What’s on your springtime to-do list?

love, Lacey

Okay it doesn’t look riveting, but believe me, it’s worth the time it takes to whip up this meal. This is the original recipe, and this is how I made it:

2 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parm
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
3 tbs tomato paste
1/2 cup half and half
3 eggs
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Saute chicken and chop it up into bite size pieces.

In the bottom of a deep pie dish, spread ricotta cheese evenly and top it with grated parm cheese (the kind in a green canister).

In a medium bowl, mix together garlic, onion, basil, oregano, a dash of s&p, tomato paste, half & half, and eggs. Once the chicken is cooled, stir it in.

Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the cheese in your pie dish. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, top with cheese and bake another 5 or 7 minutes.

Once it’s done, let it cool for a few minutes before digging in. It looks messy, but it was so good. Oh, and the leftovers serve up beautifully for lunch the next day. This has already become a weekly favorite around here (helped by the fact that we keep most of the ingredients as staples). The entire dish has about 20 grams of carbs, which makes it perfect for our low-carb lifestyle.

Make your family a nice dinner tonight! They’ll appreciate it, I promise.

love, Lacey

I got a new-to-me sewing desk for Christmas and finally got it all set up yesterday. I finished a project that’s been in the making for about 3 months and boy, oh boy it feels AWESOME! It’s good for your spirit to finish things.

So maybe I watched 4 hours of United States of Tara on Netflix while I sewed….it helps ease my frustration of broken needles, weird pattern instructions, and pesky zippers.

I guess my words of wisdom for today would be to pick up an old project and dust it off. Finish something! It’ll feel really good, I promise.

love, Lacey

A cake to make the one I love most’s day a bit brighter, some art journaling to hopefully inspire someone and a happy little package to make my mom smile. To me, these moments are what life is all about – stretching yourself in new and exciting ways while trying to impact others in a positive way. Yeah. That’s the stuff.

So, today it’s finally sunshiney and bright and wonderful outside. Every spring I get a really strong urge to go outside and roll around in the grass. Ha. I don’t actually do it, I satiate the compulsion by doing sane-person things like going on a picnic or planting flowers. I’m raising my coffee cup to outdoor adventures today. Here’s to you, Mr. Sunshine.

Have a lovely day, friends!

Lacey

Norm and I went to a late lunch today at RBS Chicken Shack – it was part of my birthday celebration extravaganza.  I read some reviews online last week while searching for some good new place to try. Everything I read warned that the establishment isn’t very shacklike on the inside, so that part didn’t surprise me, but it was still a very memorable experience. We really liked the quirky decor and the creole-infused comfort food was rich and delicious.

They bring cornbread muffins before your meal, they were tasty but nothing spectacular. For an appetizer we ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes topped with Crawfish Remoulade – the batter was light and the tomatoes were so tarte. Perfection. For our meals, Norm ordered Chicken and Waffles and I had the Country Friend Steak. Both were really good – and served with similar sauces, which was strange and good all at the same time. We couldn’t pass up the Moon Pie Bread Pudding for dessert – it was warm, super sweet and near perfection. You’ll need coffee with it (don’t worry, they’ll brew it fresh for you).

I kept forgetting to take photos until we had already dug in – the bread pudding in particular looks way more pleasing when it first comes out – the warm bread melted some of the whipped cream and it all fell over and made a mess before I could snap a shot, but you get the idea. It was really good and way too intense for us to finish it all.

The service was friendly, quick and quite lovely. The prices are a bit high, but it’s worth it for an unchained sit-down restaurant with fancy fixings. If you’re in Mobile, and want something a little different and a lot tasty for a special occasion (or just a nice date night), I’d definitely recommend RBS.

So what do you think? If you’ve tried RBS, I’d love to hear what you thought about it in the comments!

Love, Lacey

I hope to replace it with something more modern. Crisp, clean lines and a smidge of personality are also items on the checklist, in case you were wondering. I found this one at Lowe’s. It’s definitely a top contender, although I worry it won’t illuminate the space as needed.

In other news, I’m so giddy for springtime that the silk flowers at Old Time Pottery made me swoon. . .

What are you working on, and what’s making you swoon this week? I’d love to hear!

love, Lacey

In that spirit, yesterday I made a wreath! Perhaps the simplest DIY ever. I found less than a yard of this awesome cotton print in our remnant basket, which means it was $1. It’s from the M’Liss line, which is full of vibrant colors and patterns that make me oh so happy.

I cut the fabric into 3 -4 inch strips selvage to selvage and wrapped each strip around a foam wreath I had on hand. I tucked the ends under to secure them. I whipped up some no-sew:no-glue ribbon and burlap flowers and pinned them to the wreath with straight pins. I love the fact that once I get tired of looking at this, I can easily unpin everything and reuse every piece in another project. So simple.

Project New Mantle Decor is still in full swing, so I’ll share a full pic once it’s all done, and don’t worry – I am totally going to get the wrinkles out of the polka dot fabric before all is said and done. =)

What do you think?

love, Lacey

I know, I know, the pic is awful and I promise to post a better one once the sun decides to shine a little bit. Remember the winter blues? Well, nothing helps refresh your spirit like sprucing up the old homestead. As much time as we spend in our homes, I really feel that we should strive to make them an inspiring place.

What have you done to freshen up your space lately?

love, Lacey

I want to paint our living room, and maybe the dining room as well – so we’re deciding on a paint color at the moment. The spaces don’t have a ton of natural light, so I want to brighten them up a bit. I’ve been perusing Apartment Therapy for some inspiration and here’s what I’ve found so far.

I love white walls, but sometimes I need a smidge of pigment. I’m testing a few samples of light hazelnut colors. What do you think? Are you a fan of bright white or do you need a splash of color?

love, Lacey

Other beauty must haves for a day of romance include Totally Kissable Lipstick, Strawberries & Cream bubble bath, and lovey dovey Nail Stencils. A nightie and robe that are tastefully seductive, add a ring and romantic dangling earrings to top things off. Finally, if none of that floats your boat, persuade your honey to whip up a batch of heart-shaped pancakes (and clean the dishes afterwards)…that’s guaranteed to put you in a mushy mood.

There you have it guys and gals! There’s still time to receive your goods before the big day – just click the link in the left sidebar to place an order.

love, Lacey