Teriyaki salmon pizza

We had an exciting moment last week! I found out about this sale at Whole Foods!

We knew we would be having salmon on the weekend. We love this teriyaki salmon recipe so we knew we had to incorporate it into the plan. My family has been using this recipe for as long as I can remember. I don't really think I eat salmon at home any other way. We quickly decided on salmon pizza since I have an easy crust recipe and a new pizza stone for the BBQ!

Ingredients:

pizza crust ingredients

teriyaki sauce ingredients

fillet of salmon

1T evoo

fresh mozzarella

1t arrowroot powder

1T chives

1 avocado, sliced

2T plain greek yogurt

1/4c soft asiago, grated

Marinate salmon overnight with teriyaki sauce. Make pizza crust as per instructions, let rise, roll out. Top crust with evoo and fresh mozzarella. Cook salmon and crust (on pizza stone) on charcoal BBQ. While cooking, take remaining marinade and cook in a sauce pan, reduce, and thicken with arrowroot powder. Top pizza with cooked salmon, a drizzle of greek yogurt, chives, sliced avocado, grated soft asiago, and teriyaki reduction.

We served ours with a small side of mozza, tomato, and basil salad.

I would like to quote B: "this is the best pizza we have ever made." I agreed.

J.Crew fall wishlist

The J.Crew fall line came out last week. Lots of cool colors and neutrals with some rich purples mixed in! Since we all know I am obsessed, here are a few things on my wish list.

camel tippi sweater - navy nikki top - dusty blue matchstick cord - dark patina satin pencil skirt - port wine 5" chino short - vachetta belt - neon azalea ink dip popover

I am really impressed with the color selection of the tippi sweaters. Thank goodness for air conditioning as it will be too hot until December to be wearing it outside around here.

InstaFriday

I cannot believe it is the end of July already! It has been a busy month for us! I wrote the GRE and got accepted into grad school with a full assistantship, B went to San Fran for work, we both went to Houston so I could attend a conference, we both worked lots, and have even had time to relax. The countdown is on. School officially starts August 20, I have lots of prep work to start teaching at the university, and we go to Boston next week! I am so excited to see our good friends, their 3 kids, go to the beach, and do some shopping. Back to school shopping anyone?

Back to the task at hand... random instagram photos taken this week!

1. Going over the Mississippi on our way to TX. I love this bridge. 2. Our wine at The Tasting Room. Delish. Well priced. Shared with someone I love. 3. At my reformer pilates workshop. Oh how I have missed you. I learned so many cool new ways to use the reformer. 4. With B at the wine bar on a wonderful date.

5. Driving past the bayou. Great to look at, probably would not want to take a swim. 6. J Crew, you have outdone yourself on this one. So many beautiful fall colors and patterns. 7. My oatmeal raisin cookie at SB had craisins, amazing! 8. A recent ootd. My new pink pants that were on sale at J Crew, a forest green cardi, a vintage pin, a cream tank, and bangles. It was a comfy combo that looked wonderful.

Have a wonderful weekend. We have some yardwork to do, packing for our trip aka doing laundry, some paperwork, I work, and maybe a date!

 

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The Tasting Room #2

We loved The Tasting Room last time we were in Houston so we knew we wanted to go back. Saturday night was our night of choice again. When we arrived we took our fave seat at the bar... for the great service and the people watching... okay, they do have a TV playing ESPN at the bar as well.

Since we love to share, we choose to have a bunch of smaller items so we could try more. They recently changed chefs so the menu changed... we had lots to try but some old favorites as well.

hummus two ways - garbanzo and black bean... we cannot get enough of this one!

a wedge salad with cherry vinaigrette instead of ranch

beef short rib quesadilla - this was amazing!

a cheese plate... finished off with a French syrah

What a great place for a date, a vacation dinner, or a place to unwind after a long week.

We loved Houston again. We are so lucky to live only 4 hours away from such a fun vacation location! Okay... its not 4 hours when traffic is bad, it took us 5.5 hours to get home!

Central Market #2

Its no secret we love Central Market. We made sure to do our meal planning early so we could do some of our grocery shopping prior to leaving Houston. I really did not need an excuse to go back... even if we did not need groceries, we would have made a trip for the samples and all the new products.

Some of the wonderful things we bought this time included:

garlic and rosemary roaste porkloin for sandwiches

mustard crusted salami

pumpernickel break

wine... of course!

mangoes

and sandwiches to eat on the trip home

Oh Central Market, how I wish you were closer to me everyday!

A lab or a lion?

A friend of ours recommend some great English pubs in Houston. B loves places like this so we knew we would have to go to atleast one.

On Friday night after dinner we met friends for a drink and dessert at The Black Labrador. We loved the decor, atmosphere... and the pie! We had Scottish apple pie... not to sweet and full of flavor.

On Saturday for lunch we went to The Red Lion. I has the baked brie salad which was amazing. B had the shepard's pie and he loved it!

I love vacations and dates with my hubby. He really knows how to pick a great place... even when I am hesitant about going to pubs. Seriously... check out that salad! That is not normal north american pub food... it was delish!

Oceanaire Houston

Another wonderful weekend was spent in Houston, TX! I was there for a Stott Pilates conference but only had to attend 3 sessions so we had lots of time to relax and do fun stuff! On Friday night after my sessions we went to The Oceanaire Seafood Room for happy hour. They have a great bar menu with amazing prices, how would we go wrong?

I loved the white linen table clothes in the bar, the great decor, and the small but high quality wine selection. 

We had 4 amazing appetizers for our dinner: 

the mini ahi tuna tower with  mango, avocado, and wonton chips

smoked salmon with pickled shallots, capers, water crackers & whole grain mustard mayo

steamed mussels with spinach, blue cheese, garlic, shallots, and white wine

and bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeno

After 4 appetizers and 4 glasses of wine, our bill was $44. We definitely found a great place for happy hour and meals in the future. We will be back and highly recommend you go too!

InstaFriday

Hitting the road shortly for a quick weekend in Houston! I have a pilates conference to attend and we get some time to relax too. It also means we get to go to Central Market on Sunday! Here's my week in photos:

1. Common CAD, make me some $$$! 2. Organic lemonade was on sale at Whole Foods, can you tell? 3. Started eating breakfast cookies again! 4. Then ended up back at Whole Foods for pizza on Thursday, yum! 5. Homemade popcorn, our fave. 6. A comfy research day ootd. 7. Went to Starbucks last Friday for a free refresher, I  really liked it! 8. It was cool enough to wear jeans in the south in July! 9. More CFL!

Sorry for being so quick! Heading out the door now!

Mushroom & poached egg on rye

Its been a foodie week and a busy week. Here's what we ate for dinner last night:

mushroom and poached eggs on rye toast

ingredients:

2c mushrooms, quartered

1/3c red onion, chopped

1 sprig rosemary

2T evoo

8 cloves garlic, divided

1/2c greek yogurt

1/2t paprika

1/4t cumin

4 slices rye bread, toasted

2T blue cheese crumbles

4 eggs

Roast mushrooms, onion, rosemary, evoo and 4 whole cloves of garlic for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Combine greek yogurt, paprika, cumin, and 4 cloves minced garlic in a bowl. Toast rye bread under broiler (we used a bit of margarine on ours). Poach eggs for 2 minuets, 35 seconds until very soft. 

Layer yogurt mix, roasted mushroom mix, blue cheese crumbles, and poached eggs on rye toast. Enjoy! 

Its a great weeknight meal that is quick and easy.

Health(ier) queso dip

I cannot believe I have not shared this recipe! I have already made it three times for various events!

Healthier homemade queso dip

Without toppings... this one was brought to a pot-luck to reheat then chopped tomato and cilantro was added! I love this dip with Whole Foods brand multigrain tortilla chips.

2c shredded cheddar cheese

2c shredded monterey jack mix

2T chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced

1 can diced green chiles, undrained

1/2c light mayo

1/4t garlic powder

1 can corn, drained

1 tomato, chopped

4T cilantro, chopped

1 bag multigrain tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cheese, chipotle and green peppers, may, garlic, and corn. Pour into an oven safe dish (I find everything tastes better from a Sophie dish). Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Top with diced tomato and cilantro. Serve immediately with chips.

A salad... or two

Lately we have been obsessed with vegetables. I have been trying to make many different salads so we do not get bored of our vegetables. Here are two from the past week we loved!

Broccoli & orzo

 We served this with bunless burgers, a grilled pepper and grilled honey carrots. The garden carrots were amazing. I will have to ask B for the recipe to share because he made it up!

Tomato, onion, and avocado salad with cilantro lime dressing

This was a vegetarian meal for us that we loved. We had our salad with mashed cauliflower, sweet potato fries, and some potato wedges. Yum!

Click on the links for the salad recipes. I followed them very closely... no need to change something that is already amazing!

Southwest stuffed peppers

I loved the look of this recipe from the moment I spotted it on Pinterest. No carbs? Check! Healthy? Check! Full of veggies? Check! I did make a couple changes but my version is very close to the original. We served ours with roasted mushrooms for an earthy side.

Southwest stuffed peppers

inspired by Simply Love Food

 

evoo

1/2 lb lean ground turkey

1c chopped white onion

1T taco seasoning - we use

2C frozen mix veggies

3 green peppers, halved and seeds removed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1C salsa of your choice - we used tomatillo salsa

shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat peppers with oil and roast in baking dish for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Sautee chopped onion in pan. Add turkey and sautee until cooked through. Add taco seasoning to turkey mixture and remove from heat. In a bowl, mix together turkey, black beans, mixed vegetables, and salsa. Carefully spoon mixture into each bell pepper and return to baking dish. Cook peppers for another 15-20 minutes. Before removing from oven, top with grated cheddar and cook until cheese has melted. Let cool for 2-3 minutes then enjoy!

P.S. We have not gone carb free or low carb - I just have way too many pasta and rice based recipes. Sometime I just need a change!

InstaFriday

Feeling a bit under the weather this week so I am going to keep it short.

 1. My new fave lunch. Whole Foods daily bread, tomato slices, pepper, blue cheese crumbles, clover sprouts, and some cheddar slices. All melted under the broiler. 2. Thank you to my colleagues who like to feed my addiction. Crazy kids claim they got these as gifts but never to go SB. How is that possible? 3. My Zumba outfit earlier this week... all Lulu... all the time. 4. Dinner one night this week. Whole foods sausages, roasted broccoli, and marinated cheesy tomatoes. Yum.

5. A late night pizza date with B, in the comfort of our own home, with Annie's organic pizza of course! 6. It has been years since I have had tapioca pudding. What a treat! 7. This is how we Sonic. 8. Did this answer Monday's post? Got it on sale and loving its verastility. It is oh so comfy, but can be dressed up for work!

Time to tackle the to-do list before the weekend arrives. I have lots to get done today and need to find time to workout. Also, what are you doing between 12pm and 3 pm today? SB is giving away free tall sizes of their new refresher beverages. You know I will be there!

Meal planning

When meal planning, I usually turn to Pinterest for recipe ideas. With the hot weather comes eating tons of veggies and lighter food. Here are some lovely recipes I found this week:

grilled vegetable pizza - southwest stuffed peppers - farmer's market grilled cheese - garden salad with lime cilantro dressing

I bet you will see a variation of all of these on my table over the weekend or early next week!

Orzo caprese with shrimp

My recipe board on Pinterest is my greatest inspiration for meals these days. Although, I have trouble finding recipes that are not carb based, sometimes I get lucky. Today, not so lucky, but it was still delicious!

ingredients:

1c whole wheat orzo

2c cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 c basil, chopped

2c fresh mozzarella balls, quartered

8 shrimp

2T pesto

1T balsamic vinegar

directions:

Cook orzo according to package. Combine orzo, tomatoes, basil, mozza, pesto, and balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Mix well. Sautee shrimp with your choice of seasoning (we like Old Bay, evoo, and pepper). Serve pasta in a bowl topped with 4 shrimp.

Food with integrity

Chipotle opened a couple weeks ago on the LSU campus. I have never been before but I had heard good things so we made a lunch date out of it last Friday.

The food was fresh, fast, and delicious. I have a feeling I will be back more frequently that you want to imagine.

according to their website:

It means serving the very best sustainably raised food possible with an eye to great taste, great nutrition and great value. It means that we support and sustain family farmers who respect the land and the animals in their care. It means that whenever possible we use meat from animals raised without the use of antibiotics or added hormones. And it means that we source organic and local produce when practical. And that we use dairy from cows raised without the use of synthetic hormones. Food With Integrity is a journey that started more than a decade ago and one that will never end.

Decisions, decisions

I found a new top I really like. The color is not a color I would normally pick but I like it against my skin tone. But do I really need the tank? Is that a rhetorical question? I decided prior to purchasing the tank I must find 3 ways to wear it only using things I already own.

dressed up

tiered dot tank -  jade no2 pencil skirt - navy cardigan - neutral loafers

monochromatic

braided belt - light rose no2 pencil skirt - brown loafers - tiered dot tank

 dressed down

tiered dot tank - bubble necklace - boyfriend jeans

Okay, that was a little too easy. Can I buy the shirt now? Maybe you'll see me wearing it on InstaGram! Then you'll have your answer.

InstaFriday

Back to share my weekly instagram photos with you! 

This week was productive. I wrote my exam, got lots done around the house, worked, worked out, and had time to enjoy the nice weather!

1. This week I guess I decided to take note of what I was wearing. Lots of J Crew... some Lululemon... and my fave TOMS. These citrus shorts are my fave. 2. This was my 4th of July outfit with a blue chambray popover added indoors. 3. The official exam writing outfit: chambray popover, lulu capris, toms. Is my left foot bigger than my right?!? 4. Another denim shirt with another no2 pencil skirt.

I also ate tons of salads this week... you may have also seen them referred to as a salad beast... or a Hugh Jass salad. 5. Romaine, avocadio, kivi, chicken, blue cheese, evoo. 6. Romaine, tomato, avocado, chicken, kiwi, blue cheese, evoo. 7. Romaine, turkey, sauteed mushrooms, tomato, avocado, blue cheese, evoo. 8. Spinach, tomato, turkey, asian quinoa, blue cheese, evoo. Notice a trend? Obsessed with avocado. Need protein. Love blue cheese and evoo mixed as my dressing. Used up lots of random food in the fridge. Productive! Nothing goes to waste here!

9. Gas got down to $2.99/ gallon! Nuts! For you Canadian folks... that's 78.9 cents/ liter! I have not seen prices that low in ages. 10. Did you know ESPN3 picked up all CFL games! That means I can watch Canadian football in the South... our balls are bigger, the field is longer, and we only get 3 downs. Will Tiger fans get offended if I wear a Rider shirt? 11. The week prior to my GRE exam I spent my time studying, reviewing, drinking mistos from SB, and watching Nip Tuck. Newly obsessed with that show. Now I see why it was such a big deal. 12. Someone made a boo-boo at Whole Foods and I benefited. Someone accidentally priced the Annie's Organic pizza at $4.99 each (usually $9.99). I bought 5. Our fave is four cheese. Itis  a great option to have in the freezer for a night where you can no food or do not want to cook. It would probably go well with those salads I have been eating.

13. What happens when you have to work longer then expected? Sushi for lunch! 14. These pink flowers are blooming on the tree that arches over my front door. I love the vibrant color. This picture really does not do it any justice. 15. Mushrooms. For the salad. Need I say more? 16. B was away for work all week in San Francisco... of course I would not say anything until he was back... but the shopping trip might have been a good indicator that he was not here... back to the picture. He brought me a 1lb box of See's Lollypops. Don't worry, I have been sharing. Our southern friends have been loving these!

This week I will be busy working, planning some upcoming trips, going on a date with B, and doing lots of workouts... to work off those lollypops!

Have an amazing weekend!

Complexity

I went to Starbucks last evening and ordered myself exactly what I wanted:

a venti, 2p peppermint, nonfat, light water, one zen, one refresh tea misto

High maintainence? I prefer not to think to. I like to call it "lots of words for less ingredients". The barista looked at me like I was nuts, made my drink, and sent me on my merry way.  I could not have asked for better service and a better drink.

Summer is here!

I can officially say that my summer has started? Why?  Well, the past month  I have been busy studying to write the GRE. I checked that off my to-do list yesterday so now I can spend the next 2 months doing what I want to do!

Some of those things include:

finishing the 2 books I have left stranded next to the bed

being more consistent with my workouts

applying to grad school... considering that is why I wrote the test

going on vacation to Boston!

going to a pilates continuing education conference in Houston! (which also means going back to The Tasting Room, Crate & Barrel, West Elm, Ikea, and Central Market! We are bringing a cooler this time to bring back all the wonderful goodies from Central Market)

completing a knitting project for a friend who is expecting

 hitting up the pool... with my sunscreen in tow

preparing for a fall garden

working on a paper and poster presentation

 tonight - extraordinary - summer - right now

Happy summer! Mine starts.... NOW!
Oh, and happy Independence Day to all my American friends and family! I celebrated Canada Day on Sunday with some intense studying and a killer workout!

Shopping...

I had a little retail therapy on the weekend. My fave store happened to be having a great sale on the weekend so I took advantage of all the great prices.

bangles in green, citrus, yellow, and orange - light rose no2 pencil skirt - linen tippi sweater - hat - chambray popover

Did you buy anything fun on the weekend?

Green salad

Here is one of my most recent salad creations. The flavors were amazing, the monochromatic colors were pleasant to look at, and it was very simple to make!

1/2 head romaine, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1/2 chicken breast, diced

2 kiwi, diced

1/3c blue cheese

2T evoo

Mix together blue cheese and evoo, set aside. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl. Top with evoo mix and toss until evenly coated. Serve on a beautiful white plate. Enjoy!