Sleeping Puppy

Magnolia definitely plays hard and sleeps harder!  I wanted to share some pictures I snapped of her sleeping.  She is so cute!

 

Tour de Fat

Tour de Fat came to Durham this weekend.  Tour de Fat is a festival put on by the New Belgium Brewery that raises money for local non for profits.  It also raises awareness for biking.  One of the main events is when they give away a free bicycle to someone who will trade in their car for a whole year.  They have beer, food, activities and entertainment.  It was a hot day but was a lot of fun!

Magnolia

I want to introduce the newest addition to our family, Magnolia!  She is a 10 week old Shih Tzu puppy who we brought home this past weekend.  She loves her new home and new family!  She is laid back, sweet and well behaved.  She loves to get her belly rubbed, run and play catch.  Her are a few pictures from our first few days at home with her.

                             

                               
                                     

Salad Week, Day 4

Day 4 was another salad from Sara Foster.

Arugula, Pear and Prosciutto Salad

I use a bed of arugula and spinach then top with a few slices of prosciutto, Bosc pear and romano cheese.  The dressing is equal parts lemon juice and olive oil.  Finish with some fresh ground pepper.

This salad is VERY easy and very satisfying.  I love the sweetness of the pears with the saltiness of the prosciutto and cheese.

Let me know if you decided to try any of the salads I made this week.  And if you did, what you thought of them.

What will I make for dinner this week?

Salad Week, Day 3

Day 3 was very easy and very yummy!  We decided to have a greek salad with pita bread and hummus.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, basil, feta cheese and greek olives with a dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar and lime juice.  It is that easy!

Sorry for the poor picture....this salad doesn't photograph well.

Salad Week, Day 2

Here is day 2 of salad week.  We had a yummy salad that was introduced to us by my cousin Katie.  She and her husband made this salad for us the weekend before our wedding.  It has since become one of our favorite meals!  Thanks Katie!  Marinated steak atop a bed of spinach with cherry tomatoes, candied walnuts and blue cheese.  Grilled crusty bread on the side completes this meal for me!

The original recipe is by the Pioneer Women.  You can find it here.

Salad Week, Day 1

I thought I would try making salads every night for dinner this week.  It was actually DRS' idea but my execution.  Here was night one.  It comes from a cookbook by Sara Foster.  She began her career as a chef for Martha Stewart's catering company before going on to open her own take-out business, Foster's Market, in Durham.  We love having lunch at Fosters, it is another place to check out if you are in the area.  The cookbook is called Causal Cooking.    

Shrimp Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

Add 8oz of snap peas to boiling water for about 15-30 seconds, until they are bright green and just tender.  Drain them under cold water and pat dry.

To make the vinaigrette, combine 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 mined scallions, 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, juice from one lime and one garlic clove in a food processor and puree until smooth.  Add 1/2 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Puree until mixed.

Put 1-2 lbs of cooked shrimp in a large bowl with the snap peas and 2 medium cucumbers that are peeled and thinly sliced.  Drizzle the salad with half of the dressing and toss to coat.  Add more dressing if desired.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

I usually try to bake something about once a week.  Sunday morning I saw that I had some fresh blueberries in the refrigerator, so blueberry muffins it was.  I love a recipe by Ina Garten in Barefoot Contessa Back to Baics, Blueberry Streusel muffins.  They are so yummy!

I make a half batch and substitute skim milk for the buttermilk.   

Let me know if you are interested in the recipe, I would be happy to send it to you!

  

Saturday Outing

DRS and I had a great Saturday!  He had the golf itch so we decided to get up early (before the heat hit) and play 18 holes of golf.  By we, I mean DRS plays while I ride in the cart for moral support!  We had a great time at a local golf course that is public and pretty close to your home.  After golfing, we went to Guglhupf for lunch.  It is a cute european inspired cafe with a beautiful outdoor patio.  In addition to their restaurant, they have a bakery which sells fresh bread, pastries and hot coffee drinks.  If you are even in the area you have to check it out!  Here are a few photos from our day.

  

MLB Draft 2012

Congrats to my cousin Paul who was drafted yesterday in the MLB 2012 Draft!

He was picked up as a first baseman by the LA Dodgers in the 24th round.  He got the news yesterday and was already on a his way to LA today.  This isn't the first time Paul was drafted.  He was drafted as a High School senior to the Detroit Tigers but decided to play college ball instead.  Smart boy!  He played 4 years of college baseball at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.      

We are so proud of you Paul!

You can read more about Paul being drafted here and here.

Downtown Durham

I took this picture a few weeks ago while DRS and I were walking around downtown.  I had never seen this beautiful building as it seemed hidden among many abandoned storefronts.  It appears to be an old bank.  I wonder what it's history holds?

Memorial Day Trip

Last weekend DRS and I went to Charleston, SC for Memorial Day weekend.  We are only about 4 hours away so it made for a perfect getaway.

We got up early Saturday morning and drove straight to the beach.  We spent the day at the county park public beach in Isle of Palms.  That night we had dinner at Hymans Seafood in downtown Charleston.  It is always ranked in the top seafood restaurants in the south and has been an establishment since 1890.  Sunday we spent all day walking around downtown Charleston.  The city is so beautiful with it's cobblestone streets and bright colored buildings and houses.  That afternoon we had a late lunch at Fleet Landing, a waterfront seafood restaurant downtown.  It is housed in a retired naval building from the 1940s.  The view and food were delicious!  Monday we visited Magnolia Plantation, an old rice plantation.  Magnolia Plantation was founded in 1676 by the Drayton family.  It was a part of both the American Revolution and the Civil War.  It is the oldest public gardens in America, first opening its doors to visitors in 1870.   We had a wonderful time walking the gardens.  We even got to take a boat ride in the swamp and saw about 15 alligators!  

DRS driving over the bridge to Isle of Palms

South Carolina swamp

Isle of Palms

Fresh Seafood at Hymans

DRS trying boiled peanuts

King Street in Charleston

Downtown Charleston

Oak tree at Magnolia Plantation

Magnolia Plantation

Me and my handsome husband

Alligator!