Taking a moment to...

give thanks to the Lord on this Palm Sunday.



Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the weekend and a great week ahead as we all prepare for Easter!

Spring has Sprung!

What an incredible change of seasons we have here in the Carolinas! Just a few weeks ago it was snowing and now it is 75 degrees and flowers are blooming. We did have a bit of rain today, but I guess April showers do bring May flowers don't they?!? Check out the blooms in our front yard:


Happy Spring from the Morrison's!

Where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean

We just got back from vacation down at St. Kitts! It was such a great week spent with the whole Todd family. We enjoyed celebrating Jordan's senior year spring break and acceptance to NCSU (we've got another wolf in the pack!). We also spent time catching up with G&G, Mom & Dad and the sisters (we even bumped into our good buddies - Alice and Ben). Sun, sand and daiquiri's galore - it was wonderful.

The island really is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, this picture shows the divide.


Taking a walk on the stretch of beach out front of our resort.


Shiggity Shack - a local lobster/beer joint





G&G enjoying a little Shuffle Puck at the resort.


Zipping through the rain forest!


Brian and Ben


Our last night we dined at "The Beach House", it was absolutely gorgeous, here are a few shots.








Now it is back to reality! With the warm weather we are now accustomed too, it is easy to welcome Spring time with open arms!

Trader Joe's "must-haves"

Oh how I love Trader Joe's! Each time I enter the store I look forward to discovering new products...did you know that each week Trader Joe's introduces a new product? In fact they've been known to introduce 15 new products in a single week! This makes for a very adventurous grocery trip. Here are a few of my very own "must-haves":













Next time you pop in this neighborhood store, be sure to put these items on your list. And let me know what your favorites finds are too!

Giving credit where credit is due

I must give credit to my dear husband. He cooked me a awesome dinner last night for Valentines Day. I was so impressed. He flipped through one of our old Southern Living magazines to find this shrimp dinner recipe. It was too delicious to not share with you all. We will definitely be making this again in our house!



Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds unpeeled, large raw shrimp (16/20 count)
Coconut-Lime Rice
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher or 3/4 tsp. regular salt
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
Preparation
1. Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Prepare Coconut-Lime Rice.

2. Meanwhile, process cilantro, next 7 ingredients, and 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a food processor 15 to 20 seconds or until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.

3. Sauté shrimp in remaining 1 Tbsp. hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in cilantro mixture. Serve over rice.

Coconut-Lime Rice Ingredients
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked jasmine rice (Brian used a sticky wheat rice - also delicious)
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Preparation
1. Bring coconut milk, salt, and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in rice; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in lime zest and juice.

Happy cooking.

Love and Snow

It seems like most everyone got to see a little winter wonderland this Valentines weekend, even those of you at the beach!

Here is a picture of my two LOVES in the snow:




Happy Valentines Day to you and your family!
XOXO!

Are you ready for some football?

A friend of mine shared this commercial with me last week. It got me pumped up for the Super Bowl. Don't get me wrong, I love a good game of football, but the hilarious commercials are definitely a bonus during the game. Check this out:

Budlight Clothing Drive Commercial

Speaking of beer, this is a great Super Bowl dip that the guys especially will love:

Beer Dip

2 8oz bars cream cheese (let is sit out for a bit so it is easy to stir)
2 bags shredded sharp chedder cheese
1 package dry ranch dressing
1/2 a bottle/can of beer of your choice

Stir all ingredients together until consistent and serve with a sturdy cracker. Wheat thins work well.