I'm Back with Peaches!!

Hiiiiii guys! I know it's been forever and I didn't even give you all a warning that no posts would be happening last week. I did in fact plan to post while on vacay, but once I got comfortable in California that went out the window. The vacation was awesome though, separate post coming on what all I did later this week.

In the meantime, I wanted to clue you all in on my love affair with peaches. I'm sure you all have noticed the peach mania around the blogosphere lately and as soon as I saw Jenna's salad I knew I had to make it. I put my own twist on it though and have made it three times since!

Side note...if I'm running low on time I don't grill the peaches, although I would suggest it, but the salad is still delicious without doing so!

Grilled Peach Salad via Eat, Live, Run

Grilled Peach Salad with Honey White Balsamic Dressing slightly adapted from Eat, Live, Run

serves 2/3

Ingredients:

about 8 cups mixed salad greens, washed and ready to use (I've been using mixed greens OR arugula)

2 yellow peaches, slightly firm to the touch

Chopped pecans OR Tour's Mix

Fresh grated parmesan cheese (Use a microplane for this, GREAT kitchen tool!)

for dressing—

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

tiny pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Make the dressing first. In a small bowl, whisk together the white balsamic vinegar and the olive oil. Then, stir in the honey and and mix well. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Preheat your grill to medium/high heat.

Slice peaches in half and discard pit. Place peaches, cut side down, on the preheated grill. Close lid and grill for about five minutes, checking occasionally. You want the peaches to soften and get those nice char lines across the bottom. Remove peaches when done and turn off the grill. Slice peaches thin.

To assemble salads, toss everything into a large bowl and drizzle dressing over the top and toss well.

Time:

20 minutes

Salmon + Grilled Peaches

I love when dinner can be completely made and on the table in under thirty minutes, it's just the best! Last night I had a girlfriend over for dinner and we both love fish so I made a salmon dish based off of this recipe.

Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub via Food Network

Spicy Baked Salmon adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

• 
  
• Cooking Spray
• chili powder
• ground cumin
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin and any pin bones removed
• olive oil

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 and line your baking sheet with foil. Spray your foil lined baking sheet with non-stick spray. Rub each salmon fillet with olive oil and then sprinkle each with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder.

Place salmon skin side down onto the foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20 mins. Serve!

Grilled Peach, Chicken & Goat Cheese Salad via Eat, Live, Run

.

 I also made a salad (I adapted from this recipe!) with grilled peaches, because peaches are ALL over the blogosphere right now and are in season so it's a perfect time to use them. The dressing really made this salad!

Grilled Peach Salad with Honey White Balsamic Dressing slight adapted from Eat, Live, Run

serves 2

Ingredients:

about 8 cups mixed salad greens, washed and ready to use

1.5 yellow peaches, slightly firm to the touch

Tours Mix

Fresh grated Parm

for dressing—

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

tiny pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Make the dressing first. In a small bowl, whisk together the white balsamic vinegar and the olive oil. Then, stir in the honey and and mix well. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Preheat your grill to medium/high heat.

Slice peaches in half and discard pit. Place peaches, cut side down, on the preheated grill. Close lid and grill for about five minutes, checking occasionally. You want the peaches to soften and get those nice char lines across the bottom. Remove peaches when done and turn off the grill. Slice peaches thin.

To assemble salads put all ingredients into a bowl and toss with dressing. Leftover dressing should last a few days in the refrigerator.

Piperlime Sale

Soooo yesterday I got a little email from Piperlime reminding me of their awesome sale going on right now. I may or may not of scooped up these adorable wedges.

Enzo Angiolini Wedge via Piperlime

I'm hoping to rock them with black shorts and a tucked in white blouse with some statement earrings for an upcoming bachelorette weekend (Almost time Meredith!!) in Austin. Thoughts?

Happy Wednesday!

MILCK

I know what you are thinking, what the heck does that title stand for? It's the name of a line of clutches that I found out about recently thanks to DailyCandy. The name MILCK was created after using the first letter of all your clutch essentials, like money, ID, lipstick, etc...aren't they so chic?

via Deadlines & Diets

They come in every color imaginable and are the perfect size for going out on the town! I'm showcasing the coral today, but the turquoise is calling my name too.

Welcome Back!

Our dear friends Jayne & Jamie were in town this weekend for a wedding shower that was being throw in their honor and a bunch of our friends had a delicious dinner waiting for them when they got into town on Friday night. It was a total group effort and the meal was great. I made this Pork Tender after seeing it on Weelicious (Great food blog!) last week and it turned out to be super delicious.

The great thing about this recipe is that I actually did the marinade two days prior and then all that had to be done beforehand was to grill it. I'm planning to use the leftovers in a stir-fry tonight.

I served this with my Strawberry Salad with Strawberry/Lemon/Basil Dressing and Roasted Potatoes.

Enjoy!

Southern Style Pork Tenderloin via Weelicious

Southern Style Pork Tenderloin from Weelicious

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup bourbon 
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 whole pork tenderloins, approximately 2 pounds total, trimmed

Preparation

1. Place the first six ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour into a large zipper bag or glass container large enough to hold the pork tenderloins and marinate overnight or up to 2 days.
2. Preheat a grill to high heat, and oil the grates.
3. Remove tenderloins from the bag, reserving the marinade, and grill for 14-15 minutes, turning halfway through or until the internal temperature is 140°F. Remove from heat and set meat aside to rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to rest and redistribute.
4. While the meat is resting, place the marinade in a small pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Slice the tenderloin on a bias and serve with the sauce if desired.

This or That...Fall Boot Edition

It's never too early to start thinking about your fall wardrobe. I realize this seems silly for many of us in the U.S. who are experiencing 100+ degree temperatures, but when a good deal is happening on falls boots I can't resist. Piperlime is having a fall preview sale and it's so hard to resist, thus why we are having another "This or That" post. HELP!  

These...

Frye Shirley Riding Boots via Piperlime

or these...

Tommy Hilfiger Xenon Boot via Piperlime

This or That...JCREW Sale

Ohhhh JCREW how I love thee, but how I also want to kill thee for making me fall in love with ALL of your items.  JCREW has loads of goodies on sale right now and I'm hoping to take advantage.

Should I go with these wedges or the straw clutch?

JCREW Lena Wedge

JCREW Havana Clutch

Bauble Roundup

I feel like lately I have been pinning SO many fun baubles and wanted to share a few of my favorites with you all. I seriously would love to have all of these and it would be so hard to pick a favorite. I keep focusing most though on that gorgeous Kara Ross ring (Is it too early to make a birthday list??) and that chunky gold Olga Prieto (A new to me designer!) cuff. 

If you could pick one of these, what would you pick? Would love to hear from you all!

1. Miansai by Michael Saiger Screw Cuff in Brass
2. Kara Ross Maze Plateau Ring
3. Kate Spade Frame of Mind Chandelier Earrings
4. Olga Prieto Leaf Cuff

Inspiring Lace

This post solely happened because of my beyond stylish Mother. She ripped out a picture of Taylor Schilling wearing this Peter Pilotto dress below and dropped it in my mailbox so I could fall in love with it as well. Isn't it gorgeous? Peter Pilotto's prints are out of this world, they are all so interesting and something the fashion scene hasnt' really seen. Here's to wishing this lands in either of our closets!

Taylor Schilling in Peter Pilotto via Red Carpet Fashion Awards

And one more thing, I barely have any words for Diane Kruger's look below...utterly obsessed from head to toe!

Diana Kruger in 3.1 Phillip Lim via Red Carpet Fashion Awards

And a big thank you to Red Carpet Fashion Awards for always showcasing the latest looks and giving us the 411 on them!

Coconut Shrimpies

Happy Monday everyone! Did everyone have a good weekend? Ours was fantastic because we did a whole lot of nothing which we both really needed. I've been wanting to make this Coconut Shrimp recipe for awhile and finally did last night. It was very tasty! I never even knew I liked Coconut Shrimp until I had it at Tao in Las Vegas and it blew me away, it was beyond delicious. While this version is a lot healthier than Tao's, it's still very delicious.

I served our shrimp with a spinach/arugula salad with sliced fresh peaches and Tours Mix and baked sweet potato fries. I'll definitely be making this meal again.

Coconut Shrimp via Weelicious

Coconut Shrimp slight adapted from Weelicious - Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 pound raw shrimp, tails off

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to “broil” setting.
2. 2. Pat dry shrimp with a towel and season with 1/2 tsp salt.
3. 3. Arrange three separate bowls in an assembly line. Place flour in one, whisked eggs in the second, and shredded coconut in the third.
4. 4. Lightly coat the shrimp in the flour and gently tap to remove excess flour.
5. 5. Dip the flour coated shrimp in the egg/buttermilk and then roll in the shredded coconut to coat.
6. 6. Place coconut shrimp on a baking rack sprayed or greased with oil over a cookie sheet. When all the shrimp are on the rack, lightly coat them with cooking oil spray.
7. 7. Place cookie sheet on the middle rack of your oven and broil for 3 minutes on each side.
8. 
   
9. And if you want a dipping sauce to go along with your shrimps I would go with this one. I don't think the dipping sauce is a must though, but a nice option to have especially if you are entertaining with this meal.

For the Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves (you can use sugar free if you wish)
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Getting My Organization On...

Do you of you read Sous Style? It's a new to me blog that I'm loving. I love the variation of posts from great hostess gifts to the perfect caprese salad recipe. Any who they had a post a few weeks ago on some organization tips from celeb makeup artist Darlene Jacobs and I wanted to re post what I thought were the best tips from her list. I have been doing some organizing of my own this weekend and it has felt fabulous!

Cheers to making your life more organized!

Darlene Jacobs via Sous Style

Tip 1 Organize First, Clean later

The easiest way for me to keep a clean apartment is to keep it organized and chaos free. That way when it’s time to clean things, I don’t waste my time organizing a mess first. Clutter mentally and physically cripples me, so keeping my life clutter-free keeps me sane!

Tip 2 Better Now Than Later

As soon as I read an email, I file or delete it. I open and sort through my mail as soon as I bring it in the house, I never go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink, I get rid of magazines as soon as I’ve read through them, and I always put things away when I’m not using them.

Tip 4 Pretty, Easy Storage

I have baskets and boxes everywhere in my house! I keep all my extra toiletries organized in the cabinets in baskets. I have clean white boxes in my walk-in closet to hold various electronic stuff, stationery, and office supplies. I even have a hanging basket in the kitchen to hold my fruits and veggies!

Tip 7 Set it And Forget it

My Google calendar with alerts is invaluable. My husband and I share our calendars with each other so we can see each other’s schedules. I set alerts on it all the time so I get emails or messages on my phone reminding me of something coming up or a deadline I have to meet.

Tip 8 Do It Daily

I like to maintain a cleanliness between major cleanings. I wipe down the bathroom sink after each use. I designate a washcloth for this that stays on the sink so no one is using a dirty hand towel to dry their clean hands. I love the Swiffer Wet Jet to spot clean the floor, especially in the kitchen after a big meal. I am a klutz, so food inevitably finds its way onto my white tiles!

How Sweet It Is Does It Again

I hope you all have realized by now that I get many of my recipes from the food blog How Sweet It Is. Jessica seriously creates the best recipes and I pin at least one a week. I had pinned these under my "Healthy Desserts, They Do Exist" board, and while they are on the healthier side, they are still decadent tasting to me.

My sweet sister-in-law (Hi LBB!) just moved into a new place before starting her junior year at TCU and she and her roommates are the lucky receivers of these Oatmeal Peanut Butter Squares as a housewarming gift. Make these this weekend friends and then thank me after!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Squares via How Sweet It Is

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Squares from How Sweet It Is

makes 9 squares

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I get in the bulk section at Central Market)

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cups creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk (I used 1%, your fine to use whatever you have on hand)

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add peanut butter and sugar and mix on high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in vanilla extract and mix until combined.

3. Add in flour, oats, salt and baking soda, mixing on medium speed. The dough will look crumbly and you want the peanut butter mix to be broken up into clumps. Add milk with the mixer on low speed, and mix until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips.

4. Make sure dough is completely combined, and roll it into a ball with your hands. Place it in the middle of an 8×8 baking dish, pressing it to fit. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until set and golden on top. Let cool completely, then cut into 9 squares.

Spicy Pesto...LOVING

Are you all watching The Bachelorette? I sure am and am loving it, however, I'm now conflicted between Sean and Jef! A few girlfriends and I have been watching some of the Mondays and I've been hosting us.

This last Monday I made this Spicy Pesto over Grilled Chicken and it was excellent, I really enjoyed it! I had seen the lovely Giada making this on a Today Show segment about all things pesto and thought it sounded so tasty.

 The great thing about this recipe is that the pesto can be made ahead of time so all you have to do right before is grill the chicken. For a further shortcut I used boneless skinless chicken tenders because they grill up faster and I think they are easier to eat too. Just remember to take the pesto out of the fridge when you start grilling the chicken so it comes to room temp.

I served this dish with a watermelon/tomato/feta salad and roasted kale chips. Those recipes will be coming soon!

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Pesto via Giada De Laurentiis

grilled chicken with spicy pesto

ingredients

4 to 6 servings

Pesto 1 cup chopped walnuts 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 1 green jalapeno pepper, stemmed and coarsely chopped 2 cups (4 ounces) Asiago cheese, grated 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cups baby spinach 3 cups arugula ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper

instructions

Pesto In a food processor, combine the walnuts, garlic, jalapeno, cheese, salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth. Add the spinach and arugula and process until blended. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil.
Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to plates. Spoon the spicy pesto over the chicken and serve.