Summer Shrimp Stir Fry

Oh my goodness, I have discovered the most amazing summer meal ever! It came from The Pioneer Woman…of course! I kept looking at it, when I was flipping through the cookbook, wondering if I would actually like it or if it just looked pretty. Well, I am so glad I decided to give it a whirl tonight because it is AMAZING! It’s a spin on stir fry that uses shrimp and any kind of vegetables that are in season. I used zucchini, squash, and a tomato, but you could use anything that you like.

Here’s what you’ll need:

raw shrimp, zucchini, squash, corn, tomato, garlic, butter, pepper, olive oil, Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy

I also decided to spice things up a little bit by using Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning. This added just a hint of heat that was really good, but if you don’t like spicy just leave it out. Fresh corn would also have been better than frozen, but I just didn’t feel like messing with cooking the corn and then getting all the kernels off.

First, in a skillet, saute shrimp in 1 tbsp of butter, 2 tbs of olive oil, and 2 cloves of minced garlic until opaque. Make sure you don’t over cook these little guys or it will be a sad day. It should just take a few minutes.

Once the shrimp are done remove them from the pan to a plate.

Now, chop up all the veggies.

First, you will need to add in the zucchini and squash. Let this cook in the juices from the shrimp for a few minutes until tender.

Now, toss in the corn about a cup or so. Let this cook for about a minute.

Last, add in the tomato. Stir this around for another minute.

Throw the shrimp back in and stir everything together.

At the very end, add in a little pepper and Mrs. Dash, the secret ingredient.

Now, you are ready to enjoy a little piece of summer in a bowl! This is also a super healthy dinner, so you can enjoy guilt free:)

INGREDIENTS:

• Raw shrimp
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 tomato
• 1 cup corn
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy
• pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a skillet, saute shrimp in the butter and olive oil with the garlic. Once the shrimp are done remove and put on a plate. Chop up all the veggies are start layering them into the same skillet. Start with the zucchini and squash. Cook until tender. Then, add in the corn. Cook for about a minute then add in the tomato last. This should cook for just a little while. Then, toss the shrimp back into the skillet. Stir everything together and season with Mrs. Dash and pepper.

 

ENJOY!!

High Five for Friday

Oh, aren’t Fridays the best day of the week?! I wake up on Friday’s knowing I can concur the world because guess what? It’s Friday and the weekend is here! It’s been a lovely week mainly due to the fact that we are 3 weeks and counting to a little something called summer vacation:)

Here are my 5 highlights from the week!

1. Girls Night

I am spending tonight with my best friend, Lacey! Oh, it’s going to be absolutely amazing! Loving on a baby, eating yummy food, and watching movies does it get any better than this! I didn’t think so:) I’m also thinking we should watch some good ole classic movies like 1O Things I Hate About You.

2. Allergy Shots

Yeah, I sound like a real weirdo saying allergy shots have been a highlight of my week, but I was so stinking miserable that they are the best thing since sliced bread in my book right now.

3. Running a 5k

Myself and some of the girls on the soccer team are going to be running a 5k together Saturday. We ran it together last year and had a really great time, so I’m excited about running again this year.

4. Cookies!!

I decided to treat one of my classes this week by making some cookies for them. I made red velvet white chocolate chip cookies. These little babies are so yummy! I discovered this recipe at Christmas and had forgot just how amazing they are. You should definitely check it out here!

5. Sweet Hubby Made Dinner

This guy made me a pretty yummy dinner last night when I got home from soccer conditioning. I was absolutely pooped, and he was pretty sweet and made me a yummy dinner. He’s pretty good to have around:)

I hope everyone has an amazing Friday!! The weekend has arrived!!

Book Review-Rena’s Promise:Two Sisters in Auschwitz

This week I chose a non-fiction work to use as my Thursday book review. If I am going to read a non-fiction book, I usually pick something in the WW2/Holocaust era in history. This time period has always fascinated me. I’ve read tons of books, fiction and non-fiction, that deal with this point in history, and I can’t seem to fathom the atrocities that took place. Which I don’t guess you can unless you were there living it.

Rena’s Promise: Two Sisters in Auschwitz by Rena Kornreich Gelissen and Heather Dune Macadam tells the amazing story of two sisters in Auschwitz. I have never read a story quite like this one before. It is told by Rena who was on the very first train into Auschwitz. She had no idea where she was headed and thought it was only going to be for a few weeks at most. These few weeks turned into 3 years and 41 days.

 The story starts by describing Rena’s life in Poland and the invasion of the Nazi’s. Rena’s family quickly sees that trouble is approaching and sends Rena and her younger sister, Danka, to live with their family in a less volatile region of Poland. The reoccurring theme of this story that touches your heart is how much this family loves each other no matter what they face. You first encounter this when Rena decides to return home because she would rather be with her parents than not. This is still short lived when two Nazi soldiers show up in the middle of the night looking for her. It is then that she leaves her parents for good to live with a wealthy family as a house keeper. Soon after this, the Nazi’s begin to over throw all of Poland and start rounding up Jews to travel to their so called “work camps.” Rena decides to go on her own terms to the work camps, but little does she know what lies ahead for her.

From this point, the book describes Rena’s trip to Auschwitz, the “moving in” process upon arrival, then her daily life in the camp. After a few weeks at Auschwitz, Rena recognizes her younger sister, Danka. Rena’s heart is broken to see her sister, but at the same time glad to have her sister by her side. Rena we come to find out is unbelievably resourceful and manages to beat all the odds while in Auschwitz. Even after the sisters are chosen by Dr. Mengel for one of his experiments, she manages to save them just in time. Rena even takes a gamble and volunteers her and Danka for another one of Dr. Mengel’s jobs which turns out to be working in the camp laundromat. The sisters are able to spend the winter living in a building with actual beds and access to better rations which turns out to be a life saver.

I think what stood out for me reading this book over similar books was the fact that love saved them. Love saved two sisters in a place that was built and ran on hatred. It truly was amazing reading everything that happened and just when you thought all was lost, love pulled them through the absolute worst things a person could face.

Pros:

• Happy ending (as much as their can be when you are reading a book about the Holocaust)
• Wonderful reoccurring theme of love

Cons:

• Very sad at times (obviously)

Really and truly if you are at all interested in this type of non-fiction this is a great book to read. It isn’t as gut wrenching depressing as other stories and makes you hopeful that love can do powerful things.

Happy Thursday!

What I Wore Wednesday

Yay for Wednesday! If I can make it to Wednesday, I know it’s all down hill from here to the weekend:) We got this week in the bag guys! Here are a few outfits from this past week. Our weather has been a little out of wack here so picking out outfits has been interesting. I just want to wear fun summer stuff, but the 60 degree temps haven’t allowed that…

Sunday

Skirt- Target

Top- Gap Outlet

Blue Jean Jacket-Gap Outlet

So, here is a prime example of the weather wreaking havoc on my wardrobe choices. Instead of just wearing a cute top with this skirt, I had to bundle up in a jacket and was still cold. Craziness!

Sunday Afternoon

Jeans-Gap Outlet

Top-Gap Outlet

Flip Flops- Gap Outlet

I didn’t realize how serious I looked in these two pictures. Pretty intense!

Monday

Top-Target

Cardigan-Old Navy

Capris-NY & Co.

Shoes- DSW

Necklace-NY & Co.

I love how the spring time has made our yard come alive and look bright and cheery! Oh, how I love the Spring:)

Check out The Pleated Poppy for more WIWW posts.

Happy Hump Day!!

Pinteresting Tuesday

I decided for this week’s Pinteresting Tuesday post to have a theme. I’ve came across so many great kitchens and recipes that this week’s post is all about them.

1. This Kitchen

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I am in love with basically every part of this kitchen. If I could magically transform my kitchen into this one, I would in a heartbeat. My favorite parts are the butcher block island, glass cabinet doors, and farmhouse sink. Sigh…

2. This Dining Room

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This is such a romantic dining room. It actually look like it is located in a sun room. Oh, but I love the chandelier and antique blue chairs.

3. This Breakfast Recipe

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This is a recipe for blackberry pound cake. Doesn’t it look amazing? I love pound cake and blackberries, so it must be tasty!

4. This Tiramisu Recipe

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Tiramisu is probably one of my top 5 favorite desserts. I’ve never actually tried to make it on my own just because it looks tricky, but I may have to try this one out.

5. This Island

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I want to have a huge island just like this one in my kitchen one day that has room for everyone to sit around.

Happy Tuesday!

Make the Most of It Monday-Food for Thought

I suppose I am cheating on this Make the Most of It Monday post because I’ve decided to share some of my pins from Pinterest from my Food for Thought board.

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Last but not least…

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Hope you’ve had a Happy Monday!

Book Review-The House at Tyneford

For this week’s book review, I’ve decided to choose a historical fiction The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons. I stumbled across this book a few weeks ago when I was actually searching for a Downton Abbey like book.

It is a historical fiction set in England during WW2. The main character, Elise, is from a well to do Viennese family who happens to be Jewish. To escape Vienna and the Nazis, Elise travels to Tyneford, a remote estate by the sea in Northern England, to work as a house maid. Before leaving Vienna, her father, a famous writer, entrusts her with a violin containing his last manuscript. Elise, obviously, struggles adjusting to her new life for several reasons. Most importantly, she has left everyone and thing that she loved hundreds of miles away and doesn’t know their fate, but she also struggles to fit in as a maid. She has traded in a life of privilege for a life service to the Rivers family.  Her parents can’t be reached in Vienna and her sister is thousands of miles away in California. Just when she seems to be losing all hope, she meets Kit, the heir to Tyneford. Kit and Elise begin to grow very close to each other and form a tight bond. The book starts making some pretty crazy twists and turns once Kit joins in the war effort. I’ll stop here so I don’t give too much away, but you won’t see the ending coming when you start this book.

The best part about this book is that it keeps you guessing throughout. Will Kit and Elise live happily ever after? Did Elise’s parents escape the Nazi regime closing in on Vienna? And most intriguing, what exactly is in the manuscript her father entrusted her with?

Pros:

• Great WW2 historical fiction
• Different WW2 story that you usually don’t read about (no concentration camps or battlefields)
• Sweet love story develops through the course of the book, but doesn’t overwhelm
• Shows both sides of an estate- owners and servants
• Keeps you guessing
• The very, very end is heart warming.

Cons:

• Strange ending
• Kept some things left open to the imagination (I don’t care for this sort of thing at all. I want a concrete story with no gray areas from start to finish.)

I will warn you this isn’t a sunshine and daisies love story about WW2. The book is very sad at times, which should be expected given the setting of the book. Also, if you are looking for a Downton Abbey like book, this isn’t that book. It is similar to the show only because the main character works at an English estate.

I would absolutely recommend this book. I know I said I didn’t care for the ending, but overall it is a really great book. I’ve never read a book similar to this one (and trust me I’ve read a ton of historical fictions set during WW2) with all the twists and turns this one has.

Go here to purchase The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons.

Happy Reading and make sure to check back next Thursday for another book review!

What I Wore Wednesday

So, I don’t know about y’all, but I have been obsessed with wearing fun dresses this Spring. They are just so summery and comfy! I will admit, though, I’ve never really been a huge fan of dresses just because I can never seem to find one that is cute. But, this year I’ve hit the jackpot when it comes to finding amazing dresses! YAY!

Friday

Dress-NY & Co.

Jacket- Gap Outlet

Belt- from another dress

Flip Flops- Old Navy

Monday

Skirt- Target

Top-Gap Outlet

I found this amazing new maxi skirt at Target over the weekend and wish I had of bought one in every color! It is so stinking comfy! It has this “swoosh-like” thing going on that is pretty great too. It sort of clings to you so it’s not super baggy but without being annoying.

Make sure to check out some other outfit posts over at The Pleated Poppy.

This little guy should brighten your day. Jack was milking his injuries for all it was worth the other night when I took this. Notice, the little smirk on his face…

I hope you are having a lovely Hump Day!

Pinteresting Tuesday

Yay, it’s Pinteresting Tuesday time! Here’s my Top 5 pins from Pinterest this week.

1. This Recipe

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Nothing makes me feel like summer more than a strawberry shortcake and how yummy does this look?! It’s strawberry shortcake skewers with a vanilla icing glaze.

2. This Wallet

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I am in the market for a cute wristlet wallet. This one looks very nautical, and I love it!

3. This Onsie

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“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” I mean, really, how great is this little onsie:)

4. This Problem

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I have hair ties all over the place and still seem to have this problem on a regular basis! But, seriously,  it’s terrible to have huge curly hair and no hair tie. It’s like Monica from FRIENDS on vacation crazy hair!

5. This Rock

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True story…

Happy Tuesday!

Make sure to follow me on Pinterest!

Make the Most of it Monday

I have to tell you that I am absolutely obsessed with country music these days. I was born and raised about 45 minutes outside of Nashville, but I have just in the past year or so really fell in love with country music! Not sure what took me so long, but now I am hooked:)

For tonight’s late edition of Make the Most of it Monday, I decided to share a couple of the songs I’ve been listening to on the drive to work.

Jason Aldean “Fly Over States”

Luke Bryan “Drunk on You”

Pistol Annies “Hell on Heels”

You should definitely check these songs out even if you aren’t a country music fan give them a try. You never know, you could end up a country music convert like me:)

Happy Monday…even though it’s almost over!