Easy Peasy Caprese Salad

Sunday Funday in the Herre house today, y'all!

As Adam and I relax after a fun filled week with my fam, soccer games, volleyball practice, job interviews and just normal chaos in your life, we sat down and watched one of our favorite Sunday shows - The Kitchen!

PS - If you guys were keeping up with Food Network Star, we voted for LENNY!! And we were so happy that he won!  We cannot wait for his show to come out guys, you will be getting A LOT of his food on this blog! :)

So, as I was saying we were watching The Kitchen, and the most darling, Geoffrey Zakarian had a recipe that I just wanted to make right then and there, so I did. You should just get up right now and go make it, too!

Cooking teaches love and patience.  So, get your mozzarella, because cheese is happiness, and lets get our cutting boards out y'all for this yummy "Easy Peasy Caprese Salad!"

Yields one serving.

Lipsticks and Squats,

Garden to Table :: Avocado, Tomato, Mozzarella Salad

The summer is time for fresh garden to the table recipes. 

Let's all get together and make this simply easy summertime salad.

Grab your ingredients and lets get started.  All you need is ::

Avocado, Tomato, Mozzarella Salad

- 2 avocados, pitted and cubed

- 2 tomatoes, or one little carton of grape tomatoes, cubed

- 1 small ball of mozzarella cheese, cubed

- 2 tsp fresh basil, or more if you want

- 2 Tbls olive oil

- salt and pepper

1) Put together the cubed avocados, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.

2) Drizzle with the olive oil

3) Add your fresh basil, and your salt & pepper to taste.

4) Toss lightly.

5) Eat immediately, either as a side dish or a main dish with a side of crostini.

This dish is bound to be a summertime favorite in your house.

Queen City Birthday Celebration

Hi Guys!!

I have been meaning to post this Birthday post for a long time, like since March 2nd, but my busy schedule has prevented me from editing this long post until today!  But I still wanted to share it with y'all! BECAUSE IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY!!! :) And I wanted y'all to feel like you were there with me!

I am not one to brag, so please do not think that I am y'all! But, I just wanted to explain my love for all of my friends and family that came out to celebrate with me in the Queen City, and my new found love for a restaurant called Villa Francesca!

From the beginning, I woke up to a beautiful day that God gave us!  It was warm and sunny and it smelled like spring!

Adam surprised me with my FAVORITE Starbucks beverage - the White Chocolate Mocha - ErhMerGerd, it is just so delicious, and with a pecan danish! :)

Then, Adam wanted me to open the presents he got me!

The first one is the Diamond Candle.  Y'all - Diamond Candle is one of my favorite things ever! I found out about this wonderful company about three years ago, and then out of no where between 2013 and 2014, it has become super popular!

But, any who, Adam got me the scent called "Sweety Pea" which tugs at my heart strings because Sweet Pea is what my Mum used to call me, and he got it for that reason!

But enough about that, a Diamond Candle is a 26 ounce candle that has a ring, that is worth $10, $100, $500, $1,000, or $5,000 in every yummy smelling, soy candle.

This is the beautiful candle! (My favorite color is purple by the way!)  And as of about 10 minutes ago, I found the little folded foil in my candle and this is what it revealed...

Adam also got me a double tea kettle, and single cup from Tea Forte. It is loose tea strainer duo within the items.  I love tea, I love trying new teas, loose tea, Tiny Tea, everything!!!

Double Tea Pot!

The Up-Close of the cherry blossoms!

 As you know y'all, I am from Maryland, so cherry blossoms have been a part of my whole life! It was really touching how all of my lovely gifts (that no one had to get me) were so 'me' and who I am deep down, where I come from, what built me.

The focus is on the strainer! :)

After a wonderful afternoon making Cake Pops, and tying bows on the mini wine bottles as my party favor for my guests, we made our way to Villa Francesca in the Queen City.

This little Italian place, y'all, is AH-MAZ-ZING! The wait staff that took care of my party were on point, they took care of everything, complimented me all night and my guests, and the food was so so fabulous!

One of my best friends, Olivia, bought me a drink over the phone because she couldn't be there in person!  The bartender made me this fantabulous drink, called "The Dirty Princess." I had about 4 of them! They were just so yummy!

Another thing that I love to do at parties, is leave lovely little party favors that I believe everyone would enjoy!  (Spoiler Alert of what I made was already stated.)  As you all know, I LOVE making cupcakes, actually I just love baking, so I made Funfetti Cake-Pops and mini bottles of everyone's favorite wine, which I got Sutter Home wine from our local place called Frugal MacDoogal!

I love spoiling people!  I love giving and surprising people with things! :)  It is just the bees-knees, y'all!

In return, I did get spoiled by my friends :: here is a quick pic! 

From left to right & from who ::
* A cute apron with my monogram on it! - Joanna
* Blender Bottle/Shaker (Green) - Chris and Cara
* Diamond Candle - Adam
* Lululemon Shorts (blue&green) and shirt (black) - Meredith
* Canvas (hand-painted) & girl scout cookies- Sydnie
* Tea Forte - Adam
* Be Flirty Wine - Lily
* Merlot Wine - Kalen and Jordan
* Bailey's Coffee Cup - Adam
* Red Blender Bottle with black top and funnel - Emily
* Flowers - Adam
* Lovely cards - Everyone

All in all, I had a wonderful birthday celebration, and you should definitely consider having your birthday in the BEAUTIFUL Queen City!

Espresso Yourself at Amelie's

This is the beginning to the National Anthem of France.

Being in Charlotte for the past 4 years has given me the ability to find my favorite coffee shops in the Queen City.  And I have to say that one of my favorite places is Amelie's French Bakery of NoDa; this 24/7 bakery is the best thing on the planet, best coffee, best pastries and the BEST macaroons that I have ever eaten.

Y'all need to get your butts down there.  If you're not a coffee person, then there is tea, there is water, there is anything delicious!  And if you don't want a beverage, their selection of deliciousness is out of this world.  From their world famous Salted Caramel Brownies, to their Chocolate Mousse Cup, Macaroons, or Chocolate Croissants...if you can't tell I kinda love chocolate.

In the picture above, I tried their newest Mocha, and it is beyond fabulous, guys!  It is called the Rose Mocha, they put their homemade rose syrup in their yummy mocha and create an explosion of flavor in your mouth!

And I know you're wondering what that chocolaty thing is behind that coffee, and that y'all is the Triple Chocolate Cake.

Amelie's is my little indulgence, and the first place I want to take my friends who visit me in the Queen City.  One of my best friends, Sydnie, came to visit me, so Adam and I took her and her man to our favorite hot spot! 

From left to right :: Joanna, Me and Sydnie

Doesn't this just make your mouth water, y'all?!? Get on over to Amelie's! :)

PS - I had this snicker doodle-chocolate macaroon and it was phenomenal!  It tasted like Cinnamon Toast Crunch with chocolate...it was heaven!

Guys, life begins with coffee and a tasty croissant.

Baked Sweet Potato Quinoa "Anytime" Patties

Whenever we are preparing dinner, and we know that we really want sweet potatoes, but we're tired of having it the same way? 

{Baked, with maybe some brown sugar and butter?} 

Yeah I was tired of it too, y'all, so I went out there and found something COMPLETELY different, that I fell in love with and I know you will too!

Yep, there's sweet potatoes in this bad boy!

I found the recipe here, that I changed and added to in order to make it my own, and to create something a little different.

* Literally, eat these anytime, last night I had mine with chicken, but this morning I also had them with an egg on top!
* Makes about 14-16 patties (depending on your patties size, cause size matters. lol)

What You Need ::

- 2 medium to large sweet potatoes
- 1 cup quinoa (2 cups water) - we'll be cooking it
- 1/4 red onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 Tbls. thyme (rub between your fingers when putting in the pan in order to release scent)
- Dash of cilantro
- About a Tablespoon olive oil
- Coarse sea salt
- Olive oil for the fryin' :)

Directions ::

1. First, make sure those potatoes are ready y'all, so get your oven to 400 degrees, and bake them for 45 minutes. At about half way through, I took mine out and cut them in 4th's so that they cooked through, and were softer.
2. Cook your quinoa.  1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water, bring to a boil, once it has reach a vigorous boil, reduce heat to low (simmer) and keep on heat for 15 minutes.  Once cooked, take off heat and set aside.
3. In a pan, take your onions, the 1 Tbls of olive oil, and a hefty pinch of coarse sea salt, and sauté until the onions are translucent.
4. Add the garlic, and stir for 1 minute, add thyme and cook for about 30 seconds. Take off heat and add to a large bowl.  Add the {mostly} cooled quinoa to the same bowl and stir. Set aside.
5. Take potatoes out, peel them, then mush them up and add them to the quinoa mixture.  Add another 1/4 tsp of the sea salt and mix everything together.
6. Form a small golf ball size of the mixture in your hands, then squish together to form a patty.  Cook on medium heat, for about 2.5 minutes on each side, until crisp and browned.  Make as many as you want.   

* If not using all of the mixture, it will keep up in the fridge for about 2 days.  But they are so delicious I don't think that you would want to leave them that long!

Now, look at you making something delicious, healthy, and irresistible!

GO YOU!