Recipe for Hake Loins Baked with Tomato, Kalamata Olive, and Caper Salsa

I found lovely Hake loins at Costco, but if you don't have Hake you can use any type of mild white fish to bake with Tomato, Kalamata Olive, and Caper Salsa.

When you're living in a completely land-locked state like Utah, frozen fish is the name of the game, so I'm always checking at Costco to see if they have any new seafood offerings.  Recently I bought a package of Kirkland Wild Caught Hake Loins to experiment with.  I didn't find much about Hake in my cookbooks, but from checking Google I learned that Hake is often cooked with moist ingredients to keep it from drying out.  It was just a serendipitous combination of ingredients (and maybe memories of Grilled Salmon Packets) that led to this recipe for Roasted Hake topped with tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, red onions, and garlic, but the results were delicious. 

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#shayeveryday2013 Week 20

Day 134: Kensington woke up with my beachy/wavy hair!  First of all, we don't know where my hair comes from.  My mom is always telling me that she can't figure it out.  No one in my family has my hair texture or thickness...it's weird.  But now, my girl has proven to take after her mama!  I love a good beachy hair day!

Day 135: After dinner, we went for a walk...well, some of us scooted...

Day 136: It was the Welly day, of course!

Day 137: Bow friends make the best friends!

Day 138: Our first swim of the season!  They were so excited!

Day 139: I love spending Sunday evening at home with my loves :)

Day 140: This was Erika and my view for the day.  Fabulous!

Keep up with me everyday on Instagram @mixandmatchmama or find me here too...

Find me on Twitter here.

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I love sending sweet families to Walt Disney World and then seeing their fun and happy blog posts.  Check out this sweet family and the wonderful trip they had to WDW earlier this month!

Finally, head on over to my foodie blog today to check out my Memorial Day Menu!  It's full of easy, delicious food that would be perfect for your holiday weekend!

CrockPot White Bean with Fennel and Spinach Soup Recipe

Day 365.

It's the 365th day of the year. But I'm going to post tomorrow---I didn't realize it was Leap Year when I started this project, and I have black eyed peas soaking to be turned into soup. When I made black eyed peas a year ago, I wasn't terribly impressed, but the soup recipe I have sounds pretty good.

Unlike this soup.

This soup is boring and bland and a waste of time. I should have known better. It came out of a little pamphlet of recipes. This was in the vegetarian slow cooker section. I thought we'd have a nice light meal so then we could eat a bunch of junk at New Year's without regret.

Instead, we each ate a bite or two and then made nachos. With extra sour cream.
and pizza fondue.

mmm.

The Ingredients.

--4 cups vegetable broth
--1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
--1 can (15-ounces) white kidney beans
--1 yellow onion, diced
--1 small bulb fennel, chopped
--2 cloves garlic, minced
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1 bag (10 oz) baby spinach (to add later. but don't. don't waste your spinach. you shouldn't make this soup.)

The Directions.

Use a 5 quart or so crockpot. The best part of this whole thing was chopping the fennel. It makes your kitchen smell like a licorice factory, and provides great adult entertainment while the kids search for candy.

Combine everything into the crockpot except for the spinach. Cook on low for 8 hours, high for 6, then add the whole bag of spinach. It will wilt. It will look yummy. But there isn't any flavor.

I'm kind of annoyed at myself because I KNOW this! I know (just from this year. Before this year I was clueless) that if you put a bunch of bland stuff together the result will be bland and tasteless. But I did it anyway. I wanted this to work. I thought the picture was pretty.

The Verdict.

We've been having ants in the house because of the rain. I left the crock out overnight with the lid off. The ants didn't come.

This soup repels ants.

CrockPot Baked Beans with Apples and Jalapeño

Day 363.





mmmm. beans.

I really like baked beans, and am excited to have a few cups of these left in the refrigerator. I'm going to have some more with my pancakes this morning.



Again. I'm eating pancakes again.



We've had pancakes every. single. day. since school let out, and it doesn't look like that will be stopping. I'm glad I bought the big bags of Pamela's.



this has nothing to do with beans.



or the crockpot.



sorry.



The Ingredients.

--1 lb bacon, divided (I used turkey)

--2 cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

--1/2 yellow onion, diced

--2 granny smith apples, cored and diced (no need to peel)

--1 or 2 canned jalapeños, diced

--3 cloves garlic, minced

--1 tsp dry mustard

--1/2 tsp kosher salt

--1/4 cup ketchup

--1/3 cup apple juice

--2 T molasses

--1 T brown sugar (I did not add this, see verdict below)







The Directions.



Use a 3-4 quart crockpot. Put 2 pieces of bacon into the bottom of your crockpot. Layer in the

beans, jalapeño, onion, and apples. Sprinkle dry spices on the beans. Add the ketchup, molasses, and apple juice. Stir gingerly to combine.

Add 2 more pieces of bacon to the top of the beans. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8. This is finished when the onions and apples are translucent and the flavors have fully melded.



Cook the remaining slices of bacon on the stove top and crumble over the top.



The Verdict.



I really liked these beans, but I missed the sweetness of traditional baked beans. Next time I will add a tablespoon of brown sugar with the dry spices. I needed to add some more chopped jalapeño to my bowl, but everyone else ate it plain. It wasn't spicy (to me) and the kids were okay with it. They didn't eat very much, and filled up on cornbread.

Fabulous Friday!

This Friday is extra fabulous because we get a 3 day weekend!  I am so excited to spend my three days with my family, around good food and near the pool.  I am so thankful for the service men and women who have given their lives to make our country free...I give thanks for them every day. I  also want to thank the active military for protecting us right now and for their families that send them off and hold down the fort at home.  God bless them today and every day!

Ok...some fabulous things from this week...

Catherine texted me this picture...she bought this light-up headband for Kensington.  Kensington will want to wear it every.single.day.  I don't think that's fabulous but Kensington sure will! :)

Starbucks has a new Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappaccino out...and it's pretty spectacular!  I get it "light" without the whip (but I keep the "crunch" on top)...and it's really, really good!  I might have had 4 this week. Maybe.

While swimming last Saturday at my parents' house, Smith pulled his raft out of the pool, took his towel and said he was going to lie down, relax and take a nap.  Which he did...for two hours until we woke him up for dinner.  Now...that three year old boy can be a hot mess!  He threw a nasty tantrum on Wednesday...he's no angel all the time...but, that kid can sleep like no other.  Forget swimming, he had a nap to take!  I think that's fabulous!

I usually wear a bronzer and blush on my cheeks...but I read a lot of great reviews about this Laura Geller product that combined both the bronzer and blush together.  Since I like to pair down as much of my makeup as I can during the hot/humid months of summer, I thought I should check it out.  Wow!  I am hooked now!  It gives me this great color that isn't too heavy, too bronzy or too much blush.  It's really perfect and I bet I end up using it year around. I love it!

And yes, I'm still using my Nars Multiple in Orgasm.  I use it a lot as an eye shadow this time of year or dab it on top of my cheekbones when my makeup is starting to look a little dull (half-way during the day).  It really is my go-to for a quick pick me up! 

Kensington's teachers gave me this photo.  Is this my child or what?!?!  Fabulous!

It's that time of year when I have to apply a ton of sunscreen every time I step outside.  I totally despise sunscreen...but it's a necessity.  I started using this new Neutrogena Beach Defense spray for myself (not my kiddos) and it has been great!  It's not sticky, it doesn't have a strong smell, and most importantly, it works!

Kensington was busy with the tape and markers the other day...and then I went to her room and saw this sign on her door.  I asked her what it meant and she said, "no little brothers allowed".  Perfect.  I should have had that sign when I was growing up...

I'm totally into these crocheted Toms (they come in a bunch of fun colors).  I can count 4 friends off the top of my head that have them...and look stinkin' adorable in them!  A comfy Tom is the perfect way to kick off the summer.

(If you checked the blog early Friday morning, you saw a red Tom on there...well, it sold out!  That tells me, you need to check out these Crocheted Toms before they do too!)

And the winner of the Florence Adams Giveaway is...

Margie!

Congratultions Margie!  Email me at mixandmatchmama@yahoo.com to claim your prize!

And for one last fabulous thing, check out my foodie blog for some great Memorial Day recipes!  Enjoy your long weekend!

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Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Nail Polish

Today's Shade of Shay...nail polish.  

I am a little obsessed with painting my nails.  Ok...I'm really obsessed with painting them.  You know I love jewelry, right?  I never leave home without an arm full of bangles and big earrings in my ears...and to me, nail polish is just one more accessory.  

When I did Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Makeup, I didn't include nail polish because honestly, I thought it deserved a post all to itself.  So, here you are.  First, let me tell you my thoughts on painting my nails, gels, manicures and other stuff...

1. I only get manicures and gel polishes put on before I leave for a long vacation (because who really wants to mess with painting their nails half-way through a trip?  Not me!).

2. I paint my fingernails myself twice a week (I could stretch it longer but I like to switch out my colors).

3. I have been painting my nails non-stop since my senior year of high school.  The only time I took a break was during my pregnancies when sitting up and smelling anything made me throw up (and painting your nails requires both sitting in the upright position and the smell of polish).

4. I always have my toes painted too.  However, I only have to switch out my toe polish about every two weeks.  I paint my toes a more neutral color and my nails a bold color.  I never match them. 

5. I like to paint my nails right before I get into bed at night.  I paint them in the bathroom, then snuggle into my bed and watch a little TV before going to sleep.  When I wake up, they're perfectly set (since I didn't move much, do dishes, chase kids, etc during those sleeping hours).  I paint my toes during the day when I know I'll be home for several hours (so I can be barefoot and not smudge them with socks or shoes).

6. I keep my polishes separated into two bins: spring/summer shades and fall/winter shades.  This really helps me save time searching for the right colors and it keeps me from over-looking shades because I'm not as overwhelmed with the number of bottles.

7. After 14 years of nail painting, I swear by only 3 brands.  I have tried absolutely everything but to me, these three brands deliver the best results every.single.time.  I only use OPI, Essie and Butter London.

8. I've been doing this trick for years...layer one coat of a sparkle polish over your nails for just a little bit of pop.  This also helps to hide imperfections.  Just a little sparkle takes your nail polish from good to great!

9. I paint on two coats of polish, maybe a sparkle and then a top coat.

Here we go...

My two bins of polishes.  One for spring/summer (bright colors!) and one for fall/winter (dark colors!).

I lined up my spring/summer shades...brights!

And I lined up my fall/winter shades, darker colors.

These are my very favorite spring/summer shades, from left to right:

OPI Bright Lights Big-Color (a coral/orange shade with flecks of gold)

OPI Glitzerland (the perfect sparkly gold)

OPI Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey (a great neutral for my toes)

Essie Marshmallow (a great neutral for my toes)

Butter London Trout Pout (a really summery orange/pink color)

Essie Naughty Nautical (a teal color with a little bit of sparkle)

OPI La Paz-itively Hot (the perfect pink)

These are my very favorite fall/winter shades, from left to right:

Butter London Chimney Sweep (a great gunmetal black shade)

OPI I'm Not Really a Waitress (this is OPI's most popular color...it's the perfect dark red)

OPI The World is Not Enough (I wear this more than any other shade...it's almost a rose gold color)

OPI The Spy Who Loved Me (the perfect shade for the Christmas season...it's red with gold sparkle)

Essie Carry On (the perfect dark shade)

The tools I use, clippers (because I like to keep my nails short...bold color only works on short nails), cuticle cream, a buffer, nail file.

I used to only swear by OPI's top coat...but a few weeks ago, my friend Lori told me about Seche Ultra-V...and now, I'm hooked!  It's this amazing top coat that sets my polish in minutes.  It also provides a great shine and keeps my polish looking its best for days and days.  I found mine at Ulta or you can buy it online.

And...if you have some shopping to do, now is the time!  Between now and June 1, Ulta is having their 20% off sale.  Go ahead and treat yourself to some polish...it's amazing how a little polish can brighten up your day!

Don't forget to check out my giveaway from Monday here!  It ends Friday morning!


And check out what's for lunch today over on my foodie blog (or dinner or an appetizer...it's so yummy!)

It's Sheaffer's famous black bean dip!   (I also used it as a taco filling...so many possibilities!)

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Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and White Beans with Sage (from Ilva and the Silver Spoon)

Italian Sausage and White Beans with Sage gets extra flavorful when the cooked beans, sausage, and sage are simmered in the slow cooker with tomatoes and ground fennel.

(Updated with new photos and better instructions, April 2013.)  Back in 2005 when I first started blogging, one of the first bloggers I "met" online was Ilva from Tuscany, who writes the beautiful blog called Lucillian Delights.  This recipe from 2007 was inspired by the White Beans and Sausages with Tomatoes and Sage that Ilva posted, and since she's in San Francisco this weekend speaking at the IACP Conference, I thought it would be a fun time to update this recipe with better photos.  I was sad that the timing of the conference came right after my move so I couldn't make the budget stretch to go meet Ilva in person, but I was definitely thinking about her as I enjoyed this delicious Italian Sausage and White Beans with Sage!

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Little Dipper Cranberry Orange Dip

Day 362.

Raise your hand if you got a Little Dipper for the Holidays.

The Little Dipper is so much fun----here are all of the dips and things I've made this year: Little Dipper recipes. Except the chicken and brown rice casserole. I have no idea how that showed up in there. Weird.

Jen T. sent me this recipe, and the kids and I had it for lunch the other day. When it's cooked, it looks like a big pile of fluffy snow.

The Ingredients.

--8 oz cream cheese
--2/3 cup shredded swiss cheese
--2 T apple juice
--1/2 tsp orange zest
--1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

The Directions.

Plug in your Little Dipper to get it started warming up. Shove the block of cream cheese down into it. You may need to squish it in with a spoon. I promise it will fit. Shred the swiss, and add it. Grate the orange and add the zest. Add the apple juice. Cover and let it cook for 45 minutes to an hour. When the cream and swiss cheese have fully melted, stir in the dried cranberries.

Serve with your favorite crackers or apple slices. We're really liking the new nut and rice crackers Blue Diamond puts out.

The Verdict.

Delicious. The original recipe called for 1 tsp of orange zest, but we're not big fans of orange zest, so I only added 1/2 tsp. It was still plenty zesty for us, and I probably could have omitted it all together for us. But then I would have needed to change the name.

The swiss and cream cheese melted together beautifully and were a delicious combination.

Thank you, Jen!

Recipe for Roasted Wild Salmon and Asparagus with Double-Lemon Oil (Paleo, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

I loved everything about this ultra-simple recipe for Roasted Salmon and Asparagus.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this delicious Roasted Wild Salmon and Asparagus combination is something I would make any time I could get fresh asparagus, but it's especially good this time of year when asparagus is inexpensive and in season.)

This is the type of super-easy, cooks-in-one-pan, tastes-amazing recipe that always appeals to me. Since it also has three of my favorite ingredients (salmon, asparagus, and lemon), I knew it had to be a winner.   And while I'm on the subject of favorite ingredients, possibly I should warn you that I've been on kind of an asparagus binge lately, so there will be several more asparagus recipes coming  over the next few weeks.  If you really don't like asparagus, for this particular recipe I'd recommend substituting fresh green beans, which are also delicious roasted and would taste great with the lemon oil. 

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Roasted Spaghetti Squash Recipe with Homemade Tomato-Garlic Sauce and Chicken Sausage Meatballs

Roasted Spaghetti Squash served with a simple homemade tomato sauce and chicken sausage meatballs is a quick and healthy dinner.

I'm not sure why I was a little slow to warm up to the idea of spaghetti squash as a replacement for pasta, because I certainly enjoyed it when I made Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin and Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Parmesan.  Whatever the reason (and I can't blame everything on moving, can I?) this is the very first time I've ever cooked spaghetti squash to serve with tomato sauce, and it was really quite delish.  It's true you don't get the feel of biting into al dente spaghetti, but the trade-off for a low-glycemic Italian dinner is a pretty good one.  In this recipe I used Sabatino's Roasted Garlic and Basil Chicken Meatballs, which is another one of my Costco finds, but you can use any kind of chicken or turkey meatballs that appeal to you.

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Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Wedges

Alright...this is happening.  I'm talking about my wedges.

I mean, come on...look at the Fifty Two Shades of Shay image!  The wedge is my signature trademark.  I am a wedge enthusiast...and this is the post where I show you all sorts of fun wedges and talk wedge love with you...

I really don't remember wearing my first pair of wedges.  I was probably 4.  Maybe 5.  Let's just say...it was a looooong time ago.  To me, wedges are the perfect shoe.  They're heels (because...why wear a flat when you can wear a heel?), they give you more support than a regular heel because your entire foot is braced, they are easier to walk in than pumps, they are timeless, and they look good with everything from pants to shorts to dresses and skirts.

My favorite kind of wedge is a neutral wedge...one that can go with anything...so, let's first take a peak at some of those...

Most years, I buy at least one pair of neutral wedges.  This year, I bought this one.  I think Steve Madden makes the most comfortable wedges out there...and durable!  I have Steve Madden wedges that I'm still wearing that are 8 or 9 years old.  I really, really love these!

And look how cute these are!  I love the color, the cork, the straps...I really like these too! (And psssst: they also come in pink!).

I've been seeing these Jessica Simpson wedges in Nordstrom a lot lately.  They're really, really cute and the heel height isn't as tall as others.  If you're new to a wedge, this might be the perfect shoe to test drive.

I blogged about these wedges two weeks ago...and now they're on sale!  Now, they're 33% off...that is pretty fantastic.

Click here to see an entire page of fabulous neutral wedges.

Maybe you're not a neutral wedge kind of person?  Maybe you like a little color?  Or black?  Here are my favorite non-neutral wedges this season...

This little orange wedge (it also comes in blue or brown) is not only fun and bright for summer...but it is soooooooo comfortable!  And the heel height isn't crazy tall...this is an easy to wear summer shoe.

Sheaffer and I have talked about this wedge so much that I'm pretty sure 90% of you have already bought it.  It is the most comfortable wedge I've ever owned.  Ever.  I love this patent black color...but right now, it's also available in taupe (the perfect neutral), red and white.  I have tried on every single color (and purchased a couple of them)...this wedge will be your favorite shoe E-V-E-R.

Look at this fun coral color!  It's so fresh and fun for summer (and this shoe also comes in black, neutral and blue).  Coral is the perfect color for summer.

I am also pretty smitten with this navy wedge.  It looks sophisticated and fun for summer...and perfect for all occasions (and it also comes in nude).  I love the buckle on the side too.

This wedge is on sale right now too!  And look how stinkin' cute it is?!?!  I'm starting to think other than pink, green is my favorite color to wear.  Green is so fresh and yet has a classic look about it.  I heart these green wedges.

Here is some more wedge help for you...

If you're looking for wedges under $50, here is a great list.

If you're looking for wedges with a low heel, here is a great list.

If you're looking for wedges with an extra high heel, here is a great list.

If you're looking for pink wedges, here is a great list.

If you're looking for yellow wedges, here is a great list. 

You might ask, why do I always link to Nordstrom shoes?  They have the biggest selection, they always offer free shipping and free returns with no minimum purchase, they always return a product, and right now...they're having a HUGE sale.  It is the perfect time to shop for wedges!

Thanks for hanging out today with my Shade of Shay.  Next week...we're going to talk about the pool bag...and offer a giveaway.  It's going to be so much fun!

Don't forget to check out my foodie blog...today, I have the perfect meal for breakfast, brunch or dinner.

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