results for macaroni salad

Beachcomber Dinner Party

Filed Under > Entertaining

I love nothing more than throwing a fabulous party, or better yet a dinner party.  And with The Shop now open entertaining is easier than ever.  Case in point, my fabulous Beachcomber dinner party.  Inspired by our organic Octopus towels and napkins, and One Kings Lane plates we mixed all shades of blue with our shocking chartreuse Ikat placemats.   Can’t you just hear the ocean calling?  xoxo

 

Dinner & Salad Plates One Kings Lane (no longer available) || Handprinted, Organic Octopus Napkins || Placemats Bloomingdales (no longer available)

The Tablescape pre dinner…Creative Co-Op Distressed Wood Votive Candle Holder || Creative Co-Op Sardine Can Salt & Pepper Shakers || Handprinted. Organic Octopus Napkins || Creative Co-Op Boat Dipping/Condiment Dish || Crate & Barrel White Condiment Spoon ||Creative Co-Op Tall Numbered Tin || Creative Co-Op Whale Trays

Creative Co-Op Distressed Wood Votive Candle Holder…perfect centerpiece because it’s not too high so you can actually talk to your guests at the table

Wine Round Pond 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (my FAVORITE summer wine) || Chalkboard Signs || Rablabs Blue Azure Coasters || Creative Co-Op Fish Bowls

Waiting On Martha’s Heirloom Tomato Salad & Creative Co-Op Fish Bowls

Creative Co-Op Distressed Wood Votive Candle Holder || Creative Co-Op Sardine Can Salt & Pepper Shakers || Handprinted. Organic Octopus Napkins || Creative Co-Op Boat Dipping/Condiment Dish || Crate & Barrel White Condiment Spoon

Creative Co-Op Boat Dipping/Condiment Dish (perfect for salad dressing, olive oils, dips, etc.) || Crate & Barrel White Condiment Spoon

Waiting On Martha’s Pimento Cheese Spread recipe HERE || Creative Co-Op Fish Bowls

Creative Co-Op Whale Trays

Waiting On Martha’s Pimento Cheese Spread recipe HERE

Dinner & Salad Plates One Kings Lane (no longer available) || Handprinted, Organic Octopus Napkins || Placemats Bloomingdales (no longer available) || Creative Co-Op Distressed Wood Votive Candle Holder || Creative Co-Op Sardine Can Salt & Pepper Shakers || Creative Co-Op Boat Dipping/Condiment Dish

Creative Co-Op Tall Numbered Tin

Easy Meal Prep Ideas For The Week Ahead

How To Prepare for a Week's worth of meals in just a few short hours
Filed Under > 30 Minute Meals

Meal Prep Ideas via Waiting on MarthaBlog-FoodPrep1

If you’re like me, you have the best of intentions of cooking a homemade meal each night.  You even go as far as writing out the recipes, and doing all the grocery shopping, making your fridge full to the brim of delicious and fresh ingredients.  If you’re also like me, this can become a best laid plans scenario when the reality of the weekly grind sets in…ten plus hour work days don’t usually make me want to rush home and cook for two hours. Drink a bottle of wine, yes…cook a meal, no.  

But lately I’ve been on my cooking game (if you follow along on snapchat username waitingonmartha then you’ll know what I mean).  And the secret?  I’ve been taking about two hours on Sunday to meal prep for the entire week.  Because let’s face it: typically the cooking itself isn’t difficult or time consuming…it’s the prep that kills you.

Dreaming up meal prep ideas has actually become one of my favorite weekend activities.  I’ll jump on Pinterest, comb through magazines, search my favorite sites online; anything and everything to help me get those meal prep ideas flowing.  Once I have all my meal prep ideas plotted out for the week I’ll set aside a few hours, put on some good tunes, pour a glass of wine and begin chopping, marinating, pre-cooking, de-thawing everything you need for your weeknight meals.   You can do this on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, whatever day works for you.  

After chopping, prepping, and pre cooking I store everything in my favorite glass tupperware.  I always use glass because it’s BPA free which means for leftovers you never need to worry about if microwaving is an issue.  You can see from these pictures what my prep for last weeks’ meals looked like.  Here I’ve prepped  ten plus important ingredients for entrees and sides for the week and provided a few tips below.  Just remember while some meal prep ideas are common sense, it’s important to read up on what you can cut ahead of time, and for how long it will keep in the refrigerator.  For example, when you cut onions they will attract bacteria at a substantially higher rate than any other cut vegetable because of all the cell/membrane walls that your opening, so it’s best to cut an onion right before use. 

Tell me, I’d love to hear if you have any meal prep ideas or make-ahead tricks of your own?  Truly, MKR

No. One...Shrimp.  I love having shrimp ready as it’s a very low calorie option and takes about 5 minutes to make.  Simply remove the shell and devein the shrimp making them ready to be thrown in a sauté pan with a little high quality olive oil, salt and pepper.  

No. Two…Sweet Potatoes.  I’ve peeled and cubed sweet potatoes since a sweet potato or squash is the perfect vegetable to have on hand for future roasting; I like to roast mine with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, curry, and cinnamon.  And don’t think of it just as a side; sweet potato tacos are a game changer!

No. Three...Pasta.  Pasta is always a crowd pleaser, and it’s the easiest meal to prepare in advance.  Simply boil your noodles until they’re al dente, then when you’re ready to cook, add them to any large saute pan with your desired sauce and vegetables.  Or even serve it room temperature like one of my all-time favorite dishes.

No. Four…Fruits & Veggies.  I stock up on fruits, lettuce, and vegetables such as carrots, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, pineapple cantaloupe, and many others that can be pre-chopped.  I’m obsessed with this gadget for smaller chops ahead of time.  By spending the time and pre-cutting, you’ll be ready to throw them into a plethora of weeknight dishes like stir fry, a great salad, or simply roast or steam them as a side.  Not to mention, you’ll always have a healthy snack on hand in a pinch.  Salad isn’t a favorite of mine, but I’m much more likely to eat it if it’s easy to prepare and it’s chopped-style, so I always pre-chop lettuce to be the base of said salad or as an easy weeknight side.  And lately I’ve been doing a lot of zoodles (recipe HERE & HERE) which you can spiralize up days ahead of time.

No. Five…Eggs & Nuts.  Since eggs and nuts are staples in my pantry, refrigerator, and diet, I always have these ready-to-eat.  I don’t eat meat, so I’m always conscious of my protein intake.  Hard boiled eggs and nuts are an easy way to keep those levels high, whether they’re atop a salad or just enjoyed as a snack.  

No. Six…Utilize the Crockpot.  I’m a lover of the crockpot; it just makes meals so easy.  So for the meat eater in my life (the hubs) I always do a dish or two in the crockpot each week and marinate or make them up in advance.  I’ll marinate chicken in an Italian dressing or vinaigrette with green onions and jalepenos then throw it in the crockpot with potatoes and peppers and a few hours later you’ll have the heartiest of meals.  Another great meat to make ahead: meatballs.  They only take a moment to cook, and you can serve the meatballs on top of a pasta, or low-carb style alone with some veggies. 

 

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Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha

A Picnic with Homemade Pimento Cheese & Mason Jar Salads

My go-to's for an afternoon in the park
Filed Under > Appetizers & Sides

How to pack for a picnic, waitingonmartha.comPicnic outfit inspiration on waitingonmartha.comMason Jar Salads on a Picnic with @waitingonmarthaHow to plan a picnic in the park, waitingonmartha.comEasy pimento cheese recipe for a picnic, waitingonmartha.com How to make mason jar salads for a picnic, waitingonmartha.com Mason Jar Salads for a Picnic in the Park, Waiting on Martha How to pack for a picnic in the park, Waiting on Martha

Friday I shared a picnic-ready outfit, along with peek at my ideal day off: an afternoon visit to the farmers market, followed by a picnic in the park.  It’s one of my favorite things to do when I have a little free time with the Mr., and always a sign that spring is finally upon us. As promised, I’m sharing a few of my go-to picnic essentials, along with two super simple recipes that I like to pack in my picnic basket, neither that sacrifice flavor or a gourmet effect: my Homemade Pimento Cheese & Mediterranean-inspired Mason Jar Salads.

Whenever I’m packing for a picnic, I always make sure I have the following: a big blanket, a great picnic basket, portable tunes and easy food.  Nobody has time to deal with messy, high-maintenance bites when you’re camped out on your favorite blanket in the grass!  So today I’m dishing on the recipes for said easy food. 

First off, with your pimento cheese, and I’m just going to come out and say it: don’t ever use the pre-shredded cheese for your homemade pimento cheese. It’s just not ever going to taste as good as the stuff you buy by the block and shred yourself.  You’ll get a much creamier and more satisfying spread when you do it the right way. And I like my pimento cheese a bit chunkier, so I stay away from processing/blending it so that I can see the cheese and peppers with each bite.  Of course, if you like yours creamier (which is just as heavenly), take it a step further and throw the mixture into a food processor until you reach your desired consistency. I also love to use Vegenaise (vegan mayo) in place of traditional mayo, though I know all southerners will tell you that Duke’s is the only way to go. 

For the Mason Jar Salads, I went with a Mediterranean vibe; a tangy balsamic vinaigrette (I used store-bought, but you definitely can make your own) with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, cooked orzo, greens & more. The trick with any good Mason Jar Salad is to layer the ingredients in your jars (I love this set with clamp lids) so that the salad doesn’t’ get soggy or begin to wilt when in transit.  You do that by always, always putting the salad dressing at the bottom of the jar. Then, you’ll put whatever ingredients won’t get soggy from being in contact with the dressing (think tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, etc.)…bottom line is you don’t want the greens to be next to the dressing. 

You can have fun with Mason Jar Salads; the possibilities are truly endless!  Find my current go-to combination, along with my recipe for the best homemade pimento cheese below.  I’d love to know how you’re shaping up your picnic plans in the comments below!  Truly, MKR

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Homemade Pimento Cheese & Mediterranean Mason Jar Salad

Ingredients

  • Pimento Cheese
  • 1 block of yellow sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 1 block of white mont jack, shredded
  • 3 large spoonfuls of mayonnaise, to taste
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 chopped jalapeno (optional)
  • dash of cayenne (optional) 
  • Mediterranean Mason Jar Salad
  • balsamic vinaigrette, to taste
  • cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • red onions, sliced thinly
  • cucumbers, sliced thinly
  • edamame, cooked and shelled
  • almonds, raw and unsalted
  • cranberries
  • cooked orzo
  • lettuce (I used baby kale, mixed greens mix)
  • micro green mix

Instructions

  1. Pimento Cheese
  2. Add all ingredients in mixing bowl. When adding the jar of pimentos, eyeball this with how creamy/chunky you want it.
  3. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, and serve!
  4. Mediterranean Mason Jar Salad
  5. Stack your ingredients inside the Mason jar in the following order:
  6. balsamic vinaigrette
  7. cherry tomatoes
  8. red onions
  9. cucumbers
  10. edamame
  11. almonds
  12. cranberries
  13. cooked orzo
  14. lettuce
  15. micro green mix
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