Tuesday Food Day

This is a must try!!!!

Leafy Greens and White Beans over Quinoa

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Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (cook in chicken broth)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups leafy greens [kale, collard greens, mustard greens, etc.](kale-cooked in chicken broth)
• 1 15oz can cannellini beans [white beans], drained, rinsed
• 2 fresh Roma tomatoes, sliced (I roasted my tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled [leave off if making this vegan] (Bulgarian Sheep's milk Feta)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, optional (did not use)
• salt + pepper, to taste
• added grilled salmon

Directions

In a small saucepan, add quinoa, 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover for 16-18 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork; set aside.

In a medium/large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add leafy greens, by the handful and toss until they begin to wilt, then add remaining greens. Toss with tongs until wilted. Add beans and cook for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat.

When you’re ready to serve, place about 1/2 cup quinoa on your plate, season with salt and pepper. Add 3-4 tomato slices, top with sauteed greens and beans, then sprinkle fresh thyme. Optional, add 1-2 tablespoons of goat cheese.

So here is how mine turned out.

AMAZING!!!

This was so doggone good y'all!!!!  Big R said literally it was his favorite meal-not kidding!!!!  It is so healthy for you and had amazing flavor!!  I have to say we are slightly addicted to salt in this family so cooking the quinoa and kale in salty chicken broth may not be necessary for most but it sure does add flavor.  And the roasted tomatoes were a good call-always a good call in any recipe I think!  Ok, so you gotta try it and let me know your thoughts!!!!

Finds

Tar-Jay does it again!  Of course went in for T.P and Huggies and come out with a new pair of kicks!  Love them so, but I must say do go up a size-super uncomfortable.  The things you do for fashion!

Cashed in on a gift card at Williams Sonoma this weekend and came home with the most unbelievable smelling diffuser.  So not a diffuser type typically but this one is 100% worth every penny!  The scent is Fleur de Sel and is amazing.  I can't do it justice with describing the scent...you just gotta go and get one.

So excited about this other purchase with my gift card.  Have y'all seen these or do you have one?  Cannot wait to make some fun, healthy pops with little R!

A work in progress over at Novel. to reorganize and style our goodies.  Check us out at our individual links if you aren't familiar. 

Library: Archives of Fashion-curated vintage fashion

Bon Vivant-custom stationery & papers

Jane Pope Jewelry & Balboa Jewelry-gorgeous jewelry

and yours truly, blue chickadee-custom art, totes and baby wares

 Studio hours are 10:30-3 monday-friday or by appointment. 

A large blue chickadee tote.  Perfect for pool, beach, grocery, etc....

Also, are you aware of how addictive Houzz is????  I mean Pinterest is a big time sucker but now Houzz.  Seriously people, if you have not spent any time on there and have any sort of love of interiors, exteriors, hardware, lighting, fabric, furniture, whatever..... get ready!  I have visited before but for some reason I just didn't get it or understand it I guess.  But now.... I get it.  Will be posting some fun finds later in the week...

Blogroll

I thought I would share with you a few of my favorite blogs in case you are interested in following these girls

Love this girl!!  She has mad style and hilarious to boot.  You are sure to love perusing her own interior design pics as well as other styles she adores!!  She is also opening an online shop in February!!!

Chassity's blog is a daily read fo sho!  She is a true fashion plate as is her blog!!!  Latest styles and trends to be found here.

Healthy eating 2012 here I come!  Lisa has some delicious gluten free recipes on her blog.  Pretty pictures too!  Yum, yum!

Gotta check out Natalie's blog.  The girl covers it all...fashion, food, family, the list goes on.  A daily blog read for sure!  

Love this one!  Interior design goodness!!!  and check out her other blog, The Designers Attic where you an purchase designer remnant fabric daily!!!

Love, love this one!  Another interior design blog love!!!!  Follow Brooke through her own house renovation over the last 9 or so months.  AMAZING!!!! Love her style!

I'll post more of my faves next week.  Happy Browsing!!!

Ba-loo

all images via Pinterest

You ever get in a coffee rut?  I'm in one and need to find a way out.  Any good coffee recs?  Not so happy with my Mr. Coffee.  So I want to know, Keurig-si o no?   xoxo, one tired momma

Reclaimed Wood

Oh the things I would do to my house....

all images via pinterest

I like.

You?

Good Stuff

I've gotta share with you the most unbelievable meal!  Well, in my opinion at least.  I have decided our eating habits need a major overhaul.  After moving last week/weekend, all we ate were fries, pizza, mexican, etc.  Ugh...I feel gross even writing about it.  So, last night I decided to change things around here and cook for the first time in our home away from home for the next few months.  

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Superfood Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette 

This is the image off Pinterest of what it's supposed to look like.

Soo, so delicious!!!!  Here is the recipe.  I will insert in red where i made changes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1/3 cup red onion, chopped

1 orange, peeled and segments chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup pomegranate arils (about 1 pomegranate worth) (I couln't find so I used red grapes instead-actually delicious!!!)

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

added sauteed mushrooms

added chopped fresh tomatoes

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

salt & pepper

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

2 lemons, juiced (need 1/4 cup juice)

2 garlic cloves, microplaned or finely minced (used one bc Big r hates garlic)

dash of sweetener (agave nectar, stevia or white sugar) (did not use)

salt & pepper

6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Grilled Shrimp

lots of honey

lots of sriracha sauce

olive oil

s & p

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

2. For the Lemon Vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid, and shake to combine. Or, add lemon juice, garlic, sweetener, salt and pepper into a small bowl and whisk in oil.

3. Combine cooled quinoa with red onion, orange segments, avocado, beans, pomegranate arils, corn, cilantro, salt and pepper. Pour Lemon Vinaigrette over the salad and stir to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.

This is how mine turned out

And here's a peak at what my boys were up to at the time

I know, this looks totally dangerous but I promise I was right there and the trash bag is not over his head!!!  Wish you could see under it though...he has a black eye, busted lip, and brown magic marker all over his face and in his ear...what am I gonna do with that boy!!!!

Looking innocent as ever, but I can assure you this sweet face ran immediately over and put his brother in headlock position as soon as the camera was put away.  At least daddy was home at this point, so I continued to cook.

Striiipezzzz

You know I'm a fan.  And when I finally sat down to look at my new West Elm, I was super excited to see these...

I'm a fan of the poufs

want these for sure

really diggin' the striped rugs

And no, this is not a new addition to the West Elm collection, I thought I would sow you some recent happenings with blue chickadee.  I have been messing around with block printing and tried it out on a paper bag first, but planning to do some new looks for the muslin bags.  Here's a pic of my first few tries with a potato....

I think the middle one is my favorite.  I used these 4"X6" bags to house photos of the boys to give as gifts to their grandparents and aunts/uncles.  You can see above I just used a boiling red potato and a corn sticker as my handle.  

On to other news, I'm not sure if I have mentioned this recently but we are moving out!  Not for long, just a few months so we can get a little work done on the house.  I thought I would share a few "before" pics if you will. 

Big R insisted on throwing a BCS party at our house (1 week before the move-love you;)) so I decided it would be an opportune time to snap a few before shots..

And yes, this was the final showing on the big screen in the backyard.  Big R couldn't handle Clemson's loss and took it down with a butcher knife.  Poor sport if you ask me:)  We will now be watching movies on the garage doors:(

So back to the move, we are moving THURSDAY.  Wait that's in 3 days...should be interesting getting our house packed up with these type of shenanigans going on....

waterproof BLACK eyeliner=awesome.  

Decided to remove with a monogrammed hand towel. 

 mistake.

Just to give you a visual of the current state of things here.
Fun times!