Basic Marinade Ratio

It's officially grilling season!! Nothing says Summer cooking like firing up the Komado Joe! Mark does all the heavy lifting (grilling) and I have time to play in the kitchen and focus on fresh salads, sides and tasty cocktails! I came across some great marinating tips in the June issue of Cooking Light and thought I would pass them along. This marinade formula is what I typically stick to and results in perfectly marinated meat every time.

Basic Marinade Ratio

Cooking Light, June 2013, pg. 13

one part acid (vinegar, citrus juice or yogurt)

one part oil 

two parts aromatics (fresh herbs)

salt or soy sauce

sugar

The chef in Cooking Light recommended canola oil as a neutral oil but I always tend to use olive oil. For the sugar component, I like to use Grade A Maple Syrup or honey, but sometimes I leave this part out all together. I try to keep salt to a minimum and unless I am using soy sauce, do not salt the meat until right before it goes on the grill.

Happy grilling to all!

Pink or Blue!?

...we will find out soon! Little Lovie's due date is officially ONE MONTH from today- we cannot believe it! Time is flying by and it's hard to comprehend this new adventure we're about to be on. 

It's been a bit of a challenge to stock up on newborn clothes not knowing if our little baby is a boy or a girl but thanks to Baby Gap and Target, we have some sweet pieces to start off with. I also discovered the gem of all gems for parents who don't know the baby's gender- a reversible clothing line! TwoTara makes darling clothes that are pink on one side and blue on the other! I ordered this striped bubble gown and matching hat. Any of the cute pieces from TwoTara would make wonderful gifts for friends who may not be finding out! They would also make a thoughtful gift to give someone who has just announce that they have a bundle on the way.

Let the final countdown to baby's arrival begin!

Health + Fitness Friday: Staying Hydrated

It's time for another dose of Healthy + Fitness Friday with my good friend Jen! This week, I want to focus on hydration, because pregnant or not pregnant, making sure you are drinking enough water is so important. I drink tons of water normally and have found that during this pregnancy, I can't seem to quench my thirst enough! Like most people, I get "watered out" and some days it just doesn't go down as easily. I've found that adding fresh fruit to my water helps to mix it up a bit! The Ballantyne Hotel here in Charlotte always has ice cold fruit infused water in the lobby and after a spa day there several years ago, I was inspired to create my own infused waters. These are so easy to keep in a pitcher in the fridge-  Lemon, orange and lime slices are my go-to favorite, but lately I've been experimenting with other fruit infused waters! 

strawberries + mint

watermelon + strawberries

raspberries + oranges

pineapple + mango + mint

lemons + limes + oranges + grapefruit

cucumber

I'm also a huge fan of keeping a water bottle filled and with me at all times. I still use my trusty Nalgene bottle that holds 32 oz. of water, but lately, I have found that I drink even more water through a straw!! I'm convinced it's a mind trick. I keep my 24 oz. Tervis Tumbler filled with ice, water and a few slices of lemon. I pop a straw in the lid and I'm drinking water all day long. Much better than any sweet, fake, zero calorie drinks with artificial sweeteners and God knows what other chemicals.

Wine, Limearitas and Arnold Palmer's made with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka are the usual suspects around 6pm this time of year, but since I'm still on happy hour lockdown, I've been enjoying the same fruit infused waters made with sparkling water! We got a SodaStream for Christmas and it's nice to have bubbly water to mix things up.

Drink your water, everyone!!

Now, as for my health and fitness goals for May...let's just say I'm more concerned about keeping this baby snug as a bug in my belly at least until 37 weeks! That counts, right? Other than that, I plan to keep up moderate activity like taking my crazy doodle pup for long walks and continuing with light strength training. Staying active has been so important to me while pregnant!

Enjoy your weekends, everyone!

Snickerdoodles

When you eat salads for dinner, you can have a cookie for dessert. It's all about balance, right? 

It rained ALL. DAY. LONG. on Sunday. Buckets of rain pouring down from the typically Carolina blue skies and although it was much needed, it made for an extremely lazy day at home. Something about a dark rainy day almost always calls for a treat, obvi.  Snickerdoodles to the rescue! I love the sugary crisp cinnamon coating of a giant Snickerdoodle with a center that still has just the right amount of chew. As I searched for a recipe, I noticed that so many of them called for shortening- yuck! I knew that there had to be an alternative and luckily, I came across a recipe on Smitten Kitchen that had a basic ingredients list.

Cinnamon and chocolate are equals in my book. I must say that these cookies just may give my beloved New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie a run for their money.

Snickerdoodles
recipe from Smitten Kitchen

2 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
16 Tbsp. or 2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 and 3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with one rack in the top third and one rack in the bottom third. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat, and set aside.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1 and 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients and beat until combined. Chill dough for at least one hour or up to overnight.

Once dough has chilled, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Using an ice cream scoop, form balls of the dough (about the size of a small golf ball) and roll in the cinnamon and sugar. Place cookies about two inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake until the cookies are set in the center and begin to crack, 10-12 minutes. If you are cooking more than one sheet at a time, rotate after 5 minutes. (I cooked 6 to a sheet, one sheet at a time in the center of the oven). Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring to the rack. 

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Roasted Salmon Nicoise Salad

I could live on salads. Dark leafy greens tossed with veggies, olive oil, balsamic and grilled protein is pretty much the perfect meal in my book. Mark doesn't jump up and down like I do over this "girl food" but after we eat salad for dinner, he always leaves the table happy and admits how tasty it was. Here's a healthy (and classic) dinner salad recipe to jump start your week.

Sophie, this one's for you!

Roasted Salmon Nicoise Salad
serves two

1/2 lb. fillet wild salmon
1 Romaine heart, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
6 spears asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced in half
2 small red potatoes
Olive oil for drizzling
Dried dill
Salt
Pepper

Slice potatoes into small wedges and toss on a small baking sheet with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. On a separate baking sheet, place salmon and drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper and some dried dill. Place both sheets in the oven and turn the oven to 400 degrees. Roast for 25 minutes. Salmon should be flaky and potatoes should be sizzling and crispy. I usually leave the potatoes in the oven for an extra five minutes while the salmon cools off.

Meanwhile, toss asparagus pieces in a little olive oil and sautee on medium heat in a medium pan until bright green and tender. 

Assemble salad as shown above and top with Champagne Vinagirette or Mediterranean Vinaigrette. 

Baby Related Things

I can hardly wrap my head around the fact that in about 6 short weeks, we'll be bringing a tiny human into the world! Everyone told me that once you hit 30 weeks time seems to creep by so slowly but I have to disagree. Slow down time! With each passing day I am becoming more and more excited. I've been feeling great and little lovie is quite the active child. Mark started doing the Insanity workout a few weeks ago and I think this kid is trying to join in on the fun, too. 

Our tiny baby is so, so loved already! My mom, sisters and our dear friend Linda hosted the most beautiful baby shower last weekend. I am getting teary thinking about it now. It truly was one of the best days ever- complete with extra special visitors from Washington D.C. and California!!! Every detail was absolutely perfect. The shower deserves a post of it's own sometime this week or next!

The stack of books on my nightstand speaks for itself. Trying to soak up as much as I can right now, but I know that no book can teach you what you need to know as much as that little baby will when it's in my arms! I'm also thankful for my mom and closest friends who have navigated this road before- they have been the best resources yet!

The nursery isn't quite done yet, but the main pieces are in place and I'm just working on the details. I'm planning on leaving some blank canvas space so that I can personalize it once we know if the little one will be a bambino or a bambina. Our nursery has no "theme". The only theme is BABY. I love gender neutral nurseries and even if we knew the baby's gender, I wouldn't be decorating any other way. I knew I wanted white furniture, crisp bedding and creamy colors. I also want the room to be timeless and a dreamy place for baby to sleep. Here are some of my favorite inspiration photos.

one/two/three-unknown source/four

Mark painted the room a buttery neutral, Benjamin Moore's Ylang Ylang. My mom painted a striped wall where the crib is by using a clear semi-gloss polyurethane paint which created a slight variation in color and texture. I love the striped wall detail so much. I'm certain our little one will have many sweet dreams snuggled in its little dreamland.

Crib: Pottery Barn Kids

Bedding: Pottery Barn Kids Scallop Pique

Glider + Ottoman: Enchanted Cherish (beige stripe)

Paint: Benjamin Moore Ylang Ylang

Dresser: Haverty's

Lamp: Lampsplus

We even have some stuffed baby doodles watching over the room already.

We are almost ready to meet the newest member of this family! Love my little family so, so much!

Pineapple, Romaine + Spinach Green Goodness

Well before I had my juicer, one of my favorite refreshing combinations to mix up was pineapple, mango and spinach. My cousins told me it was a must-try and I have been drinking it ever since. I have a feeling this baby will like sipping on it when he/she is old enough, too! Spinach is great in smoothies because it blends into a silky texture and you can't even really tell that it's there. I throw a few handfuls of spinach in my smoothies whenever I make them! 

I'm still in the experimenting stages of juicing and am thankful to have friends to swap recipes with! Sophie suggested pineapple with romaine and spinach and I was anxious to give it a try. According to her it's "the finest thing ever juiced", and I might have to agree! This combination is so light, so refreshing and full of nutrients. The pineapple adds just the right amount of sweetness and the high water content of the romaine is a bonus. Spinach gives this juice it's bright green color. If you don't have a juicer, this would also be delicious blended up with ice.