Summer Cooking

On Sunday my mom and I went to the Williams-Sonoma store at Green Hills.

Did you know they offer FREE cooking classes on Sundays at 3pm?!?!

I have been taking full advantage of them for the past two weeks and thought I'd spread the news.

Last week Jeremy and I took advantage of their class on making homemade ice cream. 

It was so much fun and we got to eat many yummy samples.

We cannot wait to put out new ice cream maker to the test.

I mean who could resist Mango and Pineapple sorbet, right?

Mango Pineapple Sorbet:

2 mangos, peeled and chopped

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple

Puree the mangos in a blender- you should have about 3 cups. Add the sugar and lime juice to the blender and process to combine. Transfer to a large bowl and combine with pineapple. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions (usually about 30 min). And you're finished! How easy is that? And it is SO GOOD.

 This Sunday my mom and I went to the salad technique class.

We learned how to make our own dressings and put together some yummy salads, which are perfect for summertime.

And you know I've already put some of those recipes to the test!!

Last night Jeremy and I made an arugula salad with a mustard vinaigrette and grilled chicken on top.

YUMMY. 

It was so good that we ate it all up before I could snap a picture. :)

You would think that making your own dressing would be difficult, but it's actually quite easy.

Here are my two favs from the class:

Mustard Vinaigrette

In a small bowl whisk together 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 minced shallot, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon dijon mustard. Gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Goat Cheese Dressing

In a small bow, whisk together 1/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce. Gently stir in 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

My mom and I had so much fun and met so many interesting and sweet people. 

One sweet lady is even going to bring us some veggies from her garden! Too cute.

Plus you get a 10% off coupon for every class that you take. 

This really is a win-win situation: free food, free class, and 10% off.

We are going to go back next Sunday where they are showing you how to take advantage of your farmer's market! I bet we get to try all kinds of yummy food!

You should join us! 

Sunday 3pm Williams-Sonoma at Green Hills Mall.

Orlando and back again...

All of last week I had the honor of working at the Blume 2011 Conference in Orlando, Florida at Disney World. I interned last spring at the National WMU in the Student Department as a Blume Intern. 

That basically meant that my time was focused on event planning- Blume.

I had an incredible time working for them over the spring. The best part about my internship were the people that I worked with. They allowed me to actually be a part of the planning process, share my thoughts, and be an active part of the team. 

Kym and Suzanne were the best leaders that I and Allison, another intern and friend, could ever ask for. They are such wonderful people and friends.

This week, I was able to lead a conference and volunteer in the Ministries exhibit on Human Exploitation and Trafficking. I was a little bit nervous about speaking in front of 80+ girls a few times through out the weekend, but I found it very easy to relate and to just talk to them. I never stepped inside a park, but I had an incredible week. It was a joy to see all of our planning come together and to see 2300 girls worshipping and experiencing God.

I was very excited however to get back to Jeremy on Saturday.

It was the first time that we had really been apart since we got married, so I missed him A LOT.

 After Jeremy picked me up from the airport, we ate at a great meat and three place in East Nashville called, Southern Bred.

(For those of you from Clarksville-it's a lot like Moss' South and yes, it's spelled without the a)

It was the land of all things southern. Arnold Palmers, homemade biscuits, homemade FRIED CHICKEN, and some yummy veggies.

We will definitely be going back, so if you ever find yourself over in East Nashville- you've gotta try it out!

The rest of the weekend, Jeremy and I just relaxed. We plopped down on our soft velvet couch and caught up on our favorite summer tv shows on hulu- The Bachelorette and Expedition Impossible. After getting Netflix and Hulu Plus- we found that Netflix has WAY more to offer (despite their recent price increase). 

Ice cream and TV with the husband is a pretty great way to finish out an incredible week.

What did you do this weekend? 

What's your favorite weekend spot?

Settling In..

 Jeremy and I are finally settling in to life in Nashville. 

It's been a crazy couple of months, but it has been so wonderful getting to spend every day with Jeremy.

I graduated from Samford in May and two weeks later married my best friend on the beaches of Florida. Our wedding was perfect- it couldn't have been better.

The first week of June, we honeymooned in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

There is not a day that goes by that I don't miss our all-inclusive resort.

It seriously was heaven on Earth.

The next couple of weeks was spent planning and putting together the final details on my sister, Adair's wedding at the end of June. The wedding was at our house. The rain at the beginning of the day made us worried that we would have to go with Plan B, but the skies cleared and Adair had the most beautiful garden wedding. It was like Never-Never land. When Adair and Jamie got back from their honeymoon in St Lucia, we celebrated the 4th of July with our families. I've gotta say Nashville is pretty spectacular and so are our families.

But, what I am really excited about is how wonderful my husband is.

Back in the Spring he had an herb box made out of an old box from a winery out in California.

This weekend, Jeremy and I put it together! 

We went out to Lowe's and bought our plants and potting soil and got to work! 

It really does look beautiful.

We have basil, oregano, dill, lemon thyme, and lemon balm.

I cannot wait to get to use them all.

Tomorrow I leave for Orlando to help with the girls' event Blume. 

It is a week for the girls to dig into Bible Studies and learn more about missions. 

I interned with the the WMU last spring to help plan Blume, so I will get to see everyone that I worked with and see the end result of my work back in the Spring.

I know that I and the whole Blume team would covet your prayers over the next week.

The majority of the staff will be arriving tomorrow and the girls and their leaders will start arriving on Tuesday. 

More updates on Blume this week!