This bread has me daydreaming of being somewhere in Europe drinking fine wines and eating delicious breads and cheeses like its my job. Of course I've actually never been to Europe (yet), but when I take a bite of this fluffy, airy, crusty top bread, I am transported to a little café on a cobblestone street sitting outside watching beautiful people walk by. This no-knead artisan loaf is that good.

The first time I tried this bread, I thought there was absolutely no way it was going to come out good because there was little prep work, only four ingredients, and I just couldn't grasp how it was going to turn out. Well let me tell ya....it turned out really good.

So good that instead of being this fabulous European woman, the realistic version of me was in workout clothes tearing off a piece of the bread right out of the oven and slathering butter on it standing right there in my kitchen, barefoot, with the dogs staring at me. I think they were judging me.

I have made it a couple times now, and every time it comes out perfect. There are little to no skills required to make this bread, so you have to try it for yourself!

PostedAugust 6, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesBread Making

Tagshomemade, crusty bread, crusty artisan loaf, no-knead homemade bread, Easy homemade bread, adventures in bread making, homemade bread

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Grilled Romaine and Peach Cobb Salad - My Diary of Us

I've been needing a salad in my life lately after going on a two month, I think I'll just eat whatever I want phase. Which don't get me wrong has been great, and everyone needs to do it every now and then, but it's time to get a grip. And a good salad always helps to get me going in the right direction. This summer grilled romaine and peach cobb salad is so yummy that you won't even be thinking about the fact that it is healthy!

Trust me on this one.

Have you ever had grilled romaine lettuce? It's grilled quickly just to char to ends which is just enough to still leave a good crunch to the lettuce. It's delicious! And we all know I like to grill just about everything! Remember that grilled romaine wedge salad that I had in Lafayette a couple of weekends ago? Well that salad inspired this one.

I love updating a favorite salad with whatever ingredients are in season and that happen to be at the market. One of my favorite salads is a cobb salad, and really you add any ingredients that tickle your fancy. This week, I decided to grill some of the components to get a smoky flavor mixed with the other veggies. The grilled peaches add a nice sweetness, and then it's brought all together with a creamy homemade low-fat blue cheese dressing!

PostedAugust 5, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesSalads

TagsSummer, Grilled, Peaches, Grilled Peaches, Grilled Romaine, Cobb Salad, healthy, Clean eats, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Salads, Clean Eating Salads, Healthy Salads, Summer Salads, Blue Cheese, Low Fat Blue Cheese Dressing, salads, grilled recipes

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My aunt sent me a book recently called Simple Abundance. It's a book that you read daily and is filled with inspiration to find joy in the life you are living right now. To find the little joys that can be hidden away in your clouded vision of what you think should be making you happy. Hello...I don't know about you, but I am guilty of this on a regular basis. Always thinking of what else I want and not focusing on the present blessings around me.

Blessings like my incredible husband, who puts up with my moods and totally and completely takes me as I am on a daily basis. He's so great about not pin pointing what I could do better in our relationship. While I on the other hand, have some room for improvement in this department.

Yep, I'm admitting it.

PostedAugust 4, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesLife

Tagslife, love, simple abundances, blessings, living life

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I've been buying figs at the farmer's market every week. I can't get enough of their flavor or their beauty. The colors and varieties are just so pretty that I stand there debating about which ones to get...probably making the people behind me in line a little impatient. But oh well, these are very important decisions. After all you have to pick just the right batch of figs to make sexy fig and lemon fizz cocktails!

And when I tell you that these are sexy cocktails, I mean it. They are sexy in every way possible. I'm kinda obsessed with the refreshing, not too sweet taste, and don't get me started on the pink color that you get from the bright flesh insides of the figs!

If I had to drink only one cocktail for the rest of my life (and I still get to have wine) this would probably be my cocktail of choice. It's just everything that a drinkl needs to be...not to mention that they look great in my new West Elm cocktail glasses.

I'm not even going to try to persuade you to make these...they are that good. I'll let the pictures do the talking and you just let me know what time I'm coming over for happy hour.

PostedAugust 1, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesCocktails

Tagsfresh figs, figs, fig cocktails, sexy fig and lemon cocktails, fig and lemon, fresh, cocktails, cheers, summer drinks, party drinks, thirsty, Friday cocktails, west elm

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Popsicles and summertime...it really doesn't get any better than that. The memories I have as a little girl with grape and cherry popsicles running down my face in my bathing suit outside with a sprinkler in the yard are some of my favorite summertime memories. And let's be honest here, not much has changed, I'd eat a grape popsicle any day of the week and half the time here in Louisiana I'd like to be running through a sprinkler! The popsicle craze has officially taken over and you can make just about any flavor combination that you want right at home. Flavor combos like my cantaloupe, ginger, and coconut popsicles that are O-M-G good!

PostedJuly 31, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesDessert

TagsGourmet Popsicles, Cantaloupe Popsicles, Cantaloupe recipes, Coconut, Ginger, Summer Popsicles, Homemade Popsicles, Healthy, Summertime, Sweet Treat

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Y'all...I have never lived close to a West Elm before, so last week when I got invited to a private preview of the new West Elm that just opened in New Orleans, I was preeeetty excited to say the least. I mean, I'm an hour away from one of my favorite home stores...this could get dangerous. The store is absolutely gorgeous (I'm in love with that instrument display) and I am pretty sure I started mentally shopping about a minute after walking through the doors.

A group of lifestyle bloggers including Aimee of Aimee Broussard, Graham of Glazed and Confused, Emily of Louisiana Bride Blog, Juley of Upperlyne & Co., and I were invited to see the store and have a private tour with the company's creative director, Vanessa Holden! It was kind of amazing!

PostedJuly 30, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesLife

TagsWest Elm, West Elm New Orleans, West Elm Nola, Grand Opening, Preview Tour, Home Decor, Lifestyle

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