6 Months Ago

Exactly 6 months ago yesterday at 9:46 am I gave birth to my beautiful son, Sterling. I never knew how much I could love someone. His smiles melt my heart, and when he laughs I am putty in his hands. The last 6 months have been the best months of my life. I have learned to be completely selfless which was a good thing for me:)

When I was pregnant, I was convinced I was having a girl. I think mainly because I thought I wanted a girl. I know nothing about boy stuff. I am one of the most girly girls you will ever meet. When we found out it was going to be a boy, I thought I guess I better start to like sports, dinosaurs, dirt and action heroes. Now I can't even imagine having a girl. I love being the mom to a baby boy and I hope I have another boy one day because they are such a blessing. He truly is a mommas boy and I love it.

So happy half a year birthday to my beautiful son Sterling. You have enriched my life and made it so much better. I love you more than you will ever know!

All the Single Ladies

This past weekend we celebrated my sister-in-law Britton's bachelorette party. She is the most wonderful sister-in-law in the world, I feel so lucky to have her in my life. She is one of the sweetest, most caring people I know. Alot of people even say we look like sisters. She would be a dear friend even if I wasn't married to her brother.
A group of about 12 of us stayed at a beach house on Folly Beach for the weekend. Friday night we took it easy and drank wine, had girl talk and enjoyed the gorgeous views from our balcony. Saturday was a whole other story! We started off with the lingerie shower followed by jello shooters. Then we had a delicious dinner at a new restaurant here called Blu, followed by a night on the town. Our group got hit on so many times. We had to laugh that once the guys found out all of us were married they still persisted with us. But once they found out several of us were stay at home moms that definitely deterred their pursuits! We had such a great time, this momma stayed out until 2:30, something I have not done in a very long time. Now the countdown to the wedding is on.

Italian Sausage and Provolone Flat Pie

Aren't you excited? Its time for my recipe of the week again! Last weekend we went to another dinner party and I was in charge of the appetizer. I have found that the appetizers that people love the most are inevitably the ones that are the worst for you. This recipe is no exception. It is basically puff pastry filled with sausage and cheese cut into bite squares. My mouth is watering just thinking about it again. It was so good every last piece got eaten and there were only 4 of us! This recipe is from one of my all time favorite cookbooks, Katie Lee Joel's (well technically since she is no longer married to Billy I guess that's not her last name anymore) The Comfort Table. She is a true southern girl who loves to make all the southern staples. This cookbook is amazing, I have made so many recipes from it and I am never disappointed. I had a picture of this pie that I made but my computer did something funk and won't upload it. But trust me, try this and you won't be sad you did!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PROVOLONE FLAT PIE
-1 14/17OZ PACKAGE FROZEN PUFF PASTRY, THAWED ACCORDING TO DIRECTIONS
-1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
-3/4 SWEET OR HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE, CASING REMOVED
-1 1/2 CUPS GRATED PROVOLONE CHEESE
-1 EGG

LINE A BAKING SHEET WITH PARCHMENT PAPER. ON A LIGHTLY FLOURED SURFACE, UNFOLD PUFF PASTRY DOUGH, AND USE A FLOURED ROLLING PIN TO ROLL IT INTO A RECTANGLE ABOUT 15X10 INCHES. CUT RECTANGLE IN HALF SO YOU HAVE TWO 10 X 7.5 INCH RECTANGLES. TRANSFER TO BAKING SHEET AND REFRIGERATE FOR ABOUT 20 MINS.

MEANWHILE HEAT OLIVE OIL IN MEDIUM SKILLET OVER MEDIUM HEAT. ADD THE SAUSAGE, BREAKING IT UP WITH A WOODEN SPOON, AND BROWN FOR ABOUT 10 MINS. USING A SLOTTED SPOON TRANSFER THE SAUSAGE TO A PAPER TOWEL LINED PLATE.

SPOON THE SAUSAGE ONTO ONE OF THE PUFF PASTRY RECTANGLES LEAVING A ONE INCH BORDER. TOP WITH PROVOLONE CHEESE. USING A PASTRY BRUSH, BRUSH THE BORDER WITH EGG. LAY THE SECOND RECTANGLE OVER THE FILLING AND PRESS GENTLY TO SEAL. REFRIGERATE ANOTHER 20 MINUTES OR UP TO 2 HOURS.

USING A SMALL KNIFE, TRIM THE EDGES SO THEY ARE UNIFORM. USING A PASTRY BRUSH COAT THE ENTIRE TOP PASTRY WITH EGG. GENTLY CUT 3, 5 INCH VENTS IN THE TOP BEING CAREFUL NOT TO PIERCE THE BOTTOM LAYER. BAKE ROTATING ONCE FOR 35 OR 40 MINUTES, UNTIL CRUST IS A DEEP GOLDEN BROWN AND PASTRY HAS PUFFED. LET COOL 10 MINUTES THEN SLICE.
I USED A PIZZA CUTTER TO SLICE MINE WORKED GREAT!

Faux Fur Love it or Hate it?

As I mentioned before I am so ready for Fall, who wouldn't be with heat indexes in the hundreds! It is by far my favorite season. One trend that seems like it is going to be prominent this Fall is the Faux Fur Vest. I keep seeing it over and over again. I feel like Rachel Zoe would approve and I can so see my girl Nicole Richie sporting one of these! I am kind of loving it. Although the winters in Charleston are far from harsh, I think this is such a cute trend and a definite fall closet staple. I love the idea of the faux fur vest paired with a long fitted tee and jeggings. Here are a few of my favorites. The BB Dakota Vest is a steal at only $90! The perfect price to spend on a trendy item that might not be hot next year. However, I am kind of obsessed with the Rebecca Taylor white vest. It is a little more of an investment, but I have never met a Rebecca Taylor article of clothing I didn't absolutely love.


BB Dakota Faux Fur Vest $90

LaRok Shagadelic Long Vest $448

Rebecca Taylor Fab Faux Fur Vest $395
All vests featured on www.shopbop.com

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!