Friday, March 30, 2012

a few friday things

1. (sometimes) it is necessary & (always) it is fun to play hookey.

2. a fresh mani can/does change the direction of the day.

3. a little pretty plant is a fabulous way to say thank you.

4. wedding planning is THE. MOST. FUN!

5. looking at photos will always be one of my favorite things to do.

missing my bangs!





TGIF!

xo,

Monday, March 26, 2012

in the kitchen: healthy pasta!

are you on the mailing list for fab, fit, fun? it's giuliana rancic's daily email which includes the latest on fashion, accessories, workouts, and the occasional recipe.  a while ago i received an email with a recipe for a healthy, low calorie pasta, which for a carb-o like me, sounded too good to be true! so, i of course tried the recipe that weekend.  it was o-k....but was seriously missing something. and shawn was not a fan because it definitely tasted too healthy for his liking!

i was craving pasta last night and thought i would give this recipe a try again, but perhaps add a little something to fill in the missing flavors.



Penne and Asparagus with Ricotta Cheese

1 box of fiber-enriched penne pasta (Alexander suggests Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne Rigate)
1 pound trimmed asparagus, cut into 2-inch diagonal pieces
2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese (Alexander suggests Precious)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste, optional

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting any oil or butter.
2. Two to four minutes before the pasta is done, add the asparagus to the water (two minutes for thin spears, four minutes for thick).
3. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water in a small bowl. Drain the pasta.
4. Meanwhile, add the garlic, ricotta, and olive oil to a large serving bowl. As soon as the pasta is drained, mix in 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water.
5. Immediately add the pasta and asparagus and gently toss until the pasta and asparagus are coated with the cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss again.
6. If the mixture seems too dry, add more reserved pasta water, about 1/4 cup at a time, until no longer dry.
7. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the pasta. If desired, sprinkle with the red pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings. Each serving (about 2 cups) has 318 cals, 15g protein, 60g carbohydrates, 7g fat, 2g saturated fat, 18mg cholesterol, 9g fiber, 183mg sodium.

while gathering all the listed ingredients, i noticed my grocer was completely sold out of asparagus!  um, what?! must be a hot item this time of year! so i thought i would substitute it with two of my other favorite green veggies: green beans, and broccoli.  i threw in more than two cups, cuz i just can't get enough of the green stuff! i also added in a pinch more garlic than this calls for; a decent amount of salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese, and i also added in some of our home grown herbs: fresh basil, oregano, and parsley!



it turned out so much better this time around & i would highly recommend trying it.  don't be afraid to change a recipe to your liking. that's what i love about cooking & trying out new recipes. you can add more of what you like and substitute different ingredients to make something unique and different!

(find the original recipe here)

bon appetite :)

xo,

Friday, March 23, 2012

happy friday!

i woke up with a little spring in my step today knowing that i will be seeing some of my favorite people tonight.  that definitely helps to get through a friday :)

also looking forward to: sleeping! hanging out on the roof deck! reading catching fire! (yes, only mildly obsessed)

happy weekend, friends!!!
xo,

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

i really didn't want to like you...


but you sucked me right in & now i can't put you down! i didn't want to like you, you are a book meant for teenagers. you were too sci-fi for me. you were just not believable, not realistic. but then you were so creative & interesting. your characters, so relatable, and likeable, & did i really have a tear in my eye for rue? did i really have a soft spot for thresh? i am all yours now hunger games.  you got me...


*****

in other news, happy 1st day of spring!!

xo,

Monday, March 19, 2012

monday morning

typically, monday mornings are about the worst part of my week. however, i am quite excited to have woken up this morning feeling refreshed & ready to conquer the week!  feeling accomplished to have checked off things on the "to-do" list, but still have had time for reading & sleeping in. 


happy monday! make it a great week:)

xo,
allison

Friday, March 16, 2012

friday things

it's a dreary morning, but the temperatures are rising spring is definitely on its way...so that makes me a-ok with the rain & storms that will be here throughout the day....oh, and also the fact that it's finally friday! this weekend i'm looking forward to some relaxing, some running, and some more relaxing :)


have a fabulous weekend!

xo,

Thursday, March 15, 2012

6 MONTHS!

it's thursday evening & i'm finally just now having a moment to sit down and get all caught up in blogland...how i have missed thee!!! things have been in full swing around here and i just haven't quite had the time/energy to sit at the computer if there was an opportunity to be sleeping ;)

buttttttttt...yesterday S and i celebrated our -6 month aniversary!!! that's right, only 6 months to go! this past month was all about the BRIDESMAIDS!! three of my girls (the 4th is out of state), my mom & myself had THE best time choosing BM dresses. and to my surprise the process was fairly easy & quick! their dresses are the same fabric as my own dress, so to see them all together looks gorgeous!!
my momma!

afterwards, we had had a fabulous little lunch & then headed back to my apartment for a girls night. my mom hung in there with us for quite some time.  i think she enjoyed the girl talk & the martinis!

my gorrrrrrrrgeous MOH! she is the best!
all of the girls, this was my pre-bachelorette ;)



 coming up this month: flowers!!! here are some ideas i have been gathering via pinterest





*****

so happy tomorrow is friday! this has been a very LONG two weeks & i am ready for things to get back to normal around here!! 

xo,

Friday, March 9, 2012

happy friday!

is it just me, or has this week been impossibly long? it was one of those weeks that i woke up thinking, "this hasssssss to be friday??" and it was only tuesday, then wednesday...you get the point. so, with today FINALLY being friday, i am relieved! this weekend i am looking forward to catching up on sleep(!!!!), seeing some friends, long runs, and completing some wedding details :)


what are your weekend plans?

xo,

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

still here..


things have been busy (in a good way!) & i have missed blogging this past week.  but i'll be back with updates soon...

xo,