Thoughts For Thursday

One week from Saturday we are headed back to St Maarten.  We went last year for 5 days and this year we decided to do a full week.  There was so much we didn't get to see or do because we were lazy our first few days.  So I want to know from anyone who has traveled to St Maarten what are your favorite spots, restaurants, beaches etc!  We want to see and do it all this time!

Two Recent OOTD's.

My addiction with off shoulder outfits continues.  I bought this dress on a whim from the Junior's section and I really like it.  It is lightweight material and I like the looser sleeves. I am wearing a size small in the dress, runs TTS.

Off Shoulders + Tassel Earrings both under $50 + Purse on sale + Sandals

This Equipment Blouse is currently 40% off.  Size down runs on the large side, I am wearing XS.

It also comes in white.

Blouse | Necklace | Purse | Sunglasses | Jean Shorts | Sandals

This picture of Frances Moon makes me smile every time I look at it. I kid you not she accessorized all this by herself down to the phone and purse.   And her sassy stance just makes it even better.  

Romper is Shrimp and Grits Kids

Thanks to the rec from my friend Caycee I ordered these hair vitamins and I really feel like they are working on my hair.  I have been taking them a little over a month and I feel like my breakage is not so bad and they are helping my hair to grow.

Sugarbear Hair Vitamins

I can't believe Sterling is done with Kindergarten, sniff sniff.  He seems so grown-up all of a sudden.  The good news is he still loves to cuddle and I am soaking up every minute of that.   I am excited for a fun Summer with him.

Selfie in my favorite mirror (from Crate and Barrel) at my parent's condo.  Plus this tee shirt is on repeat every week. 

Tee Shirt (wearing size 1) + Necklace

I made a spin on my Roasted Veggie Rice Bowls and subbed Quinoa for the rice and they were so good.

For the veggies I did roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes, purple cabbage, and avocado with green goddess dressing.

I love this idea of a hummus salad.  I eat hummus most days for lunch and I want to try this out.

I stopped by the Celadon Warehouse with the kids this week and they had some really cool stuff.  Every Sunday they have a fun Warehouse Event where you can take an additional 20% off prices.  They also have food trucks, jump castles and local vendors!  A fun Sunday activity with or without kids!

The event is at the warehouse not the actual store- the warehouse is located at 2221 Noisette Blvd)

The kids really wanted this bench:)

 and I fell in love with this teak table and stools.

Celadon just revamped their online site too and now anyone can shop not just locals! 

I am obsessed with these Vintage Turkish Yastik Rugs.  

I really want one for our house.

I also love these Charleston glasses.  How cute would these be for entertaining or as a gift? 

Also yes please to these Rebecca Atwood Pillows.

I just downloaded The Nest to read next.  I can't wait to have some down time to read while on vacation.  These days I have been too tired at night to read more than a couple pages.  I am hoping to read a few books while we are  gone.

Happy Almost Weekend! 

Meal Planning + Weekly Meal Ideas + Grocery Shopping

Happy Friday!  Today I am answering a request from a reader wanting to know how I meal plan and grocery shop. 

I have to say I love to cook and I actually love to grocery shop too (especially when I am kid free).   My happy place is truly in the kitchen with a glass of wine cooking.  That being said I do not cook everyday, who has time for that with small kids?  I do cook 2-3 times a week.  The other days we eat leftovers and on Fridays we always order food usually pizza or Thai food.   

GROCERY SHOPPING + MEAL PLANNING

I am not the best about planning out meals in advance and grocery shopping for the week.  I would say I go to the store several times a week however I do make my big run for the week on withe Sunday or Monday morning.  If I go Sunday Matt usually watches the kids or if I don't make it Sunday I will go Monday after I take Frances to school.  Grocery shopping with two whiney kids is never easy so I try to do it alone.  If I make a quick run during the week I usually do this when both kids are in school or occasionally we all go after we pick Sterling up from school.

As far as meal planning I usually flip through my cookbooks on Sunday and try and get a vague idea of what I want to cook that week.  I love to cook a big Sunday dinner.  It is a nice way to wind down from the weekend and all sit down as a family and eat.

This week's menu was:

SUNDAY- Black bean cakes + Squash Casserole

MONDAY- Gnocchi and Vodka Sauce (I bought this from the Farmers Market, I always pick up their pasta and keep it in the freezer for quick weeknight meals) + leftover squash casserole

TUESDAY- Garden Veggie Pie + green peas

WEDNESDAY- Leftover Garden Veggie Pie 

THURSDAY- Fish Tacos + black beans + street corn

FRIDAY- Pizza

WHAT DO THE KIDS EAT?

I can't tell you how often I get the question what do your kids eat?  Do they eat the same thing as Matt and I?  90% of the time yes they eat what Matt and I are having for dinner.  I try hard not to cook a separate meal for them.  Now sometimes I will serve the meal in a different way like if I make a chopped salad I leave the lettuce off their plates and just do the toppings they will eat. 

  Do they complain?  Always.  Most nights Sterling sits down and exclaims this all looks gross I am not eating.  To which we reply fine then you may go straight to bed and then usually he changes his mind.

  Sterling as much as he complains has turned into a pretty good eater and now Frances is my picky one.  If they do not eat their dinner they do not get anything else to eat and trust me they go to bed hungry often.  Sterling is old enough that I will offer him dessert if he eats a certain portion of his dinner and that usually inspires him to eat.  Frances is harder these days and very stubborn.  She is going thru a phase where she likes no veggies and just wants to eat fruit.  

If I have an event or I am going out and not cooking that night I will usually cook something frozen for them like chicken nuggets or fish sticks, or pick up sushi.  As far as frozen foods go I usually only buy the Morning Star, kidfresh and Amy's products for them.  I know they are are processed too but they are not quite as bad as other brands.

ARE WE ALL MEAT FREE?

Matt is the only true meat free person in our house and he is a pescatarian.   He will eat fish and shellfish just no meat of any kind.  The kids and I do still eat meat although I don't really eat red meat anymore.  I do still eat my beloved bacon and chicken occasionally .  The kids eat everything although I don't cook with much meat anymore. Sterling will sometimes ask for beef tacos so when he does I make Matt and I fish tacos and cook a small batch of red meat for him.   I also pick up a rotisserie chicken sometimes and shred that for them.  Now that I don't meat that often I don't ever crave it so really the only time I eat it when I am out to eat.

GROCERY STAPLES EACH WEEK

I have a few items I always buy each week at the grocery store to have on hand for easy lunches and dinners.

Rao's Marinera (great with the Trader Joe's ravioli)

cherry tomatoes

baby cucumbers

lemons

kale

spinach

chick peas

dried beans

bread 

pimento cheese

cheese

salami and or pepperoni

onions

bananas

Ravioli and or fresh pasta (I buy this at the Farmer's Market but Trader Joe's has some great ravioli)

canned salmon 

WHEN DO I COOK?

Depending on what I am making I usually start cooking while Frances naps in the afternoon and Sterling is still at school between 1-2:30.   That is when I do most of my prep work or if it is something like enchiladas or a casserole I assemble the entire dish.  If it requires more work and cooking time after that I start up again at 5-5:30.  I usually bathe the kids by 5, I like an early bath time and dinner.   Then after bath I let them watch a tv show while I finish up dinner.

DO WE ALWAYS EAT AS A FAMILY?

I would say maybe 3 nights a week Matt is home in time to eat with us.  The other nights when he works a little later I sit down and eat with the kids usually by 6.   They are like vultures starting around 5 wanting snacks, telling me how hungry they are and starving so I try and serve them dinner early.  I am usually hungry by then anyways so even if Matt is not home I sit down and eat with them.  I think it is nice to sit down, say a blessing together and chat about their days.

EASY WEEK NIGHT MEALS 

I wanted to round up a few easy week night meals.

A few go-to's that are not pictured are Ravioli, veggie plate- I usually do something like roasted broccoli, slow cooked dried beans and mac and cheese, sushi, and salmon cakes.

T O M A T O  P I E

I make this dish at least once a month.  I love it and the kids will usually eat it. 

S H R I M P  T A C O S

We do tacos at least one night a week.  Our new favorite are these Shrimp Tacos although sometimes we sub flounder or mahi for the Shrimp.  I usually prep all the ingredients like the salsa and cabbage before hand so then at dinner time all we have to do is cook the shrimp or fish.

T U S C A N   C H I C K E N  C A K E S

These are great because you can assemble them ahead of time and just keep in the fridge til you are ready to cook them.  I also make these Salmon cakes frequently too.

E N C H I L A D A S

I alway love enchiladas because you can assemble the whole dish ahead of time.   I also like this black bean version and these beef ones.

C H I C K E N   L E T T U C E  W R A P S

These are fairly quick to assemble and so tasty!

K O R E A N  B E E F  B O W L S

We used to make these all the time back when Matt still ate meat.  Super simple and full of flavor.

V E G G I E  S T U F F E D  P O R T O B E L L O  M U S H R O O M S

You can stuff and assemble these ahead of time and then just bake.  They one of my favorite vegetarian meals.   I also like this version with broccoli and gouda.

S O U T H E R N   C O B B   S A L A D 

I always love a chopped salad for dinner.  You can chop everything and have it ready to at dinner all you have to do is toss everything together.  

Happy Cooking!

What I Eat | 3 Day Food Diary

I shared a food diary last January and I had a request to share one again.  

A few things to note:

This took place during the week on a Tuesday-Thursday.  Let's be real I don't always eat this healthy  but my A game is on since I gained 5+ lbs over the Holidays.  I do however still eat a lot of veggies and very little meat in my regular diet , I just usually snack more often.  During the week I really try to be mindful of what I am eating with little processed foods,  little sugar and not many snacks.   On the weekends I definitely indulge more and don't restrict myself. Also if I am eating out, I order what I want and don't restrict myself. 

I didn't include all my drinks below, so FYI I gave up caffeine after I had Frances and I only drink decaf coffee now.  The caffeine was making me anxious and I feel so much better now without it.   I don't miss it one bit.  But I do still like a cup of coffee in the morning, I usually either make a decaf black coffee with my Nespresso or pick up a decaf latte  or cappuccino at Starbucks.  Otherwise during the day I only drink water, seltzer, or unsweetened green tea (the tea is the only caffeine I have and it doesn't seem to affect me like coffee did), and of course wine a few nights a week. 

I just recently got back into juicing and I have to say my energy has been so much better.  Sometimes it is easier to just pick up a green juice but it saves so much money if you make it at home.   I have this Breville Juicer and love it. I bought it 4 years ago after Christmas and it still works like a charm.  The parts are also dishwasher safe which is always a plus.    I hand wash it for the most part but run it through the dishwasher once a week. 

Now sometimes I am lazy and don't feel like juicing, on those days I drink one of these 8 greens tablets dissolved in water.  It is a superfood supplement and contains 8 different greens pressed into one little tablet.  They are kind of like Airborne but filled with nutrients and greens instead. These green tablets are amazing.  On Sunday I felt so tired and wanted to take a nap but I drank one and then ran 2 miles and felt so good.  I had so much more energy.  Btw this is by no means an ad or sponsored post, I paid for them and truly love them.

DAY ONE

Lemon Water.  I start each day with hot lemon water and often end with it as well.

I squeeze half a lemon into a coffee mug with water and microwave 1 minute.  You can do this on the stove as well.

Next Green Juice.  My go-to Green Juice is : 2 apples, 1 lemon, 2 celery stalks, 1 baby cucumber, 1 jalapeño seeds removed, 1 inch piece peeled ginger, 1 bunch kale, and handful spinach.  This makes enough juice for Matt and I both to have a glass.

Breakfast

 Yogurt with Strawberries and Pistachio Crumble.  

This recipe came out of the Bon Appetit Food Lovers Cleanse cookbook and Matt and I are both loving it.  It is super simple all you do is dry roast 1/4 cup chopped pistachios, 2 teaspoons poppy seeds and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds on medium heat about 1minute.  Then add in 2 tablespoons honey and cook 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and let nuts cool and harden into chunks.  Serve over greek yogurt with fresh strawberries.

Lunch 

Greek Salad + Hummus + Naan Bread + Pepperoncini

I frequently make this chopped Greek salad.  It is just chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, kalmata olives and feta cheese if you have it.  Add salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Dinner

Panko Crusted Salmon + Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas with Mustard and Parsley (recipe below)

The cauliflower + chickpea recipe comes from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook and we all love it.  My kids will even eat the cauliflower this way.  It is so delicious.

1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried

1 head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed and discarded, cut into bite-sized florets

3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

Coarse sea salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon seeded mustard (i.e., grainy mustard)

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set the rack in the middle. Toss chickpeas and cauliflower together in a large roasting pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Roast, stirring now and then, until everything is dark brown and the cauliflower is quite soft, about 45 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk together mustards, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of olive oil with a big pinch of salt and a few healthy grinds of black pepper. While the chickpeas and cauliflower are still warm, toss them with the mustard dressing and the parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I was still hungry before bed and I ate 1/2 an orange. 

Then I had hot lemon water with ginger.

DAY TWO

Hot Lemon Water.

Starbucks Decaf Latte

Breakfast

2 eggs scrambled with cheese, spinach and avocado, 2 pieces of bacon, 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch

Chopped Detox Salad + Leftover Roasted Cauliflower + Naan + Hummus

I had 1/2 a vegan cookie from Earthfare for a snack.

Dinner

Shrimp Nachos

DAY THREE

Hot Lemon Water

Green juice

I save my old Starbucks cup so I can use them as to-go cups and take my juice with me.

Breakfast

Starbucks Oatmeal + Decaf Latte

If I am on the go and need a quick easy breakfast I frequently get the oatmeal at Starbucks.  It is surprisingly good and filling.

Lunch

I ate lunch out at Xao Bao Biscuit and had the Cabbage pancake + fried egg

I had a few pretzels left over from the kid's snack before dinner.

Dinner

Skinny Taste's California Sushi Stacks (we used tuna and crab instead of shrimp) + Edamame.

This meal is super easy and my kids actually loved the edamame, added bonus.

Lemon Ginger water before bed.

When I eat clean like this and exercise I usually notice results quickly.   I lost about 2 lbs last week just from cutting out most of my snacks and processed foods.  I am not the type of person who can totally give up carbs, so I still enjoy them in moderation.   If you have any go-to healthy recipes I would love you to share them! 

Chopped Fall Harvest Salad With Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

I told you guys I would be back with a recipe involving some meat:)  This salad is the bomb diggity.  Super filling and full of so many killer flavors.  I of course have a slight kale obsession so I used that for my lettuce base but you could totally used mixed greens if you prefer.  I like the lettuce shredded because it is easier to mix it all up and bite size.  Radicchio is a slightly bitter lettuce which I really like.  If you don't like it leave it out or sub red cabbage.  I love the color of the purple in the salad.

There is this salad at Cypress, a local restaurant here in Charleston,  that has Brie in it and is good.  It inspired me to add it to my salad.  I normally would have done a blue cheese or goat cheese but brie takes it to another level. The creamy brie is a winner, especially paired with the apples.  The chicken helps the salad to be more filling and bacon is always a good idea. 

A little tip for the butternut squash buy it already diced.  It saves you so much time and arm pain.  Butternut squash is so hard to peel and dice up.  Most grocery stores now carry it already peeled and diced.  Makes things so much easier.  

Two other quick tips : I buy a rotisserie chicken and just shred the meat off that.  Saves so much time and I don't have to dirty up extra dishes cooking the chicken- plus I hate dealing with raw meat.   I also buy microwave bacon (boars head is the best) and I just slightly reheat between paper towels to crisp it up about 30 secs.

I always arrange my salads on a platter like this because well it just looks pretty and it saves well.  I normally prepare dinner during nap time and then just pull it out at dinner.  This way each person can scoop and serve what they like to eat.  My kids won't eat the lettuce but I can serve them the other ingredients. For my vegetarian friends this salad is still delicious without the meat so leave it off if you want.

Enjoy!

|| C H O P P E D  F A L L  H A R V E S T  S A L A D ||

-1 Bunch green or red kale shredded (I used a combo of both)

- 1/2 head radicchio shredded

- 1/2 avocado chopped

- shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)

- roasted butternut squash

- 1/2 apple sliced (I used a Pink Lady)

- 6-8 pieces cooked bacon crumbled

- roasted and salted sunflower seeds

- chopped Brie

Toss the chopped butternut squash with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees about 20-25 minutes until fork tender. Don't overcook because it will get too mushy.

Assemble all other chopped ingredients on a platter.

|| M A P L E  D I J O N  V I N A I G R E T T E ||

- 1/3 cup olive oil

- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

- 1 tablespoon maple syrup

- 2 teaspoons chopped shallot

- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

- salt and pepper

whisk all together.

Assemble Salad and serve with dressing.

Crunchy Thai Salad + Spicy Peanut Dressing | Nordstrom Clearance Sale

I think by now you all know I love a good salad.  Salads are my favorite thing to make and eat.

This chopped Thai Salad is so darn good.  The crunchy veggies paired with the slightly spicy peanut butter dressing is such an amazing combo.  I came across the recipe on Pinterest and made w few changes.  Since the veggies are crunchy this salad will save in the fridge for a few days without getting soggy.  I do recommend not using all the dressing at once if you plan to save it. I ate this for lunch but if you wanted a heartier meal this would e great with some chicken or shrimp.  It is a great end of Summer salad and way to use up veggies in your fridge!

Enjoy!

|| C R U N C H Y  V E G E T A B L E  T H A I   S A L A D ||

adapted via Feasting at Home

-1/2 head purple cabbage shredded

- 1/2 head green or napa cabbage shredded ( you can also use the pre shredded bag kind)

- 1 red bell pepper julienned

- 1 yellow bell pepper julienned

- 1 cup snap peas, chopped

- 1 cup shredded carrots

- 3 green onions sliced

- 1/2 English cucumber sliced

- fresh mint chopped

- fresh basil chopped

- roasted salted peanuts chopped

S P I C Y  P E A N U T  B U T T E R  D R E S S I N G ||

Juice of 1/2 orange
juice of one 1 lime

1/4 C honey ( or agave)
2 Garlic cloves
3 Thin sliced disks of Ginger peeled ( about 1 ½ T)
¼ C vegetable oil
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp sriracha
3-4 T  peanut butter

Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and puree.  

Pour over chopped veggies and toss.  Serve with chopped peanuts and extra chopped fresh mint and basil on top.

......................................................................................................

I wanted to mention the Nordstrom Clearance Sale started today.  Stuff goes fast so shop early!

Below are a few of my women's favorites.  I will round up kids, men and home favorites later this week.  

This dress and this dress I own and are great!