Gazpacho with Goat Cheese

This might shock you, but until recently, I had never had gazpacho! I know...shocking! I was perusing the Internet the other day and came across this gazpacho recipe from Real Simple and it was just that...real simple! So I tried it...and..eh...

It was a refreshing treat and would be perfect for maybe a cocktail party or summer fun day...but not for a random night dinner. You live your learn, I guess. Another thing that threw me off was the real onion taste...I mean, it just hits you. So when it says 1/2 of a small sweet onion...really look for the smallest one in the  bunch!

Anyway, here is the recipe...enjoy!

Gazpacho with Goat Cheese

2 1/2 pounds of beefsteak tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 small sweet onion, roughly chopped (remember really small!!!)

2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped

1 pound of cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped

Juice from one lemon

Kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn (we ended up boiling ours, but I can imagine grilled would be fantastic)

3 tablespoons of cilantro, roughly chopped

3 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons olive oil

Toss your tomatoes, garlic, onion, bell peppers and cucumbers in a food processor and pulse until just about pureed. Unless you have the largest food processor EVER, you are going to have do work in batches until all is added.

Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice and salt/pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into your serving bowls and top with goat cheese, corn and cilantro. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with crusty bread!

Hey Fatty Meal!

Let me preface by saying a dear and beautiful friend of mine recently got engaged and I am beyond excited to stand up with her on her wedding day as she marries the man of her dreams...but after hearing the names of the bridesmaids...mama has to get serious about slimming it down!

So, say hello to my last "fatty meal"! Burger King is one of the few fast food restaurants that we can drop by when time constraints...ok, laziness... get the best of me. Their veggie burger isn't a key item on the menu, but if you search...you'll find it. I pair that bad boy with a monster size coke and some onion rings with zesty sauce and the fat kid inside me is a happy camper. The responsible, food loving, caring parent however...is ashamed.

Alright, in all honestly, this probably isn't my "last" fatty meal before the spring...but I am going to make a conscious effort to steer clear! Wish me luck!

Finger Food Friday!

One of my favorite things about being a mommy to a toddler (wow...where did the time go!) ...is watching Lily discover new foods. My biggest fear is that we are going to have a picky eater. So, to push her to being a lover of food like her parents, we are having fun introducing new colors, textures and tastes. Her reactions are the BEST! The only heart breaking experience we have had so far...she hates avocados! No matter how we dice it or spruce it up...she isn't fooled!

She loves to eat but hates being fed...she wants to do it all herself. Miss Independent already. So, finger foods it is! Since we are having so much fun stuffing her little sweet cheeks, I'll start sharing our experiences...the good, the bad, and the adorable!

This week...Black Bean & Corn Salad...success!

I got the recipe from one of my go-to sources of baby food fun...Weelicious. They have such creative ways to spice up the everyday lunch box...which I'm all about! This salad was a no-brainer to try because it is completely vegetarian, so no need to tweak too much, and it's so much fun! Not too messy, very colorful and healthy...win, win, win! Here ya go...

2 ears of corn, husked, cleaned and ready to go!
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed1 red bell pepper, dice it up...remember, small fingers need to grab it!
2 tbsp cilantro, same thing, dice it up!
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt

We had every intention of grilling the corn to spice it up...but there was a hungry little girl running around my feet, so off the grill the ears of corn came and into the pot! It was just as tasty...and Lily didn't seem to mind too much!

So, bring about an inch of water to boil and add your corn. Cover and steam for 5 minutes and then remove and let cool. While your corn is getting ready, go ahead and mix all of your other ingredients in a bowl.

Once your corn is cooled, add it to your party...stir and serve! So easy!

Doesn't that look so tasty? Trust me...it is! Lily LOVED it! Black beans are one of her favorite things right now so she ate all the black beans first...and then dove head first into the bell peppers and corn. 

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! There is so much going on around town so have fun!