roasted parmesan green beans

July 25, 2013

roasted_parmesan_green_beans_4There are two types of gardeners – the ones who grow way more than they can possibly eat so they give away much of their harvest and the ones who hoard their yield like it’s made of gold.  We would be the latter but lucky for us our friends and family are mostly the first variety.  This week Sticky’s mom sent over a bucket of fresh green beans and my first instinct was to blanch and freeze them.  I changed my mind after hopping on pinterest and seeing everything from green bean fries to green bean pizza.  All sounded good but a simple recipe for parmesan green beans was just what I was in the mood for.  Salty, delicious and a cinch to make.  If you are harvesting your own green beans or receiving them from a generous gardener you’ve got to try this simple side dish before you throw all those fresh beans in the freezer.

roasted_parmesan_green_beans_1When trimming my beans I prefer to only snap off the end attached to the plant.  Even at that I remove as little as possible.  The natural shape of the green bean is so beautiful and leaving on as much as possible gives the dish a more rustic look.  That and let’s be honest, it’s less work.

roasted_parmesan_green_beans_2 roasted_parmesan_green_beans_3The original recipe called for the cheese to only be added before baking.  I am always game for more cheese, especially parmesan, so I chose to grate just a bit more over top of the dish before serving.

roasted_parmesan_green_beans_5 roasted_parmesan_green_beans_6

Roasted Parmesan Green Beans
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups fresh green beans (trimmed, rinsed and patted dry)
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil (more to taste if desired)
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (more to taste if desired)
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper (more to taste if desired)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400'f.
  2. Place green beans in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add garlic, Old Bay, salt and pepper - toss to coat.
  3. Place beans on a foil lined cookie sheet in a single layer.
  4. Sprinkle with desired amount of Parmesan cheese.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top before serving (optional).
Notes
recipe adapted from Root and Blossom
The ultimate test is a toddler of course (a messy haired one at that).  She ate so many we had to make another round for her dad to be able to try.  The bucket is already more than halfway empty, clearly none of those beans will make it to the freezer.

roasted_parmesan_green_beans_7My granny showed up last night with three grocery bags full of ears of corn.  Boy oh boy do I have some fun things in mind for those…

brandyjsig

 

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blueberry crumb bars

July 24, 2013

lemon_blueberry_bar_3

Anything baked with fruit is sure to be amazing as far as I’m concerned.  If you disagree, you are probably wondering why it is all I have posted lately, and all I can tell you is that this charade will most likely not end until pumpkins are in sight.  When our local grocery store is selling 5lb boxes of blueberries for $10, I can’t help but search for ways to coat them in sugar and throw them in my oven.

lemon_blueberry_bar_1

This week the reality of how soon our wedding is has really set in, and I have officially entered panic mode.  I am an anxious person anyways, but this anxiety is a whole new ball game.  It’s the cant-sleep, exhausted, ever-present-lump-in-your-throat kind.  Don’t get me wrong, we are over the moon excited, but this crunch time madness is serious stuff.

There is nothing better than being able to throw together something from scratch that tastes like you put a few hours in it- when really you didn’t have a few hours and it took minimal effort.  I love this recipe because it is no-fuss; you probably have the ingredients on hand and it is thrown together so easily!  Like pie, without the headache…

lemon_blueberry_bar_4

blueberry crumb bars by smitten kitchen
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Filling:
  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • 4 cups fresh blueberries
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
  2. 2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
  3. 3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
  4. 4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Baking always helps me to relax a bit, that’s the reason I love it.  So, between now and August 9th I will most likely be living in my kitchen.  Eating these.

lemon_blueberry_bar_5lemon_blueberry_bar_2

shansig

 

 

 

Blueberry Crumb Bars
Posted in recipes, something sweet | Tagged | 3 Comments

a night out in mint

July 23, 2013

On Sunday we kicked off wedding activities with my wedding shower, hosted by Brandy J, along with my sister Brandy and friend Cassity and it could not have been more fabulous.  Not only was the party gorgeous, it was the first of wedding festivities and made me all the more excited for the few weeks to come!  This Saturday we are headed to Columbus for a night out with the girls- my bachelorette party.  I have been kept pretty “in the dark” about both my shower and my bachelorette party, but Brandy J asked me early on if I was okay with switching things up a bit.  In place of the usual bride in white and party goers in black- we opted for something more fitting to my taste; they will be in ivory and gold and I will be wearing mint.  I’m having fun already. 

bachelorette_invitation(Invites were designed by Brandy J- I couldn’t love them more!)

Planning for our night out I get to focus on the fun things- like my makeup and things that will go in my clutch (since my fabulous friends are taking care of the rest!)

shan_bachelorette_beauty_graphic_1

The dress, here.  1.Eye shadow: Kat Von D Palette for naturals with a fun pop of color (not to mention a great black to darken it up)! 2. Nars blush in Orgasm –the best blush ever created (truly great for every skin tone!)  3. Urban Decay Lashes -for bold lashes! 4. They’re Real! Mini Mascara by Benefit -This little mascara produces big results- and fits in your clutch perfectly.  5. Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss – Gloss that tingles and enhances your lips natural pout.  6. Kenra Mini Hairspray – To tame those little fly-aways and keep your volume in check while you’re on the go.  7.Viva la Juicy and La Fleur mini perfume– These are not my “everyday” scents, but Viva la Juicy takes me back to a really fun season of my life every time I put it on.  I keep a little roller in my makeup bag for days that I need a little something extra, and it always does the trick.

So excited to celebrate with my favorite girls, and  even more excited for the dress that I get to put on after this little mint number…

shansig

 

 

Posted in beauty, product love | Tagged | 2 Comments

rain, rain, don’t go away

July 22, 2013

summer_rainy_day_look_3I never understood why people go on and on about living somewhere that is 75, sunny and “perfect” everyday, all year.  First of all, consistency is boring.  Who wants the same ideal weather day in and day out?  Second of all, sometimes a person needs a dark and gloomy day.  Like when a person only sleeps a few hours over the weekend, has a broken dryer and needs to rearrange furniture from hosting a bridal shower.  When I went to bed last night I was irritated thinking about what look to put together for a sunny summer day (and clearly too lazy to check the forecast for this morning).  Upon waking a smile came across my face due to the sound of rainfall.  An even bigger one sprouted when I thought about wearing my most fabulous Hunter wellies (gifted to me this past birthday by a dear friend who most definitely knows me well).  The look is complete with coffee in hand, of course sunnies would have aided in hiding the bags under my eyes but you can’t always have it all.

summer_rainy_day_look_2Please ignore the lack of makeup and “natural” hair.  My agenda consists of little to no chance of seeing other human beings today so I opted to skip the primping.

summer_rainy_day_look_1 summer_rainy_day_look_4 summer_rainy_day_look_5|WEARING| Hunter Original Boots/raglan tee similar/cuffed denim shorts similar/ceramic traveler similar/clear umbrella similar

brandyjsig

 

 

Posted in outfits, style | Tagged | 7 Comments

southern shandy

July 19, 2013

southern shandyOn Wednesday evening Sticky and I shot an e-session in this unbearable heat.  As we were wrapping up the last few shots I bent down to get a low angle and then felt what no one ever wants to feel – the closure of my pants popped.  I was already sweating but now I was really sweating and had to quickly figure out a way to strategically place my camera while standing so no one would notice (not to mention keep my pants from falling down).  Most sessions wrap up and we would be on our way but this incredibly sweet couple offered to take us to dinner (sweating even more now).  Luckily I did not have my purse with me so I had to make a stop at the car which gave me a chance to do pant surgery.  We were in a parking garage, which was of course 20 degrees hotter than the already dreadful outdoor air, and in no mood to mess with wardrobe malfunctions.  On examination of my poor pants I noticed that I failed to button the more secure inside closure when I slid them on (you know, the button that keeps the hook and clasp from breaking because it takes most of the pressure).  Good news is I still had the button closure to keep my pants up, bad news is all the stress and sweat of the situation had me looking like a drowned rat.  So when we arrived at the restaurant and Sticky asked me if I wanted a beer the answer was without question a YES.

When it is as hot as it has been this past week all I crave are ice cold refreshing drinks.  This beer cocktail has a crisp, clean taste, is just a little fruity and is served over ice for maximum chill factor.  It is a fantastic way to cool down on a sweltering day.  I could have drank the entire pitcher the other night (then again my pants would have popped for a different reason but I probably wouldn’t have cared).

southern shandyChose a beer that is not dark and would have a complimentary flavor to fruit (especially lemon).  Of course you can make fresh lemonade but seeing how Sticky offered to pick up my ingredients I decided store bought was more than ok.

southern shandyThe sound a bottle makes when it’s opened followed by the vapor that slowly creeps out of the top – there’s something sexy about that if you ask me.  And getting to open 3 in a row was such a treat (clearly it does not take much to keep me entertained).

southern shandyThis recipe can be easily double or tripled and thrown into one of those large drink dispensers for a fabulous party pleasing cocktail.  If you want to get really fancy set out a bowl of sliced peaches and lemon for garnish.

southern shandy

southern shandy
 
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Ingredients
  • 3 12 oz bottles of ice cold beer (not dark)
  • 4 cups of lemonade chilled
  • ½ cup peach brandy
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients and stir.
  2. Pour into glasses filled with ice.

recipe from Group Recipes

Cheers to beer cocktails and being able to keep our pants up.  Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

brandyjsig

 

 

Southern Shandy
Posted in cheers!, recipes | Tagged | 36 Comments