• Friday Four

    Happy Friday! I hope you are having a good week. Wells and Graham are ready for the weekend. School is totally stressing them out. It is week four, and they are already showing signs of burnout. I mean look at them…

    Can’t you see it? I know they do a good job of acting like everything is “okay,” but first grade and preschool are hard. Just the other day, Graham and I were discussing K3 drama…

    Me: Did you play with little Johnny today?
    G: No, Mom! He has a girlfriend. She tells him what to do. Ugh.

    Moving on…

    1. Star Sweater

    Have y’all seen this sweater at Target? I saw it a few weeks ago, but didn’t get it. It kept popping up in my mind and online, so I went back for it. I got a size larger than I normally wear, because let’s face it, I’m not a junior anymore. Wait. Maybe that means I shouldn’t be wearing star sweaters. Too bad. It is cute and comfy, and I am keeping it.

    2. Orla Kiely for Method

    How cute is this Method hand soap? Another Target find. (Please don’t use this as an opportunity to point out how much time I spend in there, SK). There are also other Method products with limited edition Orla Kiely prints. Why shouldn’t your soap and countertop cleaner be cute? There is no good reason…

    3. Gone Girl

    This book is a page turner. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. I know everyone says that, but I hid from my kids (in my closet) and stayed up way too late a few nights in a row to finish it. Gillian Flynn did an excellent job. My vote for best book of 2012. You know, because my vote obviously counts.

    I don’t want to give too much away, but If they make it into a movie, the tagline should be, And you thought your spouse was crazy…

    4. Caliza

    We are celebrating SK’s birthday this weekend and having dinner at Caliza in Alys Beach. The restaurant is poolside and last time we were there, the food was fantastic. I cannot wait. Hopefully we can keep Graham out of the pool and we don’t all end up with West Nile.

    And, I will not be having scallops.

    wowie

  • Friday Four

    I love to read posts on other blogs about things the writer is loving at the moment… products, places, food, etc. I also love lists. I’ve done a few in the past and decided to bring it back for a weekly series. Everyone knows a weekly series needs a catchy title. I thought about calling it “Friday Fantasies” but decided that is not the referral traffic I want from Google. I thought about referring to it as “obsessions,” but I think that word is overused. “I am obsessed with my new paper shredder/planner/stapler”… sounds like a situation that might require medication. I am pretty sure I’ve seen one famous blogger or another with a “Friday Five.” I like to be different, so I will limit mine to four. (We all know four will be pushing it, anyway.)

    1. Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus and Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips

    I could eat this every. single. day. And do actually. I have a stash at work and at home. So good.

    2. BodyJam

    I love this class. It is basically an hour of booty dancing… like being in the club but without people spilling drinks on you. If you like to dance, you must try it. I recommend finding a class with a lot of former cheerleaders. It’s like “Bring It On” for the over 30’s. Oh, and a really good workout… totally drenched at the end. It is offered locally at The Club (how appropriate).

    3. Jesus Calling App

    I’m sure most of you have heard about or read the Sarah Young daily devotional, Jesus Calling. It is a fantastic book and always offers encouragement and perspective for the day. I like the iPhone app because you can set a daily reminder and the scriptures are included (not just referenced).

    p.s. I hate the word “app.”

    4. Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment

    This stuff is wonderful. It is super hydrating and contains avocado oil. Everything is better with avocado. Period.

    On another note, I broke down and ordered an Erin Condren planner. And yes, I am obsessed with it.

    wowie

    , ,

  • stuff it

    By now, y’all know my love of all things “stuffed.” I previously posted recipes for stuffed squash and stuffed peppers. If you haven’t tried them already, you should. They are both delish. If you follow me on Instagram, you might remember some stuffed shells I posted a couple of weeks ago. They were so good… even the boys liked them which is saying a lot. I made this up, and didn’t know how it would turn out. Sorry for the lack of photos along the way.

    Turkey Stuffed Shells

    1/2 box of jumbo shells (I used Barilla. Finding the shells is the hardest part of this recipe.)
    1 pound ground turkey
    1/2 yellow onion (diced)
    1 tbsp chopped garlic
    2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    1 1/2 cups marinara or pasta sauce (I used Giada Creamy Tomato… our Target stopped carrying it, and I am not happy.)
    5-6 chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)
    2 cups mozzarella cheese
    3/4 cup ricotta cheese (I just happened to have some, would be just as good without.)
    Fresh grated parmesan cheese

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the shells in boiling, salted water for nine minutes. Drain and let cool.
    2. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan (medium low heat), and add the garlic and onion. Stir it frequently or the garlic will burn. Burned garlic equals start over. Transfer to a mixing bowl when the onions are translucent.
    3. Add the turkey (and a little salt and pepper) to the pan and cook until done. Add it to the mixing bowl.
    4. Add the ricotta and a half cup of the mozzarella. Or a cup. Honestly, I can’t remember how much I used. Go with a cup… the cheesier the better.
    5. Stir in the pasta sauce. Start out slow… you may not need the entire amount. You just want the turkey mixture to be moist (hate that word, but it was necessary) but not super soupy.
    6. Stir in the chopped basil.
    7. Pam a 9X13 baking dish and spread a thin layer of pasta sauce on the bottom.
    8. Stuff the pasta shells with the turkey mixture and add them to the baking dish.
    9. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on top. I also added parmesan. The cheesier the better, remember?
    10. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

    Before

    After

    Aren’t they pretty? Throw in a salad and some garlic bread, and you are set. Happy Monday!

    wowie

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