Outfit Idea: Chilly Night Out

I went out for cocktails to a couple fun, kinda swanky bars this weekend and was trying to figure out my outfit of course... always the fun part of getting ready! I thought about a cute skirt/dress with tights but wasn't sure how much we would be walking and didn't want to be cold. Below is what I want with...a little dressy but still with an urban edge. I have been loving the tunic silk blouses... feminine and perfect for skinny jeans and statement jewelry :).

Shoes: DSW
Black sknny jeans: Forever 21
Red Tunic: Nordstrom
Necklace: Forever 21

Fall Nail Polish

I love to paint my nails and try out new shades, trends, etc. I just always feel more put together when my nails are painted. I do try to do my own nails as much as possible.. partly because I feel like I better use the big bucket of polishes that I somehow seem to keep buying :). Below is what I'm loving for fall right now! I'm bouncing around from reds, browns, plums, etc. What are you loving right now?

From left to right:
1. OPI - Russian Navy
2. OPI - DS Jewel
3. Essie - Angora Cardi
4. Cover Girl - Bronze Beauty
5. OPI - InStyle Red
6. Orly - Mirror Mirror

Farmers Market Inspired Green Chili

There's the cutest Sunday Farmer's Market near my apartment that I love going to. Farmers Markets are a great way to use fresh, in-season ingredients. I let whatever is available dictate what I make for meals. It's a fun way to be creative!

This time when we walked up to the market the first thing I saw was roasting chile peppers and I knew it was time for green chili. In addition there was a booth of spices that had a green chile blend adding to my excited for the chili.

I just threw this recipe together based on the chiles. One reminder though is to be careful on the spicy factor and remove the pepper seeds if you're not big into spice! I also used a roasted chicken from Whole Foods to make it even easier :).

Ingredients:
4-6 roasted chile peppers (de-seeded)
1/2 roast chicken, chop into medium pieces... it will start to fall apart and shred when it cooks
Half red onion, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
2 tsp green chili spice mix, find one you like at any grocery store
1 can unsalted black beans, rinsed
1 10 oz can tomatoes
2 T flour
Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Saute the onion and chile peppers  with olive oil, salt and pepper in whatever pot you're using for the chili. Add in the broth, chicken, bean, tomatoes and green chili spice mix. Bring up to a boil. Add the flour to thicken up the broth. Let simmer for 20 minutes (or until hot). Enjoy with your favorite toppings!

Swiss Chard Lentil Bean Soup

I am so happy fall is here! To me that means get out the dutch oven and crock pot because I'll be making soup nonstop. My first soup of the season was inspired while perusing Whole Foods and saw red lentils in the bulk bins. If you don't shop the bulk bins you really should try it! I have used it as a way to try out different types of grains, beans, dried fruits, etc. It's a good way to push yourself out of your standard grocery gift and spice it up :).

Lentils may not be the prettiest presentation once they are done cooking, but they are a super healthy source of protein and fiber. I also like to try out different leafy greens. For this soup I selected swiss chard. Another ingredient that I would encourage trying... it's similar to kale.

As most of the recipes I create this one can definitely be tailored to use up whatever veggies you have on hand and want to use up. Make a big batch to last you through the week and freeze the extra for a rainy day :).

Swiss Chard & Lentil Soup

3 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 red onion diced
1 small carton of mushrooms chopped
6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable stock if you want to keep this vegetarian)
2 cups red lentils (rinse thoroughly in a strainer)
1 T dried thyme
1/2 bunch of swiss chard (tear out the stem and rough chop the leaves)

Directions:
Saute the garlic, onion and mushrooms (and any other veggies you want) with olive oil, salt and pepper in your dutch oven. Add in the broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the lentils and reduce to a simmer. Cook the lentils for 20-30 minutes, until tender. With about 5 minutes left on the lentils add in the swiss chard. Let the greens wilt a bit and you're ready to eat! I added goat cheese crumbles on top!

Eat and enjoy!

Use Up the Last of Your Summer Peaches

I was lucky enough to have a friend give me a box of Palisade peaches... they are the best! I of course ate a bunch, but wanted to use the rest up before I left for a trip. I scoured by recipe books for the perfect dessert and settled on a peach cobbler from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Fosters Market, by Sarah Foster.

This was such a fun dessert to make and invite friends over to enjoy!

Recipe:
(From Sarah Foster)

The Filling:
8 cups peaches (about 10 peaches) - peeled, pittted and sliced. To see how to pouch and peel watch this video
1 cup sugar
3 T flour
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Crust:
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted, melted butter
2 1/2 cups four
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 t baking power
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the butter, set aside.

For the filling toss together the peaches, sugar, flour and lemon (juice and zest) in a large bowl. Set aside for up to 4 hours until use (don't worry if you don't plan ahead that much... just do this first and it will have enough time while you make the crust).

For the crust mix together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking power, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the buttermilk to form a dough. Simple dough right?! Next, flour your dough and roll out to a 12 to 14 inch round, about 1/4 inch thick.

Now for the lattice topping, just take a pizza cutter and make even strips of dough. Pour the peaches into the pan and then weave your dough strips accross to make a lattice topping (see picture below). Brush the top of the strips with melted butter to ensure a golden brown topping.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Feast!

Outfit Ideas: Make Your White Jeans Work for Fall

I am loving the crisp fall air, but am not quite ready to say goodbye to all of my favorite summer pieces quite yet... especially white jeans! Is it just me or do you never feel like you get to wear them enough in the summer?

I wanted to get a few more wears in this fall and decided to pair them with some more "fall" type pieces to create the look.

The main staple of this outfit is the brown suede wedge booties... they just scream change of season. I just found these Franco Sarto's at Nordstrom Rack but they also have them at DSW.

From there I grabbed a camel colored Gap t-shirt and leopard scarf. Lastly I layered with my brown leather jacket.

 Let me know if you include your white jeans in your fall wardrobe!

Healthy Pancakes?!

Happy Sunday! I woke up early feeling rested and energized! I think I have finally caught up on sleep just in time for a crazy week to start :).

I haven't been home on the weekends to cook very much recently so I wanted to make something a little more special for breakfast today. One of my favorite blogs is The Fitnessista... she has great fitness ideas and nutritional recipes. Today I tried her Protein Pancakes and they were delicious! I made a few adjustments below.

I'm so excited to have a healthier, nutritious pancake that is quick and easy to make! This is something you could easily whip up at night before bed and cook quickly in the morning for work.

Protein Pancakes
(Adapted from The Fitnessista)

• 1.5 Tablespoons of vanilla protein powder (I like Whole Foods whey protein)
• 2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk (use whatever milk you like)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add in the egg white, almond milk and vanilla. Heat up a skillet, cook and enjoy with your favorite toppings (try almond butter and agave syrup... amazing!).