::random:rambling::

I realize that I haven't been on here in quite some time and I have to divulge in something...I've been cheating...on blogger, I must confess.

I just can't help it...I really can't...

I am addicted to Pinterest!

I can sit on that thing for hours and hours! And I DO! I will go to bed at around 9:30pm and tell myself I will spend 15-20 minutes on the damn thing and I'll then glance over at the clock and quickly realize that I have spent a good 2 hours on the disgustingly enslaving web site. 

Okay, it isn't disgusting, it's preposterously satisfying. 

To be quite honest it can be inspiring. The images and quotes you come across can spark quite the floodgates of virtuosity in one's perception.

Basically meaning my so-called "writers/creative block" went out the back door along with those 2-3 hours of my life furiously click-click-clicking, pin-pin-repinning. 

I am not exactly sure why Pinterest makes me ridiculously jolly ~ but it does. I am going to chalk it up to the fact that it is my own virtual bulletin board of lovely things. 

I have my own bulletin board at home of inspiring, rapturous things that just make me happy but Pinterest you have on the go. 

Your go-to happy place in the palm of your hand, or in your pocket. 

Well, literally in your pocket, on your iPhone. 

Anyways...that is what I have been doing...cheating on you, Blogger. 

Anyways...

Yesterday I tried out a new recipe that my Mom had sent over to me from the blog The Novice Chef. And let me tell you, the kitchen never smelt so fabulous! Honestly...

Yum yum...my masterpiece!

Yea, that's the Chicken Caprese...yumyum. Four big juicy chicken breasts, some 2 pints of poppable grape tomatoes, 4 cloves local super fragrant garlic cloves, 10 giant basil leaves; finely chopped and some delicious buffalo mozzarella. 

On top of some "stringy" {spaghettini} pasta...which Travis dislikes immensely but he got over it as soon as this plate was put in front of him. Oh yea. ;) 

Healthy and delightful!

Well, more healthy if you don't use refined white pasta. Keep that in mind.

Tonight, I will be trying a new recipe from my new cookbook by Ali Larter, "Kitchen Revelry". 

Quite excited to try it. I have my go-to chili recipe that I make time and time again that I found a while ago on the AllRecipes site - "It's Chili by George" that is pretty much famous in the internet world and I have tweaked to my own liking but I want to try something different...so I will post this new recipe in a new post. :) 

Happy Monday! 

And welcome back, to me. ;)

Until Pinterest gets me back in it's grasp. 

-S.*

::happy:september:new:year::

Happy Name Day to Me!

In Poland we celebrate Name Day's...and today, the 26th of August, it's my Name Day! I am not going to get into it...but a lot of people have forgotten it's my Name Day and that is all I am going to say on the matter! Lol. 

Anyways...other than the month of May {because it's my month of birth...duh} I think my favorite month is September...or maybe it's October...now I'm not so sure.

But anyways! 

September is almost like, the New Year. I know that January IS THEE New Year but September is where all the magic happens. All the "Fall Fashion Fatties" come out, the new books are released, artists release their new albums around this time, designers come out with their craziest collections ~ things just *happen* in September. 

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that there is a *boatload* of cookbooks that are going to be released within the next few months...not all of them are going to be released in September but many of them will be along with announcements of their release dates. 

This is quite an exciting time! Not only cookbooks but novels that I have been waiting over a year to be released! GAH. 

Anyways...I now you guys are going to go crazy over these things too, but here are a few things that will be released over the next 2-3 months. 

Giada's Feel Good Food: My Healthy Recipes and Secrets - $21.95

Release Date: November 5, 2013. 

I love Giada....I really used to not like her, which may come as a shock to some people. Lol. She used to drive me bonkers when I watched her on TV but now I have a serious obsession. Probably because she shows me that you can love food, be crazy successful, a celebrity chef and totally fit!

{Excerpt Taken From Amazon}

Food Network’s most beautiful star reveals her secrets for staying fit and feeling great in this gorgeous, practical book with healthy recipes including nutritional information, and personal lifestyle and beauty tips.
 
Finally answering the question her fans ask most often, “How do you stay so trim?,” Giada De Laurentiis shares the delicious easy recipes and tips she uses to maximize energy and remain fit. Here are 120 recipes for breakfasts, juices, lunches, snacks, dinners, and desserts that can be combined into 30 days of delicious feel-good meals. So that everyone can enjoy these dishes, many are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and/or vegan, with helpful icons to call them out—and, for the very first time, each recipe includes a calorie count and nutritional analysis. Special sections delve into Giada's everyday life, including her beauty and exercise routines, how she satisfies sugar fixes, what’s always in her bag, and her ordering tips for eating in restaurants. With 100 color photographs, Giada’s Feel Good Food is a beautiful guide to staying on track while still eating everything and enjoying life to its fullest.

::paprika:shrimp:&:havarti:crostini::

In The Kitchen...

Something a little abnormal is happening in the fact that I am not too predisposed in trying new recipes this week. Don't ask me why, I am not quite entirely sure of it myself. 

Maybe it's just one of those weeks? Which is why I am grateful that I decided on making a large pot of chili the other night and I don't really have to put much thought into dinner this week. Although I must admit that I do have quite a hankering for crostini's and not your traditional run-of-the-mill Italian types that you must be thinking of. 

My Dad used to make the best types on baguettes when my Sister and I were growing up at home. They were on the freshest of breads, with just a tiny bit of butter, some mushrooms and mozzarella thrown on top and thrown into a toaster oven. Heaven! Of course I would massacre it and drench it in ketchup - but what else is new when you grow up in North America? 

Anyways...I think I might make that this weekend. 

As much as the boyfriend despises shrimp right now I am going to share this recipe with you *anyway* even though I might not make this anytime soon. 

Still, sounds ludicrously delicious. 

A little play on what my Dad used to make for us at home.

Bon Appetit!

Paprika Shrimp & Havarti Crostini

Prep: 10 min// Cook Time: 10 min // Yield: 24 Canapes

Ingredients

1 baguette

2 cups {500 mL} northern shrimps, cooked

1 tbsp {15 mL} orange zest

1/4 tsp {1 mL} ground paprika
1/4 cup {60 mL} fresh parsley, chopped
10 oz {300 g} Canada Havarti, sliced

Preparation
Preheat grill to medium heat. Cut baguette in half lengthwise. Mix shrimp, zest, paprika and parsley. 

Divide mixture onto baguette halves. Cover with Havarti and place directly on grill. Cook 5-7 minutes till bread is crusty and cheese has melted. Slice and serve hot. 

Tips - Cheese alternatives: Canadian Swiss cheese, Cheddar, Mozzarella. 

See how simple!?!
And come on, anything that has cheese on it is simply delicious!!!

Crostini's are absolutely amazing and you can add anything to them. 

I might just make an array of different crostini's this weekend and try a bunch of new things and share with you guys what I think. For sure though the mushroom one is at the TOP of my list. :) 

-S.*

::photo:of:the:day::

This is my photo of the day...

I get really excited for Christmas...like, realllly into it...but before I become quite infatuated with that holiday I get slightly fanatical about Hallowe'en. I am a Fall girl after all. I think it's the combination of it all. Autumn, the colours, the scents, the food, the whole she-bang...so before I start going Fall-kerrrrazy...which I am going to start doing even though it's mid-August I am going to take a moment and share a Winter-esque photo of the day. 

Now you may be wondering *WHY* in "SEVEN HELLS" {hahah, like what I did there Game of Thrones nerds?} am I doing this in the ass-end of Summer? 

Well...because last year nothing felt like anything...Hallowe'en didn't feel like Hallowe'en...Christmas came and went...it was really disappointing for me. I couldn't get into the spirit of anything and it really made me...forlorn. Especially Christmas...even though I decorated a bit earlier then usual I just didn't get drawn into the spirit of the season and this year I really want to do that. I want to bake, I want to share in the enthusiasm, I want to go to the parades, I want to dress up for Hallowe'en, I want to go to Fall fairs...I just want to participate in all of it as much as I can... 

I am not going to go ballistic in day to day life right *now*...like, whip out the Fall decorations just yet, but I will begin sharing some Autumnal recipes and pepper the blog with some Halloween'y things and Sugar-jar is in for some seasonal craziness for sure. ;) 

And Christmas won't start November 1st...but maybe the 10th... ;) 

Now, I am not by any means a "Winter" girl...meaning my body doesn't do well in cold temperatures. I am not sure what my parents were thinking when I was in my Mom's belly, they should have picked up on my telekinetic powers telling them to either stay put in Italy or move to the Caribbean, but anyways...

I think I might need to invest in a temperature controlled bubble this year ~ but I must admit that a wintery wonderland does tug at my heart strings every Winter season and I really do hope that Mother Nature doesn't do what she did last year, which was +11C all throughout December...

I want some snow on Christmas Eve/Day.

Nothing beats waking up to a blanket of snow and just how quiet and peaceful the world can be on a crisp Winter's morning that lie's dormant. 

This is only the beginning...

Just another day...and it'll be Friday soon.

-S.*

::lemony:chicken:&:orzo:soup::

In The Kitchen...

I wrote the other day that I began writing a post and than quickly deleted it...much of it was about feeling uninspired...and honestly, I can't seem to get out of my rut with regards to writing. It's like I have some sort of writer's block and all my writing is just a bunch of bullshit and I feel like cursing. 

It's all a bunch of monotonous garbage and even my vocabulary is hampered and insipid. 

Last night I tried to write a blog post as I sat next to our fireplace. We turned it on for the first time...who wouldn't feel inspirited? Cozied up under the blanket with my puppy, Travis watching a bit of TV, fireplace going, cool and crisp out there, knowing that Autumn is on its way...I mean? Why am I always drawing blanks?!!
Anyways, there is no sense in beating myself up now...I am even deliberating on deleting this blurb right here. I can't even effing type properly right now!!!

So I have been on the search for some Fall-isk recipes since it has been quite cool ~ this morning it's only +11C out there! 
But now I hear that this weekend we are supposed to get a bit of a heat wave...what is with you Mother Nature?!? 
Regardless, I am still going to share a recipe that I found. I was thinking of making it tonight but honestly, I can't be bothered going into the grocery store, yet again tonight...I am notorious for going into Zehr's {our grocery store here in Southern Ontario} on a nightly basis grabbing random ingredients and that really has to stop because I tend to just grab arbitrary things here and there also. I have been doing pretty good lately just going once a week but I also tend to get into these moods where I do plan my meals on a weekly basis and then I change my mind abruptly because I peruse sites and suddenly change my mind on what tonight's dinner meal will be. 

Who know's...I might do that tonight...either way...this is the recipe I'd like to share with you, sounds delicious, although my boyfriend isn't too fond of "too much" lemon, I think I will give this a try soon enough...I am not a fond of celery, but I will give this a crack either way. ;) 

Bon Appetit!

Lemony Chicken & Orzo Soup

Serves: 4 // Prep: 15 min // Total: 45 min

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved length-wise, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick

1 celery stalk, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick

12-ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup orzo

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Lemon halves {for servings}

Directions
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add leek and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 5-8 minutes. Add chicken and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cook, then shred chicken into bite-size pieces. 

Meanwhile, return broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes. 

Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken and dill. Serve with lemon halves for squeezing over. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Actually that didn't seem so bad. I thought that the recipe called for lemon within the cooking and not for an actual garnishing. So my boyfriend might not mind too much. 

This sounds like a delightful dinner for a cold night, like what it's supposed to be like tonight! Maybe I can convince Travis to make a stop at Zehr's. :P 

Instead of celery I might just add carrots instead since I prefer that, and we are both fans of leeks, so I am sure neither of us would mind that and instead of thighs I might throw in boneless, skinless breasts. Orzo sounds like a nice alternative to egg noodles too. 

And it's all in one pot, which makes for easy cleanup. 

Definitely something I am going to have to give a try soon. 

-S.*

::onward:&:upward::

I wrote this post yesterday as a means of motivation to myself...I was having a bit of a rough day and just been a bit down on myself as of late...I just need to move along a bit. Anyways, I wasn't really going to share, but I might as well. Who cares...it might help someone else get their big asses up off that couch and do something with their lives too. :P 

Then I will share some books that have interested me as I perused Chapters and Amazon...it's dangerous for me to go into that store or onto that site, seriously.