Great for a summertime dinner!Recently I tried out a few new recipes for dinner. They are really fresh and great for a summertime dinner inside or out on the patio (if it happens to be cool enough!). I finally decided to try out these two dishes that I found on Pinterest. Both recipes are a twist on caprese salad...and they were both delicious! Hope y'all enjoy! First, I made Caprese Stuffed Chicken Foil Packs...this recipe is from The Wholesome Dish (you can find their website here). This recipe makes 2 servings. I tripled the recipe for what is pictured in the photo. Below is the recipe for 2 servings. Ingredients: 2 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil 10 cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp. salt (divided) 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (divided) 1 medium zucchini 1 medium yellow squash 1 tsp. olive oil 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (I just sprinkled a little oregano and a TINY bit of crushed red pepper flakes instead) 2 (6 oz.) chicken breasts Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, gently combine mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, vinegar, 1/4 tsp. of the salt, and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper. Set. aside. Cut ends off of zucchini. Cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/2 inch slices. Repeat with the squash. Tear off two long pieces of aluminum foil. Divide zucchini and squash between the two pieces of foil, gathering them in the middle of each sheet. Drizzle the zucchini and squash pieces with the olive oil and sprinkle the Italian (or other) seasoning. Sprinkle each with a dash of salt and pepper. Set aside. Placing one of the chicken breasts on a cutting board and covering with plastic wrap, use a mallet to pound the chicken out thin and flat (about 1/2 inch thick). Repeat with the other chicken breast. Divide the tomato mixture between the two chicken breasts, arranging it in a strip on the chicken. Roll the chicken around the filling and secure the seam with 2-3 toothpicks (I had to use more). Try to keep the toothpicks from sticking out too much so they don't break the foil (but be careful to not forget about them after they are cooked!) Place the stuffed chicken on top of the zucchini and squash piles. Sprinkle each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Bringing the longest ends of the foil up around the chicken, roll them together. Roll the other ends of the foil in, making a sealed packet. Place the packets on a large baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Let them cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! (I took out the stuffed chicken and put the zucchini and squash in a separate bowl for serving). Next, I made Fresh Mozzarella Pasta Salad...this comes from Lil' Luna (you can find their website here). I loved this pasta salad...it was so fresh and tasty! Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed 2 plum tomatoes, diced 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil garlic salt, to taste (I sprinkled a little minced garlic and used sea salt) 1 Tbsp. olive oil Directions:
Cook orzo as it is directed on the box. Drain and let it cool. Place pasta, tomatoes, basil, and cheese cubes in a large bowl (I used a deep dish pie plate for a pretty display). Add salt and olive oil. Gently mix until all the ingredients are coated. Serve and enjoy! (This can be served immediately but I also enjoyed it after it had chilled in the refrigerator).
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A Bridal ShowerIt's wedding season! My friend is getting married and I recently helped host a shower for her with several ladies. I think it turned out super cute so I decided to share it on the blog! We held the shower in a church fellowship hall...we made a simple space pretty with all the decor! She likes the color orange, so we decided to incorporate that, hot pink, and lime green for a bright, sunny, summer bridal shower! I'm looking forward to all the wedding festivities to come! One of the things we wanted to tie into the shower was photos of the bride- and groom-to-be! I used card stock and lace paper doilies as the background for their photos. I also collected some tree branches and spray painted them rustic white. One of the ladies found an awesome, large, vintage glass jug for the branches. We tied a sparkly white tulle bow around the mouth of the jug, then used mini clothespins to anchor the photos to the branches! Weeks before the shower, I sewed fabric squares out of this sophisticated but fun duck fabric. It was the perfect combo of orange and pink for centerpieces on the round tables at the shower. We also used them on the buffet. To complete the centerpieces, we filled mason jars with sliced oranges for a pretty pop of sunny color! We added a magnolia blossom to each mason jar...so southern and bridal! For the buffet, we used iridescent green fabric with a white tablecloth overlay. I found an idea to use a grouping of gold pineapples for the buffet centerpiece! One of the ladies helping host the shower spray painted three pineapples in gold metallic paint...they turned out to be stunning, southern, and summery! We placed one on a white cake plate to give it some height and placed the other two on either side. We also tried a new punch for the shower. It was delicious! The punch was the perfect color to coordinate with the shower decor too! We made and sampled the punch ahead of time to ensure that we liked it...what better way to do that than in a Lilly coozie?! :) The shower guests seemed to LOVE the punch...several people asked about it, so I figured I would share the recipe on here! I found the recipe through Pinterest, from Bakingdom (you can find her blog here). Party Punch Recipe Ingredients: 3 cups water 1 cup sugar 1 3oz. package strawberry gelatin mix 24oz. pineapple juice 2 cups orange juice 1/3 cup lemon juice 2 liter bottle clear lemon-lime soda (we used Sprite) Directions: In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water, and gelatin mix. Bring to boil and cook for 2-3 mins (until all sugar is dissolved). Remove from heat. Stir in orange juice, pineapple juice, and lemon juice. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Pour into a freezer-safe container once cooled (we used gallon-size Ziplock bags) and place inside a large bowl. Freeze the mixture. The day you use the punch: allow mixture to thaw in sink for several hours until it is slushy. Add the clear lemon-lime soda and gently stir. Serve and enjoy! :) We used galvanized metal trays on each end of the buffet for the plates, napkins, and forks...and for the mason jars with orange-striped straws! For the buffet, we also did two mason jars filled with sliced limes for a pop of the bright green color! These had magnolia blossoms in them as well. Another thing we did to decorate for the shower was a grouping of tissue pom poms, etc. hanging from the ceiling. A couple weeks before the shower, I made white twine globes and lace globes to hang. I made these using partially inflated balloons and papier mache. We bought tissue pom poms in white, pink, green, and orange to go with them. We hung them above the bride- and groom-to-be's seats for the shower. I also made a pennant banner to hang on the gift table, with gold pineapples! To welcome guests to the shower, I made a chalkboard. We placed it on an easel and tied balloons in the shower colors to the top! I decorated mason jars with handles for the bride- and groom-to-be...a bow for the Future Mrs. and a bow-tie for the Future Mr.! It ended up being a festive and fun-filled shower and we had a ball celebrating the beautiful bride-to-be!
It's blueberry season!We've been picking fresh blueberries this summer and there have been a ton! With an abundance of delicious blueberries, we've made this awesome summertime treat, perfect for a dessert or even breakfast with coffee. It's called Blueberry Buckle! My mom, my friend, and I made it the other day and it turned out great. We got the recipe from a sweet lady who has been a family friend for a long time. It is so good, I thought I would document it and share! Here's the recipe! Ingredients: 2 cups self-rising flour 2 cups sugar 3 eggs, beaten 1 cup cooking oil 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup chopped nuts (we used pecans) 2 cups blueberries (works great if they are fresh blueberries that have been frozen, the ingredients stick to them better) Directions: Reserve 1/4 cup flour to coat nuts and berries. Combine remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Make a well in the mixture. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla. Beat with a spoon until thoroughly mixed. Coat nuts and berries with reserved flour. Fold into mixture. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan (the mixture will be very thick). Bake at 350 degrees to 35-40 mins or until done. Enjoy!
Light Pink!Here are some things I've found or been using recently that I really like! Signature Soy candle in "Sugared Meringue"// Similar here at Target// I found this candle at Target a few months ago and I absolutely love the scent! I haven't been able to find "Sugared Meringue" since then unfortunately, but they have several other scents that smell great. The link here is to "Island Coconut" in the same brand. Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in "Carolina Coast"// Find it here at Walgreen's// I've been trying several of the Burt's Bees lipsticks, etc. recently and really like them. I've enjoyed this lip crayon a lot...and of course the shade name is awesome! Kate Spade crossbody purse: Cedar Street Racing Stripe Cali// My in-laws gave me this adorable purse for Christmas and I have loved carrying it! It can be carried as a clutch or a cross body purse (the strap is inside). The soft pink and metallic gold goes great with so many outfits! Drybar "Hot Toddy"// Find it here at Sephora// This tiny bottle lasts a long time because it only takes a little amount...the one pictured here is the 1.7 oz. bottle. This is a heat and UV protectant for your hair. I apply a small amount to my hair when it is damp to protect it against the hair dryer and curling iron/straightener. Essie polish in "muchi muchi"// Find it here at Walgreen's// This is probably my favorite Essie polish I've ever used. This light pink color goes with so much! Essie polish in "marshmallow"// Find it here at Walgreen's// I really like this color in the Essie polish that I've recently tried. The marshmallow white goes great with everything and is great in the summer with a tan! American Flag PalletHey y'all! It's been a while since I've posted on Grits and Pearls...I'm finally back on the blog and I have several things coming up to post! I've seen these pallet flags on Pinterest and have been wanting to make one since last summer. This week I finally did. It was a really fun project, fairly simple, and turned out to be a super cute decoration outside! All you need for this project: A pallet (preferably one with wide boards and smaller gaps between the boards) Several paintbrushes (some tiny and some large) Navy blue acrylic paint White acrylic paint Deep red acrylic paint Cut-out of a star (I found one online, printed it off, and cut it out) Pencil First, I had the top board of the pallet cut off to make it more square. Then, use something with a straight edge to trace a line down the middle of the first three sections of boards (for the blue section of the flag). Next, trace all of your stars out on the pallet. *Note: you can paint the blue first and then the stars, but I painted the stars first so they would look a little more defined when I painted the blue. Then, paint an outline on each of the white stars. Next, fill in the white for the stars. Then paint a blue outline around each of the stars. Next, fill in the whole blue section. The rest is simple...paint the boards alternating red and white. I did a second coat on the stripes to make them stand out well. Let it dry and it's finished! Happy Fourth of July! I hope everyone has a great one!"I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land." -Ronald Reagan
Gift Basket for Bride-to-be!Do you have a newly engaged friend? Here's a great gift idea to celebrate this exciting time with her! One of my best friends recently got engaged and I made this gift basket for her. It was so much fun to put together! Can't wait for her big day! A few ideas of things that I used in the basket: The cute moroccan-print gold and cream basket is from Hobby Lobby. Gold dot cosmetic case for holding makeup, etc. for all the upcoming wedding events! Gold stripe clipboard and blue/gold dot journal for lots of wedding planning to come (from Hobby Lobby and Books-a-million). Blue/gold initial tumbler (Books-a-million) Jewelry polish for her new bling! Nail file and Essie polish to keep her manicure great with her ring! Martinelli's sparkling cider...perfect for celebrating! "Bless your heart" thank you cards...for all the thank you notes to come (from Wal-Mart) Washboard metal "C"...the initial of her new last name-to-be! Burt's Bees colored lip balm Chocolate, and of course, a Ring Pop! Gold dot jewelry dish for the new ring (from Hobby Lobby) White/gold "Mrs" mug (from Hobby Lobby)...I LOVED this (and wanted one for myself)! The Knot: The Carolinas magazine Southern Weddings magazine (my absolute favorite wedding magazine when I was planning my wedding!)...their website here. I used a gold and cream color theme...perfect for wedding/engagement! I also used a few pops of blue for fun. I used cream-colored crinkle paper in the basket to raise the gifts up and add cushion. Once you have all the goodies for the gift, you just have to put the basket together! I also bought some thin gold dot ribbon to tie on a few of the items in the basket. To finish it, I just added a bow I made with some sheer, cream, sparkly ribbon!
It's one of the greatest times of year...March Madness. It's such a fun time to watch your favorite college basketball team (and root against your rival)! Here are some of my favorite things for watching the games from home! People are watching a ton of games on TV, and for all of your favorite game day snacks, dishes with your favorite team on them are perfect! I love this UNC platter and chevron dish! I hang the UNC tea towel in our kitchen during basketball season, so cute! My mom found the Carolina Yankee Candle for me, perfect to burn in your living room while you're watching the games! I also love this Carolina polka-dot bowl my husband and I found at Southern Season in Chapel Hill (such a cool store!) You can find their website here. This is one of my favorite T-shirts! I found it at Underground Printing on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. You can find it here. My husband got me this charm bracelet for Christmas, I love it! It's from Moon & Lola. You can pick and choose from lots of different charms they have. Mine has the pearl, gold "C" initial, and North Carolina charm in Carolina blue. You can find their website here. Go Heels!!Homemade Valentines!A few weeks ago, my friend and I wanted to do a fun, crafty activity. We knew Valentine's Day was coming up so our crafternoon turned into these adorable homemade Valentine's cards. We made a trip to Michael's and stocked up on supplies and then had a ball. If you're looking for a fairly simple, fun craft or activity for Valentine's Day, here is a great one! It's fun to do while you're watching one of your favorite TV shows (which is what we did) and they're perfect to send to your friends and family for Valentine's Day!
Sugar Cookie CutenessValentine's Day is this weekend! I wanted to do something fun and festive...I had a roll of sugar cookie dough that I never used from Christmas and finally decided to use it. Last year for Valentine's, my mother-in-law gave me this cute set of heart cookie cutters and this was the perfect opportunity to use them! If you're looking for a simple, but fun little project for Valentine's Day this year, here you go! I just used some pink and white icing, decorative edible pearls, candy crystals in red and pink, and Valentine's sprinkles on these sugar cookies. It was really fun making and decorating them...and my husband had a lot of fun eating them. I got this adorable little bowl at Target last week...it is white with a lace design on the outside, and pink with a little heart on the inside. You can find it here. Super cute for Valentine's Day! Happy Valentine's Day y'all!Strawberry Shortcake CakeI'm finally back on the blog after a LONG break from it at Christmas! I wanted to share about the Strawberry Shortcake Cake I made recently...my husband loves strawberries so I decided to try out this new recipe I found for his birthday cake! One of the places we went on dates in college was Nantucket Cafe in Chapel Hill. If you are ever there, I highly recommend their Strawberry Shortcake cake...it is our favorite! I wanted to make something similar for his birthday. I wanted to make something completely from scratch and make a little project out of it. This recipe I found sounded awesome so that's what I tried! I found it on Pinterest from rosebakes.com, link to the original recipe here. Disclaimer: This cake takes a SUPER long time to make...but it's worth it if you have time. It has a lot of different steps, but it was fun to make and it comes together as a huge, beautiful cake! And...it turned out to be DELICIOUS! Step 1: The Frosting Ingredients: 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup granulated sugar 5 cups heavy cream I recommend doing this step first because it needs to sit in the fridge for a while before you use it (you can make it up to 12 hours in advance if you need to). I chilled my mixing bowl in the fridge for a while before starting. I started using the whisk attachment and my stand mixer, but actually found that my hand mixer with the whisk attachment worked even better for this. In the chilled bowl, add in the vanilla extract, sugar, and heavy cream. Mix at medium speed until medium peaks form. Cover and refrigerate frosting until well chilled (I did several hours). Step 2: The Strawberries Ingredients: 3 pints fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled (about 5 cups) 3 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest Combine all of the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Toss to thoroughly cover the strawberries. Let them sit at room temp. for at least 20 mins (I did them after the frosting and let them sit while I did all the other cake steps, which was plenty of time). I set 5 strawberries aside at the beginning (do not soak them with the other ingredients) to use for decoration on the top of the cake. Step 3: The Cake Ingredients: 2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup water 1 tsp. grated lemon zest 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract 6 large eggs, separated 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9" (original recipe calls for 8" pans, but I used 9") pans with baking spray (or grease and flour pans). In mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In separate mixing bowl, combine oil, water, lemon zest, vanilla extract, egg yolks, and 1 1/4 cups of the sugar. Mix with whisk attachment on hand or stand mixer on medium speed until batter is airy and light in color (around 5-7 mins). Scrape down sides of the bowl and add dry ingredients. Whip for around one more minute (until smooth). In another clean bowl, whip the separated egg whites to medium peaks. Gently add remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in about 1/3 off egg white mixture into cake batter until every distributed. Then add remaining egg whites just until combined (make sure you don't over mix this). Pour batter into pans (divide it equally between the two pans). Bake for around 25 mins (original recipe calls for 30-35 mins with 8" pans), or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on cooling rack in pans for at least 15 mins. Run a knife around edges before flipping them out to cool completely. Step 4: The Filling Ingredients: 1 cup mascarpone cheese 1 cup heavy cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract This is good to make while the cake is in the oven. With whisk attachment on hand or stand mixer, mix together mascarpone cheese, vanilla, and heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form. Immediately cover and refrigerate. Step 5: Putting the cake together! Drain the strawberries and reserve the syrup. Divide the syrup in half. Once cake has completely cooled, use a serrated knife to cut off a small sliver of the domed top of each cake (giving you a fresh and exposed layer of cake to absorb the syrup). Using a pastry brush, brush a bowl of the syrup on each of the cake layers (on the cut side of the cake). Put the first cake layer down, syrup side up, on the cake plate. Evenly spread 1/4 of the filling over the bottom cake layer. Arrange the strawberries standing up (with the steam end down) on top of the thin filling layer. Make sure they are fairly even across the cake (trim them down if needed to make them level). Cover the strawberries with the remaining filling. Make sure you fill in all of the empty space. Stack the second cake layer over the filling (syrup side down), pressing it down gently to secure it. Using a butter knife (or offset spatula), spread a thin layer of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Put it back in the refrigerator for about 15 mins to let it set. Then, generously spread the remaining frosting (I still had a good bit left over) all over the top and sides of the cake. Place back in the refrigerator for at least 15 mins before serving so frosting can set. Enjoy! It was a fun birthday!
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BLOG OF A...Southern Belle and Carolina girl who loves Jesus, family, and life below the Mason-Dixon line. A Fan of Southern hospitality, grits and biscuits, pearls and bow ties, cotton and magnolias, sunshine and sweet tea, and all things monogrammed! Archives
December 2016
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