoppppp with the crazy goodness. I freak out every time I splurge with a spoonful of this stuff. Obsessed!

Recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats.

Blackberry Basil Peach Crisp

Click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches, peeled and cubed
1 to 1/2 cups of fresh blackberries
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar

1/4 all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

6 Tbsp softened butter

Ice cream for serving

Additional chopped basil (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

In a 9x9 (or similar) baking dish, mix peaches, blackberries and basil with sugar, flour and salt. Toss well and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Use your fingers to crumble in the softened butter. Note, the butter needs to be soft (but not melted) or this won't work. Sprinkle the crisp over the fruit. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and crisp is golden brown.

Serve with vanilla bean ice cream (my personal favorite) and top with more fresh basil.

ENJOY! Your summer will thank you.

Napa Valley Vacation: Planning Tips

2013-08-04T23:05:00.002-05:00

Hi there! Thanks for the great comments on my Napa vacation posts. I'm glad these are inspiring people to put wine country on their travel lists! As a summary to my experience planning for our vacation, I wanted to share a few tips that I learned along the way.

Check out my post about Day 1 and Day 2 for lots of detailed info on where we went.

TIME OF YEAR

We visited the Valley the first week of June. The weather was perfectly sunny and slightly warm, but we were never uncomfortably hot. In the mornings and evenings, there was a bit of a chill, so we were glad we had light sweaters or scarves.

Visiting during the week is the way to go. We didn't see any crowds or experience any traffic problems. From what we heard, weekends and holidays are a totally different story. After being spoiled to private experiences at vineyards, I don't think I'd want it any other way.

HOW LONG

We spent two full days tasting wines. We packed our schedule with 4-6 tasting stops per day, so by the time 2 days had passed, we were okay with the wine part of our trip being over. I would have liked to have had another day to explore the valley without a schedule. There are tons of great shops and restaurants that we didn't get to check out, so an extra day for strolling leisurely and making a couple of vineyard stops would have been nice.

WHERE TO STAY

I mentioned in my first post that we stayed at the Embassy Suites Napa Valley. We were really happy with our selection and I would highly recommend the hotel to anyone! It's located close enough to Downtown Napa that you can stroll to dinner, and it's right off the main highway for easy access to the vineyards.

CLOTHES

Wine country is relaxed and casual. Comfortable shoes are a must. I saw a girl with towering heels at our first stop, Hendry, and she changed into flops within 30 minutes. For the guys, linen pants or shorts and button down shirts are comfortable for the day time and nice enough to transition to dinner. Ashley and I wore dresses both days, and I was glad I had long dresses for that early morning and late night chill.

DRIVERS

We rented a car for our drive from San Fran to Napa and we drove ourselves for the first day of tasting. As I mentioned in my Day 2 post, we used Paul Bailey with Napa Valley Wine Excursions and we were very happy. I was given several names for recommended drives for someone to drive your car, so I wanted to pass these along. They came from friends of mine, so I trust the recs :)

Steve Gardner: winecountrydrivers.com

Sharon Garrow: valet_driver@yahoo.com

Gerry Brenner: GBrenner@kmalimo.com

VINEYARDS

This is where the list gets long! I spent so much time researching vineyards. I had to come to the realization early on that there were TONS of great places and I would just have to come back to see everything on my wish list. I gathered info from friends that had been, other blogs, and read gobs of Yelp reviews. In short, here's what I know to be true:

If you like a more personal experience, avoid just about anything off the main highway. Chances are, the name brands you recognize are the big tourist traps, and your favorite vineyards will likely be producing wines you've never heard of (because they aren't available to everyone).

Visit a variety of places. We saw a mix of large and small productions, and a variety of approaches. Some wineries are barreling, bottling and tasting facilities without any vines on site (which is totally okay), and some places are just tasting rooms with a sample of wines from all kinds of producers. Visit a mixture to learn the most.

Make an agenda and make appointments. Find out which places accept appointments and make them. Some places don't require it, but most offer it. Make it easy on yourself and lock down some times. This will prevent the disappointment of an anticipated vineyard not having the space the accommodate you. Also, if you don't have an agenda planned in advance, I can see how you could spend forever looking at your phone trying to figure out where to go next, and that's just stressful for a vacation! While "winging it" on most vacations might work, this is one place where I'd advise you buckle down and get a plan outlined. You'll be so glad you did!

Map out your agenda and think about where things are in the Valley. Ideally, you won't be shuttling all over the region, spending time driving versus tasting. I created my own Google Map and added each location I was considering and then put them in order based on where they were.

Places we tried:

Hendry* - Napa, tour and tasting

Miner* - Oakville, tour and tasting

Peju - Oakville, tasting

Domaine Chandon - Napa, tasting

Fontanella* - Napa/Mt Veeder, tasting (we moved around property)

O'Brien* - Napa, tasting (we moved around property)

Cakebread - Rutherford, tasting (we moved around property)

Ma(i)sonry -Yountville, tasting

* = places we LOVED

Places we wanted to try (and location):

Frank Family Vineyards - Calistoga

Shramsberg (sparkling) - Calistoga

Vine Cliff - Napa

Crane Family - Napa

Saddleback - Oakville

Caspar Estate - Rutherford

St Supery - Rutherford

Honig - Rutherford

Frog's Leap - Rutherford

Mumm (sparkling) - Rutherford

The Terraces at Quarry - Rutherford

Kuleto - St Helena

Cain - St Helena

Sterling Vineyards - St Helena

Duckhorn - St Helena

Merryvale - St Helena

PURCHASING WINE
One of the fun aspects of wine country is that you can take the wines home to enjoy! All places allow you to buy bottles on the spot and walk out the door with them. They also have wine clubs that they inform you about as part of your tasting. Based on the size of our home and where we are in life, we decided not to join any wine clubs at the moment. Keith doesn't drink much wine and we don't have a large storage space for bottles. Given that in the next few years we'll likely start a family, we didn't want to get into a position where we have a surplus that I can't even drink! But, down the road, I'd love to join a few.
So, we purchased a few bottles here and there at our favorite places. I did not pay attention to how many reds or whites I was getting, I just snagged what I loved most. By accident, we ended up with an even case of 12, which worked out nicely. What shocked me though was that 8 of those bottles were Rose´s! Can't believe that. I guess the combo of the warm weather and the delicious blend just stole my heart.
On our last morning in Napa, the boys went to Buffalo's Shipping Post in Napa and arranged for the wine to be shipped to us at home. You could package it up and check the box as part of your airline luggage, but we just didn't want to be bothered with it. The box arrived within a week and was very exciting to receive!

RESTAURANTS:
I had some of the best food of my life in Napa. AMAZING stuff, people. I'd come back for the food just as much as I would for the wine. I'm not sure you can go wrong!

Places we tried:
Gott's
V Sattui - picnic lunch
Mustard's Grill
Brown's Valley Grocery - picnic lunch
Celadon

We loved all of the above spots and did not have a bad experience or dish. We didn't go anywhere for breakfast because it was free at the Embassy Suites. There are many bakeries I'd love to try (hello, Thomas Keller's Bouchon!), but we'll be back.

The French Laundry is one of the most famous restaurants, and one of the most expensive. While I would have freaked out to have eaten there, at this stage in life, I could not have lived with myself for making such a poor financial decision :) So, that's on the bucket list for later!

All in all, I can't WAIT to go back! I'd also love to check out Sonoma and Alexander Valley. And, don't get me started on how much I'd like to explore the vineyards of Spain, Italy, France and Germany! Hah :)

Let me know if you use any of these tips, or if you have any questions!

Napa Valley Vacation: Day 2

2013-07-31T23:53:00.003-05:00

I'm excited to share part II of our Napa adventure, especially because it was such a fun, busy day on our trip! Click here for Part I.

Here we go!

Warning: This post may have more photos in it than any I've ever posted before.
Can't say that I didn't warn ya!

Since Keith drove our rental car on the first day (serving as our wonderful designated driver) I wanted to give him a break so he could fully enjoy the vineyards and taste the wines without worry. There were several options to accomplish this. One route was to pay a driver to drive our rental car all day, but our convertible had no space for a 5th person. The second choice was to use a driving service. I read a great review here on Napa Valley Wine Excursions and decided to work with Paul to set up our agenda.

Paul was great to work with! Part of the service is that he can plan your day for you. I had a list of a couple places that I wanted to try, but I put the rest of the schedule in his hands. In hindsight, we should have given our entire agenda over to him, because our favorite spots were the ones he selected! They were small and off-the-beaten-path.

Paul was unable to drive us that day, so his associate Gary spent the day with us. He was fantastic! He is single and retired, so showing tourists a great time in the Valley is one of his passions. We really enjoyed his company. He was great to step aside and let us spend time just the four of us, but we liked having Gary around so much that we talked to him just as much as we did to each other and to the winemakers.

Another big bonus - they take pictures of you all day! We were pretty good to snap pictures, but it was hard to get group shots and candids, so this is where Gary came in. I received the pictures within a few days, which was even better! To check out the type of photos they shoot, check out their Facebook page.

I will admit, it wasn't cheap, but well worth it for one day. I would highly recommend Paul, Gary and Napa Valley Wine Excursions.

Alright, on to the vineyards... First stop, sparkling wines!

DOMAINE CARNEROS

{Ashley snapping pics of the view}

McMillans

Joneses

Yes, there was a little color coordination going on between the couples! I may be a planner, but I did not plan for this to work out so well. I put on my purple dress and noticed Keith packed his pretty linen shirt, so I asked him to please kindly wear it. When we came down for breakfast, the McMillan's complimented us on our coordinating style and realized that Jaycob had a shirt that matched Ashley's dress, too, so she made him switch. Even though it's a little cheesy, our pictures turned out great! Hah!

The Domaine Carneros estate was....stately. There are only a few sparkling wine vineyards in the Valley, and we thought starting the morning off with a little bubbly was a good way to begin the day.

The view was pretty gorgeous from the front veranda. It was too big for me to call it a porch :)

We got there just a few minutes before 10:00 and we were the first ones there. We were quickly seated and ordered 2 sparkling samplers - one for each couple to share. The staff was friendly, and offered us a complimentary 4th sparkling wine to sample. The sun was shining and it was nice and warm outside (a far cry from the weather in nearby San Fran).

We really enjoyed tasting the different varieties. I enjoy champagne, but haven't had enough of it to pay much attention to the taste or the differences in tastes across types. So, it was a little educational for me.

And, bubbly is just fun. Period.

We were only there about 20 minutes when the crowds started to show up. Literally, tour buses. You can see a large group behind me. While the champagne was nice and the view was great, we were happy to be in and out of there in 25 minutes.

I would recommend visiting a sparkling winery, and enjoyed Domaine Carneros, but it was because we had the place to ourselves for most of the time we were there! The other sparkling establishments like Domaine Chandon, Mumm and Shcramsberg are on my list for future visits so that I can compare the experience.

Aaaaaand, done. No purchases were made because this is a brand we could actually get at home.

On to the next spot! Gary knows all of the back roads around the Valley so he took us on a very scenic route to our next stop:

FONTANELLA WINERY

Fontanella was the smallest winery we visited, and we loved it. It was completely tucked away on Mt Veeder and we were the only ones there for most of our visit. The winery is also fairly new (Jeff and Kim Fontanella began the brand in 2003 and the land was purchased in 2005), so you can see a few grapes that are newly planted behind us in the photo. It takes a long time for wine to grow, be harvested, barreled and mature to good wine. And, Fontanella has damn good wine.

{proof of consumption}

I'm not a big Chardonnay person, but Fontanella's Chardonnay pretty much changed my mind about not liking them and I immediately decided I would be taking a bottle home. TASTY.

We tried several yummy, yummy wines out on the patio and then moved inside for a few tastings straight from the barrel.

The facility of this boutique winery is small and intimate, and the staff is very friendly. Jackie toured us around and we loved her. We felt totally comfortable to ask questions and chat about what we'd learned on our trip so far, where we'd been, what we liked and didn't like.

We got to do a soil sample comparison, which meant that the same Cab grape was grown in different types of soil and we got to taste both kinds to compare. I was amazed at what a difference something like the soil makes!

Fontanella also sells a blending kit (above) that you can use at home. It comes with several varieties and you can mix and bottle your own blend. If you like your recipe, send it to the folks at Fontanella and they can send you a case of your signature blend! This would be a fantastic gift, so I'm hoping Keith keeps that in mind for a special occasion later :)

We loved Fontanella and would highly recommend it to anyone!

At this point, it's time for lunch. We trusted Gary's advice and we visited Brown's Valley Market, which was basically a grocery store, but with a fabulous deli with all kinds of goodies. We assembled our picnic items and headed to our next winery:

O'BRIEN ESTATE WINERY

We pulled up to O'Brien 30-40 minutes before our tasting appointment. The grounds there are lovely. You're right by the owner's home and the winemaking facility, and once again, we were the only ones around. We were able to use this picnic area for our lunch. It was a beautiful setting right beside the vines. Heaven.

Lunch? Here? Yes, please.

A sampling of our spread. This is how you do lunch in the valley.

The market also sold this adorable and delicious mini blackberry cake. So cute! It was my kind of picnic.

While we were eating, Brandon (I think that was his name) got us started on some great wines. Gary was also thoughtful to have us walk around and take photos on the lovely property.

We moved around the winery a bit for our tastings and really enjoyed everything we experienced.

I'll be honest, at this point in the day, we were all so giddy happy with our wine and full tummies that Brandon could have talked about anything with us and we would have enjoyed it. But, he was fun to be around and interested in being a winemaker himself one day, so we picked his brain on his experiences and plans.

They also had a hammock in the perfect spot, so we all took turns stretching out, but Keith hogged it the most. We felt totally at ease here, like we could have stayed for hours.

Most vineyards have a dog, and Ashley and Jaycob were allowed to take this one for a walk. I love that Jaycob has Ashley's purse over his shoulder with wine (and purchased bottle) in hand.

Inside, they were in the process of labeling some bottles, which was fun to see. This particular one, Flirtation, was our favorite Rose of the trip and we all bought some.

The O'Briens are romantics, and they tell the story of romance through their wines. They sell several Romance kits, and each bottle has some poetry on the back. The wine is named similar to the progression in a relationship and is designed to be consumed in that order (like you would at a dinner party - lights to darks). With names like Fascination, Attraction, Flirtation, Romance of the Heart, Seduction, Passion of the Soul, Devotion, Reflection....There's a wine for every stage in life! :)

We each happily purchased a few bottles at O'Brien and were sad to say goodbye to our time frolicking in the vineyard. A large group was coming in behind us...and we had another appointment to make!

Fourth stop:

CAKEBREAD CELLARS

Cakebread had been recommended to me over, and over, and over again. I also read plenty of good reviews on Cakebread. So, this is one stop I insisted we make when planning our day with Paul.

But, we were disappointed. I don't know what the big deal is. The wine was fine as far as I recall, but the experience just lacked personality to us.

It was right off the main highway, so it's a busy/touristy place, so I should have known better. The grounds were lovely though.

My least favorite part of Cakebread? We had to pay for our tasting as soon as we got there, which wasn't the case at any other place. Then we were herded to a tasting counter where a group was already underway (even though we had an appointment). It felt so transactional.

Don't get me wrong, we weren't miserable. Hello! We were in Napa drinking delicious wine with friends. If this is our low point of the day, it's hardly worth complaining over!

But, for all of the hoopla, I wasn't blown away.

My guess is that so many people visit large, widely-recognized places like Mondavi that are huge with people everywhere, and they come to Cakebread and find it to be so intimate. Again, it was fine and not overly crowded, but we did not love it and couldn't understand why there were so many recommendations. Maybe our experience was not like most? If you've been, I'd love to hear how it went for you!

No purchases made...but great pictures were snapped on our way out!

Those shots are some of my favorite from the whole trip!

Ok, ONE MORE STOP. Yes, we went to 5 places in one day. It seems like a crazy amount, but we never felt rushed and defintely felt like we had one more in us after leaving Cakebread. We didn't want to end on that note!

MA(i)SONRY

Ok, this place was seriously cool, y'all. This was an add-on to our agenda since we had time, so I had not heard of it and had not researched a thing. And I quickly realized how nice it is to let someone else do the planning.

It's a tasting room/art gallery in the charming Downtown Yountville. They are not a winery or vineyard, rather a collection of local artisinal wines. They also stay open later, so it was a perfect spot to end the day.

The collection of art was really, really interesting. The prices were one-of-a-kind...and priced accordingly, as you can imagine.

This was where we lounged for an hour or so and felt oh so posh.

Everything about it was charming and quirky. We had a very nice host who took great care of us. We got to try to some awesome wines and enjoyed a tasty cheese plate.

The McMillan's look like such celebrities here! I can envision that their conversation would be something like this: "Jaycob, I'm really eying that Einstein sculpture. So chic. I really think 50 grand isn't too much to ask for such a stunning centerpiece."

Except, none of us talk - or think - like that.

Hello, reality! But, pretending we were super luxurious was fun for a while!

It was an awesome day. We relaxed under the shade, sipped some great vino and recapped the highlights from our day with Gary.

Just as it was all coming to an end, Gary asked what we had planned for dinner, and we said Celadon! The restaurant was within walking distance of our hotel, and he said his house was halfway in between. He graciously invited us over for a cocktail of the non-wine variety (which we were all sort-of craving after all the grapes) and we obliged!

After a quick refresh, we strolled down to Gary's to enjoy a Basil martini. We didn't think twice about it until we turned onto his street and had that moment of:

"Are we crazy?"
"I know we spent all day with the sweet man, but we don't really know him and we're about to go into his house."
"Does anyone else know we're doing this? Quick, someone text his address to a parent, just in case."
"We need a code word."
"We're going to see the Redwoods tomorrow. Code word is Redwood."
"Ok, y'all, try not to accidentally say Redwood, or I'll assume we need to grab our purses and run."
"He's safe. He's totally safe. I just know it."
"Too late now. We're here."

Sweet Gary made the best Basil martinis, which was so refreshing. He had some nice music playing and we visited for about 30 or 40 minutes before it was time to head to dinner. We truly enjoyed his company and laughed later about our unnecessary code word, Redwood.

{walking to dinner, the boys carrying our purses.}

Dinner was at Celadon, and it was AMAZING. Per some advice from my friend, Whitney, we requested to sit in their covered patio area by the fireplace. It was such a fun night! No pictures were taken here. We were all photographed out! If you come to Napa, Celadon must go on your list.

As you can see, it was a very full day, but we loved every second. That concludes our wine portion of the trip, but I plan to make one more post about Napa vacation planning. I spent so much time researching that I have a spreadsheet with all kinds of notes in it. There are tons of places we didn't go and that I'm sad we didn't have time for, so I want to share all of that, too. Then, it'll be on the San Fran part of our trip!

Thanks for reading this novel! I hope it's inspired you to plan a vacation, too!

*Update: Here's the post with my Napa planning tips*

Napa Valley Vacation: Day 1

2013-07-29T11:07:00.000-05:00

Early in June we took a WONDERFUL vacation to the Napa Valley/San Francisco area with another couple. We had a fantastic time! I have always wanted to go to Napa, and did a whole lot of research and planning before we went to make sure we made the most of it. I also received so many tips from friends, coworkers, clients and bloggers. It paid off because we loved it!

I've been meaning to post about the trip for over a month now, but I've wanted to share all the details and I knew this would take some time to craft. After sorting through 600 photos too, I think I'll have to break this trip down into several posts. Hopefully all of this detail will come in handy when you plan a trip to Napa! That's right, because if you haven't been yet, you'll be ready to go after you finish reading :)

Here goes travel day and Day 1!

We departed for our vacation on Sunday. This was mostly due to a wedding that Keith was in on Saturday, but little did we know that being in the San Fran/Napa area was perfect for weekdays. We hear the weekends are crazy busy, so this worked out in our favor.

After landing in San Fran, we hopped in our rental car convertible and headed to Napa. It's only about an hour to an hour and twenty minute drive. We crossed the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and soaked up the beautiful scenery. Even though I had seen it before, and knew we'd be back in two days to spend time in San Fran, I was still freaking out and taking a hundred pictures of the bridge!

We were visiting in early June, but it was much too chilly for top-down driving. Plus, when you put 4 people into a Sebring convertible with their luggage, the tiny trunk space is full and there's physically no way for the top to come down, regardless, so that worked out! :)

We drove straight into downtown Napa and headed to Gott's Roadside Diner, formerly known as Taylor's Automatic Refresher. I had read so much about this place!

It did not disappoint. In fact, it was one of our favorite meals of the trip. We had the Ahi Tuna Burger that they are known for and totally died over it. We talked about that burger for days! The sweet potato fries were also killer. I loved that they sold so many wines from neighboring vineyards, and in small bottle sizes, too. I enjoyed a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from Frog's Leap Vineyard.

Our travel companions, Ashley and Jaycob, also happened to be celebrating their one-year anniversary on the first day of our trip!

After checking in at the Embassy Suites in Napa, we celebrated the McMillan's first year of marriage with some champagne and a fruit and cheese plate, compliments of Embassy Suites. It sure does help when you know people in high places :)

I work in marketing and my clients are various brands within Hilton Worldwide, and most of my time is spent on Embassy Suites, so I'm totally partial, and there was no question we would stay here. But, biases aside, this was a fantastic hotel. It's recently been renovated so the rooms are super swank. Plus, the free complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast was a great start to a day full of drinking wine. You HAVE to charge up with a hearty breakfast in the Valley!

Here we are ready to start our first full day in Napa! Keith's eyes still weren't fully alert...
We enjoyed our breakfast each morning outside around the ponds. It was so beautiful and peaceful and we loved being able to have something different to eat each day.

And we're off! We hopped in our Chrysler...it's as big as a whale....and it's about to set sail...

(sorry, couldn't help but channel the B-52s).

Speaking of music, Ashley masterfully created a Napa playlist perfect for the occasion. It was the icing on the cake.

The weather was warmer in Napa so we were delighted we had the convertible. We were so excited to be off of work and cruising around a gorgeous locale... before even stepping foot in any vineyards.

Our first stop:

HENDRY

In hindsight, Hendry was the BEST possible place to begin our tasting adventure. I had been told that Hendry was good for a beginner's education, but it was much better than good. I would strongly recommend that anyone that is new to wine tasting and vineyards start their trip at Hendry. It will make all of the places you visit afterwards make so much more sense. Without the 101 run down, I can see how you might glaze over at the terms and descriptions at most places.

It was secluded and very much off-the-beaten path. In fact, we totally missed it and had to turn around.

We had the 10 a.m. tour and our visit there lasted 2.5 hours (the longest of any vineyard on our trip). But, it was the most educational tour and tasting combo, so it was worth it. It was $40 a person.

George Hendry himself toured us around (pictured above) and led our tasting. We knew he had to be a pretty big deal based on how much experience he had as he described the process. It was only later in our trip that we realized how big of a deal he is. The dude is legendary in the valley. He was passionate about wine in a very scientific way, so I found him to be fascinating and endearing.

The boys loved it.

There was also an adorable vineyard dog, Honey, that followed us around. Vineyard dogs are the coolest dogs.

Our group had about 10 people total, but felt very intimate. Hendry is by appointment only, which eliminated anyone from popping in. After our very educational tour, we had a very serious, focused wine tasting. George said it would be intense and really make you think about wine differently. He was right.

He taught me things I simply did not know, and would not have known it we hadn't been there. It was awesome!! We learned about why certain wines need to be paired with some sort of fat (like olive oil) or the wine will not taste like it's intended. It made a total difference in taste. I was shocked! He taught us all about tannins and mouthfeel....things I was pretty clueless about before. After this experience, I was actually able to articulate why I like certain wines over others.

Hendry waves your tour and tasting fee with a purchase of equivalent value, so we happily stocked up.

Proof of purchase. I'm now obsessed with all things Hendry.

Nest stop - Lunch time

V SATTUI WINERY AND DELI

We stopped at V Sattui for lunch only as it is a winery with a great deli/grocery on site and lots of picnic tables on their grounds for eating. While there are gobs of great restaurants in the Valley, we stuck to cheaper, quicker deli-style lunches so that we had time for more vineyards.

The weather was perfect, so setting up a picnic here was lovely. I will say that the deli was packed and a bit crazy, and I would never come here for a wine tasting. The tasting room is essentially in the grocery store and it's a madhouse.

But, we didn't mind, especially since we found a secluded table under a tree. It was very pretty!

The food was tasty and hit the spot. We shared a bottle of their Sauvignon Blanc.

After lunch, we strolled the grounds and found a few great photo op spots.

The whole vibe in Napa is relaxing. I LOVED it.

Being incredibly silly.

V Sattui did have a lovely cellar that we checked out.

Next stop:

MINER FAMILY WINES

Our favorite.

The view from Miner, up on the hill.

Paradise!

Miner has a fantastic patio with sweeping views. We fell in love instantly.

Because Keith was our driver, and not keen on drinking much anyway, we usually paid for one tasting and he tried a sip or two of everything I had. The vineyards don't mind this at all.

Also, I was worried about how much drinking I'd be doing, and feared that I would be sloppy wine drunk by 2:00 and not enjoy the trip. I drink a few glasses at a time at home, but I do not do well with all day drinking. Fortunately, this did not prove to be a problem at all. You pour out a good bit of wine throughout the tastings. Some you just aren't wild about, and other times, the next wine is ready to be poured before you could finish any way. Plus, you eat and take your time, and drink water! Don't forget to do that.

Back to Miner. Did I mention we loved it?

We had completely personal attention by Rachel, I think that was her name, it's been too long, (pictured below), and she was really laid back and fun to be around. We asked her tons of questions (armed with our new knowledge from Hendry), that we probably would not have asked in a lot of stuffy, formal environments. We sat on the patio, drank great wines and just chatted about all kinds of things. Plus, they had great music playing.

In our time at Miner, we only saw 2 other groups, so it was wonderful to feel like you had it to yourself. I've read the reviews on Yelp and it sounds like this place is busy on the weekends (like most), so I think we were there at such a perfect time. We were spoiled!

We headed into the caves, which is not something most vineyards or wineries have.

As you enter, there is a huge, larger-than-life dining table. Special events and tastings are held here. Can you imagine having a birthday dinner in a wine cave? Sign me up.

Fun fact: Elton John played on top of this table for an event at Miner. Mind = blown.

Being in the caves was so cool. Literally. It's a little damp and chilly, but was so neat to experience.

Barrels on barrels on barrels.

We got to taste straight from the barrel. Awesome.

My Napa loving man.

Yep, I was this relaxed at Miner. I'm sure this is mid-Instagram update.

The McMillans agree - Miner is a must-visit.

Jaycob checks out a few vintages.

We did buy our most expensive bottle here - the 2008 Oracle. That's the year we married, so we plan to save this until our 10th anniversary!

Back in the convertible, we are feeling happy, happy, happy.

Last stop:

PEJU

This is one of the few places open 'til 6, everything else closes at 5. We wanted to go to St Supery, but had so much fun at Miner that we didn't want to rush out. So, Peju was a convenient last stop.

It's right off the main highway, so it's very stately and pretty to pull up to.

There's tons of sculptures and art here, so that was neat.

Overall, this was our least favorite winery of the trip. All of that private, personal attention we had was not here. But, that's not really what they are set up for. It's a tasting room with various tasting bars set up, each with a bartender/wine expert. You stand around with 6-8 others and go through the tasting pretty quickly. The wines were good, I bought a couple, and our hostess was nice. But, we just weren't excited when we left.

On Yelp, I had read about a rapping bartender, an older gentleman, and he was there but with another group. He seemed quite entertaining, so we may have loved it had that been our experience. Who knows. Either way, "meh" is the best word for Peju, in my book.

But, we didn't end the day on that note. We had some time to kill before dinner, so we cruised around the little towns a bit. Keith spotted a dirt road that ran between the vineyards, so we drove down, pulled to the side and relaxed in gorgeous wine country. It was the perfect spot for some photos!

Self timer success!

Cuties!

No one was around, and we have no idea whose grapes these were. But, we loved every second we spent in this hiding spot. We all imagined we owned this land and it was just another day in the life.

Ashley looks like she needs a convertible.

Love birds!

Grapes!

Rows and rows. Everywhere.

Happy to be on vacation with great people!

On to dinner, at the wonderful....

MUSTARD'S GRILL

This place was the most frequently recommended to me. It was fantastic. Absolutely delish.

They are known for this pork chop dish, and now we know why.

Mile high meringue!

I think it's safe to say that Mustard's is a must-do when in the Valley. I know I'll be back.

So, that wraps up Day 1! I have so much more to share, so I'll get to work on the rest.

Ready to plan a trip yet? :)

Update: Click here for Part II! And, click here for Napa Planning tips!

Blackberry Mojito

2013-07-23T15:04:00.000-05:00

In the last few years, I've become quite the mojito lover. I believe my friend, Stacia, got me hooked on them because it's one of her drinks of choice. I'm sure she can't wait to have one after her baby is born later this year :) I'll be there to make one for ya, girlfriend!

Anyway, my obsession with the classic mojito has extended to all kinds of flavored versions. My Pinterest board of cocktail recipes is full of mojito variations, and this Blackberry version just called my name when I found myself with a crop of yummy blackberries from the farmer's market.

It was so refreshing, bright and summer-y. I felt like I belonged on a breezy beach in Miami instead of on my hot patio with nothing between me and the large, swarming mosquitos of the Delta but a thin screen. And thank goodness for that screen, y'all. Those suckers will carry you off around here.

Make this cocktail and your summer will thank you.

Blackberry Mojito
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
6-8 mint leaves (more for garnish)
1/4 cup fresh blackberries (more for garnish)
1 tsp light agave syrup
3 oz light run
2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
club soda
ice cubes

Add the mint leaves, fresh blackberries, and agave syrup into a cocktail shaker. Using a muddler or the stick of a wooden spoon, muddle the ingredients until the mint is fragrant. Add in ice cubes, rum, and lime juice; cover and shake vigorously a few times. Strain the liquid into an ice-filled glass and top with club soda. Garnish with mint and blackberries. Makes 1-2 drinks depending on size of glass.

Cheers!

Stir-Fry Beef and Peach Salad

2013-07-21T22:55:00.001-05:00

Let's talk about aprons.

Do you wear one when you cook?
I do about half of the time....which makes no sense because I have no less than 12 of them and could do a complete kitchen-fashion-show calendar.

There's something so feminine, quaint and charming about tying on a added piece of cute fabric before getting your hands dirty in the kitchen. Especially when ruffles are involved.

I started collecting aprons before we even got married. I have a few adorable monogrammed aprons, and there is definitely a couples set with one reading "Woooo" and the other reading "Pig Sooiee," given to us as a wedding present. For our second anniversary, the traditional gift is cotton, and Keith gave me one that has Mrs Jones stitched on it. I love that apron.

Earlier this summer, along with my team at work, I assisted with the planning and execution of a large conference for one of our Hilton clients. The planning process was at least 9 months long and everyone put in a lot of hard work. On our first night at the event, our lead client contact had gift bags delivered for each of the 4 of us. We were all blown away as we opened them. She had taken the time to find out what we all loved to do outside of work and hand-picked items uniquely tailored to us. I was so moved by the gesture! One of the items in my bag of goodies was a beautiful apron.

She knew I loved to cook, but didn't know I collected aprons. Love it.
This little apron proudly hangs in my laundry room and reminds me of what a blessing it is to work with and for people that you enjoy being around. People that care about you. People you actually like spending time with after the meeting is over.

I came home the other day after work, tied on this lovely apron and made a fantastic salad picked from the pages of Country Living. I turned on my Sade greatest hits playlist (whom I love) and had a completely relaxing hour.

I really hope you'll give this recipe a try. It's quintessentially summer with the fresh peaches. It's different than your average salad. You'll love it. Even if you make it without an apron on :)

Stir-Fry Beef and Peach Salad
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak, cut against the grain into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup (about 2 limes) fresh lime juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
½ jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, diced
¼ cup canola oil
4 (about 1 1/3 pounds) firm but ripe peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced and separated into slivers
1 cup combined fresh basil and mint leaves, torn
6 cups organic mixed baby greens

In a large bowl, toss steak with 1 tablespoon sugar, oyster sauce, garlic, and pepper to coat. Let marinate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, jalapeño, and remaining sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Set aside. (Store vinaigrette in refrigerator for up to 1 day.)

In a large wok or skillet over high heat, heat half of oil. Add half of steak to pan and stir-fry until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes; remove to plate. Add remaining oil and steak to pan and stir-fry as above. If you are using an electric stove, as opposed to gas, cook the steak in 3 batches, instead of 2, to maintain a high temperature in pan and minimize accumulation of juices. (If excess juice forms, remove steak and leave pan on burner for a short time to evaporate liquid.)

Return reserved cooked steak to pan and turn off heat. Add peaches, onion, and basil and mint, and toss to combine.
Divide greens, then the steak mixture, among plates. Drizzle each salad with about 2 tablespoons of reserved vinaigrette.

Enjoy!!

Basil Chicken in Coconut Sauce

2013-07-14T23:08:00.000-05:00

If the phrase "you are what you eat" is true, then in the summer months, you might as well call me Basil. I can't wait until the weather is warm enough for me to get my basil plants going, and I always do 8-10. I love a big crop of the stuff. The smell just makes me happy! So, when skimming Pinterest and cooking blogs for ideas, my attention is easily grabbed any time the word basil is involved.

This Better Homes and Gardens recipe is a winner. The list of ingredients may look long, but it's largely a bunch of spices that you probably have on hand already. If you like Thai flavors and coconut, you'll love this dish! We devoured it.

In other news, I am still working on a blog post to recap our Napa/San Francisco vacation. I'm sorting through 600 photos and lots of tips on our favorite places. Stay tuned for that!!

Basil Chicken in Coconut Sauce
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, depending on your taste, seeded and chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 Tablespoons fresh basil
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
Cooked Rice (I use Jasmine Rice)
Lime wedges (optional)

Pretty spices!

In a small bowl, combine the spices. Add the chicken pieces to a large plastic bag and sprinkle the spice mixture over. Toss so the spices cover all of the chicken. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. You could also do this earlier and keep in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
Start your rice.
Dice the onion, garlic, and jalapenos. Grate the ginger and set aside.
Cook the onions, garlic, and jalapeno in a large saute pan with one tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 2 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Transfer the mixture to a plate.
Add more olive oil if needed, and cook half of the chicken until brown on both sides. Take out of the pan and cook the other half.
Mix together coconut milk and cornstarch.
Add the coconut milk to the pan and cook until it begins to thicken. Make sure that it comes up to a bubble.
Add the chicken and vegetables back to the pan, adding the basil and ginger. Check for seasoning, add more salt and pepper as needed.
Serve with rice and additional basil. I also added some lime wedges to the plates.

Enjoy!

Grilled Orange Chicken

2013-07-01T15:15:00.001-05:00

July 1st. Excuse me, where did you come from?

I can't get over how fast this summer is flying by! Right now, we have a rare break in the heatwave and the weather is just beautiful. We're taking full advantage by going on evening walks and using the grill and patio. Next week, I'm sure we'll be back to a 100 degree index.

This recipe is perfect for a quick and easy dinner on the grill. I'm really working on being more resourceful and cooking with what we have on hand, and that's how this meal came to be. The grilled oranges are fantastic. For an easy side dish, I made a simple salad.

If you are just making this for two, the leftover chicken is great for a variety of things! Make a chicken salad with a citrus twist, shred the chicken and put on tacos, or toss with stir-fried veggies for a Chinese-inspired meal.

Grilled Orange Chicken
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
6 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 freshly ground black pepper
1 large orange, sliced into wedges
2 green onions, sliced

Preheat a grill for medium heat.

Combine the marmalade, vinegar, olive oil, and sage in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes until smooth. Stir in the chives, then remove 1/3 of the sauce to serve with the chicken later on.

Season the chicken pieces with garlic salt and pepper. Grill for about 6-8 minutes on each side, then brush with glaze. Continue cooking until done, 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, and brushing with additional glaze.

In the last few minutes of grilling, add the orange slices and grill until grill marks appear.

Serve with reserved marmalade glaze. Sprinkle with green onions.

Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

2013-06-25T17:21:00.001-05:00

First, thanks for all of the sweet comments on my last post! In the past year, I have gotten away from very many personal posts and just stuck to the recipes. I think it's because it's easy and somewhat mindless to list them, but I really should take the time to write more about our lives. That was the original intent of my blog anyway, and I love the scrapbook purpose it serves. So, I'll call that a halfway-through-the-year resolution! :) We had a wonderful anniversary night and exchanged some great gifts for the traditional gift of wood. I'll post about that later in the week.

But, I've got to make this recipe post as I promised on Instagram that I'd blog it right away!
And, y'all.
It's darn good.
Caprese-anything makes me happy, but this salad with delicious roasted cherry tomatoes is just like a party on your taste buds. It's perfect for summer!

Now, I'll be roasting tomatoes on the reg. YUMMERS.

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped grilled chicken (we marinated tenders in Kraft Tuscan Italian dressing)
2 cups mixed salad greens
1 and 1/4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (I had a mixture of red and yellow)
2-3 slices of whole grain bread (I used Golden Flax and Grain)
1 cup mozzarella balls or chopped fresh mozzarella
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Olive oil
Balsamic Glaze (I buy pre-made. It's easy to make, but so convenient to keep in pantry)
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in oven with timer set for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut bread into cubes and place on a second baking sheet. Toss with a bit more olive oil to coat.
At the 10 minute mark for the tomatoes, given them a toss, and add the bread cubes to the oven for the remaining 10 minutes. I opened the oven a couple more times and tossed the crutons for even crisping.

Assemble the salad with mixed greens, chicken, mozzarella and fresh basil. Add the tomatoes and the crutons when ready. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic glaze.

Serves: 2
Enjoy!!