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{A Quick Meal} New Orleans Style Barbecued Shrimp

Y’all know I loves a quick meal. Nothing grinds my nerves so, than being stuck in a hot kitchen in the summer.

This week I went with a recipe that I’ve made before but it’s been awhile. I even mentioned it last year on my 5 Quick and Easy Meals for Summer post.

I got the recipe from Martha Stewart. The only tweak I made was substituting Old Bay for the Cajun Seasoning in hopes that it wouldn’t be so spicy this time around and it worked. I served ours with rice but I could easily see subbing the rice for grits. I wish I would’ve thought of that. Nothing like creamy grits with fish or shrimp.

Anywho.

Barbecued Shrimp

Mimimal chopping was involved

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You do know everything tastes better with a little butter.

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5-7 minutes in the pan

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Ready to eat

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Here’s the recipe

Ingredients

    • Coarse salt
    • 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 large celery stalk, diced small ( 3/4 cup)
    • 1 small bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
    • 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 large lemon, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
    • 1 3/4 pounds shell-on extra-large shrimp, deveined

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/4 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice, stir, and return to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large heavy pot, melt butter over medium-high. Add celery, scallion whites, and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add Creole seasoning and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
  3. Add Worcestershire, lemon, and shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and coated with sauce, about 4 minutes. Serve shrimp over rice with scallion greens on top.

Summer

Summer Vacation Week 4

Last week we laid really low.

We took a trip to the library

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I got my hands on some Outkast tickets!! #ATLast

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Chilled out on the porch

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Friday I had the opportunity to sit on an awesome panel with Serena, Trina, Bernetta, Tameka and Charlene for the Haute Momma Haute Experience at the Baby Bash and Bling event that was in town this weekend. Had a great time!

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Photo Courtesy of Tiffany M. Powell @ Powell Pics

On Saturday my AKA chapter had its annual picnic. Family, food and fun!

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Sunday we hung out with the in laws. We played some game named Spoons. Apparently I wasn’t too good at it because I had to take 3 shots before the night was over.

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How is your summer going? Anything spectacular happen last week?

Décor DIY Living Our Home School

Homework Station Design in Process

Last week it dawned on me that we are nearly half way through Summer Vacation and before I know it the school bell will be ringing again. We’re headed to see the “Mouse” in a few weeks and when we return there will only be 3 weeks left to get school shopping and all of those things done.

I won’t say anxiety set in but let’s just say I’m tired of the clutter that comes with school and I need a solution to keep their artwork, school work, permission slips, book bags, markers, pencils, pens, flashcards, paint brushes, paint and folders off my kitchen table. After being in the house nearly a year we I’ve concluded that the workout room will be turned into a homework station /craft space for the children.

This wasn’t an easy decision to make. There is equipment in there that the previous owners left and while I’m not saying we don’t need a space to workout, I’m thinking the wine room will get refitted with less bulky equipment. My husband recently went and got a gym membership, I took that to mean he was throwing in the towel. It’s now time we I make the space useful….cause there are cobwebs forming in there. Wasteful.

Looking from left to right in the room this is what is currently there

Homework Station

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 Homework Station

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I’m not saying it will be completely done before school starts but by the first day I hope to at least have desks, chairs and lamps in there for them. Funds will be low. I did say we are going to see the “Mouse” so there will be some Craigslist’ing, Ikea’ing, Goodwill’ing and DIY’ing going on. I do like the paint color and may leave it just making that entire back wall chalkboard…or maybe everything above the beadboard will get chalkboarded out. We’ll see.

Here are a few inspiration photos:

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Source

 organization

Source

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Do you have a designated space for your children to do their homework? Should I leave the wall green?
Recipes

{Recipe} Iced Coffee with Seattle’s Best Coffee

I’m participating in a Seattle’s Best Coffee® blogger campaign and received compensation as part of the program.

I don’t drink coffee daily but when I want a cup, I want a cup. Until recently I didn’t own a coffee maker and would have to find my way to Dunkin Donuts, McDonald’s, Starbucks or whoever was near to satisfy my coffee craving when it reared it’s head. For those of you that have real coffee addictions you know how expense this can get over time.

After finally getting the coffee maker (an espresso machine, learn more about these on Little Coffee Place), I was literally stumped at what coffee brands to purchase. I saw the big named ones but wasn’t looking to pay $9 and up for a bag of coffee and me being the cheapo that I am, I would purchase the less expensive brands and the taste would be just that…cheapo.

With this campaign, I ventured out to my local Publix and picked up a few bags of Seattle’s Best Coffee House Blend. I was familiar with the brand and at $4.99 a bag, I was excited to give it a go. As the weather has warmed, I prefer iced coffee to hot coffee for obvious reasons. To be honest I prefer iced coffee year round because I like tasting the sugar at the bottom that didn’t completely dissolve. I know…weird.

I have made iced coffee before by brewing in the maker, adding cream and sugar and placing in the refrigerator overnight. This time I followed the Seattle’s Best So Simple Iced Coffee recipe. I actually like this recipe better because it creates a concentrate that you can just add water to as needed.

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The taste of this particular blend is light and smooth, which I like but if you want more of the “heavy” coffee taste there are a number of blends to chose from.

Seattle’s Best Coffee is now available at Publix stores, and from now until July 4, you can snag a bag or three of Seattle’s Best Coffee for just $4.99, or K-cup packs for just $5.99.

Happy to share the Simple Iced Coffee Recipe. Give it a try!

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For additional recipes and information regarding Seattle’s Best Coffee be sure to visit their website.