Apple Dump Cake

WARNING:  This is not healthy!

Yesterday I met my friend Mary for breakfast at J. Christopher's (one of my favorite breakfast places).  Next, I was off to Sam's to grab a few things on my grocery list as well as some new pillows which we were in desperate need for.

The one on the right is looking a little pathetic!

Last night was a chill night in the Tutterrow house.  I was tired after my run at the newest entrance, on Old Alabama, to the Big Creek Greenway trail.  Being my first time to this new section, I wasn't sure where to go.  So when I took off to the right and saw a sign for a walking trail I took it.  I didn't realize I should have just stayed on the concrete to go to the real Greenway trail.  I don't like trail running because you are either going up hill (which kicks your booty) or downhill (which is a much needed break from your uphill run).  Let's just say my legs were burning after that trail.  I was bummed when I finished the trail part and realized I still had another mile to go.  Do I run it again and walk the last part or do I go back to the concrete and explore more of this area?  Well, I started with the trail, again.  After a quarter of a mile I turned around.  I just did not have it in me to do those hills again.  I got back to the concrete and found the real Greenway to finish up my run.

What do you use for motivation when you run?  So much of it is a mental battle for me.  I would love to hear your tricks to getting through a tough run.

I went home, showered, and parked myself on the couch with my computer.  After about an hour of laziness I got dinner started (blogs on that to come...it was super good).  Then we rented Little Fockers on On Demand.  I didn't get to finish it because I had to get to bed for work this morning.  Hopefully I can squeeze the last part in before dinner Wednesday.

Although I made an attempt to be in bed early, I didn't get much sleep with all the thunderstorms we had.  It was just crazy.  I don't see how anyone sleeps through that noise!

One of the biggest challenges of being gluten free is dessert.   It isn't impossible to come up with things to make, but sometimes you just miss plan ol' dessert.

I was super excited when we went to dinner at Tara and Jordan's house and she made an awesome gluten free dessert.  Just took a little creativity.

It is a dessert I have had in many different variations.  You can use pie filling, frozen fruit + a can of sprite on top, etc.  Have fun with this one!

I made it as an easy Easter dessert at my in-laws house.  Next time I think I am going to use fresh apples with some cinnamon and sugar to replace the pie filling.

I felt like we deserved a little dessert after all our hard work around the house:

Tended to the garden, filled the bird feeder, and swept the porches.  Look how much the garden has grown.  No surprise with all that rain we have had.

Dakin enjoying his dump cake.

Apple Dump Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 box of gluten free yellow cake mix (regular if you aren't gluten free)
• 2 cans of apple pie filling
• 1 stick of butter, thinly sliced (I know I am going all Paula Dean on you!)
• Serve with ice cream (if you are into that kind of thing, which I totally am!)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 2 qt. baking dish with non-stick spray.  Spread the two cans of pie filling evening on the bottom of dish.  Next cover with cake mix evenly.  Top with butter slices.  Bake until top is golden brown, ~1 hour.  

Spring Salsa

What a fun Easter weekend!  We started it off on Friday night with our anniversary dinner at Hal's.  Alex and I agree, it was the best steak we have ever had.  I had the filet with crab meat and a side of hollandaise sauce.  Alex had something with a bone in it:)  Mine was definitely better.

Doesn't he look so cute!  I love getting dressed up for a fun dinner.  Alex is more of a shorts and flip flops kind of guy.

Do you think he has changed in the past 5 years?

Saturday, I took care of stuff around the house while Alex worked.  We went to dinner that night with our friend's, Lauren and Jon.  This was a "make-up" dinner from a few weeks before, when Jon didn't feel so good.  We ate at INC on the Roswell square.  Dinner was awesome!  Lauren and I split the Tacos Al Pastor. They are pork tacos with pineapple, YUM!  I tried these for the first time when we were in Mexico.

Most of the restaurants on the square have outside seating.  Perfect for this time of year.

Lauren and Jon

Sunday morning we went to the 9 o'clock service at North Point Community Church.  Andy gave an amazing sermon.  Each year I think it can't get any better than this, and then it does.  We came home and got to work on the yard (by we I mean Alex) and went grocery shopping (that would be just me).  While I worked on this salsa and dessert (coming soon), Alex gave my car a much needed wash.  

"Best husband ever" award!

Jackson, resting his head on the window seal while Alex worked in the yard.  He is such a daddy's boy.

Yesterday evening, we went to Alex's parent's house for Easter dinner.  Susan prepared yummy BBQ, green beans, apples, and potatoes.  After dinner we sat around watching Tini and their dog, Makaya, play.  

 Makaya

Tini stole Makaya's bed

Now Tini is posing on the fire place for some BBQ.

This salsa was easy to make and had a great flavor.  Super fresh for this spring weather.  Enjoy!

Spring Salsa

Adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of grape tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup of shoepeg corn (canned or frozen, thawed)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• Additional salt and pepper to taste
• Serve with tortilla chips or on a grilled chicken wrap

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together.  Chill and serve.  

Roasted Green Beans and Chicken Sausage

Today is such a special day because it is our FIVE year anniversary!  I am so blessed to have met such an amazing man that can tolerate all my craziness.  We had my friend Ali read the following verse at our wedding:


1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.


Alex lives out this verse everyday in our lives.  He is such an amazing leader for me and shows me nothing but unconditional love.  I am honored to have him as my husband, and look forward to growing with him for the rest of our lives.

My amazing, picky husband:)

Alex definitely surprised me with this new camera!  Not just any camera, but an SLR which I have been wanting for a long time.  After talking to some friends in photography, he went with the Nikon D40.

I love it!

I am very intimidated by technology of any sort, including this new guy.  I plan on taking a class with Lauren soon so I can take full advantage of all the cool things it can do.  Until then, I will continue to snap away at things around the house...primary subject=the dogs:)  Hope you don't get too sick of looking at our four legged children.

Tini jumped up in Alex's lap hoping to find some good eats on the kitchen table.  Look at her licking her lips!

Tucker is my big teddy bear!

I feel like Jackson looks like the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood.

"Grandma, what big teeth you have", said Little Red Riding Hood

"Better to eat you with, my dear", said the wolf

We were supposed to grab dinner with some good friends last night, but plans fell through when one of them got sick.  Boo for colds.  I ran to Trader Joe's to pick up something quick and easy.  I decided that roasting veggies is my new favorite thing.  I grabbed some green beans and chicken sausage to throw together last night.  It was super yummy and easy.  

I think I could eat this with just about anything and call it the best dish ever.

Roasted Green Beans and Chicken Sausage

Ingredients:

• Green Beans, wash and trim ends
• Kosher Salt
• Olive Oil
• Chicken Sausage of your choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  While it is heating, spread green beans on baking sheet.  Drizzle beans with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake until the beans look shriveled and slightly browned.  ~15 minutes.  

BEFORE

AFTER

While the beans are roasting, cut sausage and saute over medium in pan until browned.  

Combine once completed.

Shrimp Caesar Salad

Life has been super crazy in the Tutterrow house.  This week is no excpetion.  We have dinner plans every night...meaning you probably won't see a lot of blogging in the next week or so because I am not doing very much cooking.

I enjoyed lunch last week with my sorority sister, Rachel, and her sweet baby girl, Yardley.  We ate at one of my favorite places, Party Chic.  The weather was awesome so we sat outside.  Yardley loved taking it all in.

Yardley fell asleep in my arms...this didn't give me baby fever at all:)

Such a cute momma!

After lunch my awesome husband took me shopping for cowboy boots.  I have wanted boots since my freshman year in college, but thought it was just a phase that would pass.  Well, here I am 10 years later still wanting boots.  I decided I was the only person on the planet that did not own a pair when we went to Nashville.  The Zac Brown concert is coming up in a few weeks so I figured that would be a good debut of the new kicks!

I decided to wear them around the house after my run the other day...just breaking them in:)  Ignore my pale, pale legs!

PS-who knew cowboy boots were so comfortable.  I guess those are lessons you don't learn growing up in the city.

This is a special week for many reasons.  First it is Holy Week, the week before Easter.  Easter is such an important event that we celebrate as Christians.  We care celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Through Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, He paid the price for our sins, allowing us to have eternal life through Him.  Second, it is our anniversary week!  Friday, I will have been married to the love of my life for 5 YEARS!  It has flown by.  It has been so awesome to see how much we have both grown in the past 5 years.  God placed me with the perfect person and I feel so blessed!

You may remember my original post on making your own caesar dressing.  This one is much easier and a little more mild if you are not crazy about the anchovy flavor.

To get a hard boiled egg:  place egg(s) in a pot and fill with water until eggs are covered with ~1 inch of water. Bring water to a boil.  Once water is boiling, cover pot, and remove from heat for 12 minutes.

I think this shrimp marinade would be good on chicken too.  Bake it then cut it into bite size pieces.

Enjoy!

"Give me your shrimp or else!"

"I am sitting so well, please feed me!"

Shrimp Caesar Salad
Source: Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. large peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed  (I used jumbo because that was in the freezer)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest, plus 2 tbsp. lemon juice (approximately 2 lemons will get you both of these)
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 hard boiled egg yolk, mashed
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 2 large hearts of romaine lettuce
• Wooden or metal skewers

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, half the garlic, lemon zest, and 1 tbsp. oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Thread shrimp onto wooden or metal skewers.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and transfer skewers to sheet and bake until shrimp is opaque throughout ~7 minutes. 

While shrimp is cooking, combine in a large bowl: remaining garlic, lemon juice, 2 tbsp. oil, egg yolk, and mustard; season with salt and pepper.  Whisk until well combined; stir in parmesan cheese.  Add romaine and toss to coat.  Sprinkle salad with more parmesan and serve with shrimp skewers.  

Pork Fried Rice and Edamame

Last weekend I took off to Nashville, TN to spend some time with my Physical Therapy friends.  We were celebrating Beth's Bachelorette Weekend!

Beth is the one with the crown, in case you couldn't guess that:)

We had so much fun catching up on our 4.5 hour drive there and back.  We enjoyed some great food both in Nashville and another quiant town just south of the big city.  

Lauren and I out in Nashville 

Night two:  we all wore black and the bride wore white.  *Note* I am never the tall one.  In all my other groups of friends I am typically the average or short one.  With this group I tend to tower over all my friends! 

Alex and I had an early morning yesterday.  We got up at 5AM picked up my father-in-law and headed down to the Atlanta Airport.  Our friend's, Kristen and Cody, were flying back from China with their new precious little girl, Mae.

 Here they come!

Finally!  This precious girl is home with her new parents!  God truly blessed this family!

We only got to spend a few short minutes with them because they were anxious to get some food and head home after a long time away.  We can't wait to spend some more time getting to know her and watching as she adapts to her new life.

Since we got such an early start, we decided to hang out at home last night.  We enjoyed this yummy and easy dinner then headed outside to enjoy this awesome spring weather.

I love everything in bloom

We enjoyed a glass of wine while playing corn hole.

 After corn hole, we relaxed on the patio with some great music and then headed in for the night.

Alex won, as always:)

Our four legged children enjoyed their time outside too.

Tini doesn't really like to run around.  She prefers her position as lap dog.

They explored all the new smells that come with spring.

Tucker is looking for the dog next door.  I think it looks like he is in time out.

They enjoyed a run up and down the fence line with "Bubba" the dog next door.

Jackson laying in the monkey grass after sprinting the fence line.

He is ready to play ball

My Mom was so kind and planted us a garden while we were in Mexico.  This tomato plant is on fire.  Look at all those blooms just ready to give me some awesome tomatoes. 

Oh look, we already have two and the plants are only about a foot tall!

Now on to dinner.  It was super easy to make.  We served it with a side of edamame.  I bought a bag of frozen edamame at Trader Joe's.  Just defrost it in the refrigerator.  You can serve it cold or heated up in the microwave.  I heated ours up for ~ 2 minutes in a bowl and served with a little kosher salt sprinkled on top.  Yum!  I might go eat some now because I am hungry!

This was my first time buying ground pork.  I actually couldn't find any when I went to Publix, but the nice meat man went in the bag and ground up a 1/2 a lb. for me.  It was only .98 cents.  Awesome!

These two guys are a must as condiments.  If you aren't a condiment person the fried rice is great by itself.

Pork Fried Rice

Source:  Martha Stewart's Magazine:  Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp. soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger (I just grated it on the microplane) 
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound of ground pork (you could use turkey too)
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 cups of cooked white rice (3/4 cup of uncooked rice)
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar

Directions:

In a woke or large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil over high.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, lightly beat eggs with 1/4 tsp. soy sauce.  Add eggs to wok and swirl to coat bottom of pan.  Cook, without stirring, until almost set, ~1 minute, then fold in thirds with a spatula.  Transfer cooked eggs to a work surface and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Add 1 tbsp. oil to wok and swirl to coat.  Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, ~30 seconds.  Add pork and cook, breaking up meat, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Add carrots, peas, and rice and stir to combine.  Add cooked egg, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, and 2 tbsp. rice vinegar and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is coated, about 1 minute.  Let cook, undisturbed, until warm, about 1 minute.  Top with scallion greens and additional condiments.  Serve with edamame side.