Getting Fresh With My Little Man

Even before I got pregnant I dreamed of making my baby his/her own food. I love cooking so I thought it would be no different when I had a baby. My girlfriends were sweet enough to give me the Beaba BabyCook at my baby shower. Little did I know that after I had a baby, life would set in. Between changing diapers, making bottles, cleaning house and doing laundry I had no time to even think about making Sterling homemade baby food. So, I turned to pre-made baby food. I tried to make myself feel better by buying only organic brands like EarthsBest and Gerber. Yet my conscious still nagged at me. This weekend I finally busted out my BabyCook and was delighted to find how easy it is to make baby food. This contraption is genius. It steams your baby food and then purees it in 15 mins or less. Today I made my precious little man homemade sweet potatoes and peaches. I'm not saying I will be making homemade baby food everyday. However, it sure did feel good to buy local produce and make my baby the freshest and purest food he could have!

Tasty Thursday- Avocado Buttermilk Soup

I adore avocados, not only are they good for you but they are so tasty! As soon as I came across this recipe in my new issue of Cooking Light, I knew I had to make this soup. I made it last weekend for a dinner party at our house and it was a huge hit! Everyone cleaned their bowls and I even made it again the next night for dinner as well. It is so simple to make and so refreshing on these super hot summer days!

AVOCADO BUTTERMILK SOUP WITH CRAB SALAD
-3/4 CUP FAT-FREE BUTTERMILK
-1/2 CUP CHOPPED FRESH TOMATILLOS
-1/2 CUP CHICKEN BROTH
-3/8 TEASPOON SALT
-2 RIPE AVOCADOS, PITTED
-1 SERRANO PEPPER, SEEDED
-1 SMALL GARLIC CLOVE
-2 TABLESPOONS MINCED RED PEPPER
-1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH CHIVES
-1 TEASPOON FRESH LEMON JUICE
-1/2 TEASPOON GRATED ORANGE RIND
-8 OUNCES LUMP CRAB MEAT, DRAINED AND SHELL PIECES REMOVED

1)PLACE FIRST 7 INGREDIENTS IN A BLENDER; PROCESS UNTIL SMOOTH
2)COMBINE BELL PEPPER AND REMAINING INGREDIENTS, TOSS GENTLY TO COMBINE. SPOON 3/4 CUP OF THE SOUP MIXTURE INTO BOWLS; TOP EACH BOWL WITH 1/3 CUP CRAB MEAT MIXTURE

*** I ENDED UP ADDING MORE CHICKEN STOCK AND BUTTERMILK TO MAKE THE SOUP NOT AS THICK. ALSO THE SECOND TIME WE MADE THIS WE USED A JALAPENO PEPPER AND LIKED THE FLAVOR BETTER IN THE SOUP THAN THE SERRANO CHILE. LASTLY, WE ONLY GARNISHED OURS WITH RED BELL PEPPER AND CHIVES BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CRAB MEAT AND IT WAS STILL A HIT.***

Things I'm Loving

Fall seems so far away yet it is all I can think about. This summer has been one of the hottest summers ever! I have exhausted all the dresses in my closet numerous times because they are the coolest things to wear in this extreme heat. I am so bored with my closet and ready for a seasonal change! Fall has always been my favorite season. I love the cool crisp air, fires, new fall TV show line-ups, football season (well lets be real I like tail-gating and socializing not actually watching the game), and most importantly fall clothes! These are a few items I am currently coveting for my fall wardrobe.

1) Pleasure Doing Business High Waisted Skirt
I love PDB skirts. I bought one after seeing Heidi Klum in it and have been hooked ever since. They suck you in at all the right places. I am digging this high waisted version and color for fall.
2) Diane Von Furstenberg Pialla Dress
love the print and style! Diane is one of my favorite designers. This dress would
be perfect for a night out with the girls or date night with the hubby!
3) Tory Burch Lizard Embossed Flats
Those of you who know me well, know I am obsessed with Tory Burch flats. They are
the most comfortable shoes ever. I own several pairs and wear them all the time. I adore this lizard print
for the fall!
4) Joie Tye Die Shirt
Lately, I have been loving tie-dye. This shirt would be super-cute with jean
leggings. I am always looking for easy, casual, and comfortable pieces now that I
have a baby and this is perfect!
5) JBRAND Sateen Leggings
I adore JBRAND jeans. They are by far my favorite! I own several of the jean
leggings. They were the perfect post pregnancy pants and now will be great for
fall with flats or boots over them. I am loving this new sateen look! Great
color and perfect for a little dressier pant.
6) GUCCI TOTE
Ok, how gorgeous is this bag?? You know I love a Gucci purse and this is their
newest version for fall. LOVE IT! Comes in black and brown, can't decide which
color I love more.... I am starting to save for this baby now!

Tasty Thursday- Mediterranean Quiche

The recipe this week is for a fabulous quiche. I feel like quiche is the kind of food you either love or hate (Erin, I know you are probably vomiting at the thought of a quiche:). I myself love a quiche, I think it is a such an easy meal to prepare and there are so many variations you can make. I found this recipe online and couldn't wait to make it, my one hesitation it was meatless and I knew Matt would have a problem with this. His exact words when I served this for dinner the other night "um, wheres the meat? we should add some bacon." After actually tasting the quiche he told me he was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was. This quiche is filled with fresh in season veggies and herbs and a gorgeous mix of my two favorite cheeses Gruyere and goat cheese. So tell me do you love or hate quiche?

MEDITERRANEAN QUICHE

-2 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER
-1 CUP SLICED YELLOW ONION
-1 MEDIUM ZUCCHINI, CHOPPED
-1 RED BELL PEPPER, CHOPPED
-1 TEASPOON MINCED GARLIC
-4 OZ'S OIL PACKED SUN DRIED TOMATOES, DRAINED AND CHOPPED
-3 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED FRESH BASIL
-2 TEASPOONS CHOPPED FRESH THYME
-1/2 TEASPOON SALT
-1/4 TEASPOON PEPPER
-3 LARGE EGGS
-1 1/4 CUPS HALF AND HALF
-1/2 CUP GRATED GRUYERE
-1/2 TEASPOON CRUSHED RED PEPPER
-1 STORE BOUGHT PIE CRUST
-3 OZ GOAT CHEESE, CRUMBLED

1) PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES
2) IN A LARGE SKILLET MELT BUTTER OVER MEDIUM HIGH HEAT. ADD THE ONIONS AND ZUCCHINI AND COOK, STIRRING, FOR 6 MINUTES. ADD THE RED PEPPER AND COOK UNTIL THE VEGETABLES ARE WILTED ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
3) ADD THE GARLIC AND COOK ONE MINUTE
4)ADD THE TOMATOES, BASIL, THYME AND SEASON LIGHTLY WITH SALT AND PEPPER. COOK, STIRRING, FOR 1 MINUTE. REMOVE FROM HEAT AND LET COOL.
5)IN A BOWL, BEAT THE EGGS AND HALF AND HALF TOGETHER. ADD THE SALT, PEPPER, GRATED GRUYERE, AND CRUSHED RED PEPPER
6) SPOON THE VEGETABLE MIXTURE INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE PREPARED PIE CRUST, POUR IN THE EGG MIXTURE, AND CRUMBLE GOAT CHEESE OVER THE TOP. BAKE FOR 30 MINUTES UNTIL SET. REMOVE FROM OVEN AND LET COOL 30 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING.

** A FEW NOTES: I COOKED MY QUICHE LONGER PROBABLY 45 MINUTES BUT ALL OVENS VARY. I DID 3/4 CUPS HALF AND HALF AND 1/2 CUP SKIM MILK TO REDUCE THE FAT. AND I COOKED MY PIE SHELL AT 400 DEGREES FOR 10 MINUTES AND LET COOL BEFORE POURING IN THE INGREDIENTS.***

HERE IS THE LINK IF YOU WANT TO PRINT THIS RECIPE.

http://www.yumsugar.com/Mediterranean-Quiche-Recipe-8670881

Happy Birthday My Love

Happy Birthday to my sweet husband today! This will be his 9th birthday we have celebrated together! We have been together a long time and I love him so much. I feel so lucky to have him in my life! He is a wonderful husband, dad, and friend! I hope he has a fabulous birthday, and I know he will because Sterling and I will make sure he does:)

I Die

"I die" are the famous words of stylist Rachel Zoe when she loves something. Lets just say I have a small obsession with Rachel Zoe. I adore her, her husband Rodger, assistant Brad, and her closet. She has the best style. If I were a celebrity I would hire her in a minute to style me. Well the time has come she is back for a third season next week, August 3 to be exact. I can't wait to watch her dress endless celebrities and herself most importantly. If you have never watched this show I highly suggest it especially if you love fashion and reality. I will admit I am sucker for a reality TV show, it annoys the crap out of Matt- his least favorite being the Housewives of New Jersey. He claims they encourage bad behavior like shopping too much, acting selfish and bratty, and arguing. But they sure do make me happy so I continue to watch them I just dvr them and watch while he is at work:) So next week August 3 you will find me glued to the tv waiting for the gorgeous Rachel Zoe to impart her style wisdom for a new season!

Tasty Thursday- BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

My family has been at the beach this whole week on vacation. It is tradition on our vacations that each couple takes a night to cook a meal. So far we have had fillets, fried shrimp, lobster fra diablo, pork stroganoff, and tonight is tacos! All the meals have been amazing. The recipe this week comes from my brother-in-law Joey. He made us these pancakes this week for breakfast and they were delicious! They were the perfect consistency and filled to the brim with fresh blueberries. So if you want an easy and scrumptious breakfast idea try out these pancakes.

JOEY'S BLUEBERRY PANCAKES
-1 CUP FLOUR
-1 TBSP BAKING POWDER
-1/2 TSP BAKING SODA
-2 TBSP VEGETABLE OIL
-3 TBSP SUGAR
-1 CUP MILK
-1 EGG
-1/2 TSP SALT
-CARTON OF FRESH BLUEBERRIES (YOU CAN ALSO SUBSTITUTE BANANAS, STRAWBERRIES OR ANY OTHER FRUIT YOU LIKE)

COMBINE ALL THE DRY INGREDIENTS. ADD MILK, EGG AND OIL. MIX UNTIL SMOOTH. STIR IN BLUEBERRIES. HEAT A NON-STICK PAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT UNTIL WATER BEADS. DO NOT USE OIL. POUR PANCAKE MIXTURE IN 1/4 CUP TO MEASURE OUT PANCAKES. FLIP OVER WHEN TOP IS COVERED WITH BUBBLES AND EDGES LOOK COOKED. SERVE WITH MELTED BUTTER AND SYRUP.