Thai Chicken Sausage with Bourbon Sautéed Veggies

View from our beach trip to Pelican Beach @ Satellite Beach with the kids.  It was so beautiful and weather was great, no storms!!

    Such a happy girl!!  Made a visit for the first time today to our local produce market and fresh meat market!  We are so lucky to have such great places to buy fresh and local food so close to our home!  It was full of variety and produce that was actually in season!  The meat market is pretty cool, it has a lot of great seasonings, dips, craft beers, local wines, different types of meat (obviously) and you can even buy lunch while you're there.  

   It is so important to buy and support local farmers and businesses.  I believe I will be making weekly trips to both of these great markets!

   Tonight I made Thai Chicken Sausage that was pre seasoned.. it had all sorts of spices incorporated into it as well as fresh ginger.  I fully cooked the sausage in a cast iron skillet, cut into large pieces, and set it aside to add into the sautéed veggies later.

   Veggies:

• Bean sprouts
• Green squash (never had it before, more hearty than regular squash, its great!)
• Sweet peppers
• Shallots
• 1 Jalapeño 
• Minced garlic
• Sunflower oil
• Bourbon sauce (found this at produce market)

First, I sauteed the minced garlic in the sunflower oil.  I added all of the fresh cut up vegetables (EXCEPT the sprouts) and once they were thoroughly cooked I added thesprouts and cooked chicken sausage, then the bourbon sauce.  

It was great, Rick and I both thoroughly enjoyed this healthy meal.  There was a ton of flavor and there's just something about buying local that makes it taste that much better!  

More on our beach trip...

J.H. is content as long as he has a ball in his hand and he can hang with his big sis.  Mara Mae was such a big girl today, I don't believe we had a single melt down!  YES!

 We found this half eaten shark washed up on the beach today... kind of scary!  I'm assuming another larger shark must have eaten it?  I did a little homework and believe this is a lemon shark... at least it looks like one!  They like shallow water and they are more of a yellowish color.  They aren't super aggressive and anyone thats ever has been attacked by them has survived.. reassuring!! haha!  It was a good science lesson for Mara Mae however, so I do appreciate the frightful surprise.


Until next time...

Lots of love from Fl.,
Bridgette

Not in Kansas anymore, but we're doin' alright!!

My new self portrait ;)

    We've been in Florida a little less than a week now and it feels like its been a month already... It's almost as if we just picked up where we left off in Lexington... well, sort of.  Minus all of our peeps.

 The movers came last Friday to pack us up, which was absolutely wonderful.  We decided to get out of their hair and just head on to Fl.  They were going to meet us in Viera on Saturday morning to unload our things so it worked out where we were able to stop and visit my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins in Jacksonsville on Friday evening.  We spent Saturday and half of Sunday unpacking and somehow managed to get completely situated and still enjoy some of Father's day.

   This week we dove in head first.  Mara Mae started VBS this past Monday at the Church at Viera and she was over the moon excited!  She asked me that morning if the school bus was coming to pick her up ;)  "No baby, not for bible school."  
    That same day I tried out a new gym down the road, called Club Performax, that seems similar to the one I was going to back in Lexington.  I've been twice since then and so far so good.  Not my same group of girls from back home, but I have to stop trying to recreate what I had and appreciate what we are "in" and enjoy.  

     Tuesday, I volunteered at VBS so I could learn more about the church as well as just meet some other ladies.  We look forward to attending a service there as well as getting to know the people of this area.  Rick also started a new crossfit gym and it seems to be a good fit for him.  We have visited a few parks, shops, and restaurants as well.  (I may or may not have mom stalked at Target and Starbucks this week too)
 This weekend we are planning on trying a restaurant on the water and maybe visiting the Brevard Zoo.

Rotary Park on the Indian River 

Post first workout at the new gym documented with a sweaty selfie 

Mara Mae at her first day of VBS <3 <3 <3

   So clearly you can see why I feel like we've already been here a while.. but for some reason I think that's the way you should do it.  And by "it" I mean relocate without going insane.  Just dive in..head first.  It gives less time to sit and think and makes you just GET OUT.  The time I have had to sit and think about all of what our old hometown gave us it sort of does make me sad...so staying busy is good for the time being.  

So for now I have learned ---> Explore, involve yourself, and participate.  It's not easy being the "new kid on the block" but Ill be darned if Im going to sit against the wall just because I don't know anyone at the dance.  If we sat the bench we'd have already missed a ton of fun this week!  Its best just to get out there and "do it"  Know what I mean?  Anyway, it seems to be working thus far for us, so thats what Im going on.

  As much as we miss everyone we both have a lot of peace and excitement about this venture.  God has led us and has not left us.  He is with us and we feel his presence.  It has been so obvious, you can just feel it within our day to day lives and our attitudes.  We are so blessed and are thankful to be a part of His plans.

  It is pretty crazy thinking we had the whole East Coast to choose from and we pinned down this small town called Viera.. I look forward to seeing what is in our future here.  Ohh and can hardly wait to have visitors soon and really look forward to getting on the house hunt so we have more space for everyone that comes!  


Lots of love, hugs and kisses from the newest Floridians (but forever Carolinians),
Bridgette


And now to end on real note.... 

What's cookin' at our house... A full menu!

Mama's been in the kitchen...

   Most who know me know I enjoy cooking, but I don't do complicated.  Maybe one day I will when time isn't an issue and I have hours to spend in the kitchen.  However, at this point in my life, I spend my late afternoons and early evenings with my husband and kids and choose to simplify my meals in order to spend time with them.  Most of my meals are less than 30 minutes and don't get me wrong, I normally cherish them!  It's me, the kitchen, and a glass of red wine some nights.  #mamabliss

 I get the question all of the time.. "What do you eat??"  Well, food of course.  Nothing crazy.. not salads every night or fat free everything... No Mam.  We eat the good stuff.  And by good stuff I mean good quality food and I try not to over eat too much. 

 So if I don't have the time for "COMPLICATED ORDA'S" but I like to cook then what is it that I make exactly?

 Here are a few meals that I have made recently and decided to share.  Hope you try them and enjoy them like we have :)

LOADED POTATO

Keeping Trader Joes in biz!

• 3 Potatoes
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 sautéed onion
• Black olives
• Smoke gouda
• S&P
• A little organic butter
• TJ's everyday seasoning

Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 1hr. or longer depending on size.  Cook ground turkey with a little EVOO & seasoning.  Add toppings.  

Have fun with it...add other veggies or a different meat such as chicken.

So.darn.simple.

Cajun Salmon with Peruvian Rice & Green Beans

Sounds complicated right?

• 1 lb. wild caught salmon filets 
• Cajun seasoning
• Coconut oil
• Frozen string beans
• Chicken Bouillon
• Diced onion
• S&P
• Trader Joe's Chimichurri Peruvian rice (AMAZING! No seasoning needed!!)

Turn oven to Broil setting.  Put coconut oil and cajun seasoning all over fish, place on baking pan 2-4 inches apart.  Cook 10 minutes per inch of thickness, flipping half way through.  

Add frozen beans and diced onion to a pot of boiling water that has bouillon and S&P added.  Cook until the beans are tender.

You'll use a large skillet for cooking the Rice.  If you use TJ's rice the directions are on the back!

*This meal is full of healthy fats from the salmon!








A likes-to-eat tip:

His vs. Hers

I like to use my smaller decorative bird plates for more reasons than just how much I adore them!  I seriously think they do make my food taste better though ;). Call it mind games if you'd like but I honestly feel like I eat more when I use them but in reality I'm eating a normal portion.  It just appears that way because of the plate size.  Whatever works, right?!

Pasta and Meatballs with a Spinach Salad

• Trader Joes meatballs (delish!)
• Brown rice gluten-free pasta
• Spaghetti sauce
• Spinach
• Sundried tomatoes
• Light champagne vinegairette 

In a saucepan cook the meatballs.  While heating those cook the pasta according to package directions.  I use Trader Joe's Garlic Spaghetti sauce, and my mom would kill me for this but....I dump it from THE JAR and simply HEAT IT :/  Whatev..its delicious and easy.  Add the meatballs to the sauce as well as some extra spinach then place over portion of noodles.  On the side make a small salad with spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and a vinaigrette.  

This is one of my favorites!! ^^^

Pan Seared Sirloin and Roasted Squash and Onions with a Bacon and Blue Cheese Chop Salad

• 2 Petite sirloins
• Dale's seasoning
• 3 Squash
• 1 Lg onion
• Olive oil
• S&P
• Dole Bacon and Blue Cheese salad mix

Marinate steaks in seasoning around 1 hr before cooking.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  While the oven is warming slice the squash and onions.  In a large mixing boil add the squash and onion along with olive oil, s&p.  Toss, then place on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.  Cover the veggies with another piece of foil then cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes.  Prepare the salad mix while the veggies were cooking which is super easy!  Once veggies are out put the oven on Broil.  Warm a large Cast Iron skillet to med-high.  Once completely heated place steaks on for 30 SECONDS each side then place into oven for 2 minutes on each side.  Let them rest for 10 minutes and then enjoy!  

This meal is a more complicated one, but it was Sunday and well worth it!

Happy Cooking to all you busy and on-the-go people!  You can eat healthy without taking hours out of your day, it just takes a little extra prep.

Love, 

Bridgette

Palmetto's to Orange's

Exactly 7 days from now our family will, Lord willing, be packed up and on the road to the Sunshine State.  This all of the sudden seemed to just BOOM happen over night. We knew the move was coming for a year and time moved slow for a while, but I can't seem to make it slow down now!  The movers are scheduled and what a blessing it is not to have to stress about packing!!  We've been out of town so much its been tough being able to say goodbye to everyone.  That just means they will have to come visit!!

Where we will be living...

We are moving to Florida's Space Coast.  We are living in Melbourne (Viera/Suntree) within Brevard County.  It is very centralized within Rick's territory and seems to offer a ton for families!  There's Port Canaveral where all the cruise ships come in and depart at, there is the Kennedy Space Center, Brevard Zoo (right across from we are living!), beach and waterways of course, and for Mara Mae's excitement we are roughly 40 minutes from Disney World :) (Actually we are all excited about that...)

Having a lot of exciting things to do there and knowing we are among great school sytstems gives this mama a lot of peace.  The greatest comfort however is knowing that God has paved our path here every step of the way.  We are sad to leave our family and friends however it has been so clear to us that this is where the Lord is taking us and to have that peace and comfort brings a lot of confidence to this whole process.  It is scary but exciting at the same time ... we are looking to grow together as a family of 4 and take this journey day by day.

Mara Mae will be starting Pre-K and I have also found a gym that seems like-minded to my home away from home in Lexington Body Shop Athletics.  We have looked at a number of churches we want to try and I may just be able to get Mara in VBS too!  Our goal is to try to get involved.  We are looking forward to having neighbors too... we are renting about 6-7 months while we take our time with the home searching process which is exciting that we can take our time, learn the area and enjoy it! We are fairly social people and I know that relationships take time to build.  So that being said..due time I'm sure it will feel like home.

 

I am so thankful for a husband who takes pride in his leadership role as a husband and father.  I make that statement because Rick probably never thought he would leave SC.  Growing up my family moved a lot, we adapted to new schools, friends and environments quickly.  I believe it cultured us in a lot of ways and we met a lot of amazing people over the years.   As Rick and I prayed for our futures, God heard us and unfolded this opportunity right before our eyes.  I know my husbands love for the Lord and for his family is what has given him the most peace about this big move.  Together we are going to experience a lot and we are looking forward to the ride.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us and has supported us through all of this.  It is such a blessing to have such wonderful friends and family.  

With Love,

Bridgette