EASTER COOKING & SHOPPING....

Via Inslee.net

Hello! I know I havew not been posting as much on the blog but just know that I have been missing you! Life has been very hectic and as the dust settles I  will be posting more.....

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a few recipes I used this past Easter Weekend. I had the pleasure of hosting our 1st Easter Dinner in our new apartment and I couldn't have been more pleased with how the day turned out.

For starters, the weather was beautiful here in the city. The tree buds were out, the lilacs in bloom and the sun was shining. We kept our Easter decor neutral (like our home) with white chromatic flowers in glass vases. Our home was filled with the aroma of rosemary, thyme and lemon and sounds of laughter. It was truly a perfect day....

Here are the delicious recipes I made (with love obviously):

Appetizers:

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (with fresh crab meat)

Raw Shrimp with fresh lemon juice 

Veggie Lasagna

A Black board Cheese Platter with blocks of Parmigiana Romano, Italian Taleggio and Prosciutto from our local Italian Deli

Dinner:

4 hour Lamb - I have to be honest, I was intimidated with this recipe. For starters, we don't eat meat in our home so I have never had any practice. However, it turned out to be a super easy recipe to make and came out unbelievably tender  . & yes I had some :) My family was raving at the table how much they enjoyed it. A MEEMS Tip: I  added one whole chopped onion for extra flavor 

Lemon Fingerling Potatoes (I made 2.5lbs & added the juice of 2.5 lemons)

Roasted Baby Carrots

Dessert:

Hazelnut Coffee and Homemade Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Braising  my American Boneless Leg of Lamb....

My 4 Hour Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

Here is the wine I chose for the Lamb to roast in....

The Olive Oil I used to cook with

Now lets rewind.....Friday night I made a run to Home Goods here in the city to pick up a few odds and ends. Is anyone else as obsessed with Home goods as I am? You can pick up some really great cooking essentials and non essentials at a fraction of the cost. Oh! & TJ Maxx? That place blew my mind. Why have I never entered one before? Their home goods section locked me in for  nearly an hour (or 2) of my life!

I made a run to both places hunting for the perfect dutch oven for my lamb dish. I've been on the hunt to find a Le Creuset or Staub Dutch Oven and haven't had any luck. However, I did find a great dutch oven that I used on Easter by a company called Lodge. I paid around $45 dollars for it and it worked like a gem. Sure I would love the other two but the Lodge worked just as well and did not  cost me an arm and a leg. Below is the beauty I came home with!

Also, while shopping I stumbled across one of my favorite products, Chilewhich. Chilewhich is a brand of chic, minimalist woven products that are both really good looking and easy to clean. However, it comes at a price. Fortunately, I found both a floor runner for our front door and placements for a mere (80% off)  fraction of the retail price. SCORE & SCORE!

Here are new Chilewhich purchases:

Runner

4 Chilewhich Placemats for the cost of one!

Well, there you have it. My Easter recipes and fabulous home purchases. I hope you enjoyed your Passover and Easter Celebrations. I'd love to hear what you cooked for your family?

Have a beautiful day!

xo

Meems

PERSONAL GROWTH

I'm back! The past few weeks (and months) have been trying.... I try to prepare for as much as I can so when the "unexpected " happens I am less burdened with the small things. 

Growing older has taught me so much. Life can happen fast and sometimes you forget to cherish the simple things...Unfortunately it takes life's messy times to make you realize just that. I'm also learning that it is important to be able to lean on someone when you are weak or when life hits a rough patch. I like to think I'm "strong like bull" but the truth is I'm not. I'm only human.***

Enough about the past few weeks. I am ready to get back to normal.... & I've missed you - let's get into today's post.......

Throughout the past several years my priorities have shifted and my focus has been on improving myself. Since the start of 2014, I've done great deal of self reflecting. I want to share this post with you because I strongly believe everyone can benefit from learning and growing. 

I'm a huge believer of self improvement and personal growth. Unlike other things we may spend time on or invest money in, we will never go wrong when we invest in ourselves. Education is key, whether it's taking a class or course, doing some reading on our own to gain new knowledge, taking the time to work hands-on or practice (such as cooking, baking, a particular hobby, getting a new business off the ground), our lives will be so much richer for it! 

Don't miss out on opportunities to work on yourself, even when it's painful, uncomfortable or time consuming. 

Maybe you wish to expand your vocabulary? 

Sign up for the word of the day with dictionary.com.

Is your goal to get in better shape?

Start a daily commitment of 30 mins. of exercise. Once you find success with this level, add in other activities or increase the length of your workouts. Always strive for better.

Do you want to improve on your feminine image?

Read books, magazines or blog posts with some guidelines. Spend a few hours on the weekend going through your closet, donating what no longer works, keeping the items of the best quality and condition that best flatter your figure. Take and make time for you. 

Do you wish you were a better cook?

Take a cooking class or try out a new recipe or two until you've nailed it.

Above are just a few examples, there are so many more deeper aspects that we as women might wish to improve upon. I know you have your own, so what's stopping you from getting there right now? 

The key is to get busy with the 'doing' instead of just thinking about how we wish things were better or different. Of all the things we pour our time and energy into, shaping who we are should be at the top of the list. Especially if you have or plan on having children. Be the best role model for your children and teach them to never stop learning and growing.

Invest in yourself and your tomorrow will be that much brighter.

What areas in your life do you want to grow/expand in? Id love to hear how you make learning part of your daily life. I hope you all have a beautiful day...

 xo Meems xo

{via classy woman}

It's been a rough few weeks. Life happens fast and sometimes it catches you completely off guard. I hope to be back soon but in the meantime I hope you are enjoying spring and spending time with family and friends over the Passover and Easter Holidays. 

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”  –Friedrich Nietzsche

xo

Meems

A SONG TO SHARE....on replay

xo
Meems

A QUICK "BETTER FOR YOU" SNACK

Hello! I came up for some air and wanted to share with you a quick post on a delicious healthy treat. I've been overloaded with work and school these days and due to my busy schedule my meals have been consisting of quick omelette's and shakes.

Saturday night I wanted something sweet and healthy.... Kinda over peanut butter on a spoon and wanted something a bit more "faux" sinful . I came up with the perfect solution! 

A 4 ingredient healthy cookie.

Oxymoron huh? Here is the recipe. 

Mash 2 ripe bananas, mix in 1.5 cups of dry quick oats, a handful of dried cranberries and a scoop of chocolate whey protein.

Mix well and drop spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 350 and cook for about 15 minutes. Voila! Yes, it is that easy and they hit the "sweet" spot. 

You can also add in walnuts, peanuts, chocolate chips, coconut shreds...etc. The list is endless. But keep to my ingredients for a healthier version.

Once my crazy life slows down, I promise I will be back with my daily posts. I hope in the meantime, this snack will hold you over!

xo

Meems