LIFE FROM SCRATCH Archives - Page 152 of 228

wwww.

May 7, 2014 / By Courtney / 3 Comments

After a week off from What We Wore Wednesday, it was time to get back on track! Luckily the sunshine and warmer temps made it much easier. Yippee for short sleeves – finally. This better stick around.

Here is what we wore:

On L: He was all rough and tough for school this day. H&M tee, abercrombie sweatshirt and jeans. Reeboks he just had to have.

On B: Old Navy skinny jeans and Crewcut bulldog tee that reads ‘off the leash at boneyard beach.’ Very applicable for him.

On C: LOVE this new Cabi top! It’s a layered linen tank under a crocheted tank, so comfortable and easy breezy. AG jeans and Target flats.

Enough of us – let’s see you! Comment below to link back or join us over on our super hit Pinterest board.
C

C’s picks.

May 5, 2014 / By Courtney / 1 Comment

This weekend for me was all about resetting. After not having seen the sun since last Saturday, combined with a massively teething toddler and M gone? Well it was time to have some fun. We caught a big boy game of baseball at the high school, shared strawberry milkshakes with a friend, got dressed up for a family night out, went on a run, snuck in a pedicure with this hot mama, and watched L pitch for the first time! Great weekend, and I’m ready to embrace the upcoming week.

Sunday night will be on the fly as L has a game way at the other end of town and M is off to ORD. I’m hoping to cook this roast chicken salad, but we will see how the day goes. My friend Tia, who blogs here, will be stopping by to visit as well. I’ve got some fun things in store for ALFS, and I want to bounce my ideas off another creative mind. Would love to serve her a nice meal.

Monday the boys and I are alone again. I’m thinking chicken sausages on the grill, tossed with brown rice and veggies.

Tuesday let’s celebrate Cinco de Mayo (a day late!) and get these tacos going on the grill. Homemade guac on the side, obviously.

71 and sunny Wednesday, woohoo! You can find me at the grill, working on this turkey burger recipe that I never got a chance to test out last week. I can’t wait to make it.

Thursday looks to be hot (81!), so this citrus chicken and a light salad sounds like the perfect way to welcome in the 80’s. Helloooo.

And that brings us to Friday and to our pizza (summer version!) that we just haven’t had together in too long.

That’s my meal plan for the week – let’s hear about yours!
C

The one platter dinner.

May 2, 2014 / By Courtney / 5 Comments

Let’s make a vow, shall we? Let’s keep things easy during this upcoming outdoor entertaining season. I’m talking last minute get-togethers that seem to happen after 5PM on a Friday while you’re chatting away on the phone with a friend – wishing you were in person, clinking glasses. Do it. Invite that friend over, and hey, no need to panic. Enter the one platter entertaining idea.

In the winter I rely on my trusty red pot for the whole keeping it simply thing. Normally it’s a nice roast, or this divine chicken and mushrooms, or the ever so elegant company sauce. Whatever it is – the heart of the meal is in that pot, and the sides involve nothing more than picking up fresh bread and tossing a simple salad. The red pot takes the scene on the table.

When spring and summer hit that concept shifts to my large white platter. I’ve found if I keep the meal to that rule the meal is stress free. There isn’t a lot fuss, thought, dishes – etc. It’s all on that platter and broken down into a very precise (and top secret, of course) equation:

50% Some type of grilled meat.

How much do you like your friends? Because nothing beats a simple grilled filet. Be sure to bring to room temperature!
Get these ribs going a few days before the weekend. Come Friday or Saturday all you have to do is toss on the grill.
The best grilled chicken of your life.
Marinated flank steak.
A whole chicken flattened on the grill – sure to impress!

25% Starch. Suggestions for you:

Crack potatoes
Mexican street corn. Killer.
Perfect roast potatoes. Hey, saves you room on the grill.
Cheese, grilled. Not grilled cheese in a pan. Slices of cheese, grilled, outside. I know. There is nothing better over fresh veggies…

25% Vegetable. Find what is fresh, toss with olive oil, salt & pepper, and get it on the grill. We’re eating a ton of asparagus right now.

The most impressive one platter dish to entertain with ever? Enter the gorgeous salmon nicoise platter. Grilled ribeyes on the side keeps the guys just as content as the girls. Everyone goes home happy.

And, bam. 100% perfection. All you need to do is throw on a maxi, some flats (or keep it barefeet, if you’re like me), and get the summer jams cranking. Watermelon slices, pretzels, and grilled Trader Joes hot dogs are my go to for the kids, if we can ever find them to feed them.

Here’s to 65 and sunny this weekend! Who are you inviting over?
C

Back to chili.

April 30, 2014 / By Courtney / 3 Comments

I almost couldn’t write this post. No. more. chili!

But then I realized I had been in yoga pants for 3 day straight. Not exactly all that inspiring for wwww and I had to get something up on the blog. So here we are.

It has been such a dreary week that getting dressed in anything nicer seemed pointless. Where did our sunshine go? After running around outside for almost 2 weeks straight, B doesn’t understand why we wouldn’t continue that so out we still go in the rain and the mud. In his mind it’s FUN! In my mind I’m literally depressed that the Northface is back in rotation. I swore I wouldn’t touch that thing until November.

There is one good that came out of the past few days. I’ve been dying to try a (4 ingredient!) chili recipe and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do just that. And I have to say, something about it bubbling away on the stove, the good smells waving through the house, well – it helped, for sure. And I was so happy to share half with my parents down the road.

If you’re missing the sun as much as I am, get this white chicken chili on your stove today. It won’t change the weather, but it will take help take the edge off just a bit. Here’s hoping I’m back to my grill, soon!

White Chicken Chili

2014-04-29 22:22:47

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Ingredients

1.5 lbs chicken, cut into bite sized chunks
seasonings: salt, pepper, coriander, cumin
16 ounces salsa, preferably fresh
4 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken stock
fixings: cilantro, avocado, chips, cheese

Instructions

Warm a big pot on the stove with a bit of olive oil. Cook the chicken until no longer pink, roughly 8 minutes. Season generously.
Pour in the salsa, stock, and beans and bring to a boil. Simmer down on the stove for at least 30 minutes. I kept it going all day.
Serve with your choice of toppings!

Adapted from Shauna Niequist

A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

C’s picks.

April 28, 2014 / By Courtney / 2 Comments

Another weekend has gone by! We had the first two baseball games of the season and started off with a bam: lots of fun and lots of good plays! Add in a bonfire with friends, tasty filets on the green egg, and a lazy Sunday evening and you’ve got yourself one pretty good weekend.

This week’s menu plan is pretty choppy but here we go!

I’m long overdue for a stock up trip at Trader Joe’s, so that will be Monday. My favorite thing to make for dinner when I shop there is the his & hers pizza, so, I’ll be whipping that up.

Tuesday M is off again, I believe, to New Orleans. Dinner for me will be some death row shrimp with veggies.

I LOVE this recipe and we haven’t made it in awhile so that takes care of Wednesday night.

Thursday M is in the city and L has a game @ 6:00. That means a hot dog and milkshake whenever we can fit it in.

Friday I’m out! Boys will have their go-to: grilled italian sausage and green peppers. Baked potatoes in the oven.

That’s our line up – what are you cooking?
C

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