On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is it to steal hydrangeas from the yard of the vacant house up the street?

Note to self: plant a hydrangea bush next spring!

making that again: lunch

Eating out of the cottage cheese container while I stand at the sink just isn't working for me anymore.  This summer I have decided to get better about cooking{with heat} my lunch.  I ran across this recipe in Martha's Everyday Food magazine and it reminded me of a lunch I love to eat with my dad.  Teriyaki.  Specifically vegetable teriyaki from Pie Wei{a chain associated with P.F. Changs}.  When he visits, we always go there for our lunch without kids{they don't much like chinese food yet}.  In fact, my dad will get to Pei Wei at least another time during his stay-that man loves himself some veggies. 

Vegetable Fried Rice{Martha Stewart Everday Food}

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cooked rice, cold
1 cup baby spinach

Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. In a large nonstick skillet, or wok, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high.  Add egg and cook until set; transfer to a cutting board.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet.  Add carrot and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes.  Add scallion, ginger, and garlic and cook until scallion is soft, 2 minutes.  Add rice and cook, tossing, until warmed through, 2 minutes.  Add spinach and cook until wilted, 2 minutes.  Add soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.  Coarsely chop egg and stir into rice.

ahhh...summer

 {I love these people}

Happy first day of summer!

what I wore: bringing out my southern bell

Y'all, I went to my first country music concert! I know, can you believe it? It was my favorite artist to boot, and girls...it rocked.

Hold on to your {cowboy} hats, it was Eric Church and my hubby took me all the way to Chattanooga to see it. We had an overnight babysitter, and he even took me out to dinner. I mean really, that's what I call date night!

You may know this already, but I am a closet country music listener, or at least I was before we came south. Now I let my country freak flag fly on most days, but honestly before this, never really felt the need to see it in person. That was until Friday, that was before Eric Church live and that was prior to me putting on a short dress and cowboy boots.

I'm hooked and Todd...well, he's not crazy about the music but he doesn't mind the short dress part.

So this is what I wore...

This is what I saw...

And this is what I love...

I've decided what I love about country music is also what I adore about my husband.  Both make me feel like I'm seventeen.  Country music takes me back to some old teenage loves, warm summer nights and when life was a little more simple. 

My husband, well there are certain times that the reflection I see of myself in his eyes has me not a day over fifteen.  It almost takes my breath away when I see the young girl I used to be flash across his memories.  Stops me in my tracks every time and I thank God and pray that when I'm eighty it will still be possible for both of us to remember.


{p.s. Todd and I met when we were thirteen.  THANK GOODNESS he doesn't choose to remember at that stage}  

what's for dinner

Well, we survived our first full week of summer!  I have to say, that if this weeks activities are any indication of the rest of summer vacation, I will have some tired but happy people on my hands.  Between basketball camp for Asher, a trip to the zoo, a sleep over, play dates, water balloon fights, four days of swimming and track practice, these boys have gone to bed exhausted.  Exhaustion is something I have strived for everyday since Holden was 18 months old!

With a busy schedule combined with a total aversion to the grocery store with three kids, I have been struggling to put dinner on the table.  I mean, I get something there, but it's boring food.  Boring food makes eating and cooking feel like even more of a chore.  SO, I have gotten a little more focused for the upcoming week and here what's for dinner...

spinach salad with chicken, strawberries, blue cheese, and almonds{Fine Cooking}

grilled shrimp and smokey grilled corn grits + steamed green beans{Southern Living}

burgers with blue cheese and caramelized onions +  grilled corn + salad{Fine Cooking}

grilled molasses flank steak{Southern Living} + tomato salad{Southern Living} + grandma gwens beans{Southern Living}

Have I ever told you how much I like Southern Living magazine?

I also want to try this peach mojito

and I have to share this wonderful peanut butter-banana icebox pie recipe{she even has a picture}.  I made it the other day to take to a friends lake house-it was way yummers!

And last but not least, my friend Kara shared a wonderfully addictive salsa recipe with me last night and I high tailed it to the store for the ingredients. I had it with tortilla chips, but it would be fabulous over a salad, over grilled fish and all sorts of other things.

I made a half recipe, so double all ingredients if you are taking it to a pot-luck

In a bowl mix together:

1 can of black beans {drained/rinsed}

1 can white corn {drained}

green onions

feta cheese

Dressing to be poured over{1/3-1/2 cup-I like less dressing}:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 apple cider vinegar

1/3 sugar

salt and pepper

garlic if you like{I didn't add that}

Enjoy!