Recipe Roundup!

Happy New Year! I am a little behind in sharing a weekly receipe so today I am sharing some of our latest go-to recipes! These are all recipes that we have made before and enjoyed! I am not a food blogger as evidenced by my pictures. 😁

This time of year, we normally have soup at least once a week normally on Sunday..."Soup Sunday" we like to call it. Catchy, right? 

Instant Pot Crack Chicken Chili

This was really tasty and cooked very quickly in the Instant Pot. I used frozen corn and whipped cream cheese because that is what I had on hand - both were fine subsitutes. Also, heated up well the next day for lunch. 

Cheeseburger Soup

This is yummy! Highly recommend that you try it! I can't get the link to this one so I scanned and upload my copy to google drive. 

Best Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe 

This is super easy and can be done in the slow cooker! Serve with bread or a salad. 

Ham Bean Soup

Very easy to make and pairs well with grilled cheese and Chardonnay. 😉

Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

I can't take any credit for making this! Michael has made it every time. It is very tasty but somewhat labor intestive. We bought Star Anise on Amazon. I did find cardamom pods in the store but I can't remember if it was Publix or Kroger. 

Spicy Sriracha Glazed Salmon

Just this year we started making zoodles. We have a very simple spiralizer for the zucchini and it is not as hard as I thought it might be. You could also buy aleady prepared. This recipe is tasty and I didn't find it to be too spicy! You could always adjust the red pepper and/or Sriracha. 

Spicy Sesame Crusted Seared Tuna Zucchini Salad

My aunt and uncle gave us the most delicious freshly caught tuna. This was very good and I can take no credit for the preparation or presentation on this one! I am lucky to have a husband who likes to cook! 

Chipotle Fish Taco Bowls with Avocado Cilantro Sauce

I recently discovered Dinner with the Duffys on Instagram. Kelly does a weekly menu planner and I found some great recipes there. This was on last week's menu planner. I don't think Michael was in love but I thought it was good! Something a little different from a tradional taco bowl.

Best Ever Chicken Carbonara

We like carbonara and already had a recipe in our rotation. But this recipe was great and I love the addition of chicken to a traditional carbonara We used Gluten Free Egg Noodles from Trader Joes - they are in the refrigerator section and are good! 

Maque Choux with Sausage

This works well for us because it has andouille sausage in it which is one of the 10 foods that Clyde will eat. 😂 Please enjoy my movie! Remember not a food blogger. 😂

Stuffed Mexican Peppers

We have made these twice now and they are delicious! The Frontera sauce is a little bit hard to find. I think Kroger and Target both have it. I have also used a canned enchilda sauce and I didn't notice a difference. 

That is all for now! Let me know if you have made anything tasty recently that we should try! Happy Friday! 

Small Business RVA!

 What a year 2020 has been! As we look towards the holidays, I would love to support small business. I have compliled the below list. Happy browsing! 

Retail - Apparel: 

The Sweetest Stitch, Woman's Apparel, 431 N. Ridge Road, Henrico

Bliss 5812, Woman's Apparel, By Appointment

Shops at 5807, Apparel, Home Decor and Gifts, 5807 Patterson Ave, Richmond

Nellie George, Woman's & Children's Apparel, 5714 Grove Ave, Richmond

Quinn, Woman's Apparel, 5003 Huguenot Road, Richmond

Tweed, Apparel, Home Decor and Gifts, 4035 Lauderdale Road, Henrico

Clementine, Woman's Consignment Apparel, 3118 W Cary Street, Richmond

Ashby, Woman & Men's Consignment Apparel, Local Goods,  3010 W Cary Street, Richmond

Indigo Avenue, Woman's Consignment Apparel,  448 N. Ridge, Richmond

For Posh Sake, Apparel, Home Decor and Gifts, 9502 Chamberlayne Road, Mechanicsville

Peter Blair, Men's Accessories, 5800 Grove Ave, Richmond

Sassy Bee, Apparel, Home Decor and Gifts, 11400 Huguenot Road, Midlothian

Mod and Soul, Woman's Apparel, 323 West Broad Street, Richmond

Retail - Jewelry 

On u Jewelry, 5707 Grove Ave, Richmond

Carrares Jewelry, 121 Libbie Ave, Richmond

Lustre by Adolf, 1529 N Parham Road, Richmond

Cowardin Jewelers, 4909 W Broad Street, Richmond

Retail - Children's Apparel & Toys: 

Clarab, Tween Girls Clothing, 5716 Patterson Ave, Richmond

Nellie George, Woman's & Children's Apparel, 5714 Grove Ave, Richmond

Clover, Children's Consignment Apparel, 3024 W Cary Street, Richmond

Milby's Just Kids, Children's Apparel, 3022 Stony Point Road, Richmond

Toys that Teach, 3038 Stony Point Road, Richmond

bbgb books, 3003 West Cary Street, Richmond

Little Nomad, Children's Apparel, Books & Toys, 104 W Broad Street, Richmond

Retail - Home Decor & Gifts: 

Shops at 5807, Apparel, Home Decor and Gifts, 5807 Patterson Ave, Richmond

Beckon Home, Home Decor, 5726B Patterson Ave, Richmond

Tweed, Apparel, Home Decor and Gifts, 4035 Lauderdale Road, Henrico

Tinkers, Home Decor & Gifts, 2409 Westwood Ave, Richmond

To Be Seated @RVA Antiques, Home Decor, 6102 Lakeside Ave, Richmond

Eclecticcurator, Instagam Shop

Raising Green Kids, Etsy Shop

Revival, Home Decor Consignment, 9750 Gayton Road, Henrico

Impulse, Home Decor Consignment, 419 N Ridge Road, Henrico

For Posh Sake, Apparel, Home Decor and Gifts, 9502 Chamberlayne Road, Mechanicsville

Verve Home Furnishings, 4903 W Leigh Street, Richmond

Liza Pruitt, Online Art Source

Palette Home, Art & Farrow & Ball Paint, 5813 Grove Avenue

Hampton House, Gifts & Bridal Registry, 308 Libbie Ave

Gather, Gifts & Event Space, 920 Mount Herman Road, Midlothian

Sassy Bee, Apparel, Home Decor and Gifts, 11400 Huguenot Road, Midlothian

C.L. Rennie Art, On-line

Cottage Lane Gifts, Gifts & Home Decor, 1353 Sycamore Square, Midlothian

Epoch RVA, Mid-Century Modern Furniture, 6290 Old Warwick Road, Richmond

Papeterie, Fine Stationary & Gifts, 3048 Stony Point Road, Richmond

Retail -Health & Wellness

Apothec, Natural Self-Care, Home & Pantry Essensials, 318 Libbie Ave, Richmond

Ginger Juice, Juice, Cleanse, Plant Based Pharmacy, 7021 Three Chopt Road, Henrico

Gratisfied, Empower Protein Bars, Online

Retail - Sporting Goods:

Disco Sports, 1400 Starling Road, Henrico

Strictly Soccer, 1811 Huguenot Road, Midlothian

Bakery, Butchers, Catering & More:

Westhampton Pastry Shop, 5728 Patterson Ave, Richmond

Pearl's Bake Shoppe, 5811 Patterson Ave, Richmond

The Mixing Bowl Bakery, 8540 Patterson Ave, Richmond

Libbie Market, Groceries, Catering, 400 Libbie Ave, Richmond

Stella's Grocery, Malvern Gardens, Scott's Addition, Downtown

Yellow Umbrella, Grocery, Butcher, Catering, 5607 Patterson Ave, Richmond

Belmont Butchery, 15 N Belmont, Richmond

Anna B's Gluten Free Bakery, 7426 Brandy Creek Drive, Mechanicsville

Sally Bell's Kitchen, Box Lunches & Catering, 2337 West Broad Street, Richmond

Layers Bakery RVA, Midlothian/Richmond

Melissa Simply Sweet, Custom Bake Shop, Glen Allen

3 Sisters Cheese Straws, Online

The Olive Oil Taproom, 11400 W Huguenot Road, Midlothian

Elwood Thompson, Grocery, 4 N Thompson St, Richmond

Wine & Beer: 

Barrel Thief Wine Shop, 5805 Patterson Avenue, Henrico

Puck's Market, Wine, Beeer & Pre-made Foods, 435 N Ridge Road, Henrico

Corks & Kegs, Wine, Beer, Kegs, 7110 A Patterson Ave, Richmond

J. Emerson, Inc., Fine Wine & Cheese, 5716 Grove Ave, Richmond

Florists: 

Petals, Village Shopping Center Breezeway, 7019 Three Chopt Road, Henrico

Strawberry Fields Flowers & Finds, 423 Strawberry Street, Richmond

Stranges, Florist & Nursery, 3313 Mechanicsville Pike & 12111 W. Broad Street

Nurseries: 

Sneed's Nursery, Garden Center, Floral Shop, Landscaping, 8756 W Huguenot 

Greenhouse II, Inc, 5616 Patterson Avenue, Richmond

Great Big Greenhouse Garden & Nursery, 2051 Huguenot Road, Midlothian

Cross Creek Nursery, 501 Courthouse Road, Midlothian

Stranges, Florist & Nursery, 3313 Mechanicsville Pike & 12111 W. Broad Street

Pets: 

For the Love of Pete, Chic Pet Boutique, 322 Libbie Ave, Richmond

PJ Petts, Pet Supplies, Food & Grooming, 407 N Ridge Road, Henrico

Exercise: 

Barreva, Barre Studio, 5711 W. Broad Street

The Hot Yoga Barre, Willow Lawn & Midlothian

Zinger Fit, Boutique Fitness Studio, 445 N Ridge, Henrico

The Bar Method,  Fitness Studio Specializing in Barre, 7007 1/2 Three Chopt Road, Richmond

City Barre, Barre Studio, 1404 Belleville Street, Richmond

Recent Favorite Recipes

My goodness! I haven't posted on this blog since May! It is hard to believe that I used to post at least once a week. I had my best year yet in Real Estate in 2018, I sold 23 homes which was double my goal for year! I am very grateful for all my friends, family and clients! I hope I can do it again this year! 

As a wife, mom and Realtor, blogging ended up falling last in place. As things are ramping up for 2019, I had some time and thought I would share some of our new favorite go-to recipes! Dinner is a such a pain isn't it? Half the time kids don't like it, the other half you are too tired to make it!

These were some hits for us in 2018!

Hibachi Chicken

Hibachi Chicken & Fried Rice

We have made this quite a few times. Camille loves the chicken and is coming around to fried rice and veggies! Michael and I love too! Clyde won't touch but that's nothing new. 😔

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup

This was delicious! Love the addition of bacon! We serve with Chicken Quesadillas! 

Skinnytaste

 Skinnytaste Chicken Tzatziki Bowls

Really yummy! I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. 

Philly Cheesesteak

Slow Cooker Chicken Philly Cheesesteak

 We renovated our kitchen this year! 9.5 weeks in a mudroom "kitchen" without a stove. This is a recipe I discovered during the renovation and one that I will definitely make again. 

Enchiladas

 

 

 W.O.W Enchilada Casserole

I found this recipe on the Trader Joe's website. It was easy and tasty. I used the carnitas but I think it would also be good with chicken or ground beef!

Allrecipes

Salmon with Habanero-Lime Butter

I found this in the Allrecipes Magazine. I served with Rice and Pinto Beans. 

Real Simple

Pesto Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage

This was great and easy to throw together. I left out the peas and used Chicken Sausage and Pesto from Trader Joe's. 

Barefoot Contessa

Weeknight Bolognese

This is perfect for these cold, snowy days we have been having in RVA! 

Genius Kitchen

Scalloped Potatoes

These were really tasty and made a lot. We froze half and reheated on another night! They were great even after freezing. 

Any new recipes that you loved this year!?  Send them my way...we are always up for something new!

Tupelo Style!

Today I am partnering with some fabulous local RVA ladies! Have you heard of Tupelo Style? Their motto is "consignment meets convenience". I recently cleaned out my closet and passed over a few things to Tupelo Style. It's a very easy process. I left the items out and Tupelo picked them up from me and then photographed and loaded to Instagram for sale. They have several options...

The Closet Purge: Tupelo Style picks up your unwanted items and categorizes into Consign or Donate. You receive a percentage of the items sold through Tupelo.

The Closet Consignment: Leave ready to sell items (freshly laundered or dry cleaned) on your doorstep. You receive a percentage of the items sold through Tupelo.

The Closet Edit: Hourly fee for reviewing and editing your closet.

I went with The Closet Consignment. The below photo is of my dress and straw bag styled and ready to load to Instagram. Doesn't it look great?

Tupelo styled my items in conjunction with another local blogger, Sarah's Book Shelves! I follow Sarah's blog and have gotten tons of great book recommendations and she just released her 2018 Summer Reading List. I love nothing more than laying in the summer sun by the water reading a book. It may be favorite past time...well that and drinking wine 🍷! Definitely check out Sarah's blog, I just added a bunch of books to my Goodreads account from her Summer Reading List.

Also, check out Tupelo's Instagram page for a chance to win the book, The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer and the earrings in the picture above. To enter, be sure you follow Tupelo Style, Sarah's Book Shelves and myself on Instagram. Good luck!

A Menu Planner

I have definitely fallen out of rhythm with my menu planner blog post routine! I had some time this afternoon and decided to share some new recipes that we have recently tried and are definitely worth repeating!

Chicken Tzatziki Bowls by Skinnytaste

Photo Courtesy: Skinnytaste

This was definitely tasty and easy to make. I used this tzatziki recipe. We had leftovers that worked great for lunch the next day.

Baja-Style Fish Tacos by Weight Watchers

Photo Courtesy Weight Watchers

We have made these twice now! Very easy and tasty and healthy since they are Weight Watchers. 

Easiest Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken by Skinnytaste

Photo Courtesy: Skinnytaste.com

I am trying these tonight since they call for red cabbage that I had leftover from fish tacos earlier in the week. And who doesn't love a crock pot meal? 

Easy Tortellini Italian Pasta Salad

Photo Courtesy: I Heart Naptime

Pasta Salad season is upon us...perfect companion for grilling chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs etc! This one is delicious and not too hard to make. 

Asian Chicken Pita Pockets with Sriracha Slaw by Weight Watchers

Photo Courtesy: Weight Watchers

These pita pockets were really good. Nice light summer dinner option! I used regular thin sliced chicken breasts not the Weight Watchers Chicken Tenders.

The Dinner Daily

What is it about dinner that is so hard? I have written on this blog a million times about meal planning, the struggles with meal planning, picky eaters etc, etc.

My mother-in-law gave me a subscription to Rachael Ray magazine for my birthday and in one of the issues, I came across The Dinner Daily.This is a brilliant concept. For as little as $4 a month, The Dinner Daily emails you weekly menus that features products that are ON SALE from your local grocery store.

I selected Kroger as my store but there are many options that range from Wegmans to Aldi. You are also able to select how many red meat or chicken or pork dishes you would like in a week. Would you like all vegetarian, gluten-free or stick to the basics for picky eaters?




Once you receive your menus, you can selects all of them or only a couple. Switching sides and customizing each meal is an option. I also sometimes view the menus from other stores because I often go to Kroger but I may shop somewhere else that week. When you have finalized your meal plan, a shopping list is created. If you do online groceries, it is super easy to add all these items to your online shopping cart or do it the old fashion way and print out the list and take it to the store. 😉 I also just noticed now the the menus can be put into your google calendar! The meals are easy to make and have been very tasty! I definitely recommend giving it a try! Click here to get two weeks free!

*I was gifted a three month subscription to The Dinner Daily. All opinions in this blog post are my own. 

DIY Project: Mudroom Update

I am so delayed in posting this project that we completed right at the first of the year. Michael wanted a DIY project for his Christmas work vacation. I think it might have been a little bigger job then we expected but it is definitely an improvement. Here is the before picture taken right after we moved in....

And after....

We pulled up the old peel and stick tiles and put down new peel and stick grout-able tiles. The tiles were very reasonably priced and look really close to ceramic tile. I probably wouldn't use it in a bathroom but it is perfect for this basement mudroom.

 

Since taking the original pictures, I have added a few baskets and bottles of wine 🍷 to the shelf.  😉Excuse the kitty litter box but this is real life here!

Michael also gave the walls a fresh coat of paint and replaced the florescent lighting with this new fixture. We still need to do some patch work to the ceiling and relocate a couple of the hooks but we are definitely happy with the changes!

Sources:

Peel & Stick Vinyl Tile: Home Depot

Simple Grout in Linen: Home Depot

Paint Color: Foggy London from Home Depot 
Shelf: Target

Light Fixture: Lowes

Lamp: Walmart

Rug: HomeGoods

Baskets & Candle: Marshalls