Eat & Be Merry

The Christmas season is upon us! My favorite time of year full of good food, decorations, parties, Christmas music...the list of wonderful holiday-ness could go on. Speaking of good food and parties...I'm here to help with that. Maybe your headed to a Christmas party at a friends, a potluck at work, or you just want to have a snack during your Christmas movie marathon. Whatever the occasion, you want something that is sure to be a crowd pleaser, but doesn't take a whole lot of time and effort to whip together, am I right? After all, Christmastime is the most wonderful & busiest time of year. 

The dip recipe I'm sharing with you today is hands down my favorite around the holidays. Not that you can't have it at any time of year, but there's generally just more reasons to make it during the months of November & December. It made it's first appearance for Thanksgiving last week, and I'm already thinking it will show up again for our office Christmas lunch, if not sooner. 

This dip is so good, yet it doesn't even have a proper name. It's a recipe my mom used to make, so I always just referred to it as "Mom's Dip" or "That Dip," and everyone knew what I was talking about. It has so many unexpected flavor combinations, but somehow they come together to make a delicious combination. Seriously, I don't even like half of the ingredients in this dip on their own, but when combined, some serious holiday magic happens. Most of the time, I make people try the dip before I tell them what's in it, because it sounds almost too weird to try. Cream cheese, green peppers, green onions, pineapples, pecans, and seasoned salt. I promise it works. 

Anyway, this was the first time I actually made it on my own and it turned out perfectly. (Although it would be pretty difficult to mess it up.) You're going to need a mixer or some sort of food processor for this dip to make sure the flavors blend together well. I just purchased a Ninja Master Prep Professional (I beat the Black Friday madness by going to Target the day before Thanksgiving. Some of the Black Friday deals had already started, like this guy for almost half off!) and it got the job done. Just throw all the ingredients in and mix well (if you're using a food processor like the Ninja, it won't take long. You want to make sure not to completely liquify the dip. I prefer mine without a lot of large pieces so I blend it until almost smooth. Finally, keep refrigerated and serve cold with tortilla chips, pretzels, veggies, wheat thins, or whatever else your little mouth desires.

XO – Courtney

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"The Dip"

INGREDIENTS

· 2 8 oz. Packages of Cream Cheese

· 8 oz. Crushed Pineapple, drained

· 1 Cup Chopped Pecans

· 1/4 Cup Chopped Green Pepper

· 2 T Chopped Green Onions

· 1-2 t Seasoned Salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix Together & Chill.

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Rules of Engagement

Well folks, I have a new favorite accessory and I’m never taking it off. Zack & I celebrated our 8 year anniversary last Tuesday, and he proposed! After 8 years, you’d think I would’ve seen it coming, but, guys,  I was totally & completely  surprised!! Of course we had discussed it and it was definitely in our plans, but with the big move a few months ago & getting settled in…I just wasn’t expecting it! Needless to say there were lots of tears & laughter & shock…but I’ll get to that.

Now I know what you’re thinking; get to the story…

Like I said, it was our 8 year anniversary & we had dinner reservations at Yamashiro, an Asian-fusion restaurant in Hollywood. The evening started out rough when I hit worse than normal traffic on my way home from work. Meanwhile (as I later learned), Zack was busy pacing around the apartment trying to keep busy and calm (I guess his nerves were starting to get to him). Over an hour later (and 3 phone calls from Zack asking where I was & how much longer), I made it home, and I wasn’t going to let the traffic get me down.

Zack was right there to greet me when I walked in the door, and he led me to our room where he surprised me with roses and champagne (ah, the 3 phone calls make sense now). It was so sweet and I got a little teary-eyed from the sweet surprise.

I quickly got ready (thank goodness I bought a new dress for the occasion) and we decided to call a Lyft to take us to dinner (absolutely no more driving after my evening commute!).

We arrived to Yamashiro and were not disappointed. The restaurant sits on the side of a mountain overlooking all of Los Angeles. Seriously amazing view, and our table did not disappoint. We were seated at a corner table that faced a window overlooking the city; we drank & dined & talked. Everything was delicious. As our dinner was coming to a close, the waiter brought us the dessert menu. It looked amazing, but we were full and even though there is always room for dessert, we decided to pass. It was still fairly early in the evening, so I suggested a walk around the gardens outside of the restaurant.

It was quiet and we were completely alone as we strolled along the garden paths. We walked around for a while just talking when Zack asked something along the lines of, “Did I surprise you earlier with the flowers & champagne?” to which I replied, “Yes!”

Now here’s where things start to run together because it all happened so fast, and I think I actually went into temporary shock, but Zack continued by saying, “Well I have one more surprise for you.”

My first thought was “dessert.” (Obviously my mind thought this made the most sense since we skipped dessert at dinner.) Well…in case you haven’t put two and two together, the surprise was most definitely NOT dessert.

He began sharing his feeling & thoughts with me, and in my head I started to put together what was happening, but I couldn’t convince myself that it was, in fact, really happening. I believe the words, “Wait, what?” escaped my lips at one point. But yes, it was happening, and Zack got down on one knee, I said yes, and we laughed and cried and stood there holding each other in shock and happiness.

And no one in the entire world knew what had just happened except us.

And this brings me to my next bit:

“Rules of Engagement”

1. Don’t Ruin the Element of Surprise

Talking about the next step in your relationship is very important, and you should definitely make sure you are both ready to take that next step, but, LADIES, let the guy take charge in the engagement process. Zack and my friend, Brittany, (who works in jewelry-you can check out her blog HERE-and helped Zack out with the design of my ring) literally had to BEG me to come look at rings with them. I knew Zack wouldn’t disappoint me with whatever he chose, but I did give in and went ONE TIME to give my input. After that, I was out. And it was soo worth it. Even after 8 years, Zack was still able to pull it off without me ever having a single clue.

2. Do Be Polite

Your man just asked you to marry him! (Not to mention that little piece of jewelry you are now wearing.) Say thank you, and I love you, and make sure you tell him how much you love the ring because he just wants to know that you love it as much as he hopes you would.

3. Don’t rush to Social Media

Be in the moment. Zack hadn’t told anyone of his plans for that evening so we were literally the only people in the world who knew, and we embraced it. We didn’t call our friends and families until the next morning, and waited almost 24 hours before posting it to social media. Once the news is out, there’s no going back, so take time to enjoy it with each other for a moment. And make sure to reach out to those closest to you to tell them in person before changing your relationship status on Facebook.

4. Do Take a Selfie

As important as it is to just be in the moment, I think it’s equally important to document the event, even if that means taking a selfie or asking a police officer to take your picture (see below).

Anyway, Zack & I are thrilled (and, to be honest, I’m still in a little shock) about this new chapter. Thank you to everyone for all the congratulations, and I look forward to sharing more of this journey with you as it unfolds!

XO – Courtney 

PS-- Never heard of or tried Lyft? Use code COURTNEY417218 for a Lyft credit and learn more about it here.

dress [madewell] // shoes [target] // necklace [stella & dot]

[okay, a few more]

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Flavor Fave: Cilantro Lime Shrimp Kabobs

 

I love cilantro lime (and mentioned that here), so last weekend when shrimp were on sale at the grocery store, I decided to whip up some Cilantro Lime Shrimp Kabobs. But I didn't stop there. Paired with cilantro lime rice, and we've got ourselves a refreshing (& cohesive) meal full of my favorite flavors.

I even used fresh cilantro I was growing. Emphasis on the "WAS" because...well...RIP cilantro. :( Unfortunately cilantro is pretty tough to grow indoors and has a fairly short lifespan (lesson learned). Maybe I'll make another attempt at growing my own cilantro, but I think I'll focus on keeping the rest of the herbs that are growing at my apartment alive first. More on Apartment E's Herb Garden another time.

A few notes on this recipe: use fresh cilantro if possible. Dried will work, but fresh cilantro offers so much more flavor. Fresh lime is better too but feel free to improvise (click on the link above for another idea).

XO – Courtney

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Cilantro Lime Shrimp Kabobs

INGREDIENTS

· Raw Shrimp, Peeled & Deveined 

· 2-3 Garlic Cloves

· 2 Limes

· 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro

· Olive Oil 

· Bamboo Skewers

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak bamboo skewers in water while thawing the shrimp. Thaw shrimp in cold water. Slice one lime.

2. Thread the shrimp and lime slices (folded) onto the skewers. Season with cilantro and garlic.

3. Cook the shrimp (in a skillet or on the grill) until the shrimp is opaque (approximately 1-2 minutes on each side).

4. Top with cilantro and fresh lime juice, and serve.

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Darkness

Times are a changin’ people. Figuratively. Literally.

Daylight Saving Time ended a week ago and we are all living in darkness. I don’t hate it. In fact (and call me crazy), I like the change. I love seeing the sunset on my drive home. And the fact that it cools down a lot faster (Yay for sleeping with the windows open! Double yay for not need the AC and saving money!).

But I totally get why people hate it: it’s change. And change is just a big, scary word that people hate. Change can be daunting, BUT 2014 has been full of changes for me, so I think I’m starting to embrace/enjoy/need/thrive/etc. on it.

So I’ll take this time change and run with it. LITERALLY.

It get’s dark early? I’ll wear all black.

While I’m at it, I’ll switch up my hair too.

Darker? OK!

Sarcasm aside, I’m loving my new hair. I’m also loving the versatility of my black, waxed denim. Dressed up or down, it never fails me. Today we went for the latter, paired with a comfy sweater (that I can throw on in the early mornings & late evenings), an oversized tee (for the afternoon heat), and a pair of plaid slip-ons (for a pop of color). 

XO – Courtney

 

sweater [TOBI – similar here] // top [urban outfitters] // pants [the limited] //

shoes [converse – similar here]

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[photo credit: zack hardy]