

Here’s what this past week looked like:
Casey and I went to Alcatraz this week with family! Not a bad view from the rock.

Alcatraz is full of hidden treasures.

Hello up there!

It’s fun being a tourist in your hometown.

Decay.

Mine! Mine! MINE!

The library of Alcatraz feels like it’s full of ghosts.

It’s all kind of eerie.

I can’t imagine what it was like at night when inmates were there.
I would seriously never sleep.

Keys for days.



I love recipes that require only one ingredient. For this snack, all you need is grated Parmesan and an oven (a toaster oven will work too!). Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper and spoon a few tablespoons of the grated cheese on top. Turn the oven to 400F and cook until crispy and brown. About 4-6 minutes. Parmesan crisps are a great substitute for crackers and they’re even better served on top of salads. Totally gluten free and low carb too!
To see more of my Thursday Snack Ideas, follow my Pinterest Board!

I was on the phone with an ad network having a discussion about my website and they asked me to explain what I do on this space online. When they asked me about my editorial calendar, I told them that I don’t really follow an editorial calendar; my website reflects what we’re eating, what I’m in the mood to make and how much time I have to make said things.

Sooooooooo, instead of giving you a corned beef recipe and some irish soda bread recipe or this Guinness cake this week, I bought too many jalapeños and turned it into web content. That’s RIGHT! It’s jalapeño week on Shutterbean! Because, when life (you) gives you (buy too many ) jalapeños, you make Jalapeño Ginger Lime Spritzers. You also make Thai Beef with Basil. Look at that. I created a meal plan for you this weekend. I suggest you finish the night with creamy Tangerine Sherbet.

Jalapeños are sliced thin and mixed with lime juice sweetened with agave. Ginger beer adds a nice warm spice, sparkling water evens everything out for a refreshing/spicy drink.

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.
