In our day and age, it’s not uncommon for people to spend only the minimum amount of time possible in their kitchen. After all, all you need at the end of the day is to order a nice meal from your favorite takeaway place. Or is it really? As more and more young generations are moving back into the kitchen, they start a journey of discoveries with apprehension. In some families, young adults have never seen their parents cook besides using the microwave oven or the traditional oven to warm up pre-made dishes.
So, needless to say, it can be a little overwhelming at first to adjust to the idea of becoming a perfect little cook. But don’t let fear blind you: You can easily manage the flow of the operations in your kitchen. All you need is to ensure that the room has all you need, give it some personality with confidence-boosting gadgets, and learn all of the simple tricks that can save the meal. Ready, steady, cook.
Unless you have designed your kitchen specifically for your needs, it’s likely that it doesn’t completely suit you. Whether it looks dated or isn’t truly functional, there are a few tips that you can borrow from professional designers to improve your kitchen for good. For a start, your workplace needs to clean, clear, and roomy. This is the area where you will be preparing your food, so it’s worth considering a looksee into a new counter top.
Light is also important in your kitchen; you need it as part of your cooking process – cooking in a half dark room isn’t the guarantee of a successful meal. The easiest solution is to add lights underneath your cupboards. This will change the way you approach food! Finally, you can’t cook without electricity. Some recipes need a few sockets to plug your food processor, mixer, electric whisk, etc. In short, you need a kitchen with plenty of power sources for a power cooking sesh.
Give yourself a little boost of confidence:
Remember, the best way to make friends with your kitchen again is to begin to like it. Turning a functional space into a peaceful and loving area can seem a little difficult, but all you need is to surround yourself with things that you love. If pink is your favorite color, why not use it to paint the kitchen? Or maybe you could hang photos of your loved ones on the walls, as a silent word of encouragement. If you are looking for ways to engage positively with cooking, you could check the apron collection on https://www.chefworks.com. They are cute and bring a touch of originality to the room. When you begin to love your kitchen again, you will feel a lot more confident with the idea of cooking in it.
Impress effortlessly… but don’t let them know:
If you are not an experienced cook, you may want to start with simple recipes. There’s no shame in it! http://www.marthastewart.com has plenty of impressive looking dishes that are dead simple to prepare. From a steak with a wine sauce and a dauphinoise recipe to a yummy asparagus risotto, there are plenty of easy recipes that look amazing. You’ll never say no to a night of cooking at home or entertaining friends and family again. Just be sure to invite us to your next dinner party!
Okay, so this isn’t a usual recipe post. There isn’t one particular set of instructions for you to create an amazing meal. Instead, it is a post which links to a few different recipes that we love. Ones that are going to make you happy if you are feeling a bit blue, maybe after your holiday or because you are fed up with the weather. But, no matter how you’re feeling, we can all agree that food is awesome.
There is a lot of focus on our health and physical fitness. Some of us work towards our holidays by going for the ultimate bikini body whilst others pack a few self improvement books and read our way to a better place. However, what we fail to do is focus on regularly consuming a variety of nutrient rich, wholesome foods. You know, improving our diet to improve our life. It isn’t going to give you instant results, but eating good quality foods consistently will improve your mental function, mood, and energy levels. Now, let’s get cooking:
So! What should you be eating and where are the recipes?
First of all, let’s talk about fat. You may have been told that fat is the enemy, but that isn’t true. Trans fats are the enemy. You find this fat in processed foods like sausages and ready made meals. Unsaturated fat is really good for you. In fact, our brains are made up from 40% fat and we need plenty of it to ensure that our brain stays healthy. Healthy oils can be found in olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds. So, our first recipe is this fantastic Quinoa and Sprouted Sunflower Seed Salad & Avocado Dressing from the fantastic Food Spa blog. A delicious way of boosting your healthy fats.
In addition to these healthy fats, you also need essential fatty acids, AKA the Omega 3 Oils. Research has shown that these improve mood and reduce depressive symptoms. The best sources of essential fatty acids are oily fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, pilchards, and trout and you should aim to eat a couple of portions per week. So, here is an amazing recipe for Wild Salmon and Black Rice which will have you topping up on plenty of Omega 3s and a fabulous mood.
Next up is whole grains, fruits, and vegetables:
The best food is whole food – food in its most natural state. Think wholegrain cereals, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. They provide us with the fiber, vitamins, and minerals that our bodies need to function their best. So if you want to get fit fast, eat plenty of whole foods. Serotonin, Vitamin B, and Zinc are all really helpful at managing depression. Eating complex carbohydrates such as oats, grains, brown rice, and vegetables such as squash will release serotonin into the brain. Marmite is a fabulous source of B vitamins or you could also buy fortified wholefoods.
Maple Roasted Butternut Squash with Freekeh is a perfect way of ticking all of the things on this list. Give it a go, because Freekeh is super delicious and the new Quinoa. You know the deal with fruits and veggies: 5 servings a day, okay? If you struggle with that, then buy a juicer or Nutribullet and blitz your 5 a day for breakfast. While it is better to maintain a steady supply rather than take them all in one hit, at least you know you are getting the recommended amount!
Protein, please (for vegetarians and carnivores alike!):
Protein is required for our bodies’ growth, maintenance, and repair. A lack of protein in our diets can lead to irritability, fatigue, and a lack of concentration. Most of us will think of steak or chicken when protein is mentioned. However, you can get plenty of protein in plant based foods like lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds. Soy beans, peas, and broccoli are also excellent sources of protein.
But, if you want a protein kick, then you can’t get better than Steak Frites. A delicious fillet steak, served on a bed of spinach with some sweet potato straw fries on the side. Perfecto! We also ought to add that eating dark chocolate, with 75% cocoa content, can improve your mood because of the protein in it. You’re welcome!
To wrap this post up, let’s talk about water – which we don’t have a recipe for! Water plays a huge role in our brain function. You need to be drinking around 2 liters of water a day to avoid effects like addled concentration, memory, and learning ability. Now, fill up a glass and drink up!
Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. So during the week at my household, we eat easy to prepare dinners – pasta, pizza, stir fry, and the likes. But over the weekends, my mom and I go hard when it comes to cooking an evening feast – soups, homemade pizzas, pasta salads, bread, frittatas, and oh so much more. This Sunday, I prepared a meal that I was particularly proud of that I just had to share on here. Seriously, it was that delicious.
My family loves Mexican food and as a primarily vegetarian household, it is always something that all of us can eat and enjoy. And enjoy, we did. For Sunday dinner I prepared homemade guacamole paired with vegetarian black bean enchiladas compliments of the fantastic website Cookie + Kate. Kate’s website specializes in vegetarian cuisine while her pup, Cookie, cheers from the sidelines. My mom actually found that website and was instantly drawn in by the delicious recipes but most importantly, that it was in some ways dog related (lol). Anyways, here’s the finished product:
For the enchiladas, I followed the recipe pretty closely because I had never made it before but I did change a few things up to accommodate my cooking style:
I added a healthy amount of chili powder and cayenne pepper to the dish.
I added cilantro into the mixture as opposed to just using it to garnish.
I lessened the amount of broccoli in the recipe as a family preference.
I squirted fresh lime juice into the mixture and topped the finished product with it.
I used store bought enchilada sauce instead of making it myself because ain’t nobody got time for that.
* If you’re not hip to vegetarian eating, then I would recommend sauteing stripes of chicken, steak, or shrimp (or all three!) in a mixture of olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, and chili powder (you could also go crazy and add in some lime juice and a tablespoon or two of enchilada sauce). Then, you could add it into the enchiladas or just eat it on the side.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much my dish looked like the pictures that Kate posted on her website but most importantly, my entire family loved it. For an additional topping, I free-styled some guacamole and here’s what I used in my makeshift recipe:
1 large avocado
6 cloves of minced garlic
About 3 tbsp of super finely chopped red onion
Juice from 1/2 of a lime
Cilantro!!
A couple shakes of cayenne pepper
Black pepper
Morton Kosher salt
3-4 tbsp of small tomato chunks that I wish I added but forgot to get from the grocery store!
I really really love guac and I thought that the above concoction turned out amazing. It was bold and flavorful and although it turned out chunkier than what I normally like, I think that it just added to the deliciousness considering you could eat it by the forkful – which we did!
My mom described my Mexican Sunday Dinner as “going out to eat in our own house” which I thought was super precious and we will definitely be making the above recipes again! What is your favorite meal for Sunday dinner? What kinds of food do you love to cook? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
All the best chefs in the world have their own unique style of doing things. From dicing an onion to roasting potatoes and making a popular sauce, there are always little nuances and tricks which set the pros aside from us amateurs. However, long before these masters found their own style, they were learning some of those basic techniques which are essential for countless dishes. Here are some of the big ones every cook should know:
Blanching Vegetables: This is a method of cooking veggies quickly in boiling water, then plunging them into ice cold water to halt the cooking process and lock in all that vibrant color. The trick to good blanching is using a lot of salty water in the first boiling pot. Use about one cup. If it smells like the ocean, that’s great. Don’t worry – it won’t taste like that!
To blanch, say, one pound of green beans to serve four, prepare a bowl of ice water, keep it near your cooker, and then bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add beans to the boiling water in small batches and cook them for three to four minutes. Then, using a slotted spoon, transfer them to the ice water bowl until all the beans are thoroughly cooked and cooled. Drain the beans, glaze with a little butter and olive oil, and dig in.
Sear a Steak: This is a method that happens in restaurants every day, all over the world. There’s a good reason for this, so try to bring it into your kitchen! If you know that your steak cooking game is a little below-par, you should start practicing using high heat under a pan. The pros sear their steaks in a heavy, scorching hot skillet over a high flame.
To serve two, you’ll need to start with about a pound of skirt steak. Slice it into sizes of your choice and cook them two at a time. Once they’re looking done, leave them for around 15 minutes to let the juices really soak through the meat. Then, slice the pieces again, this time against the grain, and serve in a good pan sauce. Searing may call for a good steak knife if your steaks have been coming out nearly black so far, so check out some reviews on a blog like Cut it Fine.
Dice an Onion: This is one of the basic steps in so many different recipes, so make sure you’re not stumped by it! After peeling the onion, halve it through the root and set the two halves flat-side down on a chopping board. Then, keeping the root end intact, make a series of cuts parallel to the root, roughly a quarter of an inch apart. After this, hold it by the root end, turn it ninety degrees, and make another series of cuts cross-hatching the cuts that you already made. You may not get it right the first time, but stick at it and soon you’ll be able to get those perfect little cubes on demand!
What is your favorite meal to cook at home? What are some of your cooking pro tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
I am sure that you guys gathered by now that I love food. I feel like I am constantly talking about cooking, baking, eating, or Taco Bell to someone! But one thing that I really love is garlic. I remember the first time that I had a super garlic-y food. My mom made my brother a snack of spaghetti and pesto when he came home from work about ten years ago and after trying a taste of the garlic filled sauce, I was hooked.
After my revelation of how freaking amazing garlic is, I began seeking out foods and recipes that would be filled with the stuff. When I cook, I use no less than an entire bulb of garlic in my meals despite the recipes only calling for about three cloves! When it comes to garlic, I mean bid-ness so when I was at a farmers market in Asheville, North Carolina at the beginning of summer and discovered the Joy Of Garlic stand, I truly believe that I died and went to heaven.
The Joy Of Garlic boasts, sauces, dressings, salsas, and spreads that are all dedicated to giving you the biggest blast of garlic imaginable. Their salsa is superb but after taste testing their Chipotle and sun dried tomato spread, I had discovered what it means to be alive – they are that good. Take a look on their website and you’ll see what I mean!
Upon returning to Asheville in October, my family bought three of each of our favorite spread flavors which will probably last about a month at most considering we put it on everything! Sandwiches, pizza, French bread, crackers, pretzels, you name it. The reason why it dawned on me to even write this post to begin with is because I had some for lunch today over top a microwave pizza! This spread literally transforms everything that you put on it and it turned my somewhat crappy pizza into instant deliciousness.
I also did promise the lovely woman who sold my family our garlic spreads both times that I would write a post about it on my blog. So if you’re reading this: THANK YOU!!
You can shop online for all things garlic at the Joy Of Garlic’s website and you can also learn how to sell the products in your area! If there are any local farmers markets in your neck of the woods, I cannot recommend starting a stand enough because I one hundred and ten percent believe that it would be a hit!
Thank you so much to the Joy Of Garlic for introducing me to my new favorite topping for literally any food and for also helping me keep vampires away with my breath! What is your favorite topping to put on your meals? Is anyone else super obsessed with garlic like me? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Now a days there are SO many amazing items that you can purchase for your kitchen. From carnival style popcorn and cotton candy makers to ice cream machines and fruit juicers, your kitchen could become the ultimate utopia of the coolest treats and decor. Check it out:
Not-So-Obvious Items You Need To Buy For Your Kitchen (Make It The Best Room In The House!)
When you are designing your kitchen, you will be busy picking out the essential appliances you need for the room. However, as much as it’s important to get items such as a great fridge freezer for your kitchen, there are some other things you do need to make it a fun environment. Here are some not-obvious-items you need to buy for your kitchen to make it the best room in the house:
Crepe Maker: Okay, a crepe maker is not an essential item for your kitchen. But it will definitely make the room a lot more fun! This quirky item is a great thing to add to make breakfasts much easier in the morning. All you need to do is make the mixture and then pour it onto the machine. You can then move the mixture around until you create good sized pancakes which you can enjoy as a breakfast treat. The crepe maker will definitely be a hit if you have young kids in your home! It’s also something that you can get out at parties to make your guests a tasty dessert after the main meal! YUM. ❤
Toasted Sandwich Maker: Grilled cheese sandwiches are my ultimate favorite food and nothing answers my desire to be fat and happy like a toasted sandwich maker. It’s such a luxury item because standing at the stove and flipping is a thing, but still, who doesn’t want delicious food quickly at the press of a lid?
All you do is butter two slices of bread and then fill your chosen ingredients inside the bread. Then you put it in the machine and pop the lid down for a few moments. Instantly, you will have a delicious toastie to enjoy for a lunchtime snack. It’s perfect for adults and children alike as it turns a boring sandwich into something fun that they will want to eat! And the best thing about toastie makers is that you can find many darling designed machines which will look fantastic in the kitchen!
Wine Cooler: An obvious MUST for every classy man or lady’s kitchen is a wine cooler. It’s ideal for your growing collection of your favorite “adult beverages”. It will also ensure that they stay at the right temperature so that you can enjoy a glass or two in the evening! A wine cooler is a must-have for when you have dinner parties, too. It can easily fit in your kitchen if you have space on one of your cabinets. You can just try one of these freestanding wine coolers which are perfect for showing off your collection while keeping them cool!
A Unique Set of Knives: It is so important to make your kitchen look unique so it stands out from the crowd and becomes a cool and comfortable environment for cooking and entertaining. One way that you can do this is by getting a staple set of knives for your kitchen. You probably are in need of one anyways, so why not make it fun? You can find some great colorful blocks with all the knives you need for preparing food. And you can even embrace your inner ninja with a Samurai set! You can see other cool knife sets you will love for your kitchen in this article!
A microwave and other large appliances is also a must for your kitchen. But I promise that it doesn’t have to be boring! Check out my previous blog where I talk about the most precious pink lemonade microwave and other vintage kitchen gear. Quirky conversation starters for your kitchen that are also incredibly handy will make your place the talk of the town and the obvious choice for all things entertainment!
Hey everyone and welcome to a new week here on lifewithlilred! On Saturday it was me and Kyle’s six month anniversary so we had a lovely day together to celebrate! We had the best time during our date day and I can’t wait to relive it as I type this out. But before I get started on how we spent our six month, here’s a friendly reminder of how cute we are:
^^^ What a stud! The red head isn’t too bad either…
Kyle picked me up around two o’clock on Saturday afternoon to get our festivities started. We live about a half hour away from each other so during our drive back to his place we made a game plan for how we would like to spend the day. We decided on afternoon drinks while video gaming or watching Netflix, dinner, and then a night out at the movies to wrap it up!
To start the afternoon drinks portion of our agenda, Kyle and I stopped at the Giant Eagle on the way home for some booze. I got Kyle a drink shaker as one of his Valentine’s Day gifts so we thought it would be fun to put it to use today. We had a bit of a hard time deciding on a drink that we could make because the only hard liquor that I really “do” is vodka, which Kyle isn’t a huge fan of. However, a bottle of sour berry and lemon vodka spoke to me and Kyle thought it sounded alright so we went for it. We then got some fruit punch and lemonade to mix with it as well as a back up pack of hard apple cider in case our concoction was sub par.
With our alcohol haul bagged up and ready to go, we headed back to Kyle’s house to have some quality time with the TV. But before we started our session of “Netflix and chill” we had a drink to make! Kyle broke out his new shaker (which he loved) and mixed up our berry beverage. It wasn’t bad except for the fact that the vodka was blue, the lemonade was a pale yellow, and the fruit punch was a raspberry red so when it was all mixed together it made the most disgusting dish water grey color. The drink tasted like a liquefied version of SweetTarts but it definitely tasted better if you avoided looking at the color of it. -_-
Once our drinks were made, we began our marathon of Wentworth, our latest TV obsession. When Kyle and I binge watch shows, we are SO serious about it. If we can’t knock out at least two episodes of it at once, we don’t even bother putting it on to begin with. This high focused level of Netflix watching calls for comfortable clothes so it was a must to change into our pajamas until our evening out at the movies. Kyle and I knocked out two episodes of Wentworth, at least ten games of Super Smash Bros., and a rousing tournament of Mario Kart Double Dash before we decided we were hungry.
Lucky for us, I prepared dinner for the occasion the previous day so all we had to do was let it heat in the oven. I love cooking for Kyle so I wanted to make a special dinner for him so that we didn’t have to bother dining out. I made a super cheesy dish of baked ziti, a pan of ficaccia bread, and cupcakes for dessert. At my house we have never really had ziti so I was a bit wary of how it would turn out. I also have never made ficaccia without my mom’s help so I was relived that they both turned out great! Kyle loved it and so did my family who I test drove the meal for when I prepared it at home. The ziti was rich, the bread was baked to a perfect crisp, and the cupcakes were so decadent so needless to say, we were stuffed silly!
After dinner we had an hour or so to kill before it was time for our movie so we knocked out another episode of Wentworth before we left. I told Kyle a few days ago that I wanted to see the latest horror flick that came out, The Witch. We rarely go to the movies so I thought it would be a good way to wrap up our anniversary day. There’s a theater that Kyle lives by called TinselTown and it’s the biggest movie theater I’ve ever seen so I was really excited when he picked out a movie time for that location!
Our show started at 7:40 and we made it in time to examine all of the movie posters that are hanging up in the hallways to promote upcoming films. I had a minor freak out when I saw that a new movie for The Little Prince (my favorite book) is coming out in March! After I calmed down, we got settled in the theater to wait for the movie to start. I had heard excellent reviews for The Witch and I love horror films so I was eager for the movie to begin.
But unfortunately…The Witch really missed the mark for basically everyone in the theater. I personally didn’t mind it too much because it was more of a period piece and very artistic but Kyle didn’t care for it at all. It was one of those movies that we were probably better off waiting for to come out on DVD but it was still fun to go! I felt bad that Kyle didn’t like it but I still enjoyed the flick well enough because I’m a big wierdo. 🙂
By the time we got home it was around ten o’clock and we were both exhausted so we popped in a movie and went to bed. Kyle and I had such a wonderful time celebrating our day together, despite the fact that he didn’t care too much for the movie! I’m so lucky to have had the best boyfriend on the planet for six whole months and I can’t wait for many more! I love you, Kyle Kyle! ❤
So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Six Month Anniversary Edition! I hope all of you had just as great of a weekend as I did! What was your favorite part of your weekend? What did you think of The Witch if you saw it? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Helloooo everyone and happy weekend! My recent food obsession as of late has been all things granola. I love it plain, with yogurt, or with milk and thanks to my mom finding this delightful little recipe on http://www.thekitchn.com, I’m able to enjoy it every day.
The recipe for Everyday Granola is the perfect combination of sweet and salty and I feel so energized after I eat it thanks to all of the protein packed in through seeds and nuts. Here’s the recipe if you would like to make your own Everyday Granola:
Ingredients:
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup chopped nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans (I use pecans)
1 cup dried, shredded, unsweetened coconut (optional)
1/2 cup seeds, such as sesame or pumpkin (I use pumpkin)
1/2 cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup oil, such as olive or walnut (I use olive)
1/2 cup sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup (I use honey)
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
3/4 cup chopped dried fruits, such as cherries or apricots, or whole currants or blueberries (I use raisins)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
In a large bowl, mix the oats, nuts, coconut, seeds, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, liquid sweetener, and vanilla. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir to combine. Add the egg whites and combine thoroughly.
Scrape the mixture out onto a half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches) and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the mixture is light brown and toasty. Stir after 20 minutes, moving the crispy bits from the perimeter into the center and distributing the granola in the center out toward the edge of the pan.
Remove the pan from the oven and add the dried fruit. Using a spatula, stir to combine the mixture and let the granola cool. The mixture may be sticky, but it will harden as it cools. Transfer to an airtight container.
If you have never checked out http://www.thekitchn.com, then both my mom and I encourage you to do so! It’s filled with simple and delicious recipes, like their Everyday Granola, for you to enjoy. This granola is seriously to die for and I hope all of you enjoy it as much as I do! What is your favorite healthy snack? What is your favorite junk food snack? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Heyyy everyone and happy Monday! So this weekend was kind of a big deal because of October 17th which is both my boyfriend’s and my brother’s birthday! I had the best time celebrating with my man this weekend and enjoyed some mother daughter time when she helped me prep Kyle’s birthday dinner. Sorry that I was away without warning, BTW, because I like to give you guys notice when I’m not going to have a Saturday post of some kind! But I’m back from being birthday MIA so let’s discuss:
My oldest brother, Peter, celebrated his 28th birthday but unfortunately he lives in Atlanta, Georgia so I didn’t get to ring in his new year with him. So this weekend it was all about the boyfriend who turned the big 2-7. Besides from some awesome gifts (if I do say so myself), I wanted to cook him a special dinner too so before I headed to Canton for the weekend my mom helped me with something that I deemed a “must”: a fresh loaf of French bread to go with a Fettuccine Alfredo dish.
My mom is an incredible bread baker and has been doing it for forever. I can remember watching her bake and knead her loaves of bread when I was younger but could never do it quite like her. That was about to change this weekend though because my mama dearest walked me through how to bake my own French bread and it turned out amazing! My mom was an awesome teacher and I liked how she explained the process to me rather than doing it for me so I felt like I was still the one making the bread. She taught me how to knead the dough and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy I found it because I remember it being so hard when I was younger! According to mi madre, I’m a natural and here’s how my French bread turned out:
While my bread baked I whipped up a quick chocolate lava cake as well and left shortly after everything was baked to perfection. I loaded up my car with gifts, an overnight bag, dinner ingredients, my cake, and my bread on a cooling rack and headed to Canton. The thing about bread is that it can’t go into a bag until it’s completely cool and my mom refused to let my first time bread creation go soggy so she insisted that I drive with the naked loaf on a cooling rack. I was SO terrified to drive quickly or break heavily for the fear of the baguette flying off the rack. Lucky for me, my bread baby sat just fine and we made it to Kyle’s in one piece!
I had the pleasure of meeting Kyle’s brother, sister-in-law, and their two children on Friday night and then we went home for gift opening and Dexter watching. Unfortunately on Saturday Kyle had to work for half of his birthday but during that time I was able to finish some homework, get an article edited, and spend some quality time with Kyle’s mom. Once the evening rolled around I started cooking a surprisingly easy Fettuccine Alfredo recipe that I found online. It turned out nice and creamy and my bread was delicious, if I do say so myself!
After dinner, we were going to see Crimson Peak but we were both so full and sleepy after our Italian meal that we ended up just lounging around for the night. But seeing the movie is on our agenda for when I see Kyle next! I had such a lovely weekend with my beau and it was such a joy to meet his brother and his family!
^^^ This one’s for you, Kyle!!! Happy birthday to both of my favorite boys!!!! ❤
I have a lot of exciting posts coming up in the near future including an article for a dear friend’s Trades Of Hope store and a piece for a wonderful musician fresh out of Kent, Ohio – John Patrick Halling. Keep your eyes peeled for those as well as all of the usuals throughout the week like #WCW and my American Horror Story reviews! Until then, how was everyone’s weekend? Did anyone else have some events worth celebrating? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Helllooooooo everyone and happy almost weekend!!! I’ve had a really fabulous week doing a bunch of fun stuff that I’d love to share with you guys. Maybe these ideas will give you something fun to do this weekend! Let’s discuss!
Cook Your Favorite Meal: Honestly…this one is just for my own personal enjoyment…but everyone likes food so WHY NOT let it be a group effort? During the week I had a really lovely evening with myself preparing my personal favorite meal. For about six years now my mom has made this absolutely delicious pasta salad. It uses red pepper, red onions, sauteed zucchini, mozzarella cheese, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. (You can also add herbs of your choosing and spinach if you’d like!) I could eat this salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…well maybe not breakfast…but it’s THAT good…so breakfast? Sure, why not?! I used to really love cooking and I’m not really sure why I ever stopped. (Maybe because my mom’s food is so good! 😉 ) I thought it would be fun to try my hand at making my favorite dish for a change, and I’m so glad I did! I really enjoyed just hanging out with myself, playing some music, and preparing a meal that I know my entire family enjoys. And guess what?! It turned out great! You know how food that you make on your own somehow always tastes better than when other people cook it? That’s exactly the experience I had when I tried out my rendition of my beloved pasta salad. My dad told me that I’ll never starve now that I know how to make my favorite dish…and he’s absolutely right! Here’s a pic of how my pasta salad turned out, and if you’d like the recipe, please let me know!
YUM!!!!! ^^^^^^
Make Some Candy: I had a glorious best friend afternoon today with my darling Lea, who you guys know all about! It’s very cold in Akron, Ohio (#REPRESENT) right now. Early this afternoon I heard on the news that it felt like -17 degrees outside. Lea and I were supposed to go sledding this afternoon, but when I heard about this drastic cold I thought “oh hell no!” So we opted for a nice, cozy day indoors cooking up some yummy treats. Once we were armed with Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, we began browsing through Pinterest, our activity destination. After ten minutes of scrolling through pages, we decided on making chocolate truffles. We raided the pantry for the we ingredients needed, then ventured back out in the cold to hit up the grocery story for what we didn’t have. The recipe was very easy to make, literally all you had to do was melt your chocolate and other ingredients together, put the chocolate in the freezer to let it stiffen, and then once the mixture is hard enough you roll them into balls and put whatever topping you would like on them. While our chocolate was melting and stiffening, we played Pentatonixs (or however you spell them), looked up the world’s largest body parts on Google Images, and hung out with Lea’s twin brother Bill. When the chocolates were stiff enough to shape them we had a silly time getting our hands dirty, because the chocolate was still gooey! We used peppermint candy that we crushed with a mallet, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips for the toppings on our truffles. They turned out so yummy! You can’t do much to mess up chocolate! 😉 Here’s a picture of us with our finished product! We’re just a bunch of regular ol’ chocolateers!
Once again…YUM!!!! ^^^
Go See Unbroken: This week I had a lovely date night with my other partner in crime, Kate, who you guys also know all about! We went to see Unbroken, which tells the courageous tale of Louis Zamperini as directed by the stunning and gorgeous Angelina Jolie. In the film we see Zamperini, the Olympic track star survive a plane crash in World War II. Unfortunately he doesn’t land to safety in the crash and ends up stranded at sea with two other soldiers. (One of them happens to be Finn Wittrock, who plays Dandy on American Horror Story: Freak Show!) The sailing in the emergency rafts are anything but smooth, and our heroes end up in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and eventually concentration camps. Zamperini suffers under the hands of a sadistic camp leader, which are some particularly difficult scenes to watch. However, the story tells an amazing tale. The screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen was fantastic and the cinematography and sound effects in the film were truly awe inspiring. Not to mention my dream woman, Miss Jolie directed the film to perfection. The movie is quite long so I’d recommend peeing a lot before hand. Most importantly, the film really covers some heavy and disturbing issues which might not be suitable for everyone. Fun fact for ya, a man from Stow, Ohio had a few lines in Unbroken, which is a hop, skip, and a jump from where I’m at. So way to represent, Ohio, brother man!! If you’re looking for a powerful and extremely well made movie to go to this weekend, I can’t recommend seeing Unbroken enough!
Listen To Cayucas: I know, I know so typically PacSun-y of me, BUT I CAN’T HELP IT! I love these guys! They’re seriously so beachy fun and I just can’t even. My absolute favorite thing to do is play these guys while I’m taking a bubble bath or shower, because they make me feel like I’m just chilling on the beach with my little toesies in the sand. I’ve never been to the beach before (Lake Erie doesn’t count!) but this group of surfer dudes helps me make believe that I’m there. All of their songs off of their album “Bigfoot” are crowd pleasers, but my particular favorite song is “High School Lover”….and YES we did play it at PacSun, ha! This track is very fun though. It definitely will make you think about that one guy or gal in high school that you wanted to be with so desperately or maybe was the one who got away. A charming sentiment set to a soft surfer rock vibe? It’s a win win. (Soft surfer rock?…I believe I just created my own music genre right there!) 😉
Have A Facial Night: Earlier this week, my sister asked me to give her one of my famous around the house facials, which I happily obliged to. After working at The Body Shop, I developed a love for skincare that will last me a lifetime. Here’s my tried and true step by step guide on how to give a fabulous facial to yourself or a friend:
Remove any facial makeup with one of those terrific cleansing wipes from your brand of choice.
Wet the skin with lukewarm water and if you have a clay, honey and oat, warming ginger, blue corn, or any mask in particular that you like to use, apply and let it sit for the amount of time instructed.
Now it’s time to use a cleanser. If you have a bristle brush, I highly recommend using one of these to give your pores an even deeper clean. If you don’t have a brush, make sure you use circular motions with your hands while using your cleanser.
I like to finish the facial treatment with a scrub. If you happen to use a soft buffer pad I would recommend using a rough, gritty scrub. And if you’re a fan of a more cream based scrub I would opt for an exfoliating loofah pad.
(Apply a toner if you’d like. But I never do.)
After your skin is nice and squeaky clean apply any acne topical treatment you use if needed and a moisturizer.
All of those steps listed above may seem like a lot for the skin to handle all at once, but you have the Lil Red Guarantee that all it can do is help if you use these tips every once in a blue moon! Facials scream “girls night” to me, so plan a fun night of pampering and break out the wine, chocolate, and chick flicks!
Treat Yoself: Annnnnd if you’re looking for a few fun treats to pamper yourself with, here’s a few products from The Body Shop that I’ve been obsessed with lately, which can be found in stores and online at http://www.thebodyshop.com!
Items shown from top to bottom:
Smooth and Renew Loofah Pads
Vitamin C Midrodermabrasion
Warming Mineral Mask
Glazed Apple Bath Jelly
Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt
So there you have it, my Little Red Recommends segment for the week! What are your weekend plans? What did you think about Unbroken? What band should I check out next? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Have a great weekend! -Sarah
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