It feels SO good to write a 5 on Friday post! Over the past few weeks random thoughts and ideas have been swirling around in my head and now I'm mad I didn't write any of them down. But don't worry because I still have 5 really fun things to share today. But first, I have to share that today is a BIG day for us. This morning we have a super important eye exam for Thomas. This is the longest time we've ever gone in between eye exams -- and that's a good thing! Our last appointment was in March and we have officially gone through all our contacts. So before we order 6 more very expensive sets of contacts we need an eye exam to see if we need to tweak Tom's prescription. Wish us luck that our little man will tolerate his exam well today!
two. A few weeks ago we hosted Sara's family over for dinner and she brought probably the best appetizer I've ever had in my life -- Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta. OMG I am not even kidding, these were absolutely incredible. My picture does NOT do them justice. And a few of you asked me to post the recipe from my insta-stories post. You 100% need to make these for your next party!
Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta
6 ounces good feta, crumbled
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup good olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced shallots (2 shallots)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
2 pounds ripe heirloom or cherry tomatoes, ½-inch-diced
3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
20 to 25 (½-inch-thick) diagonal baguette slices, toasted
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
For the whipped feta, place the feta and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until the cheeses are mixed. Add 1/3 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and process until smooth.
For the tomatoes, up to an hour before you’re serving, combine the shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and - teaspoon pepper. Add the tomatoes, stir gently, and set aside for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and taste for seasonings.
To assemble the crostini, spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes on top. Put the crostini on plates and scatter with the pine nuts. Sprinkle with extra basil and serve.
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup good olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced shallots (2 shallots)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
2 pounds ripe heirloom or cherry tomatoes, ½-inch-diced
3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
20 to 25 (½-inch-thick) diagonal baguette slices, toasted
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
For the whipped feta, place the feta and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until the cheeses are mixed. Add 1/3 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and process until smooth.
For the tomatoes, up to an hour before you’re serving, combine the shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and - teaspoon pepper. Add the tomatoes, stir gently, and set aside for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and taste for seasonings.
To assemble the crostini, spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes on top. Put the crostini on plates and scatter with the pine nuts. Sprinkle with extra basil and serve.
three. At least once a week my sister and I send each other snaps of ourselves with our Black Mask on. We both purchased it a few months ago and have been loooooviiiiiiinnngggg it. It's a little more expensive than I usually like to spend on masks so I was hesitant to buy it at first but it's lasted me a very long time and it is worth the hype and money!
four. I received one of the very best book recommendations from one of my lovely readers -- When God Doesn't Fix It by one of my favorite Christian music artists, Laura Story. After reading the reviews I primed a copy to myself, my mom and my sister. This book is so so so perfect for anyone whose life has taken an unexpected turn. I highly recommend scooping up a copy for yourself or gifting one to a friend going through a hard season in life.
five. It's been tough leaving Charlie at home while we've been traveling to Florida since he is so sick. However, we've felt SO good about the care he receives from Barks & Bloom while we're away. We started using these amazing ladies a few years ago when Charlie was getting a little too old for boarding and we couldn't be happier. Several times a day they stop by our house to walk him, throw his ball around, refresh his water, and take care of random house things like bring in the mail, turn porch lights on, take our trash cans to the curb, etc. And after ever visit we receive an email with a very detailed report card and pictures from the visit. I swear Charlie is so much happier when we're gone and in the care of Barks & Bloom. Anyway, sorry for getting carried away...what I was going to share is the sweetest surprises they left him during our last trip away after finding out about his lymphoma diagnosis -- a chuck-it ball (his favorite), treats, stuffed animal and a dog beer (hilarious)! This is not a sponsored post in any way, but if you live in Charlotte or Baltimore, I can't recommend them enough!!! They are so wonderful!
