Grilled Carne Asada Tacos

A short list of my weaknesses:

*My children
*Shopping
*Newborn babies
*Puppies & kitties
*Mexican food

Let's focus on the last one, shall we?
Mexican food is a major hit in our house.  My kids are picky eaters (I have no idea how that happened) but tacos are something they always enjoy.  I was looking for something different than the same old, same old and my new grill inspired me to try something different.  Behold... grilled carne asada tacos!

I loved making these and the marinade smelled SO GOOD!  A trio of juices helped tenderize the meat while giving it extra flavor along with lots of delicious cilantro, jalapeño and garlic.  I grilled them to a perfect medium rare, sliced against the grain and topped very simply with avocado, queso fresco and a bit more cilantro.  They were heavenly AND I got my steak fix.  Win!  I'd take these over Chipotle any day.  Switch it up with your fav toppings!  Between you and me, I think this marinade would be super successful with shrimp as well.  Throw them on the grill and the flavor would be amazing!

Grilled Carne Asada

*1.5-2 lbs flank steak

*4 cloves garlic, minced

*one jalapeno, minced and seeded

*1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

*juice of one lime

*juice of one lemon

*2 T orange juice

*2 T apple cider vinegar

*1/3 C olive oil

*one teas ground cumin

*one teas salt

*1/2 teas ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients well in plastic Ziploc bag.  Add steak to the bag and be sure to coat all with marinade.  Let sit in the fridge for 4-8 hours to absorb flavors, but no more than 8 hours. (Meat will break down due to acidity.)   Turn a few times to be sure all meat is getting coated while marinating. Preheat grill to medium high.  Grill steaks 6-7 minutes per side until medium rare, or done to your likeness.  Remove steaks and allow to rest for about 5 minutes.  Slice against the grain and serve.

*you can follow me on IG @HauteDishHousewife , on FB Haute Dish Housewife , on Pinterest @HauteDishHousewife or on Twitter @HauteDishHWife and SnapChat @HauteDishHWife for more recipe ideas, crafts/DIY, my style and giveaways.

New Arrival Obsessed

I was SO excited to visit Mainstream Boutique in Savage this week because... DYANA.  Don't get me wrong, I love all the Mainstream girls but Dyana holds a special place in my heart.  I remember back to the very first time years ago when I walked into Mainstream Boutique in Savage.  It was newly opened, fresh and seeing such a warm, genuine welcome when I walked in just made my day.  That kindness hasn't waivered once since that first day.  I absolutely adore catching up with her when I come in to Mainstream Boutique in Savage.  So imagine the thrill I had when I got to catch up with Dyana AND she lead me to a few racks of brand spanking new arrivals!!!! EEEEKKKKK! Heaven.

And so I searched and searched and contemplated my favs.  My only problem was narrowing my choices down to just a few.  It was "Bring Your Little One to Work Day" (hint: everyday) so my sweet babe was there too and she was very helpful in giving me her honest opinion, so that definitely helped.  Can't beat a five year olds honesty.  Her face tells me all I need to know! #momlife

Without further ado, here are my most favorite new arrivals that will be in the boutique this week.  If you see anything you love, feel free to call Mainstream Boutique in Savage at (952) 440-4020.

My first choice was easy because I absolutely love white tees and the little anchor shorts were way to cute to pass up.  They fit so comfortably and I really liked that they weren't too short.  Shopping for shorts lately is pretty much killing me because they either make them so super short that, well... you know.  OR the opposite and they remind me of mom shorts.  Which I am, but still.  Again... you know.  So when you find a pair of shorts that are the perfect fit and length, that's pretty much unicorn-esque.  Get them, girl!
So I thought the shorts would be my favorite part of the outfit but once I got it on, it was the blazer that stole my heart.  You guys, I'm not much of a blazer girl.  I always feel out of place with one on.  Like it's not meant for me.  But this blazer was PERFECTION.  It was so casual.  So cool.  The cuffs were amazing.  I'd wear this with regular old jean shorts, skinnies, boyfriend jeans... the options are endless.  And just a plain white tee under to complete the look?  Classic.  This blazer and your closet really need to meet.

Awwww, my little star.  She really is such a bright spot to the day and makes everyone she meets, smile.  This dress was my Little One's favorite pick and when I half jokingly asked if I needed one for myself and she said, "yes" well, the rest is history.  Because who can resist this gorgeous dress?  It has a fit to flatter.  No belt needed.  And the choker style neckline with the cut out is definitely a trend that I'm in love with.  I could dress it up or make it casual.  Almost wondering if one could get away with a cute pair of clean white sneakers with this dress.  (Think Converse.) Thoughts?

Moving on, this romper is so lightweight and airy.  It'd be perfect for summertime drinks out on the deck or by the lake.  I really like the neckline and the drape-y cold shoulder. And once again, it's not too short which makes it super appropriate for us girls in our early (ok,  mid.  Whatever.) 20's.  (30's)
Plus, these little booties are brand new in the shop, sooooooo comfy and versatile.  I'd be wearing them spring through fall.

Don't you just love the top of this little dress?  The lacey detail, cold shoulder and ruffle on the top is amazing.  It really wouldn't even need accessories but I added a statement necklace anyway because it was just so pretty!  But honestly, this would be the perfect dress to just throw on and go.  Easy. Peasy. Done.  And super pretty!

I hope you enjoyed looking at these outfits as much as I loved putting them together and posting them for you to check out.  If you see something you love, stop on by Mainstream Boutique in Savage if you're close by!  Experience that unbeatable customer service first hand.  Otherwise, give the ladies a call at (952) 440-4020 and they're more than happy to help you out and ship you your purchases.  Not only are they sweet... they're quick to ship because they know you're excited to get your new stuff.
 You can also follow them on Instagram @mainstreamboutiquesavagemn or FB at Mainstream Boutique Savage MN

*you can follow me on IG @HauteDishHousewife , on FB Haute Dish Housewife , on Pinterest @HauteDishHousewife or on Twitter @HauteDishHWife and SnapChat @HauteDishHWife for more recipe ideas, crafts/DIY, my style and giveaways. 

First Time Jitters

I don't think it's a secret that I've had a long time love for photography.  When I was young I would save up all my babysitting money, head up to Otto Drug and buy as many disposable cameras as I possibly could.  I'd take pictures of anything and everything. In high school, the class I enjoyed most was photography.  While the smell of the dark room was a bit overwhelming, it was something I loved because I knew I'd soon get to see the results of my work.  Obviously this was all before the age of digital photography and I fear that I'm completely aging myself. YIKES!
Fast forward:   My sweet kiddos really brought out my love for photography again after putting down the camera for so many years.  The last few years I've enjoyed taking pictures of everything from my fav outfits, delicious (and at times, beautiful) food I've created and of course, my family.   About a year ago, I purchased a new camera and took my time learning about it.  I feel like photography is something you never know everything about and it's fun to keep learning something new all the time and with each experience.
My youngest is headed to Kindergarten in the fall and I've been incredibly blessed as a stay at home mom.  I dread sending her off, but at the same time I'm excited to spend more time doing things that I enjoy doing outside of being "mom."  One of those things being photography.  (Trying to focus on the silver lining while part of me dies thinking of sending her off on her first day. #momlife)
It was an easy choice to put myself out there, but extremely hard to do.  Will anyone give me a chance?  Am I good enough?  Like many, I have a fear of failure.  A BIG fear of failure.  However, as I get older and wiser, little by little my fear is taken over by a few things.  A. Not worrying so much about what others think.  B. Comparison is the devil and it made me fear I wasn't good enough to give myself a shot.  I had to stop comparing myself to people who have been doing this professionally for years!  It was killing me.  It took a friend of mine to point that out to me. Finally, C. To escape fear, I have to go through it.  NOT around it.  Growth doesn't happen by staying in my safe zone.  So, I did it.  I put myself out there and thankfully, the response was so positive!  I'm extremely grateful to the friends and family that have been so encouraging.

Soon, I had booked my first job!  YES!  The star of the show being Makena, a two year old birthday girl and her big brother and sister.  I arrived to the location a bit early to look around again (I had been there about a week before to look at lighting, outbuildings, etc) and found myself so nervous that my tummy was doing flip flops!  I had hoped that when they arrived my nerves would calm and my confidence would come back.
Sarah pulled up with her kiddos and I realized I wasn't the only nervous one there.  In fact, there was only ONE person who was more nervous than me and that was sweet little Makena!  I forgot how wary of others two year olds can be at times!  That alone was enough to calm me down.  If I didn't have confidence in myself, how was this little one going to be comfortable around me?
As time went on and she saw the older kids were cool with me, Makena started to come around.  Not enough to actually look at me and give me a smile when the camera was out but enough to let me hold her hand on the dock and by the beach.  That was enough for me!  This girl was gonna make me work for my pictures!  HA! 
I learned a few lessons that day.  You can't completely plan your photoshoot.  (Candid shots are my favs anyway!)  Never underestimate a two year old, (which I knew after having two of my own but it was a good reminder!) and lastly, unplanned can work out pretty wonderfully as well.  A gorgeous day and those beautiful baby blues totally worked in my favor!

Photographing Makena and her older sister and brother was a complete joy and so much fun.  We ended the session playing down by the beach.  It was great!  Here are a few (and by a few I really mean, like, a dozen ) of my favs from my session with Makena and her crew...

Little Miss M obviously had the most fun once she could get her tiny tootsies in the sand!
Again, I had so much fun doing this and I couldn't be more thankful for this family for giving me an opportunity to photograph their adorable trio.
I hope you all enjoyed the pics!

XOXO,
Sara

This Is How We (Egg) Roll

If you enjoy cooking, spending time with a dear friend and want delicious eggrolls to pop into the freezer for quick lunches or after school snacks, then this blog post is for you!

A few weeks ago my dear friend Sarah and I decided to have an eggroll day.  Let me rewind... Sarah moved into our neighborhood about a year or two after we did.  Her daughter was just a few months older than my oldest daughter and soon the two of them were fast little toddler friends, which gave me an opportunity to get to know Sarah a better.  A few months after I found out I was expecting my youngest daughter, she found out she was pregnant as well!  We would get together while the kids played and talked pregnancy and mom life and we both had our second children, baby girls, just 6 months apart from each other.  Sarah and I grew closer, our oldest girls are total "besties" and our youngest girls, now both five, are becoming closer as they get older as well.  It's a blessing to have a good friend so close by for myself and for my girls.  We find we go through the same stages, challenges and wonderful experiences together with our kids so close in age and can talk about it WITHOUT judgement but with honest feedback and advice. (We ALL need those friends)  Bonus?  Like myself, she enjoys delicious food and a good glass of wine!  #meanttobe

We got together one morning a few weeks ago after the older girls went off to school.  The youngest of our girls played and we got to work in the kitchen.  Sarah had bought all the ingredients beforehand and we split the cost in half, only $10 each and were able to make 34 egg rolls, total.  I did the chopping, she did the sautéing and we both got to rolling.  It was so fun to be in the kitchen with a good friend, experimenting with recipes and getting in our girl talk.

Of course, their cat, Peanut, tried to get in on the action.

These eggrolls are made with ground turkey but feel free to use beef or pork.  I haven't tried this recipe with either of those yet because I've been so happy with the turkey but if you try it, let me know how they turn out.

So grab your fav friend, a few ingredients and give these amazing eggrolls a try!

Freezer Eggrolls

*One package of defrosted eggroll wrappers (Sarah got ours in the refrigerator section)

*one pound ground turkey

*One large sweet yellow onion, finely chopped

*Two large carrots, diced (wash carrot but don't bother to peel)

*3-4 cups of shredded cabbage

*3-4 green onions, chopped

*3 cloves of garlic, minced

*1 1/4 teas black pepper

*1 1/4 teas salt

*1 1/2 Tbls soy sauce

*one Tbls olive oil

Heat the oil in a deep bottomed pan.  Add package of ground turkey and brown until fully cooked.  Drain and set meat aside.  In the same pan, sauté onions, carrots and garlic over medium heat.  There should be enough oil left in the pan from the turkey but if you need more just add a bit. Once onions are soft, stir in salt, pepper and soy sauce.  Then add cabbage and green onions.  Cook all veggies until nearly soft and add meat back to the pan.  Allow mixture to continue cooking together for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Allow meat and veggie mix to cool off a bit.  Next you'll want to assemble the eggrolls.  We used a tablespoon or two of mixture per eggroll.  You don't want them too stuffed or they won't roll properly.  To make the top corner of the wrapper stick down, we used a bit of water on the corners.  Most eggroll wrappers come with instructions so be sure to follow the back of the package or follow this link. It's similar to how we did it but we used much less water. Once they were all wrapped we set them on baking sheets to freeze and once frozen, we sealed them in freezer safe bags of about 3-4 rolls.  To cook, remove rolls from freezer and cook them at a medium to med-high temp in a small about of oil.  Be sure to turn a few times so they cook evenly and avoid burning.  It usually takes about 10 minutes to cook a batch.

These are great with sweet chili dipping sauce but you can definitely try a variety of sauces for dipping. Enjoy!

*you can follow me on IG @HauteDishHousewife , on FB Haute Dish Housewife , on Pinterest @HauteDishHousewife or on Twitter @HauteDishHWife and SnapChat @HauteDishHWife for more recipe ideas, crafts/DIY, my style and giveaways. 

Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

I've never been one to have much of a sweet tooth.  Growing up I liked candy, but I didn't LOVE it.  I didn't drink pop, would pass up on dessert and rather than spend my allowance on candy like my friends would, I'd save mine for things like Bonnie Bell LipSmacker's and Wet N Wild nailpolish. (90's girl probs)
This little tidbit of information stayed true all through my life until I got pregnant with my tiny little sugar lover.  Once I was past the all day morning sickness phase of pregnancy with Ella, I could not pass a cupcake.  Like, COULD NOT. Things have gotten better since then and I can occasionally pass up dessert.  One thing I would never ever EVER even think of passing up is cookie dough.  Cookie dough could very well top the list of Sara's Weaknesses. It's so delicious.  SO delicious.  Imagine my excitement when I came across a recipe for cupcakes stuffed with cookie dough!  It was like heavens opened up, shined it's beautiful light right down on me and I was blessed with the most magical cupcake in all the land.

It's frosting is full of brown sugar sweetness. (and lots of butter, but whatevs)  It's center is a delicious ball of cookie dough and it's super easy to make thanks to Betty Crocker's cake mix!
Give your cookie dough time to freeze in the freezer so you're sure to have that delicious, gooey cookie dough center, but other than that these are pretty quick and easy to whip up and everyone loves them!  (Of course they do.  Cookie dough. Duh.)

Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

First step, cookie dough balls!

*one stick of butter
*1/4 cup sugar
*1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
*2.5 Tbls milk
*one teas vanilla
*1/8 teas salt
*1/5 cups flour
*3/4 cups mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Prepare cookie dough balls by beating together butter, sugars, milk, vanilla and salt until creamy. Add in flour and beat until well mixed.  Stir in chocolate chips.  The cookie dough will be a crumbly consistency.  Just use your hands to form a big ball of dough and then roll about a tablespoon of dough into balls, place on a cookie sheet and freeze at least 8 hours so they're completely solid.  DO NOT skip this step or the cookie dough will bake along with the cupcakes and won't have the same effect.

Second step, cupcake batter!

*15.25 oz pkg of yellow cake mix (I use Betty Crocker)
*3 eggs
*one cup water
*1/2 cup oil

Prepare batter by mixing cake mix, oil, eggs and water together.  Line 18 cupcake tins with paper liners and fill about 2/3  full with batter.  Place a frozen cookie dough ball in the center of each cupcake on top of the batter.  Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 21 minutes.  Remove and let cool completely.

Third step, brown sugar frosting!

*three sticks of room temp butter
*3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
*2 Tbls milk
*one teas vanilla
*1/4 teas salt
*3 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Beat together butter, sugar, salt, milk & vanilla.  Slowly add in powdered sugar, scraping down the sides halfway through.  Pipe frosting on completely cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with more mini chocolate chips.
Store cupcakes in fridge. 

These are so amazing.  My whole family loves them.  I hope you and yours enjoy them as much as we do!

*you can follow me on IG @HauteDishHousewife , on FB Haute Dish Housewife , on Pinterest @HauteDishHousewife or on Twitter @HauteDishHWife and SnapChat @HauteDishHWife for more recipe ideas, crafts/DIY, my style and giveaways. 

In With The New

Growing up, the farthest I had ever traveled was South Dakota with my parents when I was very young.  They both had never flown and had a fear of flying which pretty much kept us home most of the time AND instilled in me some travel anxiety.  How could I ever get on a plane and fly off somewhere I've never been??!!
Before I met my husband when I was 21, I had still only been to South Dakota.  It was he who helped me step out of my comfort zone, face my fear of traveling and just do it.  My first plane ride was to New York and afterwards I wondered what all the worry had even been for.  Isn't that funny?  You face your fears and realize that it was so much easier than you thought.  Now?  I love to travel.  The fear of flying is gone and replaced with the excitement of exploring new places!  It's become even more exciting since having children and bringing them along with us.  I want my kids to have a love and a desire to travel. We love being able to take them on vacation!
As our family vacation approaches I like to treat myself to one or two new outfits to bring along to freshen up the suitcase. If you're not taking a trip this year, no worries!  It's not to early to treat yourself to a few new things so that by spring/summer your closet has a bit of an update.
That being said, Mainstream Boutique in Savage has some great options!  Dyana and her fabulous crew of wardrobe stylists are pretty much like your own personal shoppers and will treat you amazingly well!  While this week I was all about vacation wear and warmer weather moods, they still had some super cute and trendy winter garb in store.  You're going out of there a winner for any season!

Anyway, time for my first pick this week.  Get all tied up in camo with this amazing little dress!  I'm loving the lace up/tie detail by the neckline and the fact that it has POCKETS!  Which is probably one of the biggest trends in casual dresses these days.  This would be amazing for a casual day or even thrown over a swimsuit to grab a quick lunch or something.  I styled it with a pair of my own wedges but this dress would be super cute with anything from black combat boots or even flip flops.  I also threw on a fabulous stack of bracelets I found amongst all the amazing accessories found at Mainstream Boutique in Savage.

Okay... red can be a tricky color.  BUT I feel like this dress is so easy and flattering so it just works.  Buuuuuut, if you're still thinking red is most definitely not your color... REJOICE!... this little number also comes in black!  Yay!  It's lightweight, ties at the neckline to give it an adorable little choker detail and would be perfect for vacation or Valentine's Day.  (Already next week, friends.  Do you Valentine's or Gal-entine's??!!)

This chambray dress is THE FREAKING CUTEST.  It has a fit to flatter.  I usually have to belt dresses like this to give my body a bit more shape but that's not the case with this beauty.  And the sleeve detail is the best!  Denim and chambray are super trendy this season with my favs being long sleeve dresses and the button up shirts.  But it's also going to be a huge trend for spring and summer as well as cute little dresses like this one.  I put a sylish cut out cami under it but you could certainly just go with the dress alone.

New shoes at Mainstream Boutique in Savage!  I repeat... new shoes at Mainstream Boutique in Savage!  Peep toes are it for spring. Mainstream just got in a shipment of some major cuteness and they all have peep toes!  I tried them all on just to be sure they're comfortable and they totally passed the test.  You're welcome. ;-)  I also really had a thing for this lightweight dress because the decision to belt it was an easy one.  It comes with a little tie belt of sorts to give a bit more shape to it. Very cute.

And NO warm weather outfit post would be complete these days without the coveted romper.  Rompers are a definite must have in your closet.  Like, at least one. I loved this one because it wasn't too short, I like the little cut out on the neckline and the sleeve detail is awesome.  You could even pull the sleeves down for an off the shoulder look. Mainstream Boutique in Savage is the place to go for rompers and with new arrivals daily, I'm sure in the coming months you'll be able to find one (or five) that will need a new home in your closet.

I hope you enjoyed looking at these outfits as much as I loved putting them together and posting them for you to check out.  If you see something you love, stop on by Mainstream Boutique in Savage if you're close by!  Experience that unbeatable customer service first hand.  Otherwise, give the ladies a call at (952) 440-4020 and they're more than happy to help you out and ship you your purchases.  Not only are they sweet... they're quick to ship because they know you're excited to get your new stuff.
 You can also follow them on Instagram @mainstreamboutiquesavagemn or FB at Mainstream Boutique Savage MN

*you can follow me on IG @HauteDishHousewife , on FB Haute Dish Housewife , on Pinterest @HauteDishHousewife or on Twitter @HauteDishHWife and SnapChat @HauteDishHWife for more recipe ideas, crafts/DIY, my style and giveaways.  You can also catch me live on Periscope at HauteDishHWife

Trend to Try

Totally groovy, baby!  Bell sleeves are back and I'm SO on the bandwagon.
I strolled into Mainstream Boutique in Savage totally expecting sweatshirts, sweaters and cozy knits.  While I completely love all those things, (and they are still definitely in store) my mind is already on vacation.  It doesn't help that temps here in MN have actually reached above freezing (and feels amazing) so I'm totally yearning for Spring.
Mainstream Boutique in Savage had my resort wear fix, and then some! I'm noticing a huuuuuuugggge trend for Spring, friends.  Bell sleeves.  Which I love as much as I love bell bottoms.  Pretty sure I can picture myself  at Woodstock in the 70's... peace & love.  My mom shows me pics of her from the 70's with her long, straight, gorgeous dark hair, bell bottoms and flowy top and my heart could just about burst.  Bell sleeves give tops such a feminine, flowing feel to a look that just makes everything pretty!

There are numerous gorgeous tops and dresses to choose from with bell sleeves at Mainstream in Savage but I picked my top three.  THEN, for vacay dreaming sake, I threw in a darling little floral dress styled with a super stylish cardigan.  I couldn't resist.  #sorrynotsorry
Dyana, owner of Mainstream Boutique in Savage, is pretty much my spirit animal when it comes to fashion.  She shops and chooses the most beautiful items for the store and hits the trend target every single time.  Don't believe me?  If you're in the area, stop in and see for yourself!  If you're not in the Twin Cities or prefer to shop in the comfort of your own home in pajamas with a glass of wine in hand, be sure to follow Mainstream Boutique in Savage on Facebook.  They post the latest and greatest looks each day and are happy to ship your favs right to your door.

Ready? 

This first one is lightweight, has lovely detail and is long enough to wear with leggings.  Anytime I can go out, look totally put together and be super comfortable is a total win in my book.  I threw on a cute necklace and bracelet to pull the look together and because I can't resist the trendy accessories at Mainstream Boutique in Savage.  Seriously.  Guilty of wanting it all.

Next up is this casual cutie!  What you don't see is the cute lace up sides which I failed to photograph because my mind was focused on getting a cute picture outside even thought it was windy. (insert eyeroll) The truth hurts, my friends.  But trust me... it's all good.  You'll love the shirt.

I paired it with the Paige skinnies at Mainstream Boutique in Savage because they're the most comfortable, flattering, must-have-in-your-closet jeans.

This. Is. My. Favorite. It shall be mine.  It goes perfectly with jeans, has a fit to flatter and boasts a pretty floral pattern.  Mine. Mine. Mine.  It's perfection. And those jeans, of course.  And the boots!  Over-the-knee boots are amazing, right??!!  Drool... for real.  I love this whole outfit.

Lastly, for tease sake, is this darling little number.  How gorgeous is this dress??!! The sleeves are short with a ruffle detail and are totally pretty, so it'd be perfect for an upcoming vacation and for Spring/Summer time.  But for now I added a super cute cardigan for a layer of warmth.  Which would also be fabulous for a night out on vacation after you've had a long day in the sunshine.  I'd be lying if I said this dress didn't make my heart so super excited for warm weather. I've got a long way to go...

I hope you enjoyed looking at these outfits as much as I loved putting them together and posting them for you to check out.  If you see something you love, stop on by Mainstream Boutique in Savage if you're close by!  Experience that unbeatable customer service first hand.  Otherwise, give the ladies a call at (952) 440-4020 and they're more than happy to help you out and ship you your purchases.  Not only are they sweet... they're quick to ship because they know you're excited to get your new stuff.
 You can also follow them on Instagram @mainstreamboutiquesavagemn or FB at Mainstream Boutique Savage MN

*you can follow me on IG @HauteDishHousewife , on FB Haute Dish Housewife , on Pinterest @HauteDishHousewife or on Twitter @HauteDishHWife and SnapChat @HauteDishHWife for more recipe ideas, crafts/DIY, my style and giveaways.  You can also catch me live on Periscope at HauteDishHWife