The Perfect Holiday Outfit

Merry Christmas Eve Eve lovebugs!

I hope you are all heading to family and friends homes today and tomorrow.  Spending time with loved ones and giving gifts from the heart.  I'm so happy to have been a part of you daily reading this holiday season and I cannot wait to continue in 2011.

Today's post is about the perfect semi-dressy outfit for __________. You know what I mean, church, Christmas dinner, holiday party, take your pick.  You want to look fabulous (obvi) but you don't want to look like a walking Christmas card either.  My advice is to stick with a few basics: cords, chunky sweaters, dresses and skirts with tights.  Use your accessories to show you Christmas spirit.

Wyatt, olive stretch jersey dress, $80

Love, love, love.  Wear with a long necklace or a skinny belt.

Ann Taylor, Flocked plaid mini, $47 with code SAVE40

I love this skirt, so much visual impact without making your hips look wide.

Halogen, Beaded sweater, $39

I love the embellishment right down to the top of the pockets. Pair this with black skinny cords.

Modcloth, Sheer with me dress, $52.99

Not too holiday, just perfect for dinner or a party with maybe a shoe like this.....

Modcloth, Deck the toes, $30

Be fabulous today.

What to Wear for Thanksgiving Dinner- and other things

Hi lovebugs!

Happy almost Thanksgiving! I wish you very safe travels and hope you overeat.  Speaking of eating, I would like to talk about two things today: what to wear to dinner that will allow you to overeat AND the inevitable mom talk of "you should cut back on the food [insert name here]".  Let's start with the mom talk.

I'm sure you know it well.  And don't get me wrong moms I know you mean well.  But if you're anything like me, you KNOW you should cut back on the mashed potatoes, and hearing it out loud just makes you want to eat more to comfort yourself.  Just know you're beautiful and whether you're a size 4 or a size 24. Treat your body like a temple----with the occasional eating of the Dorito bag in one sitting occurrence.  Happens to the best of us.  Whether you plan a New Years resolution for weight loss or are happy with your size, more power to you! Dress your body fabulously (by reading TCB, obvi) and love your curves, bumps, and pant size.  Love you mom!

Ok, now onto the fashion.  Thanksgiving dinner is a semi-dressy occasion but skinny ANYTHING is out of the question if you plan to enjoy yourself at all.  So here's what I recommended to look gorgeous while camouflaging the second serving of pie!

 Lulus, Elegant Teal Dress, $41

The drape effect with the belt makes for optimal stuffing intake.  Please pair with tights as this dress is on the shorter side!

Modcloth, La Creme Glacee Sweater, $48

I love this cream color and paired with some corduroys this makes the perfect outfit.

Loft, Charmeuse Top Sweater Dress, $48 with code ENJOY

The blousing on the top of this dress is beautiful.  Paired with pearls of a big earring you're ready.

Canvas, Pleated Tartan Shirtdress, $79

SO sweet.  And the pleating plus the bow, bring on the potatoes.

Canvas, Chunky Cable Cowl neck, $69

It has the word "chunky" in it! 

And if all else fails:

Amazon, Easy fit extenders for jeans, $13

Cooking Outside the Box....of Mac and Cheese

I'm no Rachel Ray but I enjoy cooking a good meal. Here are my limitations:

• it cannot have more than 10 ingredients
• I don't do herbs
• if its a spice it better be in a container not any of this fresh stuff
• cheese makes anything better, as does salt, sour cream or more cheese
• If it involvs any sort of weird term such as "broiling", "shucking", or "flambe" just forget it

Otherwise I'd say I cook a pretty good meal. I also cook for the bf who prefers cheese on everything while I attempted a year of Weight Watchers last year. How to find a happy medium? I try some fun recipes with simple ingredients and use them in a new way. Here are some of my favorites. What are yours?

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 pkg. KRAFT Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese, divided

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S Sour Cream, divided

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided

12 Flour tortillas (8 inch)

1-1/2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

HEAT oven to 350°F.

MIX chicken, soup, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream and 3 Tbsp. cilantro until well blended. Spoon down centers of tortillas, adding about 1/4 cup to each; roll up.

PLACE, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with salsa and remaining cheese.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining cilantro and sour cream.

Pasta with Roasted Garlic Cheddar Wine Sauce

8 oz. tube shaped pasta, such as penne
1½ tbsp. butter
¼ cup roasted garlic paste*
1½ tbsp. flour
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets and blanched until crisp-tender
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled and cut into bite size pieces

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the roasted garlic paste and cook just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Whisk the flour into the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to turn golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Stir the white wine and broth into the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and stir until melted. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Mix in the broccoli florets and chicken pieces, and cook just until heated through. Mix in the cooked pasta until evenly coated with the sauce. Serve warm.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese



HEAT oven to 400°F. Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened.

LAYER chicken, basil, cheese and stuffing in 3-qt. or 13x9-inch baking dish.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy now or cover and refrigerate. To reheat, microwave each serving on HIGH 2 to 3 min.