Thoughts For Thursday

A few random thoughts today.  

Stopped in one of my favorite Charleston boutiques this week, Beckett Boutique.  So many gorgeous pieces.  I always love browsing at their new arrivals.

Still dreaming about this gorgeous maxi.

I had lunch with girlfriends at the Pickled Palette this week.  Such a cute spot.  Everything was super fresh and yummy. 

The pimento cheese was so good.  I also had the vegan sandwich and loved it.

What I wore:

Ruffle Sleeve Dress also Here | Sunglasses | Necklace | Sandals 

I love this tee shirt dress- I also own it in the tee version as well.

New song obsession.  One Republic- Let's Hurt Tonight.  Download it, you will love it.

Also totally obsessed with James Arthur.  Say you Wont Let go is always on repeat in my car.

Outfit Planning.

Dress | Sandals | Tote | Necklace

This cutie had his last tennis match of the season.

So very proud of him and his school team.

Favorite workout gear.

This tank top is the best, not too fitted and the perfect length.  

Tank | Leggings | Shoes

I have tried out both Beautycounter new face masks and I really like them.  I prefer the plumping one though to the brightening one.  My skin felt so amazing after I used it.  Totally refreshed and smooth.  I highly recommend it. 

Brightening Mask | Plumping Mask

Loft is offering 40% off everything.  I recently bought this off shoulder blouse.  I loved the floral print and tie sleeve detail.

Blouse | Jeans | Clutch

Thanks to my friend Megan, I am totally obsessed with Cauliflower rice now.  I have been buying the bags at Trader Joes.  We had it for dinner this week with roast chicken and veggies and I have been having it in the morning with a little Parmesan cheese, an egg and veggie sausage.  

Thursday vibes.

Creating The Perfect Cheese Plate + 7 Wines to Try

I absolutely adore a good cheese and meat spread.  It is hands down one of my favorite appetizers.  I honestly could have that for my dinner and be happy.  I often get requests about my favorite meats and how I choose cheeses for my platters so I thought I would break it down and share a few tips.

pictured above :  raincoat crisps, kalamata olives, rustic flatbreads, manchego, hummus with olive oil and pine nuts, salami, green hill cheese, sopressata,  comte, black truffle salami.

My cheese boards typically have 5 components:

1) meat 2) cheese 3) crackers 4) spreads 5) extras

I like to do 3 cheese and 3 meats typically.   

As far as meats and I can't stress this enough they are so much better if you have them freshly sliced.   The pre-packaged kinds are just not as good.   The deli counter at most grocery stores at least has prosciutto and salami options but if you can find a gourmet grocery go that route for sure!  In Charleston Goat Sheep Cow is my favorite and in Charlotte I love Reid's Fine Foods and Dean and Deluca.  They both have excellent charcuterie selections and the people that work there are super helpful as far as suggesting items that pair well together.

O N E | M E A T S

a few of my go to meats are:

Sopressata

Truffled Salami

Pepperoni

Proscitto 

Hard Salami

Bresaola

T W O | C H E E S E S

I like to do a hard, semi-soft and soft option

Hard cheeses 

Parmesan

Asiago

Manchego

Aged Gouda

Gruyere

Jarlsberg

Cheddar

Semi Soft Cheeses

Comte

Gouda 

Havarti

Mozzarella

Port Salut

Soft Cheeses

Brie

Blue Cheese

Gorgonzola

Stilton

anything that says triple cream, usually the round cheeses

Boursin

T H R E E | C R A C K E R S 

I like to serve 2 different cracker types.  

These are a few favorites but Trader Joe's has some great options too.

365 degrees (super thin)

Rustic Bakery Flatbread

Raincoat Crisps (these are salty date and almond crackers)

F O U R | S P R E A D S

I like to serve at least one spread whether it be hummus, or a jam for the cheese.  A few of my go-tos are:

hummus any flavor - drizzle with olive oil and add pine nuts 

fig preserves

Trader Joes sweet and spicy chili jam

pepper jelly

bacon jam (pairs great with pimento cheese)

truffled mustard (great with meats)

F I V E | E X T R A S

I usually like to do a pickled veggie or olive here.  

olives

pickled okra

baby gherkins

salted marcona almonds

pitted dates

pickled asparagus, green beans, or carrots

cheese straws

It is nice to have fun serving knives.  I like to use a different knife for each cheese type I serve.

I like this set that comes with 4 different knives and a cute cutting board.

Cheese Knives

I love this gold set and they are currently 50% off.

Gold Cheese Knives

W I N E 

Of course you need good wine with a cheese platter.  These are a few of my favorites lately.  I hate any wine that is sweet.  I prefer dry and slightly crisp.    I always like my roses to be lighter in color.  I find the darker ones are sweeter and more tart, which I really don't like.   As far as whites I like sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio in the warmer months.  I usually buy my wine in speciality wine stores they have a better selection and their prices are not as marked up as the grocery store.

Easy Weeknight Dinner | Naan Pizza x 4 Ways

As much as I love cooking, I get lazy and like to have a few meals that can be whipped together quickly.  These Naan Pizzas are super easy, I would say they take less than 10 minutes to assemble and about 15 minutes to cook.  All in all this is a meal that can be made and cooked in under 30 minutes.  

There are a million different toppings and flavor combos for pizza but these are few of our favorites.  2 are vegetarian and 2 have meat.   I love that they each have a different base : pesto, hummus, fig preserves, and marinera.  There is a pizza everyone will like.  These make a great appetizer too if you cut them into bit size pieces or strips.  It is also fun to let the kids help you assemble them and put the toppings on.

I really like the Tandori Naan bread from Trader Joes for these pizzas.  It is the perfect size for mini pizzas.  But if you don't have a Trader Joes nearby most grocery stores have naan bread in the fresh bread section.  You can make these ahead and reheat at dinner if you prefer. 

Enjoy!

|| A S P A R G U S   P E S T O + P E A S  P I Z Z A ||

- 1 naan bread

- pesto

- fresh mozzarella

- a few stalks canned asparagus sliced (you can also use fresh that has been cooked)

- handful cooked english peas (I like the Trader Joe's  kind in the produce section.  You can cook them in 2 minutes and they make a great side too)

- fresh parmesan cheese

Layer the Naan with pesto, then mozzarella, then asparagus and bake at 350 degrees about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Sprinkle on cooked peas and then grate fresh parmesan over the top.

|| H U M M U S + V E G G I E  P I Z Z A ||

- 1 naan bread

- hummus any flavor

- diced cherry tomatoes

- diced cucumber

- diced orange bell pepper

- diced red onion

- feta cheese

- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Spread the hummus on the naan bread and top with a sprinkle of feta cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes.  Toss tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and bell pepper with a few drizzles of red wine vinegar and salt and pepper.  Pour veggie mix over hummus and add additional feta if desired.

|| F I G + B R I E + B A C O N   P I Z Z A ||

- 1 naan bread

- fig preserves

- brie cheese sliced

- crumbled bacon 

Spread naan bread with fig preserves and layer on brie cheese. Bake at 350 degrees about 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.  Remove from oven and sprinkle on crumbled bacon.  This is also amazing with caramelized onions.

|| M A R G H E R I T A + S A L A M I   P I Z Z A ||

- 1 naan bread

- marinara or pizza sauce

- fresh mozzarella sliced

- 1 tomato thinly sliced

- basil, chopped

- salami cut into strips

- red pepper flakes

Layer the naan bread with marinara or pizza sauce then top with mozzarella slices.  Add tomatoes and salt and pepper.  Then top with salami.  Bake at 350 degrees about 15 mins until cheese has melted.  Then briefly turn on broiler to kind of crisp of salami.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with red pepper flakes and fresh basil.

Thai Lentil Lettuce Wraps

Since cutting back on meat I have relied heavily on beans as a substitute.  I still just can't get down with tofu and soy products yet.  The texture gets me every time. I love lentils and after I had them as the "meat" in my taco salad at Gnome Cafe it got me thinking they would make a great lettuce wrap filler.  I honestly loved these and they are guilt free, nothing bad in them at all! I used dried beans and cooked them but if you are feeling lazy just pick up a box of the pre-cooked lentils at Trader Joes (they are in the fridge section where the produce is).  I use those lentils in salads all the time.  These babies are great alone but drizzle them with some dipping sauce and it really sets the flavors off.  Next time I may even add in some water chestnuts for extra crunch. Save a few extra of the grated carrots and green onions for garnish. The lentil filling part for the wraps and the dipping sauce can be made ahead of time.  Just reheat the lentils or bring to room temperature and serve.

Enjoy.

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

adapted via Thug Kitchen Cookbook

- 1 cup dried lentils

- 3 carrots shredded

- 3 green onions sliced

- 1 large shallot diced

- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

- 1.5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

- 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce

- Romaine or bibb lettuce

- hot sauce for drizzling 

Cook the lentils according to the package.  I used one cup dried lentils to 2 cups water and had to add some more water in while they simmered.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer.  I cooked mine about 40 minutes. 

In a large skillet saute the diced shallot with olive oil for about 5 minutes.  Add in the green onions, carrots, and ginger and cook another 3-5 minutes blending the flavors. 

Add the lentils back to the large skillet with the veggies and stir all together.  Add in soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper if needed.

D I P P I N G   S A U C E 

- 2 tablespoons soy sauce

- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

- 1 garlic clove minced

- 2 teaspoons sesame oil

- 1 tablespoons water

- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce or siriacha

- sesame seeds optional for garnish

whisk all together and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

What I Feed My Kids.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is do your kids eat what you eat? and what do you feed your kids?   Both of my kids are hit or miss eaters.  Sometimes they eat great and shock me and sometimes they are super picky.

As much as I would like us to all sit down to dinner together as a family every night it just isn't possible with Matt's work schedule.  I feed Frances around 5:30 so she always eats before we do.  I would say about 2-3 nights a week Sterling eats with Matt and I but most of the time he is ready to eat at 5:30 when Frances does. 

The past two weeks I tried to photograph their food.  Weekends we order pizza or eat out so these are mainly week night meals.  Lately Sterling wants to eat on a divided plate too since Frances does so I just feed him the same thing.  Frances is all about using a spoon these days which is great because I feel like she is trying more foods, like quinoa that she can scoop up.  I am not telling you my kids cleaned their plates but this what I served them:)  If it was a recipe of mine I linked to it.

String cheese | strawberries | quinoa | roasted cabbage | hummus and pita 

shredded carrots | Peas | cheese | cantaloupe | yogurt

cheese | raspberries | navy beans  |roasted broccoli | salmon cakes

roasted shrimp | Asian slaw |  greek yogurt | blueberries | avocado

watermelon | quinoa | chicken meatballs | cheese | avocado

taco chicken | avocado| roasted white beans | cheese | apples

rotisserie chicken| mandarin oranges | edamame | avocado | boiled egg

I try not to feed my kids too much frozen food but sometimes you have to.  I really like the Kidfresh brand.  My kids like their fish sticks, chicken nuggets, and chicken meatballs.  They also do mac and cheese but neither of my kids love mac and cheese which blows my mind.

Other frozen foods we like are the puff pastry dogs from Trader Joes, Morning Star veggie burgers, and Dr Praeger Spinach nuggets.

The divided plates above are from skip hop and they are our favorites.

Skip Hop Plate Set

If you have any meals your kids love, I would love the recommendations!