Eat your Veggies! Try these Caprese stuffed tomatoes!

It's that time of the year when vacation time has to be used at work, otherwise, I will lose it. Some of these days will be used for some fun traveling to visit family but there are other days when I have nothing planned. Last Friday was one of those days so I decided to challenge myself and make the hubby a fancy meal. When I mentioned it to him, he stated that he wanted a caprese salad incorporated in this meal somehow so..... I decided to embellish a "Taste of Home" stuffed tomato recipe to have caprese flavors. I never imagined how delicious it would turn out. Not only is it different but I am positive it will be a huge hit with your family or friends.

Ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes (Hot house or "on the vine" tomatoes would work best since they sit flat)
6 mini fresh mozzerella balls or 3 regular size fresh mozzerella balls non seasoned (you can find these in the specialty cheese case. They will be in a tub of water)
Fresh Basil (You will probably need about 5-8 leaves depending on your taste for basil)
Balsamic vinegar or glaze
Shredded Mozzarella cheese for topping

Stuffing ingredients:
1 cup garlic/cheese croutons, crushed
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp shredded Mozzarella cheese
4 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a 1/2 in. shell. Invert onto paper towels to drain.
3. Mix stuffing ingredients
4. Flip tomatoes over and place two mini mozzerella balls in each. Then place a basil leave (or part of a leaf) on top of mozzerella. Drizzle with a small amount of balsamic. At this point, your tomatoes should look like the picture to the right (one is already filled with the stuffing)
5. Spoon stuffing mixture into each tomato.
6. Place tomatoes into a baking dish, cover tops of tomatoes with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning of stuffing.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes
8. Remove from oven, remove foil, and sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzerella cheese. Then place a small basil leaf on top for aesthetics
9. Place tomatoes back in oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese
Enjoy!

Eat your veggies! Start with this delicious asparagus recipe!

I have decided that I need some to come up with some new veggie side dish recipes. Not only am I starting to get bored with the standard baked/ mashed potato, rice, or frozen corn, I feel I need to get some more healthy, non starchy vegetables in my diet. Being honest, it is really tough for me to eat vegetables without completely dousing them in butter or breading and frying every square inch of green. Take asparagus... normally, I would blanch it, then add half a stick of butter, lemon juice, and lots of salt. Though that method is delicious, I discovered a new (better in my opinion) way to enjoy asparagus and it is surprisingly healthier. Here is the recipe and I hope you all enjoy!

Sauteed Garlic Parmesan Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 bunch of asparagus
2 tbsp of olive oil
3 cloves of chopped garlic (if you are using pre-chopped garlic from a jar, use about 3 teaspoons)
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Black pepper (I prefer freshly ground for this recipe since there are minimal ingredients but you can use regular black pepper)
Salt (I prefer freshly ground sea salt but you can use regular salt)
Balsamic glaze (I used one from AJ's that has caramelized onions in it) - This is an optional ingredient

To prepare your asparagus: Rinse and then cut off the the fibrous part of the stem. How much of the stem should you cut? I find the easiest way is to take one sphere and bend it until it snaps. Dispose of the stem part and then use the remaining part of the asparagus sphere as your guide for how far to cut down the rest of the spheres.

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Be careful not to burn olive oil, you should only have to wait about 2 minutes for your olive oil to get hot.
2. Place your asparagus and garlic in the skillet. Let it saute for about 3-5 minutes. Ranges can vary but this cook time is for crunchier asparagus. Tip: If you like your asparagus more stringy, you can cook for a bit longer.
3. Remove skillet from heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (amount will depend on your taste buds  ;)
4. Grate Fresh Parmesan over the top of your asparagus. Once the cheese melts, you can drizzle with balsamic glaze, dip the spheres in balsamic glaze, or you can serve it without balsamic glaze.

Halloween Costumes - 2013

Yes yes, Halloween has come and gone already but I couldn't NOT share my costumes worn. Each year, I usually have at least 2 costumes: one for work and one for the annual Halloween party I attend. What can I say, I love love love dressing up and Halloween is one of the few times I get to do so. You know what they say, "Go big or go home!"

This year, the girls in my department at work decided to do DIY "Winnie the Pooh" costumes. I decided to be Pooh. Yeah yeah, go ahead and laugh, the hubby did for quite some time. Here is a pic of me and the girls in our costumes:



This turned out to be a really cute group costume. Here are some key pieces to have in order to recreate these looks:

Tiger: Orange dress purchased on clearance at Old Navy, black leggings (can be purchased many places), black sweater (can be purchased many places), and Tigger ears/ tail purchased (Amazon, $11.99).

Eeyore: Blue V Neck shirt (can be purchased many places), black shorts (can be purchased many places), blue tights (Target, $5.00), Eeyore ears/ tail (Amazon, $11.99)

Pooh: Red shirt I found in my closet (can be purchased many places), LEI yellow corduroy pants (Walmart, 15.99), Pooh ears (Amazon, $11.05), honey jar was a mason jar from Joe's crab shack (that came with my drink purchase) which I stuffed with dark yellow tissue paper and created a "honey" label for. I also used black eye liner to draw a nose. Note: For all you die-hard Pooh fans, I realize that he spells honey differently. I was too lazy to change it   ;)

In all, the estimated costs for these costumes was approx. 30.00 apiece. That is if you were to start from scratch and buy each item. Most of the garmets were items we already had in our closets. The rest (with the exception of the ears and tails) are items we could wear again in every day life.

Now for the Halloween party...
This years theme was "Masquerade Ball." I always look for excuses to buy new clothing and this party was no exception. I purchased a new LBD (little black dress) that I plan to wear many times in my life... well maybe more like the next few years. In any event, my costume came together quite nicely at a fairly low cost. Here is the finished costume:

The hubby said that I had to use the "Auto-Awesome" version of this picture so there it is. Here is the breakdown of the costume and approx. costs for those who want to steal this look:

Mask - Fry's marketplace (of all the places!) $3.99. The feathery part is actually a hair clip I bought a few years ago. I believe I bought it from Claires for about $5.00.

Necklace - Kohls on clearance for $9.60. Brand is "Apt 9."

Dress - Kohls. Brand is "Candies" $39.99 (a bit of a splurge but I will wear it alot I think)

Pink Belt - Kohls. Brand is "Apt 9." Belt came in a set of 2 on clearance for $10.40.

Stockings - I had bought these years ago from Forever 21 I believe. Not sure of the cost but I wanna say they were around $10.00

Booties - These were already in my closet. They came from Shoe Carnival and were $20.00

Overall the approximate cost of this masquerade ball costume was $99.00. Sure this seems like a lot of money but all items (with the exception of the mask) can and will be worn in every day life. Additionally, most of these items can already be found in your closet.

I had a great Halloween and to prove it, here is another pic of my and my honey at the party:

NO MORE CLOTHES SHOPPING!!!

I recently started going through my closet and came across so many articles of clothing, jewelery, shoes, and accessories I forgot I had. Some still have the price tags attached! I will confess that I have a bit of a problem when it comes to shopping. I love buying but not actually using. In fact, I only wear about a quarter of the items in my closet. Here is a picture of my closet currently:



Keep in mind that there is still a substantial amount of laundry to be done so this isn't everything!!! Additionally, I have a dresser full of clothing. I have never counted but estimate I own approx. 100 shirts, 15 or so pairs of jeans, 25 dresses, 10 jackets/ blazers, 30 necklaces, 50 pairs of earrings, 12 scarfs, 30 pairs of shoes, 10 belts, and 25 or so purses.

My Mission: I have decided that my closet is just one big unnecessary money pit. So beginning on 12/1/13, my mission is to only wear items I already own for the next year.

The Rules:

• The same shirt cannot be worn within 2 weeks
• The overall outfit must be different from worn previously
• All outfits must include 1 piece of jewelry or accessory
• A post will be made once each week showing pictures of the outfits worn each day that week. A description of each piece along with approx. cost and date of purchase will accompany said pictures.
• The only acceptable newly purchased items will have to be purchased by someone else. Gift cards count as a gift from others so I can purchase new items with these.

This is not only a challenge for myself but somewhat of a style guide. I recently turned 30 years old and want to prove that I can be more sexy and stylish than ever. Although I usually dress down in a tee shirt and jeans, I actually do have an interest in fashion. I wouldn't have bought all of these items if I was not interested. The biggest issue is that it takes time, creativity, and even some guts to plan and pull off certain looks. I have a signature style that influences the items I purchase: sophisticated yet edgy. I call it "sophisti-edge." I would like to show everyone, through my clothing, that we 30 year olds may be considered sophisticated but can still have some edge... some boldness. My biggest hope is for anyone following these posts to develop a new-found passion for fashion, gain new idea's, and realize that you can be trendy and stylish while on a budget. You can look good using just the item's in your closet and can always find something to wear.

I look forward to this challenge. god knows I have plenty to work with!

Simple but delicious dessert: Dump Cake with a twist!

My boss gave me this recipe and I absolutely love it. Such a simple dessert with minimal ingredients but it tastes amazing! The hub said most people know about dump cake... however, this one has a different spin on it called pineapple! Enjoy


Dump Cake

Ingredients:
1 20 oz can of cherry pie Filling
1 16 oz can crushed pineapple
1 package of yellow or white cake mix (Either taste great)
1/2 cup of chopped nuts or sliced almonds (optional)
A whole stick of butter (yes a whole stick but you can use less if you would like)

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan
2. Pour in cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple. Mix together
3. Sprinkle with cake mix and nuts (if using)
4. Slice butter and place cubes of butter all over top
5. Place in oven for 45 minutes till top is browned off. Don't worry if you still see cake that doesn't look as brown, this cake is great because it has lots of textures.
6. Serve hot with vanilla iced cream or whipped cream

Add some "Sophisti-Edge!"

• Use apple pie filling instead of cherry (do not add pineapple). When cake is finished, drizzle with caramel sauce and top with cinnamon ice cream
• Use strawberry pie filling and banana's in place of the cherries and pineapples. You can top with strawberry ice cream if you would like as well
• Use peach pie filling in place of cherry and pineapple. Try using a butter pecan ice cream with this one...

Low sugar, low calorie Mojito Pie!!!

Made this for the first time for my father in law who is some-what diabetic. This pie is not only refreshing and delicious but it is low in calories and sugar! Very easy to make as well.

Mango Mojito Pie

Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
½ cup nonfat milk
1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
¾ cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
½ teaspoon rum extract
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes or you can use frozen mangoes
1 (6 ounce) reduced fat graham cracker crust


Directions:
Sprinkle gelatin over milk in a small saucepan; let stand 1 minute. Cook over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves (about 2 minutes). Set aside.


Beat cream cheese and SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sour cream, lime juice, lime peel and rum extract, beating until smooth. Gradually add gelatin mixture, beating until blended. Chill 30 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently.

Stir mango into gelatin mixture; spoon into piecrust.

Chill 2 hours or until set. Garnish with mint sprigs and mango slices.


Serves: 8
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
 Total Time: 3 Hours

Source: Splenda Website

Add some "Sophisti-Edge!"
This recipe is extremely versatile so there are a number of additions or changes that can be made to make this pie even bolder.

• Use different fruit such as strawberries, pineapples, or raspberries in place of, or in addition to the mangoes. 
• Mojito's are somewhat tropical so add a 1/2 tsp of coconut extract as well