As much as I love to cook, when my husband isn’t home, I basically don’t make big dinners. My boys prefer simple meals like eggs & bacon, basic pasta dishes and things of that nature, so if my man isn’t around I will take a pass and make things easy on myself.
Well, it had been about a week or so and due to conflicting schedules and basic life craziness, I hadn’t been cooking much and this particular evening I decided to make something new since my honey was back in town. I had some Emeril’s Southwest rub that I had mixed up for a chili recipe and decided to rub that on some bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts that I had brined for a few hours earlier in the day.
When looking for a side dish, I decided to use some yummy cilantro I had purchased earlier in the week for a cilantro pesto and I have to say, this is now one of my favorite meals. It blew my husband away and had him happy to back for some of my home cookin’. 🙂
I am many things – wife, mama, cook, daughter, sister, friend and an avid coconut lover. It is funny how taste buds work. Sometimes you just love eating something and you meet someone else that just hates it and you wonder, “how could that be?” I am that way with coconut. I LOVE it, my husband hates it. I kinda don’t get it, but I know so many people that hate coconut that I guess it is just one of those acquired tastes. On the other hand, my husband LOVES mushrooms and I loathe them. Oh well, the finicky taste bud…
My husband was away for a few days on a golf trip and since he was gone I decided to indulge my love of coconut with my absolute favorite recipe for Macaroon’s. This is Ina Garten’s recipe and there are only five ingredients to these little clouds of bliss. So good, so easy. What else could a coconut lover ask for?
I love summer!  I love the heat, being able to sleep in with my boys and the overall carefree vibe that summer brings.  Along with all that love, there are several beauty essentials that I find help me stay on my beauty game while beating the heat.  Without further ado – here are my picks (and why) because we all need sunscreen, but I wanted to explain my reasons for why I made specific picks. 🙂
Let me start by saying that I love coffee. I hate mornings but what keeps me sane is that warm cup of slightly sweet (I add creamer – International Delights Coldstone Creamer to be exact) and warm cup of heaven. I was watching Barefoot Contessa on the Food network one morning and she made this crazy, yummy desert called Viennese Iced Coffee and I knew I had to make it.
Ina Garten made this for dessert using decaf coffee, but I have also been known to enjoy this crazy good cup of heaven mid-day as well. I love her recipe as is, but I love to make a few fun additions as well.
Summer is coming which means it is the season for tanks and shorts. Â The showing of a little extra skin for me means sloughing off the dry, winter skin to reveal refreshed, smooth skin. Â Enter my favorite way to exfoliate – the Baiden Mitten. Â This is one magical piece of skincare heaven and I am obsessed.
