Broccoli and Cheddar Soup.

Happy Sunday! It is a perfect drizzly fall day today, and what better to warm your belly than with a bowl of soup? I recently discovered Tieghan Gerard from Half Baked Harvest and now I need to make every single one of her recipes! She has two cookbooks that are on my gift list for the holiday season. She recently started sharing her fall recipes including this heart-warming broccoli and cheddar soup. She adds parmesan dumplings (gasp), but instead I tried my hand at homemade artisan bread for the side. It turned out delish. Better than Panera (!). This was super simple, and quick to make, which these days I always feel short on time. And an added bonus I only dirtied ONE pot for the entire meal - my dutch oven. What are you making this fall season? 

You can find her recipe here

Now for the easiest, mess-free, no-knead artisan bread, try this recipe.

Ingredients

                                                            - 3 cups all-purpose flour

                                                            - 2 teaspoons of salt

                                                            - 3/4 teaspoon of dried quick yeast

                                                            - 1.5 cups of warm water

Directions

First mix all of your dry ingredients together with a whisk. Then make a well in the middle of your bowl (you'll want a big bowl so you have plenty of room to stir) and pour in the warm water. Mix with a spatula now until a soft, sticky dough forms into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and then towel, and set aside in a warm place for 8-10 hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Dough should double in size and be bubbly on the top. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the top and sides to loosen from the bowl. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper. You can heat the dutch oven while it pre-heats if you prefer. This makes a tougher, crispier crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then remove the lid and cook another 10-15 minutes. Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and let rest for 10-15 minutes before enjoying. 

 

Pre-fall decor.

Fall is literally right around the corner, y'all! I get so giddy this time of year. I can't wait to hear leaves crunch and smell all the apple and pumpkin spice everything. I wanted to spruce up the area we use most: the kitchen! This year, being that the virus has literally put a halt to all. the. things, I wanted to go ahead and set out some decor to celebrate the upcoming season that I am looking most forward to. Fall is NOT canceled this year!  I was able to find all of these items (minus the soap) at our local Target. Even the amber hand sanitizer bottle is cute. I hope y'all are just as excited for it this year as I am. I had my first pumpkin cold brew from Starbucks today, and it was the most perfect pre-fall day ever!

 

Daydreaming...

Hi friends! Adam and I are planning a little getaway for Labor Day and wanted to share a mood board of some of the items I’m planning on packing. The inn is tucked away on an uninhabited island off the coast of Georgia and y’all, it has wild horses! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I can’t wait to unplug and relax, read, stroll along the untouched beaches and bike through the Spanish moss-hung trees. Ahh... blissful.  Definitely will be blogging this adventure!

Anderson’s Sunflowers.

The Anderson's Sunflower Farm was so FUN! I've been trying to find creative ways to get out and enjoy local things close to home while trying to do the social distance thing and this was such a neat experience. The Andersons grow their sunflowers once per year and you've gotta get in while they last! The blooms are only good for about a week and then begin to wilt, so there's a short window of time to see them. Fortunately, this weekend they were in peak bloom. My entire family came along to see the beautiful fields, and of course we snapped a ton of photos! You should think about adding this to your list of summer to-dos next year, for sure. Enjoy some pretty flower photos!

Fried green tomatoes... well, sort of.

Hey y'all! I hope you are all holding up well through the midst of the pandemic. It looks like here in Georgia, the numbers are continuing to climb which means likely we will be in this for the long haul. One thing I've resorted to during all of this time at home is trying out new recipes (can't you tell from all the food posts!). I really enjoy learning how to make new dishes and this one was such a southern staple, but with a spin: these are made in the air fryer! I got my mom an air fryer for Christmas, but it got little use so she let me borrow it and this turned out so good, and so easy. The best part is the tomatoes were straight from her garden. Now there is no healthy way I've ever had a fried green tomato here in the South, and by no means was I trying to be "healthy" with this recipe, but it really is better for you than most and took way less time. I hope you enjoy, and happy weekend! What are y'all up to? My family and I are headed to a sunflower farm and can't wait to see the blooms!

Fried Green Tomatoes

- green tomatoes

- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

- 1/2 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed

- garlic salt to taste (I used about three large shakes)

- onion powder to taste

- sprinkle of pepper

- 1 large egg

- 2-3 tablespoons of almond milk

- Ranch dressing (for dipping)

Directions

Mix together flour, crushed Ritz crackers, garlic salt and onion powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl beat 1 egg and mix together with almond milk. Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices and begin by dunking in egg wash and flour mix, 1-2x depending on how thick you like. I then worked in batches and cooked about four at a time in the air fryer on 370 degrees for 15 minutes total. They came out perfectly crispy at this setting. Dip in the ranch if you prefer, or eat by themselves. Enjoy!

Skinny watermelon mojitos.

Happy Monday! I thought I'd kick off the week with a brand new post about a delish new drink recipe. Saturday night we went to eat for the first time in a loooong time at a dine-in restaurant, Mexican of course. I had a hankering for a mojito, but they were out of the fresh ingredients so I settled for a margarita. I felt inspired by this season's fruit to incorporate into this mixed drink and oh my stars! So good. 

A few little side notes, the mint was freshly hand-picked by my dear mama. She has an amazing garden every year and the herbs are my favorite. 

I also made these without the simple syrup it calls for, and instead opted to use Sprite Zero, which you cannot even tell the difference in my opinion. This is what gives it the 'skinny' quality. No extra calories!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Have a wonderful week friends! 

Skinny Watermelon Mojito

- 8 large chunks of watermelon

- mint leaves (approximately 6-8 small leaves)

- large sphere of ice

- 2 cans of Sprite Zero

- 4 oz. white rum

Directions

Makes enough for 4 drinks. Place 2 mint leaves in the bottom of 4 separate glasses. Muddle each leaf with the end of a wooden spoon. Next puree the watermelon in a food processor. Place your sphere of ice in each cup. Divide watermelon puree evenly between each glass (4). Pour 1-2 oz. of rum per glass. Next fill to the brim with soda. Garnish with the leftover mint leaves. Enjoy!

This is THIRTY.

Thirty, flirty and thriving.

Wow, three decades old. Where do I begin? I was so eager for this year to be upon us, because I knew it would be full of big milestones. Not once did I ever envision a pandemic would kick off the year of 2020. Times have changed, maybe some for good, but we know this isn’t going to be our norm forever. It’s definitely given me some time to reflect on these last three decades, but to also dream and plan my future. 

It has definitely been quite the journey to the here and now. I’ve gotten two college degrees. I’ve lost some of my closest loved ones. I got a dog. I met the love of my life(!). I’ve gained sisters and become an aunt. I’ve seen my best friends get married and start their own little families; change into their next phase of life. I always knew I’d get there, but didn’t know when that would happen for me. I find myself, now especially, shifting to a more ‘adult’ phase. I wonder what I’ll say to myself thinking back on this moment in my life when I’m 40, 50? Haha. Time slow. down. 

I’m thrilled to see what this next decade holds. I hear some of the best years of your life happen in your thirties. The one I’m looking most forward to is marrying my best friend this fall. Cheers friends! Thank you for following along!

Also... side note: this is where we were supposed to be today... toes in the sand with a coconut drink in hand. Thanks covid, you ruined this birthday girl’s plan! I’ll just leave this photo right here..... maybe next year. I'm thinking 31 will be just as great. Ha!

A special thank you to my sister for taking these photos. I love you, moreeeee.

Save the Date.

Happy Wednesday! I’m back today to share a ‘Wedding Wednesday’ post all about our Save-the-Dates! I knew I wanted to incorporate some of the color themes from our wedding and make it reflect the moody, regal feel of our big day. Minted was the perfect choice, and honestly there were so many options that I loved, so choosing just one was a bit of a task. They turned out so much better than I even thought! The best part is that they store and print all of your addresses on the envelopes! I’m a little handicapped when it comes to calligraphy, and there were so many beautiful artist designs to choose from. Hitting this milestone in the planning process was exhilarating, and I am now even more excited for the big day! 

Lemon cookies.

Wow. You guys, these are amazing. I never really gravitate toward anything lemon-flavored, but these are a game-changer! I saw this recipe from another blogger, Caitlin, and knew I had to try. I modified it slightly, but I think they were a perfect birthday treat for my husband-to-be! Here's all the details:

LEMON COOKIES

Ingredients

• 1 box of lemon cake mix
• 1 box of vanilla cake mix
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil (I used avocado oil)
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1/2 cup crushed pecans (optional)
• 1-2 lemons
• 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine 1/2 bag lemon cake mix, 1/2 bag vanilla cake mix, egg, oil and water in your mixer. (Mixture will be dry). Now's the time to chop the pecans and fold them in. With a small scoop, roll dough into small balls and coat with the 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, until edges begin to brown. Immediately transfer to cooling rack. 

To make the icing, combine 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, zest from 1 lemon (about a tablespoon), and juice from 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons). Drizzle over cookies once completely cooled. 

Enjoy!

twenty twenty.

Wow. Where to begin? I know, I know.. They always say “where did the time go?”, “the older you get, the faster it flies!”, etc. etc. but now that I’m approaching another decade and growing older, these sayings couldn’t be more true. For some reason, the turn of this new year in particular feels so full of hope. Not that the past few years have been terrible, but there seems to have been something lacking. I went through a few lows, but honestly came out on the other side better and more blessed than I could have ever imagined. I’ve loved like I never have before. I’ve lost too. Over the past few years I sometimes found myself feeling empty but could never put a finger on what was missing or what I was doing wrong. I am totally blessed, don’t get me wrong. I have a healthy family, a loving fiancé, a new baby pup and so much more to be thankful for. I think these are the feelings you get when you start to grow up. In 2020, Adam and I are finally (after nearly eight years) tying the knot in November with all of our closest friends and family. I am turning THIRTY this May. We get to watch all of our new nieces and nephew grow into the little humans they were meant to be. Im currently planning a honeymoon, which will be our first overseas trip, and I’m absolutely thrilled... TBD. I’m also currently planning my life and future.. i.e. a home on some acres, a family etc. and cannot wait to go through that season of life. So many firsts. As I sit here and reflect on this past year and the nine before that, I finally feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. My motto for the new year is going to be to ‘simplify’ my life. Sometimes I find myself worrying and stressing over all. the. things. Those unnecessary things that clutter up my mind and can get in the way of the real and the important. I’m going to start living for me instead of trying to please. I’m learning how to say no. It is really hard for a person like me: Type A, traditionalist. But this year I am here for self care and just knowing my boundaries. It’s kind of funny how when I look back at the beginning of the decade, I felt like I had my head straight on my shoulders and thought I knew who I really was. After 10 years, I’m still that person, but have discovered so much more that I love about myself and feel confident and proud of who I’m becoming. I have no doubt that my thirties will hold some of the best years of my life. For that and many more reasons, I’m jumping into the next decade with both feet forward. Twenty twenty is going to be just the start of something new. Something wonderful. Something fresh. What are you looking forward to?