Yesterday my morning started out kinda rough, and I was in a blah mood all day long. Later in the afternoon, I was checking my email and I saw where I won an Ergo baby carrier from a blog giveaway! I never win anything, EVER, and was beyond excited because I had just registered for one and they run about 170.00. It was just the pick me up I needed to change my mood for the afternoon. Do you ever have days like that where you just have a hard time getting out of your funk? If you are human, I am sure you do and there is nothing better at the end of one of those days than a big bowl of comfort food. My easy baked ziti is just the sort of meal that will make you feel better in one bite.

It's funny how food can do that, transform your mood after a long day. It's one of the reasons I love to cook. For me, it's healing and to be able to serve others a meal that makes them feel better too is such a rewarding experience.

PostedJune 23, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesDinner

Tagsbaked ziti, easy baked ziti, comfort food, easy dinners, Italian food, dinner, family meals, kid friendly meals, pasta

2 CommentsPost a comment

Watermelon, Coconut, and Lime Smoothie: My Diary of Us

Tropical Storm Bill delivered us heavy rains all week long. Today is the first day since Sunday that there isn't a 100% chance of rain all day. It has been gloomy and wet and I am in need of a dose of sunshine and a long walk outside asap! Even though the rain has stopped it doesn't look like the sun is going to make it's appearance just yet. Whon whon...so in the mean time, I will just be over here drinking my watermelon, coconut, and lime smoothie pretending that I am somewhere outside on a beautiful day!

Y'all already know that one of my top pregnancy cravings lately has been watermelon. We go through at least two a week because I can't stop my hands from grabbing a few pieces every time the fridge door opens. I've been eating it plain, with salt, in salads (like my watermelon, cucumber, and mint salad), and lately my new favorite is putting watermelon in my smoothies!

PostedJune 18, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesBreakfast, Lunch

Tagswatermelon smoothie, healthy smoothies, watermelon, watermelon coconut and lime smoothie, gluten free, clean eating, healthy snacks, on-the-go breakfasts, breakfast

CommentPost a comment

Open-Faced Egg Sandwich with Arugula Pesto: My Diary of Us

Did anyone else's weekend fly by? I don't know why this comes as a surprise to me week after week, but it never fails every Sunday night I find myself moping around at the fact that the weekend is coming to a close again. It's not even that Mondays are really all the bad for me. They consist of meal planning, email responses, and shooting recipes. All of which I don't mind doing one bit and one important step to my weekday productivity is always a good breakfast. If I don't start out the day with a good meal, I can pretty much kiss my chances of my brain working properly goodbye. My open-faced egg sandwich with arugula pesto is just the kind of breakfast that will fuel my day!

PostedJune 15, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesBreakfast

Tagsbreakfast, brunch, egg recipes, arugula pesto, healthy, breakfast recipes, open-faced sandwich ideas, breakfast for dinner

CommentPost a comment

Peach Sweet Iced Tea with Bourbon: My Diary of Us

In the South, you grow up drinking sweet iced tea. It's a staple at everyone's house and more than likely if you go and visit someone, sweet tea will be offered to you. In my opinion, you should never pass up homemade sweet iced tea. It's so refreshing, tooth achingly sweet, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't keep sweet tea in the house at all times because Canean and I would drink entirely too much of it, but I thought this week a peach sweet iced tea with bourbon sounded like the perfect cocktail to dive into summer and to channel my Tennessee roots.

If ever there were a trio that was meant to be together, it is sweet tea, peaches, and bourbon. The flavors pair effortlessly together creating the ultimate refreshing cocktail! Peaches are just coming into season meaning they are getting sweeter and sweeter by the week and that means I am entering my peach obsession phase. Which apparently I have had since I was a little girl. My mom will tell you that I would eat as many peaches as she would give me and not much has changed!

PostedJune 11, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesCocktails

Tagspeach iced tea, sweet tea, peach sweet iced tea with bourbon, bourbon iced tea, thirsty thursday, bbq cocktail recipes, outdoor party cocktails, summer drinks, cocktails

CommentPost a comment

Grilled Flank Steak and Cherry Salad: My Diary of Us

When the days become as hot as they have been lately, my meal planning becomes super simple. I want fresh, light, and easy. And what's easier than throwing together some yummy salads a couple of nights a week? I love creating salads with whatever I have in the fridge and my favorite trick to take a salad from good to great is adding some fruit to the mix! There is something about that sweet bite from fruit mixed with the other salad ingredients that is so delicious, especially if you are eating salads a couple nights a week as your main course, fruit helps to keep your taste buds excited! My grilled flank steak and cherry salad is the perfect summertime dinner, combining some of my favorite flavors onto a plate!

PostedJune 9, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesSalads

Tagscherries, seasonal salads, salad, flank steak salad, flank steak and cherry salad, healthy eating, dinner, lunch, gluten free salad, clean eating, beef, salty and sweet, balsamic vinaigrette, grilled recipes

CommentPost a comment

It's getting incredibly hot outside in Texas and I've been thinking about getting a baby pool and parking me and my belly in it for the whole summer. It's the kinda hot where you wake up in the morning and can feel the heat rising as the minutes pass. And...it's not even at hot compared to what the rest of the summer will bring! I have gotten used to the fact that I'll basically be sweaty all summer long, but then again Louisiana prepared me for humid and hot days where your skin never dries. The only thing to do is to hydrate. This can mean drinking water all day, or it can also mean sipping on something really delicious to help you deal with the heat. My sparkling blueberry basil lemonade is going to make the heat a little more bearable this summer and if you spike it, it can help with a whole bunch of other stuff too...know what I mean?

Whenever I drink lemonade, it always takes me back to when I was a little girl sitting on the side of the road, where I would sell painted rocks (one of a kind, I assure you) and I would sell homemade lemonade to the neighbors.

PostedJune 4, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesNon-Alcoholic Drinks

Tagsblueberry lemonade, lemonade recipe, cocktail, mocktail, summer drinks, party drinks, bbq, hydrate, beat the heat, thirsty thursday

2 CommentsPost a comment