Tag Archives: delicious

Feb26

February Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
February Finishes

Hiii everyone and TGIF! I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m in the home stretch of finally finishing a beauty product, I get really antsy! I love to try new products so the anticipation of what I will be using next seriously kills me. In the month of February I finished three beauty products – a cleanser, moisturizer, and a shower gel. Frankly, I’m happy to be rid of all of them so let’s say “BYE Felicia” to my February empties as I send them to their new home in the recycling bin:

All of these products lasted me for a good long while which I was quite impressed with. Here’s how all of them fared:

I linked all of my reviews for each product listed above and now it’s time for the real question… Would I use any of these again? Here’s my verdict:

  • Neutrogena: Yes
  • I Love…: Maybe
  • Simple: No

So what products am I using now? I began using a moisturizer from Trader Joe’s that I got as a Christmas gift today and was pleased with my first use. For my shower gel, I’m using SoftSoap’s Sweet Honeysuckle and Orange Peel which smells delicious. And for my face wash, I started a new makeup removing cream cleanser from Garnier today, as well. I wasn’t very impressed with it this morning, so we’ll see how I feel after a few uses. I’ll be reviewing these products soon so be on the lookout! 🙂

So there you have it, my February Finishes! What beauty products did you use up this month? Have you started any new products recently? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb23

Delicious Baked Ziti Recipe

Posted on by
Standard
Delicious Baked Ziti Recipe

Hiii everyone and happy Tuesday! So in yesterday’s Monday Update I mentioned that I made my boyfriend a baked ziti dish for our six month anniversary. It turned out amazing and my beau and family really enjoyed it. The recipe I found on allrecipes was way too good not to share so I thought that I would post it for your super cheesy pleasure today! You’re welcome! 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked
  • 1 (26) oz jar marinara sauce (Instead of plain old Ragu, I used a specialty sauce with extra garlic and herb flavoring to kick things up a little)
  • 1 (14.5) oz can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used a can that had additional oregano and Italian herb seasoning)
  • 6 oz cream cheese, cubed (The blocked cream cheese usually comes in 8 oz packaging so I just used the whole thing)
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 8 oz package of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Ingredients That I Added:

  • 8 cloves garlic
  • salt
  • pepper
  • basil
  • parsley
  • oregano
  • Italian seasoning

Ingredients I Will Use Next Time:

  • More seasoning
  • Onions
  • Green pepper
  • Zuchinni
  • Yellow squash

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Cook pasta, using the directions on the packaging. Once the pasta is done cooking, remove and drain.
  3. After you have removed the pasta, turn the burner down to medium heat. Add the rest of your ingredients in the pan and let it cook for about 5 min. or until the cheese is completely melted.
  4. Add the pasta into the sauce and mix thoroughly.
  5. Layer the pasta into a 13×9 in. baking pan and then top with extra mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake for 20 min. or until heated through.

*** A word to the wise: This recipe made a GIGANTIC amount of food so be prepared for left overs! Here is the link to the recipe that I used, if you would like to reference it for any reason! Special thanks to whomever posted it, it was delicious! 🙂

The baked ziti was a hit for my family and my boyfriend so I hope all of you enjoy it as much as we did! What is your favorite food to make? What is your favorite food to eat? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb22

Monday Update: Six Month Anniversary Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Monday Update: Six Month Anniversary Edition

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:

kyle10

^^^ 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

Feb10

Dinner Date Night

Posted on by
Standard
Dinner Date Night

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! On Monday night, my boyfriend, Kyle, and I stayed in and made dinner together. We had so much fun cooking our meal and it was nice to have Kyle as my cheerleader/helper. We made zucchini enchiladas and guacamole and it turned out so fantastic! Take a look at our finished product and then I’ll provide you with the recipes so that you can make your own:

IMG_6991.jpg

^^^ YUM!

Zucchini Enchiladas:

This dish is a staple at my home so it was easy to wing the recipe. At my boyfriend’s house there wasn’t a lot of the spices that I needed to bring the heat to the enchiladas so I improvised for that. I also wasn’t cooking for a large amount of people so feel free to double the recipe if needed. My version made eight enchiladas.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large zucchini
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 medium size red onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 package of sharp cheddar shredded cheese
  • salt
  • pepper
  • basil
  • oregano
  • cilantro
  • tortillas
  • salsa

Note that the original recipe calls for spices like cayenne pepper and cumin. The basil and oregano was what I was limited to – they are required in the recipe but are not the main herbs flavoring the dish.

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a large pan and dice the vegetables. You will want them to cook until they’re golden.
  2. While the veggies are cooking, add in your herbs and spices. You’ll notice that I didn’t give an exact measurement for the seasonings and that’s because I rarely cook with the amount given on a recipe. I go a little crazy with my seasonings so feel free to add as much or as little as you wish.
  3. Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 350 while the veggies are almost done sauteing. Once the veggies are done, turn the stove top off and remove them from the heat. You will then pour the shredded cheese packet over your mixture and stir until the cheese is melted.
  4. While the oven is preheating, you will prepare the enchiladas for baking. Spray the bottom of a glass pan down with Pam and then put a layer of the salsa of your choosing on the bottom. Then you will fill your tortillas with three or so spoonfuls of the cheese and veggies, wrap them up, and place them in the pan.
  5. Once all of the enchiladas are rolled and ready, add a layer of salsa to the top of them and then sprinkle some cheese to top it off. Bake the enchiladas for 12-14 minutes and then remove from the oven.

Kyle and I also prepared a dish of guacamole together, as well. I was so happy that I had Kyle there to help me because he was such a pro at smashing all of the ingredients together! Here’s the recipe that I free styled for the guac:

Ingredients:

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 handful of extremely finely chopped red onion
  • cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon of water
  • juice of half a lemon

Directions:

  1. Cut the avocado in half and then peel away the skin from both halves. Then you will dice up the avocado and add it in to a medium mixing bowl. Be sure to remove the pit!
  2. Tear up your fresh cilantro and add that in to the bowl, as well.
  3. Chop up a small amount of red onion very finely and add it to the mix.
  4. Pour in your water and squeeze your half a lemon.
  5. Once all of your ingredients are in the bowl is when things get tricky. There wasn’t an adequate utensil at Kyle’s house for mashing our concoction so we settled for a spoon with holes in it. I was so bad at smashing our mixture so thank goodness for my muscle man to get the job done! The consistency of your guacamole is up to you. We settled for a medium consistency and it was the perfect mixture of smooth and chunky.

I love cooking for Kyle and it was so nice to have him hanging out with me in the kitchen while I prepared our meal. It was also great having him as my helper, too! Kyle kept the pit of “our first avocado together” to commemorate his helpfulness and our delicious meal – which I thought was the cutest thing ever! It’s our avocado baby. 🙂

So there you have it, Dinner Date Night with my beau! What is your favorite dish to cook for yourself or others? What dish is a staple in your household? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec15

Treat Yoself! Schofferhofer Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Treat Yoself! Schofferhofer Edition

Helloooo everyone and happy Tuesday! I hope you’re all having a fantastic week so far. So usually I’m not a big beer drinker, I’m definitely more of a wine kind of gal. But over the weekend I just had to pick up a special alcoholic treat from the grocery store, Schofferhofer’s grapefruit beer. It was one of the first drinks that I had at the bar when I turned 21 this past summer and it’s remained one of my favorites ever since. Let’s discuss:

Right now the weather in Akron, Ohio has been insane. It’s the middle of December and we’ve had temperatures in the high 60s, which is completely unheard of in our neck of the woods. Last year around this time, I can vividly remember brutal snowfalls and way below freezing temperatures. With the warm winter time weather, I developed a taste for summer over the weekend that I just couldn’t shake.

While grocery shopping with my mom at the local Giant Eagle, I swung by the alcohol department to pick up some Christmas gifts. As I browsed through the different seasonal beers, a four can pack of the Schofferhofer grapefruit beer caught my eye. I had no intention of picking anything up for myself but I just couldn’t help it! I had summer on my mind and my favorite summer time drink was calling my name.

When I saw the beer I was taken back to this past summer – my first summer of being 21. I was a big fan of ordering the tasty grapefruit flavored wheat beer at the bars, compliments of the suggestion from my sister. I love all things fruity and sweet so it was the perfect beer for me to sip on during summer nights out. What I love about Schofferhofer is that it tastes carbonated, to the point that it feels like drinking a soda. It’s SO good. After the montage of sweet summer time played through my head, I couldn’t not grab a pack of Schofferhofer from the shelf!

Over the weekend I enjoyed two cans of my favorite beer per night and it was just the little Treat Yoself pick me up that I needed. The best thing about being 21 isn’t going out to the bars to get completely white girl wasted – it’s being able to have a nice casual drink at home without having your parents jump down your throat about it! If you’re of legal drinking age and are looking for a new (super girly) beer to try, I can’t recommend Schofferhofer’s grapefruit beer enough! It’s delicious!

beer1.jpg

So there you have it, this week’s Treat Yoself! Schofferhofer Edition. Every once in a while you need to get a little something special for yourself and that’s exactly what I did this past weekend. Who has tried my favorite beer before? Are there any super fruity beers that you recommend? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov28

Thanksgiving Fun

Posted on by
Standard
Thanksgiving Fun

Helloooo everyone and happy Saturday! I hope all of you had a fantastic Thanksgiving and Black Friday if you participated in the madness! I had a great holiday in my neck of the woods. I got to spend it with my crazy family and handsome boyfriend and it was a blast!

I woke up bright and early to help my mom cook our Thanksgiving meal. I hate to brag but I made a pretty mean stuffing and green bean casserole! The morning went by quick and then by the time I knew it my sister, Kristen, was ready to get picked up to join in on the festivities. As you can see by this picture, I was having a ton of fun:

sis1

Kristen and I spent the afternoon finishing some cooking, snuggling, having girl talk, and watching season four of American Horror Story. I had the best time being able to spend the afternoon with her back at the home front because she moved into her own apartment recently and I miss her like crazy! Thankfully, we took enough sister pictures with each other to last a life time so I’ll have a lot of pics to look through and smile/laugh at.

My boyfriend, Kyle, spent the afternoon with his family and joined us for dinner at five. By four thirty the countdown began and we were all checking out the window and staring at the food we were about to devour for a solid half hour or so. Finally, my sweet Kyle came rolling in but rolling was more like hobbling because he sprained his ankle really badly last week and is on crutches. So once Kyle was safely inside my house and seated it. was. ON!

Our Thanksgiving feast at casa de la Mushenheim was delicious! There was stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, and green beans for days. There was also turkey for the non-vegetarians in the household, AKA Kyle, my dad, and my brother. I annihilated two extremely large plate fulls of side dishes and was about ready to burst at my seams afterwards…So worth it.

After dinner, we lazed around the house and enjoyed some coffee and pie for those who could handle eating another bite. We then decided on going to see Mockingjay Pt. 2 in theaters which was a lot of fun. Or as much fun as it can possibly be, considering I’ve never read the books or seen any of the movies. But Kyle, my mom, and Kristen are big fans of The Hunger Games series so it was nice to see all of them have a cute little holiday outing even if that meant just sitting along for the ride. The movie theater was pretty empty too so we got awesome seats and were able to put our feet up and comment on the film without annoying the other moviegoers too much!

Once we returned home from our movie excursion, Kyle and I headed back to his place and went right to bed. I ended up sleeping in until noon yesterday which seriously never happens anymore – it was great! I had such a nice time on Thanksgiving and I was so happy that my boyfriend was able to be there to join us. ❤

So there you have it, all of my Thanksgiving Fun from this past Thursday! How was everyone’s holiday? Who scored some amazing Black Friday deals? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov21

Everyday Granola Recipe

Posted on by
Standard
Everyday Granola Recipe

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

Nov16

Monday Update: Really Good Recipe Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Monday Update: Really Good Recipe Edition

Helloooo everyone and happy Monday! As you guys know, I really enjoy cooking and once or twice a week I like to make dinner at home. This past weekend I made one of my all time favorite recipes that I just had to share – it’s that good. If you’re a fan of unique, bold, and slightly spicy dishes then you’re going to love my Peanut Noodles! This recipe is directly from the Quick Vegetarian Pleasures cookbook by Jeanne Lemlin and if you can get your hands on a copy then I urge you to do so! It’s an excellent cookbook for fast and healthy vegetarian eating. Here’s the step by step guide to making a Peanut Noodle dish of your own:

       Ingredients:

  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 4 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (I use crunchy PB but creamy will do, too!)
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sherry
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar or other vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced (I use 6)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Note: The sauce is a bit too bitter for my liking so I add about 3 teaspoons of white sugar to balance it out

Directions:

  • To make the sauce, combine 2 tablespoons of sesame oil with all of the other ingredients except the cucumber and scallions. Beat until well mixed and refrigerate.
  • Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the noodles and toss with the remaining two tablespoons of sesame oil.
  • This dish can be served hot or cold so you could refrigerate the noodles if you choose or eat it hot after the spaghetti is cooked. I prefer it hot but it’s still very good cold as well!

My mom started making this recipe forever ago and it remains one of my favorites to this day. I made the Peanut Noodles this past Friday and was left with only a small dish of leftovers which I annihilated for lunch the next day. Almost everyone in my family is a big fan of this recipe and I hope you guys enjoy it too! It’s a quick and easy dish to whip together but it tastes like you spent hours cooking it. Peanut Noodles have been my go to dinner to make for a few boyfriends and many a night when there seems to be “nothing to eat” in the house. If you like trying out somewhat “different” recipes to change things up at home then this is the recipe for you!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Really Good Recipe Edition. Once again, if you can snag a copy of Quick Vegetarian Pleasures – DO IT!! Who is going to give the Peanut Noodles recipe a try? What is one of your go to dishes to make at home? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct28

Frittata Favorite

Posted on by
Standard
Frittata Favorite

Hey everyone and happy Hump Day! Every Sunday I love making dinner for my family and I hate to brag but it turned out pretty darn good this past weekend! I made frittata with rosemary garlic home fries. I followed a tried and true recipe for the frittata but I freestyled the potatoes with lots of butter, herbs, fresh garlic, onions, and romano cheese and it turned out SO yummy. I posted a status on Facebook about my dinner and some of my friends expressed interest in getting their hands on the recipe for the frittata, so I thought I would post it for the world today! This recipe is from the Broccoli Forest cookbook and it’s excellent if you can find a copy of your own:

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbs olive oil (you might need additional oil or butter when sauteing the veggies)
  • 1 tbs melted butter
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced (I usually use 6 cloves in mine)
  • 1/2 tsp salt, basil, oregano
  • 1/4 tsp thyme, rosemary
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 5-6 mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced
  • 1 small bunch or spinach, swiss chard, or kale chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper
  • 5 large eggs, well beaten
  • grated mozzarella cheese
  • grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. In a large cast-iron skillet, cook the onion and garlic with salt and herbs in combined olive oil and butter for 5-8 minutes
  2. Add remaining vegetables and cook over medium high heat until the vegetables are tender for 8-10 minutes
  3. Turn the heat way up and pour in the beaten eggs. Cook on the stove-top for several minutes, lifting the edges, and letting the uncooked egg flow underneath the cooked egg (as you would for an omelet). Turn the heat back to medium as you do this.
  4. As soon as the egg appears set, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top and then top it off with the parmesan. Place it in the oven at 350 for 12-15 minutes (until it’s firm and the cheese is melted and slightly brown).

This recipe is one of my family’s favorites and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! One again, it’s from the Broccoli Forest cookbook and it really is great, especially if there’s any vegetarians in your family. What is your favorite thing to cook for dinner? Do you have a primarily vegetarian cookbook that you would recommend? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Sorry for the lack of pictures of the frittata – it was completely devoured before I got around to snapping some pics!