The BEST BBQ Sauce

One of the best things about summer is grilling out. Matt and I grill out almost 4 nights a week - its just so convenient! I have to say that I just love BBQ chicken and our FAVORITE BBQ sauce is Uncle Pete's. It is headquartered in Simpsonville, SC (our hometown) and is just the perfect balance of flavor - not too sweet, not too spicy. It is now available for order it online.

http://www.unclepetesbbqsauce.com/

photo from Uncle Pete's BBQ Sauce site

GNO!

Friday night was such a blast with the girls! We had Thai dinner at Lemongrass and then drinks at Lazy Goat and dancing at 221. We ended up staying up till 4am just chatting and eating - what a good night!

Thank You Brunch

Saturday morning Amanda held a "Thank You" brunch for everyone who has helped with her big day. This is the first time I have heard this and it was just the sweetest idea. She held it at the Piedmont Club in Spartanburg and we feasted on their AMAZING brunch! So excited her big day is 3 weeks away!

Wedding Season!

With wedding season here, and my sister's wedding only weeks away, I couldn't help but think of my own wedding, as well as my parents. I even watched my ceremony DVD last night....I know pathetic but I just LOVE weddings! Below are pictures of my parents on their big day. Doesn't it just scream 70's! They look so happy!

My Mom's veil has this beautiful handmade lace. It is so unique and so my big sis will be wearing it . I love that she is wearing it because veil's are not made like this anymore. Trust me, I had to meet with a veil designer for mine and her and my mom were going on and on about this thing! And yes, when you get married you have a veil designer. I thought is was ridiculous too but this lady really knew what she was talking about and there are about 1,000 options when it comes to your veil.

I also am curious when did reception departure outfits fade out? She looks so happy in her little suit and corsage.

Kings of Leon

This past Thursday a group of us attended the Kings of Leon concert in Charlotte. Hillary went to the one in Boston and said that they don't play long and boy was she correct. Even though it was a short concert we still had a excellent time!

Casey and me at the concert.

Scott, Jonathan, Casey, Nick, and Matt after the concert.

He soo wanted to ride a bull that night! Hilarious!

Girls Night Out!

I am so excited to be heading home this weekend, not only for Mother's Day and wedding related activities for my bride-to-be sister, but I get to hang out with some of my home town girlfriends. We have all been friends since high school. Here are some pictures of last time I went home in February.

Lauren, Caroline, Jclo, and me.

JClo is moving to Vermont for the summer so this will be a fun visit before she leaves! So excited!

Deceptively Delicious

My girlfriend Hillary and I are always talking about food. Mostly about how to make it healthier because we are both the kind of girls who are going to eat sweets regardless, but if we can shave off some calories then hallelujah! Well Hillary has been talking about this book for weeks now - Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious - and I finally decided to try it. I made her Peanut Butter Banana Muffins and they were AMAZING! I just went out and bought the book because these were such a success. They make 12 large muffins and are 178 calories each.


Ingredients

nonstick cooking spray
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter
1/2 cup pureed carrot or pureed cauliflower (I used carrot)
1/2 cup mashed banana
1 large egg white
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray.
2. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, peanut butter, vegetable puree, banana, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Jessica says use a large wooden spoon.
3. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I'd put it in bowl and combine with a whisk, but Jessica suggests putting them in a ziplock bag and shake.
4. Fold the dry mix into the wet mix and combine until just lumpy. Don't over mix, these are muffins. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of brown sugar and stir once or twice. Jessica says this puts a crust on the top of the muffins.
5. Divide the batter between the muffins. Cook until lightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Store at room temp for up to two days, or freeze for up to a month.

Our first year of marriage so far!

Matt and I were married on 10.25.08. I can't believe six months have already gone by. Here are some pics to capture our past six months. :)

After a day of hiking in April. He really hated me our last mile to the top.
At our friends, Brett and Elise's, wedding in February.


In D.C. two weeks before the inauguration.


Zach's "tacky" Christmas party. My sweater was $5 dollars...can you believe that?

Day after Christmas in Charlotte at his Aunt's house.

Christmas Dinner.

Thanksgiving Dinner. Still have a tan from Maui :)

Amanda's Bridal Shower

So on April 18th, my 2 sisters, Kim, and I threw my big sis a kitchen shower. It was a total success and the food was amazing if I do say so myself. The menu ended up working out perfectly but was such a challenge to come up with. We served:

Chicken salad mini croissants

Broccoli and cheese quiche (thank you Hillary for the recipe)

Fresh fruit

Deviled eggs

Pimento cheese with rounds

Brownies (i mean what girl doesn't love chocolate)

Blossom cookies (family recipe)

Red velvet cake in the shape of a kitchen apron (family recipe)

Mimosas with orange slices

Classic glass bottle coca - colas

Sweet tea (basically like water in my family)

We played a two games and had great music. The party was held at Amanda's future home which has a huge patio so we had tables and chairs out there. We covered them with white linens and used emerald green vases with white flowers for the centerpieces. As for a favor, we had kitchen potholders with a label that said, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach!". Soo flippin cute!

Kellamity

Okay - I have to admit one of my guilty pleasures is The Real Housewives. I am LOVING this new season of NYC and could not believe the drama between Kelly and Bethenny. It was hilarious!

I just can't get over how rude Kelly is! Kelly doesn't care if Bethenny was raised in the "woods" yall! She was out to tell Bethenny that she makes no impact on her life whatsoever which is why she called her out to a public bar to tell her off. Sweet tv.

Fruits of Labor

With the price of herbs and veggies these days why not grow your own! Matt and I have decided to grow tomatoes, rosemary, basil, strawberries, and cilantro. I hope out of that list at least one thing grows. I haven't had much luck with gardening (I tried to grow a hydrangea last year and let's just say it didn't make it). We bought this thing to assist with our tomatoes called Topsy Turvy. It just hangs the plant upside down and gives you more, faster growing tomatoes. Pretty cool!

Carrot Cake!

One the best things about Easter coming up is carrot cake! I love it but have never made it until this weekend. I read some recipes online and then tweaked it to my own personal taste. I always try to cook/ bake lowfat so I always take out vegetable oil whenever I can and always use less sugar if I can. So here was what I came up with:

Cake
4 eggs
3/4 cup of canola oil
1/2 unsweetened applesauce
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 4oz of pineapple (no juice!) *add more if you like "chunkier" cake
3 cups largely grated carrots
1/2 cup of pecans *add more if you love nuts....also I bet walnuts would work nicely too
1/4 tsp of nutmeg

Icing
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter softened
8 oz cream cheese (lowfat works fine) softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powder sugar

Bake at 350 for 35 - 40 min for two 9" round pans

1. Preheat your oven to 350 and grease and flour pans.
2. Beat together all your wet ingredients. Mix all your dry ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to your wet mixture. Mix in carrots and then fold in pineapple and pecans. Pour into pans and your good to go! Let cool on wire rack before icing.
3. Frosting: Beat ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Add pecans or even coconut to decorate. Enjoy!

Amanda's Bachelorette Weekend!

My Big Sis is tying the knot this May so we took her to Hilton Head for her Bachelorette. We went to their annual Wine Fest and had a blast. That Saturday happened to be her 27th bday as well so it was so much fun at dinner to have a cake with all her girlfriends around. Our family friend, Hillary, came down for it and entertained us all weekend. Good Times!

Sisters

So this is my first blog. Yay! I have been thinking about starting for a while and have finally taken the plunge. To tell a little bit about myself is that I grew up in Simpsonville, SC from a family of four girls and now live in Charlotte with my husband Matt. I am so lucky to have 3 sisters who I adore. I can't imagine life without them! Sappy but true! I came across this old photo of the day Charlea (the baby who is almost 21 now) came home from the hospital. Cute!