Cooking Out with Friends

David and I had such a good weekend.  The weather was beautiful, and we were able to spend quality time with family and friends.  On Saturday, I had a much-needed pool day with my dear friend, Emmylou.  We enjoyed the cooler weather and catching up on girl time! 

On Saturday night, several of our friends came over for dinner - Brittany & Jimmy Dale Chisolm and Sarah Beth & Brent Gary and their kids Walker and Collins.  We watched the Mississippi State game, grilled hamburgers, and indulged in some delicious appetizers:


Sarah Beth brought this tasty pizza dip.  We all loved it, so she shared the recipe:

1 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 jar pizza sauce
2 cups mozarella cheese
pepperonis (as many as you would like on top)

Simply layer beginning with cream cheese, then pizza sauce, then cheese, then pepperonis. 
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!



Sarah Beth also brought Captain Rodney's Dip. 
I will ask her for the recipe and share that one too. 
It was a crowd favorite!



David and I made Rotel Dip with Sausage.  All you need is:

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 lbs Velveeta Cheese (cubed)
1 can mild Rotel
1 lb Hot Jimmy Dean Sausage

Put soup, cheese, and rotel in the crock pot. 
Brown the sausage and mix in with other ingredients.
Cook on low for 1-2 hours.  Serve with chips. 

On Sunday, we had a fun lunch after church with the Ellis family.  It's always nice to spend Sunday afternoon catching up with them and hearing about everyone's week.  After a lazy Sunday afternoon, we went to Jimmy Dale and Brittany's house to cook out with the same group from Saturday plus the Lees and the Deans.  It was the perfect night for a cook out to welcome a new season.  I hope you enjoyed the fall weekend!

Les Mis

Last weekend, David and I went to Memphis to see Les Miserables with my family at the Orpheum.  The play was absolutely wonderful, and the music was incredible.  It was fun to share that experience with my family.  It also gave me the opportunity to see one of my very best friends, Sarabeth, and her husband, Justin:

I met Sarabeth and Justin in college.  They got married last year and moved to Memphis from Charlotte, NC.  I was able to catch up with them briefly before the play and during intermission.  I hope to make another trip to Memphis soon so we can spend more time together.  There are actually several people I love and miss that are living in Memphis....my friends, Lizzie and Angela.  Angela had a sweet baby boy in April, and I'm dying to meet him. Lizzie is working at St. Jude and doing what she's always wanted to do.  I hope to see them soon.  I'm so proud of all my amazing friends :)

Happy Fall!

I'm more excited about fall than ever before!  It really is one of the most beautiful times of year.  Mississippi is still pretty hot, but I'm already getting in the spirit of fall and planning ways to enjoy the season.  I love all fall has to offer - beautiful leaves, pumpkins, mums, sweaters, boots, hayrides, and so much more!

First, I plan on exchanging my summer wreath for a fall wreath.  I think simple wreaths like this one make a house look loved:

Second, my sweet friend, Julia, gave me two of these Classic Glass Hurricanes from Williams-Sonoma:

I'm so excited about all I can do with these for holidays and other occasions, and I'll always think of Julia when I use them!  Here are some fun fall possibilities:

Third, I plan on perfecting pumpkin pie!  Last year, I volunteered to make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' house.  It was my first time to ever make a pie of any kind!  It ended up having a  pretty good flavor, liquid center, and burned crust!  I plan on perfecting pumpkin pie this year, so any tips/recipes are welcomed.

And even though I don't know as much as I should about football, seeing this for the first time every year and hearing Rocky Top brings back the best memories:

For David, fall is all about Mississippi State football and hunting!

Most of all, I think fall is about winding down from a busy summer and spending time thinking about the countless blessings in our lives.  I couldn't be more grateful for today.  Have a happy fall weekend :)

Baked Ziti with Spinach

Tonight I tried a new recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes, Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach.  It was a keeper!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole grain ziti (or penne) pasta
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and pressed with paper towels to get the water out
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 8 oz fat-free ricotta
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• 2 cups (8 oz) part skim mozzarella
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste 

1.  Preheat oven to 375°.  Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with oil spray.

2.  Cook pasta according to instructions.  Drain and return to pot.

3.  Add olive oil to a large saucepan, and saute garlic.  Add chopped spinach and crushed tomatoes. Season with oregano, fresh basil, salt, and pepper.

4.  Add sauce to the pasta and combine.  Add the parmesan cheese, ricotta, and half of the mozzarella cheese.  Mix well and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

5.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.  Top with the remaining mozzarella.

6.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and lightly browned.



After we enjoyed it!


I didn't want David to have any preconceived notions, so I still haven't told him it was low fat!  He enjoyed it and didn't seem to notice :)

I hope you like it as much as we did!  Have a happy week!

Affordable Updates

Decorating our house has been a lot of fun, but sometimes the cost of new furniture and accessories is overwhelming.  I've been pondering practical ways to update the look of our home, and I just wanted to share a few ideas.

1.  Add bright pillows to chairs, couches, and beds.  While some pillows are very expensive, it's easy to find affordable options, and pillows really do make a world of difference.  Check out the sale at Pottery Barn for some reasonably priced pillows:  http://www.potterybarn.com/shop/sale/sale-accessories-decor/sale-pillows-throws/
 

Look how the pillows made this room come alive!

2.  Decorate with books - both old and new.  Books add an element of sophistication and warmth to any room.





I love books arranged by color, and it looks great on a smaller scale too.


3.  Buy new kitchen towels!  It really brightens a kitchen to have pretty towels here and there.  Some of my favorite kitchen towels come from Anthropologie:

4.  Create a picture wall!  You can buy inexpensive frames from Target in a solid color and then add your favorite pictures.  I love using only black and white pictures.

5.  Paint an old piece of furniture.  Most of us have an old piece of furniture that isn't exciting or even pretty.  Buying a small container of paint from Lowe's definitely won't break the bank.  I'm looking forward to painting a chest of drawers I have, and I'm hoping the finished product will look similar to this one:

I'm excited about trying these affordable options, and I'll let you know how they turn out.  Happy Decorating!

A Special Weekend

Labor Day weekend was especially fun this year.  Jessica, Julia, and Betsy visited Jackson!  Julia arrived on Friday night, and we had a wonderful dinner at Underground 119 in downtown Jackson.  Around 9, Betsy and Jessica knocked on my front door, and we stayed up late talking and catching up. 

Jackson was experiencing the effects of the hurricane all weekend, so unfortunately the weather left much to be desired.  But we enjoyed just spending time with each other at home!  We also found a little time to shop and eat!  I was excited to take them to some of my favorite stores in the area, and I will share with you later in the week a few of the recipes I tried.

On Saturday, my older brother, David, and his wife, Anna, stopped by.  They were in town for their precious niece’s first birthday.  Happy 1st Birthday to Emily!  (Anna is actually from Clinton and grew up going to the same church as David (the other David)!  Anna and I have a mutual friend, Kelly, who played matchmaker for both of us.  If you would like to be set up, I would definitely recommend Kelly’s services!)

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was our dinner at Babalu in Fondren and then going to Julep after for a drink.  Here’s a picture from that night:



Jessica, Julia, Me, and Betsy



I’m always so sad when it’s time for a weekend with my friends to end.  It was hard to say goodbye, but I anticipate many more special weekends like this one.  I don't know what in the world I would do without Jessica, Julia, and Betsy!

I hope you enjoyed spending time with friends this Labor Day weekend!

Labor Day

I couldn't be more excited about my Labor Day weekend plans!  Three of my favorite people in the whole world are coming to visit - Betsy, Jessica, and Julia.  The four of us met in college and have remained close friends ever since.  Jessica and Betsy are coming from Nashville, and Julia is coming from High Point, North Carolina.  There is nothing better than a weekend catching up with friends.  We're planning on shopping, laying by the pool, eating good places, and just enjoying being together!

~Julia, Jessica, Betsy, and Me~

David and Huck are pretty excited about their weekend too.  They're heading to Greenville, MS, to spend the weekend dove-hunting.  We wish them luck :)



~an old picture of David and Huck before Huck got so big!~



Have a very happy Labor Day weekend!