Ta-Ta For Now

It's not as if I've actually been blogging here these days, but read this post below from my other blog, On A Butterfly's Wings, to learn about my blogging plans:

Recently an inspirational mama, and talented etsy shop owner (check out her beautiful hand stamped pieces here!), posted a giveaway on Instagram asking which word or Bible verse you would choose to represent 2015 for yourself. The word "balance" immediately came to mind. I have always been someone who struggles with saying no and takes on way more than I should. Having a newborn baby really brought this into perspective. I've realized that I need to cut some things out and find balance in my life. I can't and don't need to do it all, and I want to make sure that what I am doing I am doing well--first and foremost being a wife and mommy.

Before I started this sacred space for Emma I had another blog, A T-Shirt and Pearls. The more time I put into On A Butterfly's Wings the less I put into A T-Shirt and Pearls. Along with everything else I've committed myself to, managing two blogs was too much. The time factor aside, I didn't have the energy or desire to blog about "trivial" things when I had so much raw aching emotion I needed to work through here. Keeping the word "balance" in mind, I have decided to stop pretending that I plan to write again on A T-Shirt and Pearls, and I will be consolidating everything here onto On A Butterfly's Wings.

The grief over Emma's death is still real and present, but it is no longer my only identity. My story is changing and growing, and On A Butterfly's Wings will represent that. There will still be posts dealing with grief and sharing about my sweet Emma, but there will be other posts too. Recipes, DIY projects, baby stuff. On A Butterfly's Wings is where I found myself again and I will continue to share myself here. This blog will change as I have changed.

I hope that you will continue to visit with me here. I hope we can connect whether we're aching, hoping, living, loving, or just having a little fun. Thank you for sharing in my journey. xoxo

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Overnight Oatmeal

Breakfast is a hard meal for me to plan. I want something quick and easy, especially with school getting ready to start again, but I also want something clean, healthy, and filling.

The other night I was browsing on Pinterest (where all of the best ideas come from, of course) and I came across a link to this post over at The Yummy Life about no-cook overnight refrigerator oatmeal. I loved that the oatmeal is prepped overnight, which will be a major time saver for me in the mornings. With ingredients like oatmeal, chia seeds, and fat free greek yogurt I knew it would also be healthy and clean, not to mention filling!

The flavor suggestions in the post all sounded delicious, but I decided to use what I had on hand to create my own overnight oatmeal flavor. I'm finishing up a bowl right now, and I must say it's pretty delicious! 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Overnight Oatmeal

Adapted from The Yummy Life 

1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup milk (I used low-fat milk--I think almond or coconut should work and would be yummy)

1/4 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt 

1 1/2 teaspoons chia seeds

1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (100% pure, not pancake syrup. You could also sub honey or another sweeter of your choice.)

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons raisins

Splash of vanilla extract

In a half-pint mason jar (or Tupperware container), add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, and maple syrup. Close the lid and shake well to combine all ingredients. Open your container and add in the cinnamon, raisins, and vanilla extract. Stir to incorporate. Refrigerate overnight and in the morning enjoy a ready-to-go, yummy, healthy breakfast! 

FYI--this is supposed to be eaten cold. It's a little strange at first, but if you get the idea of hot oatmeal out of your head it works. I think of this recipe as more of a play on chia seed pudding.

Make sure to stop by The Yummy Life and check out all of her overnight oatmeal recipes. She has lots of delicious ones from which to choose! 

The Best BBQ Turkey Burger

This burger is dee-licious, and mostly healthy too! We had some raw veggies on the side and it was the perfect summer meal. 

A note on the raw veggies: We've recently started using the NutriBullet to make green smoothies, and part of their transformation plan is incorporating more raw veggies into your meals. We've found it to be a yummy change in our diet, and I won't lie, it's so much easier to prepare dinner now! 

The Best BBQ Turkey Burger 

1 package lean all natural ground turkey

Ground mustard

Garlic powder

Salt 

Pepper

Worcestershire sauce

BBQ sauce

Panko bread crumbs

Sweet onion, sliced into rings

Colby Jack cheese

Mix turkey, spices, worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, and bread crumbs in a bowl. Add the spices to taste. I tend to be a little more heavy handed when cooking with turkey because I think it needs a little help in the flavor department. I did a few shakes of worcestershire and about a tablespoon of BBQ sauce. You don't need much panko, maybe a few tablespoons. It helps to hold the patties together on the grill. 

Grill the burgers and the sweet onion rings (I added a little oil and salt and pepper to the onions first). Once the burgers and onions are done you will assemble the burgers while they are still on the grill. Put some grilled onion rings on top of each burger. Squeeze a small amount of BBQ sauce on the center of each burger (it fits perfectly in the hole in the center of the onion rings!). Layer the colby jack cheese on top and close the grill lid until the cheese is melted. 

That's it! We served them bun-less with some fresh sliced avocado and a mix of raw sugar snap peas and baby carrots. 

Enjoy!

RVA and Why You Need to Know About It

Richmond, Virginia, or RVA, as it is affectionally nicknamed by those who call it home, is an amazing city with which you really should be familiar. It has created an eclectic, unique identity for itself over the last 10 years and now offers something for every scene: art, food (my favorite!), culture, outdoors, healthy living, business, etc. In my opinion, what ever you want Richmond has to offer, and its given with a dose of Southern charm. I don't sound like someone who didn't grow up here, do I?

A month or so ago I was contacted by Zillow about participating in an article about RVA for their blog. I was excited for this opportunity, and honored that this little 'ol blog got to share something on their big old blog. I jokingly wondered if they had some kind of computer program that revealed I spend way too much time on Zillow. They probably thought, hey this is our kind of girl! Seriously though, I love love my house, but those who know me know I dream of finding our second home. It will be out of the suburbs of Richmond and a little bit into the country. Now, not too far. I still want to go to Target and Kroger! I do want a few acres with a view. A back deck that I can sit on and not be able to see another house. Ah, someday. But anyway, whenever I start daydreaming about this future house I always get on Zillow to see what I can find. It was a pretty awesome coincidence when an email from Zillow popped up in my inbox. 

The RVA article went live on the Zillow blog today, including a few contributions from yours truly. Check it out HERE to learn all about our awesome city and get to know the other contributors.

View from the pipeline trail along the James River, RVA

I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own

Honey Lime Grilled Shrimp Salad

One of my favorite things about spring and summer is cooking on the grill. Not only do things cooked on the grill taste amazing, but it makes for easy cleanup. Anything that has me doing less dishes is a win in my book.

If you've been here before you know my recipes (unless I'm baking) don't really include measurements. I like to consider it part of my cooking philosophy: relax, have fun, and throw in a little of this and a little of that…or maybe I'm just a little lazy. Seriously, I should probably re-name this blog, "Sorry Ya'll I don't Measure When I Cook". Regardless, I hope that you can make my recipes work for you. Cooking shouldn't be about following a bunch of rules, so take my idea, make it your own, and enjoy!

Honey Lime Grilled Shrimp Salad

Marinade
Olive oil
Juice of 1 fresh lime
Honey
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Fresh cilantro

Salad
Chopped romaine
1-2 ears of corn, husks removed, grilled, and cut off the cob
Avocado, sliced
Grape tomatoes, halved
Sliced red onion
Grilled marinated shrimp

Dressing
Make the same as the marinade only omit the garlic powder.

How to make it
Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl. You want slightly more olive oil than lime juice, about a 2:1 ratio. Use a smaller portion of the honey. It will emulsify your marinade (basically make your oil and acid combine.) Take your raw, cleaned, and deveined shrimp and toss them in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Brush your ears of corn with some olive oil and grill until corn is tender and slightly charred, once cool cut the corn off of the cob. (TIP: Stand the ear of corn in a bowl to cut the kernels off. The kernels will fall into the bowl rather than flying all over your kitchen). Grill the shrimp until cooked through.

Toss all salad ingredients together and top with dressing. Enjoy!

This salad is light, fresh, and perfect for a hot summer night. I especially love making homemade dressings to go along with my salads. Store bought dressings are full of extra salt and ingredients I can't even pronounce. My basic formula for homemade dressing is an oil (usually olive), an acid (vinegar or fresh citrus juice work well), an emulsifier (mustard or honey are my go-tos), and some seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic, fresh herbs, etc.)

Spring Allergies and a Natural Fix!

I love the spring. I love the warm sun, the bright green leaves, the flowers blooming, the longer days, sitting on the deck, and the promise of summer. I don't love allergies.

I was recently contacted by AllergEase to see if I was interested in trying their all-natural allergy lozenges. I'm big into all-natural products, and I suffer from seasonal allergies, so I was excited for this opportunity. 

AllergEase is an all-natural lozenge which works to help fight seasonal allergies. I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor of the drops. In my mind I had compared the drops to Cold-Eeze, which do not taste so great (they give my mouth a weird numb feeling and bad flavor). AllergEase however tasted kind of like drinking a cup of minty honey lemon tea. Pretty tasty for an all-natural herbal supplement. 

I have not used enough of the drops yet to make a statement about their effectiveness, but the reviews and research out there are promising. 

I have decided to share this product with you all by giving away one box of AllergEase all-natural allergy lozenges. The box contains 21 lozenges, so it will get you well on your way to allergy relief!

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below with your favorite spring time activity you enjoy when allergies aren't getting you down! The giveaway will close in one week, on Monday, April 11, 2014 at 8:00 pm EST. U.S. entries only please. 

source

Dreaming of Spring

We have had an unusually snowy winter here in Richmond this year. As a teacher, I have loved getting some snow days, but now I am ready for sunshine, warm breezes, leaves and flowers sprouting, and spending some much needed time outside.

I hung my spring/summer wreath on the front door yesterday, a simple DIY you can find here, and I am not embarrassed to say I have had my spring mantle up since I took down my Christmas decorations. The time between Christmas and spring is a weird time for decorating anyway. By the time Christmas is over I am done with winter and am ready for spring, so I figure why not bring spring inside. 

Here is my spring mantle look. I created it with items found around my house, which is the best kind of decorating because its free! 

I love the pops of greenery for a fresh bright look. The yellow birdie was a Hobby Lobby find a few years ago (although I feel like they often have things like that), and the fresh tulips are from Trader Joe's. I was lucky and happened to be in Trader Joe's when the tulips were on special for $1.99 a bunch. Prices like that make splurging on fresh flowers an easy decision!

Even though there is leftover snow outside of my window right now, a weather forecast of temperatures in the 60s this week, and coming home to this cheery front door, give me hope that spring is closer than I think. 

Slow Cooker Short Rib Sandwich

I just love coming home to dinner ready in the crockpot. It smells delicious when you walk in the door, its easy to cook, and easy to clean up.

Last night's dinner was a slow cooker short rib sandwich. The meat was so tender and yummy. I topped the sandwiches with caramelized onions, swiss cheese, and baby arugula. This dinner was a definite win and will be on our menu again soon. It was also pretty inexpensive to make (I had most items in my pantry already), which is always a plus!

Here is my recipe. Sorry I don't measure when I create recipes, my cooking philosophy is to relax and have fun. As long as you're not baking, exact measurements are overrated. 

Slow Cooker Short Rib Sandwich

1 package boneless beef short ribs

1 package onion soup/dip mix

Dry red wine

Black pepper

1 sweet onion, sliced

Butter

Olive oil

Sugar

Balsamic vinegar

Swiss cheese

Baby arugula

Bakery rolls

Put the short ribs into the crockpot. Pour in the packet of onion seasoning mix and add some fresh cracked black pepper. {I used the whole packet of onion soup mix, which does make the meat more on the salty side, but in my opinion it was not overly salty} Add some red wine, about 1/4 cup, and some water, another 1/4 cup? (you want the bottom of the crockpot covered) Stir so the ribs get evenly coated with everything. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

When finished use two forks to shred the meat and stir into the remaining juices in the crockpot. Turn the crockpot to warm. 

Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add the onions, a small pat of butter, a drizzle of olive oil, and a splash of balsamic. Mix well. Add some fresh ground black pepper and a small sprinkle of sugar. Turn the heat to low and let the onions go until golden brown, stirring often. 

Toast your bun and add some shredded meat, onions, and a slice of swiss cheese. Place under the broiler for a a few minutes to melt the cheese. Top with a handful of baby arugula and enjoy with the rest of that red wine!

Cooking for a Cause & Four Recipes!

Today I have some fantastic recipes to share with you. In addition to tasting delicious, they are part of a very special cookbook. Each recipe featured today is from the special edition Southern Living Christmas Cookbook, which is available at Dillard's at Stony Point and Short Pump malls in Richmond, VA for only $10. All of the proceeds from this cookbook go to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond, Virginia.

From their mission statement, "Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond, VA provides a home away from home for children receiving medical treatment and their families, and helps to fund programs in the local area that directly improve the well-being of children."  

When Ronald McDonald House contacted me to see if I would be interested in sharing their cookbook on my blog I jumped at the chance. Not only do I love Southern Living, and cooking and baking, but I am honored to be a part of something that can make a real difference in the lives of children and their families. 

Here is our local Ronald McDonald House:

Isn't it lovely? I was able to take a tour of the house with Director of Development, Allison Smith, and learn more about their programs and how they help families. On the tour I heard about the bond that develops among the families that stay in the house, and how meaningful it is for them to have a safe place during their child's treatment. Although each family and their child has a unique situation, they all know the feeling of being different, of having to fight a battle that not many other people understand. Wow, did that hit home. I wanted to say, you are speaking my language sister. I of course immediately thought of my sweet Emma, and how she never even had the chance to fight life's battles. As hard as this made the rest of the tour for me, it only furthered my desire to participate in this project. I want these families to have the opportunity to embrace and support each other in this beautiful place, as they fight alongside their child for health and life. 

Here are some of the sweet faces of Ronald McDonald House Richmond:

To help you get an idea of the types of delicious treats you can make after you purchase your cookbook, I will share with you a few recipes that I tested. 

The first was the Stove-top Chicken Pot Pie. This recipe was super easy, quick, and delicious. It was the perfect comfort food. 

Stove-top Chicken Pot Pie

8 frozen buttermilk biscuits

1 small sweet onion, diced

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms

4 cups chopped cooked chicken (they recommended a rotisserie chicken, which I used.)

1 (10 3/4-oz.) can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup

1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 (8-oz.) package 1/3-less fat cream cheese, cubed

1/2 (0.7-oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix (about 2 tsp.)

1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

1. Bake biscuits according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, saute onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until golden. Add mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients; cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until cheese melts and mixture is thoroughly heated. Stir in peas, and cook 2 minutes. Spoon chicken over hot split biscuits. 

Yum, now wasn't that easy?! They have a Southern-Style Chicken Pot Pie recipe that I am trying next. It has leeks in it, which are my ultimate fave! Please don't judge my large portion. I was really hungry, and it was just that good. {Also, sorry for the bad picture quality…the lighting at night in my house is terrible for photography!}

The next dinner that we enjoyed from the cookbook was Rosemary Grilled Chicken. The recipe pairs the chicken with Garlic Spinach and Cheese Grits, which don't get me wrong sounds amazing, but we were curious about the Asparagus-New Potato Hash, so that's what we made on the side instead.

Rosemary Grilled Chicken Thighs 

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. table salt

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary*

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 lb. skinned and boned chicken, thighs**

1/2 lemon

1. Combine garlic and next 6 ingredients in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag, squeezing bag to combine ingredients. Add chicken, turning to coat, and seal bag. Chill 1 to 24 hours.

2. Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high) heat. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill chicken, covered with grill lid, 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a large piece of aluminum foil. Squeeze juice from lemon over chicken; fold foil around chicken, covering chicken completely. Let stand 10 minutes.

*Fresh thyme, cilantro, or oregano may be substituted

**1 1/2 lb. skinned and boned chicken breasts may be substituted. (This is what we used.)

Asparagus-New Potato Hash

1 lb. small red potatoes

1 lb. fresh asparagus

2 shallots, minced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp. table salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup crumbled farmer's cheese or queso fresco

Garnish: lemon slices

1. Bring potatoes and salted water to cover to a boil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook 15 minutes or until just tender; drain well. Cool 15 minutes; cut into quarters.

2. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces. 

3. Saute shallots in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet 1 minute. Add asparagus, thyme, and next 3 ingredients; sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add potatoes, and sauté 3 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with cheese. 

Both of these recipes were delicious and I will make them again. The chicken was especially good, as I can be funny about eating chicken. It was super tender and flavorful, and grilling it made it extra yummy. 

After trying out a few dinner recipes I was in the mood for something sweet. The last recipe I have to share with you this evening is:

Sticky Bun-Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups pecan halves and pieces

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. table salt

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

2. Stir together melted butter and next 2 ingredients. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoonful butter mixture into each cup of 2 lightly greased (12-cup) muffin pans, and top each with 1 rounded tablespoonful pecans.

3. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together pumpkin, next 2 ingredients, and 2/3 cup water; add to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, filling three-fourths full. Place an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan on lower oven rack to catch any overflow.

5. Bake at 350 degrees on middle oven rack for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert pan immediately to remove muffins, and arrange muffins on a wire rack. Spoon any topping remaining in muffin cups over muffins. Cool 5 minutes. 

These were absolutely amazing! The cake part didn't taste overly sweet, so it was well balanced with the sticky, gooey, sweet topping. I will definitely make these again. I took one for each of the girls on my team at school and they all loved them as well. 

The recipes from the cookbook that are on my "to make soon" list include: Bacon-and-Cheddar Corn Muffins, Hominy Grill's Shrimp and Grits, Spiced Pomegranate Sipper, Bacon-Onion Dip, Cornbread Tartlets with Tomato-Lima Bean Relish, Ragout of Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta, Holiday Meatloaf, Home-Style Butter Beans, Southern-Style Collard Greens, Shrimp and Grits Dressing, Waldorf Spinach Salad, Pimento Cheese Rolls, Sour Cream Cornbread, Lemon-Poppy Seed Cakes, Individual Frozen Peppermint Cheesecakes, Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Puddings, and Coconut Joys. Oh dear, that's a lot of recipes. And that is seriously only a fraction of the cookbook. Oh, yummy!!

I hope that you will enjoy these recipes, and even more, I hope that if you are located in the Richmond, Virginia area that you will purchase one of these cookbooks. It is a beautiful cookbook and is bursting with fantastic recipes. More importantly, it helps a wonderful organization continue their mission. 

Happy eating ya'll!

I was provided the cookbook for the purpose of this post, but all opinions are my own. 

Homemade Pecan Pancakes

I currently have a big bag of pecans in the pantry in preparation for a homemade pecan pie for Thanksgiving {yum, my favorite!}. This week I decided to use some of the pecans and give pecan pancakes a try. We had a breakfast for dinner night and enjoyed the pancakes with some extra crispy bacon, one of my all time favorite foods.

To keep the recipe a little more "clean" and natural, I chose to make the pancakes from scratch, rather than using a mix. Plus, we already had all of the ingredients in the pantry, so why not?

Pecan Pancakes

Adapted from Food Network

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Dash of salt

1 cup buttermilk*

Dash of vanilla extract

1 egg

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the buttermilk and egg and whisk until smooth. Pour in the melted butter and pecans and stir to combine. 

Heat a griddle to medium heat and add a small pat of butter. Using a ladle pour the batter onto the griddle and cook the pancakes to golden brown on each side. Add more butter to the griddle as needed during cooking to keep the pancakes from sticking.

Serve with butter and maple syrup (we use the real stuff for both, it tastes better and it is all natural). 

*Buttermilk: Pour one tablespoon of white vinegar into a measuring cup. Add in 1 cup of milk (any kind is fine, I used 1%). Let sit for 5 minutes and you have buttermilk! 

Oh, and for full disclosure, after taking this picture my phone was covered in butter and syrup because the pat of butter kept sliding off the hot pancakes. I had to keep sliding it back on with my finger while trying to take a decent picture. Good thing my phone has a screen protector so the mess was easy to wipe off. ;)

Amherst Gray

A lovely reader asked for some more pictures of our Amherst Gray siding. It is a color she is considering for her home, and she wanted to get a better idea of how it may look from different angles and in different lights. She asked me a few weeks ago, so I hope I'm not too late, but here are a few more pictures of our home with its fabulous new{ish} color! You can read the makeover post here.

Well, Hello!

Hello there! Did you think I had disappeared? I will hopefully be giving this blog a little TLC in the next week or so. I need to give it a makeover since the free background I had been using was going to expire today. I've put something else up for now, but the whole thing needs to be revamped.

I've been spending most of my available blogging time lately over at my other blog, Butterfly Wings. You can come over and visit me there, or stop by our Facebook Page. See you there!

Quick, Easy, Healthy{ish} Weeknight Stew

Tonight I made some soup for dinner that was fast, easy, delicious, and healthy{ish}. I'm calling it a stew because it was thick and hearty, and there was not a ton of broth. If you want it soupier increase the amount of chicken broth, but I loved it just the way it was. I will definitely be making this again!

Sausage and Kale Stew

1/2 lb. ground mild Italian sausage--Use turkey for a healthier version, freeze the other half of the package to use another time

1 small bunch kale, rinsed, pulled off the stem, and chopped

1 can white beans (great northern/cannellini), drained and rinsed

1 32 oz container low sodium chicken broth

1 can stewed tomatoes with Italian seasoning, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Heat a pot (I like to use a cast iron dutch oven) to medium heat. Add a small amount of olive oil and brown the sausage, breaking into bite size crumbles as you cook. When the sausage is almost browned put in the minced garlic to sauté. Careful, it burns easily! 

Once the sausage is nicely browned pour in the chicken broth, scraping off the good brown bits from the bottom of the pan into the broth (deglazing if you want to be fancy about it).This makes the broth rich and delicious. Mmmmm 

Add in the diced tomatoes in their juice (do not drain). I can never find these pre-diced, so I pull the slices out with a fork and dice them myself and then throw them in the pot along with the leftover juice that's in the can.  

Add in the white beans and kale along with some salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes until the kale is tender. 

I'm never great at taking pictures of food, but this one is especially bad because the soup was so steamy it kept fogging up my camera. I was too hungry to wait! 

Enjoy!

Mexican Favorites

Mexican is one of my favorite types of food. We have tried two new Mexican recipes for dinner in the last few weeks, and both have been absolutely delicious! They are completely opposite, as one is a vegetarian taco recipe and one is a beef taco. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Roasted Vegetable Tacos (adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 red pepper, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chile powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 lime

1 avocado

Homemade tortillas (FYI--I have tried this recipe with whole wheat flour since my original post and it did not work...yuck! Also, I feel like the olive oil does give them a bit of a flavor. If you want them more plain in flavor use canola oil)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix your tortilla dough so it can begin resting. In a bowl toss veggies with the oil and seasonings. Place onto a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through. 

Once veggies are done roasting remove from oven and mix in black beans. Turn oven off and put tray back in to keep warm. Cook your tortillas and set aside. When tortillas are done pull veggies back out of the oven, mix in fresh cilantro, and squeeze fresh lime juice on top. Serve veggie mixture in your fresh warm tortillas, top with fresh avocado, and enjoy! 

Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas (adapted from Eat, Live, Run)

1 flank steak

1 yellow onion, chopped

1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped

Spice Rub:

2 teaspoons chile powder 

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together spices for rub in a small bowl, then rub into both sides of the flank steak. Place steak in slow cooker and cover with chopped onion and chipotle peppers. Warning: canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce pack a lot of heat. I really like spicy things and I used 1 1/2 peppers in my recipe and it was plenty spicy for me.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. When finished cooking shred meat with two forks. Serve meat inside homemade tortillas and top with a squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro, and homemade Pico de Gallo (that's missing from my picture because we forgot to get tomatoes at the store :( )

Pico de Gallo:

Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

Red onion, diced

Juice of 1 lime

Handful of fresh cilantro

Add some fresh minced garlic if you're feeling zesty

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for a few hours before serving

 Enjoy!

Super Food Granola

One thing I have been really curious to try recently is chia seeds. I am not sure how I decided to jump on this bandwagon...probably Pinterest. They are the ultimate super food. Here is a good article about the top 10 health benefits of chia seeds.

For my first chia seed adventure hubby helped me make homemade granola. It turned out pretty well and was definitely waaaay better than my last homemade granola which tasted like burned grossness.

 

Super Food Granola

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup nuts of your choice (We had pecans on hand so thats what we used. I think walnuts would be delish too)

1/4 cup flax seeds

3 tablespoons chia seeds

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup honey (or sweetener of your choice--you could use pure maple syrup or agave nectar)

1 large egg white

1 cup dried fruit (we used a blend of golden raisins, cherries, cranberries, and blueberries)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except for the egg white and dried fruit, making sure that the liquid ingredients evenly coat the dry ingredients. 

In a small bowl whisk the egg white until it is frothy, pour into the large bowl of granola, and mix until evenly coated.

Spread the granola onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden. Half way through baking flip the granola over using a spatula. Mix the fruit into the granola as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let cool and store in an airtight container. 

*We got our chia seeds, flax seeds, and "golden fruit blend" all from Trader Joe's 

This granola was fabulous. It is not super sweet, but the honey and fruit adds just the right amount of sugar. I love that it has both chia seeds and flax seeds, and doesn't contain the questionable ingredients that store bought granolas have. Plus, its way cheaper to make your own! My next chia seed adventure is going to be chia seed pudding. Stay tuned, I'll let you know how it turns out! 

A New Blog

Hi everyone. I wanted to share my new blog adventure with you. I will still be blogging on A T-Shirt and Pearls, but I am starting a second blog. 

If you read my last post on here you know about the stillbirth of our daughter Emma. I will blogging about things related to that on my new blog On A Butterfly's Wings. 

I understand that it will not be for everyone, which is why I am going to write on a separate blog. However, I do hope you will take a minute to check it out. Yes, its uncomfortable and sad, but stillbirth is real and it happens more than you think. If we stay silent about it then the statistics will never change.

#FindingBeauty

In one of my recent posts I mentioned that my hubby and I were dealing with a tragedy, but I wasn't ready to share any more than that. Well, I think my post today will make a little more sense if you have an understanding of what we are going through. Our beautiful precious daughter Emma was stillborn on July 2. These last five weeks have been the worst of our lives. Over time I plan to share Emma's story and our journey, but for now it belongs to just us. 

I have spent a lot of time recently online reading blogs and various resources, and participating in online support groups.

I recently came across one blog post that was really inspiring to me. Lindsey of Still Breathing blogged about allowing room for beauty and joy. Lindsey shares about choosing beauty and how appreciating the beauty in the world around us can soften our grief. I love Lindsey's use of the word soften, because I'm sorry to tell you that I don't think you ever get rid of your grief, instead you learn to live with it.

I am not at a point in my grief where I can find much joy, but I can recognize beauty. I have enjoyed spending a lot of time outside and find peace from what I see in the world around me. I have decided that if I force myself to consciously appreciate one beautiful thing from the world around me each day that slowly I will not only be finding beauty, but moments of joy too.  

 

Lindsey documents her moments of beauty and joy on Instagram using #joygrief. I have decided that I will document mine using #findingbeauty with the hope that one day I too will find the #joy{in moments of}grief. Click here to follow me on IG.

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

One of my favorite desserts is the basic chocolate chip cookie. Warm and soft from the oven it is the perfect sweet treat, but sometimes you need to jazz things up a little.

Meet the Loaded Oatmeal Cookie.

These cookies are full of yummy bits and it is impossible to eat just one! Don't say I didn't warn you...

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks softened unsalted butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1/2 cup M&Ms

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add vanilla and beat until mixed.

In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Mix in oats, M&Ms, pecans, and peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Scoop dough (I have a super handy Pampered Chef cookie dough scooper, which I highly recommend) onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire cooling rack.

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

The great thing about this recipe is that you can adapt the cookie to whatever sounds good to you. Add different mix-ins and take out the ones you don't like. I'd like to try a version with Reese's Pieces. Enjoy!

Summer Wreath DIY

Well its been a little quiet around here. Hubby and I have been dealing with a tragedy and blogging has been the last thing I have cared about recently. I think that I will eventually blog about what we have been going through both as a means of therapy for myself, and in hopes of reaching out and connecting to someone else who is going through the same thing we are.

But, for now I just want to talk about wreaths, and in particular my summer wreath DIY project.

I am not much of a DIYer, in fact my DIY Pinterest board is called DIY--I don't. I just don't seem to have the patience for DIY projects. However, in light of recent events I have been looking for some things to pass the time and distract myself, and I decided that I would make a new wreath for my front door.

I almost took a picture of my current wreath to show you how totally disgusting and in need of replacement it was, but then I realized well...it was totally disgusting, and I didn't think you needed to see that. Let's just say we have a bit of a spider problem around our house, and my cheery yellow floral wreath had turned into haunted house halloween spider web fest. 

Luckily, I have a wonderful friend who is crafty and she helped me plan my design, took me shopping for supplies, and crafted with me. Its much easier (and more fun) to keep your patience and be crafty when you have a friend to enjoy it with. 

Here is my final product:

The original plan had been to wrap the entire wreath with the moss and use the burlap as my accent, but I ran out of moss and was not going back to the store (plus it was kind of expensive). All of my supplies came from Hobby Lobby.

The supplies I used are:
- styrofoam wreath form
- wide burlap ribbon (one 30 ft. roll)
- moss ribbon (three 3 ft. rolls)
- one package of floral pins
- three pre-made burlap rosettes
- hot glue

To make the wreath start by pinning the beginning of the roll of burlap ribbon against the back of the wreath form at a slight angle. Continuing wrapping the ribbon around the form being sure to keep it very tight. After wrapping twice around stop and add a pin on the back to keep the ribbon tight and in place. Continue until the wreath is covered (I ran out at the very end. I started the moss on the area that wasn't covered so you couldn't tell.) Follow the same procedure with the moss. Glue on your flowers.

The wreath was super easy, even for someone who is craft challenged like me. I love the look of the burlap and moss against my cheery yellow front door.

The good news is that my wreath is flat enough to fit between my front door and the storm door, so it is protected from the weather and the yucky spider problem. 

I think this wreath will be the start of my craftiness. Stay tuned for more projects. 

The Best Grilled Sandwich And Where To Get It!

Oh.my.gracious. Hubby and I just made and ate the most delicious grilled steak sandwich. I am serious, this thing was life changing, and that is not just the pregnancy talking.

In typical fashion I did not measure as I was making it and I scarfed it down before taking any pictures, but let's face it, my pictures would be lame anyway.

So, since I don't have a lot to share with you I just took a second and typed up the recipe on my T-Shirt and Pearls Facebook Page. Oh, I'm sorry, did you want the recipe?! Then hop on over to my FB page, like it, and check out the recipe. ;)

While I have you on a scavenger hunt, make sure you are following me via email or Bloglovin' since Google Reader will soon be gone.

Happy grilling, friends!