Tuesday, July 23, 2013

What I Baked on Sunday

The Perfect Summer Meal

Last Thursday, my dad and I headed to the beach to spend the night with my grandparents. I somehow found myself in charge of dinner and wanted to make something that was both easy and delicious. We decided on tomato pie with roasted shrimp and okra. 

Tomato Pie

Ingredients:

Par baked pie crust
3/4 lb. ripe tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
3 T. fresh basil
Onion diced
1 1/2 - 2 cups grated cheese
1/2 cup mayo
  • Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  • In order to make a good tomato pie, you have to dry out the tomatoes. Slice them and lay them on paper towels to get rid of the moisture. It was such a rainy tomato season that these tomatoes were full of water. I went through at least 8 paper towels. 
  • Salt and pepper the tomatoes.
  • While the tomatoes are drying, par bake the pie crust. I used a Mrs. Smith's crust, stabbed it with a fork a few times, and then baked it for about 7 minutes or until it starts to turn light brown.
  • Combine the grated cheese and mayo. 
  • To assemble the pie, layer the tomatoes, basil, onion, and cheese mixture.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is bubbly and brown. 
  • Let set for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. 
While the tomato pie was cooling, I turned the oven up to 400 degrees and roasted the shrimp and okra. Both were tossed in olive oil with sea salt and pepper. The shrimp cooked for about 8-10 minutes, while the okra cooked for 10-15. 
I think they liked it. 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Weekend Recap

Thursday night, Campbell and I were celebrated one last time with a Cafe Japone sendoff. We thought it was only fitting to revisit the last stop of our Saint Patty's Day bar crawl one final time. Who knew that Cafe Japone was such a happening place on a Thursday night?
Friday was my last day at work and I left with lots of sweet treats from sweet friends. It is hard to believe that my time in Washington and at the Trinity Forum has come to an end. I still don't think it has sunk in yet mainly because I know the goodbyes were more or less see you when I see you and not goodbye for good. 
Saturday, my parents came into town and we loaded everything in the car. The attic looked quite empty once I moved all of my stuff out. 
470 miles and 8.5 hours later thanks to traffic, we arrived in Spartanburg. 
We unloaded pretty much everything on Saturday night, thanks in part to my roommate and her mom helping us carry things up the stairs. It was such a good thing too because we woke up to rain on Sunday morning. It was the perfect day to piddle around the apartment putting everything in its' place. I will give you a tour once everything is done but here is a sneak peak of the kitchen. 
I am so excited about this next chapter and am thankful for a much needed break in between.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Lately

While my time in the district is coming to a close, I am certainly packing everything in before I leave. Last weekend, Chloe and I headed to Union Market where we spent a few hours wandering around the booths before eating Korean BBQ Tacos for lunch and some of the best ice cream I have ever had. I was too busy eating it to take a picture.
Last week, a group gathered for dinner at Lincoln, one of my favorite restaurants in DC. Campbell and I are both moving this weekend, so this dinner was part one of our sendoff.
Marg, Chloe, and I decided to kick off the Fourth of July early with drinks at a bar near work. 
For the Fourth, we hopped on the Keg Bus and drove to Harper's Ferry for a day of tubing down the Shenandoah. It really was the perfect way to spend the day.  
Over the weekend, we had dinner at Thai X-ing, another one of my favorites, followed by a night out on the town.
And these are just a few things that have been happening lately. I have really enjoyed getting to spend quality time with everyone before I go. Three more fun dinners and an office lunch before I officially say goodbye to the capital city. Crazy. 

Friday, July 5, 2013

The Friday Five

1. What I'm Reading:
From Amazon: And Then I Found You gives new life to the phrase “inspired by a true story.” By travelling back to a painful time in her own family’s history, the author explores the limits of courage, and the price of a selfless act.

2. What I'm Drinking:
source
Marg and I tasted this sangria at Whole Foods during Wine Down Wednesday. It is pretty tasty and certainly takes the hassle out of having to make your own. 

3. What I'm Listening to:
Billy Currington's Hey Girl

4. What Recipe I'm Bookmarking:
source
BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad from Iowa Girl Eats
My kitchen is rather bare at the moment but I do have all the ingredients to make this dish. 

5. Things I'm Loving:
source
Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

DC Bucket List

Calling all DC, VA, and MD readers! I am working on my DC bucket list and need help. I have approximately 10 days left to enjoy our nation's capital before I move. What can't I leave here without doing? What is on your list? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Big News!

I am thrilled to announce that I have accepted a job at Wofford! Starting July 29, I will be their admission event coordinator. A huge thank you to everyone who has prayed for me and with me during the past few weeks. It has certainly been a whirlwind but God is so good and His hand has been evident in this entire process. I can't wait to be back in South Carolina and living with one of my dear friends.
My future roomie, Sara!