Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Earlier this month I went shopping with my Mom. I was only intending on buying new dishes but ended up with a pair of shorts and a pair of pants as well. The dangers of Marshalls, ha ha! I had been wanting a couple new pairs of shorts to add to my Summer rotation and this pair by Splendid are perfect! They're a really soft linen blend and have the fun paper bag waist detail, just on a smaller scale. They do wrinkle fast so I look a bit disheveled in the photos, but what can you do?
Floral Tee: Urban Outfitters, Short: Splendid Arabesque Cargo Short in Antique Military Olive (Marshalls), Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Athanasia' in Croc (Moda Operandi), Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Natural Selection Mini Messenger Bag' (Saks Fifth Avenue), Sunglasses: Gucci, Necklace: BubuRuby
Alsooooo, for you ice cream lovers out there - I was introduced to a new brand this week, Art Cream Ice Cream! They sent me a couple of their ultra-premium ice creams - made with clean ingredients and certified organic milk and cream from a herd of cows in Wisconsin. The brand was founded in 2018 and they focus on happy cows, happy people, quality, community support and creating art!
The ice creams are produced in small batches in “normal" flavors like Chocolate and Cookies & Cream (their best-seller,) plus creative options like Saffron Honey Lemon and Cardamom; 9 tasty options as of right now.
What I love about this brand is the mix of art and flavor. Each flavor has a different container with a painting created specifically for that flavor profile. As a graphic designer I really appreciate this approach to packaging, it makes them so much more fun and unique!
My verdict: Both the Indonesian Vanilla Honey and Cookies & Cream were really good! I think the Vanilla was my favorite, super refreshing. I personally like a higher cookie concentration in cookies & cream but it was delicious as well. The ice cream is also nice & smooth, no grainy texture that you sometimes get with store-bought.
Select stores in CT, MD, NJ, NY, VA and DC - soon MA & PA - carry the brand for $8.49 a pint. I’ll definitely be trying some of the other flavors this Summer!
P.S. My ice cream scoop is the Midnight Scoop. I got it through Kickstarter 4 years ago, it's amazing!
Floral Tee: Urban Outfitters, Short: Splendid Arabesque Cargo Short in Antique Military Olive (Marshalls), Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Athanasia' in Croc (Moda Operandi), Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Natural Selection Mini Messenger Bag' (Saks Fifth Avenue), Sunglasses: Gucci, Necklace: BubuRuby
Alsooooo, for you ice cream lovers out there - I was introduced to a new brand this week, Art Cream Ice Cream! They sent me a couple of their ultra-premium ice creams - made with clean ingredients and certified organic milk and cream from a herd of cows in Wisconsin. The brand was founded in 2018 and they focus on happy cows, happy people, quality, community support and creating art!
The ice creams are produced in small batches in “normal" flavors like Chocolate and Cookies & Cream (their best-seller,) plus creative options like Saffron Honey Lemon and Cardamom; 9 tasty options as of right now.
What I love about this brand is the mix of art and flavor. Each flavor has a different container with a painting created specifically for that flavor profile. As a graphic designer I really appreciate this approach to packaging, it makes them so much more fun and unique!
My verdict: Both the Indonesian Vanilla Honey and Cookies & Cream were really good! I think the Vanilla was my favorite, super refreshing. I personally like a higher cookie concentration in cookies & cream but it was delicious as well. The ice cream is also nice & smooth, no grainy texture that you sometimes get with store-bought.
Select stores in CT, MD, NJ, NY, VA and DC - soon MA & PA - carry the brand for $8.49 a pint. I’ll definitely be trying some of the other flavors this Summer!
P.S. My ice cream scoop is the Midnight Scoop. I got it through Kickstarter 4 years ago, it's amazing!
Slightly behind in posting outfits, the joys of only posting twice a week now that I can only really take photos on the weekend and if I go to my parents for dinner. I wore this at the beginning of the month for a food blogger event at El Toro in Stratford, CT. I always have so much fun with all the food bloggers, we just chat and stuff our faces with tasty food!
I decided to wear my Disney tee from last year's EPCOT Food & Wine Festival for the occasion. I paired it with my suede jacket and ripped jeans to make it a little more funky. And yes, these sandals again. Whenever spring first hits I'm always drawn to wearing these more often than any other shoes because they're so comfortable.
Graphic Tee: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Passholder Tee, Jacket: Lauren by Ralph Lauren - similar (TJ Maxx), Jeans: Current/Elliott skinny jean in Love Destroyed, Sandals: Malu c/o Marshalls, Sunglasses: Chanel, Wedding Band: Sofia Zakia Altair Ring (Catbird), Engagement Ring: Custom Sofia Zakia Wandering Star Ring, Opal & Sapphire
Here's a look at some of the food if you missed it on my Instagram!
I decided to wear my Disney tee from last year's EPCOT Food & Wine Festival for the occasion. I paired it with my suede jacket and ripped jeans to make it a little more funky. And yes, these sandals again. Whenever spring first hits I'm always drawn to wearing these more often than any other shoes because they're so comfortable.
Graphic Tee: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Passholder Tee, Jacket: Lauren by Ralph Lauren - similar (TJ Maxx), Jeans: Current/Elliott skinny jean in Love Destroyed, Sandals: Malu c/o Marshalls, Sunglasses: Chanel, Wedding Band: Sofia Zakia Altair Ring (Catbird), Engagement Ring: Custom Sofia Zakia Wandering Star Ring, Opal & Sapphire
Here's a look at some of the food if you missed it on my Instagram!
This is what I wore a couple Saturdays ago to attend a blogger event at Brizo Fish in Rocky Hill, CT. Lydia and I met up before the event to take our photos before we were stuffed with food! I loved this historical blue house, such a gorgeous color! Made me want to change the color of our house, ha ha.
The house also matched my mostly blue outfit! It was supposed to be a little windy on this day so I broke out my favorite (and only) leather jacket. It has such a great shape to it and adds a cool factor to any outfit. You can shop the whole look, including the leather jacket below the photos!
Leather Jacket: Theyskens' Theory 'Juno' (Nordstrom Rack), Cashmere Sweater: Ellen Tracy (Marshalls), Jeans: Everlane high-rise skinny jean in mid-blue, Studded Suede Velvet Floral Embroidered Mules: Zigi Soho 'Emalie' (T.J. Maxx), Bag: Emm Kuo 'Calle Bahia' (Roundabout), Necklace: Indulgems Labradorite & Gemstone oval pendant necklace (Gilt), Sunglasses: Gucci
The food at Brizo was really good! We got to try a few of their dishes in tasting sizes. I'm mostly a shrimp and white fish girl, but they have so many great options! I even tried a mussel for the first time. There are also options for the non-fish eaters in your life. And if you love a good cocktail don't miss out on one of their themed drinks! I don't really like the taste or feeling of alcohol but I really enjoyed the Shipwrecked drink I tried. And if I like a drink, that's saying something! And make sure to get the chocolate raspberry dome, YUM!
The house also matched my mostly blue outfit! It was supposed to be a little windy on this day so I broke out my favorite (and only) leather jacket. It has such a great shape to it and adds a cool factor to any outfit. You can shop the whole look, including the leather jacket below the photos!
Leather Jacket: Theyskens' Theory 'Juno' (Nordstrom Rack), Cashmere Sweater: Ellen Tracy (Marshalls), Jeans: Everlane high-rise skinny jean in mid-blue, Studded Suede Velvet Floral Embroidered Mules: Zigi Soho 'Emalie' (T.J. Maxx), Bag: Emm Kuo 'Calle Bahia' (Roundabout), Necklace: Indulgems Labradorite & Gemstone oval pendant necklace (Gilt), Sunglasses: Gucci
The food at Brizo was really good! We got to try a few of their dishes in tasting sizes. I'm mostly a shrimp and white fish girl, but they have so many great options! I even tried a mussel for the first time. There are also options for the non-fish eaters in your life. And if you love a good cocktail don't miss out on one of their themed drinks! I don't really like the taste or feeling of alcohol but I really enjoyed the Shipwrecked drink I tried. And if I like a drink, that's saying something! And make sure to get the chocolate raspberry dome, YUM!
Since moving in together last May, Christian and I have been trying to be a little adventurous with what we cook. We do still have days where all we have is hot dogs or burgers or frozen pizza but cooking together is something we enjoy doing. Here are some of the meals we've cooked and the recipes if we used one.
One of the first weeks in our new house we did a free week of Blue Apron so we made 3 delicious meals! The rest of the time we've either looked up past Blue Apron recipes to make, checked out food blogs, like Budget Bytes, or experimented with what we had in the house. I have a pinterest board that I load up with recipes and I save recipes on the Blue Apron app that I want to try. We eat a LOT of chicken so we try to do it different ways.
P.S. Would you want to see actual cooking posts on the blog in the future? I'm trying to expand my blog content and it seems to do well on my Instagram stories.
Next comes the Rice-a-Roni. Most people just cook up the rice-a-roni using the box instructions. I add something a bit more special when we make regular chicken rice-a-roni. But it wasn't something I figured out on my own. Whenever I go to my Aunt & Uncles my Uncle makes my favorite meal - chicken and rice-a-roni. He has a magical way of spicing up chicken that I have yet to recreate and he does the same thing with the rice. We brown the rice in the pan with butter first (as the box says) then when adding in the water and flavor packet we add something extra. MORE SPICES! I'm not sure what my uncle uses exactly but his rice is always superior to mine. Usually I add cajun seasoning, chilli powder, garlic powder, and any other spices I'm in the mood for.
One of the first weeks in our new house we did a free week of Blue Apron so we made 3 delicious meals! The rest of the time we've either looked up past Blue Apron recipes to make, checked out food blogs, like Budget Bytes, or experimented with what we had in the house. I have a pinterest board that I load up with recipes and I save recipes on the Blue Apron app that I want to try. We eat a LOT of chicken so we try to do it different ways.
P.S. Would you want to see actual cooking posts on the blog in the future? I'm trying to expand my blog content and it seems to do well on my Instagram stories.
Blackened Chicken with Zucchini Rice, Corn & Cherry Tomatoes
This was one of the first Blue Apron meals I made years ago and remains one of my favorites so we remade it over the Summer. I'm not normally a tomato person but this side dish is amazing! This meal also gets me to eat zucchini, another vegetable I'm not horribly fond of. Blackened chicken, however, is always a Megan pleaser.
Greek Chicken & Quinoa Salad with Sweet Peppers
One of our "real" Blue Apron meals and it was great. I'm a notoriously picky eater but they continually get me to try new things. Peppers are on my "don't like" list yet they were delicious in this meal so now I'm more open to eating peppers in food.
Pan Fried Chicken
Separating this from the regular chicken and rice meals below because it's extra special! It took us -meaning Christian - a few tries to perfect frying chicken in a pan but we found the perfect method. It takes patience and an infrared thermometer. Temperature control is the key here, and using an IR thermometer is especially handy when working with Pan Fried chicken. The goal was to stay between 300° - 325° until both sides were browned and cooked through (165°). This was the best homemade fried chicken I've ever had and now I'm craving it again. We got a casserole/dutch oven for Christmas so maybe we'll attempt some deep frying next week!
Roasted Pork with Apple and Garlic Breadcrumbs
Another Blue Apron recipe we looked up when we had some random ingredients to use up. The garlic breadcrumbs, apple and pork were the perfect combination!Finishing it off with our staple vegetable made for a really simple, tasty meal!Crunchy Garlic Shrimp and Couscous
Made when my friend Hayley came to see our house. I had seen this garlic shrimp recipe in one of those Facebook foodie videos and immediately made a note to try it some time. You can't fully see the breadcrumbs here but let me tell you, they add the perfect amount of crunch. We devoured this whole thing of shrimp in minutes. The couscous is just Near East brand garlic & herb.Chicken and Broccoli Pesto Pizza
In the Summer and Fall the next town over (where I grew up) has a weekly farmers market. Every once in a while we'll treat ourselves to a DELICIOUS pesto from one of the stands. It's $8 but oh so worth it! We actually have one in the freezer for when crave it during the Winter. One of my favorite things to do with pesto is put it on pizza. More specifically chicken and brocolli pizza! Soooo good! It's also amazing on its own with bread.
Chicken and Rice-a-Roni
One of our staples is chicken and rice-a-roni, usually with roasted broccoli as a side. It's what we cook when we want something "real" but don't want to think too much about it. We grab a spice blend or make one of our own and cook the chicken in a skillet. Then we cut up some garlic (or use garlic powder if we don't have garlic) and roast broccoli until it starts to get blackened. SO GOOD.Next comes the Rice-a-Roni. Most people just cook up the rice-a-roni using the box instructions. I add something a bit more special when we make regular chicken rice-a-roni. But it wasn't something I figured out on my own. Whenever I go to my Aunt & Uncles my Uncle makes my favorite meal - chicken and rice-a-roni. He has a magical way of spicing up chicken that I have yet to recreate and he does the same thing with the rice. We brown the rice in the pan with butter first (as the box says) then when adding in the water and flavor packet we add something extra. MORE SPICES! I'm not sure what my uncle uses exactly but his rice is always superior to mine. Usually I add cajun seasoning, chilli powder, garlic powder, and any other spices I'm in the mood for.
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| Chicken, Garlic Roasted Potatoes and Rice-a-Roni |
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| Orange Glazed Chicken and Wild Rice |
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| Panko Crusted Chicken and Cilantro Lime Rice-a-Roni |
Budget Bytes Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Bowl
My brother's girlfriend got us an Instant Pot for our wedding and my brother suggested we make this as our first meal. It is a "throw everything in" and set it to go recipe which I love! All it is is chicken, corn, black beans, salsa and rice! We made this again last week and it was just as good. This week we're going to try the Slow Cooker Carnitas!Pepperoni and Caramelized Onion Stromboli
Christian and I love to make stromboli because it's like a personal pizza but more fun! I'm not a huge cheese fan so I only add enough cheese to help my rolls stick together but Christian gets to load his up with a lot of cheese! We had some extra onion lying around when we made this particular stromboli so we caramelized it and added it in! I also add poppy seeds to the top of mine where Christian likes garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Customizable, quick and easy!Roasted Pork with Apple, Walnut & Farro Salad
We made this last week with some pork that we had in the freezer (yay buy 1 get 2 free sales!) I wanted us to have something other than regular rice so I looked for a Blue Apron recipe with a different grain. I had had farro in a few other BA meals so I knew I liked it and how can you go wrong adding apple and kale? It was really good the first day thanks to the crispy bark on the seared pork but when we had it again the next day for lunch the pork wasn't as delicious. The salad was still good though. So if you ever make this, don't save the pork! (Or find a different use for it to add some more flavor and texture.)
Rice Bowl
Rice bowls are another easy meal when you just have things to use up. For this bowl we had brown rice added some soy and other ingredients for a sauce (can't remember exactly what) and topped with broccoli, carrots, cucumber and a fried egg.Seared Chicken & Pan Sauce with Apple, Kale & Potato Hash
A Blue Apron recreation we made when we had some leftover potatoes and an apple in the house. We did have to go out and get the mustard, almonds, red onion and kale though, ha ha.
Blackened Shrimp Pasta
A thrown together meal when we weren't sure what to have. I found a cajun spice blend recipe and we added it to shrimp, cooked them up and served over whole wheat spaghetti.
Freekeh & Vegetable Fried Rice with Honey-Sesame Carrots
A second real Blue Apron meal, simple but still tasty. We may make this again in the future but would probably use it as a side dish for chicken or something.
Budget Bytes Slow Cooker Jambalaya
Another slow cooker meal from budget bytes! We had some sausage that we got on sale (buy 1 get 2 free) so we looked for a recipe we could make with it. We had some difficulty with this one when the rice didn't cook all the way so it took us WAY longer to make than the site says. If we make it again we might par-cook the rice before adding it to the slow cooker.
