Rules for Writing

Source: art.com via Sora on Pinterest

Brussels Sprout-Leaf Salad

I love brussels sprouts! Now, I realize this puts me in the minority, but I'm more than okay with it. This recipe has been on my recipe radar for quite some time now and I finally made it! We ate this last night with The Barefoot Contessa's lemon chicken breast and all of the flavors married together so beautifully. If the brussels sprouts that made Mark a believer din't really do it for you, don't give up quite yet! I'm convinced that next to roasted, this is the second best way to eat the little fellas. The sprout leaves are so delicate and loaded with flavor. Arugula is the perfect green to pair with them and the endive gives the perfect amount of crisp. I added a teaspoon of dijon mustard to the dressing to give it a little more oomph. And when you make this, don't think twice about leaving out the roasted almonds. That crunchy, toasty bite is the best part!

Brussels Sprout-Leaf Salad

recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about one lemon)

1 tsp. dijon mustard

salt & pepper to taste

Salad:

1.5 lbs. brussels sprouts

2 cups baby arugula

1 head Belgian endive, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/3 cup toasted almonds, sliced or chopped

1/3 cup grated pecorino romano

Dressing- in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper.

Salad- using a pairing knife, remove the outer leaves of the sprouts. Save the cores for another use. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Place the brussels sprouts leaves in the water for 1 minute. Drain, then put in a bowl of ice water, then transfer to a colander to drain. Put the leaves, arugula, endive and almonds into a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss together. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Monday Mantra Challenge

When my dear friend Crystal Muffin came to visit me in September, she shared this idea with me and I immediately knew this was something I wanted to keep up with. It's a great way to start off the week, get things off of your chest that may be bothering you or just spread some loving thoughts and encouragement. I used to be a devoted journal writer but sadly, I have kind of fallen away from it. When I have the time in my day to sit down and write, I blog. I regret not keeping up with a daily written journal right now but I am happy to say that this just may be the next best thing.

Every Monday, Crystal and I send our Monday Mantra to each other. We are brutally honest yet 100% thoughtful. And I believe our outlooks on the week are much better because of it! If you feel up to it, I challenge you to try out the weekly Monday Mantra (or Tuesday, Wednesday... any day!) Scoop up someone who you are not afraid to share with and can just write it all down and reflect. The good, the bad, the ugly and the really good glittery moments. Because we all could use a little sparkle in our day.

Monday Mantra

THIS WEEK...

I BELIEVE...

I'M ADDICTED...
I WISH...

I'M HAPPY...

MANTRA... (quote of the week)

Source: theberry.com via Nina on Pinterest

Every Girl Needs a Good Twirl...

...and Fridays are the perfect day for doing just that!

Can I also add that the outfit below is perfect in every way. I wish it was practical for real life wear. Giant ruffles, cowboy boots and a perfect buttoned down shirt. I could be happy dressing (and twirling) like this every day.

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Nina on Pinterest

We're spending the weekend with good friends and my heart couldn't be happier. Hope you all have a happy Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps

Crock pot recipes seem to be all over Pinterest lately and as a result of my mindless daily browsing and Pinning, I was inspired to pull mine out. Honestly, my crock pot doesn't get nearly enough love. I have had it for almost two years now (thanks, Andi!) and sometimes, I forget that it's hiding in my kitchen. I'm challenging myself to take advantage of this appliance this Winter because really, it couldn't be easier. The Newlyweds (The McConnells) made this recipe last week and I was instantly cleaning the drool off of my keyboard when MOD sent it to me earlier this week. I added tomato paste, omitted tomato paste and served our pulled pork in lettuce cups with homemade pico de gallo and avocado mousse. Don't turn your nose up when you see cocoa powder on the list of ingredients. I think it's what makes the flavors in the pork pop!

Pulled-Pork Lettuce Wraps

recipe adapted from Real Simple

2 cups store bought salsa (look for low sodium)

1/4 cup tomato paste

1.5 Tbsp. chili powder

1.5 Tbsp. dried oregano

2 heaping Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1.5 lb. lean pork tenderloin with excess fat trimmed off (pork butt or shoulder will work, too)

In your slow cooker, combine salsa, chili powder, oregano and cocoa. Add the pork and turn to coat.

Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

The Day I Got Retweeted by Giada

You all should know by now that Giada is my go to girl for delicious recipes. I have yet to make something that I don't like. So, last night, I made one of my favorite weeknight meals- Giada's Crunchy Parmesean Chicken Tenders with baked sweet potato fries and a baby greens salad. Every so often, I tweet what I'm cooking and sometimes the link to the recipe, because Twitter is fun for sharing like that.

We gobbled up our dinner, had a nice relaxing evening and when I woke up this morning, I found this:

Mark got up before me and since I am practically legally blind and cannot see the clock across the room, I grabbed my phone to check the time, only to find a Twitter notification from Giada herself! I practically fell out of bed and ran to the living room, my curly hair all over the place yelling to Mark. "SHE TWEETED ME! GIADA TWEETED ME!". If you have been reading this blog for quite some time now, or if you know me well, you know that this made my existence of two plus years on Twitter all worth it! Ha!

And because this event provided me with the type of happiness on par with Christmas morning, I'll share the recipe with you that started it all. These chicken tenders are so easy to make and as you can see by Giada's response, this is a super kid friendly meal. We dipped them in Roasted Red Pepper Pistashio Pesto because every now and then, it's fun to act like a kid. And eat with your fingers.

Crunchy Parmesean Chicken Tenders

recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis

Olive oil

1 cup buttermilk

1.5 lbs. chicken tenders

freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesean

3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (I use panko)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Brush 1 Tbsp. oil over each of two heavy large lined baking sheets. Place buttermilk in a large bowl, add the chicken tenders and stir to coat. Let stand 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Stir the parmesean and bread crumbs in a pie dish. Add pepper to season. I also add about a half of a lemon's worth of lemon zest. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and dredge them in the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange the chicken tenders on the baking sheets and space evenly. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until they are cooked through and golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Roasted Red Pepper Pistachio Pesto

Pesto is Italian ketchup. It's great for dipping, drizzling and topping. And on a spoon. When I first made this, I walked around the kitchen, shoveling it into my mouth with a mini spatula. When I realized we didn't have enough left to eat with our grilled salmon, I whipped up another batch.

Roasted red peppers are one of my pantry staples and we keep pistachios on hand for snacking. When thrown together in a food processor with some garlic, olive oil and pepper, a magical sauce of sorts is created. This is now the #1 favorite condiment in the Moore house. We have eaten it atop fish and chicken and as an afternoon snack with vegetable dippers. I can only imagine how life changing it would be if you introduced this pesto to brunch and served it over eggs benedict. Or as sauce on pizza. Who am I kidding though? I would be happy eating it as soup. Sigh. If I keep talking about how much I love this stuff, I'll have to go back into the kitchen and eat the rest by way of spoon. Just kidding. Not because I'm not going to do it. But because I already did while Mark was doing the dishes.

Roasted Red Pepper Pistachio Pesto

1 cup chopped roasted red peppers

2 cloves garlic

10 pistachios

1 tsp. olive oil

fresh cracked pepper

Throw all ingredients into a food processor and blend until you have a nice sauce consistency, but not so much that it is runny. Season with pepper and salt, if desired. (the pistachios add plenty of saltiness)