My new favorite Salad…..

I am so excited to share that the Spring Month of Meals Calendar is almost complete and everything looks so yummy.  I have to admit that I have been doing lots of taste testing over the past month to ensure the menu is healthy, nutritious and of course tasty.  It is full of spring fare so get ready to hit your local farmers markets and take advantage of what this delightful season has to offer.

I stumbled upon this amazing salad while taste testing my way through a recent Martha Stewart magazine.  It has become my go to meal this past week, I just cannot get enough of it.  I don’t think it will make the spring menu cut so enjoy it while you can as an alternative under the winter menu :) - Yummm!!

Roasted Green Beans, Sweet Potato and Walnut Salad

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Ingredients

  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 medium red onion, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 package Ready to Eat green beans (I like the microwavable bags of green beans- they are so easy)
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 1 head (10 ounces) red-leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
  • One bottle of Marzetti “Simply Dressed” Ranch Salad Dressing

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss together sweet potatoes, onion, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
  2. Add green beans and walnuts to sheet; toss. Roast until green beans are tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Toss with a couple spoonfuls of Ranch Dressing and enjoy!

Adapted from Martha Stewart Red-Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes Here is another recipe that pairs wonderfully with this salad.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

 

 

 

 

Roasted Lemon Chicken

 

 

 

 

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Roasted Lemon Chicken

We recently had a terrific sale on chicken leg quarters at our local super marker so I decided to stocked up.  Of course, the dilemma is how to cook them as I personally prefer chicken breast to dark meat.  I know that there are many health benefits to adding dark meat to your diet.  Legs and thighs have a tad bit more fat than breast meat but it is minimal and shouldn’t deter you from eating it.  The benefits of dark meat over white is that it is richer in zinc, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, vitamins B6 and B12, amino acids, iron.  It is also cheaper so if you are on a budget or cannot pass up a sale (like me:), this is the perfect recipe for you.

Ingredients

  • 3-4lbs of Chicken leg quarters
  • 2 tbsp. of butter
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp EVOO
  • 2 lemons, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. fresh minced chives and mint
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper

Direction

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  2. Heat a large skillet and melt butter.  Place chicken skin side down and brown 3-5 minutes
  3. Transfer chicken (skin side up) to roasting pan and place sliced lemons on top each piece.
  4. Place roasting into pan oven and bake for approx. 45 minutes.
  5. While the chicken is baking, add the lemon juice, evoo, mint, chives, salt and pepper to skillet.  Mix well and serve with chicken and additional lemons.

Feel free to combine the two recipes for a wonderfully balanced meal.

Roasted Lemon Chicken and Green Bean Salad

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Spring Kitchen {with pops of yellow}

Its cold, gray and rainy here today.  I am SO ready for spring.

I couldn’t resist picking up several bunches of bright yellow daffodils at Trader Joe’s this morning, and once I added them in my kitchen, I noticed all the pops of yellow that have been creeping in my decor.

I even noticed my new Thirty-One organizing bag is color-coordinated.

There isn’t any yellow here, but my little cooking ‘spot’ feels very spring-like. Is it strange to buy a bottle of vinegar because you like how it looks?

Now let’s just hope it warms up around here soon.

Thanks for stopping by.

Linking up to~

Show Me What You Got at Not Just a Housewife

Tuesday’s Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

WOW us Wednesdays at Saavy Southern Style

Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now

Posted in General & About Us, Home Inspiration, Kitchens, Real Spaces | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

“Spring” Forward Inspiration Board

It’s that time of year again… time to spring forward and time to give up that extra hour of glorious sleep.  Losing that extra hour is such a difficult transition for me and especially for my children.   I am trying not to fret as there is so much to look forward to in the upcoming months.

I just wanted to share some “Spring” forward inspiration to get you through the time change this weekend.

Spring Forward Inspiration Board

Center Image: http://www.modcloth.com

1. http://www.storkie.com/blog/index.php/holiday-party-ideas/pretty-spring-place-settings/

2. http://www.google.com/imgres

3. http://www.everydaycelebrating.com/2009/07/fizzy-sorbet-cocktail.html

4. http://easter.tipjunkie.com/easter-vignette-diy-decorating/

5. http://www.tarawestphotography.com/index2.php?v=v1#/home/

6. http://news.holidash.com/easter/creative-easter-baskets/

7. http://www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/10-traditional-easter-dinner-recipes-00417000072280/page2.html

8. http://eastercrafts.net

9. http://bestflowerarrangementsdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/peach-tulips-flower-bouquet.html

10. http://www.jewellery-sets.com/rose-gold-jewelry-rose-gold-jewelry-trend/

11. http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/2010/03/easter-colored-macarons-pink-rose-centerpiece-ideas/

12. http://sochicdecor.tumblr.com/

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Spring Craft Idea–Retro Decoupaged Easter Eggs


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I pulled out my Easter decorations the other day.  Yes, it’s still a month away, but my daughter wanted me to whip them out the same day I pulled down the Valentine’s Day decor, so she considers it quite late!  I don’t do a lot of decorating for the “minor” holidays (and sorry, all you Irish folk out there, but I don’t do a darned thing for St. Patrick’s Day besides drink a green beer), but I do have a few cherished Easter items that I love to put on display every year.

These decoupaged styrofoam Easter eggs that my mother made in the ’70s are still my absolute favorites.  One of them even has teeth marks in it from where I took an exploratory nibble back in the day–they really did look good enough to eat!

This is an incredibly easy project, even for those of you who are craft-challenged.  Begin with styrofoam Easter eggs, available at any craft store, in a variety of sizes.  You’ll also need a bottle of Mod Podge  (or other decoupage glue).  I usually use the matte finish.  If you’ve never decoupaged anything before, be warned that it can become addictive (check out this awesome blog for proof and some incredible tips and ideas!).

My mother used paper napkins for the project, and because they’re so lightweight, that’s probably the easiest thing to glue onto eggs without having a problem with wrinkles.  Obviously these are pretty awesome 1970s napkins, but we still have some great choices out there (Target and Hobby Lobby are probably my favorite napkin sources).  Scrapbook paper gives you an infinite variety of choices, too, but the thickness will make it a bit more challenging to work with.  If you’re not doing an all-over treatment, like polka dots or chevrons, then just trim out the pattern you want and glue it onto the egg using Mod Podge.  Finish with a dusting of clear glitter and you’re done (keep them away from kids like me who may try to eat them!).

I am also planning to use either old newspapers or book pages to decorate some eggs in the same way.  I might use the regular plastic Easter eggs instead of styrofoam and I’ll let you know if that works out as well.  Here’s a great picture that I pinned from Erin at LemonTreeCreations, and you can read her tutorial ~here~.

I’m going to give burlap a try, too, to add some interesting texture to my eggs, and what about wrapping a few in jute twine (like Sweet Bean Gardening did below)?  The possibilities are endless!

Twine Easter eggs from Sweet Bean Gardening

What neat ideas do you have for your Easter decor this year?

Now that Google Friend Connect has gone away, please take a minute to follow us through Linky Followers (on the right).   Thanks for stopping by!

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Weekend Bloggy Reading

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Exciting Happenings at Magnolia Lane

Happy Monday everyone!

The three of us are just back from a fabulous weekend at a top secret location (kidding) where we had a much needed “Blog Planning Weekend.”

So basically, Christy, Terry and I shopped some and talked, brainstormed and planned a lot about all that we hope for our little 11 Magnolia Lane corner of the web/blog world.

If you are new to 11 Magnolia Lane or haven’t read our ABOUT US page–the three of us are friends who blog here on the same site but live in different parts of the country. It’s a rare treat to be in the same place together. This blog is our fun place to share all our ideas and inspirations and we have a ball doing it.

So, I have to start with a small administrative detail before we move on to all the fun things we came up with that will soon be happening here. Thanks to Google discontinuing “Google Friend Connect” (which is just one way to stay in tune with all of the great blogs out there) we realized we are no longer showing up in the Blogger “Dashboard.” {ARGH!}

If you use Blogger Dashboard or Google Reader to read blogs (though I recommend you switch to Linky Tools HERE if you do), but if want to continue to read Magnolia Lane via your Blogger Dashboard here is what you will need to do.

I only know this because it worked for me when my own blog disappeared from my own reading list! I promise it takes all of 2 seconds.

Simply click on “ADD BLOG” at the top left under “Reading List” like so:

Just click the button to "ADD"

Then enter this text (just copy this URL as is):

http://www.11magnolialane.com/

in the next screen that appears:

Click “follow” and we should re-appear in your reading list. I am not sure why this happened to us when other blogs still appear in my list, but obviously we HATE to lose our readers so please take 2 seconds to do this.

You can also follow us on Facebook HERE and subscribe by email or by Linky on the right side of the Blog.

We are also thrilled to announce we have been accepted into the BlogHer network, which should be obvious by the new look of our sidebar and top header. :)

We made lots of plans for upcoming series and projects this weekend. We plan to launch a DIY link party in April and have several new food/entertaining and DIY series in the works.

Of course, the whole weekend was not “all work”…Here are Christy & Terry jewelry shopping at Kate Spade.

We also spent Sunday in a photo session with Jessica Oatman of Jessica Oatman Photography. We had a total blast with Jessica and can’t wait to reveal some new pictures of the three of us.

Here is Terry blogging --or maybe "pinning"? :) --while waiting for the photoshoot to begin

We can’t wait to post more about our weekend and photoshoot!

In the meantime, PLEASE continue to follow us either via the Google Reader Button as above or via Linky. If you have any trouble (or as always, thoughts/feedback/suggestions) please leave us a comment below.

XO,

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Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt Cupcakes

While I hate to sidetrack the whole “heathy eating” series Terry has been sharing, I am going to jump in with this amazing cupcake recipe I found.

Everything in moderation? Yes?

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel and Sea Salt.

I made these cupcakes this weekend, and they were to good not to share. I found the recipe on the gorgeous blog of Jenny Steffens Hobick, and immediately pinned it. Then I cooked them.

We had some very special company this weekend. Some of my husband’s extended family, who have always been so hospitable us, were here for a visit. I wanted a very special–but also very easy– menu since we rarely get a chance to host them in return. I will be sharing some other recipes from the night as part of our “easy entertaining” series in the next few weeks.

But, back to the cupcakes!

These were scrumptious. They use a store bought cake mix, but are topped with a decadent chocolate buttercream frosting, then drizzled with caramel topping and lightly sprinkled with sea salt. Yum.

Please visit Jenny’s blog soon for the recipe to make some for yourself.

Thanks for stopping by!

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In the Kitchen with 11 Magnolia Lane: Meatloaf Muffins, Curry Chicken Casserole & Crock-Pot Pork Carnitas

Click on the “In the Kitchen with 11 Magnolia Lane” Button to read about our new series

 

Meatloaf Muffins:


Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup quick cooking oats or panko bread crumbs (I personally prefer Panko)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped almonds or nuts (I use a spice mill so it is a powder)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2/3 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, Panko and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form into 12 equal sized meat balls and place into a lightly greased muffin tin.  Press down the center of each meatloaf with a spoon once placed inside the muffin tin.
  3. In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.
  4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-40 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curry Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

 

 

This recipe is courtesy of my Aunt Barbara… It is one of my favorite recipes and it offers true comfort to my family and I during the cold winter months.

Ingredients

  • 1 can of cream of chicken soup (please see below as I personally never use condensed soup and offer an easy delicious and healthy alternative)
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 large bag of frozen broccoli (I also use fresh but you will need to steam it prior)
  • 1 ½ lbs of boneless chicken breast or tenders

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Heat a Saute pan with olive oil.  Cut chicken into chunks and cook until golden brown.  Place cooked chicken in a 13 X 9 baking dish.
  3. Cook broccoli until al dente and place over chicken in baking pan.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, curry, lemon juice, cheddar cheese and black pepper.   Pour over chicken and broccoli until well coated.
  5. Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 45minutes

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Cutting out processed foods, such as canned soups, is a huge step towards living a healthier life style.  Canned soup casseroles really make your life easier but the sodium and preservatives do take a toll on your body.  I love this casserole but making my own cream of chicken soup saves calories and creates a wholesome and  healthy meal that your family can enjoy guilt free.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tsp Butter
  • 2 Tsp Flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Place butter in a pan and melt it.  Add in an equal amount of flour, 2 Tsp in this case .  Stir it around untl the flour is absorbed, about 1 minute.
  2. Add in chicken stock, a little at a time, whisk it until smooth. (If you dump in all your liquid, you will end up with many little lumps).
  3. Cook and stir about 3 minutes, until smooth and heated through.  The longer you cook the thicker it will get.  Salt & pepper to taste.

Crock-Pot Pork Carnitas

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. pork tenderloin
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 jar salsa verde
  • 1 can Ro*Tel (I used mild)
  • tortillas (exclude if you are eating paleo or low carb)
  • your choice of toppings – cheese, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, avocado, lime juice, etc.

Directions

  1. Place the pork tenderloin in the crock-pot
  2. Cover tenderloin with onions
  3. Sprinkle with cumin and then add the salsa and can of Ro*Tel tomatoes
  4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours until tender (My crock-pot is hot, I only needed 6 hours)
  5. Once cooked, remove the pork from crock pot and shred it.
  6. Drain juice out of crock-pot reserving some in a bowl. Use a strainer as you will want to save the tomatoes & onions.
  7. Add the meat back to the crock-pot with the tomatoes and onions.
  8. Add some of the reserved juice to the meat until nice and moist.
  9. Serve on tortillas with desired topping


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