Paying it Forward with a Yummy Recipe

We've all heard the phrase "Pay it Forward" I have been known to pay for the person's coffee behind me in line at Starbucks on several occasions because I think it's important for my children to see that there are many ways to do daily good deeds. It doesn't have to take an entire day of your time or lots of money. Those small gestures can add up too.

That's why today I am Paying it Forward to all of you with a fabulous recipe called Greek Shrimp that my sweet blogger friend Natalie posted on her blog, Designer Bags and Dirty Diapers from the cookbook, Dinner A Love Story. I made it last night for me and the hubs and it was a huge hit. There are just a handful of ingredients and it took no time at all to cook. In fact, I made it before we were suppose to go to soccer practice, which I never have time to cook before soccer practice. Of course we didn't end up going to soccer practice last night because Meredith fell asleep on the couch  right before we were about to leave. Poor baby has had a horrible cold the last couple of days and needed to catch up on her sleep. We went to the doctor and it was just that - a cold so I got a handwritten prescription that said Mucinex during the day, Benadryl at night, lots of liquids, steamy baths and a cool mist humidifier in her room.

Sorry, I digress. Back to the recipe.......

Greek Shrimp 

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp - peeled and deveined
1 24 oz can of diced tomatoes - drained
4-6 oz of Crumbled Feta cheese
1 handful of fresh chopped parsley
2 cloves of galic - minced
EVOO
Juice of half a lemon
1 package of Uncle Ben's Instant Brown Rice - I buy the package you pop in the microwave to save time

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Saute the minced garlic in olive oil on medium heat. Add the can of diced tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the pound of shrimp and cook until the shrimp is pink in color, about 5 minutes. One the shrimp is done add in the feta cheese. Transfer the dish over to an oven safe casserole dish and cook in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, add the handful of parsley and squeeze the lemon juice over shrimp. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

I served mine over brown rice and even had enough left over for lunch today.

Enjoy!

XO,
Monda




  

Mini Won Ton Tacos

I found this recipe on Pinterest where I seem to find all of my recipes these days and it was a big hit at my house. I am trying really hard not to make separate meals for us and the kids but sometimes that is just impossible. Josh and I try to eat really healthy at night which means  vegetables and fish dishes with lots of flavor. I am slowly getting Jonah and Meredith to sample small bites but as most parents know, it’s hard to talk your kids into eating a plate full of roasted asparagus.

With that being said this meal was quick, easy, and everyone liked it.

Mini Won Ton Tacos

via

Ingredients:

1 package Won Tons wrappers(found in the refrigerated produce section)

1 package Extra Lean organic Ground Beef

1 package of Mexican style shredded cheese

1 package of Taco Seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350

2. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray

3. Brown ground beef and drain

4. Add taco seasoning with water as directed on package

5. Simmer until sauce thickens

6. Drain mean again (I did this because I had a lot of sauce and I didn’t want the tacos to be soggy)

7. Place won ton wrappers in muffin tin

8. Fill uncooked won ton wrappers with beef and top with cheese

9. Cook @ 350 for 8-10 minutes

I served mine with Tortilla soup and black beans and rice.

Enjoy!

XO,

Monda

Sweet Home Alabama

Last week I was working at a hospital in Birmingham, AL. After a long day the team I was traveling with took me to a fabulous little restaurant / wine bar called GianMarcos’s

I fell in love with the place the moment I saw this sign hanging out on the front porch of the wine bar.

The service was great, the food amazing and a selection of wines that would make any wine snob impressed.

We started off with a bottle of Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato.Moscato which is usually a little sweet for me but one of the ladies I was with recommended it and it was awesome and retails for about $14 a bottle retail. Next we had a Adelsheim deglace Pinot Noir and it was equally as great! Both would make excellent dessert wines! I will definitely be looking for both next time I am out shopping.

                                              

The first night we were there we had the oysters Bienville and they were very well done. For dinner, I chose the glazed hen with lobster bread pudding and sautéed spinach for dinner. So good, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. And yes, because I loved it so much we went back again the next night!

The next night we had the Cade Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and the pistachio crusted goat cheese for an appetizer. For dinner this night,  I decided to try the Stuffed shells with lobster, shrimp and scallops with parmesan cheese and a creamy marinara sauce and it did not disappoint.

So if you are ever in the Birmingham area I highly suggest you try GianMarco’s!

XO,

Monda

Blogging Break

About six months in to starting up my Je l’adore blog last year, I decided I needed to take a small blogging break. I have been blogging for almost six years with my personal family blog and then of course I added this blog last year to talk about and share with all my friends and family the fun and fabulous things I bought, added to my ever growing wish list, cooked and places that I visited including some wonderful restaurants and boutiques.

Last year I stepped away from the computer and took the time to enjoy being a stay at home mom, get my house organized and in a manageable state and enjoy exploring my city and all that it had to offer.

So the kids are a little older now and I am back at work because I honestly love what I do but I miss writing. I miss sharing all my fun finds with my friends. I have sort of been using Instagram to fill the void of this blog but I think it’s time to pick it back up.

So I hope you will still come visit and check out all the fabulous things I post. I have definitely missed all your comments and sweet feedback and I love when you share your own fabulous finds and ideas!

XO,

Monda

Steak Salad

Sorry I have been MIA the last few months. Spring sports and end of year activities have had us in schedule overload. When I do have a few minutes for myself I end up trying to amp up my summer wardrobe, grocery shop or work on the endless piles of laundry around our house! I am still amazed that a family of four can go through as much laundry as we do! 


But enough about my crazy schedule because everyone's schedule is crazy right?? With that said, you will want to add this salad in your menu rotation ASAP because this is frankly one of the easiest dinners I have ever made. We are talking under 30 minutes from prep to table. Top that Rachael Ray!


My husband is a huge steak fan and I love any kind of salad so when I found this perfect marriage of the two on Cheeky Kitchen I knew it would be a winner at our dinner table. 


It not only looks pretty, it's actually pretty healthy. The broiled steak is tender and I love the color palette with red and yellow tomatoes and green asparagus. I have never met a cheese I didn't like so the addition of the Gorgonzola cheese and a sprinkling of walnuts gave it that wow flavor. 


So, go make this for dinner tonight! You will not be disappointed. 


Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

1 pound top sirloin steak, cut about 1 inch thick
12-15 cherry tomatoes
12-15 sweet yellow tomatoes
1 bunch asparagus, cut in half
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 ounces gorgonzola cheese
1/3 cup walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to broil. Transfer a top rack of your oven to the uppermost spot in the oven. Place the steak on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Scatter the tomatoes, asparagus, and chopped shallot across the baking sheet. Drizzle everything with olive oil, sprinkle with an ample amount of fresh-ground pepper and salt the pop the baking sheet onto that top shelf of your preheated oven.

Broil the steak on one side for 5-8 minutes, you'll know it's ready to flip when the edges of the steak begin to brown slightly. Flip the steak over and return the baking sheet to broil until the steak is cooked to your favorite doneness (for us, that usually an additional 4-6 minutes until it's cooked perfectly medium). Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes on your stovetop.

Slice the steak into long, thin strips. Toss with the asparagus and tomatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with gorgonzola crumbles, walnuts, and an extra helping of ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Weekend Wedding Fun

This weekend we attended our friend Daniel and Leah's wedding in Dripping Springs near Austin. It was at a beautiful ranch in the hill country. The setting for the ceremony was outside under the trees overlooking the hills. We had a great time hanging out with Josh's fraternity brothers at the reception. I just love those guys! They are so much fun.

Of course I had to go shopping before the wedding and I found this dress that I fell in love with after I tried it on. The color is gorgeous and the fit is very flattering.

Tie Waste Silk Dress

To add a pop of color I paired the dress with these Kendra Scott earrings and then added gold bangles, my Marcia Moran ring and nude heels.

On Sunday we headed back home to Dallas but stopped at our favorite restaurants in Salado, The Stagecoach Inn. We have been going to this restaurant since we were in high school. Our favorite things on the menu are the corn hush puppies and the Strawberry Kiss. The perfect food to cure a night of wine drinking!

Happy Monday!

XO,

Monda

Weekend Recap

We had a low key weekend since the hubs had to head out of town on a business trip Saturday night. On Friday I stopped by Whole Food to pick up dinner, a couple bottles of wine and while I was standing in line at the checkout I grabbed a package of the Whole Foods Parmesan Crisps. I love cheese and anything crispy so it was love at first bite. Perfect little snack to munch on with my evening glass of Pinot Grigio. They also have the recipe on the Whole Foods website so I may have to try and make my own next time.

Whole Foods Parmesan Crisps

I picked up this Pinot Grigio at Whole Foods and it is really good. It was on sale for $14. A perfect compliment to the Parmesan Crisps.

On Saturday we celebrated our wee bit of Irish heritage with our little Leprechauns.

The last of the four swimsuits that I recently ordered for Meredith finally arrived on Saturday. Swimsuit shopping for her is much more fun that swimsuit shopping for myself!

Speaking of swimsuits and summer, I really want to take a beach vacation this summer. We have not been to the beach since Meredith was born and she will be 3 years old in two weeks so a vacation is long overdue! I found this beautiful Caftan at Calypso St. Barth and I think it would be the perfect beach dress to pack in my suitcase!

Sammy Sheer Beach Caftan

Happy Monday!

XO,

Monda