healthy key lime pie [gluten free]

i have always...always!...been a chocolate gal. 'if it doesn't have chocolate, then it's not dessert' kind of status. but lately, i've been leaning more towards desserts like vanilla ice cream and, well, key lime pie. i think it has a lot to do with they feel light and refreshing. with the weather warming up [we are already having 90 degree days!] i'm always looking for something to cool me down.

not to mention, there is no guilt involved with this dessert. it is made with a gluten free graham cracker crust and greek yogurt. seriously...that's basically it. you could eat this baby for breakfast. 

healthy key lime pie

ingredients:

• graham cracker crust, store bought [i use gluten free]
• 2 cups chobani key lime greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch

preheat the oven to 350 F. while the oven is heating, mix together the greek yogurt, eggs, and sugar. when it is combined, add the vanilla extract and corn starch. mix until smooth. pour into the graham cracker crust and bake for 35 minutes. remove from heat and transfer to the refrigerator to set for at least 3 hours. 

when you're ready to serve, garnish with whipped cream and limes.

and you don't even have to tell your guests it's healthy...they'll never know the difference ;)

first friday in the greenville art district

the first friday of every month, the shops in the greenville art district open up and the streets come alive. i had been dying to go for a while, and we finally got the chance to last week with some friends. i met barb blair of knack studios and seriously almost stumbled through my words. i felt like i was meeting a celebrity. have you checked out her book furniture makeovers? if you haven't, you should! she is so talented.  

there were a lot of other galleries and cute shops open, so we browsed through those and finished the night with some fresh tacos from asada. their fish taco is amazing.

the art district is nothing short of inspiring. can't wait for many more fun fridays here this summer!

salmon burgers with lemon dill mayo

the other week we were heading over to my in-laws for dinner. my dear mother-in-law and is so thoughtful and always asks us exactly what we want...and every time we give her the same answer - i want salmon, and scofield wants a burger. of course, i can't blame him. as a vegetarian red meant is never served in our house. one, because i don't eat it. two, because i have no idea how to cook it and it kind of gives me the creeps. so scofield has to count on eating out or back yard barbecues with friends to get his fill. this time, though, i thought it would be a great idea to 'combine' the two, so i suggested salmon burgers! debbie whipped up the best dinner, so i was inspired to try to make my own version of salmon burgers at home. these are a new favorite in our house, and so easy!

i will warn you, though...if you don't like bones in your fish then be sure to make sure you are buying the right kind of canned salmon. it was my first time buying canned salmon, so i had no idea to check. then i opened the can at home, all ready to cook, and was welcomed by a full set of bones! i mean, spinal chord, ribs...it was all there. i nearly had a heart attack. blood, cuts, bones...can.not.handle.it. it took everything in me to pull them out of the fish [although, apparently they are totally edible!?]. as my mom always says, 'gotta put on your big girl panties.' so i did, but not until after almost giving up on the whole meal, but....i'm glad i didn't! because seriously, these salmon burgers are delicious!

so here's to overcoming fears in the form of salmon burgers!

salmon burgers with lemon dill mayo

ingredients:

• 2 cans of boneless, wild alaskan salmon (14.75 oz), drained and rinsed
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• dash of red pepper flakes
• extra virgin olive oil
• pretzel buns

for the mayo:

• 1/2 cup light mayo made with olive oil
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tbsp. fresh chopped dill
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

heat a tablespoon of olive oil on a large, nonstick pan on medium heat. in a food processor, combine the salmon, eggs, onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves, and lemon juice. pulse until smooth and combined. next, add the bread crumbs, parmesan, and red pepper flakes. pulse until just combined because you still want it a little choppy. divide the mixture into five equal parts and form in 1/2 inch thick patties. cook patties for 5 minutes on each side.

for the mayo, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, mixing well until fully combined. serve the salmon patties on a pretzel bun with provolone cheese and mayo.

enjoy!

an afternoon at the augusta airshow

over the weekend, i drove down to augusta to meet my dad and hang out at the 21st annual 'boshears skyfest'. my dad's a pilot [i still think he hung the moon and that he has the coolest job ever] and the air show was taking place at the airport where he works, so he was able to score tickets for all of us. unfortunately, scofield had to work, and the rest of the family was unable to come...so it was just me and dad for the afternoon. it was a super sweet time and brought back memories of when he use to take me on daddy-daughter dates as a kid. we'd drive out to the local airport and go flying in his little cessna. i remember we'd be up in the air and the whole flight i would stare out the window below and count swimming pools...?... i was a weird kid. but the best part was when he would let me 'fly.' he'd let go of the wheel and let me steer for a few minutes. it was the best!

 ^ these pilots did some crazy stunts! my stomach would drop just watching them.

 ^ true vintage aircraft

 ^ dad next to the 'king air' that he flies!

^ he explained some of the gages and the switches in the cockpit, but of course i didn't retain a wink of it...

thanks for a fun afternoon, dad! you're the best, and i love you!

Grilled vegetable sandwich and a spring picnic menu

there's nothing like enjoying the spring weather with a little picnic outdoors. it's my favorite 'cheap-date' with my husband, and also a fun way to hang out with family or friends. 

my husband goes crazy over sandwiches. growing up, he'd eat anything and everything on a sandwich. he has a special gift - he comes up with these extravagant concoctions every time. so of course i can never go wrong when i whip one up for him myself...which makes him the perfect picnic date.

i've partnered with some lovely bloggers to bring you a spring picnic menu! i've made and shared a favorite sandwich recipe, and you can find the other portions of the menu below. i hope you feel inspired to get outside, enjoy the weather, your loved ones, and some good food! 

my in-laws just got back from italy, and they brought us some fresh parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. i've been anxious to dip into these goodies, so this sandwich was the perfect excuse. instead of going for a standard sauce, i simply used balsamic vinegar on the bread, and instead of a heavy, sandwich cheese, i decided on freshly grated parmesan. a little taste of italy!

grilled vegetable sandwich

serves: 4

ingredients:

• 1 eggplant, sliced vertically
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced vertically
• 1 zucchini, sliced vertically
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• balsamic vinegar
• fresh parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper
• 2 baguettes
• extra virgin olive oil

start by preparing the eggplant. slice it long-ways into thin slices and place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. let sit about 30 minutes. you will notice the eggplant start to 'sweat.' after 30 minutes, place in a colander and rinse [this gets rid of all the bitterness of the eggplant]. while the eggplant is 'sweating,' grill the other vegetables. pour some olive oil into a cast iron skillet and set the stove on medium high. place all of the vegetables into the skillet and cook about 8 minutes on each side, until slightly charred and soft. salt and pepper, to taste, before removing from heat. when the eggplant is ready to go, add to the skillet and cook.

cut the baguettes in half and pour balsamic vinegar on the inside of each half, letting it soak into the bread. layer the vegetables onto one side of the bread - eggplant, sweet potato, zucchini, red onion, bell pepper. grate parmesan directly on top of the vegetables and top with the other half of the bread.

to see the rest of the picnic menu, visit these other lovely ladies blogs:

• appetizer on sweet to the soul - avocado and feta salsa with homemade tortilla chips 
• side salad on stir and scribble - super spring salad
• beverage on annapolis and co. - sparkling cherry limeade
• dessert on amanda k. by the bay - lemon bars

not only do we have this delicious menu for you today, but we also have a giveaway with a chance to win a fully stocked picnic basket! to enter, use the rafflecopter below. good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

i don't know about you, but i cannot wait to try the rest of these recipes! enjoy your picnic! :)

easter sunday

happy easter!!

on sunday, i had to work. but i got off at one [not too bad] and headed to brunch downtown with the family. my parents, sister, and her boyfriend shawn met us at the green room - seriously my new favorite restaurant in greenville. it was so hard to decide what to order - i wanted to try everything! needless to say, we'll be going back...a lot! after lunch we decided to head home and enjoy a lazy sunday afternoon. i listened to the sermon from the morning service on-line, and then we napped. i don't know what it is about sundays, but sleep falls on me so heavy in the late afternoon. all i want to do after church is curl up and snuggle...maybe it has to do with sunday being a day of rest or something ;).  sometimes my mind has a hard time stopping and truly taking a sabbath, so my body has to kick it in high gear and zonk me out. it's like whether i want to or not i want to, my body decides to rest. those bodies...they really do know what we need if we'll just listen.

 ^sister, sister. love her so!

 ^ easter cheer!

 ^ i settled on the crab cakes atop a fried green tomato and topped with a poached egg. it did not disappoint!

 ^ the two men in my life...husband, and dad!

i hope you had a blessed easter sunday!

around town || gigi's cupcakes

scofield and i couldn't help but try out gigi's cupcakes last weekend. i had heard they were great, and you know me...a sucker for anything sweet. and let me tell you, they did not disappoint! we tried the bourbon pecan pie, chocolate turtle, midnight chocolate magic, and chocolate chip cookie dough. i would have bought one of every flavor if i could have...they all looked so good! they have a few staple flavors and then others that rotate out throughout the week. like the blackberry cobbler or chocolate salted caramel...we'll have to try those next time. i think my favorite part of their cupcakes is the tall, perfectly swirled icing. i could eat that stuff with a spoon. 

we had dinner with family that night and shared the cupcakes with every one for dessert. they were too good to keep to ourselves! 

 ^ what did i tell you!? just look at that icing!

if you're ever in the greenville are, make sure to check them out!

gigi's, you are delicious.