Till We Meet Again...

 I will not be adding anymore posts to my blog until after graduation. Thank you.

It's Dinner Time: Who Said Easter Couldn't Be Healthy?

If you saw my post this time last Sunday, I created a meal that was superbly delicious, exceptionally exquisite, and full of unwanted calories. Although it’s nice to have a meal of tasteful treats from time to time, it’s not so great finishing your food feeling as though you’ve gained 42 pounds. So, tonight, I chose to create a meal that was equally as delectable without giving me the sense that I just ate for two elephants, four pro-football players, and an entire team of Sumo wrestlers. 

Basically, I chose not to have a starter, infusing my main course with lots of greens while embracing my sweet tooth during dessert, giving the entire meal a pretty fair balance (I mean, it is Easter...) 

So I began with a sandwich of my own design, consisting of whole grain bread, spinach, feta, green peppers, avocado, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. 

The ingredients!!! 

For the dressing: 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of ground mustard, 1 clove of garlic(or 1 teaspoon of pre-chopped garlic), and a pinch of salt and pepper!

Whole grain bread.

Place spinach like so....

Green peppers on the right and avocado on the left! (doesn't really matter...)

Sprinkle feta and drizzle with the dressing!

Bon Apetit!!

Now for dessert!!! (It's basically what I made last Sunday but with white chocolate...) Melt butter in double boiler, add 8 oz. of white chocolate, once melted-remove from heat. Add three eggs, 1/3 cup of flour, and 1/3 cup of sugar, and mix it up...

Such a pro.

I used cupcake wrappers--just makes things easier. Put it in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 400.

 I ate mine with blackberries, as you can see....so good!!

Thanks for reading!!! xxx

The Legacy of Pattie Boyd: Wanna Know How to Land a Beatle and a Rocker Bad Boy?

Listen to The Beatles' "Something" Here!

Listen to Eric Clapton's "Layla" Here!

Listen to Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" Here!

I’m sure Ms. Boyd could show you, because no groupie, fan, or concert-goer holds a candle to the only woman who was able to win the avid affections of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Harrison, as many of you may know, was part of a little band known as The Beatles and his best friend, Eric Clapton, made a name for himself through his bluesy, energetically creative musical style. I have always been incredibly fascinated with this rock and roll love triangle, and deeply amazed by Ms. Boyd’s ability to capture the hearts of some of the most well-known names in show business. But, most of all, I am completely captivated by her role as an unintentional muse for the world class love ballads, Harrison’s “Something” and Clapton’s “Layla” and “Wonderful Tonight.”  

It all started when Pattie met George on the set of a “Hard Day’s Night” in 1964. The two fell in love, got married in 1966, and, like any rock ‘n’ roll hook up, had a very tumultuous relationship. Despite this, during their marriage, Harrison produced one of the greatest love songs of all time, “Something,” for which Pattie provided the inspiration. The calming, patterned melody, along with the soothing guitar arrangements and peaceful composition of lyrics evokes a sense of calm over the listener, proving this work as one of the strongest love ballads in rock history. It becomes clear, in the song’s approximate three minutes, of the strong feelings Harrison had for Pattie and his unchanging devotion to her. Unfortunately, this all crashed and burned when Boyd was introduced to Clapton, who fell in love with her, as the story goes, while she was married to George. 

Apparently, the marriage between Harrison and Boyd was already dwindling, so who was the only person willing to offer Pattie a shoulder to cry on while her husband was away? Eric Clapton himself. Supposedly, he brought Boyd to his apartment in London to play a song for her, a tune we now know as “Layla.” He was madly, hopelessly, desperately in love with Pattie, and anyone can sense that on a first listen of the song. What I find truly interesting about this entire situation is the fact that Clapton didn’t care about how this would make his good pal George feel, he was just so over-the-top obsessed with Pattie that nothing could get in his way. The song begins with an upbeat guitar tempo, which is fully maintained throughout the work, with the speaker expressing a deep, piercing desire to be with “Layla” one day, even if it can’t be in the near future. Obviously, it is about Clapton’s feelings for Boyd, begging her to “make the best of the situation, before [he] finally goes insane.” 

How could George and Pattie stay together after that? They divorced in 1974, giving Eric the chance he so desperately craved for. Needless to say, he jumped all over it and the love songs didn’t stop there. Clapton wrote “Wonderful Tonight” in admiration for her, my favorite of all the songs written in Boyd’s honor. Apparently, this ballad was written while Clapton was watching Pattie get ready before an annual party at the McCartneys’ house (yes, I am referring to that Paul McCartney), displaying his deep love for her through a peacefully soothing melody, enveloping the listener with a full comprehension of his remarkable feelings for Pattie. Seriously, how can you not adore this song? They married in 1979 with George at the wedding showing full support to both of them, even though, as it is said, he was still in love with Pattie.

Unfortunately, Pattie and Eric divorced in 1989, but the legacy of their relationship remains. In each of these works, any listener can grasp the speaker’s sense of passion, admiration, and unwavering devotion toward the respective, particular subject. In this case, it is either George telling Pattie that he needs “no other lover,” or Eric telling Ms. Boyd that she is simply “wonderful.” Pattie Boyd is the only individual on this planet who can honestly say she was the muse for such magnetic pieces of music, confirming herself as the ultimate groupie-bad-ass rocker chick, putting other rock-wives like Jerry Hall to shame (now that’s a different blog post...).

Shopaholics Anonymous: Why Is It So Hard To Balance Our Budgets?

Rockin' my $8 earrings like a champ.

As someone who sometimes spends an embarrassingly absurd amount on clothing, jewelry, makeup, and shoes (seriously, I was contemplating putting two-months worth of rent money toward a pair of Louboutin’s...), I’ve really been making an effort to find great deals with great prices without making a huge dent in my dollar supply. We all know that my shopping habit is not gonna go anywhere anytime soon (an affliction I will probably suffer from for the rest of my life...) and it will probably only get worse if I don’t take action now. So, out of fear for my future finances, I’ve devised a formula for myself and for all of my fellow shopaholics that we must embrace during every shopping trip. 

Okay, so you see an $80 black dress at Express that you absolutely adore, you try it on, and it’s perfect. You wanna buy it. You really, really wanna buy it. So this is where the first step of my formula will come in handy. The first question you must ask yourself is this: Do I have it? Now, for example, you might start thinking about the other little black dress you bought at Urban Outfitters a month ago that you haven’t even worn yet. What if this Express dress receives a similar fate? Chances are, it probably will. There is no need to buy clothes that you already have so try prioritizing your money toward different looks that are unfamiliar to your wardrobe- in keeping with your own, personal style, of course!

Alright, now you’re in Nordstrom’s and you’re browsing the Ugg shoe collection. You’ve been wanting a pair of beige slippers to keep you cozy for a while now, and they only have them in pink. You’ve never really been a huge fan of pink, but you’re willing to spend over $100 on this pair because you’ve been desiring a comfy pair of slippers longer than a convict at Alcatraz waiting for a chance to escape. So this is wear the second portion of my formula comes in: Ask yourself, do I want it? Of course you don’t. You hate pink. Never buy clothes you don’t truly want.

Now you’re at Francesca’s browsing all of the awesome jewelry. You’re caught up in the glisten of the rings, the intricately beaded detailing of the necklaces, and the glossy surfacing of the bracelets. You want to buy all of it. Now, for the third part of my formula, ask yourself if you need any of these items. You start thinking about your own jewelry collection and how it gives the one at F’s a run for its money. If you don’t really need an item, there is really no point in purchasing it.

Okay, here comes the last part of my formula. You’re in Victoria’s Secret now and the bra you’ve been wanting is only there in a 34 B cup. You try it on, it fits okay, but not as perfectly as a bra in your own size of a 34 C, but you’re still willing to buy it. This seems like a no-brainer, but so many shopaholics skip over this question: Ask yourself, does the item fit? Of course it doesn’t. So please, please, please don’t buy clothes that don’t fit. Make sure you purchase clothes that are fitted, yet flattering to your own, unique body type.

My bargain of an outfit.

So please, next time you go shopping think of my formula: Do I have it? Do I want it? Do I need it? Does it fit? Another piece of advice you must never forget is whether or not an item is worth it. I always feel like I’ve struck gold whenever I find a good bargain, so don’t be afraid to browse through a sale section because you never know what you might find. In the pictures attached to this post, the shirt I’m wearing was on clearance at Target for $15 and my earrings were only $8. Though I’m generally a small-medium, this shirt is an extra-large. I knew, by itself, the shirt would have looked immensely huge, especially with the extra fabric, so I wrapped a skinny, brown belt around my midriff, cinching in the piece for a stylish, more fitted look. So, if you ever come across a great bargain, be aware of how an item will appear on you and, especially, be conscious of the ways in which you might be able to tweak a piece to fit your own body frame. On that note, thanks for reading and happy, happy shopping!! 

Strike a pose.

P.S. Please try and refrain from drunk online shopping. Always bad news...

Good Food, Good Wine, Good Friends: What Are You Cooking?

This year, I've cultivated somewhat of a passion for cooking, so I took it upon myself to make a good sunday dinner for my roommates as well as my blogger audience. I listened to Van Morrison while I made the appetizer, to Bob Dylan while I did the main course, and Third Eye Blind for dessert, all leading to an amazingly delicious meal of spinach dip, Greek Pastitsio, and molten chocolate cakes. These are some of my signature dishes so I've really been trying to perfect the way I produce them in the honest hope that I will know each of these recipes like my own name (which I still forget sometimes...). 

Anyway, aside from my faulty attention span, I have some pictures of tonight's process along with some helpful hints that may benefit you in your own cooking endeavors. So let me know what you think and Bon Apetit!

I started with the spinach dip...

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese..yum!

A can of artichoke hearts w/ half a package of frozen spinach.

Throw it all together...

....1/2 cup of sour cream, 2 eight oz. blocks of cream cheese, w/ the artichokes, spinach, and cheese...

Mix it all up and...

Voila! Stick it in the oven at 350 degrees for thirty-five minutes and you will have the most delicious spinach dip that your tongue will ever touch! 

Now for the Greek Pastitsio! (The meat filling requires 2 pounds of meat, a can of tomato sauce, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of white wine, 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, with three tablespoons of parsley, then 3-4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.)

I loved the colors in this picture. The parsley leaves add so much flavor to the meat along with an appealing decorative touch- the one in the middle looks like a volcano!

The chef.

I put some extra bread crumbs in the meat to absorb all of the extra tomato sauce, wine, and olive oil. Bread crumbs are always a great way to get rid of any extra fluid in your meat. (I just realized how dirty that sounded...)

Now here's the pasta! ..mixed with butter and parmesan cheese!

You carefully add a layer of pasta to the pan.

Then a layer of meat!

Spread it evenly...

Then another layer of pasta...too bad I ran out...

just kidding!

Once you've layered the pasta and meat precisely, the Bechamel topping is your next priority. I hate making Bechamel sauce simply because it requires so much time, but once the process is complete, you'll be thankful to have such a savory, rich sauce to go with your meal.

So creamy!

Then top the pastitsio off with a layer of Bechamel sauce, sprinkle it with Parmesan, and stick it in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes! 

Now onto my lava cakes-This is my makeshift double boiler for the chocolate cakes. Remember: whenever you melt chocolate, always place a pan over top of another pan of boiling water. Chocolate burns very easily and this strategy decreases that probability.

Just keep stirring, just keep stirring...(This mix has a 4 tablespoons of butter, 8oz packet of semi-sweet chocolate, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of flour, and three eggs.)

Then pour the mix in a muffin pan, put it in the oven at 400 degrees for eight minutes, then you will have the yummiest, ooey-gooiest molten chocolate cakes on the planet!!

The mix! So, so, so good!

My roommate Heather sneaking a bite of the pastitsio!

YUM.

My chocolate cakes were, clearly, very ooey-gooey...but still tasted delicious!!!

Now I challenge you, boy or girl, to try your hand at cooking. You may not be as bad as you think and, once you get the hang of it, you will develop an appreciation for cooking you probably didn't even know you had, trust me! And, as always, thank you so much for reading!!

P.S. This dish, especially the pastitsio, goes best with a white wine, like Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.