Royal Wedding, I'm Over You.

First and foremost, I'm not a fan of Kate. Period. Not because she's marrying Prince William {personally, Prince Harry is more my type} , but because she's a snob! Ugh. I had high hopes, because I always thought she was so pretty and looked down to earth, and then I watched an interview on 20/20 and it blew it! I think she's a snobby brat from her mannerisms to the way she speaks. She will NEVER be fabulous and amazing like Princess Diana EVER!

Apparently I'm not the only one that thinks she's a bitch. One of the guards actually got fired for calling her one via facebook. Read on here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/25/cameron-reilly-scots-guar_n_853229.html

Although I'm not a fan, I have to admit I'll still be watching. I work in the wedding industry so I'm just curious to see what the new trends are going to be moving forward. We all know that everyone is going to try to replicate everything from the colors to the dress, cake, flowers.. everything. So I figured I should see it in the flesh before I see the copy-cats.

To celebrate the craziness of the media and the Royal Wedding, I have some fun treats for you to see in commemoration. Don't be jealous you didn't think of these yourself. I chuckled as I scrolled through them listed on MSN . These are just my favorites:

Your own William & Kate sheets!

I will always be a bigger fan of Harry

Papa John's is doing a Royal Pizza in England

And lastly, tea bags.



Seriously? People are really buying these items. What has this world come to?!

Secrets of The South

It's crazy to think our two year anniversary of living in the south is quickly approaching. I love our lifestyle down here and wouldn't change it for the crappy PA weather and rude people in a heartbeat.

I've met some amazing people here, and have learned some southern secrets that only one would learn from someone who was born and raised in the south.


1. Bounce dryer sheets not only make your clothes smell fresh and clean, but if wiped on the arms and legs act as a fantastic bug repellant.

2. Southern ladies don't say f*ck, rather, they say Shut The Front Door. I say, that's f*cking hilarious!

3. The higher the hair the closer you are to God.



4. You don't have to be old to be called Mam, or young to be called Miss.

5. Southern ladies aren't bitches, but they are passive aggressive as hell. For instance, when writing a thank you note that your really NOT thankful, make sure you don't use the word "I" unless you mean it. If you can manage to write an entire note without that word your the passive aggressive queen.

xoxox

Creme Brulee French Toast

We don't have very many Easter traditions for our little family, but this one will be newly inducted. Momma and Daddy passed along this delicious must tray and VERY easy recipe:

*Note: this recipe is best when kept overnight and cooked off the next day

What You'll Need:
1 Stick Butter
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
5 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Half and Half
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 Cup Grand Marnier
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
French Bread, Cup into 1 Inch Slices

In a small sauce pan combine and melt down butter, brown sugar & corn syrup {on medium heat}. Once melted, pour on the bottom of a 13x10 baking dish.

Next, cut 1 inch slices of French bread, trim crusts and layer in baking dish. I use enough to cover the bottom of the baking dish {approx 8-10 pieces}.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt.

Pour mixture evenly on top of bread in baking dish.

Let sit for at least 8 hours or overnight in refrigerator.

 Pull out baking dish from refrigerator and let get room temperature before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes.

Yes, it was that easy. & OMG. Enjoy. It's like dessert!

Happy Easter From Justin, Francesca, The Girls & Bobby Flay

Unfortunately, I can't post as a video to the blog, but clicking and watching this link will make you laugh your butt off!

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/Ls3HC2pPXJfWy487

Enjoy & Happy Easter!

Spinach TBM Pizza

TMB= tomato, basil & mozzarella. Since it's feeling like summer here in gorgeous Charleston, I've been craving some fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. It's not quite tomato season locally, so I've been finding some really yummy ripe ones from Costco. I picked some up along with some fresh mozzarella and basil and whipped up this delicious pizza. Since the crust is nice and think, I also came up with this Papa Johns wanna-be dipping sauce and it turned out AMAZING!

What you'll need:
1 Ball Fresh Pizza Dough {purchased mine at Newton Farms, but you can get it any grocery store that sells fresh made pizza}
4 Small Cherry Tomatoes off of the vine, Sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/4 Cup Fresh Spinach, Whole
5 Leaves Fresh Basil, Sliced
3 Tablespoons Pasta Sauce {I use DiSalvo's of course!}
1 Dash Olive Oil
1 Ball Fresh Mozzarella, Sliced
Salt & Pepper to Taste

For Dipping Sauce:
1/2 Stick Butter
2 Cloves Minced Garlic

Preheat Oven to 500 Degrees.

Roll out pizza dough or stretch with your hands to form a pizza pan.

Drizzle with Olive Oil and rub into dough. Add two cloves minced garlic to dough and spread through out. Next, take pasta sauce and spread evenly through close to edges.

Sprinkle with fresh spinach leaves to cover. Slice tomatoes to cover evenly as shown below.

Add on top sliced basil and spread evenly. Then slice off fresh mozzarella and cover evenly.

Use fresh ground pepper and salt on top for flavor. Bake at 500 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Once pizza is finished, let sit for 5 minutes until cool.

For Dipping Sauce:
1/2 Stick Butter
2 Cloves Minced Garlic

In a microwave safe bowl add in 1 stick butter, 2 cloves of garlic- minced. Microwave for 40 seconds or until completely melted. Stir together & use to dip crust.

Mangia!

Look-Alike Recap

Since my award show "look-alike" blogs are some of the most popular, I figured I'd give you another but we'll take a stab at reality TV shows.

American Idol has classifications of its own with two of it's current contestants:

Contestant Casey James

vs.

Comedian/Actor Seth Rogen

Contestant Scotty McCreery

vs.

Mad Magazine Man

and, one of my all time favorites- a new show on VH1 Mob Wives . Let's take a look at one of these ladies a little closer.

Renee Graziano

vs.

Ursula from the Little Mermaid

I'm pretty good, aren't I?

The Domestic Man

For those of you that don't already know, I have a fantastic husband. A real man's man, but can also enjoy the finer things in life. He's polished, but also loves manly stuff like oil changes, mowing the lawn and cars.

Here's a little ode to my hubs, and his new blog Rusty Bow tie . It's going to be hilarious and could possibly be more witty then mine- just read his first post.

xoxo

Best Man Speech

Just an ode to wedding season. Although it will be consuming my life for the next 6 months, I do have things to look forward to- like the drunk best man speech. I can only wish I'll get one this good.

Cheers!

6 Shore Road

It's nice having a bff that owns a clothing boutique because you always get a sneak peek at the awesome new lines they carry in the store. I have a new obsession with the 6 Shore Road line that Sally Bettes on King is carrying.

Here are a few of my favorite pieces:

Flip Flop Dress

Tight Rope Romper

&

St. Barth's Kaftan

The last is my absolute favorite, I swear the picture does it NO justice. I purchased this and have a mid-length tank dress I'm going to wear under it so it can be worn out with a pair of heels. It's gorgeous! Now I just need to wait to have hubby take me somewhere fabulous so I can rock this new piece!

I think my favorite part about this new line is the off-the-runway look for such a killer price point. All of those pictured above are under a $110 price point!

Shop On!

For the Foodie- My Top 6

For the foodies, I thought I'd share my top favorite 6 cookbooks of all time. I was going to settle for a top 5 but that would be too routine. So a las, here's my top 6 and why:

1.  Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

With locations in Charleston and Brooklyn, this spot hits the sweet tooth! With recipes directly from their bakery, you can enjoy their signature sweets whenever you'd like. I oogle over the Pumpkin Whoopee Pies in the fall. Check out their site and fun bake shops here .

2. Charleston Chef's Table Cookbook

Let's do a brief culinary tour around my city. I just adore the author and have met her on several occasions. This book gives recipes and tales from signature local restaurants like Circa 1886 and  Jestine's Kitchen. Available at the Charleston Farmer's Market on Saturdays along with the other fabulous Holly Herrick cookbook Southern Farmer's Market and soon to be Tart Love {I'm SO excited for this release in September!}. Books available here .

3.  Burgers, Fries & Shakes

Dear Bobby, I love you. It's summer and I'm over the moon about making some more of these delicious burgers. Although it's not hard to make a burger with some toppings, this book leaves you with some fun ideas to up-do the normal cheeseburger.

4.  All-New Complete Cooking Light

I have yet to find one recipe in this cookbook that I haven't been in love with. It's a nice play on a meal that can be made healthy and {not taste like crap!}. This book gives calorie counts and fat content too.

5. Charleston Receipts Repeats

Since I'm trying to turn into a Southern Belle and all, you must have the new-age Southern Cookbook. While Charleston Receipts is a great book, and a big time seller for the Charleston Junior League . This one actually gives measurements {like 1 cup} and how to cook it {other then in warm oven}.

6. Giada's Kitchen

I'm a sauce snob, and make my own. Thanks to Daddy {you can buy his sauce- seriously!} DiSalvo's . I do like some other Italian dishes. Although her recipes can be time consuming, they don't require random ingredients {most can be found right in my kitchen}. Her recipes always please and look {and taste} delicious!

Mangia!

Smokey Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers

We try to have weekly get togethers with our neighbors, and we each take turns cooking. This week was our turn to make the entree, and I was craving these delicious stuffed peppers from a recipe Momma Denise padded along to me- so here we go!

Smokey Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers

What You'll Need:
6 Large Bell Peppers {variety of colors}
12oz. Hot Turkey Sausage
1 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1- 28oz Can Whole Tomatoes
2 Cups Instant Brown Rice
1 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt & Pepper to Taste
1 Cup Finely Shredded Smoked Cheese {I prefer Smoked Gouda}

Cut off tops of peppers and clean out insides from seeds, see below:

Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes (smooch them up with your fingers and you could probably add a little of the sauce in the can) Stir in broth and minced garlic, salt and pepper.  Add rice, reduce heat and cover to simmer about 5 minutes max.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until the rice absorbs the remaining liquid, about 5 minutes.  Stir basil and half the cheese into the rice mixture. 

Divide the filling among the peppers, and then top with the remaining cheese.

Pour a little chicken broth in bottom of pan and cover. Bake 45-55 minutes at 400 then uncover and cook and additional 15 minutes.

Enjoy :)

It Feels Like Home..

Finally, it feels like home. Hubby and I decided to take Sunday to tackle the outside project for our house. It's been pretty bare and our neighbors were making us look pretty bad with their window boxes and flowers.

It's been a work in progress in terms of design concept. But it's finally come together.

Let's see before:

And, After!

Let's itemize it:

1. Southern Patio 18in Fiberglass Bell Jar Urn $59.98 each from Home Depot
2. F Monogrammed Doormat $19.88 from Amazon
3. Pineapple Decorative Door Decor from Charleston Market Vendor {Market Street}
4. Tropical Plants $11.98 each from Home Depot

5. Harbor Breeze 52" Tilghman Aged Bronze Ceiling Fan $109 each from Lowe's
6. Garden Treasures Black Slat Porch Rocker Black $99 each from Lowe's
7. Garden Treasures Rectangle Wood Patio Table $37.88 from Lowe's
8. Coconest Hanging Baskets $11.98 each from Home Depot
9. White Impatiens $9.98 each from Lowe's

Home project total $661.60. Not too bad!