Blueberry Power Muffins

Hi! It's been a while....
I have been cooking and creating, but life has been so busy that I haven't been documenting anything.

I've been on a smoothie kick recently after my roommate was given not one, but two, Ninja Bullet blenders. We have so many bags of frozen fruits in our freezer, I thought I would put some of them to a different use. These muffins have extra protein from the oats and Greek Yogurt.


(Picture from Cooking Light)

You will need:
2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup of Oats
2/3 cups of sugar
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
1.5 cups of plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp of honey
2 large eggs, beaten
4 tbsp of unsalted butter
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a muffin tin. I used my mini muffin tin for these (makes about 32 muffins). Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine all wet ingredients in another bowl, and carefully mix the two mixture together. Fold in blueberries. Put into the muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and enjoy!!!

Holy Guacamole!

Every year in August for as long as I can remember, the Greer clan as reunited in Sandbridge, Virginia for a week long family reunion filled with beach, booze and bocce. In honor of our Aussie cousins (who don't have many Mexican food establishments in Australia) we hold our annual Mexican night. This year had nearly 35 people, including cousins, significant others, cousins cousins, newly weds, a cat and a dog.  We have a taco dip, taco bar, beef and chicken tamales straight from Texas, salad, chipotle roll ups, empinadas, and the list goes on! My contribution this year was the guac.

What you need:

4 large ripe avocados

1 large tomato

garlic, minced

Juice from 2 limes

Salt and pepper for taste

Cut the avocados and put into a large bowl. Mix and mash until you get the consistency you like. I like to have chucks of avocado in mine, while Joe likes it more mashed up. Dice the tomato and add to the avocado. Add a table spoon of garlic, lime, salt and pepper. Stir and serve with your favorite chips!

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Cheesy Cauliflower Patties

These patties were delicious. You would NEVER guess that its made with cauliflower!

You will need:

1/2 head of cauliflower

water

salt

pepper

1 egg

1 cup of cheese

cayenne pepper

panko crumbs

olive oil

Boil the cauliflower until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl. While still hot, mash up the cauliflower until its a mushy consistency. Add all other remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir until consistent.
Put olive oil in a large skillet until the pan is covered. Form small patties with the cauliflower mixture and cook in the oil on either side for about 4 minutes or until golden.

Serve as a side to any dish! These were great and reminded me of hash browns. Enjoy!

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Summer Bucket List: See Fireworks

4th of July was a success!

Oodles of Zoodles!

Some friends came to visit and brought a ton of fresh produce from their land. Zucchini, squash and even fresh eggs! With all the zucchini, I decided to try making "zoodles" (zucchini noodles). I don't have a spiralizer so I used a peeler to make the thin slices. Use this as a pasta substitute

You will need:

1-2 large zucchinis

vegetable peeler or spiralizer

minced garlic

olive oil

After peeling the zucchini, use a paper towel to remove any excess liquid. Then saute the zoodles in garlic and olive oil until tender like real pasta. That's it!
Top with your favorite sauce, I used traditional meat sauce!


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Homemade Almond Milk

After my trip to New York and visiting my girlfriends, I was inspired by Lauren to make my own Almond Milk. She is studying nutrition at NYU and knows her stuff when it comes to eating healthy. This was a messy but fun process. I had no real use for the milk, but decided to make it anyways. We used it as creamer in our coffee at work for the following few days.

You will need:

1 cup of almonds

water

cheese cloth or a nut bag

Vanilla extract

Put raw almonds in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 1-2 days. Once soft, drain and rise with water. Put almonds in a blender with 2 cups of water. Mix and blend until consistent. Strain the mixture through the cheese cloth. This is where things got messy! I had to use my hands to "milk" the cheesecloth and squeeze out the milk. Save the left over dry almond meal for another recipe.  Once you have strained and squeezed all the milk from the mixture, store in an air tight container and refrigerate. The milk will last up to 4 days or until it starts to smell weird.

** Separation is normal! Just give it a shake.

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Weekend in NYC!

I was very brave and took the new airline Peoples Express to NYC to have an annual reunion with my college girlfriends!!! Lauren lives in Midtown and made the long weekend the best ever. We went on a run in Central Park, shopped around Manhattan, walked through Times Square had brunch (with bottomless mimosas!) in the Upper West Side, went to happy hour in the Flat Iron District, and the highlight of the weekend was seeing Phish perform at Randall's Island. We squeezed it all in and had a fabulous time! 

On the ferry to the show!

2 mile run in Central Park

Bottomless mimosas

Craft brews and Phish!

Summer Bucket List: Go to a Concert

The Wailers played a free show at the oceanfront last week. Trudy and I found a rare spot at Catch 31 by the firepits. We drank Blue Moon and enjoyed the tunes!

Summer Bucket List: Watch a sunrise

Watched the sunrise AND ran 2.15 miles. All before 7:00 am. Go me!

June Supper Club: Appetizers!

Two years ago my girlfriends and I started a Book Club. After a few months of realizing no one was reading the books and we all just wanted to drink wine, we decided to switch gears and start a Supper Club! We meet once a month at someone's house and each girl brings something to contribute. Appetizers was the theme for June and I'm so glad that's what we decided on! I made a cheese plate and prosciutto wrapped asparagus! Other apps included: BBQ sliders, Caprese Skewers, Mac N Cheese, Quesadillas,  Southwestern Egg Rolls, Fruit Pizza, Cheddar Cheese Ball and Sausage "Crack" Dip!

You will need:

One bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed

About 20 thin slices of prosciutto

olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Wrap each stalk with prosciutto. In this case, I did two asparagus per prosciutto. Place seam side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, the turn the oven up to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cheese platter!

Technically not "girls only" anymore!

Perfect Summer Weekend

This weekend we crossed off more items on the bucket list!! The weather was perfect and I was able to spend time with my friends, family and Joe!

Thomas loved Joe!

We started off by making Strawberry Cake Cookies for a cookout at our friend's house. Britney and James' had a few friends over for burgers and Cards Against Humanity. James was deployed today and won't be return until October. It was a great way to see him off.

Boardwalk Art Show 2014

Saturday we hopped on our bikes and went to the Boardwalk Art Show! I've been dying to go over the last few years. While we didn't buy anything, we saw a ton of great pieces to put on our wish list.

Fried food anyone??

I wish I had taken more pictures!!

We picked up Hilltop sandwiches from Taste and went back to the farm to wash the boat in preparation for the summer. We finished off the evening with a dip in the pool and homemade grilled pizzas. Similar to our homemade pizzas last summer, but we put these on Naan and grilled them for about 10 minutes. Delish!!

Father's day was spent on the boat fishing for who knows what with my parents. My sister and her man came later and we indulged in potato salad, burgers, grilled squash and homemade Italian cake made my sister, the baker.

Happy Father's Day!

Strawberry Cake Cookies

My amazing, fabulous coworker made these cookies for us at work one day and she forwarded me her altered recipe. They are so soft and moist, and were literally gone in an instant. To me, strawberries scream summer time, so I used this flavor for the cookout.

You will need:

2 boxes of cake mix, any flavor

3 eggs

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

1 tbsp of extract (we used vanilla)

sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Roll into small balls and dip the tops into the sugar. Place on a greased and floured baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Centers will be soft and may fall a bit. 

HOW EASY IS THAT?

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Chicken Parmesan Meatball Casserole

After way too much eating and drinking last week on vacation, I was craving a delicious homemade meal! This was really easy to make and I didn't feel too guilty eating it. Plus it's a great excuse to pair with a nice red wine :)

You will need:

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground lean chicken

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 egg

1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

For the casserole:

1 pound of ziti type of pasta 

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 jar of tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 450. Meanwhile in a start boiling a large pot of water for the pasta. Combine all the meatball ingredients together with your hands and form small 1 inch meatballs. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Once pasta is cooked (I used whole wheat organic fusilloni pasta), drain, and return to pot. Add cooked meatballs and the jar of sauce (I used organic Classico tomato sauce). Stir until consistent. Layer the meatball/pasta combo in a casserole dish and top with half of the shredded mozzarella. Top with the rest of the meatball/pasta combo and finish it off with a top layer of mozzarella. Cook on 350 for 20 minutes. 

I should have added some salt to the meatballs but that's just my preference. Enjoy!

For more recipes: click here!!

Weddings Are Better in Flipflops

We spent the last week at the beautiful Dreams La Romana Resort in the Dominican Republic to celebrate the wedding of one of my oldest and dearest friends! Ashley and Travis kicked of their relationship our junior year of high school at my 17th birthday party on Cedar Island. They met on an island and fittingly got married on an island.

Ashley and I met in first grade at Norfolk Academy and immediately became friends. As kids we were often mistaken as twins (sometimes the Olsen's).  Fortunately for me we have remained friends since then and I will always have a special place in my heart for her.

Travis and I met when we were in ninth grade at a middle school crew regatta. After dating another one of our friends for a few months, Travis and I still remained friends.. It was only fitting that I invited him to my island birthday party, because I obviously knew that he and Ashley would hit it off immediately.

The trip was one of a lifetime. Ashley and Travis's friends were the best ever. I miss them already. We spent our days in the sun drinking, reading, eating and lounging. Occasionally we would bust out a game of water polo or beach volleyball. When sober enough (or not) we went sailing or kayaking on site.

In lieu of a traditional rehearsal dinner, we traveled to Punta Cana for the day for a private catamaran cruise and snorkeling excursion. The crew was not prepared for our group, as we literally drank the boat dry. Luckily a skiff full of more alcohol arrived just before we started to plan a mutiny.

The wedding was Friday evening under a beautiful waterfront gazebo. The bride and groom wrote their own vows which coincidentally both mentioned "two legged and four legged children". Following the ceremony was a cocktail hour on the pier with entertainment from a local mariachi band. Dinner was a seated buffet, topped with a much needed rain dusting to keep things cool. We danced all night and continued the after party at the resorts discoteca!

With last week being Memorial Day weekend, that also meant the start of my 2014 Summer Bucket List! I was also to check off a few items already!!

Enjoying a frozen lemonade and modeling our flower crowns from Fairview Place

Swimming in the Natural Pool in Punta Cana 

Just a handful of our group enjoying the beach!

Bride and Groom playing floating beer pong in the pool

Joe and I snorkeling in Punta Cana

I can't get enough of this 

Congrats to Mr. and Dr. Powell!!!

For details on Ashley's bridal shower, click here!
For more on the 2014 Summer Bucket List, click here!

2014 Summer Bucket List

That time again!
Much like my attempted 2013 Summer Bucket List, I have created another for this summer  (limiting it to only 50 items). Some items from last year have been repeated, but there are also many new things to try before Labor Day! Wish me luck!!

Visit Back Bay Brewing

Boardwalk Art Show

Brunch at Doc Taylors

Leave Virginia

Ocean Breeze

Drink a yard at Yard House

Make a tomato pie

Make an oyster shell mirror

Make guacamole

Host a clam bake/crab picking

Boat day

Girls only brunch

Take the boat to Chick's

Have a beach picnic

Try a Barre class

Go strawberry picking

Drink a frozen cocktail

Grill something new

Backyard movie night

Bloody Mary Bar

Go on a hike

Wash my car

Make cake cookies

Go to a wedding

Go on a bike ride

Donate

Go to a yard sale

Visit the OBX

Run another 5k

Refinish the rod iron table

Go to a concert

Get pampered

Gaze at the stars

Take a road trip

Catch a wave

Volunteer
Go to My Chics

Watch a sunrise

See fireworks

Send a message in a bottle

See Lauren
See Allison

Pool party

Beach party

Bake something

Make lemonade

Paradise Ocean Club

Go to a Tides game

Shop at Table Seven

Eat at Doumars

Go to the Bakehouse at Chelsea

For more Summer challenges, check out my friends Fairview Place and Table Seven!

Brie with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Thyme Appetizer

I needed a quick appetizer for Joe's mother's birthday this week. I had 30 minutes to throw it other. I wanted something hot since the weather has been so deary this week.

You will need:

Two 8oz wheels of brie

1 jar of diced sun-dried tomatoes, drained

handful of Thyme

2 cloves of garlic

Trim off all the rind from the brie and cut into small cubes. In a small bowl, mix together sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and thyme. Layer the brie and tomato mix in a small ramekin or baking dish. Bake for 20 min on 350, stirring occasionally. Top with a few more sprinkles of thyme. Serve with french bread or crackers!

**It did turn out a little greasy, as you can see, so I blotted with a paper towel before serving to make it look prettier


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Heart Shaped Roasted Potatoes

I wanted to do something special for Valentine's Day this year. We went to the Fresh Market and purchased super yummy filet mignon, an artichoke to steam, oysters for our own version of oysters rockefeller, potatoes to roast and some very fancy mini cheesecakes. We did our favorite thing by making a delicious dinner, sitting in front of the fire and watching a movie.

You will need:

2 large russet potatoes

1 sharp knife

heart shaped cookie cutters, preferably small

olive oil 

salt and pepper

rosemary

Preheat oven to 400. Wash the potatoes and slice them into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Use the cookie cutters to cut out as many hearts as you can. Place on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary.  Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping them after ten. Enjoy!

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Turkey Spinach Meatballs

I've been eyeing this recipe for a while and thought that it'd be a great meal on a rainy night. The ground turkey is super clean, spinach is super healthy, and they're baked for extra healthiness!

Not the best picture, but so yummy!

You will need:

1 pound ground turkey

1 cup chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup breadcrumbs

4 garlic cloves

1 egg

crushed red pepper

oregano

Preheat oven to 420. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Form into balls about the size of golf balls and place on a greased baking sheet with a rim. Cook for about 35 minutes on 420, or until center reaches 160 degrees. Top with your favorite marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese!

I added frozen Eggplant Cutlets to my meatballs with organic tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. 

 Tonight we will heat them up for spaghetti and meatballs! YUM!

Click here for a list of all my recipes!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

I had some extra sweet potatoes laying around so I decided to make my own sweet potato biscuits! Next time I think I will add some more sugar, but regardless these tasted great warmed up with butter!

You will need:

2 cooked, mashed sweet potatoes

1.5 cups of flour (plus more for sprinkling)

6 tablespoon of butter, cold and chopped

1 tablespoon of baking powder

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1/3 cup of milk

Preheat oven to 425. Mix together all dried ingredients, add butter and stir until a crumble-ish consistency.. In a separate bowl, whisk mashed sweet potatoes with the milk. Combine both mixtures and stir until a dough is formed. Add more milk if the mixture needs to be moistened. Knead as needed (ha!). Sprinkle flour on your work space and roll out the dough into a large circle, about 1 -1.5 inch thick. With your biscuit cutter, or in my case the rim of a small wine glass, cut out small circles in the dough and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 15-18 minutes. Serve warm!

**This were amazing with cinnamon butter!


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Showering Ashley

Over the weekend we hosted a bridal shower for one of my oldest friends. Ashley and I have known each other since we were five years old, which means we've been friends for twenty years!! Ashley and her man knew each other prior to dating, but made it official while basking in the sunshine of Cedar Island at my 17th Birthday party.  To continue their beachy relationship, the couple is getting hitched in the Dominican Republic in May! I can't wait to celebrate some of my closest friends in the tropics.

Nell (bridesmaid and hostess), Ashley (the bride to be) and myself at age 6!

Most of the super cute decor came from Table Seven Antiques in Norfolk. I found the paper straws, silver wine glasses, chalk board paper, chevron table runner, engagement ring napkin holders (they stand up, so we used them to hold the food signs!), and vintage bride and groom picks.  This shop has everything for a perfect party!  Table Seven was recently featured in the latest issue of Vow Magazine.  I made the garland out of tissue paper and twine. Super easy and a great addition.

Chalk board paper table runner. Silver wine glasses. Chevron and striped paper straws

Wine and Sangria!

Crockpot Queso

You will need:

1 block of Velveeta cheese

1 pound of cook ground sausage

2 cans of Rotel tomatoes, drained

Combine all ingredients and heat on high, stirring every 10 minutes, until mixture is melted. Then put crockpot on the low or warm setting and serve with your favorite tortilla chips!

Vintage inspired Bride and Groom picks

Sangria

You will need:
One large bottle of Moscato
Two liter of Diet Cherry 7-up
One liter of Club Soda
One can of frozen lemonade concentrate
Sliced fresh fruit (lemons and strawberries)

Pour together all ingredients into a large pitcher or carafe. Give it a few big stirs until the concentrate is dissolved. Serve over ice, and in our case with a paper straw!

Cupcakes from Carolina Cupcakery. Brownies from Costco.

Mac N Cheese Cups

Mac N Cheese Cups, SO YUMMY!

(makes 48)

You will need:

Two boxes of your favorite Mac N Cheese (I used Velveeta Shells and Cheese)

2 eggs

Cayenne Pepper

Bread Crumbs

Garlic Salt

Parmesan Cheese

Make Mac N Cheese according to package. Return to the pot and add two eggs, some bread crumbs and the seasonings. As much as you desire! Grease a mini muffin tin and sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs. Spoon in the Mac N Cheese mixture and top with more cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 15 minutes on 410 degrees.  Let cool for a few minutes and then pop them out with a spoon. Delicious and easy appetizer!

Some of the food spread

Meatball Sliders

You will need:

One package of frozen meatballs (or homemade!)

1 jar of marinara sauce

Mozzarella Cheese

Hawaiian rolls

Combine meatballs and sauce in a large pot and heat over medium until hot. In the mean time, open the rolls and toast in the oven for 3 minutes. Take out of the oven and place a piece of cheese on each roll. Top with a meatball and some sauce. You're done! 

More food!

Caprese Skewers

You will need:

Fresh baby spinach

Grape tomatoes

Fresh mozzarella pearls

Dried basil or Italian seasoning

Balsamic glaze

Toothpicks or skewers

Skewer together the first three ingredients in any order you would like. Sprinkle the skewers with seasonings and then drizzle with balsamic glaze. Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Chicken Stew

With the up coming winter storm, I wanted to stock up on something warm and healthy! This was super easy, it took maybe 30 minutes time tops. You can also do it in a crockpot!

You will need:

One rotisserie chicken, white meat shredded and set aside
1 oz olive oil
1.5 cups of chopped carrots
1.5 cups of chopped celery
1 cup of chopped white onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cans (28 oz) of whole tomatoes, undrained
1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 handfuls of baby spinach
1/4 cup of chopped basil
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, saute carrots, onions, celery and garlic until onions are golden and tender (about 10 minutes). Then all add the ingredients.  Mash up the tomatoes in the pot. Give it a few good stirs and bring to a boil. Cover partially and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes. That's it! I served mine with organic whole wheat bread. Enjoy!

* You can always add some water if you want to make it more soupy!

Click here for a list of all my recipes!

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

You will need:

your favorite pasta

large bunch of fresh broccoli

2 chicken breasts

sesame oil

2 tbsp butter

2 sliced garlic cloves

2 ox cream cheese

1 pint heavy whipping cream

2 cups Parmesan

garlic salt

salt and pepper

dried onions

For the Pasta and Broccoli:
Cook your favorite pasta according to package. Add some fresh broccoli in the water to quickly cook. Meanwhile...

For the Chicken:
Saute two chicken breasts with sesame oil. Cook until no longer pink and then dice it up!
Meanwhile...

For the sauce:
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan and add 2 sliced cloves of garlic.  Add 2 ounces of cream cheese and mix until melted. Add one pint of heavy cream and 2 cups of Parmesan cheese. Add whatever seasonings you like. We added garlic salt, pepper, and dried onions. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens.

Drain the pasta and broccoli and then return to the pot. Add the chicken and pour over the sauce. Give it a big stir. Top with crushed red pepper and enjoy!!


To see my other recipes, click here!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Protein Muffins

Makes 24 mini muffins
1¼ cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil or unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
1 large egg
½ cup Almond Milk
1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries
A handful of sugar (for sprinkling)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a mini muffin pan. Mix together all ingredients, and fold in the blueberries. Pour into the greased mini muffin pan. Top each muffin with extra sugar. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown.

 To see my other recipes, click here!