Tailgate Special: Shrimp Skewers

Christine and I at tailgate

We enjoyed our second home game this season against FAMU. I had some shrimp in the freezer so I decided to try out a new marinade.

Herb-Marinated Shrimp Skewers
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
3/4 cup fresh basil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves
12-24 shrimp, peeled and deveined

Combine all ingredients (except shrimp) in a food processor; process until smooth. Place shrimp and marinade in bowl, tossing to coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Thread shrimp on wooden skewers for cooking.

Cook shrimp in a grill or broil in the oven for 2 minutes on each side. Note: The citrus will cook the shrimp so be sure to cook immediately. I let the shrimp marinade too long and the shrimp got a little overcooked. 

Hanging out with Little Bro Joe

Portrait of a Leading Lady: Kari

In February, I collected profiles of women in my life who inspire me and I wanted to feature on my blog. Between the move and life transition, I have not kept up with this feature story but watching the Emmy's the other night re-inspired me to highlight these amazing women. To find out more about my inspiration for this project visit my original post.

September's Leading Lady is Miss Kari Rood! Kari and I met in graduate school at the University of Georgia where we both studied College Student Affairs Administration. Honestly, you cannot help but love her! She always has a bright smile on her face and a welcomes you with a warm heart. We bonded over our love for coffee and little sweet treats. She is authentic and courageous. One of the things that I appreciate most about Kari is her ability to make even the smallest moment something special.

Age: 25
Occupation: Student Programs Coordinator
Location: Seattle, WA

Describe yourself in one word: Joyful

Favorite Book: I'm terrible at picking favorites. Growing up it was The Secret Garden. Lately I have read and loved The Hunger Games (the first 2 in the series), The Help, and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

Favorite Music: Classic Rock or Jazz. The Washover Fans is a great local band that I saw in concert recently, Sara Bareilles, The Sweet Remains, Adele.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment? The year I spent as the Director for Dance Marathon at BGSU. We raised almost $200,000 for Mercy Children's Hospital in NW Ohio.

What do you feel is the biggest misconception about you? I asked a friend this question the other day. She said she was really surprised by how independent I am.

What is the best advice you have received? You are the only one who wakes up every day and puts on your shoes. Make your decisions for you, not anyone else.

What would you tell your younger self? You can't and don't need to do everything. Relax, enjoy life, and get more sleep!

What do you love most about you? I am extremely grateful to be a positive and optimistic person.

I feel most beautiful…when I'm laughing.

My favorite guilty pleasure is…http://www.dailypuppy.com/? How embarrassing.. haha.

Happiness is… a good book or the newspaper, a pastry, and an Americano at a cozy coffee shop.

I would change…legal rights for same-sex marriage.

Something people would be surprised to know about me is…I was a first-generation college student.

My Life…is exactly where it should be right now. :)

Sunday Supper: White Pizza with Fresh Basil

After having a yummy carb induced coma breakfast with Mal, my body was craving.. well more carbs, particularly, a yummy slice of pizza. I decided to use some leftovers in the fridge to pull together a homemade and healthier version of the traditional pie.

White Pizza with Fresh Basil
3-4 tablespoons pesto with basil
1/2 cup of shredded fresh mozzarella cheese (substitute: skim shredded italian cheese blend)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
pinch of pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 flatout wrap for crust
olive oil cooking spray

Preheat broiler. Heat baking sheet in broiler while prepping pizza. Lightly coat crust with cooking spray. Spread pesto evenly over crust, leaving a 1-inch border.

 
Sprinkle shredded cheese. Dollop ricotta with a teaspoon. Broil for 2-5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Top with fresh basil.

Enjoy! Happy Sunday!

Tailgate Special: Chicken Kabobs & Guacamole

This weekend marked the first home game for the USF Bulls! I was pretty excited to break out my delish guacamole recipe and try a new chicken marinade. Both were a hit!

Guacamole

Ingredients:

2-3 avocados
1 lime
1/2 red onion, chopped
2-3 tbsp fresh cilantro, stems removed
salt & pepper
1 roma tomato, chopped & seeds removed
tortilla chips

Start with your avocados. I run my knife from top to bottom on the exterior to create a cross section of the avocado. Stab your knife into the pit and then remove it using a paper towel (to prevent slipping). I then cut vertically and horizontally to create small squares on each side. With a spoon, run it around the skin to remove the yummy avocado inside. Once you have scooped out the inner goodness, mash it with a fork.

Add the juice of a lime, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, and chopped tomato. Salt and pepper to taste. You can enjoy immediately or refrigerate to before serving with chips.

Note: Guacamole has many uses. This recipe would also be delicious as a relish on burger or piece of chicken or on top of a salad.

Chicken Kabobs
Adapted from Epic Health

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bell pepper
1 purple onion
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
kabob skewers

Note: Add any veggies you like

Mix the worcestershire sauce and ground mustard, avoid clumping. Mix in soy sauce, water and vegetable oil. If you would like to use the marinade for basting later, set aside 1/3 cup.

Cut the chicken, bell pepper and onion into pieces. To ensure that everything cooks correctly, try and make all of your kabob items about the same size.

Thread the chicken and veggies alternately on skewers. I chose to use the smaller 6 inch skewers to make it easier to eat at the tailgate. The smaller skewers also allow you to create more servings to share.

Pour the marinade over the skewers and chill for 2-3 hours. Grill for about 10 minutes on each side or until the chicken is done.

I placed my skewers in a large tubberware dish and had them marinate in the cooler until it was time for them to go on the grill. You could also marinate the chicken before threading.

Tourist In Your Own Town: Girls Night Out

 
The past few weeks have been crazy busy! My friend Mal and I decided that we needed to organize a Girls Night Out to connect with some of our women friends at work. It was a great opportunity to get to know new people and spend time with friends I have already made.

In celebration of Dine Tampa Bay, we started with a delicious supper at Tinatapas. I had a stellar goat cheese appetizer and filet mignon with blue cheese for my entree. Most importantly, I ended the meal with my favorite, budino and dolce de leche ice cream. Our meal was full of conversation, sangria and yummy food.

Afterwards, a few of us ventured to Fly to hear Chris Nathan. He is a great artist that I just discovered. He's brilliant - loved hearing him live! Fly has a great atmosphere, good menu, great drinks, and lots of live music.

The night was a lot of fun and full of my favorite things! I'm also glad that it helped me discover a new restaurant and venue to hear great music. 

We want to establish a monthly Girls Night Out so leave me comments on your favorite things to do with your girlfriends.