Thursday, February 24, 2011

Sneaky Potatoes

I confess I have never made twice baked potatoes before. This was my first attempt and I must say they turned out quite scrumptious. This was my sneaky way of getting the men in my life to eat more veggies. I thought if I mixed the veggies in with potatoes and cheese they would eat them- and I was right, my disguise worked. They both scarfed down spinach, mushrooms and potatoes- score! In order to get Matt to consider this a real meal, I added a few slices of bacon to the top. He doesn't consider things a meal unless meat is involved. The bacon is totally optional but it does add a nice salty flavor to the potatoes. These potatoes were so decadent and tasty! The veggies meshed perfectly with the creamy potatoes. I totally just made this recipe up with things I had on hand so feel free to adjust to your liking. You can add more or less of anything.







TWICE BAKED POTATOES WITH VEGGIES
-2-4 RUSSET POTATOES
-SOUR CREAM
-MILK
-SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE
-FRESH SPINACH
-ONION DICED
-MUSHROOMS SLICED
-SLICED PRE-COOKED BACON

WRAP THE POTATOES IN FOIL AND POKE HOLES THRU WITH A FORK TO HELP VENTILATE. BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. LET POTATOES COOL. CUT IN HALF AND SCOOP OUT THE MIDDLE.

MEANWHILE ADD A SMALL AMOUNT OF OLIVE OIL TO PAN AND SAUTE ONION AND MUSHROOMS. ONCE THE ONION HAS BROWNED SLIGHTLY ADD IN THE SPINACH. COOK UNTIL JUST WILTED.

MIX THE INSIDES OF THE POTATOES WITH A FEW SPOONFULS OF SOUR CREAM, A FEW SPLASHES OF MILK AND CHEESE. BLEND UNTIL CREAMY LIKE MASHED POTATOES. ADD SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE. LASTLY MIX IN THE SAUTEED VEGGIES.

SCOOP THIS MIXTURE INTO THE HOLLOWED SHELLS. PLACE TWO SLICES OF BACON OVER EACH POTATO HALF. BAKE ABOUT 20 MINUTES. PULL OUT AND SPRINKLE TOPS WITH CHEESE AND BAKE ANOTHER 5 MINUTES UNTIL CHEESE MELTS.
BON APPETIT!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Tibi Love Affair

Tibi is by far one of my all time favorite lines of clothing. I love the use of pattern and color in the designs. I still love and wear Tibi dresses I bought years ago. That is saying alot for me because I frequently like to buy new clothes and get rid of old ones. I just recently found out there is Tibi outlet in St. Simmons, GA. About 3 hours from here, I am so taking a road trip there soon. Anyone want to join me? Has anyone been? Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the Spring 2011 line. I would be happy to have any of these babies hanging in my closet!

Bianca Shift Dress via

Angle Drapped Dress via

Ruffle Dress via

Brooke Drapped Dress via

Brooke Easy Ruffle Dress via

Tibi Racerback Maxi via

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Obsessions- Stilettos and Diaper Bags

I am so excited to have Lisa from Stilettos and Diaper Bags guest blogging today. As soon as I saw the tittle of her blog, I knew I would love it! Lisa is one truly stylish mommy with a beautiful family! Check out her BLOG if you never have, its a fabulous read! Thanks Lisa, I am so happy to have you guest post today! and Happy Birthday! xoxo

Hi everyone, my name is Lisa and I have a blog called Stilettos and Diaper Bags. I am so happy to be doing a guest post over here on Natalie's blog! I'm a big fan of hers and find myself over here reading her posts daily!

I always find myself OBSESSED with things. I have to have it!! Have to! ;) Right now I have a few obsessions that I'd like to share with you. First up, Moroccan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner.

I started using the Moroccan oil in the fall and fell in love! Then I started using their hydrating hair mask. Now I use the oil, shampoo, and the conditioner! They are amazing! My hair always looks so shinny and healthy now and I even like how it looks when I air dry it (which is NOT normal)! I do alternate shampoos though. I fell like you get the best hair results when you switch it up. Having said that, I will always come back to this great find. My hair looks too good right now not to!

Another current obsession of mine right now is flowy dresses. The longer and flowier the better!


These two are from Shopbop and cost $828 each. Obviously dream items, but good examples of the type of dresses that I am loving at the moment. So great for spring and summer and also for mom's on the go! Any fellow moms out there with toddlers who like to hide and lift up shorter dresses?! Welcome to my world! lol


My third and final obsession right now is face serums. I am a firm believer of taking vitamins. So why wouldn't you also apply vitamins directly to your face so you are helping your skin from the outside in?! Skincuticales vitamin B serum is not just a current obsession, it is a LOVE. But adding more serums to my daily routine is an obsession! Vitamin B serum is great for hydration! A refining serum is great for those spots that have breakouts, love me some eye firming serum, and also a vitamin A & C serum would do all types of skin some good! To each his own, but I am not the type of gal to get anything done to my face. Not even botox. But face creams, serums, and facials? YES PLEASE!


Want to know what else I'm obsessed with? Check out my blog post today over on my page! Thanks again Natalie for having me!


xoxo
Lisa Fergus

Monday, February 21, 2011

Vanity Chair After

Let me start by saying I am an idiot. By accident when I cleaned the pictures off my camera this weekend for Sterling's birthday I accidentally erased all the before pictures of this chair. I feel so stupid because who really cares about a project if they can't see the before and after pictures. Well, I am going to share the after pictures anyways because this chair turned out so darn cute.

Just use your imagination to picture the chair before. It was brown and had a crusty goldish cushion. It looked like it had been sitting in a storage unit for years.

This project cost less than $15. All I had to buy was white gloss spray paint and half a yard of fabric. I found the fabric here in Charleston at GDC Home. They have a fabulous fabric selection if you live local and ever need fabric. This vanity chair is actually my sisters ( I know, I am such a nice sister to makeover her chair), but I love the fabric so much, I am thinking of re-covering my dining room chairs in it. Thoughts? Good fabric for a dining room?

Here are the After Shots:



I did have a little help stapling the fabric to the chair. Not that I couldn't have done it myself but when Dad is in town you gotta put him to work right??

Sunday, February 20, 2011

They Say it's Your Birthday


On Saturday we celebrated Sterling's First Birthday with a party at our house with family and friends. Everything was perfect. We could not have asked for better weather, 70 degrees and bright and sunny. I think Sterling had a fabulous time! I know we did as some of our close friends stayed til almost midnight! I just wanted to share a few pictures with ya'll! And by a few pictures, I mean far too many! Sorry if you get bored, but I couldn't resist sharing all these.


























Friday, February 18, 2011

Thank you TJMaxx

I can't believe it is nearing swimsuit time. While I have finally lost all my baby weight my body ain't what it used to be. All you mommies know you may lose the weight but your stomach still jiggles and just doesn't look exactly the same. Since I have had Sterling I have been smitten with one-piece bathing suits. So imagine my delight when I found this Spanx swimsuit at TJmaxx. Retail price $198, what I paid $39.99.


This swimsuit is amazing! Although I should not be surprised as I have several Spanx under garments I absolutely love! I think this bathing suit is cute, sexy, and flattering all in one. I would honestly consider paying full price for another Spanx swim suit that is how fabulous they fit!

My next find was this Marc Jacobs two piece. I have been scouring for a bikini I feel comfortable in since I had Sterling and this one fits the bill. Also from TJMaxx for only $49.99, a steal for a Marc Jacobs Swimsuit. It is strapless but comes with straps if you feel like it. I love the navy color, classic and great with a tan.


Anyone else brave enough to start their swimsuit shopping this early? I think you have to start early to find the best swimsuits and good deals. Especially at TJMaxx they get in great swimsuits, but the cute ones sell out fast!

Have a great weekend! We are having Sterling's Birthday Party on Saturday, I am so excited to see my family and celebrate. Pictures to come next week!
xoxo

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Swiss Enchiladas

If you love Mexican food, you will love these Enchiladas. I love me some Mexican food, could easily eat it everyday. This is a recipe I had saved out of a past House Beautiful Issue. Although the recipe is originally from the Cookbook "Rosa's New Mexican Table" by Roberto Santibanez. I will not lie, this was a little labor intensive to prepare. Not hard, it just involves several steps. Next time I will most likely make the sauce a day earlier to cut out that step. However, I will most definitely be making this meal again. It was well worth the time and effort. The enchiladas tasted like true authentic Mexican food. The flavors of the salsa were so fresh and vibrant. I served this with a side of black/refried beans and it was the perfect dinner. Bon Appetit!

PHOTOS OF MY ENCHILADA MAKING SKILLS:









SWISS ENCHILADAS
(Enchiladas Suizas)
Serves 6

FOR THE SAUCE
4 cups Cooked Green Salsa (recipe follows)
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 cup heavy cream
12 6-inch store-bought corn tortillas
1/4 cup vegetable or light olive oil
4 cups cooked shredded chicken

FOR THE TOPPINGS
1 1/2 cups shredded queso Chihuahua or Muenster cheese
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Make the sauce: Pour half the green sauce into a blender, add poblanos, and blend at low speed until smooth. Pour into a medium saucepan, add the remaining green sauce and cream, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from the heat.

3. To soften the first six tortillas, heat half the oil in a medium-low skillet and lay each tortilla in oil for 15 seconds each side. Repeat with other six. Drain on paper towels. Fill and roll tortillas, using 1/3 cup of chicken each. Place enchiladas seam side down in 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Can prepare up to 4 hours in advance. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Remove 30 minutes before baking.

4. Pour hot sauce over the enchiladas. Jiggle the dish so the sauce settles in between them. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Bake until the sauce around the edges bubbles and cheese is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

5. Scatter the onion and cilantro over the enchiladas. Scoop 2 enchiladas and plenty of sauce onto each serving plate.


COOKED GREEN SALSA
(Salsa Verde Cocida)
Makes 4 cups

2 pounds tomatillos, husked and washed
2 jalapeños
3 small garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bunch cilantro, thick bottom stems removed (keep cilantro in a bunch and put in the blender stems first)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

1. Put tomatillos and jalapeños in a medium saucepan, pour in enough cold water to barely cover (about 3 1/2 cups), and bring to a boil. Cook until jalapeños are soft and tomatillos tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

2. Gently drain mixture in a colander. Wipe out saucepan and set aside. Put the tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, and cumin in a blender and blend for a few seconds, just until the tomatillos are coarsely chopped. Add the cilantro and blend until the sauce is smooth and speckled with finely chopped cilantro. Do not overblend, or you will grind the tomatillo seeds and make a thick and pasty rather than smooth and shiny sauce.

3. Heat oil in pan over medium. Pour in the salsa, bring to simmer, and simmer until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Store sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat before using.

**A few notes on my Enchiladas: I used the Mexican quesadilla cheese and Monterrey Jack. The recipe calls for just the chicken to go inside the corn shells, but I thought it might be too dry so I added some of the green salsa to the chicken before I rolled it in the corn shells. I recommend serving with sour cream and guacamole. These reheat perfectly.**

PRINT RECIPE HERE