Thoughts For Friday

TGIF.  Who is ready for the weekend??

Can we discuss how excited I am to have some new Reality TV.   I was so over the Beverly Hills Housewives towards the end, I could barely watch it.   I am happy the NYC girls are back and that they brought Bethenny back, I am always a fan of her.  I guess Ramona finally ditched Mario for cheating and gotta say I am digging the new girl so far.  Sonja always proves to be interesting and I love laid back Carol.

Southern Charm is a constant train wreck but I can't stop watching it  I always love to see the local spots where they film.  I have to admit I love Whitney's mom, she may be my favorite character.  Always sitting in her caftans, having her butlers make her a martini- gotta love her.

This year Matt and I decided we wanted to do more of a real garden.  We were going to build an upraised bed but one of his friends suggested The Earth Box.  I just ordered 2 and I am going to plant our produce this weekend.  He swears by the Earth box and says his produce grows really well.  I will report back on our results.

So far we are going to plant: kale, arugula, swiss chard, squash, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower (should be interesting), habaneros, and herbs.

If you are looking for an easy and delicious side dish, you must try The Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Broccoli with pine nuts.

You roast the broccoli with minced garlic. Then toss with pine nuts, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  The flavors are amazing.  Sterling loves it too and he is picky, but when I made it this week he went back for seconds!

Frances is such a doll when she wakes up from her naps.  I love walking in her room and seeing her sweet smile.

She is wearing her Rikshaw Pineapple dress.  If you follow me on instagram (snoopnattynat) I will be running a giveaway to win this same dress and bloomer set next week.

Sterling started soccer back for the Spring and I have to say I am loving the practices and games. 

Matt decided to help coach this year and it warms my heart to see the two on the field together.

I am so excited my favorite Equipment shorts are back out in a fun floral print.  I bought the leopard version last year and wore them all the time.  They zip in the back and have no pockets so they fit really well and are flattering.

|| Equipment Lewis Short

I recently ordered  The Sprouted Kitchen new cookbook and it is just awesome.  Beautiful photographs and recipes.  If you need a new cookbook check this one out.  Every single recipe looks amazing.  I have already made two recipes and they both were great.

|| Sprouted Kitchen

This kale slaw with soaked golden raisins and pine nuts was simply incredible.

Have a great weekend!

Thoughts For Thursday

Yay one more day til the weekend!!  

Currently on my mind.

The Bachelor.  Lets discuss who is going to get the final rose.  I feel like Whitney is probably going to win and I like her but something makes me feel like Becca is a better match for him.  It concerns me a bit she has never been in love but he seems really into her.  I can also picture her being happy on the farm.  Lets be real it would be hard to live there, no restaurants, no grocery store or anything nearby to do??  Not sure I could do it- heck I know I could not live there!

Thank you for the book suggestions, I just finished The Girl on The Train and wow I loved it!!  Kind of similar to Gone Girl, I could not stop reading it.

If you have not read it you must!

Next up I happened to find Diane Von Furstenberg's Book at the library.  Can't wait to read about one of my favorite fashion designers!

My Baublebar earrings arrived this week and I love them.  I was looking for earrings that could be great for day or night.

They are such a steal for 2 cute pairs of earrings!

|| Abstract Stud Set

Frances Moon had her 15 month check up this week and my girl is growing like a weed.  She was 95TH percentile + for everything.

Frances' dress is one of my favorite for Summer!  

Embroidered Dress (on sale)

I love to watch my kids sleep.  Is that weird?  I can not go to bed at night until I have walked in and watched them both for a few minutes.  I saw Sterling like this one night this week and it was too sweet.  He had taken Frances Moon's baby dolls and tucked them into bed (in an old baublebar box).  He has the biggest heart.

I have been seeing so many cute things at F21 lately so I decided to try my luck and order a few things and  I LOVE them.  I have hit or miss luck at F21 but both of these are awesome buys!  They look and feel way more expensive than they are!  I am wearing a small in both for size reference.

and ignore the wrinkles they just came out of the mail bag:)

|| Embroidered Chambray Dress

||  Embroidered Peasant Blouse

also comes in white.  I actually just ordered the white too I loved the navy so much.  I swear they look like some $200 blouses I have tried on but they are under $30!

Tie Dye Cover-Up Cover-up

Actually found this on the store but it is online too. This reminded me a lot of Missoni plus the fabric felt great and its under $20!

I forgot how much I love tomato pie.  I made two this week one for us and one for my friend Ashley who just moved here.  Tomato Pie is one of my favorite Southern Comfort foods.  This picture was right before the final layer of cheese and before I baked them!

You can see my recipe HERE.

I have really enjoyed tequila lately.  I still love my wine but lately I swear all the sugar in it and the tannins make me feel worse the next day.  Good tequila does not do that to me.  This is a new small batch tequila I am loving that was actually aged in bourbon barrels.  It is so good!

and how gorgeous is the view from the deck of my parents condo here??

We had our monthly girls Supper Club last week and this is what I wore.  I love our girls super club.  We each switch off and host once a month at our houses and cook for the girls.  It is always a good time.

Blouse | Jeans | Necklace similar 50% off (similar same brand) | Purse

The purse and jeans are part of the Shopbop event so you can save!

Charleston Friends, don't miss out Barbara Cobb is hosting a trunk show today downtown!

She makes the absolute cutest beach hats not to mention the quality is fantastic.

Check out me and Frances Moon's hat that Barbabra made for us- the fun part is you can design the hats.  I picked the colors and patterns.

We started House of Cards Season 3 and are 5 episodes in, anyone else watching?  So far I feel like it is not as good as the first two seasons but it may get better.

I am thinking for meatless Monday next week I will make these Cauliflower Rice Cups.  I think they look so good!  They are drizzled with Srirachia Peanut Sauce- yes please!

Thursday's Wisdom.

My Favorite Cookbooks + Mediterranean Lentil Salad

At the beginning of a New Year I am always inspired to cook more and try new recipes.  One of my goals this year is to use my cookbooks more and make more fresh meals for my family. 

I often get requests about my favorite cookbooks, so here are my all time favorites. Now keep in mind I am a cookbook hoarder, I love to read them and collect them.   I probably own 50+.  These however are the most used cookbooks, the recipes never disappoint.  So if you are looking to add some new cookbooks to your collection or to start a collection these are all wonderful!

I just ordered this cookbook right before Christmas and it is quickly becoming a favorite.  We made the Coconut Oatmeal for breakfast this week and it was so good.  If you are looking to detox or clean up your diet it is a great book.  It has two different detox options 3 days or 21 days and it is filled with healthy recipes that are delicious.

 Clean Slate Cookbook

Our overnight coconut oatmeal, so good!

It is no secret I am a huge Ina Garten fan.  Like I am kind of obsessed with her, I should start a fan club. She knows how to entertain and do it right.   Her recipes never disappoint ever.   I own every single one of her cookbooks and love them all, but these 3 are my favorites.  

Good starting points: the kale chips, warm butternut squash salad, tomato tarts, quinoa tabbouleh,  Parmesan roasted broccoli, confetti corn, I could go on and on!

Back to Basics | Foolproof |  Make It Ahead

I also have a major crush on Gwyneth Paltrow- she can do no wrong in my eyes and trust me her food is good.  I have loved every recipe I have made from her books.

If you need ideas of where to start : The Lettuce Wraps, Stir Fry Chicken,  Roasted Cauliflower are favorites.

GP Its All Good | GP My Fathers Daughter

These two cookbooks have such beautiful pictures and recipes.  I get so inspired just flipping through them.  The Williams Sonoma Salad book is filled with salads for each season.  I am a huge fan of salads and this one has 365 salad recipes.  The Sprouted Kitchen has so many healthy delish recipes.

WS Salad of the Day | The Sprouted Kitchen

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

 I wanted to share a new recipe too.  I posted this lentil salad recipe on instagram and so many of you wanted to know about it!  This is a new recipe from my mom's friend that I made for lunch this week and it was so good and filling.  It is a great healthy salad full of flavor.  I recommend you use the Trader Joes precooked lentils, available in the fridge section.  They are perfect for this salad.  I think it would be delicious with feta added in as well.  You can easily make this ahead but I think it is best served at room temperature.
Enjoy!

|| M E D I T E R R A N E A N   L E N T I L   S A L A D ||

- 2 cups lentils rinsed (I highly recommend the Trader Joes precooked lentils in the fridge section)

- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered

- 1 green bell pepper diced

- 1/2 cup red onion sliced thinly

1/2 kalamata olives sliced

1/2 English cucumber diced

Dressing \\

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

-3 tablespoons lemon juice (juice from one lemon)

-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

- 1 teaspoons dijon

- 1 clove garlic minced

- 1/2 teaspoon oregano

-1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

Mix lentils and all ingredients then pour dressing over the top.  This can be stored in the fridge for several days but it is best served room temperature.

Toddler Food Ideas

One of the requests I received back when I was uninspired was to do a post on what I feed Frances and Sterling.  Feeding kids can easy and it can also be a nightmare.  I think the key is keep switching things up and introduce new things.  Now that Sterling is older he eats what we eat for dinner.   He is not given a choice.   I do not cook him a separate dinner unless Matt and I will be eating really late.  I try to make him eat what we eat.  Now don't get me wrong many nights he goes to bed hungry but he has to at least try everything and if he eats well he is allowed a piece of dessert- sort of a bribe to get him to eat more but it works.  By making him take at least one bite of what we are having it has helped teach him that some things that look gross and he said he wouldn't eat he actually likes.  For example this week I made butternut squash soup and roasted cabbage,  he immediately looked at his plate and said I am not eating that- gross!  Then when I made him try it and he actually liked both and almost cleaned his plate. I call that winning in the Mom Department:)

Frances Moon is obviously a different story.  She is full on into finger foods now.  I still use pouches for on the go but other wise it is food she can feed herself.   Breakfast is usually a Kashi Waffle or Oatmeal and Fruit.  Lunches are often on the go and are a squeezable pouch but dinners are always at home.  I tried to take pictures of Frances Moon's dinners  to give you some ideas of what she eats.  There are so many options and I would welcome ideas too, but these are just a few baby/toddler meal ideas.

String Cheese | Strawberries | Peas (canned)

 Avocado | Beets | String Cheese | Shredded Chicken

Sweet Potatoes | Blueberries | Morning Star Chicken Nuggets

Morning star Veggie Patty | Cauliflower | Strawberries and Blueberries

Carrots | Mandarin Oranges | Snappea Peas

Roasted Cabbage | Cracker Barrel Cheese | Bananas

For those curious the plates above are the Dr. Browns Plates and the last plate is by 5x7 Designs.  I like the Dr. Brown plates because they are small and divided.  I also like the 5x7 plates because they are open and the designs are so cute- Sterling has one too! They make adorable gifts as well.

One tip to make things easier is to prep on Sunday or Monday.  I often roast a few sweet potatoes, butternut squash etc to have in containers for the week.  Then it is easy to pull out and feed Frances, no extra cooking or work required. 

A few ideas of food to buy and keep in your fridge or freezer, I usually keep these items stocked at our house.

- Morning Star Veggie Patties

- Morning Star Chicken Nuggets

- Kashi Waffles

-  String Cheese or mini Babel both are softer cheeses

- Yogurt

- Snappea Peas

- Cheerios

- Ritz Crackers

- Fig Newtons

- Libby's diced veggies (these come in plastic containers like mandarin oranges and are great for kids.  They have carrots, peas, and green bean options)

- Mandarin Oranges

- Nutrigrain Bars

- Avocado

- Fresh Fruit- I always buy bananas, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.  They are softer fruits and easy for Frances to eat.

- Giggle Bites Food - This line by my friend Melissa is awesome.  This is all I fed Frances in the beginning and we still use it often.  She also offers Toddler Sneak-Ums which are genius to mix in with whatever else you are cooking!

and because many times Frances Moon is over the food I serve her.  Feeding any age child is never easy.  This Ecard suns it up as does her face.