Rosemary~Chicken Kabobs {Recipe Swaps}

Rosemary~Chicken Kabobs I use rosemary so much, I just bought a tree :)
the marinade Fresh veggies

Thread em'

Rosemary ~ Chicken Kabobs
(From Southern Living April 2011)

Yes, I am doing another SL recipe…I will gladly relocate to come work in your test kitchens…just ask…

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1T fresh rosemary leaves(rough chopped)
1t salt
1t Dijon mustard
1lb chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pt cherry tomatoes
1 package of fresh mushrooms
Skewers

Preheat grill to 350* to 400* (medium high) heat. Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Pour half of olive oil mixture into a shallow dish or zip top bag; add chicken, turning to coat. Cover or seal and let stand (At least 10 minutes, I soaked for 90 minutes)

Pour remaining olive oil mixture into another bowl or freezer bag; add tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers and toss to coat; cover or seal and let stand (again, I soaked them for 90 minutes).

Remove chicken and veggies from marinade (discarding the marinade). Thread chicken and veggies alternately onto skewers.

Grill kabobs, on a covered grill for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is done and veggies are tender, turning occasionally. Remove kabobs from grill and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Fresh & healthy warm weather meal! I served the kabobs with a macaroni salad this go-around and may serve with a fresh fruit salad in the future. This will be a staple for us this summer ~ Enjoy!

The Wedding Shoe

My days of stillettos are over. 1.) My feet have spread a bit since having Brennan and they just look like sausages strapped in 2.) I just don't have the energy to balance myself on them anymore...I'm a busy girl! So, you can imagine my joy when finding these shoes at Nordstrom 2 summers ago. They are the perfect wedding shoe (or banquet, ceremony, funeral...) They have beautiful detail, comfortable footbed, reasonable heel height and I LoVe patent leather. You can seriously...dance for h o u r s in these babies!


The brand is Vaneli and they are constantly stocked at Nordstrom. Yes, they are pricy $94, but they are indispensable. I have the black patent and oyster pearl patent leather. We have 4 weddings in the next 5 months, one less thing I have to worry about...

til' I saw these...Cork!! Are these not PERFECT for summer?!

Check them all out here: http://shop.nordstrom.com/sr?keyword=vaneli&origin=PredictiveSearch

Thanks for letting me share one of my faves ~ Traci

Easter Morning {semi} Wordless Wednesday

Cool moms let their kids eat peeps and chocolate bunnies for breakfast on Easter morning! We were home alone...Daddy had to work and Collin was at his moms, so no one saw (except you).

Unfortunately it started a trend, where lil' one wanted nothing but sugar for the next two days...

overwhelmed moms put their kids in Christmas (santa rocks) jammies...in April (hey, they were clean and within reach). The Easter Bunny rocks too...

unDer-rateD

Marquee Initial Light
Gigi Side Table

Madeline Chair

Palmography Wall Hanging

Tropical Garden Rug

Urban Outfitters has super-fun stuff for your home. The clearance sales rock and shipping is reasonable. Quirky, Whimsical...go there. www.urbanoutfitters.com

~All photos courtesy of Urban Outfitters~

Pork Tenderloin w/Rosemary & Carmelized Onions {Let's Eat Recipe Swap}

~Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary & Carmelized Onions~ Carmelize sweet onions Olive oil, garlic & rosemary mingling

Ready to bake...

This dish will never fail...it's a weeknight MASTERPIECE!

2T Butter, divided
3 Medium onions, thinly sliced
¼ Cup of water
2t Sugar
1 (1 – 1 ½ lb.) Pork tenderloin
1t Salt, divided
½ t Black pepper
1-2T Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1T Olive oil
½ t minced garlic

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Melt 1T butter in large skillet over low heat. Add onions, water, sugar and 1/2t salt. Cook until caramelized…about 30 minutes (occasionally stirring).

Season pork with remaining salt and pepper

Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork in hot butter, turning until all sides are browned. Transfer to baking dish.

Combine rosemary, olive oil and garlic in a small bowl and mix well (***I actually do this first and let it sit & mingle). Brush mixture over pork. Bake until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 160F (we actually cook it to 150F...safe temp and Emeril will tell you pork is cooked @ 145F), about 20 minutes.

*I also put a foil tent over the pork; the oil will splatter a bit). Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve with onion mixture.

Taking a Spring Break

Since we both have to work, albeit abbreviated schedules, we're going to add some fun to the boys Spring Break... We started with a little rock & bowl yesterday and tonight we will rule the arcade. Hoping for good weather to make it to Storybook Land. By Far the BEST amusement park for young children, if you are ever in South Jersey or near Atlantic City, you've got to try it. Beautiful and clean. I will do a detailed post sometime in the future explaining its "awesomeness"!

I'm hoping to catch up on some crafting projects...including the scrabble tile shadow boxes I'm making for the boys for their playroom and,

an ugly birdbath makeover. Ours is not exactly like this one, it's similar. I'm just trying for one a bit more understated...

Planting some white pampas grasses around the yard and some morning glories to trail up the mailbox.

I'm going to also be whipping up some classic recipes for Easter that I will share on some of the fabulous recipe show & tell link-ups. And finally, pant shopping for the boys...despite the fact that it is spring, I need to get them out of the capri pants ;-p

So, needless to say, I am going to be laying low until after easter. Have a wonderful week, Happy Easter and relish every moment with your families!

xoxo, Traci

Spring Sandwich {let's eat recipe swap}

Apple~Cranberry Tuna Salad Sandwich

Apple~Cranberry Tuna Salad Sandwich (Remixed by me via Real Simple)

7 oz. Canned tuna, packed in water, drained

2 tbsp. dried cranberries

½ apple, shredded (I used a mix of granny smith/red delish)

2 tbsp. Mayonnaise

Slices of extra sharp cheddar, thickness depends on your taste

Ciabatta Roll, or bread of choice

Fresh greens/lettuce of choice (I used boston)

Mash tuna with a fork until fine, mix with mayonnaise. Gently fold in apples shreds and cranberries. Let the mixture sit for an hour or two, so that the flavors meld together.

Slice Ciabatta roll, put a scoop or two of tuna mixture, top with cheddar and greens. Voila ~ a fresh new lunch option!

I would have never ordered this out, but when a similar sandwich was ordered in at work, I decided to give it a try…De-Lish. I prefer vegetables to fruit, so this at the very least enables me to get an additional fruit serving in…works great for the kiddies, too!

A Spring sandwich finished off with some vanilla confetti cupcakes!

Cheapskate

A girl can't live on name brands alone...unless you're bank account is unlimited. Mine is NOT. I've got my more expensive staple items..jeans, shoes, bags, etc...But for some filler I often turn to the 15 Dollar Store. That's right...everything from shoes, to jeans, to bag & belts are $15. There are a couple of catches. ALL sales are FINAL. If you're not willing to take one for the team, don't order. Their descriptions are pretty detailed and (unfortunately) I know my measurements. Shipping is higher, but the stuff is $15 bucks, so again taking on for the team. Currently, they have a buy 7 items ($105), get free shipping promo. Some stuff is a little clubby and junior-ish, but if you take the time to go through all the categories you WILL find some GEMS! I have had very good luck with tops and jeans, especially the Romeo & Juliet Couture brand (their sequined items are really well done...wash with care). I take a yearly trip or two to Karma (don't tell me you don't watch!), and the halters are perfect for someone of my "advanced" age to go clubbing ;-p In all honesty, don't waste your time looking through sunglasses, jewelry, bags, belts and hats...most of it is overpriced i.e. not worth the $15, but if you're looking for something specific, maybe it's for you.

http://15dollarstore.com/s/home/1499429243674620

Pictured are some current offerings from their site. The romper is adorable! The site can get monotonous, but it's worth it. I have found some really fun, well made items and I wanted to share!

xoxo Traci

Honeymoon Revisited {semi} Wordless Wednesday

I'm still in anniversary mode, which also means I am honeymoon~nostaglic. I think it's almost time for one of those trips again (not necessarily to Aruba!) To renew, refresh and try to remember what brought us together in the first place, without the kids/chores/finances getting in the way.

Pics courtesy of US via the cool 1960's effect on piknik.com. They remind me of my family photos from the 50's, 60's, 70's that instantly make me happy...lucky to have such amazing reminders of the past and now we create our own for our future generations...

xoxo traci

Three

~ April 12th, 2008~ ~Eagle Ridge, Lakewood, New Jersey~

Surrounded by family & friends,

I married my best friend...

and got a precious bonus!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to my husband!