Recently I served as a guest speaker and demonstrator at an event called The Veggie Connection. It was an expo for vegetarians and vegans to learn about new products and companies that support their eating habits & beliefs. There were speakers, demonstrations and tons of food vendors. How does a carnivore find herself amongst a sea of herbivores? How did I fit into this non-meat equation? Easily as before I am anything else, I am a chef. During my talk, I spoke about what I know and that is food and cooking, with or without meat.
Black Bean & Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cans black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 1/2 cups cut corn
1 small red onion diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I use flat leaf parsley)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 of a fresh lime
2 1/2 -3 cups shredded colby jack cheese (shred your own)
10-12 flour tortillas (taco size)
1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce
In a fine mesh strainer rinse quinoa with water and allow to drain. Bring vegetable stock to boil then add quinoa. Bring back up to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes then fluff grans with a fork.
Pre-heat oven to In a bowl add black beans, corn, diced onions, cilantro, quinoa and spices. Mix through. Taste mixture and adjust seasonings if needed. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Lay 2-3 tortillas to cover bottom of dish, overlapping is fine. Spoon enchilada sauce over the tortillas then layer on black bean mixture. Then top with some shredded cheese. Repeat layering two more times. Tortillas, sauce, black bean mixture and cheese ending with tortillas. Finish with enchiladas sauce and top with cheese. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until center is heated through and cheese is bubbly. Let cool for 5-10 minutes then cut into squares.
You can serve with rice and a salad. Or just a salad. Sour cream and guacamole are excellent accompaniments.
When you make this dish don’t forget to share pictures of it with me in the comments or through social media. I’d love to see your creations.
Lately I haven’t really enjoyed doing the whole mall thing. The other day while out with the mini me I ended up at the mall. More importantly I ended up in JC Penney. That’s where I saw the cutest pink outfit. It seemed so fun and flirty. I already figured out so many ways to wear the two piece ensemble in less than 5 minutes of initially seeing it. I needed it in my closet but first a dressing room, please.
I tried on what used to be my size only to realize I needed a smaller size. YAY ME! Down 14 pounds but that’s not what this post is about. This little number that ended up in my closet ( a certain un-named person gifted it to me) was to be my ode to Breast Cancer awareness. A dear friend/neighbor of mine survived breast cancer only to later lose her life to cancer of the spine. I think about her often…missing her. I laugh about how I hated how perfect her home always looked. At that time she had no children and I had 3 so a clean house was hard to keep. She even had the nerve enough to have a white sofa. I secretly hated on her about that. Then she was blessed with a child of her own. And everything changed. The struggle became real and apparent, yet she only had one child. We became kindred spirits. I love the memories we were able to create. Laughing over tea in her kitchen about my oldest one running away from home to her house. Or the time she called my house because the wasband was playing his music too loud and way too late into the night. She threatened to bring her infant child over if he didn’t shut it down. Hell, I pulled the plug myself. I miss her. I wear this pink in her memory and for all the memories we shared. Sandra Hutchinson you are loved.
Go forward and make memories.
~The Chef In Pearls
Ashley Nell Tipton for Boutique+ 3/4-Sleeve Scuba Crop Top
Ashley Nell Tipton for Boutique+ Box Pleat Skirt
Available at JC Penney
Cannot access this app. That’s what my phone notified me of when I tried to visit my picture gallery. I needed to delete some stuff in order to continue on my merry picture ways. That’s when I realized I had some forgotten files I had not shared of a few other places I visited last month. I may have forgotten to share the pics but the places made a mark on me. The first place being Kefenio. It’s this wonderful Greek cafe located in College Park. A couple of months prior I helped with an event and Kefenio was what we had for lunch. So when I got back to College Park, I had to make it to the restaurant. It was well worth the visit. I was even lucky enough to meet the Chef and owner, John. I decided on the lamb burger, which was moist and flavorful, with their french fries that came seasoned with garlic, oregano and salt. YUM. Make sure to get a side of tzatziki sauce to eat your fries with, well worth the extra cents. It will make you dance in your seat as you eat the fries. I promise, scouts honor.
C.I.P. and John, Chef & Owner of Kefenio in Collge Park, GA
The Lamb Burger for lunch
Brandon my server for the day
Graphic map of Athens, Greece
While still scrolling through my pics I came across another one of my forgotten files I visited. Have you heard of Shake Shack? Well I have. It’s supposed to be a “Hip, counter-serve chain for gourmet takes on fast-food classics like burgers & frozen custard”. So you know I was super stocked when the YP Insiders got an opportunity to visit and dine at its location here in Georgia? It’s located in the Shops of Buckhead, Atlanta’s version of Rodeo Drive. I was ready to be blown away. Unfortunately I wasn’t. It’s not that the burgers are bad it’s just that they are average. It didn’t leave me wanting to make a trip back to Buckhead to partake again. I always feel when a restaurant as a specific food in their name I should be compelled to drive 45 minutes to have it every chance I get. With that being said the milkshakes were pretty average as well. I felt like I could’ve gotten the cookies and cream milkshake from a CookOut or Steak & Shake location. Nothing to write home about. But don’t let me dampen your parade. You check it out for yourself.
Some of the bloggers I met at the YP Insiders Shake Shack meet up
Me and My girl, Tanya hanging out.
My #FashionObession for the night..nice bag
When you’re feeling yourself and your hair cut
The menu
The smoke Stack Burger
Shake and Fries.
A Burger spot that sells wine has got to be good, right?
The lettuce are the carbless version of their chicken sandwich
Red or White wine?
Interior shots of Shake Shack
Interior shots of Shake Shack
The final place located in my forgotten files was True Foods Kitchen. This restaurant is located in Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta, GA. This restaurant is dedicated to healthy eating style. They have menu items for vegans, vegetarians and those who eat gluten-free. There is something for everybody. The foods are all locally sourced and prepared fresh daily. I was taken to lunch as a birthday treat by one of my friends and “students” Katrina Parker. I got to sample their sustainable sea bass, the pizza with the house made chicken sausage and for dessert the flourless chocolate cake. I love good food especially when it’s good to you(body). I’d definitely tell a friend, as a matter of fact I’m going to text one right now.
C.I.P., the mini me and my friend Katrina
The Sustainable Sea bass
Chicken sausage pizza
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Have you ever taken pictures of memorable places and forgotten to share them with others? Or is it just me? Here are three new places for you to go and try out. Let me know in the comments where you have gone and what you think. Until next time, go forward and make memories.
I was heading to my first Atlanta Foodies Meetup. I hit traffic not once but twice but I was determined to make it to my first Atlanta Foodies restaurant crawl. I am what’s known in Atlanta as an OTP-er. It means I live outside the perimeter of 285. The city lays ITP, Inside The Perimeter. Generally speaking I live about 45 minutes outside the city of Atlanta. I know if I plan to make it anywhere in the city I need at least an hour and fifteen minutes so I am not late. On this particular day that was not enough time. I ended up spending about two hours trying to make it to my Atlanta Foodies meetup. I made it, late and a little frazzled but I made it. I do not let where I live affect me meeting new people and trying out new restaurants to share with you guys.
I finally arrived at Tupelo Honey Cafe . Our group organizer, Audrica of Napping on Mondays, was so gracious in helping me not feel bad about being late. I quickly got a seat and was introduced to the small group of attendees. I was a little late so food had already been brought to the table. What a spread it was. I think the pictures will do better than the words I could ever type. Between our waitress and the manager, we were made to feel like we would never want to leave and truly we didn’t want to. But there were more restaurants to visit and good eats wait for no one. Make sure you check them out in the Gateway Plaza in Sandy Springs.
C.I.P with our lovely waitress Bianca
Biscuit with in house made blueberry jam
Fried Green Tomato on a of Creamy Grits
C.I.P. and the manager, John
Grilled Okra with Ranch Dressing
Sharonda of Pay or Wait, doing that pic thing
I bet you wanna eat your greens with some Grilled Okra and Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts with the in house made Ranch Dressing
Fried Green Tomatoes on a bed of Creamy Grits
Burrata Cheese served with Pesto and Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Micro Greens
How we ended our meal , The Tiki Bomb
Two types of Tacos, Fried Chicken with Pickled Red Cabbage and Fried Shrimp with a Corn Jalapeno
The Peach Bell, a must have cocktail made with moonshine. Need I say more?
The second stop on our restaurant crawl was Urban Cookhouse. All I can say is that I didn’t know I liked broccoli salad until UC. It was sweet and crunchy and just downright yummy. UC is a family friendly restaurant. It even has a drive thru for those days when you just can’t manage to get out of the car or don’t want to fuss with the kids inside a restaurant. The must have item on the menu is the Half Baked Cookie……MY GAWD! Seriously it’s not something you want to share with anyone else. So make sure everyone gets their own. Check them out the next time you’re in Sandy Springs.
The restaurant’s motto…Farm to fire to table
Our spread, pulled pork, turkey, ham
Macaroni and cheese, broccoli salad
Grilled steak and onions, chicken salad and fresh fruit salad
Introducing The Half Baked Cookie
Even Sharonda was getting in on the pics
Our finally stop on this restaurant crawl was Buttermilk Sky. Now technically we had dessert over at Urban Cookhouse but…Who can say no to pie? I sure couldn’t, so off to Buttermilk Sky we walked. At this point in the crawl the ethnic fatigue was starting to kick in. I knew I would still need to make it back to Conyers, you know OTP almost an hour away. I still pushed forward because my readers need to know what the Gateway Plaza in Sandy Springs has to offer them. I did it for you : )…LOL! Buttermilk Sky is a quaint little bakery that offers what I came to realize was some damned good pie. Kimmie ,the owner, took time out to chat with us about her bakery and what it offers. (Check out my Facebook page for the videos) She then presented us with goodie bags with what else? … PIE. We got to take home her I-40 pie, which has fresh grated coconut, pecans and chocolate. Now anyone that knows me knows that I am not a fan of coconut but that pie was really good. We also got the All-American favorite…apple pie. I sampled it cold and then reheated it the next morning for breakfast (I know it wasn’t the healthiest breakfast but it sure did taste good. The green tea helped to balance it out some…LOL). The crust on the pies were so buttery and flaky. And the fillings weren’t too sweet. They seemed almost perfect. I can’t wait to go back. Make sure to give Kimmie a visit and let her know you read about her on The Chef In Pearls.
Pie…Pie…Pie…
C.I.P. and Audrica, of Napping on Mondays inside Buttermilk Sky
Audrica and Kimmie inside Buttermilk Sky
C.I.P and Kimmie, owner of Buttermilk Sky
The unboxing in Conyers
The I-40 Pie
The Apple Pie
I look forward to the next Atlanta Foodies Meetup. I got to meet some wonderful new bloggers including Shana of Technotini, Loren of Dating with Passports, Sharonda of Pay or Wait and our organizer Audrica of Napping on Mondays. I can’t wait to make more memories with Atlanta Foodies Meetup. Now you have 3 new restaurants to check out. Go forward and make new memories. Until next time.
Yep, you read that right. I am one of the newest YP Insider member. What is that you ask? Well, we are a group of individuals (mostly bloggers) hand selected to do reviews on businesses in the local Atlanta area. We get to have first hand experiences brought to us by the Yellow Pages and share our views on them. We write about everything from the local car detailing services to even the best place to have plastic surgery done. We have you covered in the review department on whatever you may be interested in.
Last night as apart of the YP Insiders, I got to attend an event at The Watershed. It’s a local Atlanta restaurant that serves “Local, seasonal, soulful dishes inspired by Southern tradition and prepared with present day artistry.” You can find out more about them here. We had an opportunity to take part in small bites, wines and beer; all while networking. We even got a chance to meet Chef Zeb Stevens, the man behind the food.. Nothing better than getting to meet the person creating what you’re eating. He’s been with The Watershed family for a little over 18 months. He prides himself on bringing local and seasonal foods to the tables at The Watershed, while trying to keep within the southern feel of the menu. I love that he chose to do fried boneless, skinless thighs as opposed to the chicken breasts. We all know there’s more flavor in those thighs.
Tuille skirt : Eshakti Metallic Pink Tee: Lane Bryant Pearls: all me
When you feeling yourself as a YP Insider
Doing the model face… I guess
Our choices for the evening
THe YP Insider spread for the night
same food different angle
Fried Skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs
Deviled Eggs with Bacon Jam
My sampling for the night
Didn’t partake but I am sure they were good.
C.I.P. and Chef Zeb, the man behind the food.
Yellow flowers for Yellow Pages
Wine anyone?
I started the evening with a little bubbly.
YP Insider photographer for the night
The YP Insider Hostess for the evening The Lovely Erica of Erica Eats
I look forward to other great events as a YP Insider. Being able to meeting other Insiders and saying my piece about businesses in and around the metro Atlanta area. So check out the reviews on the YP app or visit the site, you just might read one I’ve written. And when you find a moment go make some memories over at The Watershed. Let me know what you think.
I recently attended the opening of Two Boutique. What is Two Boutique, you ask? Well it’s a woman’s clothing store located in downtown Lithonia, GA. They carry designer pieces alongside their own custom brand, Two. I didn’t even have to get on my plus size soapbox because they carry all the way up to a size 3X. Yes, something for everyone. Why two as a name? Well there are two owners, Monica Parrot and Pam Dixon. Aside from just offering a nice clothing experience Two also offers a wide range of other services. You can make an appointment for a personal shopping or styling session, a make-up session or maybe plan an event for you and your girlfriends ( a collaboration maybe in the works between Two and The Chef In Pearls. Keep an eye out). Don’t forget to check out the Two website for everything they offer. If you make it down to Lithonia and visit let Monica or Pam know The Chef In Pearls said Hi. Go ahead and make some shopping memories with Two.
C.I.P. and Monica Parrot, co-owner of Two Boutique
C.I.P. with Monica Parrot and Pam Dixon, co-owners of Two Boutique
So Target has pulled off another designer collaboration. Guess what? They actually made pieces for the plus size woman. The line drops in less than 30 minutes online and in store. As I perused the lookbook I came across what I hope to make apart of my swimsuit collection.
It’s a bikini top with are you ready for it?? ….swim leggings. Yep not that I am afraid of showing my legs but I thought it was a cute option if I chose. Anyway go check out the Marimekko line at Target. I hope you plan to make some swim suit memories with TargetStyle.
Just in case you didn’t know I want to be the one to tell you. The Chef In Pearls is at it again. We will be hosting our second meal of the year on Sunday April 17, from 1-4 pm. The Chef In Pearls has long hosted a quarterly luncheon dedicated to women looking to connect, relax and enjoy a good meal. This year I officially opened it up to the public this year. With proper ID and a ticket purchase you can join in the festivities. To help keep things moving in the right direction I have joined forces with Kym Edwards, owner & founder of the Naughty Goddess, to be my co-host. While I throw it down in the kitchen she comes and facilitates the discussions with the ladies. Our goal is to talk about health and wellness not just from the physical but mental and business aspects, too.We have discussions to help you make moves to the next step in your life, help you to see things from a different point of view. Everyone is encouraged to kick back and relax because it’s a judge free zone.
There’s still time to get your ticket for this event. Just click here and you’ll be a part of the fun. Everyone who attends gets a full more, networking opportunities and a gift bag from our sponsors. You can view pics from our first meal of the year here.
February actually got an extra day because we’re in a leap year. How cool is that? It’s still the shortest month of the year but it was a good month to me. Let’s start with my feature on the blog site She Just Writes. They wanted to know all about me and my writing ways. Did I mention to you guys that I am working on a ecookbook? Well I am. Check out the interview right here.
Then The Chef In Pearls turned 2 years old. I know to most that may not be a big deal. For me it is. So many things can crash and burn and never see 2 years. I feel pretty awesome to have been at this for 2 years with intentions of going further. I celebrated this milestone with a private tea party. I invited just a handful of friends and family to attend. We had a good time, which you can see by the pictures. If you missed the post on that you can check it out here.
I was so very proud to be able to bring to life the #Hungry Entrepreneur t-shirt. It’s available in our shop section. So please go check it out. Order one for the entrepreneur in your life so they can show the world that they are hard at work. Check it out here.
And to round this lovely short month out. I was invited to be a part of the 4evaeva.com podcast. It was fun to sit in and participate in their conversation. It was even more fun when I got a chance to talk about my passion…cooking. Listen to me on the podcast here.
February may have been a short month but it was packed to the brim. Looking forward to what March has in store for me and The Chef In Pearls. I can’t wait to make more memories to share with you all. If you’ve enjoyed what I have been up to please let me know by leaving a comment.
So you’ve seen them on television. You may have even attended one at a swanky hotel in town. And now you want to throw your very own tea party. Most people tend to throw tea parties for special occasions like a bridal shower, or a baby shower or even a birthday. Why not throw one just to have friends over to chat? It isn’t very hard to do.
Here is a list of 8 things you’ll need to pull this off.
The Usual Party Arrangements. Like any other get together you have to have a location, time and invitation. With modern technology you can do invitations through Facebook, a text message or so many other online invite systems like Evite. I still like a good old fashion printed invite sent by snail mail.
Tea Pots & Tea Cups. Your china does not have to match. Let me repeat: they DO NOT have to match. Check out what you have in your china cabinet. Or visit your local thrift store and see what goodies you may come across. You can make it part of the theme for each guest to bring her favorite tea-cup. Same thing goes for the tea pots. See what pieces your Mom or if you’re lucky your grandmother may have in her china cabinet and have at it. For my last tea party, I was blessed with a plethora to choose from because my Mom collects tea pots.
Tea. Can you actually throw a tea party without tea? I think not. I grew up with fresh peppermint growing in my backyard so I know what it’s like to enjoy freshly made tea straight from the garden. There is also the debate loose tea vs. tea bags. I say loose but tea bags aren’t bad if you get them from a reputable company. Some days you really can’t be sure what manufacturers are giving you. With that being said you can make your own tea bags with just a couple of items. (See below)
Tea Sandwiches I know we have all seen the infamous cucumber tea sandwich. Please do not think that is your only option for sandwiches at your tea party. It’s all up to your imagination. Think it up and shrink it down in size. They should not be larger than a 2 bite sandwich. I made a caprese styled sandwich with fresh mozzarella, basil, yellow grape tomatoes, spicy sliced turkey from the deli all on a toasted square of bread. If you really aren’t interested in making any small sandwiches find your favorite local restaurant and see what they can do for you.
Scones. Now we all know it’s not really a tea party if there aren’t any scones. What exactly is a scone? I think the best description I have heard is that “a scone ain’t nothing but a glorified biscuit.” If you’ve been to a Starbuck’s you may have seen one or even eaten one. I made cranberry/orange scones and chocolate chip scones for my tea. Once again the choices are limited only by your imagination. Oh and don’t forget the lemon curd…it takes scone eating to a whole other level.
Pastries. Tea loaves, cookies, savory mini tarts, fruit tartlets: any of your favorite pastries in mini form. Remember they are meant to be eaten in 2 bites. Put them on a plate with a doilie (remember to use what you have as dishes or borrow from Mom) and set it on the table.
Photos. Pictures are important to immortalize the event. You can hire a photographer to capture all your hard work and the fun you and your guests will be having. This will give everyone the chance to sit back a really enjoy. Your other option would be to make everyone the paparazzi for the night. With the digital age we live in now everyone has a smart phone, so picture-taking is inevitable. Create a hashtag just for your event so when attendees post pictures you can have access to them all in one place. Consider printing a photo book as a keepsake afterwards.
Gift Bags. I always like for my guest t walk away with some sort of keepsake from whatever event I create. It doesn’t have to be super elaborate but it does have to show you put some thought into it. For my tea party I made tea bags for everyone, some lemon melt away cookies and placed a teaspoon in a goodie bag tied up with ribbon. I wanted them to continue the tea party for themselves when they got home. I am including how to create your own tea bags below.
How to make tea bags
You will need loose tea, old school white coffee filters, a stapler, and baker’s twine. Take one filter and flatten it out. Depending on if you plan to make bags for an individual cup or for a pot place 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon of loose tea along the center of filter. Do not come past 2 inches from either ends of the filter and forming a straight line done the middle. Fold either sides of the filter of the line of tea, making a rectangle with rounded ends. Starting with the end closest to you make 2 folds, one over the other. Then do the same with the other end. Now fold the filter in half, bring both folded ends together. Take a 5-6 inch piece of baker’s twine and attach it to the filter using the stapler. I like to leave a ½ of an inch of twine on the other end so that I can tie a knot and secure the twine on the staple. Viola you just made your very first tea bag and probably not your last.
I hope this has helped you in feeling like this is something yo can pull off because you know what? You can. Is there something you think should be added to this list. Drop me a comment below and let me know. Then take some time out and visit my It’s Tea Time board on Pinterest.
