Watermelon and Arugula Salad

In light of my not so healthy recipe last week, I thought I would share a delicious salad this week. I have been dying to make a watermelon salad. I have seen so many different variations but I knew I couldn't go wrong with Ina's version. I served this a few weekends ago and it was a huge hit. The pepperiness of the arugula, the sweetness of the watermelon and the saltiness of the Parmesan cheese are the perfect combination. Enjoy!

Watermelon, Arugula and Parmesan Salad

Ingredients
1/2 pound baby arugula leaves
2 pounds seedless watermelon, 3/4-inch-diced (3 pounds with the rind)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2-pound chunk Parmesan cheese

Directions
Place the arugula and watermelon in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour enough dressing on the arugula to moisten. Toss well and place on 6 salad plates.

With a very sharp knife or a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan into large shards and sprinkle them on the arugula and watermelon. Sprinkle with salt and serve

**On another note I am having major issues with blogger. My left and ride side bars are all the way down at the bottom near my footer. Has anyone ever had this happen? and any idea how to fix it? Any tips would be appreciated! **

Obsessions

THE PERFECT FALL OUTFIT
I saw this outfit on shopbop and now I am obsessed. I need that blouse and those high waisted jeans. The blouse is Elizabeth and James and the jeans are Lover. I am so ready for fall and I think this outfit would be the perfect addition to my closet.

BRASS SEA URCHIN
Ever since seeing this baby appear on several blogs, I am convinced I need one for my entryway table. I think this little sea urchin may be the perfect accessory! This beauty can be found online at Furbishstudio.com. The Furbish store is in Raleigh, so if any of you live nearby you should stop in, it looks amazing!

KIRKLAND LAVASH CHIPS
I ate lunch the other day at Carolinas, one of my favorite local restaurants and they served us lavash chips with homemade hummus when we were seated instead of bread. I loved the lavash chips so much. They are like pita chips but thinner. I found these at Costco and they are amaze. I have been dipping them in everything! They are seasoned with Rosemary, Sesame and Olive Oil and taste great dipped in hummus.
<

UNOAKED CHARDONNAY
I have recently really been into Chardonnays which I previously thought I hated. I still love LaCrema but while we were in Hilton Head I tasted several Unoaked Chardonnays and really liked them. If you don't like the oakiness of Chardonnay then you should try Unoaked Chardonnay. They were very smooth with no hint of oak at all. The only name I can remember that I tried was Saddleback Unoaked Chardonnay and it was great. However I am sure if you ask at your local wine shop they have several varieties.

STILA LIP GLOSS
Normally I am very loyal to my Chanel lipgloss, but my aunt, who is a make-up artist recommended this lipgloss and gave me a tube and I absolutely love it. It goes on really well and gives your lips the perfect hint of color. It is a little stickier than Chanel's lipgloss, but I think it lasts longer. I read this is what they always used on the Sex and the City girls while filming. I have the color Guava and love it, it is the perfect pink.

Refreshed

That is how I feel after our long weekend away, refreshed. It was so nice to have have a baby free weekend (although I thought about Sterling every minute and missed him like crazy). It was nice to go out to dinner, have adult conversations and bond again. We had an amazing time. This was pretty much our favorite evening activity, lounging by the pool with cocktails. I totally need to diet and detox this week, after what I put in my body in HH.

I am almost finished with The Help, I have like 20 pages left and might just finish it tonight. I love it and will be so sad when it is done. I can't wait to see the movie, what a wonderful story.

We managed to squeeze in a little time for shopping while we were in Hilton Head, mainly for Matt some new clothes but we did find this adorable sweater for Sterling. How cute is this?

On Sunday we came back to a spotless house, I mean really. My parents had mopped floors, scrubbed doors and windows and did all our laundry. My dad even put new hinges on all my kitchen cabinets and recovered my vanity stool that Sterling ruined with his passion for ink pens. Such great surprises. I really should have my parents babysit more often if this is what I come home to!

Sunday afternoon when we got back in town we did a family boat ride that was perfection. Sterling loved every minute of it.

I feel like myself again. I felt like my life was kind of like groundhog day for a little while. Being a stay at home mom is the best job in the world but I am not going to lie, your days are long and are usually the same thing over and over again. It can really wear you out. This trip made me realize how important it is to take time for your relationship and to have some adult time! Enjoy your Mondays!

Adult Time

The hubby and I are off for an adult only getaway. It will be our first solo vacation since our honeymoon almost 4 years ago. We have taken many vacays since but usually with my whole family- who can turn down an all expense paid vacay by your parents? This trip will be a little work and play. Matt will have to attend some meetings during the day and we will have cocktail parties at night but we will still have alot of free time.

We are staying at the Westin in Hilton Head.

I can't wait to lay by the pool.

and read this huge stack of magazines I never quite have the time to read. I am going to start The Help (I am know I am probably the last person to catch on to reading this book).

Hopefully enjoy a few of these.

and best of all sleep in late.
I am sad though I am missing one of my best friends bachelorette parties. I mean what are the odds that both events fell on the same weekend. It sucks, but my wifely duties prevail. Happy weekend dolls.

Dear Diet, I am Sorry.

Please apologize to your diets because this recipe is going to ruin them. This is quite possibly the tastiest pie ever. I am huge peanut butter lover for dessert, with peanut butter pie being top on my list of favorite desserts. I knew when I saw this recipe it was love at first site. Oreos for the crust and crushed Reeses Cups inside- can a dessert really get any better? Not only is this pie delish but it is so easy to make. No baking except a few minutes for the crust. You just pop it in the freezer and enjoy a few hours later. I polished off my piece and the hubby's this weekend and have been enjoying the leftovers everyday. You're welcome, this recipe rocks.

Frozen Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie

Makes one 9 inch pie or three 4 inch mini pies.

Preparation: Lightly butter springform pan if it is not non-stick. If you do not have a springform pan line a cake pan with a piece of lightly buttered foil leaving a one inch over hang around the edges for easy pie removal or alternately use a traditional pie pan.

•24 oreo cookies, crushed
•4 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
•2 ½ cups Cool Whip
•¾ cup creamy peanut butter
•½ cup confectioner sugar
•½ cup crushed Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Oreo Crust Instructions:
1.Place Oreos in a food processor or blender and pulse until cookies are finely crumbed. Alternatively, place Oreos in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Mix in the melted butter and then firmly press crumbs into pan to create a crust. Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes.

Reese Peanut Butter Pie Filling Instructions:
1.Place peanut butter and confectioner sugar in a pan over low heat and stir until combined and peanut butter is melted. Set aside for five minutes to cool. Gently fold in peanut butter mixture into Cool Whip until combined. Gently fold in crushed Reese’s pieces into peanut butter Cool Whip mixture.
2.Pour mixture into Oreo crust and freeze for 3 hours. Garnish with caramel and chocolate drizzle (for added decadence rim with chopped Reese’s pieces).

** I made one pie in a springform pan but really think any pie pan would work. I also added more cool whip than the recipe called for to make the filling fluffier. The photo is not mine, the pie was already half eaten when I realized I forgot to take a picture of ours. That is how good it is, no time to even think about photos.**

photo via

You can check out the original recipe HERE

Obsessions

HERMES BLANKET
Ever since seeing the gorgeous Hermes blanket in Rachel Zoe's son's nursery, I have been smitten. I really want of these babies. I am seriously considering naming my next child something that starts with an "H" so I can warrant one of these even more. Although I was quite shocked when I saw the price tag of $2500, you better believe my hubby would never let me buy a blanket that expensive unless we win the lottery. But a girl has to dream big.

FOODGAWKER.COM
You all know I love to cook and eat alot. It is probably my biggest hobby. This site fulfills all my wildest dreams. It basically features tons of pictures and recipes of food that people have posted. A little similar to pinterest but it is only food. My stomach growls and my mouth waters everytime I look at this site. Here are few things I can't wait to make that I found on foodgawker.
{orange glazed blueberry doughnuts, buffalo chicken wontons, and caprese eggs}

CHANEL GRAPHITE NAIL POLISH
I am absolutely loving this nail polish color that Chanel released last month called Graphite. It is opaque, shimmery and metallic all at the same time. It has hints of olive green mixed into the gunmetal base. I can easily see this being one of my favorite nail colors for the fall.

CHRISTOPHE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER
I have to admit I am not a big spender on hair products. I usually can't tell much of a difference between the cheap and expensive versions. I had never heard of this line before but found it at CVS. It was on special for 3 items for $12. Each item is normally $8.99 a piece so it was a great deal. I got the color-treated shampoo and conditioner and the conditioning detangler. This stuff is amazing. It made my hair smell great and very smooth. Upon researching it for today's post I found out Christophe is a famous hairstylist in Beverly Hills who created this line exclusively for CVS. The man must know how to do some hair because his products are amaze.

FAMOUS DAVE'S SIGNATURE SPICY PICKLES
I am a pickle freak, I could eat them everyday. My parents brought me a jar of these pickles that they found at Costco and they are so tasty. They are a touch sweet but with spicy heat. The perfect blend of sweet and hot. I eat them daily for a snack.

Folly Beach Represented

I was super excited when I saw this spread in a recent Architectural Digest of a beautiful home on Folly Beach. We live about 10 minutes from Folly Beach and it is one of my favorite spots in Charleston. If you are not familiar with Folly, I would consider it a laid back beach with a bit of a hippie vibe. The restaurants are great- Ritas and Taco Boy are two of my favorites, and the beach is gorgeous. If we are not out on the boat you will find us here most weekends.

Designer, Amelia Handegan bought and renovated this 1940s oceanfront retreat without sacrificing its relaxed charm. Two Charleston firms, Stumphouse Architecture + Design and Glenn Keyes Architects, helped Amelia expand the 1940s bungalow. The results are amazing. It is truly the perfect beach house. I love how open and airy the house is, it is so inviting. The outdoor spa and black white painted floors in the entry are two of my favorite aspects. I was so proud to see my local beach on the pages of Architectural Digest.

check out the whole story here
All photos via Architectural Digest