News Feed Friday

Today is National Doughnut Day! That means that several chains across the U.S. are giving away a free doughnut to customers. Here is a list of those who are participating. Go get your free doughnut, what are you waiting on?

It's grilling season, and who isn't looking for new and delicious recipes?! 

14 grilled vegetable recipes that are so much better than just grilled vegetables.

I purchased this bag not too long ago. It's reversible and available in a selection of colors. If you get tired of one side just switch it to the other. #winning

I'm currently obsessing over rompers, like this one, this one, this one, oh and this one.    

Looking for a good music festival? Check out this list.

So many avocado recipes, so little time.

If you're looking for a wedding venue, South Carolina has several. Here is a list of 18 venues to check out. 

19 perfectly timed coincidences that may never happen again...these are pretty good.  

I'll leave you with a little salad inspiration. 

Have a great weekend!

Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Bloglovin'.   

Spinach & Cilantro Meatballs

Normally when I'm preparing dinner during the week, I do my best to keep it low-carb. I do this mainly because I like to save my indulgences for the weekend and also because it makes me feel better in general. I will admit, it does get tough to come up with different low-carb recipes on a regular basis. We tend to make some of the same things over and over, which begins to get a little boring. 

I had taken some lean ground beef out of the freezer the other day and to be honest, I was not looking forward to it. I decided to do some research, (via Pinterest of course) to find something low-carb and different. I came across a recipe for spinach and cilantro meatballs that looked quick and simple, so I decided to go for it. Anything that has cilantro is a win in my book. Let's just say this recipe will be put to good use again.

I made a few minor adjustments to the original recipe found on Savory Lotus. Side note, meatballs don't win the most photogenic food award, but who likes to read recipes without pictures. 

“Spinach & Cilantro Meatballs”

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds of lean ground beef

1 ½ cup of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

½ cup of chopped fresh cilantro

½ of a large onion, diced

1 egg

½ teaspoon of cumin

½ teaspoon of garlic powder

Dash of black pepper

1 cup of marinara sauce for dipping

Instructions

1.       Preheat the oven on bake at 400 .

2.       Place the ground beef in a mixing bowl and add the thawed spinach, cilantro, onion, egg, cumin, garlic powder and pepper and mix well.

3.       Roll into individual large meatballs. I was able to get 12 out of this recipe.

4.       Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

5.       Bake for 25 minutes or until meatballs begin to brown slightly and have fully cooked through.

6.       Warm a cup of marinara sauce on low heat in a sauce pan.

7.       Once the meatballs are done, remove from the oven, top with marinara sauce and serve. 

Recipe adapted from Savory Lotus. 

Favorite Food Instagrams

Instagram is one of my favorite social media platforms. It's a great place to get lost scrolling through the beauty of other people's photos. I find it to be somewhat of a place of discovery. So many times I've stumbled across businesses, products, bloggers, recipes, etc that I didn't even know existed until I saw their Instagram. 

I'm a sucker for a beautiful Instagram feed, especially if it involves food photos. There is something about food photography that draws me right in. So, today I wanted to share with you a few food related Instagramers I follow. I follow a lot of people, however below is a list of 10 of my favorites. Be sure to check out them out!

// ONE //

// TWO //

// THREE //

// FOUR //

// FIVE //

// SIX //

// SEVEN //

// EIGHT //

// NINE //

// TEN //

// ELEVEN //

// TWELVE //

ONE: @loveandlemons

TWO: @cremedelacrumb1

THREE: @cookingwithcocktailrings

FOUR: @feelgoodfoodie

FIVE: @nikki_chefintraining

SIX: @cookingandbeer

SEVEN: @dennistheprescott

EIGHT: @honestlyyum

NINE: @fraichenutrition

TEN: @nutritionhappens

ELEVEN: @whiskandbrush

TWELVE: @whitneybond

You can follow along with me @apolishedpalate! 

Weekend Recap

Ever heard of Dinwiddie, Virgina? Well, we hadn't either, until this weekend that is.  My husband and his friend were a groomsmen in a wedding there so we packed our bags and made the drive on Friday. It was my husband's roommate, fraternity brother and our friend who tied the knot. The drive was long, but it was worth it to spend time with friends that we haven't seen in a while. 

The wedding took place at Glenward Gates Botanical Gardens. There was a beautiful home on the property in a colonial setting with lush gardens, fountains and pretty courtyards.

We had a great time catching up with old friends, laughing, and telling stories about our past college days. I don't believe we made it to bed before 3 a.m. either of the nights we were there. Needless to say I'm exhausted, which is why I kept this post short and sweet. 

Here's to a productive week! 

News Feed Friday

Talk about breakfast with a view, if only I could wake up to this every morning. This photo was taken at Ladera Resort in St. Lucia while my husband and I were on our honeymoon.  I bring this up because Dasheene, the restaurant at the resort, made the list of 50 of the world's most breathtaking restaurant views and it's easy to see why. 

I'm salivating just looking at this recipe for Mascarpone Peanut Butter Pie With Cocoa Crust.

This guide to summer in the South has been book marked on my computer for future reference. 

I think this needs to make an appearance at the next pool party I go to. Actually, this one is more my style. 

These wine glasses are perfect for those outdoor gatherings when you just don't want to break out the good stuff. No pun intended.  

Doesn't this top look comfy?!

I'll have a pocket coffee please! (first I've heard of this)

Need a pasta salad recipe? Try one of these 25 recipes from Cooking Light. 

Have a great weekend!!!

Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Bloglovin'.  

Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale

The Nordstrom half yearly sale is going on now, with only four days left to save. I'm sharing just a few of my picks below, broken down by category. 

|DRESSES|

| SHOES |

| HANDBAGS & ACCESSORIES |

| TOPS |

Pineapple, Bacon & Cheese Bites

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I would share the pineapple, bacon and cheese recipe that I made as an appetizer for our Memorial Day BBQ at the office last week. To some this may sound like a strange combination, but something about it just works.
My grandmother use to make this savory mixture quite frequently for my grandfather as a sandwich spread. Her recipe was far more than just slapping a mixture between to slices of white bread. She would fry the bacon to crispy perfection, grate sharp cheddar cheese and occasionally break out some fresh pineapple. 
The best thing about this recipe is that it's so versatile. Although my grandmother only used it for sandwiches, it also makes a great burger topping, a nice dip for pita chips, or in this case, a filling for fillo shells. The fillo shells seem to be the best choice when serving this savory mixture as an appetizer to feed a crowd.

I'm not going to lie, I took a few short cuts when I made this due to time constraints. However, if you do have time, I  recommend doing it my grandmother's way.

“Pineapple, Bacon & Cheese Bites”

Ingredients

1 16oz can of crushed pineapple (drained well)

8oz of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4oz of bacon, fried and crumbled

4oz of mayonnaise

3 packages of frozen mini fillo shells (45 shells total)

Instructions

1.   First drain the crushed pineapple in a strainer.

2.   While the pineapple is draining, fry half of a package of bacon, or enough to make 4 ounces once crumbled. (You can also use the real bacon bits that are already cooked if you so choose.) After the bacon has cooked to a crisp, let cool and then crumble into pieces.  

3.  After the pineapple has drained for a few minutes, squeeze the pieces together in your hands to ensure most of the juice has been released.

4.   Place the drained pineapple into a mixing bowl.

5.   Add the shredded cheese, crumbled bacon and mayo. Mix well.

6.   Warm the fillo shells in an oven according to package directions. I warmed mine for 5  minutes.

7.    Remove the shells from the oven and let cool.

8.    Fill each shell with a scoop of the pineapple mixture just before serving.

9.    Tips: I made the mixture the night before and refrigerated.  I recommend removing it from the fridge about 30 minutes before and filling the shells just before serving.