snow weekend & biscuits

well, the minute my boss closed the office, i threw clothes in a bag and drove the semi-treacherous roads to murfreesboro. glad i left when i did, as we got the most snow i think i have ever seen in my twenty-three years and of course, we southerners freaked. if i hadn't have gone home, i would have been going stir crazy by myself all weekend. southerners don't really do snow. at least this girl doesn't. (well, we like how it looks, some of us just don't drive well in it.)

i spent the weekend snow-birnating with the family, zoo and all. and i couldn't have been happier. it was the perfect "get-away, detox" weekend. not sure why i felt like i needed a 40 minute trip down the road, but i needed some home-home time. and that i got. cabin fever much? we played tapple (harder than you think), watched a few movies (don't waste your time with sleeping with other people), did at-home facials, and cooked to our hearts content. and of course, some snow time was in order with the 5+ inches blanketing everything. stella couldn't get enough of it.

sunday morning brought a good ole southern breakfast, complete with mama's homemade biscuits. i've had a lot of biscuits in my lifetime, and i must say that my mama's hold their own against some of the best. the key she says? "white lily flour. its the lightest, fluffiest and best." and the recipe? just the tried and true one on the back of the white lily bag. it may be nothing out of the ordinary and a southern staple, but when my mom makes it, there's nothing better and it's something special that i treat myself to.

mama's homemade biscuits

2 c White Lily self-rising flour

1/4 c shortening

2/3 - 3/4 c buttermilk

1. preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
2. place flour and shortening in mixing bowl. cut shortening into flour until well incorporated. 
3. stir in just enough buttermilk until dough leaves the sides of the bowl.
4. turn dough out onto a floured surface. gently knead two or three times. roll dough out until it is about 1/2 inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. 
5. place biscuits onto prepared sheet and bake 15-20 minutes until golden on top.

i think sometimes you need to be "trapped" (though i don't think that's the right word) with your family. it reminded me of times long gone, when we were little and school was out and all we wanted to do was have snowball fights and make snow cream. there were little cares because there was nothing you could do if you wanted.

it was snow much fun. but now that i've had my white snow fix, i'm ready for my toes to be in some white sand.

xoxo,
clp

a twist on traditional mexican: baked tacos

mexican food is my favorite food. i think i could eat it all day, everyday, but then i might have a slight probably wearing the clothes i like to wear. though its not the most diet friendly cuisine, there are ways to make it healthier which i hope to continue to share! my favorite way to make mexican healthier is to simply swap veggies for chips! i like to slice up either jicama or bell peppers to dip into salsa and guacamole! another way is to use small, soft corn tortillas. they are only 45 calories a piece and can be easily made into hard taco shells if desired! tonight's supper recipe is one that is relatively easy and a change up from traditional ground beef tacos!

baked tacos

1 lb extra lean ground beef

1 recipe homemade refried beans

1/4 cup salsa

2-3 tbsp homemade taco seasonings

8-10 hard taco shells (homemade recipe below) 

shredded cheese and your favorite taco seasonings

1. preheat oven to 400.
2. brown ground beef. drain any fat. add salsa, beans and seasonings. 
3. spoon mixture into taco shells. 
4. place filled shells into a casserole, standing up. sprinkle with cheese.
5. bake for 10-12 minutes or until heated through. 
6. serve with your favorite toppings!

homemade taco shells

1. using 6 inch corn tortillas, wrap in a barely damp paper towel and steam in microwave for about 30 seconds. lay the tortillas on a clean working surface and spray both sides with cooking spray. carefully drape each tortilla over bars in the oven rack.bake at 375 until crisp, about 7-10 minutes (watch carefully). 

(recipes slightly adapted from One Good Thing by Jillee) 

it is fro-yo friday! after supper tonight i am going to get some frozen yogurt and to see divergent with one of my friends! perfect girl-date for a stormy friday night! have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo,

clp

taco night

happy labor day! it was a partly cloudy labor day here in knoxville, but i still got to spend some time next to the pool with the vogue september issue in my hand.

tonight was taco night at my apartment! i had some of my sorority sisters over so they could see my apartment and so i could cook for them. i made tacos because its easy to feed alot of girls with them and i mean who doesn't love mexican? i made ground beef tacos, mexican rice, Mountain Mama Cook's blender salsa, homemade refried pinto beans (recipe below) and homemade guacamole. they brought the cheese dip, chips and margaritas! for dessert i made Peanut and Pepper's s'more rice krispie treats. i love cooking and it is so fun to cook for a crowd rather than just for myself and we are planning on doing supper together where i cook for them at least once a month!

everyone who has tried these homemade refried beans has absolutely raved about it. i love them because they are not the runny mush you get at mexican restaurants and they aren't the high-fat, high- sodium ridden canned refried beans from the grocery store. you can also smush them to the consistency that you prefer as well - i like mine thicker and not totally mashed.

homemade refried beans

serves 3-4 

2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 c water

cumin, red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, etc. to taste

1. heat olive oil and garlic in medium-sized saucepan until garlic begins to sizzle.
2. add spices, beans and water to saucepan. increase heat to medium and stir. smash beans against sides of saucepan until desired consistency. 
3. serve warm. 

(slightly modified from A Dash of Sass) 

rather than use the package, I prefer to make my own taco seasoning. it is incredible how much sodium is in one of those packets. by making my own, I easily avoid excess sodium and can adjust the spices to suit my taste (aka I make it spicier!). this recipe made just enough for 2 pounds of hamburger meat.

homemade taco seasoning

2 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp black pepper

1. combine ingredients in small bowl and mix together. store in an airtight container (you can also just mix them together in the airtight container).  
2. add 2 tbsp of mixture plus 1/2 cup of water to each pound of cooked meat. simmer over medium heat, stirring until there is little to no liquid. 

(slightly modified from Rachel Cooks)

i guess today brings the official end of summer. however, here in tennessee, we will still be sweating through the end of the month. labor day makes me sad because i have to say goodbye to some of my favorite pieces of clothing. everyone has a different opinion when it comes to post-labor day fashion so here are the rules i personally go by:

1. white bottom, white dress, white shoes and accessories season is easter through labor day. (exception to this rule is while on vacation in a tropical location, white is acceptable year-round)
2. seersucker season is easter through the tennessee-alabama football game (this rule comes from Southern Living).
3. linen bottoms are acceptable through September depending on color (obviously no whites, but no light, summery colors) 

of course, there are exceptions to these and even i have been known to break my own rules. nonetheless, the white jeans, shorts and dresses went to the back of the closet today and will be brought back out next spring. though it is still hot as blue blazes outside, i am looking forward to some of the early fall outfits i have planned! i will be sure to keep the OOTDs coming!

xoxo,
clp