“I’m definitely in my ‘AND’ era,” describes Kali Brigham of Pensacola Beach. “I’m in a season where I get to experience a lot of different things because of my interests, my calling, and the ages and stages of my kids.”
Kali proudly juggles many hats as a multi-small business owner. She is a Million Dollar Sales Director with Mary Kay and also started a mentoring and coaching business called KaliCo. She is a podcast extraordinaire with over 60 episodes of Tick Talk, and a professional violinist. Kali loves being active in her community, involved with her local church, and is an advocate for the Favor House, which is a local domestic violence shelter.
Kali just celebrated two decades of marriage to her college sweetheart, Josh, and together they have two children – Braden (15) and Maddie (13). They also have an Australian Labradoodle named Pippa, who just happens to be the best fur child they could ask for.
“So as much as I would love to say that, no matter what, we eat dinner together, that is not always the case,” Kali shared. “Braden is a goalkeeper and because he plays for four different soccer teams, he typically has practice four nights a week and we travel most weekends. Maddie has also developed a love for beach volleyball. So, while meals together don’t always look like the traditional family, that’s more than okay with us.”
Even though weekdays can be busy for the Brigham family, they do prioritize family dinner once a week with Kali’s parents who live just a few houses away.
“One of the things that has become sacred in our home and our lives is Sunday dinner at my mom’s house. My mom loves to cook for us. We just walk over to her house, we even bring the dog, and in the midst of all of our crazy schedules we reserve this time for family,” said Kali. “We have a no-phone policy. We just spend time laughing, eating, and catching up.”
The recipe Kali is sharing is one her mom, Kate DeBlander, has perfected – Linguine with Shrimp Scampi. She describes it as light, fresh, and a total crowd-pleaser.
Cooking with her children has become one of Kali’s favorite things. A few years ago, she purchased Braden and Maddie a cookbook that sparked their interest in being involved in the kitchen. After some coaching from mom and dad, you can find either of these teens responsible for dinner or dessert throughout the week.
“Unpopular opinion, but I love having teenagers,” said Kali. “I think it’s the most fascinating, challenging season. They’re truly becoming themselves and I get to watch it and be part of it.”
Barefoot Contessa’s Linguini with Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 pounds linguine
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons good olive oil
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
- 2 pounds large shrimp (about 32 shrimp), peeled and deveined
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
(4 lemons) - 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
- 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Directions:
- Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.
- Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Sauté for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the pepper and sauté until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
- When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.
Pro Tip: If you don’t love seafood, you can substitute chicken as your protein or skip the meat and use the linguine recipe as a light, summer side. This dish also pairs well with a fresh salad.
