For some reason I can’t grow any actual vegetables in my garden, but herbs have become my specialty! And my absolute favorite herb is basil. Fresh basil in the summer added to anything makes any meal better. A caprese salad served on a hot night is my idea of a perfect summer appetizer –which is exactly what we had over the weekend. I also made fresh pesto using this recipe, and mixed it in with some whole wheat pasta, chicken, and marinated artichokes. Such a simple, delicious meal.
target tank top, lucky jeans, bangles and necklace from nordstrom, carlos santana heels, marc jacobs clutch, kate spade sunglasses
Somehow I managed to not post on my blog for over a week, but time flies –especially around a holiday! Hope everyone had a great 4th of July and a great weekend. My main highlights included spending a few days with friends in Tahoe and playing a lot of Scrabble . . . and no, it was not even with my grandparents. Apparently Words with Friends really motivated my friends and I to play the real thing! The only activity I did not manage to do was see “Magic Mike”. That is definitely on my agenda for this week. Has anyone seen it yet???
This is the pasta salad to make to make this summer. I have made this for countless dinners and bbqs, and it is always a hit. I think I have made it for every one of my friends who has a newborn baby, as it is easy to transport and makes amazing leftovers. You can make it as a side dish by omitting the chicken, or serve as an entrée as it has everything you need for a complete meal.
Filled with marinated artichokes, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and dried cranberries (recipe calls for currants, but I substitute for cranberries), there are so many different flavors in every bite! I have also made variations from the original recipe as seen here. I never add the capers, as most people don’t like them. I love them, but when serving to other guests, capers are always something picked out and left on the plate. Also, the recipe calls for a lot of olive oil, and you don’t need to use this much. And definitely add more orzo –at least 1 full cup. I also always add feta. In my opinion, you can never have too much feta! And if you have extra time, add in some toasted pine nuts.
Seriously, make this for your next bbq and you will be getting rave reviews and everyone will be asking you for the recipe!
Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!
zara shirt, h&m cropped pants, nordstrom blazer (old) ivanka trump heels, marc jacobs crossbody bag, nordstrom bangles
I have had this white blazer in my closet for a long time and it has proven to be a great investment piece. It can be dressed up with black pants for work, or dressed down with jeans for the weekend. Today I linked up with Marion from Marionberry Style’s “June Trend of the Month” link-up. To see how other bloggers styled bright, fun colored blazers, click here!
h&m shirt & skirt, ralph lauren heels, ross bag
Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone had a great weekend, mine was pretty uneventful. Highlights included starting a compost pile and bbqing beer can chicken for the first time. Now if composting doesn’t sound exciting, I don’t know what is!
Ok, fine. We did one cool thing, which was dine at Tyler Florence’s restaurant, Wayfare Tavern, so that made up for the rest of the weekend :)
jcrew pencil skirt (recent at factory store but halogen has a similar one here) & vintage cotton tee, coach purse, max studio heels (similar here), nordstrom bangles, target necklace, ring from sf boutique
I am always trying to balance my wardrobe with a mix of work clothes and fun clothes. Most of the time I try to purchase items that can be worn as both. A few posts ago I asked about wearing neon to the office, and now I have the same question about animal print heels. I wear these heels all the time when I am going out, but for some reason I have yet to wear them to my office. To be truthful, I would normally just wear black or nude heels with this skirt!
So I would love to hear your opinion . . . are animal print heels meant for after-work hours only, or would you rock them in the corporate world?
The portobello mushroom isn’t the most attractive vegetable, but they sure are delicious when prepared the right way. Plus they are really filling, and this recipe is all you need for a weeknight dinner. And by the way, did you know that one large portobello only has like 25 calories? If that doesn’t sell you on eating these things, then I don’t know what will. For so little calories, portobellos really are hearty and filling, especially when filled with all of the flavorful ingredients in this recipe.
To make this recipe, you only need to follow a few steps:
- Sautee 10 oz (one pre-washed bag) of baby spinach in olive oil until wilted and set aside. Once cooled, chop up the spinach.
- Sautee 1/2 of a large onion (chopped) with 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- After about 5 minutes, add in 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, and a 1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- Cook all of these together for about 5 more minutes, until everything is slightly cooked. Remove pan from stove and stir in 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives and add the chopped spinach. Sprinkle a little of feta cheese, 1/2 cup or less, and season with salt and pepper.
- Toss 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper, set aside.
- Wash the portobellos and remove and discard the mushroom stems, and carefully remove the black gills with a teaspoon and discard.
- Brush the mushroom caps with oil on both sides and season with salt. Broil in the oven for about 8 – 10 minutes, with the smooth side up. Remove from oven and turn mushrooms caps over so that the smooth side is down.
- Fill each mushroom cap with the vegetable mixture and sprinkle bread crumbs on top of each filled mushroom.
- Stick the mushrooms back into the oven for another 8 – 10 minutes and serve warm.
I will only repeat myself one more time, but these stuffed portobellos are so healthy and delicious, meat-free, and full of vegetables. You will not be disappointed :)
jessica simpson denim dress, crochet cardigan from nordstrom, steve madden heels, bag from a boutique in sf, bangles and necklace from nordstrom, marc jacobs sunglasses, earrings from kohl’s
These pictures of my sister were taken at a farmers’ market on Thursday evening. There is nothing better than getting fresh fruits and vegetables from your local farmers’ market :)
My weekend was full of bbq’s, swimming in a pool, and just trying to stay cool. Hope you had a nice weekend!
nordstrom maxi skirt (first seen in this post), nordstrom black t-shirt, belt and bag from ross, wedges by boutique via nordstrom (similar here), earrings and bangles from nordstrom
Notice anything different about the 2nd photo? Besides the fact that I don’t have sunglasses on? Look closely and you will see that this is a great example of how important belts can be! Really, belts are such a great accessory (see this same maxi worn with a thin, sparkly belt here in this post) and can make a look go from frumpy to refined :)
By the way, I linked up with Mini Me Style and her featured post “Style to the Max(i)“. Click here to see how other bloggers have styled maxi skirts and dresses!
