Jamaica in June | Round Hill

We had an amazing week in Jamaica! We split our time between two properties, Round Hill and Rockhouse.

Round Hill is where we will be getting married next June. It was our first time there and we were not disappointed. First of all, the service was impeccable! We were greeted with a welcome drink, and our room was ready hours before check in. We were taken to our room by Kingsley, head concierge, who has been working at Round Hill since 1972!! Imagine -- he was working there the many many times that John F. Kennedy stayed at Round Hill to prepare for his inauguration, honeymoon, and later vacation with his children.

Once we were settled in, we were off to meet with Racquel, our wedding coordinator, to tour the property. We saw several incredible villas, and will have a hard time choosing which one to stay in during our wedding week! We also viewed the spaces where we will have our ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and other events.

The next day, we met with several wedding vendors. My favorite meeting was of course with the florist! I can't wait to see the romantic, candlelit space she creates for us.

When we weren't meeting with vendors, we were doing critical wedding research -- lounging on the spa lawn (you'll see the blue bed in the pictures!), soaking up the sun at the beach, watching the sun set from the edge of the infinity pool. Not to worry, we were also very thorough in our testing of the food and drinks. Derek treated me to someone of the most romantic dinners of my life!

Wedding planning is hard work, but someone has to do it ;)

We were sad to leave Round Hill. It truly felt like our home. But our next stop happened to be one of our favorite places in the world -- the West End in Negril. 

we're off!

Today we are off to Jamaica to visit Round Hill and do some wedding planning!

we have a date!

We are very officially getting married on June 7, 2014 in Montego Bay, Jamaica! Woohoo! 

We had made a significant amount of progress planning an absolutely beautiful wedding here in Baltimore, but realized it was just not what we truly wanted. 

Our dream has always been to get married on the island of Jamaica, and we are so unbelievably excited that our dream is coming true!

creating a cozy guest room

fresh flowers instantly make any room feel pretty

candles make the room feel warm and inviting

an alarm clock is always a good idea

wooden hangers are a luxurious touch

nothing is cozier than an oversized blanket

a reading lamp is perfect for curling up under that blanket with a good book

wedding details I love

turkey and quinoa stuffed peppers

This recipe feels like fall! It is warm and hearty, but it is also super healthy! These stuffed peppers prove that comfort food doesn't have to derail your healthy habits.

Ground turkey is a low fat alternative to ground beef. We use 95/05 ground turkey that is freshly ground. Quinoa is very high in protein (14% by mass) and calcium, it decreases appetite, and is rich in amino acids and vitamin E. It is a great alternative to rice.Tomatoes have the antioxidants lycopene, vitamin C and vitamin A, and they also reduce inflammation. Bell peppers are loaded with vitamin C, and because they are baked in the oven, the nutrients do not escape as they would if they were cooked in another way.

Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

3 cups quinoa, cooked
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 large onion
2 cans diced tomatoes with no salt added
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp minced garlic or garlic powder
salt to taste
shredded 2% milk cheese
5 or 6 sweet red bell peppers

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Cook the quinoa according to package instructions.

Spray some olive oil spray in a large saute pan and heat on a medium flame. Add onion, garlic and cilantro to the pan. Saute about 2 minutes and add ground turkey. Season with salt and garlic powder, and cumin and brown meat for several minutes until meat is completely cooked through. Add the tomatoes and let simmer for a few more minutes.

Combine the quinoa and the meat mixture in the large saute pan.

Prepare the peppers by removing the stem and all seeds by cutting off the top, or cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove all seeds. Place the peppers in a baking dish and spoon the meat mixture into each, filling them up as much as possible. Top the peppers with shredded cheese.

Place the peppers into the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until peppers are soft.

I'm talking about a strong, demanding love.

I have decided to stick with love.

Hate is too great a burden to bear.

Martin Luther King, Jr.