Happy Weekend!

I have lots of fun things lined up this weekend! Two of my best, and goofiest, friends from college (GO HOKIES!!!!!!) will be in town this weekend! They are HUGE Phillies fans so we are taking them to the Nats/Phillies game tonight for a good game that the Phillies will FOR SURE win :) It's going to be awesome!!

Then later on tonight we are heading to a birthday party at Clarendon Ballroom (sketch central)! Should be lots of fun!!!

eeeeeee i hope ya'll have the best weekend ever!

and some more GREAT news - my friends just got engaged!! Congrats to Ashton and Drew!!! :) yayayaayyaya!!!!!

Yogurt and Spice Chicken w/ Mediterranean Couscous

Yogurt and Spice Chicken with dipping sauce

(adapted from *here)

Ingredients

• Dipping sauce:
• 1/3 cup dijon mustard
• 2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• tsp paprika
• 1/4 cayenne pepper
• ground pepper
  

• Marinade:
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  Chicken:
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of visible fat
• italian/plain breadcrumbs
  

Preparation

1. For the dipping sauce, mix the honey mustard and sour cream in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. This sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients; set aside.

3. Cut each chicken breast into large cubes. Place the cubes into a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken, and close the bag. Then flip the bag a few times to ensure that all pieces are coated with marinade, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

4. Heat up a deep skillet on high and add the chicken, including the marinade. Once chicken is almost cooked, sprinkle breadcrumbs over the chicken and put it in the oven to broil on High for 4-5 mins.

5. enjoy!

Mediterranean Couscous
adapted from *here

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup whole wheat couscous
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Combine couscous, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Sorry for the bad, unedited pictures in terrible lighting! this meal is really so delicious and soooo super easy :) I hope you enjoy it! the chicken has the perfect amount of spice to it!

tip: if you like spice, add more. i did!

Dinner: Sundried Tomato, Basil and Feta Stuffed Chicken!

DELICIOUS :)
{adapted from *here}


Ingredients:
2 cups water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled reduced fat or fat free feta cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (I skipped this)
2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh basil (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°.

Drain and slice tomatoes into thin strips. Combine tomatoes, cheese, 2 teaspoons chopped basil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. (I added way more basil)

Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each piece to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Cut a horizontal slit through one side of each chicken breast half to form a deep pocket. Stuff 1/4 cup tomato mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Fold 4 (16 x 12-inch) sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil in half crosswise. Open foil; place 1 1/2 teaspoons butter on half of each foil sheet. Lay one stuffed chicken breast half on top of each portion of butter. Place 1/8 teaspoon grated lemon rind on top of each stuffed chicken breast half, and drizzle each serving with 1 tablespoon chicken broth.

Fold foil over chicken, and tightly seal edges. Place packets on a baking sheet (add a THIN layer of water to just cover the bottom of the pan so the foil doesnt burn). Bake packets at 425° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. Unfold packets carefully, and thinly slice each chicken breast half. Garnish each serving with 1/2 teaspoon sliced basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

I served this with orzo cooked to package instructions :)

Enjoy!!

On the Menu this week! 7/26/10

{*via anthropologie}.

i had a few extra minutes today to meal plan for this week! this is always my goal, but i always get sidetracked or end up doing something stupid like stopping at subway on the way home because i'm too lazy to go to the store.

not this week my friends!

foodie delights in store for this week are:
yogurt and spice grilled chicken skewers
corn and arugula salad
strawberry-and-arugula salad with crispy proscuitto
feta, herb, and sun-dried tomato-stuffed chicken
mediterranean couscous

my.mouth.is.watering.already!
i'll be sure to report back and let you know how they all are :)

no more paparazzi!

someone needs to take my camera away from me when im around my pup!
she is just so cuteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

A Monday Pretty for You!

{*via marthastewart.com}

i would give up a year's salary and my right arm for that beauty on the top in the bright yellow box....or for the one in the pink oval box with the pretty design. gaaaaaahhhh they say money can't buy happiness, but im fairly certain that a troll could give me one of those two rings and i'd accept a proposal. then i'd clearly pull a claire and break up with the troll and keep the ring.

Happy Summer Weekend!

{*via The Bride's Cafe}

wishing you a super fun (if you're in DC - SUPER HOT) weekend!!

ps - doesn't this couple look like they are having SO MUCH FUN!??!!? i love it!!!!

Love this: Cocktail Presentation

{*via design*sponge}

what an adorable way to present a signature drink at a party - a little whiteout/white paint to write on the drink pitcher - so cute!

Lindsay in Jail

{*via twitpic}

At one point, I admired LiLo. She had it all. I didn't even hate her red hair...and I DESPISE red hair.

Mean Girls is in my top 10 favorite movies ....who doesn't like a movie that says "is butter a carb?" - genius.

welp, she is now in jail for being an idiot....and I HIGHLY recommend following "lindsayinjail" on twitter because its fucking hilarious. sorry for cursing.

examples:

• This ho bag two cells over hasn't stopped humming "So Yesterday" since I got here! BITCH I CAN HEAR YOU GETTING FATTER
• FML the pink jumpsuit that Ali smuggled me just got confiscated. Don't they understand?? On wedsnesdays we wear pink!!
• Got off on the wrong foot with one of the guards. She said she was from Africa and I asked why she was white.

LindsayInJail

Unless your Ellen DeGeneres, this is NOT okay.

{*via the bride's cafe}

ok, i'm all about the guy bridesmaid in appropriate cases, but i can't quite figure out what is going on here? is this a girl that wont put a dress on? i can't tell.


call me a bitch, it's fine. i know i am. i am just confused - and honestly, this wouldn't happen at my own wedding. it looks too weird. put a dress on, or just opt to sit with the rest of the guests.

**update - just an fyi, that's not the "groom" in a lesbian wedding.

Chunky Tomato-Fruit Gazpacho

{ *via myrecipes.com - because mine looked the exact same :)}

Chunky Tomato-Fruit Gazpacho
*adapted from myrecipes.com
Yield: 7 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

2 cups finely chopped tomatoes (about 3/4 pound)
2 cups finely diced cantaloupe (about 3/4 pound)
1 cup finely diced mango (about 1 medium)
1 cup finely diced seeded peeled cucumber (about 1 medium)
1 cup finely diced nectarines (about 3 medium)
1 cup fresh orange juice (about 4 oranges)
1/2 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

this is a delicious, healthy, refreshing side dish! :)

Honey Mascapone Cheesecake

Got this little sucker at the Colby Hill Inn in Henniker, NH. hands down - the very best cheesecake I've had in my life. Did I mention that it has honeycomb on top!??! PRECIOUS.
I'm definitely going to try to recreate this bad boy!
*if you ever find yourself in this tiny, adorable, quaint little town - i'd stop in for a delicious meal!

A little bit of NH for you!

I'm back! this is a picture of a cute little boat outside Newicks Restaurant in Portsmouth, NH

New Hampshire!?

welp, i'm not quite sure how i feel about this one, but i am excited to see a new state! i'm headed off to Candia/Manchester, NH this weekend for a wedding (3rd one of the year!!) and i'll be back to report how this DC/MD/VA girl feels about up north. i have a strange feeling i wont be begging to move there any time soon - but cheers to keeping an open mind about visiting!

ps - who knew it was SO FAR AWAY? wish me luck. we're driving.

Brazilian Keratin Treatment: The final product!

whoa! completely forgot i took these pictures to show you guys! this was a day or two after i washed my hair for the first time in 4 days - it's so shiny, right?

here are a few pics of the result of the BKT treatment i got! the shiny, healthy look is sooooo nice, but i'm still not sure that the 96 hrs of dirty were worth it :)

did i mention that i have almost zero frizz? this.is.heaven!

and just because: here is a picture of my hair when its "curly" - i like it, it's wavy!!! it's different, and different is good sometimes!
(can you tell i got a bit of a tan in the time between the two pictures? haha)

I want this....Rings

aren't they pretty?

find them here at ThirtySixTen

New Flower color!!

here is one of my latest and greatest creations! i have a ton more to share with you! :)

Oreo Cupcakes!!!

Me and Michelle had a dinner for our friends the other night! We made my Peruvian chicken and had Oreo Cupcakes as dessert!

Pop over to Michelle's bloggy for the recipe and more pictures of these extremely delicious treats!

4th of July: Sundown

the sunset was gorgeous on the 4th of July - we had dinner on the water at Mackys!

Here are some pictures I took as the sun went down!
and BOOM: time to drink.

....and clearly it kept going as the night went on.....

Spicy Tuna Roll: Papi Style

Once again, Papi outdoes himself in the kitchen! This is his version of the Nobu Spicy Tuna Roll. I'd go as far as to bet that this is better than the original. seriously.

Ingredients to Make Tuna Roll

Cucumber diced in small spears

Avocado diced to size match the cucumber spears

Cut thin slices of Jalapeno (one per Tuna slice)

Cut slivers of Aji Amarillo (one per Tuna slice)

Cut thin slices of Tuna in 1W x 4L inch long cuts (long enough to be able to roll them around the avocado and cucumber)

Ingredients to make the Cilantro marinade

Cilantro

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Cumin to taste

½ of a lime’s juice

1 whole Aji Amarillo (you can substitute Aji Amarillo Paste)

Preparation

Let Tuna sit in Cilantro Marinade ½ hour

Roll Tuna around Avocado and Cucumber

Top with a Dollop of Wasabi

Place very thinly sliced Jalapeno on top of Wasabi (Cross cut in circle – shake of seeds)

Place thin slice/sliver of Aji Amarillo on top of Jalapeno

Enjoy!!!!!

Aren't they gorgeous?? aahhh, I want it again ASAP!

i'll leave you with this little nugget of Papi and his brother, my Uncle Oscar.....they are the BEST!

I'm back!!

Hi guys! I had just about the best beach vacation I could ask for! My parents and aunt and uncle were the BEST TIME EVER. seriously, it was such a blast!!

before i start blogging regularly again, i figured i'd leave you with this pic to keep you coming back for more! I'll post the recipe soon :)


* i love my papi for being a creative genius when it comes to the culinary world *

Happy 4th of July!

I am heading off to Bethany Beach with my family and friends and boyf for the weekend! I hope you all have the most fabulous holiday weekend! See you next Thursday! (YAY for a super long weekend!)

CHEESE

someone get this for me. it's amazing.

{via *Where the lovely things are by Kilroy and Maw}