Monday, March 11, 2013

Healthy Living: Greek-Style Baked Shrimp


I would just like to say, if I don't discover any other healthy recipes this year I'm fine with it....because this recipe is that good.  Thanks to Jan over at poppytalk, this one wins recipe of the year award in my book.  It's delicious, healthy (the worst ingredient is feta cheese), AND it's pretty.  Enjoy.    


Greek-Style Baked Shrimp
(recipe adapted from Gourmet magazine)
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon freshly crushed fennel seeds
2 14 oz cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
pinch of sugar
1 1/4 lb of large peeled shrimp, tails left on
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
lemon wedges, to serve

Preheat oven 375F with rack in the middle.

In a large oven-proof skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add in onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Let it heat until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes, turning down heat if things start to brown. Add in tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice and sugar and cook until the sauce reduces and gets slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove from heat. 

Season shrimp with a pinch of salt and then scatter over the sauce. Sprinkle feta over top along with half of the dill. Place saucepan into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until shrimp are pink and cooked through. Serve with the remaining fresh dill sprinkled over top. Serve with lemon wedges and lots of crusty bread to sop up all the goodness. Serves 4.

Monday, March 4, 2013

In Limbo

Hello!  Besides the fact that I've been gone for the past few weeks.....you may notice that RestlessOasis has received a nice face lift.  I have been putting off updating the blog for sometime, and could not ignore it any longer (especially since I made it a New Years resolution).  I felt that a new blog design was required for this new stage of life my family is embarking on......this non-army life.  You heard right- after fulfilling his military commitment, Red will be joining the civilian world in a couple weeks.  We are SO excited about opening this new chapter.....it feels strange and thrilling to not be told where to live.  Hopefully that explains my absence on here- we have been in limbo.  I did not want to start any projects with a pending move, and felt only inspired to pack a few boxes.  Now that we have some clear direction, I feel ready to come back.  I've missed this space!  
         
Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Valentines Day: It's the small things

Because Red's birthday is on Valentines' Day, we limit our Valentine's celebration to the morning (I like to make the rest of the day his day).  To make our special breakfast just a little more special, I made these Valentine's mugs with mugs we already owned.  This is quite possibly the easiest and cheapest DIY I've done yet.  All you need is a porcelain marker and a couple white mugs.  I then baked them in the oven at 300 for 30 minutes so that they would be dishwasher safe.  Using words from a favorite poem, our homemade hot chocolate and marshmallows will be all the sweeter this year. 
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Friday, February 8, 2013

Valentine's Day

It's taken me a while to do a Valentine's Day post because I have so many mixed feelings about the holiday.  On one hand, I love an excuse to celebrate the special people in my life.  But on the other, I dislike the cheesy part of the holiday.  It often feels like for every holiday/special occasion, our culture becomes especially materialistic.  Valentine's Day is no exception.  I love the idea of celebrating Valentines Day creatively.....making it less about money spent and more about the person/people celebrating it with.  We have a very light Valentine's Day celebration over here because it also happens to be Red's birthday...coincidentally one of my favorite days of the year.
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Flowers and macaroons, who can complain?   
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Cute packaging for a special lunch for your sweetie or kiddos:
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Dinner Party inspiration (via)
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One of the few Valentine's Crafts that I love....possible photo booth prop?
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And of course, some Vaentine's Day macaroons:
Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Life lately, according to my phone

Just some snapshots from my life ....I recently discovered Afterglow (I know, I know....I'm so slow with these things) and I'm a little obsessed. 
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A recent trip to Ottawa, this city is so underrated in my opinion....

Brunch with girl friends

A favorite view

The Rideau Canal finally froze over, the longest ice skating rink in the world!  It's blurry because it was FREEZING.  

And my obsession with macaroons continues....