Happy Fall Y'all!

Oh, man! I have been loving this fall-ish weather we have been having! Today I made a trip to the farmer's market for some mums and found this amazing lettuce pot!



They called it "living lettuce". It makes me want a HUGE salad. You just trim off what you need to make your salad, etc. and it keeps growing for you!! LOVE it!

Here are some pics me and Baxter enjoying these beautiful days:


gorgeous sunny sky

sweet puppy dog

some of my roses making one last show before winter


You are probably wondering what I have been cooking lately, huh? Well, last week I had some cupcakes to make for Hunter Beason. His mom, Mecie, told me they were having another camping party and wanted cupcakes. She gave me creative control and told me to "do whatever"! Here is what I made:

S'Mores Cupcakes!

They have been really big lately on all of the cooking blogs, so I thought this was a perfect time to try them out. Here is a link to the recipe I used from "Good Thymes and Good Food" that includes the graham cracker crust, chocolate cupcake,and marshmallow buttercream. I topped each cake with either a graham cracker stick or a mini hershey bar. Also, I left out the chocolate chips from this recipe. (only because I forgot to buy them!!) They were soo yummy!

Also, I discovered a new love at The Fresh Market! I have many many loves there, but this one is taking the number one spot this week! This pistachio gelato is beyond words. Get some.


I was really craving seafood a couple weeks ago (specifically crab legs and shrimp), so I decided to make Justin and I a form of Surf and Turf. After searching the internet, I found this recipe on "What's Cookin' Italian Style" for a crab, shrimp, and mushroom sauce to go on steaks.

For the steaks, I got 2 filets from The Fresh Market and cooked them according to the only steak recipe I will ever use...Ina's Steakhouse Steaks. Perfection, everytime!

I served Rachael Ray's potatoes gratin on the side. This is one of my absolute favorite potato recipes. If you know me, you know I LOVE potatoes. So, trust me on this one...it is like potatoes in alfredo sauce....mmmmm.



Umm. Yeah. Definitely not something you want to eat on a regular basis, but a good splurge!

Hope everyone is getting outside to enjoy this weather if you can! Have a great week!

Shrimp Scampi with Garlic cheese biscuits

TGIF!!! Who wants some delicious shrimp scampi....um, me! Lemon, garlic, olive oil, white wine, fresh parsley...sounds like the recipe for happiness, right? Actually these are the ingredients in shrimp scampi, silly! Yet another winner from Cooking Light. Have I mentioned that I love this cookbook?

Shrimp Scampi

Cooking Light

2 teaspoons olive oil
28 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 1 minute. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 30 seconds. Add parsley and juice; toss well to coat. Cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

This would be amazing over angel hair pasta, but I didn't have any. We just ate it with some yummy garlic cheese biscuits that I whipped up. Here is my attempt at recreating the ones from Red Lobster (minus the sketchy seafood and bad service).

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

2 cups self rising flour
1/4 cup Crisco shortening
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 teaspoons garlic, chopped and divided
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place flour in medium bowl, cut in shortening with a pastry blender. Make a well in the center of the flour and add milk. Stir to form dough. Stir in cheese and 2 tsp. of garlic. Drop or scoop with large scoop onto cast iron skillet. Dough should be touching. Bake at 400 degrees until golden. Melt butter with remaining garlic and parsley, pour mixture over biscuits just before they are done.



Oh, I almost forgot my dessert! I got a box of thin mints from the Girl Scouts this week. These are my favorite. Let me just say, people, if you are not putting your thin mints in the freezer, then I don't even understand you. What a cool chocolatey treat!

SNOW!, shrimp, and grits

We got snow today, after all! There was about 3-4 inches, and it was so pretty. Probably the most snow I have seen in Mississippi! Unfortunately, inpatient rehab doesn't stop for snow, so I went to work this morning. Most of the snow was melted by the end of the day. :( Here are some pictures I took early this morning before I left.






This afternoon, my favorite couple came to vistit! Jacob and Jessy are staying the night with us tonight, and then going out for their Valentine's dinner here in Jackson tomorrow night. I made shrimp and grits for us all tonight...another Cooking Light recipe. It was really good, probably one of my favorite meals! Quick, easy, and healthy!

Southern Shrimp and Grits

Cooking Light

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco)
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
2 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1/4 cup frozen chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions, divided
5 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Combine first 3 ingredients; set aside.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in shrimp mixture, broth, and 1/4 cup green onions; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently.

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add grits, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in butter and salt. Serve shrimp mixture over grits; sprinkle with cheese and remaining green onions.

Happy Monday....

Uggh Monday again. I was really in the mood for soup tonight. I found a fabulous recipe for shrimp and corn chowder in Cooking Light (my favorite!). It was perfect on this cold night. Only 250 calories, too! I LOVE this cookbook!!

AAAAnnd...My mom brought me a special treat tonight...My ALL TIME Favorite ice cream-Daquiri Ice from Baskin Robins!
Makes Monday better...thanks Mom!