Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Low Country Huevos Rancheros


As part of my New Year life make over I am vowing to try and reuse leftover food more often. I am embarrassed about how much food we waste in the Mason Household. I will admit it, I am a snob when it comes to leftovers. If I have it one night I really don't want it again the next night. So I have been getting creative with leftovers. This recipe is what I came up with from our New Years Leftovers.

We frequently make Huevos Rancheros with our taco leftovers so I thought why not give it a Southern twist. For all you non-Southerners you may not even cook black-eyed peas and collard greens for your New Years Day meal. But it is tradition down here, we do it every year and they are some of my favorite veggies. If you don't have collards and black-eyed peas on hand you could most certainly substitute spinach or kale and use black beans or white beans instead. Just use whatcha got! This was a simple way to use up our leftovers and so delicious.

First you start with a quesadilla filled with whatever cheese you have on hand (I used Cracker Barrel Jalapeno Cheddar) then you spread a good layer of left over Collard Greens (or whatever greens you want to use). Cook in a skillet until shell is crispy and cheese melted.

Next top with cooked Black-Eyed Peas. I added chopped green onions just because I had some in the fridge that were about to go bad.

Then add a Fried Egg plus a drizzle of your favorite Hot Sauce. Simple, Fast and Delish.


LOW COUNTRY HUEVOS RANCHEROS
Cooked Collard Greens or Spinach
Flour Tortilla Shells
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Cooked Black Eyed Peas or Black Beans
Fried Egg

Hot Sauce for Drizzle

Assemble quesdilla with cheese and greens. Cook in skillet until melted. Top with heated leftover beans. Fry an egg and place on top. Drizzle with hot sauce and enjoy!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Obsessions

PHILLIP LIM 3/4 SLEEVE SHIFT DRESS
This dress is so my style and I love the rich green color. I own a few Phillip Lim dresses and they are such timeless pieces I know I will own forever. This is making its way on my Birthday List.




OSBORNE AND LITTLE VOLTE FACE WALLPAPER
I am smitten with this wallpaper. I am toying with the idea of doing it a bathroom or hallway. LOVE.





REWINED CANDLES
These candles are made locally here in Charleston. I just got one of these candles for Christmas and it smells amazing. Each candle is poured into a recycled wine bottle, such a cool concept. Fragrances include Merlot, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir and Champagne. I have the Pinot Noir one and it smells heavenly. They sell them at Vieuxtemps on King Street and online HERE



HGTV MAGAZINE
One of my favorite channels came out with a magazine, duh I love it. I only wish Bravo would follow suit. This magazine was a great read with helpful tips, budget finds, and room make-overs. I devoured it!

THIS CEILING
Need it in my house somewhere!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Scenes From Our Weekend.

How is it Monday already? I feel like this weekend flew by. It was just what I needed though, we made no plans and it was lovely to relax after the whirlwind Holidays.

I have been on real health kick this week (yeah,yeah I know everybody is and mine probably won't last long). But I have been really into juicing and making Green Smoothies. I found this great recipe for a Pineapple Kale Cucumber Smoothie and I highly recommend. All it consists of is kale, pineapple, cucumber and raspberries. So it is super healthy. Get Recipe HERE. Picture via.



I got organized in the kitchen. I found these containers at Walmart of all places, only $1.99. I used them to put all our sugar, grains, pasta, and dried beans in. Now I love opening my pantry.



We enjoyed some afternoon cocktails on my father-in-laws sailboat. Gotta love 70 degree days in January.




We ate brunch at an amazing new restaurant on James Island called HEART. Seriously all you locals must try this place. They have a great menu and so many delish specialty drinks. They hand squeeze all their juices and they make their own Bloody Mary mix as well. Everything was so fresh and delish.



Here as a peek at what we enjoyed: Sausage Egg and Cheese Sandwich, Cauliflower Hash with Eggs, and Broccoli, Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Frittata. The Frittata was mine and it was amazeballs. I can't wait to dine here again!






I spent a little time browsing at Barnes and Nobles. Yep, I know I am a nerd but I love browsing at bookstores. I found this beauty on the clearance table- I mean why was this gem of a cookbook on clearance? I heart The Beekman Boys and this cookbook is filled with some mouthwatering recipes. I was happy to bring her home at 50% percent off and add her to my expanding cookbook collection!



I put my little man in jeans for the first time. I don't know why but babies in jeans makes me a little sad. I love a baby boy dressed in rompers and bubbles. I feel like he will be wearing jeans the rest of his life so I like to dress him like a baby while he is a baby, but my little man is quickly turning into a toddler. These jeans are truly vintage, they were my brothers from the 80's. Gotta love the Calvin Klein Jeans right? Pretty darn cute!



It was a good weekend, hope yours was too!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

30 Things....


I don't what is about this New Year but I am particularly inspired. I have made a bold decision and made no resolutions this year. I am just making life changes. I am focusing on being grateful for what I have and not comparing myself to others- which is pretty hard in this wonderful world of blogging. I always see houses that are nicer than mine, clothes that are better than mine, people that are craftier than me, Kids with cooler rooms than Sterling's, I could go on and on. But this year I have decided to be happy with who I am and what I have. Yeah I might hate a DIY project but I am good at many other things. Yeah my house is small and not as nice as others but it is our home and we have made so many wonderful memories here. I am learning to be grateful for what I have because my life is pretty darn good.

I came across this article, 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself, and found it very inspiring. I really related to 22, 23, 27, 28 and 30. We all could learn alot from this list. It is a long read but worth it! New Year, New Me (or at least til next week when I drop my diet, start complaining again, and get jealous of someone else). Happy Saturday Dolls!



30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself
1.Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.

2.Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.

3.Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself. Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves. Read The Road Less Traveled.

4.Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

5.Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

6.Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.

7.Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.

8.Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.

9.Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.

10.Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else. Read Stumbling on Happiness.

11.Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.

12.Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

13.Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.

14.Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.

15.Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you. Concentrate on beating your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.

16.Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”

17.Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.

18.Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too. If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.

19.Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.

20.Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.

21.Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.

22.Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.

23.Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done. Read Getting Things Done.

24.Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.

25.Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.

26.Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.

27.Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out. But making one person smile CAN change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus.

28.Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years?” If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.

29.Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

30.Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

ARTICLE VIA

Friday, January 6, 2012

New Years Blog Sale

In keeping with my New Years compulsion to clean out and edit every room in our house. I have finally started tackling my closet. It is a work in progress. I have yet to tackle my dresses and jeans so there may be more to come. I am going to list these on Ebay but thought I would list here first. Shipping is a flat rate of $5. Email me with questions or if you are interested at nataliemason24@yahoo.com. I will invoice via paypal. TGIF!
TRINA TURK GEOMETRIC BLOUSE
SIZE=2 (CAN EASILY FIT A 4)
100% SILK
RETAILED FOR $275
$75.00






JUICY COUTURE EYELET BLOUSE
SIZE= SMALL
100% COTTON
RETAILED FOR $225
$75
SOLD





PRAIRIE NEW YORK BEADED TANK
SIZE= SMALL
100% MODAL
RETAILED FOR $198
$60






JOIE SWEATER
SIZE= XS
100% MERINO WOOL
RETAILED FOR $350
$99
SOLD






REBECCA TAYLOR COTTON BLOUSE
SIZE=2
RETAILED FOR $275
$85
SOLD







KARTA EMBELLISHED TANK TOP
BRAND NEW WITHOUT TAGS
SIZE=MEDIUM
100% POLYESTER
RETAILED FOR $250
$100






TORY BURCH MOCCASIN BOOTS
SIZE 9
WORN TWICE EXCELLENT CONDITION
RETAILED FOR $390
$150 (SHIPPING FOR BOOTS IS $10)







REBECCA TAYLOR DRESS
SIZE=4
100% SILK
RETAILED FOR $225
$105





M MISSONI DRESS
SIZE=2
88% COTTON, 12% VISCOSE
NEW WITH TAGS
RETAILED FOR $795
$260





JUICY COUTURE STRAWBERRY BLOUSE
SIZE=SMALL
100% SILK
WORN TWICE, MINT CONDITION
RETAILED FOR $225
$55




MISS DAVENPORTE BLOUSE
SIZE=4
100% SILK
RETAILED FOR $320
$75







BANANA REPUBLIC SILK BLOUSE
SIZE= SMALL
RETAILED FOR $89
$25.00