When Life Gives You Ripe Bananas...

Make Banana Crumb Muffins! With these last few hot summer days, I seem to have trouble keeping bananas from going ripe too quickly. So, I turned to my trusty muffin recipe from Allrecipes.com and made Banana Crumb Muffins! These are divine!!!! I swear you will want to eat the batter alone!

A few changes/additions I made:
-I use whole wheat flour instead
-Add a dash of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg to the batter

The crumble topping is completely irresistible!! Enjoy!!

The Precise Pony

Wow its been awhile since I've done a post but I'm happy to announce that my husband and I have welcomed our new baby boy into the world on June 23rd! So, I've been a busy new mommy but always thinking about the newest and  greatest as well!

Falling forward into thinking about fall trends, I've stumbled upon the greatest, simplest hair style,...The Precise Pony! Its looking to be the hottest trend on the Runways for big name designers for this Fall 2012.

I've chose a few of my favorite images from Google to show you what inspires me for this coming season. I will try to post a picture of my own soon to show you how much I love this style as its suitable for any adventure, meeting, outing, playground, date, etc!!

Some celebs in here too that I think got it right! ;-)

Dress to the Maxi!

One of my favorite go to pieces already and for this summer season is, "The Maxi Dress"! I love a Maxi's comfort, versatility, ability to flatter any body type, and the wide variety of colors and prints they come in.

To add or change up a Maxi:

• Add a belt to cinch in the waist to create more shape.
• Add a blazer for a more sophisticated look and a snappy necklace.
• Add a cardigan for the cooler evenings out or when you don't feel like exposing those shoulders.
• Dress it up with some espadrilles or heels.
• Dress it down and pair it with flip flops and a floppy hat and head to the beach!

The possibilities are endless with the combinations you can do with a Maxi Dress! Here are some of my favorite styles below however, I must add the I have had incredible luck finding lots of great Maxi's at my local TJMaxx! Check those discount stores! I've seen adorable designer styles for prices you just can't pass up!


Jessica Simpson Maxi at Zappos.com. SALE!
 

Old Navy Maxi in Almond Butter. SALE! Bargain Buy!!

Target Maxi in Blue/Multi.

Shop to the Max!! :)

Shape up with fruit!

As I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy, lets just say food had become pretty important to me!!!
So, why not make it even more fun and appealing even when its the healthiest!
We have a BBQ today and I was in charge of bringing the watermelon so I used cookie cutters to cut it into bite-able fun shapes! See how I did it below! Can't wait to see what else I can do with other fruits and veggies!

Slice the watermelon into large disks and grab the cookie cutters!

Punch out your shapes, making sure you get all the way through the watermelon slice.

Wa-laa!! Edible shapes!!

Chill for a little while in the fridge and serve! Yummy!!!

Greek Layer Dip

Cream Cheese, Hummus, Veggies, Spices? Yes please!!! My Mother in Law found this awesome recipe for a 7-Layer Greek Dip and I loved it so much I requested she make it at my Birthday this year. It is simple, delicious and can be modified completely to you liking. While I like Greek flare I don't always love every ingredient such as Feta. My husband doesn't love cucumbers so I only put them on half of the dish. The recipe I mimicked was from the fantastic site Our Best Bites! Find the recipe HERE.

Here is how I assembled my Greek Layer Dip! Not sure how many layers I ended up with but it was AAAAHHH-MAZING!!!!!!

1-8oz Pkg. of Cream Cheese (softened)
1 tsp. dill weed
2-cloves of minced garlic (add more or less depending on your liking)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1.5c hummus (I used regular but sprinkled a little Mrs. Dash seasoning on top of the hummus layer)
1c seeded, diced tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes, they are a little sweeter)
.5c Kalamata olives
2 stalks shopped green onions

I love to eat this with pita chips, crunchy flat bread, and celery. I'll be honest, it was my lunch today!!! It's so addicting! Enjoy!! Let me know how you alter yours!

Sending food love your way! <3 <3 <3 <3

Caprese Salad

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner!! With all these fresh ingredients in the produce section I've been inspired to make salads of all sorts of variations!
Behold- The Caprese Salad! A simple salad from the region of Campania, Italy usually served as an appetizer. However, this day, it was my lunch! Delicious, healthy, filling, and satisfying. Try it and serve it as an appetizer, side dish, or a simple lunch salad. Here is how I made mine:

Amy's Caprese Salad


1 Ripe (firm) Tomato
Fresh Mozzarella
Fresh Arugula
Fresh Basil leaves
Olive Oil
Good Balsamic Vinegar

Slice tomato and mozzarella into even slices. Wash and pat dry arugula and basil leaves.
Next begin stacking the salad starting with a tomato slice, then mozzarella slice, top with arugula and a few pieces of chopped basil.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Repeat stacking until all layers are built. Top with arugula and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy a little taste of Italy!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

For some of us, its that rainy time of year where spring tells us moisture is needed to bloom beautiful trees and flowers. Where I live beautiful tulips of all colors of the rainbow bloom and cherry blossom trees brighten up the town!

Here are some of my go-to favorites for being functional yet fashionable during this rainy time of year!

Rain Boots:

1.) Steve Madden Tsunamii Rain Boots. $89.95. These boots are my all time favorite boot ever!! I bought these last year and I think I have worn them for every season. The colorful zipper up the back of the boot are so stylish and functional. Makes getting them on and off easy. They are durable and always keep my feet dry. I added a fleece liner in them during the colder winter months. Great buy!

2.) Sperry Top-Sider Pelican Boot. $55.99 On SALE! These are adorably-chic boots and with the name Sperry attached they are sure to keep your feet dry. They also are a good all weather boot with a moisture wicking fleece liner built in. I adore all the different colors of this boot.

3.) Women's Polka Dot Rain Boots - Target. $29.99. This boot has a mid-calf height and comes in a slew of different patterns and colors so if matching is your thing, you are sure to find one to fit your style to a T! I would recommend getting the fleece liner for this boot as I found it to be not as flexible as the others so add some comfort to the already cute style.

Umbrellas: 

1.) Futai Smart Brelli Red and White Dot - Target. $26.99. This is the perfect example of function and style. This umbrella is just so adorably cute I can't stand it!!! :-) Loving a Polka Dot this season for sure!

2.) Vera Bradly Unbrella - Zappos. $36.00. Timeless and chic is what this umbrella says to me. A pop of color with a cute sophisticated print. Available in a variety of colors and prints!

Have fun splishing and splashing this season while lookin' good doing it!! ;-)