1st Soup

gaz·pa·cho: a Spanish-style soup made from tomatoes and other vegetables and spices, served cold. -- It's delicious, easy to make and will impress your friends too.

Ingredients
3 cups V8 Spicy Hot Low Sodium Vegetable Juice
4 Plum Tomatoes
1 Cucumber, seedless
1 Green Bell Peppers, cored and seeded
1 Red Onion
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
Black pepper, cayenne pepper and/or basil as desired

Directions

1. Roughly chop cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes and red onions into 1 inch cubes.
2. Combine all ingredients into blender or food processor and puree, do not over process.
3. Cover and chill for 2+ hours.

Nutritional Information

1 cup - Recipe makes approximately 10 cups

Calories 35

Total Fat 0g

  Saturated Fat 0g 

Sodium 74mg

Total Carbohydrate 8g

  Fiber 2g

  Sugars 5g

Protein 1g


Can't wait to take it to family dinner, my mother-in-law is going to love it!

The Maldives

Daydreaming of sitting on the beach at the Maldives with a good book, the hubby and maybe even a nice glass of chilled chardonnay. Oh, what fun we would have and how lovely it would be.

 via

I hope to visit someday before they are no longer. TGIF! :)

1st Cookie - No bueno

I was so excited to try a cookie recipe after the wonderful succes of my 1st Baking Experience, but the Low-fat Applesauce Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe I tried did not turn out so great. They tasted like...well, baked oatmeal. Bummer.

Below is the recipe I followed, I am going to try them again with a little tweaking and hopefully they will taste more like...a cookie! :)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat flower

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup raisin

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 tsp nutmeg

• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Mix together oatmeal, whole wheat flour, soda and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, honey, and vanilla. Beat in the dry mixture until just blended. Fold in raisins.
4. Roll in small bowls and smash to 1/4" thickness on the cookie sheet.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 22-25 minutes.

Nutritional Information

1 serving - Recipe makes approximately 12 cookies

Calories 113

Total Fat 1g

  Saturated Fat 0g 

Sodium 52mg

Potassium 11g

Total Carbohydrate 24g

  Fiber 2g

  Sugars 12g

Protein 3g

Beat the Heat Golf Outfit

I have never really put too much thought into what I wear while outside except to make sure I have the following:
  - hat
  - sunscreen
  - sunglasses
  - light colors
Well, that was before the heat wave of 2011. We are currently at 2 weeks over 100 degrees and that's just the temperature! Heat index = insane.

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I quickly figured out that I was not equipped to battle this heat on the driving range for much longer than 5 minutes in my cotton skirt and cotton sleeveless polo. Not only was I dying from the heat but I also felt like my skin was frying. 

I remembered that I had a long-sleeve Swing sun protection golf shirt with cooling technology.

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Ooooooo, much better. :) I wore it the next time out and it felt great - but then I realized I needed more than 1 shirt and unfortunately these Swing shirts are no longer being made. The first shirt I ordered was the Intrepid Half Zip from Athleta. I had never ordered anything from there, but I like the Gap and Banana so I figured it was a safe bet.

Loved it! I was cool, protected from the sun AND cute - the ruching is a lovely touch of flair. Next up, I ordered the Cool Rules 1/2 Zip from Columbia. I had never ordered anything from them either, but they are a leader in outdoor gear so I figured it was an ok decision.

Heavenly!!!! :) There is some mesh on the front and back that allows for ventilation and it feels awesome! This is my new favorite shirt and I can't wait to get another one.

Of course, I needed some cooler feeling skirts too. The hubby won a golf tournament, so I used his winnings of pro shop credit to pick up a few Nike Tech Golf Skorts. A white, khaki, and black.

Wonderfully amazing! I thought I was in heaven with the Columbia shirt - combine the two and I can practice for hours in this heat! :) Then my mother-in-law surprised me with one more Nike skirt - with pleates!

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Take that heat wave of 2011! :)

What are some of your favorites for beating the heat and staying protected from the sun?

Sweetwater Spice Strikes Again

There is a new favorite in our house, Sweetwater Spice Company! Their delicious brine's have put a whole new twist on grilling AND they are a Texas company - always a plus in my book. nom nom nom :)

Last week we tried the Smoked Habanero brine and it was outstanding! The hubby surprised me and picked up a different flavor, Tres Chilies, AMAZING!

"A little more spice than the mild Apple Chipotle, the Tres Chilies derives a smokey flavor from mesquite smoked salt (no smoke flavoring) and smoked chilies."
- Sweetwater Spice Company

Can't wait for another grilling out night!

L-O-V-E!

They're here!!! The Great Barstool Search is officially over! Hubby surprised me and put them together - I can't wait to get home and see them for myself. :)

Oooooo...ahhhhhhh...eeeeeeeek! :) What do you think?

A Settee for Me

The time has come for us to need two couches. Seems a little silly since we have only been married for two months but I am ready for a spot to call my own on these hot summer days. In our living room we currently have 1 couch and 2 club chairs from the Pottery Barn Manhattan Collection.

Absolutely love the set, but they are ironically from the Hubby's Manhattan apartment and the couch is a bit narrow for two people to lounge and enjoy a movie. We contemplated getting a second couch, but I didn't want to block our three sets of french doors that lead to the patio. Then I was cruising the sales at Williams-Sonoma and I saw this very familiar set up...

why didn't I think of a settee!? :) We ordered it in Espresso to match the couch - hopefully the upholstery goes well with the leather. She should arrive sometime today!

Post Wedding Haircut

It seems a lot of brides can't wait to give their hair a healthy chop-chop after the wedding day. After months of keeping mine longer than normal, highlights, and up-do's...I am in a for a generous cut!


Below is the only picture from our honeymoon where I was brave enough to wear my hair down. Sad. :(

I have been loving Jennifer Aniston's new hair style.

After seeing her in July issue of Marie Claire, I am going for it. So excited! :)

Did you have a drastic post wedding day haircut?

Smoked Habanero Grilled Chicken

The hubby found this delicious Smoked Habanero brine at Whole Foods the other day.

According to Sweetwater Spice Company, "brines are the perfect preparation for grilling...because brining prevents overcooking – ensuring that the final product is moist and flavorful, something a sauce cannot do." - oh boy, were they right! 

Yum! It was easy to prepare too:

1. Place meat in a plastic bag or re-sealable container.
2. Shake bottle well, pour over meat, then add equal parts water (approx 1/2 cup of BBQ bath & 1/2 cup of water per lb of meat).
3. Squeeze excess air out bag, let meat soak in BBQ bath (30 min - 1 hour, depending on meat and cut) - make sure it is completely submerged in bath.
4. Drain the brine and you're ready to cook!

Sweetwater Spice Company knows what they are talking about! I can't wait to try another flavor - maybe lime jalapeno? 

Vows that Wow!

Our wedding is going to be featured in the January issue of The Brides of Oklahoma! It will be one of the special “Vows that Wow” feature for the magazines 5th anniversary edition. They posted a sneak peek on their blog today.

I was crazy excited when we featured on Style Me Pretty, but I am REALLY excited to see our pictures in print and in a magazine - a pretty fun 1st for both of us. Especially for the 5th anniversary issue, I know it's going to be a WOW! 


ps - I guess they really liked our ghost chairs too. :)

I Think I Like You

This song makes me happy! :) Reminds me of the good ol summer days when I would hula hoop for hours at a time and then cool off with a nice glass of lemonade. 

(Donora - I Think I Like You)

TGIF and Happy Summer!

The Great Barstool Search

We have been on the lookout for barstools for months...uggh. Nothing seemed to have the wow factor that I was looking for - especially for the price points! 

Pottery Barn is very proud of there not so fabulous barstools - the Wynn Ladderback for $299. Could be super cute in red, but the hubby wouldn't go for that.

I thought the Seagrass barstool was pretty fantastic, but it was ruled out for comfort factor and again the $299 price tag.

Restorations Hardware is also proud of their barstools - at least they offer some wow factor. I instantly fell in love with the Vintage Toledo Barstool and for $345 I was considering but a stool with a back was a must, so the search continued.

I started looking for an acrylic option after we saw some of our wedding pictures and remembered how much we loved the way the ghost chairs looked at our head table.

I am excited to say that we just ordered a pair of these lovely acrylic barstools from CB2 - eeek!

Should arrive next week - can't wait to see them in our home. Where have you found wonderful barstools?

Beautiful Hydrangeas

"Just because" :)

He even put them in a cute pitcher. Almost the weekend!

1st Time Grilling

Our grill finally arrived and we couldn't wait to make a delicious dinner. We had a bit of a rough start getting it to light for the first time.


Wifey: "What do you mean it's not lighting?"
Hubby: "It's not lighting!"
Wifey: "Well, turn the gas off and back up - I don't want you to blow up."
Hubby: "It's fine, the fumes are spreading around."
Wifey: "Great. Did you read the instructions?"
Hubby: "I don't need instructions - I know how to grill! The grill is broken!"
Wifey: "It got amazing reviews on amazon - I doubt it's broken. Let me see..."
Hubby: "I'm telling you - it's broken. I will call Weber first thing in the morning."
Wifey: "The morning? I want grilled chicken tonight."
Hubby: "Then you fix it."
Wifey: "Uhmmmm...the grill is hot and the burners are lit."
Hubby: "Oh, I didn't see any gas coming out."


Ha! We finally ended up having delicious grilled chicken and asparagus for dinner. :) Many more grilling adventures to come...

White, White and More White

I recently posted about how much I love our new dishes. Well, I love them even more now that I have started mixing and matching various white serving pieces. I have loved milk glass for as long as I can remember - especially Fenton Hobnail cake stands and footed bowls. When I was little I was dragged all over town to flea markets. Maybe I thought the classic white was peaceful compared to all the craziness that a flea market has to offer. :)

I recently found this treasure of a platter at Williams-Sonoma on sale for $19.99 - white, a cow and on sale - yes please!

I am so excited to continue to add to my white collection of serving pieces through the years. What are you always on the lookout for? Your favorite pieces to collect?

Blueberry Toes

You know it's hot when the thought of soaking your feet in warm water makes you break into a sweat - so, I gave myself a fresh coat. My blueberry muffins inspired me to go bold and bright - anything looks good in blue. Right? :) Love Sally Hansen - Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear.

Ok - don't look so close...maybe it's time to let the professionals do their magic - but this should get me through the week. :)

1st Baking Experience

Low-fat Blueberry Bran Muffins! I survived my 1st baking experience - delicious! :)

I found this recipe but made a few substitutions - almond milk, all whole wheat flour and egg beaters.


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 serving egg beaters
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries

• 
  
• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or use paper muffin liners. Mix together wheat bran and milk, and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in bran mixture. Sift together whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into bran mixture until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Scoop into muffin cups.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped.

Nutritional Information

1 serving - Recipe makes 12
Calories 101
Total Fat 1g
  Saturated Fat 0g 
Sodium 228mg
Potassium 63g
Total Carbohydrate 23g
  Fiber 5g
  Sugars 10g
Protein 3 g


They turned out perfectly moist, gooey and sweet - highly recommend this recipe! Next up, low-fat oatmeal raisin cookies. :)

TGIF :)

Is it real now

When to people become one

I can feel it

When to people become one

Thought I'd never see

The love you found in me...

I Flipping Love - Flipping Out!

Jeff Lewis is as funny as ever in Season 5 of Flipping Out! This is one of the only shows that can make me cry from laughing so hard - all while loving his design inspirations as well. :)

Love the look of this table - structured and classic table with soft, fluffy and classic shaped white chairs. I need it!

Nesting: Wedding Dishes Find a Home

Whew! Unpacking, de-stickering, washing and organizing our new dishes was quite the chore - but I love them! So happy with our decision to go with a reasonable brand and a classic pattern - Mikasa Antique White.

We searched long and hard for a bowl that was big enough to handle the Mr.'s cereal servings but that was also cute enough to meet my expectations. So far, they are the perfect combination of the two. Marriage is about compromise - right?

I love the scalloped edges on the plates - I feel like they add just the right amount of flair for everyday use and can be dressed up for a special dinner as well.

They also look a lot more expensive than they are - very similar to a pattern that Williams-Sonoma is carrying - a lot more $. They could practically be twins! Love that.

I can't wait for Christmas time - I just know I will have to order a few of these pieces. At least a set of salad plates to mix in with the plain white. :)

Nesting: Men vs. Women

It seems men and women can vary greatly in their nesting activities. He was just trying to take good care of my shoes and give them a good fanning post an all evening wear...

...ha! Not quite the same delicate care I would give my adorable Badgley Mischka's, but it's the thought that counts - right? Love him.