A Polished Palate

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Reality Escape Real Estate | Turks and Caicos

So, this is what happens when you spend your time dreaming of vacation and watching too much reality TV. It has left me trying to figure out what I need to do in order to own a piece of paradise. My eyes got lost in the sea of turquoise water. I'm pretty sure I stared so hard I could feel the salty air blowing through my hair and the sun shining through my computer, beaming down on my face.

I mean seriously, this view is simply breathtaking!

And those white couches are perfection, with their yellow accent pillows.

The soft hues of this bedroom draw me right in. I could totally take an afternoon nap here.

This spot would work too.

Or here for that matter.

This looks like the perfect place for a morning cup of coffee and some fresh fruit.

How fun is that bathtub?

I think I could manage getting ready for the day in either of theses bathrooms.

Bathing outdoors is also an option.

I wonder if this place comes with a cabana boy?

This outdoor dining area is begging to host a fun crowd for lunch.

And when the my sun-kissed skin needed a break, this would be the place to go and sip the rest of my frozen cocktail.

When dinner time approaches, this is chic dining table has enough seating for my friends.

Later, we could take the party back outside for some fire pit action.

The pops of yellow all throughout the property create the perfect resort-like atmosphere.

*Photo credit and listing: Sotheby's International Realty

This jaw-dropping, 7 bedroom, 12 bathroom, 15,000 thousand square foot home, located in the Turks and Caicos, could be all mine with just a mere $25,000,000. This place includes a gym, tennis court, movie theater and wine cellar. You really don't ever have to leave the house. There is even an outdoor pizza oven...SOLD!

A girl can dream, right?!?

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm apologizing in advance for the mushy post, but it seemed fitting given it's Valentine's Day. I wanted to share a few meaningful photos from an important time in my life. Pictures are meant to bring back memories, and these bring back memories of such a happy love filled time. Here are a few shots from our engagement photo shoot taken almost 3 years ago. I think this quote pretty much sums up my thoughts!

-"The good things in life are better with you!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

XOXOXO!

*Photography by The American Photographer

J. Crew Factory Favorites

I haven't browsed the outlets since Christmas, which is a good thing for my wallet. I tend to walk in places like J. Crew and Banana Republic and leave with several new additions for my closet. This isn't a bad thing, unless you're trying not to spend money on clothes, which is my current situation. I'm at a point where I need to clean out my closet and get ride of some things before I buy anything else. Until then, I will harmlessly "browse" online. Here are few things from J. Crew that I'm loving.

Spinach and Mozzarella Chicken Meatballs

Meatballs aren't something I typically make for dinner. In fact, they aren't something I ever order when I go to dinner either. I like them, I just have never given them much thought, until now. I had some time on my hands one Sunday and decided to get in the kitchen and make a few meals to get us through the work week. Nothing is more frustrating than coming home from the gym in the evenings, and having to prepare dinner when I'm starving. My intention that particular Sunday afternoon was to cook something that would still be good leftover and also satisfy my husband's bottomless pit. These meatballs seemed like the perfect fit.

They were a little sticky when I first started working with them, but they turned out great.

The key to the added flavor is browning them all on sides, before you finish them in the oven.

This was such a good meal. I didn't feel bad about eating either because veggies were involved. It's also a good option if you are trying to cut back on carbs- that is if you can refrain from sopping the sauce up with bread.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Mozzarella Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients

2 lbs. of ground chicken

1 cup of frozen spinach, thawed

1 egg

½ of a large onion, diced

½ cup of whole wheat bread crumbs

1/3 cup of parmesan cheese

3 gloves of minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup of mozzarella cheese

Olive oil

1 jar of Olive Oil, Basil and Garlic pasta sauce (Bertolli) (24 oz)

½ jar of vodka sauce (12 oz)

Dried basil

Bread for dipping

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven on bake at 400 .

2. Place the ground chicken in a mixing bowl and add the thawed spinach, egg, diced onion, whole wheat bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.

3. Roll into individual large meatballs. I was able to get 15 out of this recipe.

4. Place the meatballs in a large skillet coated with olive oil, on medium heat.

5. Turn them over as they cook so most of the meat has browned all around, not fully cooking them through.

6. In a large skillet or braiser, pour the marinara sauce in the bottom of the pan.

7. Remove the meatballs from the stove and place in the skillet filled with sauce.

8. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until meatballs are fully cooked through.

9. Remove from the oven and top with crushed basil and extra cheese.

Life Lately: January | Food with Friends

Is it just me, or did January just fly by?! Here's a look at what I've been up to lately. If you follow me on Instagram, some of these photos may look familiar. It looks like all I've been doing is eating lately.

We started the first day of the new year off right with an unhealthy dose of greasy food, rightfully so after an evening of numerous bottles of champagne. Whit and I finally paid a visit to the Tattooed Moose. We split Mike's Famous Duck Club, the Thanksgiving Sammy and a side of duck fat fries of course.

Mike's Famous Duck Club

We went to our first oyster roast of the year to celebrate my friend, Megan's birthday. Comfortable and warm clothing was a must. I may or may not have planned my outfit around these new shoes I got for Christmas. They are so comfy!

I was watching the Food Network per my usual Sunday morning routine, and discovered a recipe I had to make. As soon as Ree Drummond finished making her ginger steak salad, I was out the door to purchase the ingredients. I seriously can't wait to make it again. It was that good!

We kicked off the first week of the new year at work with champagne and sweet treats to celebrate our 2015 successes.

The celebrations continued later in the week with homemade pizzas, cooked on the Kamado Joe and in the oven.

We've been thoroughly enjoying our fireplace this winter, Monster especially.

I finally had dinner at Grill 225, and it was amazing! I had one of the most delicious french onion soups I've ever tasted, a ribeye steak, and we shared the fried green tomatoes and brussels sprouts.

For dessert, we split a chocolate mousse bon bon and panna cotta. The bon bon won, hands down.

Photo Credit: Grill 225

We went to a cooking class at Charleston Cooks to celebrate our friend Erica's birthday. I had been wanting to take one of the classes for a while, so I was happy to hear that this is what she wanted to do. I think taking it with a big group is the way to go. We had such a great time. Our menu was Thai based and consisted of hoisen spring rolls, spicy shrimp with noodles in coconut sauce, a chicken dish with lemongrass, basil and peanuts, jasmine rice, and a lime sorbet for dessert.

My girlfriend from Atlanta came to visit, which turned it into a full-blown girls weekend, since Whit was out of town.

We enjoyed the nice weather with champs and cheese outside, followed by a few cold beverages at Bay Street Biergarten.

Later that evening, we had dinner at Virginia's on King. This was another first for me, and it won't be my last visit. The food was wonderful. It was restaurant week, so we took full advantage. I had a mouthwatering, cheesy, tomato pie, and the braised short ribs with mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts.

Sadly, we struggled the whole weekend to find someone that was able to take a decent photo of all of us. This one is about as good as it gets. Regardless of the poor photo opps, we had a great time together.

I had the opportunity to check out dinner-to-go from Mercantile and Mash. You can read my full review here.

Another exciting food highlight from last month was attending a guest chef event with Jenn Louis, author of the cookbook, Pasta by Hand.

I left the class feeling less intimidated by the thought of making pasta at home. I'm a huge fan of pasta, but typically only order it at restaurants when the craving strikes. I'm excited to actually give it a try myself. #futureblogpost

The small samplings of pasta that we had left me craving it even more. So, we met some friends at Al Di La for Avondale restaurant week a few days later. This place is by far one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Charleston. They have the best gnocchi, hands down. I order it every single time we eat there. If only you could taste these little pillows of heaven in this photo.

I may have gone on a slight Italian binge. I made some spinach and mozzarella chicken meatballs that were quite the hit. Stay tuned for the recipe tomorrow.

We made the most of January with good food with even better friends!

Valentine's Day | Outfit Inspiration

Valentine's Day inspiration for your wardrobe...

Super Bowl Snacks

We are just a few days away from the mother of all snack days, the day of the dips, the biggest of all pizza parties, we're talking about Super Bowl Sunday! You don't have to like football to enjoy this party. The Superbowl is just another good excuse to get together with friends, make those recipes that you've saved on Pinterest, and drink cold beverages.

I'm guilty of browsing Pinterest when I'm hungry and ending up with a ton of high calorie, carb-loaded recipes saved to my board. I end up with multiple recipes that I would love to make, but need a good reason. Superbowl Sunday is the perfect excuse to make those mouth watering snacks that can be shared with a crowd. If you're still trying to figure out what to bring to the party, look no further! I've rounded up some delicious options for you today.

Pizzadillas