Weekend as Charlestonians

Hey there!

While we've been here in Charleston for one whole month today, this past weekend was our first real, "normal person"weekend we've had. Initially we had family here helping us move (total lifesaver), then we turned around and went right back home for a wedding (Keith's best friend's wedding), and then we had another guest (my sweet girl MC), so it's been a whirlwind of fun, entertainment and activities from the start. It was quite nice to feel like we really, really live here now and have a couple of agenda-free days off.

We slept in on Saturday. We went to the Farmer's Market down the road. We stayed up late and went out to bars both nights (both nights!? who am I!?). We rode our bikes. Went to a pool. I did laundry. I cleaned (oh wait, I didn't do actually do that but should have). It was a well-rounded, relaxing time.

Here are some of the pictures I snapped along the way. Just a little taste of life here in Chucktown!

Marion Square Farmer's Market - Love the valet bike parking. 

Of course, I'm all "That is SOO cute! Lookie, lookie! Let's use it!"

Keith was all "Yeah, I'm a real man. I can park my own trike, thankyouverymuch."

That statement alone is hilarious, but I digress.

The Farmer's Market is a hustle and bustle of local vendors - everything from delicious foods and produce to flowers and crafts. You see things like homemade juices of kale and blueberry, and someone peddling artisan popsicles like watermelon mint. This is not your average market, folks.

The food trucks serve breakfast, and it's out of this world. This was a bacon egg and cheese sandwich that we had to split. Charleston knows a thing or two about big portions!

Summer in a photo!

I did buy some of those berries, y'all. Keith said they are "money." His words, not mine.

Tomatoes, and my tennis shoes.

I loved seeing this in an artist's booth. I would agree with that sentiment about Arkansas.

I may (slash will) have to go back and buy this.

Peddling to pick up some lunch. Even the fast-casual dining places here rock my socks off.

This was a fresh salad with peaches, bacon, goat cheese, arugula and a champagne vinaigrette. Oh, and a refreshing green mint tea. Easy, and healthy.

Just riding down the streets under the canopy of trees is an activity in and of itself.

I made a few new friends (gold star! social interaction!) and got invited to hang out poolside here.

My new friend is house sitting from time to time at a total dream home in a rilllll nice part of town. 'Round here, that's anything "South of Broad" street. Yeahhhh, we was definitely past that.

Crazy beautiful. Old. Charming. 
A lawn like this downtown? Amazing.

I died.

But made more new friends first.

I would have loved to snap 100 photos inside the fabulous house, but that just wouldn't be right, y'all.
So, on the ride home, I took a bunch of photos of other dreamy houses.

This was the house estate across the street. That tree! Gasp.

Gorgeous at every turn.

Window baskets are a thing of beauty around here, and this one would be considered very simple.

B.T.dubs, this was Keith's grandparent's tricycle. It was sitting idle in their garage, just waiting to be restored to glory. It says Sears & Roebuck on it. It's from the early 70s. We love it! Keith is "that guy with the old trike" downtown :)

It gave out on him on the ride home. It's currently in the shop and he misses it so much! When you ride a bicycle well over 30 years old, it has it's moments of weakness. We're working to get it back to it's riding potential. 

This meant that Keith walked it home. Meaning, I circled him a lot. I also went slower and took more photos.

The Westie.
At the iron gate.
The front door that leads to the porch, before the real front door.
The American flag.
So much I love about this!

There are iron gates galore. But, I loved these on Queen street. Totes appropes.

Wentworth Mansion. You can stay here.
Or with us. Whatever. 

Even this house closer to our neighborhood is in need of some TLC, but isn't it still so charming?




We also had a little Thai dinner date, and stopped for a sitting spell on the College of Charleston campus. We tried a few selfies, and didn't like any of them.

"Ooooh, do I really have this many wrinkles under my eyes now?" -Keith
"Wow. For once, the humidity hasn't done horrible things to my hair. This is progress" - Kendall


"The flash is better." -Keith
"Yeah, but you can't tell anything about where we are." - Kendall


"So, you really think this grainy pic is better?" -Keith
"You're right. That's enough. I just won't have any pictures of us for the blog. I hope people like houses" - Kendall


:)

Thanks for stopping by!!

Catching up!

Hello out there!

I'm not even sure where to begin with this post. I can't believe it's been 9 months since my last entry on this blog. First, I had no intentions of walking away from it, and still don't!
Life just happens.
Priorities shift.
And, I'm okay with that. I reached a point where this felt like an obligation that I needed to maintain instead of a passion project, which is the whole point. So, I needed a break. And, sometimes a break is a wonderful thing.

I so appreciate the emails I received and the friends that gave me a hard time about missing my recipes. Thanks for making me feel missed! Everything is okay. Keith and I are doing well and have been busy for all good reasons.


(we recently celebrated 6 years of marriage!)

After much thought, I've decided to pick back up on the blog, but it's time for a bit of a reinvention.
New name. New design. Fresh start.

You'll have to stay tuned for that development, but I'm excited to begin again and I am optimistic that this will be able to fit into my life a bit better now. Speaking of which, we've had a few things going on, so I'll get you caught up on all of that!

First up, we've moved to Charleston, South Carolina!


(Goodbye, Memphis!)

Yes, I actually live here now. Pinch me.



We don't actually live in this house, but man aren't those flowers gorgeous!



My husband, Keith, has been practicing dentistry for two years and decided to specialize as a pediatric dentist. Last Fall, we went through the application, interview and match process. We visited many schools, but one city stole our hearts and went straight to the top of our rank list. So, you can imagine our joy when we found out we matched to Charleston! We found out in January and just moved here 3 weeks ago.



I'm so proud of Keith. I cannot think of a better person to specialize in the needs of children. He is the most patient, kind, relatable, down to Earth person I know and kids adore him. After much prayer, and lots of years in school, it is so amazing to see God's plan unfold.



The program is for two years and then he'll be able to buy and/or start his own practice in the city of our choosing. We don't know where that will be, so for now, we feel incredibly blessed to be able to move to a wonderful place for this little window of time.




God's hand is in all things, and finding a place to live was no different. Through a connection in the pediatric dental field, we found a townhouse right where we wanted to be. We are a couple blocks from King Street (hellooooooo shoppping and restaurants) and a few blocks from MUSC (where Keith works). It's perfect for us and I already love, love, love this house.

Here are a few pictures, but I have so many more to share!




(Before)


(Part of the After)




In addition to all of this falling into place just right, I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home for my company based in Memphis. I love my job, so I couldn't ask for a better opportunity. There are huge perks to working from home, but there is a downside to being alone and away from your team. It's an adjustment that I'm getting used to, but I think it's going to be fantastic.


(my new office at home)

With all the new, exciting things we have happening in Charleston, we have so much to share with all of our friends and family that are 600+ miles away. I'll be using this blog to tell our story - both what I'm cooking and how I'm decorating, but also what adventures and discoveries we're making in this historic, charming town.





It's nice to be back! Stay tuned for more....

Skinny Sweet Potato Soup with Turkey Bacon Crumbles

Hey there friends! I'm back with another light recipe! Even though I'm really focused on lowering sodium, lowering carbs and eating more protein and veggies, I'm still craving fall flavors! So, I'm getting more creative and finding ways to make recipes work for me. This Cooking Light soup is fantastic! I made just a couple of changes. It's got just a little bit of a kick to it, which I love! The leftovers were great for lunch throughout the week.

If you don't have an immersion blender, you could put the soup into a blender in two batches. Just remove the center of lid to allow steam to escape, but cover it with a towel to avoid splatters. But, really, if you love to cook, you'd love an immersion blender. It's one of my favorite gadgets.

Skinny Sweet Potato Soup with Turkey Bacon Crumbles
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise (about 2 large) 1/4 cup water 
2 teaspoons olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson) 
1/4 teaspoon salt $ (I omitted) 6 turkey bacon slices, cooked and crumbled 1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved (about 1/4 cup) 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)

1. Place potatoes, cut sides down, in an 11 x 7-inch microwave-safe baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cool slightly; discard potato skins.
   
2. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 1 minute or until translucent. Stir in cumin and red pepper. Add stock to pan; bring to a boil. Using an immersion blender, blend until the soup is smooth. Add salt, if desired. Divide soup evenly among 6 bowls; sprinkle cooked turkey bacon and Parmesan cheese evenly over top. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Enjoy! Happy Fall :)

Skinny Root Vegetable Chip-Crusted Chicken

I have the easiest recipe for you guys! This could not be more simple: 3 ingredients. Light. Full of flavor. So... you should definitely make it.

Kroger has a fairly new line of organic, natural products called Simple Truth. I love everything I've tried. These Natural Exotic Vegetable Chips are fantastic! They are low in sodium and fit within my Total Transformation eating requirements.

The other day, I was snacking on some and thought there had to be a way to use these in a recipe. I've seen a lot of chip-crusted chicken recipes on Pinterest, but the chicken is either dredged in flour and egg, or soaked in buttermilk first. To make it healthier, I dipped mine in egg white. It was DELISH!

To ensure crispiness, I placed an oven-safe cooling rack on a baking sheet and sprayed with cooking spray. This allows the heat to circulate around the food and cook it more evenly. I do this with any coated chicken, fish, etc. It makes a big difference!

Skinny Root Vegetable Chip-Crusted Chicken
click-here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
1.25 - 1.5 lbs of organic chicken breasts or tenders
1 bag of Simple Truth Natural Exotic Vegetable Chips (or Terra chips, but they are tad higher in sodium)
1/4 cup egg whites
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 375. Place cooling rack over baking sheet and spray with a little cooking spray.

Pulse all of the chips in a food processor until large pieces are broken down. You could also place in a large ziplock bag and crush. Place in a small dish.

Cut chicken breasts into tenders, if not already. Place the egg whites in another small dish.

Dip chicken in egg whites, allowing excess to drip off, then place in chip pieces and coat. Place chicken on baking sheet. Repeat until all are coated. Before placing in over, spray chicken with a little bit of cooking spray.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. My tenders were pretty small, so 25 minutes was perfect.




These made for pretty good leftovers, too. The natural chips have a slight oiliness to them, so I stored them on wax paper in an airtight container.

Each serving of 2 tenders is about 185 calories and 270 mg of sodium. Yay!

Naked Turkey Bruschetta Burger

Hey there! I'm 2 weeks into my Total Transformation and so far, I'm really pleased with the results. It's amazing what a change in your eating habits and exercise can do in such a short time frame. I can't wait to see how I'm feeling 4 weeks from now! The food component of this hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be, as long as I have a plan for the day. I don't want to eat bland food, so I've been researching "skinny" versions of recipes even more than I used to. Here is one of my new favorites! This comes from SkinnyTaste.com - a great resource for lighter recipes.

The turkey burger would be great by itself (and I plan to use that basic recipe from now on), but adding the bruschetta really amps it up. It also looks beautiful - and we do eat with our eyes first :)

To reduce the sodium, I left out salt.



Naked Turkey Bruschetta Burger
click here for printer-friendly version

Bruschetta Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 3 medium vine ripe tomatoes
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 3 oz part skim mozzarella, diced (I chopped up 3 string cheese)

For the turkey zucchini burgers:

• 1.25 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 small zucchini, grated (1 cup, or 5 oz)
• 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp red onion, grated
• fresh pepper
• oil spray

For serving:

• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into 10 thin slices
• 4 loose cups baby arugula (I used mixture of spinach and arugula)

Combine the red onion, olive oil, balsamic, and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside a few minutes while you chop the tomatoes, then place in the bowl. Add the garlic, basil and additional pepper, to taste and mix well and set aside. Toss in the cheese when ready to serve.

Squeeze the excess moisture from the zucchini in a paper towel. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, shredded zucchini, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, and pepper. Form into 5 equal sized patties about 5 oz each, forming them as flat as possible.

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, lightly spray with oil. Add the burgers to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook another 4 minutes, careful not to burn. 

To serve, arrange 3 slices of tomatoes on each dish, then place 1 cup arugula on top in the center, then top with the burger and finish with the bruschetta (don't forget to add the cheese), serve right away. 


Enjoy!

Skinny Egg White Veggie Muffins

I have another tasty, clean, low-calorie, healthy dish to share! In my Total Transformation challenge so far, I've discovered breakfast is a challenge for me. I need something convenient and fast as I tend to grab on my way out the door and eat at my desk. My favorite thing is Chobani yogurt, but the reason it tastes so good is the amount of sugar included....of course! In an effort to cut back a bit more, I tried these egg white muffins from Eat Yourself Skinny. I made a few modifications and they turned out great! I baked them on Sunday afternoon and they keep well in the refrigerator or freezer. The are super low in calories, so I microwave 2 each morning. You could use any combination of veggies and herbs to mix things up.

Skinny Egg White Veggie Muffins
click here for printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
14 egg whites
4 eggs
4 green onions, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 red pepper, minced
1/2 zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp fresh chopped parsley
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Fresh-cracked pepper
Sea salt (I omitted to reduce sodium)


Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin tin evenly with cooking spray, or line with baking liners.

Combine veggies in a large bowl and toss to combine. Fill each muffin cup roughly 2/3 full.

Whisk eggs and seasonings in a bowl and pour into the muffin cups. They will be full to the top by the time you spread the mixture around the tin.

Bake muffins for 30 minutes until they are slightly browned.

Enjoy!!