Archives for May 2017

Summer Detox Water

May 30, 2017 / By Courtney / 2 Comments

Ok friends, with Memorial Day behind us we are officially in summer GO mode! That means playing all day, later bedtimes, fun in the sun with friends at the beach and pool and GASP! Yes that is right. Swimsuit season is here. But it’s ok, I promise.

Because …..

Summer detox water!!! (I’m jumping up and down I’m so excited about this one!)

You guuuuuuuuuuys.

This has so. much. goodness. going on in it besides hydrating you (which is wonderful in of itself). My goal is to make a pitcher each night and drink throughout the day (I even pour into my water bottle). It’s crisp, it’s refreshing, it’s oh so healthy. Make it a habit this summer. Your swimsuit self with thank you.

So what does this magical drink possess? Let’s walk through it together.

Basil: Did you know that lovely little herb possesses so much power? Basil doesn’t just sit pretty on top of your caprese. It is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cancer fighting, pain reducer, liver protector, blood vessel protector, immune boosting machine. I’ll take extra, please.

Lemon: Everyone knows lemon in water is good, but do you know why? This lovely citrus fruit does so much goodness for yourself including promoting hydration, boosting vitamin C, improves skin quality, promotes weight loss, aids digestion, and, keeps breath fresh! I’ll take an extra squeeze, please.

Mint: Another powerful herb this green machine is also a cancer fighter, improves oral health, promotes digestion, aids nausea, clears up congestion, and is a natural stimulant and antidepressant. So glad I have this growing in my garden this year!

Cucumber: A magic fruit, really. This one does so much. Are you ready? Cucumbers keeps you hydrated, flushes out toxins, fights heat (both inside (heartburn) and outside (burn on skin), gives you vitamins A, B, and C, boosts skin quality, aids in weight loss, cuts cancer risk, stabilizes blood pressure (both high and low), keeps breath fresh, helps promote healthy nails and hair, soothes muscle aches, keeps kidneys in shape, reduces cholesterol and is great for people with diabetes! Well done cuc, what a list.

Ginger: I’m obsessed with all things ginger. Candles, oils, as a flavor in food and now….my water. How does it help us? Well, ginger is killer for digestion and when paired with basil, lemon, and mint really aids in helping keep a belly flat. Yes, please. It also is great for reducing pain and is another anti-inflammatory. Plus the smell alone, ahhhhhh.

Convinced? Whip up a batch with me today. Here’s how.

Summer Detox Water
Recipe from A Life From Scratch

Ingredients:

1 whole lemon (be sure to wash the rind), sliced
1 whole cucumber (again, wash), sliced
Small handful basil, chopped up
Small handful mint, chopped up
1 TBS ginger, peeled and grated

Directions:

Grab a large pitcher. Put all your ingredients in the bottom and fill with water. Let sit over night and enjoy throughout the next day. Cheers to your health!

C’s picks – week of May 28th

May 28, 2017 / By Courtney / Leave a Comment

My goodness long weekends are fantastic. Especially when you’ve got a break from baseball. With the weather looking to improve (hello sunshine!) things are really looking up from here. Even with the holiday weekend, I’m taking a few moments this morning to plan out my to do lists, appointments, menu, and grocery list. Promise it makes Monday, or Tuesday of this week, that much better! Here’s what we will be munching away on, I hope you can find something you may like as well.

It’s tradition! Sunday we are off to the lake to visit our dear friends. I’m thinking something super summery and refreshing needs to come along. How unreal does this grilled pineapple salsa look? I know!

Monday we are off to another friends home for a bbq to celebrate their son’s birthday. I’m on salad duty. How beautiful does this one look?

Tuesday night we are back on the ball field. I’m thinking of meal prepping these tortellini chicken veggie bowls. They are SO good.

Wednesday is Logan’s last day of school!!! We are celebrating with a big pool party at our lovely neighbors home, how fun. I’m thinking some strawberry salsa is in order.

Back on the ball field Thursday night. Testing out a new meal prep recipe with this honey sriracha glazed meatballs. Oh my yum.

And that brings us to Friday and, fingers crossed, hopefully a night off baseball so we can celebrate my lovely mom’s birthday! want to make her a special meal: salmon nicoise platter (SO GOOD) along with some grilled ribeyes for the men. Can’t wait.

That’s a wrap! Happy cooking!
C

Pizza Salad

May 26, 2017 / By Courtney / 1 Comment

Friends. This one is genius I tell you. One of those ‘where has this been all my life’ type of recipes.

It literally tastes exactly like pizza. But it’s a salad. So, it’s waaaaaaay healthier. Right? Yes? Maybe?

I’m going with it. Because instead of a thick crust we’ve got light homemade focaccia croutons. Instead of greasy too much cheese we’ve got fresh mini mozzarella balls. Instead of a heavy sauce we’ve got halved cherry tomatoes. Toss it all together with a red wine vinaigrette and fresh herbs and, well, this is a salad even the men can get on board with.

Yet I made homemade meatballs on the side.

You know, just in case.

And the meal could. not. have. been. better. This is a perfect way to change up your pizza routine at home. Or even a great summer entertaining meal. It’s a classic works in all scenarios killer combo that will have your family and guests begging for more.

Just in time for entertaining season. Yippee! Enjoy the long weekend!

Pizza Salad
Recipe from Dinner A Love Story

Ingredients:

1 store-bought pizza dough
3 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
1 head Bibb lettuce, torn up
1 container cherry tomatoes, halved
1 container bocconcini (small mozzarella balls – I found super mini ones)
1/4 red onion, sliced in super thin slivers
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano (plus more for focaccia croutons)
salt and pepper
grated parmesan to taste
fresh basil, sliced up

Make focaccia croutons:

Place pizza dough in a bowl and let sit on counter for about two hours before you want to make dinner. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush (I just used my fingers) half of olive oil on a rimmed cookie sheet, then press pizza dough flat so it stretches to the corners or as close to the corners as possible. Brush with remaining olive oil and, using your fingers, press dimples into the surface. Sprinkle with sea salt and a few shakes of oregano. Bake 15 minutes until it looks a little browner than gold. (I was after a little crunch.) Remove, let cool, then chop into bite size pieces.

Make salad:

Meanwhile, while focaccia bakes, add lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and bocconcini to a bowl. In a separate container, whisk together red wine, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. After in croutons. Drizzle vinaigrette on top and toss everything together. Top with parmesan and basil. Serve and enjoy!

The perfect meatball

May 25, 2017 / By Courtney / 1 Comment

Did you know there are a few tricks to achieving that perfect restaurant quality meatball? Oh there are my friends. Let’s walk through them today on the blog, shall we?

To begin, I always use high quality meat and ingredients. That means freshly grated parmesan, fresh bread crumbs (or panko work great), and I always use fresh parsley and basil. In terms of the meat, I love grass fed organic beef and use around an 90% lean mix which I found works well. Too much fat makes them greasy and too little, well, you’re just lacking flavor.

Another great tip when you form these bad boys is to mix all your ingredients prior to adding in the meat. That ensures all the flavors will be evenly distributed and the meat doesn’t get over mixed, a big no no. Then when you add in your meat, gentle use your hands (how I roll) or a fork to lightly form together.

Ever have flattened out meatballs? That’s no fun. There is an easy solution. Spray a muffin tray with non stick cooking spray, use an ice cream scoop, and form your meatballs that way. The individual cups keep the meatballs nice and perfectly round.

Now the only question is what to serve them with. I have the perfect solution, stay tuned tomorrow on the blog for….wait for it….pizza salad!

The Best Homemade Meatballs
Recipe from A Life From Scratch

Ingredients:

1 pound hamburger, grass-fed if desired (I used 90% lean)
2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup panko or fresh breadcrumbs
1 small onion, minced or grated (1/2 a large onion)
3 big cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil (I use a combo!)

Directions:

Minus the meat, mix all ingredients together. Fold in the meat and evenly distribute with your hands or a fork.

Using an ice cream scoop, form into large balls and place in a muffin tray that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. (If you don’t have a muffin tray, a lined baking sheet is fine!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until browned. Enjoy!

Growth I’ve made at 35.

May 24, 2017 / By Courtney / 4 Comments

I’m well into my thirty fifth year of life. And with the whole maturing and growing that happens in your thirties I thought it would be a good idea to share what I’ve felt I’ve learned and applied during this stage of my life. From little habit changes to learning to taking it easier on myself. I feel it’s empowering to recognize your growth and realize the positive changes that you’ve made. With my children in a much more independent stages of life, I’ve had the chance to make some serious self growth and self care this year. Let’s dive in.

Sleep. Ah, glorious sleep. I am obsessed with sleep, always have been. The specific change I’ve made this year is to be in bed no later than 10:00PM. Of course there are random nights that does not happen (ahem) but the majority of the time that is what is going down. It can be a struggle because Mike is a complete night owl. When I’m my sleepiest he is his most awake, so many times he will try and convince me to stay up for one more show or to hang but it’s very rare I give in. I’m sleeping consistently from 10:00PM until between 6:00 and 7:00AM (whenever my body naturally wakes up). I’m sure eight to nine hours of sleep per night sounds crazy to some, but, it is what we are supposed to be getting. Sure there are many things I want or have to do but I’m choosing to give my body the rest it needs, and let’s be honest, deserves.

Drinking less. This is going to sound sort of crazy, but, I had a serious reality check with my drinking habits this year. I suffered a concussion in March and if you’ve ever experienced one you know that your head just does not feel right for awhile. During this time I was terrified to drink a sip, solely because I was so focused on making sure my brain healed. I then began to realize how good I felt during the day. I woke up not needing to guzzle water. I was more alert. Way less sleepy in the afternoons. Basically, a ton more energy in general. Now, we aren’t talking about any drastic drinking issues here before. I wasn’t chugging bottles of wine and vodka every night. Yet I was in a consistent habit of drinking while I cooked and with dinner and that would amount to a solid 1-2ish glasses a night. Nothing scary by any means, but I’m starting to realize that maybe it was too much for me. I have a pretty small frame and am on medication for my thyroid which already is pretty dehydrating. And let’s face it, to quote Wedding Crashers, ‘I’m not that young.’ So since March I’ve been taking three nights off per week and the other nights it’s been pretty minimal, maybe one glass of wine. Of course there are and will be the fun nights with friends in the wine room and margaritas on the deck and vacation but all of that is much more in balance now with what my body needs by giving it nights off. And a major bonus with all that? One glass of wine feels like fuuuuuuun.

Hair. I’m just going to throw this out there. I have the absolute worst and the absolute best hair in the entire world. Let me explain. I’m one of those girls who can wash her hair once a week and it just looks better and better. Annoying right? Stay with me. I’m also one of those girls who has hair who looks like an utter disaster if air dried and/or she attempts to dry it herself. My hair is weird. It’s crazy thick and crazy wild. This amounts to actually showering and washing it as a process and up until 35 I really didn’t know how to manage it. A good friend with similar hair walked me through her routine and, I’m happy to report, it’s stuck with me and there is very little heat involved (always a good things). She air dries her hair with this bumble+bumble product. It does not look good at this point, but, it’s dry. Then she smooths it out with a one inch curling iron. (I section off my hair and do this in chunks). It sort of smoothes everything out but still keeps some natural wave and is way less harsh than a straightener. I’m happy to report my hair seems much healthier, and, manageable! (Thanks Jenny)

Balanced exercise. This is one I’ve struggled with for quite some time. I’ve gone through some serious stages of having to run 3-5 miles daily to literally doing no exercise. I’m happy to report that I’ve landed somewhere in between. In a world where everyone is all yoga pilates marathon ballet tennis strength conditioning it can be easy to believe that is what you need to be doing. Yet what I’ve found is that I’m happiest outside. On a walk. Generally alone. Space to think, breathe, and move. That’s really the key word for me at least. Move. As long as I move I’m good. And since I spend the majority of my time mothering and taking care of the home it’s pretty rare I’m sitting down. I’ve never actually tracked my steps or what I do during a day but I do know the scale stays pretty consistent as long as I’m keeping up with the home, the boys, and getting in the occasional long walk or jog. It may not be the ‘hippest’ way to get fit, or even the most age appropriate (I realize 70 year olds walk to exercise) but for my body it works. So I’m going with it for as long as it does.

Skin. I posted a few months back on my solid skin care routine I started up this year and I’m happy to report I’m still completely dedicated. My biggest tip and change this year has been this: washing my face when I get the boys washed up and in bed. If I wait and sit down on the couch at the end of the day post boy’s bedtime with Netflix it will 100% not happen. I’m so done at that point. Bonus that this gives my moisturizer some time to do what it needs to do before I slather this on right before bedtime. So luxurious! I’ve seen some serious improvements with my skin this year. Overall much brighter and healthier.

You don’t have to get everything done perfectly every single day. This is a sentence I have taught myself to say anytime I’m feeling overwhelmed. I take great pride in the fact that my home is clean and organized and my family well run. Dinner is always going to be on the table, laundry is done, beds are made, bills are paid, boys are where they need to be on time with the appropriate items. This is how I function, I’m literally incapable of doing it any other way. And yet there are days when life may get in the way and my routine can get interrupted and I do panic that my daily tasks have not been accomplished. I’ve taught myself to take a moment, put things in perspective, and realize that the world will not end if the bed is not made or we have to (GASP!) pick up dinner. It’s ok. It is not a reflection of me. Learning to remind myself of this and that daily perfection is not the end all be all has been huge for me.

Standing firm on schedule decisions for our family (and not feeling guilty about it!). I’ve always been pretty balanced about protecting our family calendar. And yes, I use the word ‘protect’ because I am a firm believer it can get out of control very very quickly. I’ve seen it many times and it’s just not for us. That being said, I used to feel guilty about saying no to an event, a dinner, or even to my kids at times but now it’s second nature and I don’t even blink an eye. No Logan, you can not have a sleepover the night of a tournament weekend. No C, you can’t go out with girls three times in a week even if you love all of them. No family, we will not do six things in one Saturday. I realize I and the kids do miss out on things from time to time that we would completely enjoy but I would hope people that know me well know I am doing the absolute best I can. Our family and friends rock our world, but only after the four of us are taken care of. No guilt felt.

Pajamas. Last but not least, seems so silly, but for years I was wearing practically rags to bed. Why do we do this as women? Sleep is a big deal. Pajamas are a big deal. And they don’t have to be pricey. Just clean and cute and preferably no holes. I recently stocked up on these pajamas pants from Old Navy and these tank tops to go with. I’m talking like ten pajama pants and ten tank tops. I’m happy to report it’s nice to feel more ‘put together’ at bedtime and running around in the morning. Look who is growing up.

Well, that is a wrap. With a few months left at thirty five I can’t wait to see what the second half of this decade brings. Now, if only I can learn to stop shopping. 😉