Christmas Host Gift

I got this adorable wine holder/ gift bag from a winery in Napa because I liked it so much and thought my family would too! Rather than spending money I don't have on wine that my step-dad can do a better job picking out, I went with a bottle of Chandon for my mom as well as fun cocktail napkins, 2 cheese knives that I made out of old wine corks and cheap knives AND fancy olives! 

Tie a cute gift tag on it and call it a day! 

Sounds Like Life

ENJOY THE RIDE!

Cross-Country Road Trip

I have always loved to travel. The majority of my "Bucket List" consists of places I want to visit and things I want to try there. I have been lucky enough to travel to some really amazing places on 4 different continents and I plan to visit the other 3 at some point in my life :) But first, I want to see where I live... I have been to embarrassingly few states aside from California and before I grow up and get married and have kids, I would love to take a road trip! I am pretty sure it won't be happening until next year, at the earliest, but maybe somebody else can have an awesome trip around the country using my ideas before then. If this does happen, you have an obligation to report to me about what I cannot miss, songs that inspired you, places to stay, etc!! 

First of all, it must be in an R.V. so we have the freedom to travel any time of the day or night and only one person has to be in the uncomfortable driving position at a time (although usually we will hang out with the driver!). Secondly, Greg and I need to go with a couple or just two fun people who will simply "go with the flow" because this is going to be that kind of trip. Plan on the go and do whats available in each state. For example, if there is a once a year carnival somewhere in the midwest... we are going, if there is a sweet country concert happening in the south... we are going! And I really love kids, especially babies, but this trip is NOT for them! Thirdly, figure out how long we can/will be gone and plan how much we can spend overall, break it down into days and decide how flexible that is. It has to be enough to enjoy local venues, delicious food, concerts, maybe a few hotels if they are one-of-a-kind type places, but also not so much that we could have gone to Europe, Australia or somewhere super exotic. 

Here are a couple musts I already know about:

• Play a fun song that pertains to each State we enter (and, per my sister's suggestion, we will play "Back to Cali" when we are re-entering California)
• Visit all National Parks and natural wonders and rock climb, hike or swim at the ones we can - Great site to keep you from missing out is: http://matadornetwork.com/trips/photo-essay-18-natural-wonders-of-the-usa/
• Grand Canyon, AZ
• Death Valley, CA
• Monument Valley, UT
• Niagra Falls, NY
• Mississipi River
• Zion National Park, UT
• Crater Lake, OR
• Old Faithful, MT
• Smith Rock, OR
• Mt. Rushmore, SD
• Drink with locals... everywhere :)
• Kentucky Derby (which is in May so this may be tricky!)
• REAL country concert
• Salem Witch Trial Tour in MA
• Famous specialty food places 
• White House viewing
• From a TIME magazine article I would like to visit "the Beer can house" in Houston, TX  
• From Forbes.com - I want to stay the Jules Under Sea Lodge in Key Largo, Fla and At Winvian Cottages in Morris, Conn. where you have a choice of 18 differently themed cottages (prob too expensive though)

Feel free to provide additional thoughts and suggestions as I plan this future trip! I will add to it as the time gets closer. 

Love

My mom has always framed chalk boards and kept them around the house. She writes special messages for special days and greetings and holiday wishes  for parties. When Greg and I moved out, I decided to take a piece of this lovely tradition with me and we hung one above our little fireplace. We write each other messages from time to time about dinner or a holiday wish, but this was the first time we interacted on the chalk board and it makes me so happy, I thought it was worthy of sharing so other people may be able to communicate loving thoughts  or funny jokes to each other as well. I wrote the top half and he answered below.....spread the love and cheer my friends!

The World is a Beautiful Place

My sweetie bf sent me this and I think it is really beautiful and a good reminder that its okay to be me!

Lunch Salads

I loved my salad for lunch so much a few weeks ago that I have decided to make it a staple work meal, at least once a week! I forgot to take a pict for you the other day. Its amazing because it doesn't get soggy at all if you layer it the right way, and the only thing I need to do in the morning is cut the avocado in half so Greg and I could each add it to our salads later in the day. 

In the bottom, I put balsamic vinaigrette topped with the sliced cucumbers, tomatoes (added a little salt and pepper there), mozzarella, thinly sliced red onion, rotisserie chicken from dinner the night before, mixed greens, spinach, herb and garlic pita chips. When you are ready to eat, just shake it up and add in your avocado! Enjoy a healthy prepared lunch at work :)

Essie Sleek Stick

http://www.essie.com/sleek/

These are so awesome and only $10.25
I easily put them on Saturday morning and they are still perfectly
in tact 4 days later after dishes, cleaning and laundry!

Caprese Stack

Nothing like Heirloom Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and an easy and delicious balsamic dressing!

(Balsamic Dressing: Olive oil, balsamic, crushed garlic, dijon mustard, salt and pepper)

Plaid and Fur

Gotta love the wintery comfy attire that I get to wear to my jobs! Leggings and baggy, yet flattering, layers with boots is my "go-to" style. 
This 'fit consists of black leggings with little button embellishments on the side calf area, shaggy tan super comfortable Steve Madden boots (got them on sale at Loehmans), gray and black Bourdeau long-sleeved shirt that has a lacey trim from Anthropologie, plaid colorful shirt I've had too long to remember where I got, fur vest also from Anthro and a bird necklace I love from Brandy Melville. I was warm and cozy all day and really liked how all the pieces came together! 

Leftover Filet

What should we do when we have a bunch of delicious meat left over?!? 

...Welll.... here are a few off the top of my head (most of them having a Mexican flair) that I contemplated doing, including:

• Fajitas
• Burritos
• Nachos
• Sandwiches on fancy bread with arugula and fancy cheese such as brie or manchego
• Added to soup
• Simmered with Thai flavorings
• Served over mixed greens with a light dressing 
• Cut up for a Caesar salad
• Laziest option: Serve with a side of Rice-a-Roni or pasta-roni
• My mom's choice: JUST EAT THE MEAT

Since it was Monday evening and I hadn't made it back to the store since my Sunday shop the week before, I wanted to use all my leftovers that were still good AND I didn't have as many options as I usually do :) Plus, we had used our remaining taco meat from Wednesday to make some amazing nachos the day before so I was trying to steer away from anything crazy cheesy since its not the greatest for us! So, I was inspired by a delicious meal of risotto and grilled chicken that one of my best friends (<3 you SUZ) made for Greg and I a few weeks ago. It was so yummy and I already had the meat ready, which is actually the part I don't love making all the time, so I rummaged through my fridge and pantry to see what I could come up with! 

The ingredients I decided to use were: Arborio rice, chicken broth, white wine, truffle oil, mushrooms, parmesan, basil, parsley, garlic, spinach and butter. 

To begin I heated the can of chicken broth (2 cups) and the white wine (1 cup) in a small pot over medium-low heat to ladle into the risotto gradually. 

Next, I heated the truffle oil in my Le Cruset over medium-high heat and added in a cup of rice which should get mixed around with a wooden spoon to coat all the rice in oil and cook it a little until it starts to just barely brown. 

Then I tossed in my cleaned and sliced mushrooms and mixed all of it around a bit before adding about a teaspoon of olive oil because I wanted to avoid any sticking, then I sprinkled with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and just start ladling the warm chicken broth and wine mixture into the rice and mix it all around. 

Let it simmer, stirring often, until most of the liquid is absorbed in the rice. Keep doing this until all the chicken broth and wine is gone and the rice is rich and slightly creamy but still has texture. 

While I was working on that, I got a small saucepan and melted some butter with minced garlic, basil and parsley and let those flavors meld for awhile. 

Just before the rice was ready I added some chopped basil. When the heat is off is when I add in my parmesan (maybe 1/4 cup?). 

I let that chill for a minute while I cooked spinach in a little of the butter mix and warmed up the Filet. Serve, topping the risotto with a little parmesan and the sliced meat with... you guessed it, the rest of the butter mixture!! It was seriously delish. 

Food Challenge - Wednesday and Thursday (Valentines Dinner)

Wednesday night was Tacos with sides of avocado, salsa and lettuce!

Thursday lunch was a little silly... my mama made me waffles the other day and I needed a little pick-me-up so I went for them today... because I don't eat breakfast which is not great for my desire to lose a few lbs. 

Thurday's Romantic Valentine's Menu

Grilled Shrimp in an olive oil, lemon, herb marinade

Heart Shaped Caprese Salad

Filet Roast served with potatoes and artichokes

Pictures and recipes to come :)

Homemade Emergency Kits

This is a Christmas present that I made and, ideally, I would have found slightly larger and more flexible little pouches for my Emergency kits for many of the ladies in my life. However, I was on a budget so I wanted to get the best deal and the most interesting cases I could find. These were purchased for $2 each from the Gift Center in San Francisco and worked out pretty well and everyone really seemed to enjoy their kit that I picked for their personalities. I use mine ALL the TIME and have received a lot of positive feedback about this gift. 

I went to Costco to purchase different types of medicine such as Ibprofen, Benedryl, Pepcid AC, cough drops, Zicam and Tylenol PM and alcohol swabs. I bought mini plastic baggies and earring backs from the Gift Center. I got mini tampons, listerine strips and mini floss/toothbrushes from CVS. And at Target I found the bobby pins, tweezers, a few mini mirrors (I tied them on the outside), bandaids with neosporin in them, mini plastic hair ties and regular hair ties. Lastly, I got these soap packets (they didnt fit and were gifted on the side) and tiny nail files from Pier One.

Then I just split everything up and was sure to label each different baggie with the drug, the mg and instructions for taking it. I also made a little checklist and note of what was included so people are able to keep track of when they need refills. Be sure to emphasize if you put any nighttime meds in there!

Here is what MINE looks like, which has the ideal pouch because I got this idea from a similar one that my boyfriend's mom got me for my birthday from Sephora, but I added all the meds and bandaids and whatnot. If I had enough space I would have included a lipgloss, eyeliner, sewing kit and mascara. Some people also received condoms and/or lighters :)

Nanny Style

Neutral Layers
Sometimes I just don't want to wear sweats to work.

This is the same skirt I wore over the Summer with my Pink and Turquoise, but styled much differently! 

Valentine's Nails

My nail polish supplies... I LOVE Essie

I just painted the light pink on regularly and then used the makeup sponge to fade the bright pink into it. 

I used a toothpick to make the heart on each ring finger nail. 

The Result! Will get better with practice, but I like how it looked overall... until I anxiously peeled it all off watching Revenge. Oh well, time to try a new Valentine's day polish :)

Second attempt with the same colors. Sorry for the terrible photography! Thats a little heart on my nail if you can't tell. 

Shirt Creating!

Look what I made out of a plain white t-shirt!!

 I wanted this design on a shirt for Valentine's Day, so I made it happen :)

I just drew it on a piece of white paper and then traced it onto the shirt with black sharpie after I cut it up how I wanted. 

Then, I cut the back up too and played around with it until it was how I wanted. I will put up more specific instructions later... OR you could pay me to make one for you ;) 

P.S. please excuse my PJs, it was Sunday!

Food Challenge - Monday and Tuesday

I was successful on the salads. We both agreed it was fun to have a yummy "free" lunch to look forward to that we knew was also healthy. Sorry I didn't take a picture :( 

Before I left for work I started the crock pot meal that I tried from Pinterest. It called for chicken breasts, brown sugar, pineapple juice and soy sauce. I added broccoli, onion and a few red pepper flakes and cooked it on low all day long. Our consensus for this meal that I served over white rice: good consistency and flavor of the chicken but overall too sweet of a meal for us. Always worth trying something new and easy though! 

Prior to serving our dinner, I prepared tonight's crock-pot dinner which is one that I kind of invented over a few different tries at making a version of this Thai coconut soup I get sometimes when I work in Berkeley. I would probably suggest not making your crock pot dinners two nights in a row because I should have had the night off of dinner last night, but I obviously didn't completely because I needed to prepare my ingredients again. 

I had all the different canned ingredients I would need on the counter next to my crock-pot and the chicken breasts ready to dump in on top of the cut veggies which I kept in a plastic bag in the fridge, readily accessible! This is what it looked like this morning before I dumped it all in to cook on low all day.

Ingredients:

2 cans of TJs coconut milk

1 can chicken broth

Abt. 1/3 of the jar of TJs Red Curry Sauce

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 4 today for leftovers)

1 large yellow onion quartered

1 bell pepper (just not green) cut in large pieces

A bunch of mushrooms whole or cut in half if they are giant

Green Onion, minced

2-3 limes with all the juice squeezed out (depending on how much you love citrus)

Some red pepper flakes for spunk

Pinch of Salt and Pepper 

Ramen noodles that I cook just before serving and put directly in our bowls, topped with soup!

Yummy!!

Money Saving, Meal Planning, Delish Eating Challenge

Week of February 10, 2013 I decided to make a meal plan for dinners and lunches for the whole week and to grocery shop accordingly, so as not to over/under buy. Basically, I am doing this because I really enjoy eating my home-cooked food and I need to loose a few pounds AND save some money because I want to move and go on a sweet vacation : ) First, I had to make sure I accounted for the days we would not be home for dinner and remember that I am never home for lunch during the week so I had to plan easy make-ahead meals that are filling and still make me excited about eating lunch! 

Sunday: Make meals plan, compile grocery list, go to Trader Joes, put away groceries, prepare dinner for this evening, prepare salad lunches for Monday, measure and prepare ingredients for crock pot meal for Monday evening. 

Sunday's meal included: Oven baked chicken, a pretty amazing margarita pizza + mushrooms and a healthy mixed green salad. I made enough chicken to give us each a half breast sliced up in our lunch salads.

For the chicken, I simply set boneless skinless breasts in a pan with cheap white wine (I used the cheap Trader Joe's Pinot Grigio), lemon juice from one fresh lemon, a little olive oil, onion flakes, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and some herbs de provence. Bake it in the oven at 375 for 30-35 minutes. 

For the salad, I used mixed greens and baby spinach together with cucumber, tomato, avocado and herbs and garlic pita chips crushed up with a Parmesan garlic dressing. 

While I was preparing dinner salad, I had the 2 salad containers for Greg and my lunches with balsamic vinigarette at the bottom and then put sliced cucumbers and tomatoes on top, then a few slices of mozzarella and set it aside until the chicken was prepared, cooled and sliced. Once that happened, I layered in the chicken, mixed greens, baby spinach and, of course, the "chippies" before easily stacking them in the fridge for a quick grab in the morning. 

For the Pizza, I used garlic and herb pizza dough from Trader Joe's and let it set on a little flour on my new Caphlon pizza tray to conserve space in my tiny kitchen. After about 15 minutes, I rolled the dough a bit before stretching it out a little by hand to make it the size and thickness of my preference. I then created a crust by rolling the edges and used a very light garlic olive oil brush over the whole dough and put it in the oven to crisp a little because I have had soggy margarita pizza before and its not my fav. Once it barely started to bubble I took it out and spread a prepared pesto on the entire center. Next I placed sliced mushrooms around, then sliced fresh mozzarella, topped by sliced heirloom tomatoes that received a quick balsamic vinegar splash along with salt and pepper. 

It goes into a preheated oven of 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. I then added a tiny bit of shaved parmesan and broiled for like 2 minutes but be careful not to overcook your pizza!

Since we each only ate 1/4 of the large pizza with the rest of our meal, I am eating the rest for lunch right now :)

Making Scarves for my Sisters

I was originally planning to give these to my sisters for Christmas, but I ran out of time since I crafted so many of my gifts this year. I saw the idea on Pinterest (per usual) and thought it was a great idea to give them something really cute and functional but also 
sentimental and fun. I had already purchased myself a white scarf from Cost Plus World Market a few years ago and knew it was fairly good quality and a VERY good price at just $9.99, so I ventured over there to pick up two more which I was very thankful that they actually still had in stock. Obviously, you could choose a different color that is light enough to show the sharpie or you could use a variety of marker colors to make it a little more funky, but I like the simplicity and versatility of white with black writing. Once I had purchased my supplies, I got started on finding quotes I wanted to put on them. Some of them are the same for each sister, but many are different so that they truly represent our relationship. My older sister and I grew up together and have always been close enough in age to be best friends so I incorporated some of our inside jokes and drawings once I realized how long it was going to take me to fill it all up! Once I compiled my quotes for her, I got started with my writing. At first, I tried to do it on the 
floor with a book under because I actually like to create things on the floor, but I quickly came up with secondary plan which included lining the coffee table with magazines so I could work on it more fluidly. Ideally, I would have had a longer table and cardboard of the same size covering the whole thing so the sharpie didn't go through. Regardless of the technique you choose, be prepared for it to take a few hours to complete this project! 

Here is how it was looking at about 3/4 done. I used a variety of lettering, bolding, sizing and a few drawings which I think make it look really cool, especially considering I do not have the greatest handwriting in the world :) 

I will share with you all what I ended up actually writing on her scarf in case it can inspire some of your own personal creativity. 

"More than a sister. Better than a friend. You're 'that person' for me. That person who knows the real me, my little quirks, and my true potential. The one who tell me how my place, my new lipstick and my jeans really look and then gives the best advice.Or knows when a simple hug will do. You're that person who understands me a little better (okay, a lot better) than anyone else because you know my whole life story. You're the one I can rely on no matter what. More than a sister, better than a friend. You're one of the most important people in my life." -Hallmark (That took 4 full lines)

" Sister to sister we will always be, a couple of nuts off the family tree." -unknown

"To have a loving relationship with a sister is not simply to have a buddy or a confident, it is to have a soulmate for life." - Victoria Secunda

"A sister is someone who knows everything about you and loves you anyway." -unknown

"She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child." - Barbara Alpert

"Sisters are for sharing laughter and wiping tears." -Unknown

DISTURBIA (we wanted to make a business of revenge called Disturbia :))

Look at the sky & smile (she would always say this to me when we were little and I was angry or sad, for some reason it still works!)

BFF (duh) Then I drew her an eye, a heart, and a U

"You can always tell when two people are best friends because they are having more fun than it makes sense for them to be having." -unknown

"A sister by blood, a friend by choice." - unknown

"An older sister is a friend and defender - a listener, conspirator, a counsellor and a sharer of delights. And sorrows too." - Pam Brown

Thank you for being YOU... the funniest person I know

"For there is no friend like a sister, in calm or stormy weather, to cheer one on the tedious war, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands." - Christina G. Rossetti

"I love you, you love me, we're a happy family with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Won't you say you love me, too?" Yup, from Barney

Bucket List

You truly are Amaze-balls and I'm lucky to have you as my big sister. Happy Valentine's Day 2013. Love, Courtney 

NOW ITS TIME TO MAKE AUDRY'S :) 

49ers Themed Dessert Kabobs

Sadly, the niners lost...but we still had some delicious dessert kabobs to ease the SF fans' pain! An idea I got from a Pinterest image. So easy. All I did was buy an angel food cake from Safeway and cut it into about 1 in. squares and put them all in a bowl. Then I cut the rinsed and dried strawberries into reasonable sizes and put them in a seperate bowl. I collected my skewers and got started. So that they looked pretty, I put the strawberry top through the skewer and then just layered on the angel food cake and strawberries. Next, I put them all in a single row and melted chocolate chips on the stove. Its best to use a double boiler, but I dont have one so I make do by boiling water in a pot and putting a second sauce-type pot balanced over so the steam and water melt the chocolate. No matter how you melt it, its best to stir it constantly and not burn it! Once its all melted you can just drizzle the chocolate over the skewers. For Niners flare, I added gold sprinkles. They were a big hit! 

Naughty Valentine's Day Treat

So I got this idea from Pinterest which was originally from http://www.recipebyphoto.com/strawberry-heart-poptarts/ and involved strawberry jam and fresh strawberries, but I thought I would make it even less healthy and use..... CHOCOLATE!

For Superbowl I purchased and thawed both sheets of puff pastry for the appetizer I made, but due to time constraints I was only able to use one sheet on Sunday. Poor me, I had to think of something to make for myself and my bf (again with limited ingredients, oops) that involved the delicious leftover puff pastry! Here is what I made with a preheated oven at 350 degrees. 

First, roll out the thawed puff pastry a little bit on a floured surface, I probably could have made this a little thinner. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray to keep them from sticking. Then I cut it into an even number of rectangles (you could make smaller ones for sure!) and decided which pieces matched up well! Next was using my little heart-shaped cookie cutter in the center of all the "lids" and putting chocolate chips evenly on the bottoms, leaving a border to seal the treats. 

Using a fork, press down repeatedly on all the edges to make sure the chocolate doesn't seep out in the oven. Typically, people use an egg wash to make the pastry a little extra pretty and browned but I decided to try out a melted butter wash :) It was good. At the last minute, I added the cut-out hearts back on top of the heart hole because I was worried the chocolate might burn. I put these bad boys in the oven for 12 minutes (depending on how crispy you like things and the size you make them, anywhere from 10-15 minutes would be good). Next time I may do a strawberry half in the heart hole. They smelled great and came out looking like....

Success!

Quick, Filling and Cheesy Lunches

As I was looking through pictures on my phone, I came to the realization that I have several unposted food images! I am obviously not the greatest at keeping up with the blogging, but I do think about it frequently and have a lot to share :)

Have random ingredients but want a tasty meal?! A chicken quesadilla never fails me. Literally all I had in my fridge was some leftover chicken from the night before, shredded cheese, an avocado, salsa, some jalapeños and a few tortillas... PERFECT! Start by slicing the chicken into little pieces. For a little extra spice, I minced a quarter of a jalapeño so I could sprinkle it onto my melty cheese. I like to make my tortilla a little crispy so I always start by melting a a thin slice of butter in the pan over medium-high heat and then hold the tortilla down until it almost starts to bubble up a bit (don't burn yourself!), then I flip, turn down the stove a bit and quickly add half my cheese and all my chicken and jalapeños, then add the remaining cheese on top. Close it up by folding it in half or adding another crispy tortilla. Either way, make sure you flip it as soon as the ingredients begin melting together so that neither side burns! Take it off as soon as both sides are nicely tanned and slice it up. I like to make my food pretty so I did 2 scoops of store bought fresh medium salsa on either side for dunking along with a little healthy boost of deliciously ripe avocados. Plus, you can never go wrong with a few green onions if you happen to have them in the mix (I regrow mine in a little vase of water to make sure I always have them on hand). Then you get to enjoy! 

MMmmm!!! I LOVE a super fresh sandwich made exactly how I want it... and this one was just like that! Trader Joes is definitely my grocery store of choice due to their fresh and well-priced produce, amazing sauces and condiments, as well as the plethora of interesting frozen meals and treats. That is where I purchased the cucumber, heirloom tomato, sliced sourdough bread, fresh mozzarella and Trader Joes Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce. My only issue is that I need freshly thinly sliced deli turkey because I really enjoy rolling the slices up and snacking on them plain. Recently, I have become particularly obsessed with Butterball Turkey from Luckys, which is featured here :) First, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees because, like I said, I like my meals a little crunchy! I used two slices of the sourdough bread and spread a tiny bit of butter on either side of each piece and sprinkled a very small amount of garlic powder on top (yup, for lunch!). While I baked that for a few minutes, I sliced and prepared the other ingredients so I was ready to spread the aioli and arrange the mozzarella and put it back in the oven to melt the cheese!! As soon as that was to my liking, I was ready to add my cucumber, tomato and turkey before squishing the cheesy breads together. Cut in half and be careful of the crunchy bread on the roof of your mouth!