March 16, 2015

Thai Beef with Basil

New recipe alert! Thai Beef with Basil!

My husband loves ground beef and I never choose to make it because there’s something about breaking up bits of meat that bugs me. I don’t know what it is, but I find it kind of annoying. It feels like it takes forever to break it all up…or maybe I just get particular on how uniform the pieces need to be? I might go as far to say that I dread it (dramatic!).

So, I’ve been slowly working ground beef into the rotation. Casey appreciates it and Cooper will eat it (only if I say it’s steak).

I made this Thai Beef with Basil dish from Bon Appetit for dinner on Saturday and it went over really well. Of course, I had to pick out the basil and separate the carrots on Cooper’s dish, but he gobbled it up like a champ. Casey said it was a winner.

I think it will probably be a part of our weeknight dinner rotation. It’s pretty easy to whip up and I didn’t even hate breaking up the beef. The point is to have a nice char on the meat, so it’s kind of a set it and forget it situation. You can break it up really well towards the end.

We have leftovers and I’m gonna reheat them for dinner tonight and top them with a crispy fried egg and a drizzle of sriracha. The big question I have is….. Why didn’t I do that on the first go-round??

Inspiration

March 15, 2015

And I Quote:

my everyday life, Photography

March 14, 2015

My Everyday Life: Week 11

Here’s what this past week looked like:

Spent three days this week working on a photo shoot with Leslie and Lesley for Juice Beauty.

I created four of these product vignettes on the last day.

Lesley made the cutest mini aloe/jojoba/grape mini terrarium.

Apple perfection with stems.

Leslie is an incredible photographer.

March 13, 2015

I love lists, Friday!

How to program your mind to stop buying crap.
I’m considering a few open shelves in our kitchen. I really like the way they look.
I can’t wait for this book to arrive! And this one too!
A few myths about daylight savings time.
57 Things People Secretly want to do at Target.
If you’re also a fan of Arrested Development, you’ll appreciate these jokes.
TOTS. OMG I WANT THESE. Broccoli!
This tea cake! The photos are so beautiful.
How restaurants keep you coming back for more.
I’d love to be a ginkgo tree someday.
Quotes about Introverts (haha #8! and yes to #10)
Heidi Swanson’s Travel Kit. <3
Some really cool SF Apartment quirks
Kitchen Hacks that will help save the day!
These nutella rolls with coffee glaze look incredible.
Photos of meals that Doomsday Preppers would eat in the event of an apocalypse.
Selfie stick bans around the world (YES!)
I really want to see this I am Big Bird documentary!
Proof that better real estate photos make a big difference.
What a middle school boy needs from his parents.
I’d love to live in this urban treehouse.

featured, recipes

March 11, 2015

Broccoli Pesto Polenta

Whenever I ask my husband what he wants for dinner, most of the time it’s–

“Something hearty and warm.”

This always ruins my I just wanna big salad for dinner cravings.

I secretly love when he’s had a big work lunch because then he wants something “light and healthy,” and I’m like coooool buddy, but also how can we work bread into that equation?

So, let’s combine greens with something hearty and warm and make broccoli pesto polenta.

And while we’re at it, let’s put poached eggs on top because we can call it breakfast for dinner.

Something warm, hearty and GREEN. And if you had a big lunch at work, then you just get a smaller bowl.

I won’t let you ruin dinner for me.

recipes

March 9, 2015

Blood Orange & Avocado Salad

It’s Monday. I’m back from weekend getaway with my husband where we ate truffle fries twice. We also had doughnuts…monkey bread…and tacos. I wore elastic waist pants because I am good at thinking ahead.

Needless to say… I need a RESET BUTTON SALAD like WHOA.

This one was based on what we had in our fridge. Butter lettuce, spicy radishes, ripe/tender avocados, juicy blood oranges, and cilantro. Sesame seeds and slivered almonds are in there for crunch. The dressing is a rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, blood orange number that’s sweet and tangy. It’s a satisfying salad with a lot of flavor. My favorite part? The blood orange. The tang of the dressing brings out their sweetness. I might add a few little slivers of red onion next time for an extra kick. This is the kind of salad that makes you remember how good it feels to eat healthy….so you can have doughnuts and fries…soon.