Labor Day Recap
Hoo wee, what a good long fun Labor Day weekend. Three full days of friends, yummy food, football, movies, and time in the garden. A couple of comments:
- Movie “Book of Eli”… goodness it was great. Still thinking about it.
- I got a weird rash for 24 hours after severe garden pruning. Note to self: Benadryl is great but lasts in my system for a very long time. Still fighting the sleepies.
- JD and I went tailgating and to the Vanderbilt game… tickets and food (Jim ‘n Nicks) were free to all employees and their families. Seriously, it is good to work for Vandy.
- Tried and failed at running in the morning… my pal Libby is trying to convince me to run this awesome 5K, but I have more energy in the evening. How do I get myself ready for an early morning run?
- Started listening to Vampire Weekend again. They sound a lot like Paul Simon, another favorite.
- Over the weekend, we took advantage of the Labor Day Whole Foods deal: 8 burgers, 8 buns, 8 slices of cheese, coleslaw and two cantaloupes for $20. Pretty awesome. JD did a great job on our burgers.
- Last night, JD and I stayed up until almost 1 a.m. watching “Notting Hill” for the 27th time. Ah, the pleasures of married life… always having a buddy to make bad sleep decisions with.
Friday Feast: Fried Green Tomatoes
It is tomato season here in Tennessee, and my tomato plants are producing! (Don’t you love the smell of tomato plants in the sun? Such a potent, striking smell… but a fresh one too.) Unfortunately, I get prematurely excited when the tomatoes start growing, and I end up picking them off the vine too soon. But, this means we have this week’s Friday Feast: fried green tomatoes (FGTs).
This was actually my second attempt with FGTs… the first try resulted in batter that just fell off the ‘mater. No fun. But, I pulled out the trustworthy “Real Simple” magazine recipe, and it hit the spot. It was still not perfect — they were kind of bland — but they looked (and were cooked) great.
Fried Green Tomatoes (adapted from Real Simple Magazine)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Cleanup time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 pound green tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup canola oil
salt
Kate’s additions: Tabasco, more salt, freshly ground pepper
- Place the flour, eggs, and cornmeal in 3 separate shallow bowls. (I would add Tabasco to the eggs, and salt and pepper to the cornmeal.)
- Dip the tomatoes first in the flour, then in the eggs (letting the excess drip off), and finally in the cornmeal, pressing gently to help it adhere.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the tomatoes until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.
Circular Accessories and Horizon Relief
It’s been a few years since I highlighted Baton Rouge-based Circular Accessories, my very first Etsy purchase shop. I checked back with them recently (since I’m obviously still wearing my favorite scissors shirt) and found that the shop owner has created a line of shirts where proceeds go to the Horizon Relief Fund, a Louisiana organization that helps the Gulf Coast Seafood Community whose livelihoods have been devastated by the disaster.
Horizon Relief shirt ($12)
Meatball onesie ($19)
Beaucoup Fleur de Lis shirt ($28)
Gigantic Goldfish Dress ($38)
Red Beans and Rice shirt ($29)
Sweet Dreams Jade Top ($32)
Overall the shop is a great one, with crisp, clean and appealing images on good lasting shirts!
Thirty before 30 List is here!
Ooh, did you notice? I slipped in a new page below the masthead… it’s my “Thirty before 30″ list, referenced in this post. I can’t believe it took me this long to put it all together, but here it is.
I had a hard time assembling the list because I had self-imposed criteria. Each item had to be significant (as in, something I could not easily do, like visit a specific restaurant). Secondly, each item does not specifically depend on money. With our current financial situation, I did not want things to be dependent on how much money we earned. With the exception of getting a Home Energy Audit (one of my more boring choices), most can be done very cheaply and with a bit of creativity to keep costs low. Finally, I wanted to make a list that pushed me a bit. I’ve felt in a creative rut recently, and I’m hoping an actual list will boost me in the right direction.
I’ll keep you posted as I knock things off the list, but consider me feeling challenged! I’ve got a lot to do!
Meeting Olivia
I’m an aunt! And, if you’re Facebook friends with me, you’ll see all the cute pictures of my new niece Olivia Grace. We took a weekend trip down to Marietta to visit the newborn and the new mama and daddy, and we had a bunch of fun. Here are some snapshots of the trip.
Hangman is the best car game!
JD meets his new favorite girl.
My favorite up-close pic of little Livie.
This was fun! (Shirt from Circular Accessories!)
Livie’s Welcome Home banner I made! (It reads, “Welcome Home, Livie!”)
Friday Feast: Four-Something Margaritas
Guys, I’m excited to announce that I have a new niece! I’m officially an aunt, and I’m going to meet little Livie today! This has absolutely nothing to do with what I’m about to write today, considering my Friday Feast is an alcoholic beverage. But, keep an eye out this weekend for pictures, perhaps while drinking this awesome margarita?
So, my boss gave me this recipe (cool boss, eh?), and JD and I have been making these margaritas all summer. Oh man are they great, and very easy to make. I still can’t remember if they are called Four-Square or Four-Score, so for now, I’m just calling them Four-Something Margaritas, because they only require four ingredients.
Ingredients:
one can of frozen limeade
one limeade can full of tequila
one Mexican beer (Tecate, Corona and Bud Light Lime work well)
one Fresca
And, voila! An amazing, tart margarita that is perfect after a long day or shared with friends. The carbonation gives it an extra kick, and over ice, it’s a perfect punch.
Only 21 more years and I can pour one of these for Livie!! heehee
Lovely Papier
I have been awaiting this post for a few months now, and I’m so excited that today is the day of the big announcement! My friend Jessica has opened her very own Etsy shop, and it is officially open for business! Lovely Papier is a shop full of handmade notecards. I am so impressed with how it all looks, and I’m so thrilled for her. (Click on each picture to follow the link to the shop.)
I actually got an advanced copy of some of the notecards directly from Jessica a week or so ago, and I felt so special to get a first look at what would be offered. I love the texture and the whimsical look of each one. I know she put tons of effort into them, and I’m so proud to see it all in her shop.
And just for fun, here’s a picture of me and Jessica at senior prom in 2000! heehee
Rope Bracelet DIY project
We are nearing summer’s end (thank goodness, I heart Fall), but I found a DIY-rope bracelet project that seemed to epitomize the beach/sailor look. It takes very little effort and can be done with scrap rope or other twine around the house.
I ended up making the three above, using the tutorial here, on Etsy’s blog. I also spiced up that middle one with paint, which I think makes it a little more fun.
(Ignore that pale skin… a beach trip is on the horizon!)
Friday Feast: Leftover Calzone
Picture this: it’s lunch after church. You’ve done a beautiful job planning out the week of meals, but you’re hungry, it’s Sunday, and your budget doesn’t allow a dinner out. You have a bunch of little stuff left but not enough to have a meal of leftovers. Why not take some of that to make a calzone?
On this past Sunday lunch, we found ourselves in that exact predicament. We had a little bit of spinach left from my week of salads, a half eaten bag of mozzarella cheese, a Tupperware of hot sausage that we used for omelets, and mushrooms. And, Publix was having a sale on both pizza dough and tomato sauce. We were a little tired of pizzas, so what’s the next best thing? Calzones.
Leftover Calzone
Ingredients
for the calzone…
pizza dough
middle toppings (We used spinach, mushrooms, sausage and mozzarella. Other good alternatives include feta cheese, ricotta, pepperoni, peppers, tomatoes, chicken, etc. Get creative!)
oil to brush over the top
for the sauce…
can of tomato sauce
garlic
parsley
EVOO
Tabasco
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Roll the pizza dough out to make a flat surface. (Note: pizza dough is best at room temperature and is better when left out for an hour prior to rolling out.) Cut the pizza dough into quarters.
- In a bowl, mix your middle toppings together. Drop your toppings together on top of each quarter (no need to cook the spinach or mushrooms… that’ll happen in the oven!).
- Fold one edge of the dough over the toppings and pinch the edges together. It’ll be tight, but no biggie! Everything will come out great in the end.
- Rub EVOO on the top of each calzone and place on a greased cookie sheet.
- Place in the oven for about 15 minutes. (I have a tendency to under-cook dough, so I ended up putting mine in for 20 minutes, which was also fine.)
- While the calzones are cooking, over low heat, warm the sauce ingredients over the stove.
So yummy! And, as JD can attest, they are also great as leftovers a day later.
Thursday Link Love
Guys, it’s just one of those Thursdays. I passed out big time last night with a yummy homemade margarita in my belly… it had been a long day. Work is getting busier, students are on their way next week, and I spent approximately 40% of my day standing in heels. I love posting on this blog, but it definitely takes the back burner when life is full. I have a few projects and posts cued up for the next few days, so get excited. But, for now, here are a few of my favorites around the web:
I’ve been craving this recipe for weeks…. doesn’t this look like the perfect summer evening dinner?
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What a fun blog idea… Mila’s Daydreams.
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I’m definitely adding this to my 30 Before 30 list… A Thing A Day challenge. Unclutter your house one item per day.
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Thanks to one of my favorite blogs, check out this documentary about a cute old NYC couple that has a major art collection that started out from cat-sitting Christo’s cat (!!!!!). (I heart Christo, btw.)
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I really enjoyed this post by Grace on staying focused.
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Ooh! Check out this cute “meal planner” freebie offered by decor8 and Ollibird.
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Lucky for Meghan, she made the perfect snickerdoodle. Lucky for us, she has shared the recipe.
Justice in the Suburbs
Yes!!!!!!!!!!
Wine Nights
Let me just say that my very favorite person to hang out with, hands down, is my husband. I mean, come on. I took a big old vow to love him for-ev-er, and fortunately for me, I like him too. He is my #1 go-to person for all news, funny jokes, and advice. I stand by my man.
That said, I really enjoy my only-girl time too. Every few weeks or so, I get a healthy dose at ladies-only Wine Night, and it amazingly does wonders for my mood and stress level.
Our group members vary, but we’re all in our late 20s/early 30s. Some of us are married, some single, some mommies. Our conversations are usually about our days, sometimes about our jobs and politics, but mostly about the men in our lives. We have nicknames for each other too (you can guess mine), and we arrive in everything from work clothes to gym shorts. We prefer red wine paired with hummus and fruit, and we typically crash at our houses, decks, or on special occasions, a local establishment.
It’s so rare to find that feeling of community, but I also think it takes a little work. We continue to have these wine nights after a few years because we’re intentional about them. The group has made it an important part of their routine… emailing each other times, buying fun wines to fit a quirky theme, and showing up to an evening with a bunch of non-#1s in their lives.
Last Thursday, I had all of the girls over to my house while JD was at the Tom Petty concert. At one point during the night, as we crowded around my kitchen table, the seven of us giggling about relationship advice from an experienced married bird to a newlywed chick, I realized how wonderfully blessed I am to be surrounded with a bunch of loving, hilarious and encouraging girlfriends.
Guest Friday Feast: Pasta alla Momma
I promise you I still cook. I do! Even though we’ve had quite a few guest cooks and last week’s cop-out picture gallery Friday Feast, I promise I still cook regularly. (Honestly, lately I’ve done a ton of salads, but those aren’t as interesting as bigger dinners!) My mom actually made a lovely eggplant recipe from a book I gave my dad for Father’s Day: Cooking School Italian. (It is an adaptation of the Spaghetti alla Norma, so I’ve aptly named it: Pasta alla Momma.) You won’t see me making many eggplant recipes in the Stuart household, so I thought it was a great opportunity to show you a fun eggplant recipe. And, I promise to give you a lot more Kate Schmate original Friday Feasts from now on!
Pasta alla Momma
Preparation time: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup olive oil
2 pounds tomatoes chopped (unpeeled)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 medium-sized eggplant (unpeeled)
8 oz. dried linguini (spaghetti works too)
1 tablespoon basil
salt substitute and salt free lemon pepper
3/4 cup grated Pecorino (or parmesan) cheese
- Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in large pan. Cook tomatoes, garlic, salt substitute and lemon pepper for 10 minutes.
- Heat remaining oil in skillet and saute eggplants for about 5 minutes, until evenly golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
- Boil pasta in lightly salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and place in serving
bowl. - Stir drained eggplant into the tomato mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add basil.
- Pour tomato mixture on pasta and sprinkle cheese on top. (The original recipe called for half of the cheese to be mixed with the tomatoes
during step 4, and I did that in these pictures, but I found it made the sauce too mushy. Too, I think shredded cheese would be better than grated.) - Serve immediately.
Don’t laugh… more prints!
I’m working on a couple of projects that I’m excited to show you soon, but until then, I want to throw out some prints that have been inspiring me lately. Maybe because we’ve hosted a few dinners with new friends (or old friends who have finally come to visit), but I have found myself explaining three different times about a particular mosquito print that I made in my Printmaking class at Watkins a few years ago. I love the print… it’s simple, crisp and clean, and it reminds me of the fun things I made in my class. I really want to take another class this fall, but there are several things standing in the way. I know I can work on things at home, but I’m still figuring out the best way to do it. Here are a few pretty prints that have been on my mind.
It’s Teatime by Seasprayblue … I love the textured background on this print.
Chrysler Building print by Monster Gallery
Wild Garden Kaleidoscopic by The Yumi Yumi Shop
Home is where the HeART is by Dear Colleen
Feathers Block Print by 1 canoe 2
Not-so-Shabby Apple
Here in the Stuart household, I’m on an unspoken clothes-buying moratorium due to our one-income lifestyle these days. This isn’t really a big deal, mostly because I have been shopping in my own closet; a more regimented exercise routine has opened up my clothing options to things I haven’t worn since circa 2004. (Woot!)
Otherwise, I love looking at clothing and styles. And, even though I can’t buy the things I like and see, I can definitely appreciate what is for sale, as well as how a shop sells their product.
One store that intrigued me recently was Shabby Apple, thanks to Jen. This online shop is full of dresses and accessories, but most importantly, it has a great option to shop by your body type. So, after answering a couple of questions, I found that I have a pear body shape and that the following dresses are perfect for me. Isn’t that nice?
White Eyelet dress ($76)
This is perhaps my favorite one, Madison Avenue ($76). I love the off-centered buttons.
The “Skyscraper” line is a fun one. The CEO is $96.
The San Gabriel is stunning too. ($86)
Definitely worth checking out… it was fun to browse around by body shape as well as by style.
I’m still working on my 30 Before 30 list to show you… I have a few gaps left, but I’m close to being done. Any suggestions before I show it to you? (I refuse to get over my fear of snakes… I’m just going to be scared of them forever.)
