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

chicken and gnocchi recipe

i realize i have been blog-MIA lately, but with exams, coming home and getting ready for christmas, i have been quite busy! nonetheless, i have managed to cook some delicious (if i say so myself) suppers for the Parsley household! i just really love coming home and cooking for my family! it is so much easier to cook for more than one and to try out new recipes on them! last night for supper, i found this delicious southern living recipe and altered it to make it a little bit easier and healthier. it is a twist on classic southern chicken and dumplings, and turned out to be so good and so filling. we had a citrus salad on the side and it was the perfect winter supper! 

chicken and gnocchi

1 package mini gnocchi

1/2 tsp rubbed sage

1/4 tsp ground thyme 

2 tbsp butter

1 c carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 c celery, chopped

2 garlic gloves, minced

1/2 c dry white wine

1/4 c whole wheat flour

4-6 cups chicken broth

4 cups shredded cooked chicken

shredded/shaved parmesan, for serving

1. cook chicken and shred. set aside. 
2. melt butter in dutch oven over medium heat. add carrots, celery and herbs. cook until carrots are tender. add garlic and cook 1 minute. 
3. stir in wine and cook until reduced by half. add in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. gradually stir in broth (we used the leftover broth from boiling our chicken). 
4. bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat. reduce to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. add more chicken broth if desired. in last 5 minutes of simmering, add in gnocchi. stir in chicken and cook 3-5 minutes until hot and gnocchi is soft.
5. serve with parmesan cheese.

(recipe makes about 4 2 cup servings)

with christmas just a week away, i am certainly in the christmas spirit. my sweet tooth is as well... i made peppermint rice krispies and white chocolate avocado biscotti this week! it is so hard to resist all the holiday treats! i hope everyone is getting into the spirit and maybe this recipe will inspire you to get in the kitchen too! check out some of my other recipes here as well! 

xoxo,

clp

charleston recap + LEONA Says

there is just something magical about charleston. i can't quite describe it. this past weekend i journeyed to the lowcountry to celebrate my best friend's 21st birthday. except for my 3 hour flight delay and a few other speed bumps, the weekend could not have been more perfect. her mom literally rolled out the red carpet for us, even decorating the condo for our arrival! it was the best quick vacation and i was so glad i could be there to celebrate! known for its restaurants, we dined in true charleston style. for the birthday dinner, we went to magnolia's downtown and i'm not sure i've ever had a better meal. i ordered the grilled chicken creole with grits and it was heaven. we also ate with the sun dipping into the marsh at RB's on shem creek which was yummy as well. for breakfast before we went our separate ways, kaitlin took us to one of her favorites, charleston cafe. my cold yogurt oatmeal with peanut butter was delish! i also got many new restaurant recommendations from true locals that i am dying to try! i can't thank kaitlin and her mom enough for including me and doing so much for us! 

now that i am home, i am afraid to step on the scale after eating such amazing food! i did allow myself to let go some and took three days off from working out and tried to relax about my diet some.  still, this morning i was on the spin bike ready to work! my muscles did feel nice and loose after taking some time off. my goal this week is to work hard at the gym to work off my vacation-indulgences! i am happy with where my weight is now. i know i look better than i did a year ago and honestly, i feel much better too. 

on a totally other note, have you seen the new LEONA says tees? graphic tees are a major trend in the fashion world right now and LEONA has some fabulous new ones! i like to pair my designer graphic tee's with a skirt and heels to make it a bit more casual or sometimes i throw one on with a pair of jeans and a great statement necklace. they are also great under a stylish jacket come cooler temperatures! i had a hard time choosing which shirt i wanted to order from LEONA, but i finally decided on "parlez vous du sud?" meaning "do you speak southern?" in french. i particularly loved this one because sometimes i feel like i am speaking my own language when i leave the south! i think the other one i may get is going to be "hello darlin'", written in lauren's handwriting. i love that she is still staying true to her southern roots despite the brand's exponential growth across the country! check out all the tee's online and preorder yours today - i have a feeling they will be gone in the blink of an eye! 

LEONA SAYS tee

that's all for monday y'all! this week is going to be a bit hectic so i am gearing up for the rest of it! have a happy last week of july (where did summer go?!)! 

xoxo,

clp

wedding shower OOTD

well, less than 24 hours left of my junior year. really, where did it go? again, i feel like so much has changed once again this year. i have really tried to work on myself, especially since january. i believe that i have improved on some aspects but still struggle with some, and am still working to better myself. it feels great when people notice how i have changed as well and tell me as many have recently, so i use that as a benchmark as well. i can only hope that i continue to improve in my eyes and the eyes of others as i end my junior year and begin the last year of my college career!

last night i celebrated my sweet sister's upcoming wedding! it was such a great way to end my junior year. in addition to some yummy snacks (the meatballs - oh my goodness!) and delicious cake, sisterhood was all around as we watched courtney open her gifts... without breaking any bows! if you were like me and unaware of the breaking bows tradition, i will give you a short and sweet summary of it... the bride tries not to break any of the bows on her shower gifts - the number of bows she does break predicts the number of children she will have! the maid of honor, or any other bridesmaids, save all the ribbons and bows from the bride's various showers and then makes them into a bouquet for the bride to carry at the rehearsal dinner! it is a new southern tradition and one that i will definitely take part in when the time comes! the wedding shower really made me realize how much i am going to miss my best friends and sisters. some i won't see until july or some august, but hopefully i will be able to see some of their beautiful faces before then!

i chose to pull an oldie-but-a-goodie out of my closet for the shower! it is a few seasons old, but still in style, a benefit of tory burch and her classic silhouettes and designs! though her dresses are investments, they are timeless and can be worn season after season!

tory burch dress, dolce vita cage heels

xoxo,

clp

easy single girl pintos

pinto beans and cornbread: a southern staple. and for some reason, also a meal that has been on my mind. however, since i didn't have the time or patience or mouths to feed to soak a large pot of beans, i came up with this quick and easy single serving recipe for some southern pinto beans! of course, i had some of granny's cornbread with it and also some tomato relish to add in an extra kick of flavor!

easy single girl pinto beans

1/2-3/4 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 slices bacon, chopped

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup vegetable broth 

1/2 jalepeno, chopped finely 

salt and pepper, to taste

cayenne pepper, to taste

water, enough to cover beans

1. combine all ingredients in pot and bring to a boil. 
2. reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer. you want the beans to develop a sort of "bean broth." if they start to cook down too much, add a bit more water. stir occasionally and mash some of the beans. (i probably let mine simmer for about 15-20 minutes). 
3. serve warm with cornbread and chow-chow or tomato relish! 

this isn't a go-by-the-books recipe so do whatever works for you! if you don't want your beans to be mushy like mine, add less liquid and don't allow to simmer as long. this recipe doesn't do justice to the pintos that you would find on my mama or my grandmother's stove, but it serves as an easy, healthier substitute to the southern staple (and it has the health benefit of loads of fiber!). tomorrow i am using the remainder of the pinto beans in a favorite recipe of mine: oven baked tacos! be on the lookout for that recipe coming soon! 

xoxo,

clp