{Recipe} ~ Almond Crusted Chicken and Peach Salad

I'll be back to post about birthday festivities soon, but I just had to share this recipe with you. Ya'll, this dinner was divine and so refreshing for a hot, summer night. The almond crust of the chicken, the sweet peaches and the butter lettuce, and the creamy homemade dressing. I could eat it every night of the week.

I didn't tell Ryan it was a salad on purpose, knowing he would think it wasn't substantial enough to qualify as dinner. He even loved it and cleaned his plate once he got over the fact that I tricked him!

This recipe was easy enough to throw together on a weeknight, although it does dirty up quite a few dishes. But I just threw them all in the dishwasher in between flipping the chicken so there wasn't a sink-full of dishes when I was all finished eating and ready to relax. I can't say enough good things about this recipe. It might be one of my favorites I've tried. With peaches being in season, you really can't go wrong.

I may have messed up the dressing a little bit, as I poured in the olive oil at once even though it says to pour it slowly and mix as you do. Mine was a little watery, so I just added a little more sour cream to beef it back up. I'm sure it would've turned out fine if I had actually followed the directions (oops)!

Almond Crusted Chicken with Peach Salad and Buttermilk-Balsamic Dressing
adapted from Chew Nibble Nosh

For the dressing:

1 Tbsp. white Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. light sour cream

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. honey

1 Tbsp. freshly minced chives

salt and pepper

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

For the chicken:

1 – 6 oz. bag sliced almonds (about 1 3/4 cups)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenderloins

vegetable oil, for frying

2 large eggs

For the salad:

2 medium ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and sliced into thin slices.

6 cups butter lettuce

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar, and honey.  Whisk in the oil, in a slow stream, to blend.  Stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper. 

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce and peach slices with about half of of the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Portion the salad out on dinner plates. Chill the remaining dressing until time to serve.

Lightly beat the eggs in a wide bowl.  Place the almond slices and flour in a food processor and pulse until the almonds are chopped, but not fully ground.  Transfer the almond mixture to a shallow plate, for dredging.  Season the chicken tenders on both sides with salt and pepper.

Dip one pieces of chicken at a time in the egg.  Shake off the excess and then dredge the pieces in the almond mixture.  Press the flour mixture onto the chicken to help it adhere.  Set the breaded tenders on a wire rack.

In a large skillet, heat 2-3 Tbsp. of vegetable oil over medium heat.  When it’s shimmering hot, it’s ready to work with.  Working in batches, cook the chicken until light golden brown on both sides, turning often, and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per batch.  Add a little more oil to the pan with each batch as necessary, and remove any large almonds that have fallen off of the chicken, from the oil.  Drain the tenders on paper towels after cooking.

Arrange the chicken among the plates.  Drizzle some of the remaining dressing over the chicken and serve.

Serves 4

{24}

Today, I turn 24 years old.

My 23rd birthday passed in a blur, as I was one month away from finishing graduate school and was in the throes of cramming for the CPA Exam. 

A lot has happened since my last birthday. I received my Master's degree, moved to a new city, passed all four parts of the CPA Exam, started my first big-girl job, ran my first half marathon, went on my first date with Ryan (with many more to follow), survived my first busy season as an auditor, and got a raise.

Life is good. Actually, life is great.

I've learned a thing or two in my twenty four years, or at least I'd like to think I have. Without further ado, my (not all-inclusive) list of 24 things I've learned in 24 years:

1. Few things are greater than a bubble bath and a glass of wine.

2. Proper grammar will get you far in life. Please, do yourself a favor and learn the difference between "your" and "you're" and "there," "their," and "they're."  Your OCD, grammar-nazi friends will thank you.

3. Never, ever miss an opportunity to travel. You'll regret it if you do.

4. You don't need a ton of friends. Just a few really great friends will do just fine. 

5. Don't keep people in your life who bring you down. Surround yourself with people who make you happy. 

6. Read. Whether it be the news, your Twitter feed, or actual books. It's nice to be able to escape to another world every once and awhile.

7. Lazy Sundays should be mandatory. Take a nap. Who cares if there are dishes in the sink and your laundry basket is overflowing? It's much easier to tackle a new week head-on when you feel refreshed and relaxed.

8. Don't stress over the little things. Maybe you had a crappy day at work. Maybe you had a fight with your significant other. Maybe your pants are fitting a little tighter than they did last week. Just go to bed and try again tomorrow. It's a brand new day to get things right.

9. College football will always be the greatest and something you should look forward to every fall. Nothing beats a Saturday cheering your heart out for your favorite team.

10. Cuddling will make you happy.

11. Small purchases can make your whole day. This includes a good-smelling candle, a new lipgloss, or a new pair of underwear. No purchase is too small if it puts a smile on your face.

12. Breakups suck. A lot. No matter how old you get, even if you're the one doing the breaking up, it's still really hard.

13. Remember people's birthdays. Put them on your calendar. That card in the mail or text or phone call can make their whole day.

14. Find something you're interested in and pursue it. Reading, cooking, traveling, running, biking, even shopping. I support them all.

15. Be organized. Your life will be so much easier if you are. 

16. Invest in good shoes and a good suitcase. Again, it'll make your life easier.

17. Laugh. 

18. It's okay to be "that" girl. You know, the one crying in the corner because she misses a boy. It happens. We've all been there.

19. Running is an excellent (and cheaper) form of therapy.

20. You can never have too many long-sleeve t-shirts. Never.

21. My Best Friend's Wedding and Father of the Bride will always make you cry. And laugh, too.

22. Drink lots of water. You might have to pee every thirty minutes, but your body will thank you.

23. A dance party is good for the soul, and you're never too old to partake.

24. Get 8 hours of sleep. Trying to function on less does not bode well. 

......................................................................................................................

Here's to another year! I'm looking forward to whatever it may hold!

{Recipe} ~ Peach Crumble Bars & Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

You didn't think I spent all that time at the beach and didn't try out a few new recipes, did you? 4th of July was my day in the kitchen, as I wanted to make a dessert and drink to go along with our feast of stuffed hamburgers, broccoli cranberry slaw, and blue cheese potato salad (all purchased from The Fresh Market).

I had made the Sangria before, even though "sangria" probably isn't really the proper term for it. But it's refreshing and festive with the frozen blueberries floating in your glass!

The peach bars were pretty easy to make but I had my mom's help with these. She chopped up the peaches while I mixed up the other ingredients. They did fall apart a little when cutting them but that was to be expected. They're best served warm with a side of peach ice cream!

Peach Crumble Bars
from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

For the Crumble:

1. 3 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 cup granulated sugar
3. 1 teaspoon baking powder
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
5. 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6. 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
7. 1 egg, lightly beaten

For the Peach Filling:

1. 5 cups diced peaches (about 7 peaches, peeled)
2. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
3. ½ cup all-purpose flour
4. 1 cup granulated sugar
5. ¼ teaspoon salt
6. ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
7. ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.
2. For the Crumble: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon on low speed. Add the butter, toss with a fork to coat with the flour mixture. Add egg and mix on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter pieces no larger than small peas. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan. Place reserved half aside. Place the pan and the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
3. For the Peach Filling: In medium bowl, gently toss diced peaches and lemon juice together; set aside.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over the peaches and mix gently.
5. Spread the peach mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the peach layer.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely on wire rack then transfer to the refrigerator to chill before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yields: 24 bars

.........................................................................................

Blueberry Sangria Lemonade

adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
• 1 (12-ounce) can frozen concentrated pink lemonade (I used Raspberry Lemonade as I couldn't find the pink lemonade concentrate in the grocery store)
• 1 bottle Riesling
• 3 cups lemon lime soda (recommended: Sprite)
• 
  

Directions

In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients and stir. Refrigerate for 1 hour to meld flavors.

Serve chilled in iced tea glasses.

Litchfield Beach

Long time no talk! I've been soaking up the rays in Litchfield for the past week and am sad to see my vacation end. My grandparents bought the house in Litchfield in the 70's, and after they both passed away, my mom and uncle inherited the house to keep it in the family. I've been going to Litchfield since I was born, and even though it's changed a lot over the years, it still feels like home to me when I cross over that bridge in Georgetown and roll the windows down to smell the ocean air.

via

That pretty much sums it up.

Let's rewind to the beginning.

Saturday

I hadn't really had a chance to pack but I knew I'd be waiting on my mom to pick me up on our way to the beach, so I took Saturday morning to run, shower, and pack. It was unbelievably hot on Saturday, even when I went out to run at 8:30. I had the great idea to use the interval function on my Garmin watch so I could take walk breaks and avoid overheating.

Intervals are awesome! I'd run 3/4 of a mile, then walk the remainder. I ended up running 2.25 miles in 22 minutes (~ 9:42 pace). I may or may not have run through a few sprinklers during this run. I'm not ashamed.

Mom came to pick me up around 11 am and we were on the road! The drive was rather uneventful and there was a ton of traffic. It took about 45 minutes longer than usual, but we're just glad the car didn't overheat!

Columbia. Famously Hot.

We made a few stops on our way into town. We went to The Fresh Market, the liquor store, and Bi-Lo (ya know, the essentials), and then picked up a few more of these:

These are the BEST candles. I can't get enough of them. They're made out of recycled wine bottles and are made to smell like your favorite wines. My mom purchased the Sangria one two summers ago and then their Christmas scent last year for me. I burn them all the time and was dying to get my hands on a few more of the scents again. I even bought two as gifts for Ryan's families when we go stay with them in Texas. I picked up the Pinot Grigio, the Riesling, and another Sangria. I'm in love.

Back at the house, we unloaded the car and were ready for dinner. We headed over to Austin's Cabana Bar at the Litchfield Inn for a casual dinner by the ocean. I had the fried oyster basket and a Corona, and scarfed down their homemade peach slaw. I managed to catch a glimpse of the sunset before it disappeared behind the palmetto trees:

Ryan was actually in Murrell's Inlet for the weekend playing golf, so I met him and his golf buddies at Drunken Jack's when they came off the course. I love a table full of guys while they tell stories about their escapades. Day 1 at the beach made me one happy girl.

Sunday

I attempted a beach run, but the humidity was unreal. I headed out around 10 am (first mistake) with a water bottle in hand, just in case. It's so hard to run in that kind of heat.  A mile and a half was all I could manage before I had to walk the rest of the way. Lesson learned: go slow and get outside early.

The rest of the day was spent on the sand, with Summer Beer in hand (mixture of lemonade, vodka, and beer). A huge storm rolled in around dinnertime, so Mom and I decided to make nachos at the house and stay inside. Perfect end to the day.

Monday

Beach. Shopping. Pretty sunset.

Tuesday

More of the same. Run, beach, seafood dinner. I could live off of sauteed shrimp and hushpuppies.

Wednesday

Fourth of July! We've been at the beach on this holiday for several years, and it's one of my favorites. The town has a parade right in front of the house, where the beachgoer's decorate their golfcarts and throw out candy. They had a flyover over the beach from NC to GA and then you can see fireworks down the coast all the way to Pawley's Island. Dad finally made it down to join us. Such a fun day.

Thursday

Mom and I decided to take a break from the beach. I kept breaking out in hives on my chest and arms earlier in the week, something that has never happened to me in the sun. I still have no idea what caused it because I wasn't sunburnt or anything. Anyway, better safe than sorry. We went shopping at the Hammock Shops, a Pawley's Island mainstay, and then had dinner at our favorite restaurant in Murrell's Inlet. They have phenomenal hushpuppies and the place is always packed. It's been open since 1948 and the food hasn't changed one bit! 

We took a walk on the beach after dinner and I plotted ways to move into my dream house. Sigh.

Friday

Run + beach + a delicious dinner at Nosh. Lauren and I had visited the new restaurant back in April, but my parents wanted to try it out. It may have been better the second time around. We tried out several menu items (crab dip, herbed cheese, calamari) and I had the Shrimp and Fried Polenta for dinner. I wanted to finish my whole plate but couldn't make any more room in my stomach. YUM!

Cajun Shrimp, one of my fave Lilly prints

Saturday

We decided to head home a day early to beat the traffic. Mom and I went out for a few hours in the morning, but were glad to get inside as there was no breeze on the beach! I was so sad to leave, knowing it'll probably be another year before I get a whole week at Litchfield again. At least we had another pretty sunset on the drive home.

Sunday

A completely lazy day. Ryan made pancakes. We watched Wimbledon, the Braves game, and the Greenbrier Classic. Excellent day in my book. And now my luggage waits to be unpacked...

Back to the real world! But at least it's my birthday week...only one more day of being 23!!

Weekend Update ~ Mom's Birthday & The Lion King

I hope everyone had a great weekend and Happy July! I can't believe how quickly the summer is flying by! I'm in Litchfield for 8 whole days of vacation, but I'll rewind to Thursday night for the weekend update!

Thursday night was a throwback. Ryan and I went bowling with his coworkers! I hadn't been bowling in years. We had a little tiff with the lady at the front desk when she told us the 8 lb. bowling balls were for children only, but overall a fun evening!

Summer arrived in full force on Friday. I worked a half-day, got a manicure, ran some last minute errands, and was home to get ready for the evening.

Oh heyyy, triple digits

Obsessed

My mom's birthday was Friday and I had planned a surprise for her in Greenville to see The Lion King at the Peace Center downtown. We had reservations at Nantucket, a seafood restaurant that Mom loves. I had the Asiago-crusted Halibut with Parmesan Orzo. I dug in way too quickly to catch a picture. Dinner was delicious and the play was great! I highly recommend it to anyone who can see it on Broadway!

Shrimp Ceviche

Internet service is pretty spotty here at the beach so I'll post when I return home! Have a great holiday!