The 4th of July is easily one of my favorite holidays of the year. Nothing beats family, friends and food in the summer heat (and here in FL, most of the activities revolved around or in the water). Here’s a brief recap of our weekend:

We starting things off on Thursday night by having dinner with our friends Natalie and Kevin at their house.

They made an impressive spread of grilled beef tenderloin, twice baked potatoes and roasted asparagus for us.

Check out this awesome clock Natalie and Kevin have in their kitchen. Their last name is Schmidt, so they made this clock on the wall!! I’m obsessed.

Friday night we had a bunch of folks over for a shrimp boil, but I didn’t really take many pictures. I need to get better at documenting events at our house. I guess I get overwhelmed with all of the cooking and entertaining.

Saturday we loaded up the dogs and headed over to the Duke’s Grandpa’s house (on the bayou) for a backyard BBQ.

Can you believe how much Pearl has grown in one week?

The Duke was feeling quite patriotic.

We spent Independence Day on the beach, running in and out of the pavilion, trying to dodge the rain. Let’s just say we got soaked! After coming home to dry off and freshen up, we headed down to Destin Harbor to catch the fireworks from my father-in-law’s big charter boat.

The boat was rocking pretty bad in the harbor…we nearly fell over!

In true family get-together fashion, there was tons of food. I made a fabulous corn pudding and roasted veggies. I loaded up my plate with a bit of everything…including fried chicken.

The fireworks display was amazing…it started pouring just in time for the grande finale, though.

Looks like someone is worn out from the weekend’s festivities:

Hope you all have a great Monday! See you soon. The Duchess

Here is the Duke (the one in the middle, not looking at the camera) with some of his office mates. What a great company!

Even though it was sunny and 70 out, it was still very windy on the Gulf, so I had to borrow a shawl from a friend. Thanks for coming to the rescue, Trish!

So, onto a good and comforting Crock Pot classic. I can’t express how much I love that simple slow cooker. It makes week night meals a breeze. One of the Duke’s favorite is Italian Pepper Beef. I’m sure the recipe originated on the back of a label back in the 1950s, but I got the recipe from the Duke’s mom. She’s been making it forever, and I’ve been making it since I met the Duke. The best part? It requires THREE ingredients! Four, if you count water.

First, put a 2 lb. round or chuck roast in the crock pot and cover it with an entire 16 oz bottle of pepperoncini peppers (with juices).

Next you’re going to need good ole au jus mix. Nothing fancy…I used the generic brand.

Dump the mix into the pepperoncini bottle and fill about half way up with water. Shake to mix and then pour over beef.

Set slow cooker on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours. Voila!

For this roast I used round, which is much less fatty. It was still very tender, but not quite as moist as using a chuck roast. Next, shred the entire roast and then put it back in the slow cooker and toss with all of the fabulous juices.

If you don’t like spicy food, don’t worry. The peppers really lose all of their spice while cooking, but keep the fabulous tart flavor.

Pile it all on top of a roll and dig right in!

I was hesitant about cooking with the slow cooker at first, because many recipes call for heavy condensed soups and other fatty ingredients. After a lot of research, I discovered it really doesn’t have to be this way. I slimmed this recipe by using a lean round roast and serving on a whole wheat roll. It’s the little changes that make a healthy difference.

Alright, people. Get out there and enjoy this gorgeous weekend! I lounged by the pool yesterday, and think I just might to it again today. The Duchess

So, I have a confession. I’m slightly afraid of cooking Asian cuisine. The Duke and I love Thai food and other Eastern-inspired dishes, but I’m always intimidated by the mile-long list of ingredients. I’ve only tried cooking maybe a handful of Asian dishes our 11 months of marriage. I figured the time had come to put my childish fear aside and face Asian food head on!

A few months back I bought the Cooking Light 5 Ingredient 15 minute cookbook that is overflowing with fabulous recipes! I marked a recipe for Mongolian Beef and finally decided to go for it this week. The entire recipe calls for 9 basic ingredients. I only had to purchase one specialty Asian ingredient, so I knew it would be manageable. I altered one small thing from the original recipe (using lots of white onion slices instead of green onions), and the result was a fantastically spicy and hearty beef dish that the Duke and I both enjoyed.

This was such a flavorful meal and I was thrilled by how quickly it all came together. I used quick-cooking brown rice and Steam Fresh broccoli for super-fast sides.

As for this dinner? It’s Duchess: 1, Asian Food: 0. Go me!!! The Duchess

Before I could bask in the glory of Idol, though, I had to study today. I’ve got a degree in Advertising, but have decided to become a teacher. As such, I have to take a handful of education courses and pass the Florida Teacher Certification Exams. I take the Elementary K-6 test at the end of the month. Wish me luck!! It’s basically four years of college wrapped into one test.

After work the Duke and I headed to my friend Stephanie’s house for some Idol fun. She made a delicious pot of chili. I had a huge portion (I was starving) topped with jalapenos, sour cream, cheese and corn bread. Not at all healthy but oh, so good.

My cute friend Anna got a little excited about her bowl of chili.

Steph also made a huge pan of brownies.

They looked amazing and smelled divine, but I had to pass. The hearty bowl of beefy chili was enough for me! When I got home I munched on a handful of yogurt covered pretzels with a dollop of light cool whip and some mini marshmallows.

I’m currently regretting eating so much. I’m beyond stuffed. It’s time for me to catch up on the Idol that’s on my DVR and hit the bed. An early morning gym session is DEFINITELY in my future. Nighty night! The Duchess

I’m also a bit late in my My Girl, Paula! posting this week, but at least I made it, right? This week’s theme was “Where’s the Beef?” and we could make any Paula recipe with beef. I chose Bobby’s Goulash, written by her cutie patootie son. I’ve seen the recipe before, but never paid it any thought. It just seemed kind of generic, but I had all of the ingredients on hand this weekend and gave it a try. It was so delicious! It’s really just a simple and tasty spaghetti meat sauce. The smell of it simmering away on my stove on a cool Sunday afternoon was wonderful. I think I’ll certainly make it again, but I’ll likely use ground turkey next time. I just don’t tend to eat a lot of beef these days. I substituted whole wheat pasta for regular, and it worked out great. I also didn’t cook it quite as long as the recipe says. After adding the pasta, I only cooked it for about 20 minutes and completely omitted the step when you let the pot sit with the heat off for 30 minutes. Click here for Bobby’s fabulous recipe. It’s sure to warm your soul on these cold Winter nights.

The Duke and I are hosting a Christmas Cocktail Party on Saturday, so I’ll be back Monday with a recap of all the festivities. Enjoy your weekend and stay warm!The Duchess

Now that there is a slight nip in the air, I thought I’d share this warm and hearty beef soup with you. It involves a crock pot and a few cans…how easy is that? I thought I’d give the traditional French Onion Soup that we all love a spicy Southwest twist. Incase you can’t tell, I love Southwest and Mexican flavors. We eat it once or twice a week around here. I even worked at a local Mexican restaurant during high school and still go there at least once a month! I could seriously eat Mexican three times a day. Anyway, back to the soup. It’s chock full of beans, onions, beef  and cheese. If that doesn’t light your fire your wood must be wet!

I think you’re gonna love this hearty soup with a kick! Don’t forget, you can “Share and Save” my recipes below. I’d also love to hear your comments. Have a fabulous weekend!The Duchess

I could lie down and take a bath in that sauce. Seriously.

We also managed to stuff the James Beard Award-Winning White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie into our mouths. It was tough work, but someone had to do it!

Sunday we joined some cute friends of ours at TWO urban licks in Midtown. This place is ultra trendy. I tend to feel really uncool and slightly out of place when we go there. The food is out of this world, though, so I endure the gawking hipsters. There is an open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant with a huge rotisserie encased in glass. The whole place smells like wonderfully smoked meats. Need I say more?

We gnawed on the smoked brisket empanadas and the seared tuna. This stuff was lethal. It was served over a bed of Israeli couscous with edamame, corn and cucumber. YUUUUUUUM!

The infused vodkas are also great. I mean, if you’re into that stuff. I am very into that stuff, so I had the Citrus Kiss, which was an infusion of vodka, lemon and lime. A palate-cleanser, for sure. Next time you visit the Dirty South, I highly recommend you try out these restaurants. Trust me. I’m the Duchess.
The Duchess

After the gym tonight, I wanted something quick, but satisfying. Taco Salads are a go-to meal in our house, but I wanted to jazz it up just a bit. You’re going to LOVE the Chipotle Ranch that I created to top off the taco salad. It’s cool, creamy, and slightly smokey. I added chopped green chilies to the beef, also. They’re not spicy, but they add a great chile flavor. I think you’ll love this easy meal as much as the Duke and I do.

Happy Cooking! Have a wonderful week, and don’t forget to comment on my posts and follow me.
The Duchess