Friday, October 15, 2010

Friday Foodday

We made it! Happy Friday lovebugs! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Here are some of my favorite recipes from you!

Chickpea Pasta
c/o Lauren

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 7 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • kosher salt
  • 1 pound angel hair pasta
  • 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, red pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
  3. Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until the broth is nearly absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and parsley.
  4. Divide among individual bowls and top with the almonds and Parmesan.


4-1/2 lb. red potatoes (about 9), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 container (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S FREE or KNUDSEN Fat Free Sour Cream
3/4 lb. (12 oz.) VELVEETA 2% Milk Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 lb. (1/2 of 1-lb. pkg.) OSCAR MAYER Smoked Ham, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese


HEAT oven to 350°F.

COOK potatoes in boiling water in large saucepan 10 to 12 min. or just until potatoes are tender; drain. Remove 3/4 of the potatoes; place in large bowl. Add sour cream; mash until smooth. Stir in VELVEETA, ham and onions. Gently stir in remaining potato slices.

SPOON into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with Parmesan.

BAKE 30 min. or until heated through.






-







Mushroom Aglio Olio

-A few glugs of extra virgin olive oil
- Sliced fresh mushrooms, as much as you like (I used shiitake but feel free to use any variety)
- 2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Sliced chili
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 serving spaghetti
- Small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- Shavings of parmesan cheese

1. Heat a large pot of boiling water, add salt and add in spaghetti when it comes to a rolling boil.

2. While the spaghetti is cooking, prepare the other ingredients. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and add garlic. Ensure a medium-low heat to ensure that the garlic doesn't burn (it should not brown at all). Add sliced mushrooms and continue stir-frying till their liquid evaporates, and they start to brown a little.

3. Add more olive oil if it looks too dry. Throw in parsley and chili.

4. Drain cooked pasta and add to pan. Give all the ingredients a quick stir to combine. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

5. Top with shaving of parmesan cheese before serving.



Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients:
5 lasagna noodles, cooked
1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
1 egg white
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1.5 cups tomato sauce

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Lay the lasagna noodles flat on a cutting board.
3- In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese, egg white, baby spinach, Italian seasoning, and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Stir well.
4- Spoon an even amount of filling over each noodle. Add a tablespoon of sauce to each noodle and spread the sauce/cheese mixture over the noodle.
5- Starting at one end, roll until the lasagna noodle is rolled tightly. Place in a baking dish covered in sauce.
6- Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.
7- Bake for 30 minutes.


Thursday, October 14, 2010

Work (it) Dresses


Today is a rainy Thursday. Major bummer. But the good news is it's almost Friday Foodday so send me your recipes asap lovebugs!

One of my favorite go to work outfits is a dress. Its simple, quick, and never goes out of season. Some people are strict and stick only to suiting dresses, which is fine but sometimes a little out of my price range. Here are some of my picks:

Modcloth, CEO Dress, $59.99
Appropriately titled for this post don't you think? I love the feminine ruffle on this and the belting will make sure the va-voom hourglass shape is recognized.

I love wrap dresses and I love the sleeve length on this one. Please just repeat this entire outfit with the same tights and heels.

A little more expensive but I just love the colors in this one.

Is there a bad thing to say about this dress? The price rocks, its comfortable, kind of Jackie O and professional!


Newport News, Little Black Dress, $49
*Warning: Only wear this dress if you are prepare to work it*

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

A little Selfish Today


Hey there lovebugs! Today I'm going to be a bit selfish and skip the fashion...

No wait! Don't go! Today I'm going to do a little room fashion!! Ok great. Tonight my friend is taking myself and the BF on my first trip to IKEA. I know. Huge. I'm on the hunt for a few specific items that I will detail below. If you have any ideas for storage or 'warm modern' taste shout em out because I take all suggestions!

Don't forget to send me your recipes for Friday Foodday!


If I haven't made it ABUNDANTLY clear that I'm very passionate about my shoes, let me tell you again. I love my shoes. And I refuse to put them on an over the door monstrosity. So I'm dying to buy two of these and stack them on my bedroom wall.


Ikea, Alang floor lamp, $39
I'm a little lost on the floor lamp situation. I can't really decide what I want. But I know I need a good light for the living room. Thoughts about this one?


Ikea, Wooden Hangers, $4.50
The BF wants wooden hangers. You can't find them any cheaper than this!


Ikea, DVD wall shelf, $5.99
I like this because of it's industrial look. I also love wall storage; maybe this will work for the BF's massive PS2 and DVD collection


Ikea, Wall uplight, $24.99
Ok what about this light for the living room? Too boring?

If you haven't gotten it yet I'm pretty nervous about tonight's adventure. But I'm told you can't not enjoy Ikea. So hopefully all will go well!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Tights!


Hey there lovebugs. Happy Tuesday! Thank goodness for a short week. How was your long weekend? Mine was full of sweat, packaging tape, and hangers. It was the big move in with the BF. The move itself went as smoothly as possible, with a HUGE shoutout to Bookstore Movers. Awesome guys. Now I must unpack which is probably my least favorite thing to do. I've discovered even after donating 8 trash bags full of clothing I still have enough to clothe a small orchestra. But the good news is the BF is letting me be a "closet hog" and now that it's written on the blog, it must be true.

Now, onto today. Forgive me, my mind is going at the pace of a dump truck in a school zone with its flashers on and going over speed bumps. Today I'd like to discuss tights. Fall is apparently upon us and while the temperature may not feel like it yet, it soon will, and it will soon require tights. Now I'm not going to get into the pantyhose debate because to each her own with that one- BUT I know fashion tights are something we can all appreciate.


These are my FAVORITE black tights ever. They are lined with fleece and they are not chunky. I love them for winter and fall. So cozy!


Target, Spaced Dot Tight, $7
I'm loving dotted tights this season, a great alternative to plain black


Old Navy, Basic Tights $6.50
Just what it says, basic tights. Perfect gray tone to pair with a corduroy skirt.



Fig Leafs, Argyle Tights, $7.35
Ok, wear these as your bold accessory. Nothing else chunky, bright or sparkly. Pick one bold item like these preppy tights and stay calm with the rest of the outfit.


LOVE these! Put them with boots and its elongated leg central.