Greek Inspired Menu!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! 

Despite the rain on Saturday, we had a great day! Dan and I played in a golf outing with my Dad and a family friend. The first few holes were soggy and wet but by the end the sun was trying to pop through the clouds! Saturday evening we attended the wedding of my cousin who wore one of the most beautiful wedding gowns - she looked stunning! 

Today I want to share one of my favorite food flavor inspirations - Greek! I love the fresh, clean taste of Greek inspired foods. The menu I prepared below is light and refreshing with plenty of leftovers. 

Greek Inspired Menu:

- Greek marinated grilled chicken breast

- Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

- Tzatziki

- Hummus

- Pita

For the chicken, I marinated chicken breast in a delicious dressing I found at Sam's Club. It is low in calories but full of flavor. Then I grilled it which gave an even better flavor. 

The Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad is a favorite in our house and something I make all year long. I, especially, love it in the summer when I can pick the herbs from my garden. Next month, I hope to use my own tomatoes. Many of my go-to recipes are from the Barefoot Contessa - Ina can do no wrong! :) I do change this recipe up by using less EVOO. It is great the next day too!

I am convinced my kiddos will eat anything with cucumber in it - Tzatziki included! Frannie eats this by the spoonful. I change up this recipe by using Greek Yogurt. This time I used fat free and I couldn't tell at all. The leftovers are great as a veggie dip too.

Last, I serve store bought hummus (Sabra is the best) and warmed pita. This menu is easy to prepare and is so delish! I hope you try it out and enjoy the fresh flavors! 

Check back this week as I talk about how I prepare for vacation with little ones! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Weekend Recap!

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fun weekend. The hubs and I enjoyed two date nights in a row which almost never happens. 

In an effort to #savebuckeyelake and support our local businesses, we grabbed drinks at Buckeye Lake Winery on Friday evening. The water is much lower but the view is still amazing! So is the wine! 

(photo courtesy Buckeye Lake Winery)

On Saturday, we headed downtown to the Ohio Theater for CAPA's Summer Movie Series. I've been looking forward to seeing Jaws since the series was released this spring. It was awesome! First, watching a movie in such a beautiful and historic venue is something special in itself. Throw in a classic like Jaws as summer is kicked off is even better. I highly recommend the summer movie series - there are so many great movies showing this summer! I am hoping to get to a couple more. If you don't live in Central Ohio, there are plenty of cities that offer similar series. 

The rest of the weekend was spent doing the usual: laundry, cleaning, laundry, cooking, cleaning and more laundry! You other Moms know what I am talking about! It never ends. The hubs was busy tackling the outdoor honey do list I created - he loves my lists! ;) We both agree that the results were much needed improvements. (Note: my ORC is still not complete...*sigh*)

Hope everyone has a great week! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Friday Favorites: The Junior League!

Hello again! A few weeks ago, a blogger I follow on Instagram mentioned that she was almost finished with her blog posts for the summer. What??? I thought 1.) how disingenuous and 2.) how hard is it to create a blog post 3-4 times per week? Well, we are on our first full week of summer break and this is my first post since June 1. So, #2 I get. I still agree with my thoughts on #1. 

So, for today's Friday Favorite I am sharing my love for The Junior League! It could not be a more appropriate time since my League (The Junior League of Columbus) celebrated our many accomplishments earlier this week. 

I joined the JLC soon after I got married and knew I wanted to work in Columbus. A friend from college joined a couple of years prior and told me I would love it - she was right! So, as a newlywed, I joined and quickly found a job in Columbus. My first placement was on the Kids in the Kitchen committee and then moved into the role of Cookbook chair (I know a lot about Junior League cookbooks! Need recommendations? I'm your girl!). From there I planned events, worked to better our community and developed my leadership skills. I have the Junior League to thank for so much of my personal/professional development and growth! 

At our Annual Dinner this week, I was surprised (shocked!) when I received the Junior League of Columbus Presidents' Award. 

I received the award with two other amazing ladies! 

It is a great start to my last year in the JLC (next year I go sustaining). I look forward to serving on the JLC Board of Directors and leaving a positive mark on our community. I am so proud of the time and commitment I made to the Junior League! I am so thankful for all the Junior League and its members have given me in return. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Summer Reading!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. We didn't have much on our calendar this weekend. That is always good and bad. The good is that I can get caught up on cleaning, laundry, the usual. The bad is that the kiddos are easily bored which means a lot of whining. 

This is our last week of school so I have summer on my mind! I am busy planning summer activities, our family vacation and hoping for warm, sunny pool days. 

Also, I am making a list of books I want to read this summer. Growing up I was an avid reader but that slowed once I had babies. I am certain that my dislike for Eat, Pray, Love is due to me reading it in the wee hours while nursing baby #1! 

A little over a year ago, I made it a point to start reading again and it has been one of the most rewarding treats I've given myself. Some of my reads are serious and some are easy and fun. I look for books and authors that allow me to lose myself into a story. 

I thought I would share some of the books I enjoyed over the past year on today's post.  

// Liane Moriarty //

There isn't a Liane Moriarty book I don't love! Big Little Lies, The Last Anniversary, Three Wishes, What Alice Forgot, The Husband's Secret and The Hypnotist's Love Story. You really cannot go wrong with any of these books and they are perfect beach reads.

// Mary Kay Andrews //

Another author I discovered over the past year and whose books I cannot put down. I am so excited for Mary Kay's newest release, Beach Town! I am trying to see if I can hold out until I am actually on the beach to read this one. I just finished Little Bitty Lies which I started last summer but couldn't get into. After reading, Save the Date, Savannah Breeze, Savannah Blues, The Fixer Upper and a few more, I wanted another MK Andrews read. Little Bitty Lies was great second time around. Deep Dish was like that for me too. Really fun, easy reads!

// The Secret Life of Bees //

Loved The Secret Life of Bees! This one really tugged at the heart strings. I, also, read Invention of Wings but didn't enjoy it that much and couldn't get into The Mermaid Chair. 

// The Kitchen House //

I just finished reading The Kitchen House. I love a story that incorporates history into it. This is one of those books that I stayed awake reading because I just couldn't put it down.

Because I could go on and on, here some more that I highly recommend (in no particular order).

 

You can see my other reads by following me on Goodreads here. What books are you reading? I would love to hear from you! 

Happy reading!

xo,
Stephanie