sweet potato gnocchi

currently listening to "lost and found" by taken by trees

i made sweet potato gnocchi the other week based on this recipe -- adding in 1/2 cup of greek yogurt. i served it with a lemon-butter-sage sauce with tons of minced garlic and fresh cracked pepper and it was.. divine. if you have the time and patience to clean up after making these then they are absolutely worth it! 

stuffed hatch green chiles

currently listening to "one last time" by the kooks

if you know me, then you know that i like my food spicy.. extra spicy. i think we can blame the fact that i grew up watching my dad eating raw jalapenos at dinner and wanting to be just as cool as him. now i douse everything with tabasco, sriracha, red pepper flakes.. you name it. and who knew that spicy foods are actually really great for you? they can curb hunger, strengthen muscles, boost brainpower, and improve your mood! so try to incorporate some spice into your next meal; here's a spicy dish/recipe that i came up with last week for some friends to help get you started:

ingredients:
7 hatch green chiles
2 italian style turkey sausage links
1/2 c freshly cut cilantro
1/2 c diced cherry tomatoes
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice cooking wine
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1. pre-heat oven to 400°
2. slice open one side of hatch chile, making sure to get rid of the seeds and membranes, rinse*
3. combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mix
4. stuff each hatch chile with mix
5. secure with toothpicks so that the stuffing doesn't fall out
6. spray glass pan with light cooking spray, place hatch chiles in
7. bake for 30-40 minutes or until hatch chile skins look slightly charred

*be careful not to touch your eyes when you're working with these chiles! 

rainy day feast

currently listening to "i will always love you" by whitney houston

this past weekend, while i was visiting baylor, the weather was rainy and absolutely not conducive to any type of  activity other than cooking at home with your bestie - wine glass in hand, of course - and curling up to watch chick flicks. i made a healthy version of chicken pot pie using this recipe. mandy made dessert: a homemade king cake in honor of mardi gras.. it was dangerously good. 

healthy living

currently listening to "hook you up" by sylver tongue

happy fat tuesday everyone! i don't know how everyone else is celebrating today, but i happen to have wonderful friends (as if yall didn't already know), one of which is throwing a dinner party tonight(!) fully equipped with bourbon street hand grenades.. cant. wait. which leads me to this week's healthy tip: make your meals at home.

 im sure many of you have heard this over and over again, but do you really follow through? i find it's easiest if i make several meals early on in the week so that i can just pack it up and go without having to worry about the fuss every day. if you don't have healthy meals on-hand, then of course you'll succumb to ordering that pizza or picking up fast food on the way home. it's just like my tip on snacking, being prepared will help keep you on track. oh and don't trick yourself into thinking that just because you're making it at home that it's necessarily healthy... canned and frozen (don't even get me started on microwavable) foods are packed with sodium, preservatives, etc. try to stick with fresh and organic ingredients to go that extra mile!

also, my big's company is hosting a recipe contest which is a great opportunity to jump start your at-home cooking endeavors now and challenge yourself to try out new recipes; you only have 3 days left to enter so be proactive! need a bigger incentive to enter? they haven't reached their recipe quota yet, so there's a pretty good chance that you'll automatically be placed in the top ten! happy cooking everyone :)

cozumel photo diary

currently listening to "tupelo honey" by van morrison

we took a mexican cooking class in cozumel for my birthday (spoiled, i know). the food was delicious and the unlimited margaritas and pina coladas weren't too shabby either. you know you had a good birthday if you end the day dancing in the street, which is exactly what happened. 

sushi and movies

currently obsessed with "whatever it is" by zac brown band

j's visit in a nutshell: dark chocolate, red wine, late night movies, satc marathons, sushi, shopping, happy hours galore, making and devouring homemade lasagna, car troubles, rice cakes overload, jersey shore look-alikes, champagne cupcakes, and staying up too late... you know, just a typically perfect week spent with my best friend :)

roasted shrimp and orzo

currently listening to "pink bullets" by the shins

i love summer recipes! ive really been trying to branch out of my usual meal consisting of chicken, rice, and broccoli or some variation of the sort and, lo and behold, i stumbled across this little gem. this recipe is so beyond simple and the best part is that its delicious served immediately or (even better) cold the next day.. yum.

strawberry fields forever

currently listening to "can't you tell" by vetiver

ive always wanted to make homemade jam and found this recipe online which seemed simple enough for even a jam-making rookie such as myself.. and it really is so easy! 

i love mason jars and now i have two filled with perfect-for-summer strawberry jam :)