::celeb:recipe::

Well ~ I am a little upset at the moment, lately when I have been using blogger on my laptop, alot of the time my entire blog entry will disappear. Which is uber disappointing, because then I have to retype everything. And sometimes I write witty and clever things and then can't for the life of me, remember them! Ugh. So, today ~ surprisingly enough, is quite mild & it's pouring rain, which is peculiar for this time of year, the last day of November.

And once again, I feel quite crappy. I woke up at 4am from a coughing fit and non-stop itchy nose. So I have been up since then. I needed something hot to drink and I also didn't want to wake my boyfriend up since he has to go into work.

So now, he is up and off to work and I am in bed, perusing magazines, watching Food Network, listening to Christmas carols and typing this while lying down, tissues in hand along with tea.

It's quite a gloomy day out there, quite dark. I am having difficulty adjusting my eyes to the screen. Lol.

Anyways...I decided to start this day off with a recipe. A celeb recipe, actually.

I found this recipe in the December 2010/January 2011 issue of People StyleWatch {it's actually thick! And if you didn't already know, Zoe Saldana is on the cover}.

If you want to check the actual recipe out in the mag, it's on page 219.

It's getting to that time of the year where houses all across the world are going to smell like vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate and everything that would remind someone of Christmastime.

I will definitely be trying these cookies in the future and have them at the ready during get togethers over the holidays. So here you go! The miniature baking recipe of the day. :)

Bon Appetit!

Lauren's Holiday Cookies!

The stylish celeb shares a delicious family recipe.

Try it as a thoughtful and inexpensive gift!

Lauren: "I love making my Mom's eggnog cookies! When you give a homemade gift, it really is more personal!"

Eggnog Cookies
Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp + 1 tbsp. ground nutmeg

1 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup salted butter, softened

1/2 cup eggnog

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

Directions

Preheat oven to 300F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinammon and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer to form a grainy paste. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks. Beat at a medium speed until smooth.

Add the flour mixture to the eggnog mixture, and beat at a low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.

Drop by rounded teasponsfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Sprinkle lightly with 1 tbsp. nutmeg. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.

Immediately transfer to cool, flat surfacce with a spatula.

 

There! It's a rather simple recipe, especially for someone who isn't a baking expert.

You can also probably add icing to the top if you'd like or add crushed nuts to the recipe if that's what you fancy.

But it does sound like a deeeelish cookie recipe and probably one to make the whole house smell positively heavenly. :) Hope you enjoyed!

 

Ps. Round 2. Let's hope this blog article doesn't disappear. ;) Lol.

-S.*

 

(Source for Images: Google)

::oohh:another:recipe::

Another recipeee for you guys!

This one is one that I haven't tried and I'm a little hesitant to try it; reason being, when watching professional chefs on shows like "Hell's Kitchen" with Gordon Ramsay ~ they tend to mess this dish up more then anything. So if they can't do it, whose to say I can?? Lol.

But anyways, you won't know if you don't try and if you keep practising...well, practise makes perfect. ;)

There are different variations that you can do with this dish ~ this one just appealed to me more then one that included peas, lol.

Let me know what you guys think of this dish, if you've tried it, or if you have any tips or hints on how to make it the best possible. Please share in the comments section!

Bon Appetit!

Green Bean & Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

1 pkg dried mushrooms

1 cup (250 mL) hot vegetable stock

2 tbsp (25 mL) butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 minced clove of garlic

1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

1 cup (250 mL) arborio rice or short grain Italian rice

1/3 cup (75 mL) dry white wine or vegetable stock

1 cup (250 mL) green beans, cut

1/4 cup (50 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

In bowl, soak mushrooms in 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon; chop and set aside. Strain soaking liquid into measuring cup; add stock and enough water to make 3 cups (750 mL). Set aside.

In large shallow saucepan, melt 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the butter over medium heat; fry mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Add rice, stirring to coat. Add wine; cook, stirring constantly, until no liquid remains. Add 1-1/3 cups (375 mL) of the stock mixture, 1/2 cup (125 mL) at a time and stirring after each addition until completely absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Add beans. Add remaining stock mixture, 1/2 cup (125 mL) at a time, stirring after each addition until completely absorbed and rice is creamy and tender, another 10 minutes. Stir in cheese, parsley and remaining butter.

-S.*

(Source: http://www.canadianliving.ca/ - surprise! Lol.)

::recipe::

This is going to be a super duper fast recipe that I am going to post up here for you guys. It's very simple and very heart-healthy {and waistline healthy too ;)}.

This will probably take you only two seconds to make and you can store it in your fridge for a few days and have it as a snack or a side dish for lunch or dinner.

This recipe was taken from 1001recipe.com and the main ingredient and star of this recipe is beans and corn. ;)

Bon Appetit!

Source: seriouseats.com

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Quick and flavorful southwestern salad that makes a great potluck dish. It is also very healthy and packed with iron, fibre and vitamin C.

Ingredients

Black beans: 1 can

Corn: 1 can

Cherry Tomatoes: 1 cup (or 2 medium tomatoes), diced

Fresh cilantro: 2 tbsp, chopped

Fresh lemon juice: 2-3 tbsp

Olive oil: 1-2 tbsp

Salt and black pepper: to taste

Cayenne pepper: 1/4 tsp (optional)

Directions

1. Drain the corn and beans and rinse in cold water.

2. Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl.

3. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Yup...that's right. That's it! Lol. Told ya it was quick!

It's very important to drain and rinse the beans to take all that excess sodium and starch off them.

I'm also not a huge fan of cilantro ~ if you guys aren't either, I am sure you can substitute the herb with another one or omit it all together.

Sometimes I like to thinly dice some celery, carrots and red onion and throw that in the mix as well. I also thought of another great ingredient to throw in as well ~ diced avocado! :)

And another option for the dressing is to use red wine vinegar instead of the lemon juice, or balsamic vinaigrette.

Hope you guys enjoyed ~ let me know what you think of it!

-S.*

::beauty::

Oh wow. This next photo is absolutely beautiful and will use this as my "photo of the day". It's absolutely gorgeous and has an unearthly semblance.

The model is Bella Barber.

-S.*

(Source: Rosalinde @ TFS)

::case:of:the:mondays::

Well, my cold still hasn't gone away, whatsoever, in fact; it's gotten worse.

Why you ask? I really don't know. I am contemplating on making an appointment with my doc and see if I need antibiotics or anything like that. I just have a wicked cough and feel very congested. I'm also pretty warm which leads me to believe that I may have a fever. But who know's. I dragged my a$$ into work to do some stuff but boy, do I regret it. I feel so lousy, it's not even funny.

I just decided to share my story about this with you guys. Lol. It's pretty darn cold out here as well! No more snow since Friday but it's supposed to rain/snow tomorrow and the day after. So I am looking forward to that.

My weekend consisted doing alot of nothing.

Me and my boyfriend lounged about the entire day yesterday, which was really nice. He played PS3 and I read books and perused the internet for blog idea's.

I actually started reading a really interesting cookbook that I think I will share with you guys in another blog post. I really love reading cookbooks and getting different idea's from different celebrity chefs. Doesn't necessarily have to be celebrity chefs though ~ I have a couple great books from people that aren't on the Food Network or are personal cooks for the stars.

I decided that I will share with you guys an editiorial.

I need to blog as much as I can during the week since my weekends are so jampacked.

It's also alot easier to post as well whilst in bed, tissues and tea in hand with the laptop on me while I sneeze and type away. Lol.

Here is an editorial that was published in a November 2010 issue of Vogue Nippon. Photographer Raymond Meier captures Hungarian beauty Eniko Mihalik wearing some of this upcoming Winter's fabulous peices. Makes you feel all warm & fuzzy inside.

Let's hope this is faux fur - but with designers these days, you never know.

It is a clothing edit but it can also pass for a beauty spread as Eniko exudes sultry beauty.

 -S.*

(Source: Marylinn @ TFS)

::snow:and:such::

Wow! You guys get a post from me on the weekend! Who'da thunk it?

Well, I decided to post...I cleaned up quite a bit around my lil apartment and I was on a roll. Until some of my favorite wine glasses shattered...they fell off the dishrack. THREE OF THEM!!!!! That saddened me so I am putting cleaning on hold at the moment.

Right now it's snooooooowing! And like, crazy snow! So pretty! Yesterday it didn't stick or anything at all. Today it's stickin! Lol.

My poor boyfriend, he works at a job where the weather affects business highly and he is working crazy hours all the time. Poor man is sleepy half the time when he gets off work. But it's good for the business! ;)

So I just concluded some online shopping not very long ago...and plan on doing a little bit more afterwards. :) Muahaha. Have my little paws on my bf's visa. :P

Anyways...hopefully everyone's week was fabulous!

The weekend should be even more fabulous. I think I might post up a few edits and a recipe. Depending on the day and what's going on.

I still have the bathroom to clean (bleh!!) and I want to go out and purchase a hand vac. There are little spills here and there and a hand vac would be convenient.

Our big old boat of a winter beater car is officially on the road. :) So that's exciting news as well. Ahh...pretty winter.

Valentina

-S.*

::shhh::

Aline Weber

-S.*

::first:snow::

Oh no...I wrote a whole blurb on here not too long ago and my laptop decided to freeze up on me and lose all that I had written.

Well, I am at home today ~ in bed. My miniature coughing fits and difficulty swallowing food or drink has decided to go into a full blown cold.

I tossed and turned all night so I wasn't able to get much rest and figured it wouldn't be too good of an idea to go into work and push myself to the brink and get something more icky like strep or pneumonia (bleh!).

So I am in bed, under my warm and comfortable blankets (my boyfriend must be jealous), blogging away, about to make some tea, listening to Sting and have the Food Network on in the background {French Food at Home is on right now with Laura Calder ;)}.

And, as I glanced out the window, to my surprise I have just seen my first snow! It hasn't technically been the "first" snow, but it's the first one I have seen this year thus far.

And it's pretty.

Nothing like being warm in bed and watching snowflakes delicately dance upon the air, until the wind picks up. Then they furiously kick up a storm. Lol.

I had written about Sting...and how I love his music...but now I can't even seem to remember what I actually wrote, except that around this time of year I listen to him alot more, especially his Christmas album that he released last year that my Mom told me about. He had been making a tun of appearances on morning shows and whatnot to preform his first hit single "Soul Cake", which I love...although it drives my boyfriend crazy because I leave it on a perpetual loop and then the song gets stuck in his head. At least it's a good one. ;)

Not to mention I also love The Police. But it's finally beginning to feel a little bit more like Christmas here in Canada...and here in my heart. As I couldn't get into the spirit.

I unfortunately won't be able to spend it with my family either, as they will all be in California and I will be in Canada, freezing my a$$ off!

Anyways...I perused through my archive of editorial photograph's and stumbled upon one edit called "Brand New Day" when Sting's song "Brand New Day" came up on my iPhone. So I figured I will probably post that editorial first for today.

I hope to post as much as I can, as I am bedridden temporarily. And then I may hit the hay and take a nappy later on. And hopefully feel good enough to have a girlfriend of mine over and catch the Leaf game with my bf.

We will take it all in stride.

Oh, I have a question though too...what are all you guys going to wear for your Christmas parties? I am stuck as to what I will wear. Hmm...tricky tricky.

-S.*

::recipe::

It's recipe time!

My Mom makes these every Christmas for our borsch. Except we aren't allowed to eat meat during that time so she stuffs it with mushrooms. Still super delish.

I never knew that these were called cappelletti! We call them something different in Polish (that's my background).

This is from the Canadian Living website and I saw this recipe and my mouth started to automatically salivate!

Anyways, here is the recipe.

Bon Appetit!

Cheese Cappelletti with Asparagus Sauce

Put Spring on your table with cappelletti (stuffed hat-shaped pasta) and asparagus. Saffron in the dough adds colour and fragrance. In a pinch, use wonton wrappers instead of the homemade dough.

This recipe makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

1 lemon

1 lb (454 g) asparagus

2 tbsp (25 mL) butter

1/4 cup (50 mL) finely chopped shallots

1/4 cup (50 mL) whipping cream

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1 pinch pepper

Saffron Pasta

1 pinch saffron threads

2 cups (500 mL) all purpose flour, approx

3 eggs

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

Filling

3/4 cup (175 mL) ricotta cheese

1/4 cup (50 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh parsley

1 egg yolk

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1 pinch pepper

1 pinch nutmeg

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Google Images

Preparation

Saffron Pasta: In small bowl, crush saffron with back of spoon; mix in 1 tbsp (15 mL) hot water. Let stand for 5 minutes.

On flat surface or in bowl, mound flour. Using fingers, make well in centre; add saffron mixture, eggs and salt. Using fork, beat egg mixture, gradually incorporating flour around edge, until soft dough forms. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Wrap in plastic wrap; let rest for 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to two days; bring to room temperature before continuing.)

Filling: In bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, parsley, egg yolk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Cut yellow part of rind from lemon; cut into fine strips. Squeeze 1 tbsp (15 mL) juice from lemon. Set aside.

Snap off ends of asparagus. With vegetable peeler, peel bottom half of each spear. In saucepan, bring 4 cups (1 L) salted water to boil; cook asparagus, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup (125 mL) cooking liquid. Chill under cold water; drain. Cut off top halves and reserve. In food processor or blender, puree bottom halves with reserved cooking liquid; strain through sieve, reserving liquid.

Divide dough into quarters; cover. Working with 1 quarter at a time, press into disc; dust with flour. Using pasta machine or rolling pink, roll out to second thinnest setting into 35- x 6-inch (89 x 15cm) strip. Repeat with remaining quarters. Let rest on lightly floured surface to dry slightly for 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Cut each strip into 3-inch (8 cm) squares.

Wet edges of squares with water; place rounded 1 tsp (5 mL) filling on centres. Fold 2 opposite points over filling to make a triangle without aligning points; pinch edges to seal. Cross remaining 2 points, one over the other; pinch to seal. Place on floured tray. Repeat with remaining squares.

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook cappelletti until tender but firm, about 8 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, in skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat; cook lemon rind until translucent, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove rind and set aside. Add shallots to pan; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add reserved asparagus tips; heat through. Stir in reserved lemon juice. Serve with cappelletti; garnish with lemon rind.

{This recipe requires a bit of elbow grease, but I have no doubt in my mind that it tastes absolutely delicious. Let me know what you guys think of this recipe! :)}

-S.*

::quote:of:the:day::

"At the time, I felt like I didn't want to be the weak one who admitted being bullied. But you will always feel much better if you get it out there and it's dealt with. Bullies make themselves feel good by making someone else feel bad. It shouldn't happen, full stop."
~ stunner Cheryl Cole

I am pretty sure that Cheryl Cole now has the last laugh.
This quote was taken from MSN.ca and the photo was taken from cherylcole-online.net.

-S.*

::vacation::

Ahhh...when it gets super cold out and the snowflakes begin to appear you begin to dream of beaches, warm sand, cool water and lots of sunshine.

Alas, Winter in some places can be dark, freezing, melancholy and...you just want to sleep!

But we can't go into hibernation mode and alot of people get out of the office and out of their cold countries and try and get their hands on a slice of Summer through vacationing means.

Where would you guys go on vacay?

I think I would go and visit my parents in Cali. ;)
It's where it's at, but then again there are alot of gorgeous places out there that provide the same thing. I don't know why I am rambling except to segue into our photo of the day.

Anne V. Source is unknown. But it makes me want to book a flight to a tropical island and soak up the sun.

-S.*

::love:stoned::



Lara Stone



-S.*

::when:darkness:falls::

"I'm in the shadow's in the corner of my room..." - Kid Cudi {Maniac}

Candice Boucher by Kenneth Willardt for A#46

-S.*

::side:dish::

This is a great little side dish that I found on the Food Network Canada website. I actually saw the episode on TV as well . The chef who prepared this dish is Chuck Hughes in the highly acclaimed show, "Chuck's Day Off".

This is a refreshing, palette-cleansing, healthy alternative to another other carb-y side and would go great with something super meaty. :)

Hope you guys enjoy and let me know how yours turned out, or if you have any other delicious alternatives.

Bon Appetit!

Chuck's Green Salad

Yield: 4 side salads

Dressing: 500 mL

Ingredients

Salad

1/2 English cucumber

Handful of blanched green beans

Handful of shaved fennel

4 blanched asparagus

Handful of arugula

Handful of nicoisse

Small handful of raw cabbage

8 endive leaves

1/2 Granny Smith apple

Salt

Ground pepper

Dressing

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Maple Syrup

1 tablespoon red balsamic vinegar

500 mL canola oil

Directions

Salad

Make sure you give all your veg a good rinse.

Cut the English cucumber in half lengthwise. Leave the skin on - it adds loads of vitamins, great colour and a nice crunch. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds, and then cut the cucumber into thin, two-inch sticks.

Toss in your blanched green beans. I like to leave them whole.

Shave a handful of fennel.

Slice your blanched asparagus into thin, 2-inch sticks.

Add a handful of arugula, and a handful of nicoisse or frisse lettuce.

Finely slice a small handful of raw cabbage.

Peel off 8 endive leaves - toss them in as they are.

Slice half a Granny Smith apple into thin 2-inch sticks.

Season with a good pinch of salt and ground pepper.

Dressing

Whisk the Dijon, maple syrup, red balsamic vinegar and canola oil together.
Season to taste.

Leftovers can be kept for a few days in a sealed jar in your fridge. Just be sure to give it a good shake before using.

-S.*

(Source: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/healthy/recipe.html?dishID=10075)

::cover::

This cover is only exclusive to subscribers for Harpers Bazaar US - the December 2010 issue featuring Katy Perry.

It's a pretty awesome cover, reminds me of Christian Dior inspired runway makeup.



-S.*

(Source: TFS)

::quote:of:the:day::

Now this actress isn't my most favorite, I was just perusing through the latest issue of Glow and came upon this quote, which is obviously very true. It's nice to see actresses that are humble and tell it like it is.



"I've never been a size zero in my life. I say if you want to eat the cookie, eat the cookie!" ~ Rosario Dawson
(Photo Credit: rosariodawson.net)



-S.*

::canadian:roots::

Now, I never was a fan of this store initially. I thought it was ridiculously expensive for just some type of hiking country-looking gear.

I mean, a sweater for $180? Come on.

But I have come to the realization that the quality of their clothing is out of this world. And I just found this out over the weekend. I will segue to the point with a little story. ;)

A few weeks ago, me and my boyfriend were watching Leaf Pre-Game interviews on TV and there was a Toronto Marlie on there that was wearing a wicked sweater with a Toronto Maple Leaf logo. It was an awesome sweater and my bf loved it beyond anything. We went to the store in our little dinky shopping mall to pick one up...unfortunately these sweaters and other Roots TML merch is exclusive to only Toronto or cities closely surrounding the T.Dot.

I went over there over the weekend to visit my hairstylist extraordinaire sister and we popped by the Roots store there to check it out. Luckily enough, I found it! It was the first thing you saw as you walked through the doors. I unfortunately didn't have enough time to look through more of the store but they have some awesome stuff there! So I decided to shop online. :)

I checked the website out and found a bunch of awesome stuff that would look great on ANYone.

I decided to pick out a few of my favorite duds and share with you. :)

Love this Douglas Coupland Collection Signature Sweatpants that for go $72 CAD. It's a simple design yet funky enough to wear either to the gym or out and about.

I really love chunky knit sweaters and if you guys know of any stores that sell a tonne of them, let me know! I love oversized knitted sweaters too. This creamy-coloured knit Baconsfield Zip-Up Sweater that goes for $120 CAD is sure to keep you warm through those long and cold winter nights.

Another Douglas Coupland Collection Signature. This time being a tanktop ~ the colours that they have chosen to be paired with for this collection are funky and fun. This tank goes for $30 CAD.



Alright, I may be pushing it with this one, I haven't actually tried it on myself, but am sure it would be a hit and a great fit regardless. This Hudson Flannel Shirt is $58 CAD; but here's the catch. It's for men. I think though, honestly, that paired with an awesome belt, rolled up sleeves with great bangles, wicked boots with leggings...well, you'd be in rockin' style. Call it the flannel boyfriend shirt.



I love this scarf. It reminds me a bit of Burberry Prorsum, but you're not spending hundreds of dollars on a peice of fabric {no offense}, this awesome Roots Kilbarry Plaid Square is $54 CAD ~ and I personally think; worth it. It will make any outfit super sophisticated and stylish.

Another Douglas Coupland Collection Signature, this time a Tee for $40 CAD.

Okay ~ these next few items are only for the fans. ;) I saw this hat and HAD to have it. So I plan on picking it up next time I'm in Toronto - or even order it online. It's the official Roots Toronto Maple Leaf Argyle Earflap hat for a cool $34 CAD.

Gah! I saw this and I thought to myself, once again, that I HAVE to have it!!! I will have to save up my pennies for this hoodie as it's a little pricey ~ comes in at $128 CAD, this official Roots Toronto Maple Leaf True Zip Hoody has a nice Maple Leaf logo on the back and all those little blue spots you see are mini Canadian Maple Leafs in Toronto Maple Leaf blue. Looks super warm and adorable for any lady-like Leaf fan. ;)

This one is for the boys, the sweater that I picked up for my boyfriend over the weekend. This Men's Leafs Club Jacket {I think sweater} comes in at $148 CAD and is super warm and super stylish for any manly Leaf fan. ;)

-S.*

(Images are all taken from http://www.canada.roots.com/)

::recipe::

I have a couple of recipes lined up for you guys today ~ I hope that I can get all of them posted for you throughout the day.

This recipe I found on the Food Network Canada website.

It's something that I think I will try and experiment with since I have never tried any type of Asian-inspired soup recipes.

I love mushrooms as well so I decided to go with this recipe.

It's healthy as well which is always a major bonus in my books.

Try this recipe out and let me know what you guys think if you do and if you have any interesting substitutes.

Oh and PS, this recipe is from Ricardo Larrivee from his hit show on the Food Network called "Ricardo and Friends". He's an awwwwesome chef. :)

Mushroom Miso Soup

A light and tasty soup from Ricardo that is the perfect starter for a Japanese dinner.

Google Images

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4

Ingredients

5 cups water

1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms

2 tablespoons miso paste

3/4 pound assorted mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, enoki, king, lobster, button, etc.), thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red bell pepper, cored and diced

300 grams soft tofu, cut into cubes {I don't like tofu, so I would leave this out}

2 green onions, chopped

1 pinch salt & pepper

Directions

In a saucepan, bring the water and dried shiitake mushrooms to a boil. Remove from the heat and step for about 15 minutes. Add the miso paste and stir to combine. Keep warm.

In a skillet, saute the assorted mushrooms in the oil. Add the bell pepper and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the miso broth, along with the remaining ingredients. Adjust the seasoning.

Wow. I keep giving you guys simple and quick recipes!

See? You don't need to be a super experienced chef to make awesome delicious food. ;)

Oh! And one more thing...if some of you don't like tofu, I would suggest to add some mung bean noodles to the dish. Will definitely give it more of a hearty texture.

-S.*

::inspiration::

Hey Globetrotters!

Just wanted to say welcome to the newbies that have recently joined and have been giving me feedback through the comments sections. I really love reading all that you have to say. :)

I decided to write a little blurb ~ and a little thought for the day for all of you to think about. I am curious as to what alot of you have to say about this.

I was wondering what inspires alot of you ~ and not just in terms of fashion and style, but everything or anything! It could be from art to writing, fitness to health.

I need to write alot more about health-related things as I had promised in the beginning when I started this blog.

I know that alot of blogs out there are geared towards one specific thing, or just an array of many different subjects.

My passions in life though are fashion, fitness, health and food {and hockey but I don't think anyone wants to hear my views on that, lol}.

A few of my inspirations though are magazines, specific people or role models if you will. There is one fitness buff that I deeply respect and enjoy watching more then anything; Zuzana Light. You can catch her amazing videos and exercises on http://www.bodyrock.tv/. 

I am hoping to possibly get an interview with her and post it on here. I will keep you guys posted if that ever happens. Which would be amazing! If you guys have any fitness/diet questions then comment below so that maybe I could get some feedback from her and her boyfriend Freddy. 

I am also inspired by music and photography and reading other people's words and thoughts. There are a few blogs that I subscribe to in particular where I really enjoy reading their thoughts and just their day to day activities. It doesn't have to be immensely exciting, I mean, I don't really care reading about the party girls all that much and the socialites. I like reading about the more grounded people that have a cozy house and write about cooking and baking and just their thoughts on certain things. It's kind of fun to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes from time to time. 

Anyways, I was just curious what inspires you guys. What makes you super happy when you think of it and gets you motivated! 

Anyways, thanks for reading this and I hope to hear from you soon. :)

One of my favorite things, kicking back listening to music on the weekend with my boyfriend and a glass of wine to unwind. I am here playing around with my iPod. :)

-S.*

::side:dish::

This next recipe {side dish} intrigues me, I haven't ever tried it, and spinach was never my favorite growing up {I don't think it was anyone's favorite} so I never bothered playing around with it in the kitchen. I started to become more interested in it though when I tried a spanakopita here at my works cafeteria.

Man oh man, was it ever good! I wasn't a feta cheese fan either and this delightful stuffed puff pastry was a hit with me from the get-go.

I had my boyfriend try it a few weekends ago and he loved it as well!

Anyways...enough about that, that's not the recipe I was going to post here. The recipe I am going to post, that sounds appealing is creamed spinach. Yes ladies and gents, you may be thinking "ewwww" but I am thinking, "hmm, it may just turn out to be delicious!", so anyways, I haven't tried this recipe out just yet...but will when I make something that needs a side dish added to it {tonight I am making stew again, yum!}.

So anyways, enough of my rambling and lets get cooking.

Bon Appetit!

Creamed Spinach

This recipe makes four servings.

Ingredients

2 tbsp (25 mL) butter

1 clove garlic, minced

Half a small onion, diced

1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper

1 pkg (7 oz/198 g) fresh spinach, chopped {or you can buy frozen, but squeeze all the water out!}

1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried thyme
2 tbsp (25 mL) all-purpose flour

1 cup (250 mL) warm milk

1/4 cup (50 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Preparation

In large saucepan, melt 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the butter over medium-high heat; saute garlic and half each of the onion, salt and pepper for about 3 minutes or until softened.

In batches, add spinach and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes or until wilted and no liquid remains.

Transfer to bowl.

Wipe out pan; heat remaining butter over medium heat. Cook thyme and remaining onion, salt and pepper for about 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in flour; cook for 1 minute.

Reduce heat to low. Add milk, a little at a time, and cook, stirring for 3-5 minutes or until thickened.

Stir in cheese, nutmeg and spinach; heat through.

There you go! Simple! This is just a side dish so I will be adding more recipes on here later on and maybe even a drink recipe if I find out that strikes my fancy.

Let me know what you guys think! And if you have any requests or substitutes. :)

PS. From canadianliving.ca. ;)

PPS. Some people also like to add peices of bacon to this dish! Which sounds even better! ;) Who doesn't like bacon!? Except vegetarians...sorry!

-S.*