Fall Football with Beatriz Ball

September 15, 2017 Norma Powell

Football season is HEREEEEE!!!! Fall is wonderful for many, many reasons-- one being college football. It was interesting when we moved from the south to NYC because northerns {or at least New Yorkers} do not understand the love and spirit behind COLLEGE football. But man the south sticks together in the city, especially on Saturdays in the fall. Each SEC team has a bar that their fans completely take over for the games. The Ainsworth {the Alabama bar} is so packed that they have had to expand to 2 or 3 locations for people to watch the games each weekend. They even serve YellowHammers {the signature drink on a gameday in Tuscaloosa}!! ROLL TIDE!!

We love going and getting to see college friends & catch up while singing Sweet Home Alabama, but I love having people over to our apartment to watch them games too! There is something so fun to me about preparing the table, cooking and spending time with friends {old & new} in our home. Even though we live in NYC where space is limited, I still prefer sharing a gameday spread with our friends around our table and TV!

I'm sure by now you know I love to celebrate even the smallest things-- well game day is no different!! Why not bring out the silver trays and make it fun & special?! This season I'm teaming up with Beatriz Ball to share how I put together my game day spread. I literally SWOON over their beautiful pieces, especially their pearl collections {insert heart-eyed emoji}. They are timeless pieces that you can use for any occasion. From a wedding shower, to game day, and you can even use them to dress up your cookouts {like I did here!}. Aren't they GORGEOUS?!!

dEATS on the table--->

a veggie board with hummus. I like to have an assortment of vegetables to not only give your guests a healthy option, but to make the table colorful!!
My homemade salsa with some tortilla chips.
Mexican inspired light chicken salad roll-ups! {I threw this together and it turned out tasty! Let me know if you want to recipe}
My homemade chickpea brownies {with pecans} that are so tasty you don't even realized they are healthier :)
I also included an ice bucket for people's beverage of choice. And don't forget a bottle of champs to celebrate a victory!! {disclaimer: we don't typically celebrate with champagne when we get the W, but I had a bottle in the fridge so I thought, "why not"}.
You could make a communal drink, like a spiked punch or YellowHammers, for everyone to enjoy! We have done this before and its always a hit!

Another great way to host gameday is to have everyone bring a dish-- less work and stress on your part and you can have your favorite serve ware {like beatriz ball} out and ready to use when the food arrives. Win win!

Happy fall and HAPPY FOOTBALL SEASON, Y'ALL!!

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Thank you Beatriz Ball for partnering on this post

Peach Galette

September 8, 2017 Norma Powell

I have been on a galette kick this season! They are simple and can take whatever flavor you want-- sweet or savory. This tomato feta galette literally makes your house smell like heaven {and taste DIVINE}!! Since that one turned out so delicious, I wanted to try a sweet treat. I made this during the summer so peaches were on my mind and this turned out to hit the spot just right. Although, I was talking on the phone when I was making it and left off a few layers of peaches {this is why I don't need to talk and bake}, but it still turned out yummy! I know it will be even more delicious with the right amount of peaches :p Take a look...

Light Asian Lettuce Wraps

August 30, 2017 Norma Powell

I am always in the mood for something quick, easy and flavorful. These lettuce wraps are just that and make great leftovers! The flavor is just enough to hit the spot and adding the quinoa helps make this wraps filling, but not heavy. I also like when I can find ways to make some of my favorite dishes in a lighter, healthier way. These were inspired by the lettuce wraps at P.F.Changs {which are delicious, but I'm sure are packed with unnecessary fat and hidden calories}. But this recipe allows you to enjoy that signature dish without paying for it later. Take a look...

Turkey Kale Pasta with Cashew Tomato Sauce

July 26, 2017 Norma Powell

I call this dish a nutrition WIN!! You wanna know why? Okay, I'll tell you! Because it is a comfort dish that has nutritional benefits without all the extra calories and fat. AND it has the flavor!!! Boom cha boom cha boom. Nutrition WIN! I am sure you can tell I'm on a cashew kick lately {like with my cashew pesto and cashew "sour cream"}, so when I saw that Dishing Out Health made a cashew tomato sauce, I got inspired! I am all about using ingredients you have so they don't got to waste, and this dish was a result of that and it turned out great!!! Take a look...

Creamy Cashew Pesto

July 19, 2017 Norma Powell

Okay, so I have been making this cashew pesto for months now and I finally perfected it!! Like oh meee geee it is so creamy and delicious! I could eat by the spoon full {I may or may not have already done that}. I have used it in several recipes, likes the stuffed tomatoes and pesto chicken pizza. But I thought it would be good for the pesto to have it's own post so it's easy to find! Take a look...

Tomato Feta Galette

July 17, 2017 Norma Powell

Anyone else a morning person? Well after an adventurous morning, I didn't want to throw away my "feel good" feeling with a heavy lunch. I wanted something savory. I have reallybeen trying to focus on listening to my body and not just what my MIND wants. It's actually really hard to figure out which one is which sometimes. But I do know that when my mind is craving something, I typically end up feeling awful after I eat whatever it is. So with that in mind and the fact I didn't want to feel blaahhh, I thought to make a savory galette!! I have made a sweet blueberry-pecan galette before and it is mouth watering! But this time I wanted herbs and veggies. Take a look...

Avocado Cashew "Sour Cream"

July 14, 2017 Norma Powell

So I'm not vegan, but I do enjoy eating vegan occasionally. Sometimes my body is just craving it. You know I love a good taco!! I also love nuts, so when I came across this recipe from The First Mess, I thought, "I HAVE to try this". I took a mix of seeds (cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds) added some spices (basically taco seasoning) and a little avocado oil, put it in the food processor and blended until a chunky paste-like texture formed. Then I served it with a corn salsa. So easy! Take a look....

Cheese Board with Sigdal Bakeri

July 12, 2017 Norma Powell

Who doesn't love a good cheeseboard?! It is such a great snack, dinner party appetizer or compliment to a glass of vino. Daniel and I were craving some cheese and crackers this weekend, so I went and got some of our favorite cheeses from Trader Joe's.

I think the key to a good cheese tray is to have a mix of flavors, textures and color!! But what is a cheeseboard without the perfect cracker? I received the cutest package filled with Sigdal Bakeri crispbreads and have already eaten over half of them. Seriously. I got five different flavors and I haven't tasted one I didn't like. The best part is, they are made with minimal ingredients and whole lotta goodness, providing good nutrition benefits! My favorite one {so far} is the sunflower seeds and quinoa!! Since we were craving a cheeseboard, I thought these crispbreads would be great crackers, and I was right! Take a look...

Lemon Farro Salad

July 10, 2017 Norma Powell

Summer is the perfect time for easy, chilled salads! Daniel and I are trying to save money and eat in as much as possible, so I have been trying to throw things together that are in our pantry and need to be used. I am always looking for ways to change up our meals, whether it be the protein, the veggies, the seasoning or the starch. I bought this farro a few weeks ago thinking it would be a great way to try something fun since I don't use it often. It did not disappoint! I tossed together this salad and served it chilled. I also used lemon white balsamic which added some great flavor-- definitely worth trying! I love a chilled salad with a hot protein. So I topped it with some homemade turkey meatballs, which turned it into a great meal! Take a look...

Chicken Teriyaki Zoodles

June 26, 2017 Norma Powell

This weekend was so refreshing! Daniel and I were both off Saturday and we spent the day doing just everyday things: working out, cooking, cleaning. Some people don't enjoy these things, but we have been so busy lately that I was craving a "normal" weekend. Living in NYC is so fun, but I also have to remind myself that we live here. So it's okay not to go out to eat or spend a ton of money doing something fun or adventurous in the city every weekend. We live here, so we need to treat it like home and need those weekends with nothing on the agenda. This was one of those weekends and I loved it!

The rest of the day it was beautiful! We even laid out on the roof for a bit. Since the day turned out to be so pretty and we had worked out in that morning, I knew I wanted something light, but filling, with a glass of rose on the roof for dinner! Inspired by SkinnyTaste, this chicken teriyaki zoodle dish happened and I'm so glad it did! I don't have the best zoodler, so the noodles aren't as picture worthy as I would hope, but still tasty! Take a look...

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