caprese bruschetta

Jason LOVES Italian food. LOVES IT!  Spaghetti, lasagna, baked ziti, alfredo… You name it.  That boy will eat it.  His favorite restaurant is Olive Garden.  We head there at least once a month for date night and he goes all out, appetizer, salad, marinara sauce for the bread sticks.   My favorite food is definitely  Tex-Mex, that glorious mix of American and Mexican, but I do to make a lot of it and Jason will get a little tired of it after about three or four meals in single week.  “Babe, not everything has to have salsa…”  Italian, however, he does not get sick of.  One month, I made only Italian food for dinner for nearly two weeks straight just to see if he could get sick of it.  I think it may have been the best two weeks of his life.  Unfortunately, by the end, I burst into tears at the sight of uncooked pasta or tomatoes.

Bruschetta is the salsa of Italian foods. It is one of those dishes that can easily be a meal, side dish, or appetizer.  It goes great on crusty bread or grilled chicken or stirred into cold pasta.  Sometimes, for lunch, I’ll whip this recipe up and enjoy it all by my lonesome.  Other days, I might serve it as a starter or plate it alongside Spaghetti or Mediterranean Chicken.  This bruschetta is divine.  Inspired by Caprese salad, it has juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and lots of basil.  The bread is lightly toasted in a little bit of olive oil and garlic. I eat mine on Udi’s Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread, but I usually make Jason’s with Ciabatta or a loaf of crusty French bread.  It’s delicious either way!  Enjoy and have a great, Friday folks!

Click to read more ...

Strawberry Mint Spa Water

Sassy Water caused quite a fuss on this little website.  To date, it is my most trafficked post which Jason and find slightly hilarious.  For all the trouble, planning, and effort I put into most of my recipes, I'm best-known as the girl that put cucumbers, lemons, and mint leaves in a pitcher of water. But, I do love Sassy Water.  I still drink it and can definitely tell a difference in water retention and weight loss on the weeks I'm faithful to whip it up.  Plus, it's all natural and totally safe for me and the baby.

But, what I love most about Sassy Water is how refined it makes me feel.  I'm not just downing a detox tea... It's a pretty, light drink.  Spa water in general makes me feel a little more elegant than normal. There is something delicate and relaxing about drinking a lightly flavored water with pretty pieces of fruit laced throughout it. So when we hosted brunch for Jason's mom last weekend, I wanted to make sure we served it.

I turned to lemons, strawberries, blueberries, and mint for this beverage.   Lemons and mint provided a nice refreshing base flavor. The strawberries added a faint sweetness and a ruddy color.  I really added the blueberries for a pretty color contrast, but you could sort of taste them. It was a lovely, leisurely drink with zero guilt.  In fact, lemon water promotes hydration and detox.  An all around win... Pretty with substance. Enjoy!

Click to read more ...

Weeknight Wonders: Chipotle Pulled Pork with Tangy Mustard Coleslaw

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day weekend.  We did.  On Thursday, we had a cozy dinner with my mom and on Sunday we had a leisurely after-church brunch with Jason's.  Both were lovely!  We got our moms necklaces from Etsy that said "Grandma".  After the baby is born, we can have the baby's name engraved on a separate little charm.  Fun stuff, and I'm so glad they liked them. :)  I was also very surprised to wake up Sunday to find art supplies and flowers waiting for me from Jason.  Fresh brushes, canvas, and an easel... now I can attempt to paint something for our flat. His parents also got me a gorgeous necklace and my brother, Steve, bought me flowers.  I felt very spoiled and very loved.  I really wasn't thinking of this year as my first mother's day, but I guess it really is.

 Sometimes, it's the little, unexpected things that brighten your week. 

And, sometimes, an unexpected ingredient can transform a recipe.  Dr. Pepper is the secret to crock pot pulled pork. I've tried time and time again to cook pork with bbq sauce, and I think it's cause I'm gone for about 9 hours most days, but every stinking time it ends up burned to a crisp.  Even on low.  Dr. Pepper, however, works like a charm. It keeps the pork moist, juicy, and caramelizes during cooking to lend a sweet, rich flavor to the dish.  It really is a bit surprising, but key to this Chipotle Pulled Pork.  This roast takes about 5 minutes of prep time, cooks for 8 hours, and is absolutely delicious.  It makes a great sandwich, although I have made carnitas with the same recipe before. The smoky chipotle pepper really makes this barbecue a whole different animal... It's different from Carolina BBQ or Texas Brisket, but equally delicious.  

I like to serve it with my mom's tangy mustard coleslaw.  I'm not a big fan of coleslaw, but this one is tart, savory, and light, but not sweet, making it the perfect companion for the smoky bbq sandwiches. Enjoy and I hope you had a lovely weekend! 

Click to read more ...