June 28, 2013

Friday Frugalista ~

FYI: 

Just saw these so I thought I'd share :)

50% off everything at both JCrew Factory (online and in stores!) AND at Loft.

I know what I'll be doing today after work... Happy shopping!
 




Vacation Prep & Meal Planning for a Group ~

In just a few short days, S and I will be hitting the road to join the rest of his family right outside the Great Smokey Mountains in the Nantahala National Forest for a week long vacation in North Carolina. I'm super excited to take a vacation over the Fourth of July because it is one of my most favorite holidays.

Instead of throwing money in for the cabin rental this time around, S's parents asked that we chip in on food for the week with his brother and SIL. Knowing me, I don't have a problem with this at all because a) I get to help plan out meals for the week and b) I love cooking/ entertaining!

I used to be really good about meal planning for S and I and even though I haven't been that great about it lately, I still do try to stick to a plan. Next week, we will be planning for seven people instead of just the two of us. While this might sound like a lot of work for some people, I am super excited!


I plan on cooking several breakfasts which will include eggs, bacon, and pancakes and Breakfast Egg and Avocado Tostadas. On other days, it will probably be something simple like fruit and a bagel with cream cheese.

(Breakfast Egg and Avocado Tostadas)


For dinner, I'm imagining that we will be splitting things up with S's brother and SIL so we have only planned out three of the six dinners.

Monday - Lowcountry Boil
Tuesday - Grilled Pizzas (our specialty!)
Wednesday - Dan & Amanda to plan
Thursday -  Dan & Amanda
Thursday - Fourth of July Cookout! Hamburgers (& Turkey Burgers for me), Hot Dogs, Salad, Homemade Mac n Cheese, and S'Mores for dessert
Friday - Out to eat
Saturday - Dan & Amanda

I also plan on making some of my famous Pimiento Cheese for the trip as well as some additional sweet treats. Although it is vacation and I would like to splurge a little bit, I still plan to keep some healthy snacks on hand so I don't stray too much. I also plan to pack lots of fruit, trail mix, protein bars, etc.

Even though I will be out of town next week, I have some great guest posts lined up for you!


 

Do any of you have fun plans for the Fourth of July??



 










June 27, 2013

Navy Life: Part 2

I'm about to get real here, really real. I guess don't really get into to many personal details or talk a whole lot about the military side of S and I's relationship too much (other than Navy balls and fancy things like that), but in this case, I need to be true to myself and write about what has really been weighing on my mind. Things will be changing a lot over these next couple months and I thought it was about time to share.




There are a couple different scenarios, that we are contending with these days, which is pretty normal for military families, I'm sure. Things are very up in the air right now and it's driving me a little crazy, but I'm trying to look on the positive side of each one and I'm getting excited for a change no matter what happens next.


Scenario 1:
A few weeks ago, S put in a package for OCS (officer candidate school). If he gets chosen, he will have to leave pretty quickly to complete 12 weeks of training in Newport, RI. Once he graduates from this program, he will be commissioned as a US Navy Officer.
 
This scenario would keep us here in Charleston for a while longer as S will have to come back to Charleston for more training. It probably wouldn't be for another 1.5 years that we transfer.




USS Washington, Newport News, VA


Scenario 2:
If S does not get picked up as an officer, he will move forward with his reenlistment paperwork and continue his career as enlisted until he has the opportunity to put in for officer again.


Note: When the time is approaching for a sailor to transfer, they have to contact their detailer. The detailer is the person who assigns them their orders and they can also inform the sailor ahead of time of what jobs are available and where so that the sailor may have some say in where they go next (depending on the situation, they may or may not have a say in where they go.)


S spoke with his detailer recently and was able to get some information about what openings are available. I have been not-so-secretly wanting to transfer to San Diego, however, he was told that there isn't anything available there at this time. Boo. What he was told was that there are several positions in Virginia, Hawaii, and Connecticut.

S's first choice possibly would have been Virginia because of the nature of the job, however, that would require him to report as early as January and he doesn't think his current command will allow him to leave early to do that, especially since they just denied someone else's request recently.

So at this point, our next choice is Hawaii. Hawaii! There is a chance, albeit just a chance right now, that we might be moving to Hawaii in less than a year. How crazy yet wonderful would that be??!

So the next few months to a year could go in complete opposite directions as of right now, we are just waiting, waiting, waiting. These are the two main scenarios, but as you know, there are probably a hundred other different things that could happen..

I am finally getting a real glimpse into military life and what the future may or may not hold for us. Ugh, it is truly apparent that the Navy owns you sometimes. I can barely contain myself, looking forward to hearing more news about OCS and where we will be headed to next. Will keep you all posted because if it is Hawaii, it will be my first Navy move and I will need as much info about that AND Hawaii as possible!!!




What are y'alls experiences with transferring/ PCS-ing???




June 26, 2013

*Bright, Summery, Lemon Bars*

If you are looking for the perfect summer dessert, I have a great recipe for you! Last weekend, we attended a friend's cookout and I brought along these little slices of heaven. They will not disappoint!
  

Lemon Bars


Prep: 15 minutes
Baking time: 50 minutes, at 350 degrees

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature

Filling:
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed (approx. 2 lemons)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. For crust: In a large mixing bowl, blend together flour and powdered sugar. Add butter and combine with flour/ sugar mixture - it should have a "dough-like" consistency.
3. Press dough into the bottom of a 9x11 baking dish, covering the bottom. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. For filling: While crust is baking, you can get a head start on the filling. In a large mixing bowl, cream together eggs and sugar. Once thoroughly incorporated, add the 4 T of flour and 4 T of lemon juice. Mix well.
5. When crust is finished baking, give the filling mixture one more stir to make sure all ingredients are blended well. Pour filling mixture over the hot crust and place in the over for an additional 25 minutes.
6. Once the squares are finished, let cool for about 10 minutes then garnish with sprinkled powdered sugar. Cut into square and serve.


These bars have quickly become one of my summertime faves, hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Don't forget, I am having an online Pampered Chef party this week and there are some GREAT items for baking! I am taking orders through tomorrow!


June 25, 2013

My Charleston Foodie Bucket List

If you've ever visited Charleston, or maybe even if you haven't, you would know that this city is a foodie's dream. There are so many delicious restaurants upon restaurants to choose from, I could never just name a few.


 S and I used to have somewhat of a tradition that every Friday night (date night), we would choose a restaurant downtown to try and we definitely got to a point where we found a few faves that would end up drawing us back in time after time. That tradition ending up being cut short due to the extra inches around our waists and the deeper holes in our pockets. I do love to dine out in Charleston, but it isn't always healthy cheap.

Since S is in the Navy, our time here in Charleston is going to be short-lived as it is inevitable that one day (maybe soon), we will have to pack up and move. Since we [may] only have a limited number of months left here, I have compiled a list of all the restaurants that we have already tried and that I am still dying to try.

**Sorry for the vagueness, but with the military, nothing is ever definite until they say it is. Even then, there is a possibility that things could change. More to come on that...


                                                            Now, with that said, on to the list!


Burwell's Stone Fire Grill 82 Queen
Coast Wild Olive
Virginia's on King Poogan's Porch
Blossom Basil Thai
Magnolia Hominy Grill
Cypress Fuel
High Cotton FIG
Slightly North of Broad (SNOB) Jim N Nick's
Social Wine Bar Hank's
Fleet Landing Grill 225
Cru Café Charleston Crab House
Peninsula Grill Tsunami
Muse Wasabi
Sermets Downtown Carolina's
Charleston Grill Lowcountry Bistro
Dellz Deli Al Di La
The Ordinary Pearlz Oyster Bar
Rutledge Cab Co. Amen Street
The Rarebit Caviar & Bananas
The Macintosh Fat Hen
39 Rue de Jean Fulton Five
Eli's Table Husk
Charleston Harbor Fish House Red Drum 
Pane e Vino Il Cortile Del Re
Bin 152 The Grocery
Saffron Café and Bakery Oak Steakhouse
Hall's Chophouse Leaf Café + Bar
Swamp Fox The Collective
O-Ku The Shelter



The ones in bold are the restaurants that we've already been to. Although, they were all pretty much excellent, some of our faves so far have been -
82 Queen
Coast
Wild Olive 

A few that top my list of places to go are -
Pane e Vino
Cru Cafe
Charleston Grill
The Ordinary

Ugh, who am I kidding? I want to go to all of them and it's extremely difficult to choose just a few.

What kind of brought this on was that the September Charleston Restaurant Week was announced recently and that is always a great time to try out new places, especially the ones that are $$$$! Looking forward to September 4-15! 





What restaurants have you all been to in Charleston and what was your favorite? 

Also, I know that I didn't list ALL of the restaurants in Charleston, but do you have any recommendations that I may have left out?

June 24, 2013

*Virtual Pampered Chef Party!*

Hey y'all! I wanted to start off this week by inviting you to my virtual Pampered Chef party! It's super easy to place orders and you can do so online AND have your items shipped directly to you no matter where you live. The last day to place an order is Friday, June 28.

Directions:
1. Click here.
2. Click 'Shop Online'.
3. Search for my show by putting in first name, 'Kelly', and last name, 'Casey'. Then click 'Search'.
4. When my name comes up, click on it.
5. Shop away!

If you spend $60 or more, you will receive the Quik-Stir Pitcher for freeeee!



Here are some of my favorite items (all $20 or under!)


#1277 Rotary Grater - $20.00
 
#2248 Pocket Thermometer - $12.50
 
#1347 Silicone Handle Protector - $10.00 (Great for cast-iron skillets!)
 
 
#2579 Garlic Smash & Paste - $14.50   

 
#1012 Cutting Board - $17.50 
 

#2793 Chip & Dip - $19.50
 
#2258 Adjustable Measuring Spoons - $8.50


   
 Let me know if you have any questions or if you are interested in hosting your own online party (my cousin is the consultant.) Thanks y'all!!
 




June 21, 2013

Happy Summer!!

Woo hoo!! It's the first day of Summer! It has been quite warm around here for a while, but I just love knowing that it's official. In celebration of my favorite season, I thought I'd share some great items that I've found recently :)

As I was perusing the World Market website, I found that they have some of the cutest Summer dinnerware and serving utensils! I know I have a 15% off coupon for WM at home so I am definitely going to have to make a stop down there one day soon.





I tend to forget about World Market because we never had them back up North where I grew up. I really have to remember to check here more often because the prices are great, too!

On another note, S and I are going to be going on a week-long vacation with his family (mom, dad, 2 brothers, SIL, and all our dogs) the first week of July. I'm really looking forward to getting away and enjoying the great outdoors. We are headed up to Lake Nantahala in NC.. Anyone familiar with it??

 
Sounds like there is lots to do such as kayaking, hiking, rafting, boating, fishing and tubing. We were debating on doing a staycation in Charleston or in Kentucky (where S is from), but at the last minute it was decided that we would all rent a cabin on a lake. Don't get me wrong, while I would love to do a staycation here in Charleston, it will be nice to get away for a bit, too.

I'm mostly looking forward to this:

I just loveeee spending a day out on a boat, I see lots of relaxation in my future!

S's brother also mentioned that he was excited for this vacation because then I can cook for him lol. Looks like I'll have to sift through my recipes and pick out a few good ones, I wouldn't want to disappoint!


TGIF and enjoy your weekend y'all!!



June 20, 2013

Shrimp Burgers with Sweet 'n' Spicy Tartar Sauce

The weekend is finally in sight and I'm looking forward to some re-lax-ation! S and I tried this recipe last week and it was awesome. I have been on a HUGE shrimp kick lately and love trying out new recipes. This is definitely going into our regular rotation. Enjoy!


Shrimp Burgers with Sweet 'n' Spicy Tartar Sauce


Ingredients:
  • 1 1/4 pounds unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp (31/40 count) 
  • Vegetable cooking spray
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten 
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 1/4 cups crushed cornbread crackers (about 1 sleeve or 24 crackers) {I used whole wheat Ritz crackers}
  • 4 Kaiser rolls with poppy seeds, split {I omitted the extra bread and we had these with a salad or you can make them as lettuce wraps!)
  • 4 Bibb lettuce leaves
  • Garnish: grilled lemon halves
Preparation:

1. Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Cut each shrimp into thirds.
2. Line a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil. Coat with cooking spray.
3. Stir together egg and next 4 ingredients until blended; stir in celery, green onion, and parsley. Fold in shrimp and cracker crumbs (mixture will be very thick). Shape into 4 (4-inch-wide, 1-inch-thick) patties. Place patties on prepared pan. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours. Transfer to freezer, and freeze 30 minutes.
4. Coat cold cooking grate of grill with cooking spray, and place on grill. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Grill burgers, covered with grill lid, 4 to 5 minutes or until burgers lift easily from cooking grate using a large spatula. Turn burgers, and grill 4 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and burgers are cooked through and lightly crisp.
5. Grill buns, cut sides down, 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Serve burgers on buns with Sweet 'n' Spicy Tartar Sauce and lettuce. Garnish, if desired.


Sweet N' Spicy Tartar Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise 
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons horseradish
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Preparation

1. Stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill 30 minutes to 24 hours.


My notes: I did not use the Kaiser rolls, I just made the patties and we had them with a big salad and some fruit. Also, I did not make them ahead of time; instead, I made the mixture and patties and cooked them in a non-stick frying pan over the stove instead of on the grill. It eliminated the need to refrigerate and freeze hence, cutting down the prep time :) Enjoy!

June 19, 2013

Oh, How Pinteresting!

It goes without saying that I am a huge fan of OHP. Here's what I'm digging this week!





























Enjoy the rest of your week!


June 17, 2013

*Weekend Update*

Hey y'all! Hope you had a great weekend. We didn't go too far these last couple days, but still had a great time :)

Friday: After work, I met S down at the movie theater so we could check out Man of Steel. It was pretty good! S and I tend to have pretty different taste in movies, but I was up for this one and I'm glad we went to see it.



Saturday: First thing Saturday morning, I had a brunch "blate" with Christy, Heather, and Kate! It was so much fun and I'm so glad I got to meet these gals in person. We ate at Acme Lowcountry Kitchen in Isle of Palms and chatted like old friends, talked a lot about Charleston, and may or may not have tried to convince Kate to move from California to the East Coast ;) I also really hope to get together with Christy and Heather again soon since we all live in the Charleston area; it would be great to have a few more bloggers along, as well!  

Anyone up for a Charleston blogger meet-up???

From left: Me :), Christy, Heather, Kate

After our brunch blate, S and I had plans to meet up with our friends Kara and Jesse at Folly Beach. The boys fished off the beach and caught a bunch of little Whiting. S even caught a baby shark! It was pretty cute :) It was a great, relaxing day with our friends and before heading home, S and I had a little sunset dinner date on the pier at Locklear's. One of my Folly faves.



Sunday: S and I were planning to have a little pool day and grill out so we decided to ring a few friends and ask them to join us. After S finished up a golf outing in the morning and I made a trip to Trader Joe's, two other couples that we are friends with were able to make it over. We had a blast laying out and swimming at the pool as well as cooking up some barbeque chicken, potato salad, and grilled corn on the cob.

Silliness...My two loves<3
Gunner was just loving being held this way, tongue hanging out and all.


Hope you all have a great week!

June 14, 2013

TGIF!

Happy Friday y'all!

This is the first Friday in a while that we are not linking up for Fitness Friday. It feels weird not to post about it so I might have to sneak in a re-cap of my week at the end ;)

I took a "mental-health" day yesterday and I guess I also ended up taking the day off from blogging. S had most of the day off, too, and since he was going golfing in the morning with the rest of the day free, I decided to stay home as well.


While he was out golfing, I slept in a little bit then went to the gym. In the afternoon, we took a ride out to Sullivan's Island. We hit up Poe's for a late lunch then the beach for a little while. It definitely was a hot one yesterday, but being at the beach with a nice breeze definitely made it more bearable.


I also got my first order EVER from Lululemon yesterday! That, of course, was a big motivational factor in me going to the gym on my day off ;) Even though we have a Lulu store here in Charleston, they had a couple really cute skirts on sale online and I couldn't pass them up.

(sorry my mirror is dusty, but you get the picture!)



I love the idea of a skirt because they have compression shorts underneath, but you're covered so you don't feel like you're running in booty shorts. I also LOVE them because unlike some running shorts, they don't ride up. Hallelujah! I know this is just the first purchase of many more to come.

As for working out, I did two 1-mile runs and one 1.5-mile run this week before lifting for a total of 3.5 miles. I also completed days 1-3 of Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer and I'm loving it so far! Until recently, I loved doing group fitness classes because I had someone telling me what to do and had other people to help motivate me. I had a very hard time working out on my own because I always felt like it was easier with some sort of plan. I love Jamie Eason's workout plan and it has made working out on my own soo much easier. I'm hopeful for some serious results.

Day #1:


Ooh! And last, but not least, I have a "blate" tomorrow for brunch! I am meeting up with Kate from Nautical by Nature and Christy from Charleston Girl at Acme Lowcountry Kitchen. Looking forward to chatting it up and will be sure to post about it next week :)

Hope you all have a great weekend! Cheers!




June 12, 2013

Oh, How Pinteresting!

Happy Hump Day y'all! Aren't you just so happy that we're almost through to the weekend? Friday night, S and I are going to have a dinner and a movie date night and we're thinking about trying Morgan Creek Grill in IOP. Anyone familiar with it?? I was trying to find somewhere off the beaten path for us to try :)

Today I've decided to share with you some pins from posts that I have written recently. They are some of my favorite recipes, puppy pics, and apparel must-haves. Enjoy!





























Follow me on Pinterest -  Kelly (sweettealove)


June 11, 2013

Summer Kickoff Virtual 5k!

I've been so excited about this linkup for the last week and am so happy that it's finally here! I am linking up with Kristine over at Heart Shaped Sweat for the very first Summer Kickoff Virtual 5k!


I ran my 5k last Monday and finished in 36:38. I wasn't thrilled with my overall time and am not really sure what happened with my Map My Run app in the process :(


I ran on a Monday and although I was feeling a little tired and sluggish, I decided to head out for a run anyway. I was feeling so good and running at a great pace (for me) so I decided to stretch it out and make it my 5k day.

I normally run about a 10:00 - 10:30 minute mile so I was thrilled that I was feeling good at a sub-10 minute mile! I'm not really sure what happened with my third mile split though....I know I did stop for a quick minute or two to stretch, but I certainly did not stop for more than that and I'm pretty sure I was not sprinting at a 5:24 pace at the end lol.

Regardless, I had a great time running last week and look forward to doing it again soon!

Gunner wanted his picture taken, too, apparently :)


Congrats to all who finished the race!!




June 10, 2013

*Weekend Update*

Argh, super tired this Monday morning (didn't sleep good last night), but had a great weekend nonetheless and hope you all did, too! Looking forward to starting a new workout routine this week and lots of going to bed early :p

Friday: After I got out of work, we decided to stay in and make grill pizzas (we are obsessed!) They came out awesome (again) and after watching a little tv, we hit the sheets early so we could hit the lake early Saturday morning. Even after threats of Tropical Storm Andrea hitting us hard, we made it through with only an inch or two of rain (compared to the 6-8 inches that was predicted) and it turned out to be a beautiful day.




Saturday: Got up, made breakfast, then hit the road to the lake. Another couple that we are friends with joined us as well as another friend of S's from work. We had an absolute blast. We were out on the sailboat for about four hours, came back in to grill out for dinner, then took the pontoon out for swimming, fishing, and sunset.

We also found this other really cool area where there is an actual diving board where you can jump off into the lake. SO much fun! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of that part :(

top left: Sailing! top right: You can tube from a sailboat, right? bottom left: A baby chick that we found! bottom right: More sailing :)


Sunday: Made some awesome pancakes for breakfast, did some much needed cleaning, then hit up Trader Joe's for our weekly food shopping.

Ended the day with some reading on the patio and chips and guacamole for dinner (that counts, right?)


And last, but not least, a weekend update post wouldn't be complete without my furry little baby, Gunner<3



Hope you all had a great weekend, looking forward to reading all about it!





June 7, 2013

The NEW Fitness Friday!

Hey y'all! Lindsay and I have some news today about Fitness Friday.

We have decided to limit the linkup to just one day per month - the first Friday of each month.

Again, there isn't really a theme other than health and fitness, but my plan will probably be to summarize my activity for the month prior and to share my goals for the upcoming weeks. You are welcome to share whatever you like, just be sure to follow Lindsay and I for updates and don't forget to check out other participants and be encouraging to each other :)

Looking forward to a new leaf turned, good luck!


Honor Courage Commitment


As I reported last week for 30 miles in 30 days, I was able to complete 26.46 miles for May. I am still looking to try and complete 30 miles again for June.


Total as of today: 5.65 miles



I'm just going to go ahead and put it out there for the sake of holding myself accountable. My weight as of today is 151.7 lbs (I'd like to think of it as a "fit" 151.7.) My goal for June is to get below 150 and stay there

To reach my goal, I plan to continue running at least 2-3 days per week and doing at least two strength workouts per week while still incorporating some cardio/ interval training. I would also love to try Jamie Eason's LiveFit 12-week trainer. I've heard great things! 

Do any of you have experience with Jamie Eason's workouts??



My short-term goal weight is 140 lbs., but my long-term goal is 125-130 lbs. We will hopefully be looking forward to some life-changing events in the next year and I NEED to be in shape, if you catch my drift....... ;)


Looking forward to hearing all your goals for the next month. Good luck to all!



June 5, 2013

Ohh, How Pinteresting!

Come Wednesday, I sometimes get into a little bit of a blogging funk so I decided to linkup for OHP! Haven't done this one in a little while so here are some random pins that are begging to be shared. Enjoy!






































June 4, 2013

A Wedding...

If you recall, S and I traveled to Columbia a couple weekends ago for our friends' wedding. I had met H [non-creepily] through Craigslist while looking for a new roommate a couple years ago. Turns out that I love this girl and her beau and I couldn't imagine missing their special day.


The Millstone at Adam's Pond



"I do!"










Gotta love a southern wedding.





The most handsome guy in the room (I may be a little biased)




S caught the garter!!!!! ;)






Love this girl!




<3




Silly :p


 
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