Pasta with Shrimp, Olive Oil, Garlic and Chili Flakes

This post is in partnership with Moms Meet. All opinions stated in this post are my own.

Hey friends! It's been awhile since I've shared a dinner recipe around here, so today I'm
sharing a shrimp and pasta entree that is so delicious! It's pretty easy too -  cleaning
the shrimp is the hardest part!

The ingredient list is pretty minimal, which I love - especially for a weeknight dinner!
Shrimp, pasta, tomatoes, fresh spinach, a few spices and extra virgin olive oil is all
you need.

Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers

This post is in partnership with Le Creuset. As always, all opinions are my own.



Hey friends! How are you?
Only one more day until it is officially summer and I couldn't be happier.
Summer is my favorite!

Grilled Spicy Lime Shrimp Tacos with Black Bean & Corn Salsa

This post is in partnership with Le Creuset.  All opinions and photos are my own.

All of the fresh fish and shrimp tacos we enjoyed on vacation earlier this month left us
craving for more, so I decided to use my new Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill
to make some Grilled Spicy Lime Shrimp Tacos with Black Bean & Corn Salsa at home.

Crispy Shrimp Pasta

I served this pasta dish last Sunday and it was a big hit.  Everyone loved the crispy shrimp and the creamy, buttery sauce.  I only used a half of a teaspoon of cajun seasoning because my husband doesn't like spicy food, but my daughter and her boyfriend sprinkled more on theirs, so just adjust it to your family's preference.  It was just perfect for me.

I bought the shrimp frozen in a one pound bag, already peeled and deveined with tails removed, which made the dish even easier to prepare.  I just put it in the fridge overnight to thaw.

Hope you like it as much as we did.  It will definitely be added into my meal rotation and it tasted even better when I had leftovers the next day!

Crispy Shrimp Pasta
recipe adapted from Kevin and Amanda

14.5 oz box of penne pasta (I use Barilla Plus Multigrain)
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 1/2 T flour
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp cajun seasoning

Cook pasta according to package directions. Sprinkle shrimp with salt, pepper, and toss to combine. Sprinkle 1 1/2 T flour over the shrimp, and toss to coat the shrimp. Sprinkle one more tablespoon of  flour and toss to evenly coat the shrimp. Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the shrimp in a single layer and cook on each side, flipping once, until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to plate.

Pour in the chicken broth. Cook for about 5 minutes, whisking the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium and pour in cream, whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium heat until bubbly and the cream starts to thicken the mixture, about 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and add seasonings as desired (salt, pepper, cajun seasonings, etc.) Add the drained pasta and shrimp to the sauce, and stir to combine.
Enjoy!

Family Vacation at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort

We spent 4th of July week at our favorite place ~ Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort in South Carolina.  We absolutely love Hilton Head Island, and of course anything Disney related is always fun.  My in-laws flew in from Texas, so we really enjoyed spending the week and catching up with them.  Most of the time we go out for dinner since vacation is all about relaxing and new experiences, but I decided I was going to make my Low Country Boil (click here for the recipe) for the 4th so we could avoid the crowds. We biked around and found this wonderful little seafood stand called Barnacle Bill's for our shrimp.  Barnacle Bill was so nice and he even let me take his picture. Wish we could have had those lobster tails for dinner, but the shrimp was definitely more afforable!

Barnacle Bill also had some nice tomatoes, so we grabbed a few of them for our salad.  They were so sweet and tasty! So our 4th of July dinner consisted of a Low Country Boil, Tossed Salad, rolls and my Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie for dessert.  See this post for the recipe - it's the bomb!  My daughter and father-in-law fought over the last piece - next year I will definitely have to make two.

For those of you that know about my Diet Coke addiction, this is my absolute favorite thing about vacationing at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort.  I know it's sad, but it's true!!!  As soon as we get to the resort I buy us these refillable Disney mugs.  They cost about $15 each with tax, but I can fill it up from morning to night with as much Diet Coke as I can drink for our entire stay!  I am in Diet Coke heaven!! I love you Mickey!

One of our favorite places to dine outside in Hilton Head is Scott's Fish Market in Shelter Cove.  The view is so pretty and the food is wonderful.  My mother-in-law ordered this Mojito for me.  She actually said I had to drink one with her!  Is she the best mother-in-law or what!  Scott makes a mean mojito!

I ordered this Grilled Shrimp Salad for dinner and ate every last bite!

Another one of our favorite spots is this little dive called the Sea Shack.  This restaurant is really small inside, but definely big on taste!  Each day they offer different sides to go with your seafood choice and let me tell ya....you want to go on the day they have Sweet Potato Cornbread!  This stuff is amazing!!!  I was lucky enough to get the recipe and will be trying it at home soon, so stay tuned.

Madison's favorite breakfast was her Mickey Mouse waffle.  Yes, even teenagers love Mickey!

Well I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse of our family vacation and if you ever get the chance to stay at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort, you should definitely go. 

Thank you Chere and Ron for a wonderful vacation!

Frogmore Stew (Low Country Boil)

I have been wanting to make Frogmore Stew (aka Low Country Boil) forever, so this
weekend I finally did it.
It is such a great summer meal that is so easy to make and it is delish!!
It's so informal too - you just throw everything on a big tray, add some crusty french
bread, grab yourself a glass of wine and you're ready to sit down to a fabulous summer
dinner on your deck.
I have decided that I am going to start making this every summer when we go on our
annual  vacation to Hilton Head Island. We always stay at the Disney Resort on the
Island and this would be a great meal to eat out on the deck of our villa.

Frogmore Stew

5 quarts water

1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning

4 lbs. small red potatoes

2 lbs. kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

6 ears of corn, halved

4 lbs. unpeeled large fresh shrimp

Old Bay Seasoning

Cocktail Sauce

Bring 5 quarts water and 1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning to a boil in a large covered stockpot.

Add potatoes; return to a boil, and cook, uncovered for 10 minutes.

Add sausage and corn, and return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add shrimp to stockpot; cook 3 to 4 miinutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Serve with Old Bay seasoning and cocktail sauce.

Makes 12 servings.