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Thursday, August 30, 2012

2012 College Football Kickoff!

In honor of college football kicking off tonight, I wanted to share a couple of awesome new recipes perfect for tailgating!



Hot Caprese Dip
serves 2-4
10 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped into cubes
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and juiced
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil (or about 1 tablespoon dried) + more for garnish
Preheat oven to 375.
Make sure tomatoes have as much juiced squeezed out of them as possible – this will prevent the dip from becoming soupy. In a small baking dish, combine chopped cheese, tomatoes and basil and mix. Bake for 15 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes so cheese becomes bubbly and golden. Serve immediately with crackers or melba toasts.
Note: dip may appear “watery” which is why it is VERY important to get as much moisture out of the tomatoes as possible. Also make sure dip is consumed immediately, as the longer it sits, the more juice that develops. Don’t worry if there is a little bit of juice – it is still delicious!
This was by far my favorite!  It is so simple and SO delicious!  I used Romas and basil from my garden and added salt and pepper.  You have got to try this
I didnt even use good mozzarella and I still could not stop eating it!

I did not realize how poor this photograph is


Stuffed Baguette

I was tired of taking pictures at this point.  However it is pretty straight forward, therefore not much to show.


Finished product
Ingredients:
  • Baguette about 14-inch long
  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 4 oz fresh goat cheese
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium)
  • ½ cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
  • ¼ cup finely chopped Kalamata olives
  • 2 oz finely chopped spicy salami
  • About 2 tbsp minced Italian parsley
  • About 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste (very unlikely since there’re plenty of salty ingredients)
Preparation:
Slice off both ends of the baguette. Using a long thin knife and working from the both ends, hollow the baguette out leaving about ½-inch thick crust all around.
Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth and lump-free. Beat in the goat cheese and garlic. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
Working again from the both ends, fill the baguette with the cheese mixture. Pack the filling tight. I like to use a slender tequila shot glass for pressing the filling in. Wrap the stuffed baguette very well in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to two days. Right before serving, slice the baguette into ½-inch thick slices and serve. For the most neat looking slices, treat it as a cheesecake – each time slice it with a hot dry knife.


Cheesy artichoke bread with hummus

¼ cup butter
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 French bread loaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the artichoke hearts, Mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and sour cream. Stir to blend. Remove from the heat and cool.

Slice the bread lengthwise and scoop out some of the center. (Note: You can crumble the pieces of bread and add to the artichoke mixture if you wish.) Spoon the artichoke mixture evenly into the bread shell and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.
Place each half on a baking sheet and cover lightly with aluminum foil.
Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese melts completely. Cut into slices and serve warm.



Enjoy!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Hurricane Issac

Growing up in south Alabama, hurricanes are an annual event.  I have many memories from Opal, Katrina etc.  Yet somehow every years the pictures amaze me.  The weather completely encompasses these places we love.  Hurricane Issac spared South Alabama and the Florida panhandle for the most part but it is still raging in Mississippi and Louisiana. Praying that everyone in those areas stays safe!!


The calm before the storm

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Friday, August 24, 2012

Gameday attire

Our lives have been crazy hectic the past few weeks.  Unfortunately, the blog has been neglected.  I will update with a separate post soon with news.  But for now a lighthearted post.

It blows my mind that football season is upon us.  Every year I love to search for new game day apparel.  This season there have been numerous cute outfits. In honor of SEC football, I am including a few pictures of my favorites for this year. Enjoy and WDE!!

Blue Door Boutique

Blue Door Boutique

Blue Door Boutique

Blue Door Boutique

Blue Door Boutique

Blue Door Boutique

Blue Door Boutique

Blue Door Boutique

Gameday Boutique

Gameday Boutique

Love this for LSU!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Bobby’s Hot Tomato, Jack and Crab Dip


  • Bobby’s Hot Tomato, Jack and Crab Dip 
Ingredients
Nonstick spray
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup (4 ounces) grated pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Paula Deen)
1 pound lump crabmeat, well drained and picked clean of shells
1 cup seeded, diced tomatoes (2 medium tomatoes)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (scallions), white and light green parts
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
2 avocados
Crackers or crusty bread, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 1 quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, pepper Jack, mayonnaise, lime juice, and hot sauce until smooth. Fold in the crabmeat, tomatoes, green onions, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Smooth the mixture into baking dish. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Split, pit, peel, and dice the avocados and sprinkle them over the crab dip after it has cooled slightly. Serve warm with crackers or crusty bread.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Olympics 2012

Despite the opening ceremonies not being able to hold a candle to Beijing, there have been several awesome images from the Olympics.  Even though I am not hard core fan, I think it is something that would be great to mark off  your bucket list!


One of few breath taking moments of opening ceremony.

My personal fav image of the ceremony

Rings on the bridge look incredible

Rows of flags in streets of London


Not a fan!

Olympic Moments 2012

Sunday, August 5, 2012

How to add sparkle to your home


I have and always will love sparkle!  However, it can be tricky trying to incorporate glitz into your spaces. Here are a few ideas to try, Enjoy! 





Tile

Soap dispensers



Shower curtain

My fav!

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Rural Studio Featured in Travel and Leisure

Travel+Leisure Magazine features an article,"World's Most Beautiful Buildings."  Included is a building from the state of Alabama., Akron Boys and Girls Club II.  To be included is something to truly be proud of, there are incredible structures in the article.  Congratulations to AL and thank you, Auburn University, for continuing to produce remarkable architecture!


http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-most-beautiful-buildings/1

Friday, August 3, 2012

11th Anniversary!




July 21st we celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary.  We have been traveling so often the past couple of months, we were happy to stay home!  We went to a great restaurant and ate way too much!  It is hard to believe it has been so many years.  That amazing night seems like it was just yesterday!  Heres to MANY more!!
Beautiful blooms!

On the way

T's steak

Horrible picture but amazing zucchini shrimp scampi

The finale


Bling

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Best Hot Corn Dip from Pinterest

Another recipe I found from Pinterest.  Cece and I ate this all weekend.  It was tasty reheated as well.  

Hot Corn Dip:
2 cups shredded chedder cheese
1 cup shredded Montery Jack
2 tbs chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced small
1 small can (4oz) diced green chilies, undrained
1/2 cup Mayo ( Going to use Greek yogurt next time)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 11oz can of corn, drained ( I ued fresh)
1 small tomato
2 tbs cilantro, chopped ( I used  more)
2 tbs green onions, sliced thin ( I used more)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix the cheeses, chiptole and green peppers, mayo, garlic powder and corn together. Pour into an oven safe dish.
  3. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly
  4. Top with diced tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.




Ingredients

Mixed and poured into greased dish.

I may have added more cheese...

The toppings may have been the best part!