A New Look!

Hello! Hello! Hope this Thursday is treating you well so far. It's almost the freaking weekend and I couldn't be happier about that. Guess what else I couldn't be happier about? My new look!

If you didn't notice, this little blog of mine got a little facelift the other day and I am loving the new, much cleaner look!

I purchased my blog template for the very inexpensive price of $15 from Designer Blogs. They have a variety of templates to choose from and the instructions were very easy to follow. Even for me, who happens to be a little tech "un" savvy if you know what I mean!

And, if you happen to want a custom design, they also do those! My blog is more of a hobby for me, so spending a bunch of money on a custom design didn't make sense, but so many people blog for a career (hello dream job!) that I know custom designs are in high demand!

This isn't a paid review, I was just really excited about the little face lift my little corner of the internet received this week so thought I'd share in case any of you are interested in doing the same thing!

Cheers to the (almost!) weekend!

Happy Blogiversary!!!!

i just realized that today is the second anniversary of this little blog here. happy birthday blog!!!

it's been such a fun little hobby for me and has gone from being a little experimental food blog to an ongoing journal of me, that guy i like, and our little adventures.

so to celebrate blogging for two whole years, i'm off to buy some NON-ALCOHOLIC WINE!!!!! (it made this preggo lady super happy to discover that they actually made non-alcoholic wine).

have a wonderful sunday!

At Home Spa Weekend and a Delicious Chai Latte

husband and i had a pretty stressful week last week. everyone has them. this one just came out of nowhere and took us both by surprise. we ended up canceling a planned trip back to spokane and instead decided to do a little at-home r-and-r.

i created a spa weekend itinerary complete with yoga, long walks, pedicures, massages, books and healthy meals we cooked together to help us get back on track. the best part...since it was an "at-home" spa weekend, the only money we spent was on groceries and supplies we needed to make it feel as "spa-like" as possible.

it was awesome.

husband and i split up being in charge of the meals, each taking on one breakfast and one dinner. as you may have guessed, i needed a little outside inspiration from some of my favorite blogs out there. i kept it simple for breakfast...a little granola, yogurt and some fresh fruit but then for dinner, got inspiration from one of my favorites, deb over at Smitten Kitchen and made her cold rice noodles with peanut lime chicken. so good! i didn't take any pictures, but click on the link for the recipe and her  beautiful photos!

on saturday we made sure to get porter some r-and-r too. we filled him with doggy treats and lots of excercise at the dog park and long walks around our "neighborhood" (aka apartment complex).

instead of going out for coffee on sunday morning, i found the best recipe over at sprouted kitchen for a spicy chai latte. this was amazing and so simple to make. and while her husband, hugh's photos are way better than mine, here are some photos of the process.

get the recipe and check out the beautiful photography over at Sprouted Kitchen!

In the Woods

Anybody up for a little murder mystery this May? 

Yes!

Good, because I am!

May's Book of the Month is In the Woods by Tana French. 

I'm hoping that this book is as good as last months...

Because, I loved The Birth of Venus and would recommend that book to anyone and everyone. 

Seriously. 

Go read it now. 

Thanks Amy for a great recommendation!!

A little side note...

I know that my food blog has been a lot less about food and a lot more about life, but with husband away, and only me to cook for, it seemed a little silly to make fancy schmanzy dinners just for me. 

So basically, I've been eating a lot of scrambled eggs over here, which is not exactly blog-worthy. 

Don't worry...

Husband is officially back for good tomorrow so the cooking will start right back up again!

Happy Wednesday folks!

Kitchen Musings...

A little Saturday morning kitchen musings. I promise I'll post a real recipe on Monday ;) 

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately, about food mostly. Are you surprised?



And I stumbled upon the Sprouted Kitchen. It's safe to say I've fallen in love with this site.

It is beautiful.

But there is one thing, in particular, that really resonated with me.

When husband cooks dinner...

Husband surprised me with dinner the other night. 

My Life in France...

Is my book for February! 

One month down on my "Read at least one book a month" 30 before 30 checklist. I'm so excited for this next book. Why? Well, it has been my dream to go to Paris. I've been to the south of France, but never Paris, and husband and I are planning a trip for this fall! (I can't stop smiling just thinking about it!)

I also, it seems, LOVE to cook. (If the blog wasn't a clue, I don't know what else would be ;)) I want Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook, so badly and I just never seem to stop and buy it. (Maybe I need to add buying that to my "30 Before 30" list...hmmmmm) I also LOVE the move, Julie and Julia (I know I'm a dork). But I have a feeling after reading this book, I'm going to want to watch that movie again!!

Spaghetti Squash Bowls

So, I've found a new food blog to follow that is perfect for my New Year's Resolutions!! She is all about making yummy, traditional family friendly foods, healthier. I'm sure some of you know about her and I've just been stuck in the middle ages over here, but if not, check out Skinny Taste. Her recipes are great and easy to follow and everything is waistline conscious!

I got this next recipe from her site and it is soooo good. I've done Spaghetti Squash before, stuffing it full of veggies, turkey sausage, and cheese, and it was delicious, but it was also time consuming and complicated. This recipe was so good and so easy to follow and if you have a little patience to let the squash roast, you will enjoy it just as much as me and the hubster did the other night. It also made a TON of food for two people, so we were extra excited that we'd get to enjoy some leftovers :)

This is also the perfect dish for any of you Atkin's loving peeps out there who are missing pasta, because it's low in carbs and low in calories!

Hurry up and make this for dinner, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Spaghetti Squash Bowls

Original Recipe at Skinny Taste

1 spaghetti squash

1 c marinara sauce (homemade or your favorite store-bought)

1-2 grilled chicken breasts (1 was plenty for the hubby and me)

1/2 c mozzarella

2 tblsp shredded parmesan

2 cloves garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut your spaghetti squash in half and season salt and pepper. Roast in the oven 45-60 minutes or until the sides of the squash are easy to push in (careful they'll be HOT!!).

While the squash is roasting, grill your chicken (season however you like. I like to use a mix of salt, pepper, garlic and Italian seasonings). Remove from oven and slice.

When the squash is read, pull out of the oven and pull the meat of the squash into the center (it will be stringy like Spaghetti!). Mix garlic in with your squash and top with grilled chicken breasts. Pour spaghetti sauce on top of the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Put back in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Enjoy!

Nothing Goes Better Together...

Than a nice glass of wine and a good book!

Unfortunately, one of my new year's resolutions was to only drink on holidays. I figured there's probably at least one legitimate a holiday each month worth celebrating, which would allow my body to detox and hopefully lose some extra poundage I've gained in recent months.I gained the marriage 15! YIKES!

But, more importantly, another one of my New Year's Resolutions was to read at least one book a month. I love reading. I used to be (used to being the key thing here) be quite the avid reader, but with work, and life and TV and the internet and everything in between, books got lost. So, I'm starting fresh, and my goal is to read at least one good book a month.

Which mean, lucky for you guys, I'm going to share what I'm reading each month! Maybe it will give you a good book suggestion, maybe you'll see what I like to read and send me some suggestions. I'm all ears!

This month, I'm pretty excited to start this book my friend Morgan shared with me. It's Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn...I'm starting it tonight, so I'll let you know how it is!

If you have suggestions, send them my way and if you've read the book, don't spill the beans!