Big Red- In the House!

Yes, I'm a total dork.  I am sooooo excited I got to bring home "Big Red" (my new Red Kitchenaid Stand Mixer) this weekend. This baby was a wedding gift from my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Tres and I spent the weekend mixing and baking away. I made whole wheat pizza crust (love that dough hook attachment!) We are gonna whip up a pizza this week and throw it on the grill- can't wait. Then I moved on to Paula's Chicken Salad. Ok, so I didn't use the mixer on this one, but its too yummy not to mention. Then it was back to Big Red for a batch of yummy Blueberry Walnut Bran Muffins. Yum-o. Love this recipe from cute little Cookie over at Workout then Cook. She seriously has 138 muffin recipes on her blog. 138! Thats crazy! I will definitely be trying her PB&J Muffins, Tomato Feta Muffins, & Lemon Poppyseed Muffins. Thanks for sharing so many great recipes Cookie. Check out her site for the yummy Blueberry Walnut Bran Muffins recipe and see below for Paula's Chicken Salad. (BTW, I'm not sure who Paula is, but my mom gave me this recipe and thats what its called...haha!)

Happy Tuesday Chickies!
XO
-L 

Paula's Chicken Salad Recipe

• 1 box of Rice-a-Roni, chicken flavor, cooked according to package and cooled
• 1 rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 cup fat free mayonnaise

1. Cook the Rice a Roni according to package directions & allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine cooled Rice-a-Roni and remaining ingredients (including oil in artichokes.)  
   Stir until well combined. Serve alone or on cibatta bread for a yummy sammy!

Calvin is super excited about Big Red...

A few of my favorite things (right now)

Hey kids, I hope you guys all had a lovely start to your week. I was a bit bummed yesterday cause I had to come home from Tucson before Geoff (curse my few vacation days...) So he is still there soaking up the sun and golfing till Wednesday. So, to cheer myself up while my partner in crime is out of town, I am focusing on some of my fave new little treat discoveries. Nothing crazy, just little things that brighten my day.
Enjoy!

XO
-L 

1. Photography Apps on my iPhone
I am obsessed with Hipstamatic & Shake-It Photo (I used them to make the super fun snaps above, I am even using them for a photo for our thank-you cards.) Love using technology to make something old school cool.

2. Tofu Shirataki Noodles
How is it possible to eat pasta and it be low carb, fat free, & only 20 calories a serving?!! Its like magic!! I am officially hooked on these babies. Thanks to my future mother-in-law and sis-in-law for recommending them. I need some good options now more than ever because, with my wedding dress fitting being only a month away, I am trying to be really good. These will help me squelch the carb craving in a healthy way.

3. Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis
Bride diet or no bride diet, I must have chocolate. And its my favorite in cake form. Geoff came home with a big stack of these things the other day (just another reason he is the best ever...) and (at 150 calories a pop) they are the perfect way to have my cake and eat it too-without derailing that hard ass spin class I just finished.

4. Obaji Clenziderm Starter Set
Hello genius skincare! If you have read my blog at all, you know that I have struggled with the dreaded acne all my life. I just finished a big round of (painful, expensive) laser treatments and now have lovely clear skin for my wedding, but I was getting stress breakouts. Not cool. So, to keep my newly acquired pretty skin under control, I am using this kit as prescribed by my derm. It is amazing! Thank you Jesus for this product. I'm no expert, but this is the only skincare product on the market with the solubilized  form of Benzoyl Peroxide, which basically means that it is small enough to actually penetrate pores instead of just sitting on top of the skin doing jack-squat. Read more here.

Flank Steak Pinwheels & A Long Weekend

Happy Friday! I'm so glad summer-and memorial weekend- is here! Its time for a long weekend spent with family and friends and my super cute fiance. YAY! We are headed to Big Ol' Lubbock, TX to spend time with my fave people. I can't wait for cookouts, pedicures, and time at the pool. I will be back on Tuesday with more bloggy goodness. Until then, I leave you with a fantabulous recipe that we had for dinner last night (the grilling madness continues!)
Enjoy and have a happy Memorial weekend! 

XO
-L 

PS- Don't forget to thank a veteran or service member of the military- this weekend is for us to remember their sacrifice and service. A special WOOT to Dustin Trammel (Laine's hubby) and Randall Markham (Laine's little brother)- My 2 fave military men! Thank you for all you guys do!

Meaty little yummies before going on the grill!

FLANK STEAK PINWHEELS
(Recipe via Eatingwell.com)

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil, package should say ready to eat...)
1 pound flank steak, trimmed of fat
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons light herbed cheese spread (we used a wedge of Laughing Cow Garlic Cheese)
1 cup baby spinach
Steak Seasoning (we Love Swamp Venom from The Dizzy Pig-YUM!) 

PREPARATION
Preheat grill to high.

Meanwhile, place steak between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound each side of the steak thoroughly with the pointed side of a meat mallet until the steak is an even 1/4-inch thickness.
Season the steak liberally (on both sides) with the Swamp Venom (or steak seasoning.)
Rub garlic all over one side of the steak. Spread cheese lengthwise in a 3-inch-wide strip down the middle of the steak. Top with the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Starting at one edge of a long side, roll the steak up tightly, tucking in the filling as you go. Turn the roll so the overlapping edge is on top. Push 8 skewers, evenly spaced, through the roll, close to the overlapping edge to hold the roll together. Slice the roll into 8 equal portions, roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, with a skewer in each. Lay the slices on their sides and push the skewer through so it sticks out about 1 inch.
Oil the grill rack (with PAM for grilling.) Grill the pinwheels 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Use a spatula when turning them to prevent too much filling from falling out. (Don't worry if the ends of the skewers burn. They will still hold the pinwheels together.) Remove the skewers; let the pinwheels rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

We served with Sweet potatoes and sauteed spinach- healthy and yummy!

Cake pops and doodle bops (and some stuff I'm craving)

Hello random Thursday. What's a doodle bop you ask? I have no idea- it just rhymes with cake pop, so I threw it up there. I'm a little silly from staying up way too late making some cake pops for a fun girls weekend this Saturday, and doing laundry-because we are totally out of clean clothes. If you are not familiar with cake pops, where have you been? They are amazingly delicious little balls of heaven. I have made the oreo ones about a billion times, but last night I was feeling adventurous so I made Red Velvet cake ones too. YUM. 

Oreo Cake Pops image via slash food

Red Velvet Cake Pops image via bakerella

Oreo Truffle Balls (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients
• 8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
• 1 Bag Oreos, chopped into powder in the food processor
• White or Milk Melting Chocolate

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese for a couple minutes to smooth out. Add in just over 1/2 of the chopped Oreos and mix until thoroughly combined. Add in the rest of the Oreos and mix just until combined - some bigger pieces are ok.

Cover bowl and chill for an hour or 2. Scoop out dough and roll into 50-60 balls. (I like to use a small ice cream scoop to make them all even.) Cover and place back in the refrigerator to firm up.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave according to package directions (be sure to watch it closely so you do not scorch it.) Remove and stir to melt the rest of the chocolate. Dip each truffle ball in the chocolate and set aside on foil or parchment paper. If the chocolate mixture starts to firm up, gently - in the microwave. Store in the refrigerator after all are dipped. I like to take the opposite color of chocolate and pour into a plastic baggie, then I snip off the end and drizzle it over the truffles to make them stripey and pretty.

To make Red Velvet Cake Pops, simply swap the crushed Oreos for a baked Red Velvet cake- mix it with the cream cheese and follow the rest of the directions after...(or get the full recipe here.)

Viola!

And because I'm feeling totally random this Thursday, here are some treats I am craving right now.
Enjoy!

XO
-L

1. The SAK Silverlake Crossbody Bag in Dark Amber via Piperlime
    (My friend Julie & I got this for my friend Laine for her birthday and I loved it
    so much now I WANT ONE!)
2. Roxy Day Trip Romper here
3. Wandering Dreams Sleep Pants via Anthro
4. Great Mustaches Mug via PlasticLand
5. Feather Catchall Dish via Urban Outfitters
6. Pictorial Webster's Rubber Stamp Kit via Plasticland

(Grilled) Peaches for me

Good morning lovelies! I hope everyone had a great weekend- we did. We finally bought a grill! YAY! Now our foodie obsessions can journey outside for the summer. I'm picturing us with yummy margaritas in hand, hanging out on the patio doing some grilling. Last night we made grilled, stuffed portobello mushrooms, couscous, sweet potatoes and for dessert-grilled peaches! They were amazing! I saw Bobby Flay make them on Food Network a wile ago and have wanted to try them and I have to say, they did not disappoint. The grill really brings out the flavor, so you could get great results from even slightly under-ripe peaches. Check out the recipe below (super easy) and also some cute pics of Geoff and Calvin building the grill.
Happy Wednesday all!

XO
-L 

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream 
 

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  light brown sugar
• Spray Butter 
• 4  fresh peaches
• Light Vanilla Ice Cream

Preparation

Cut peaches along the seam all the way around and twist halves off the pit. Spray cut sides with spray butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook on grill 3 to 4 minutes each side. (make sure sugar is melted and fruit is tender.) Serve with light vanilla ice cream.