The First Weekend of September

As usual, Mark and I had a busy weekend spending time with friends and family. I started my weekend off right by leaving work a little early, so I could go home and cuddle my dogs. I sat down and watched a movie while these two big cuddle monsters made my legs fall asleep.

#dalmatiandogpile

When Mark got home from work, we got ready and met two of our favorite people for a sushi date at Sushi Boom on Chapman in Orange. We are so lucky that our friends Brian and Jen Jen share the same intense love for sushi that we do. And of course, no Japanese meal would be complete without tempera Oreos and green tea ice cream. 

Mark treated me to an early lunch on Saturday. We walked to Arthur's while our tires were being rotated on both cars. It was nice to sit and chat over a nice meal—on a weekend. Since we have been together Mark has worked Saturdays. He was finally able to quite his Saturday job and now he only works side jobs, which leaves him more time to spend with me. J

After doing all of my wifely duties on Saturday afternoon (laundry, dusting, organizing, etc.), I treated myself to a mani/pedi duo at my favorite nail salon, Lee Nail Spa at the Orange Mall. I went with a classic white to brighten up my week!

Later that evening Mark and I attended a surprise birthday dinner for Mary, Mark's mom. Their good friends Brad and Linda held a dinner party at their house for 20 of Mary's closest friends and family. 

Sunday we spent the day at the Santa Ana Zoo where we celebrated Daniella's 2nd birthday! Daniella is the daughter of my high school BFF. She is obviously super busy raising a toddler, so it was great to catch up and enjoy each others company. 

Needless to say, we were exhausted by the time Sunday night came around. We were so excited to be part of two special birthday celebrations! 

Veggie Pasta Casserole

This is another one of my meals on-the-go. You can make this dish and put it in the fridge for a few days until you're ready to cook it. This meal is also pretty simple to put together.

First I started with a red, orange, green, and yellow pepper—diced. I love using pepper because not only are they pretty, but they add an nice array of flavors to your dish.

I used quite a bit on onion in this recipe because I wanted that extra crunch. I used about a half of a red onion and a half of a white onion. 

Since I love a little kick to my food, I added a green chili and a jalapeno into the mix. 

Then, I sliced up a large zucchini.

I also cut up a yellow squash. 

Once I finished the most time consuming portion of the meal—the cutting—I put on a pot of boiling water and cooked my pasta. *I probably should have used a newer pot because this one looks pretty beat up... J

When the noodles finished cooking and were drained, I added a jar of garlic tomato sauce and two fresh tomatoes, which I diced into large chunks. 

Next, I mixed everything together and covered the top of the casserole with the same cheese blend I used in my enchiladas, which is a mix of Monterrey jack, mozzarella, and sharp cheddar. I added some wooden stakes to the corners to keep the foil from baking onto the cheese when I put it in the oven. 

When I was ready to heat it up, a few days after making it, I heated the oven up to 400 degrees and let it bake for about 40 minutes without removing the foil. I then removed the foil and baked it for another 15 to get the cheese fully melted and the edges a bit crunchy. (I baked mine for a little longer than usual because the dish I prepared the casserole in was very deep and I wanted to make sure the bottom wasn't still raw.) 

It turned out great and I had a lot of leftovers for the rest of the week!

*If you prefer a more "saucy" pasta, I would recommend using 1 1/2 or 2 jars of sauce.*

Chunky Veggie Enchiladas

Since the beginning of the year (and especially the last few months), I have taken a more conscientious approach to eating and simply paying attention to what I am putting into my body. My goal is to eat more vegetables and no meat. The transition has been slow because I never used to stop and think about how many breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals include meat. Meals take a little more 'prep and plan' time to ensure they are healthy and meat free, but I am up for the challenge. I've been attempting to create new dishes based off of some of my favorite recipes.

Chunky Veggie Enchiladas are a healthy and great for people on-the-go. I made these two days before I actually cooked them. Once they were finished I put foil over the top and stuck them in the fridge for a couple days.

Cutting up the vegetables is the most time consuming part of this recipe.
I started with an array of fresh, clean veggies: zucchini, squash, red onion, tomato, green chili, and jalapeno. I also Incorporated drained and rinsed black beans and corn. I prefer a little spice in my food, so I also included Tapatio and Cholula sauce. I topped it off with Sprouts Green Enchilada sauce. I usually use a similar tortilla, but it has grains and seeds in it to add a bit of taste and texture. Oh, and don't forget the cheese!

Once I got all of my ingredients chopped up, I mixed them up together in a large bowl—and when I say large, I mean it because this recipe makes about 16 enchiladas. I had to use additional generic flour tortillas from the bread box to use the rest of my mixture. I got an assembly line going: lay down one tortilla (feel free to heat them in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen them up), place 1 large serving spoonful of the veggie mixture on the tortilla, then sprinkle cheese on top. I used a blend of sharp cheddar, Monterrey jack, and mozzarella. Then I drizzled Tapatio and Cholula sauce on top of the cheese. I intentionally overfill my tortillas so they are full of veggies even if I lose some during the cooking process. I rolled my tortilla up and placed them inside an aluminum dish. Once the enchiladas were rolled I took my bottle of green sauce and smothered the top of the enchiladas and covered the tray with foil.

When I was ready to cook them, I took them straight from the refrigerator to the oven. I preheated the oven to 375 degrees and popped these in for about 40 minutes with the foil still covering the tray. I did this to ensure the raw veggies had a chance to cook without over-drying the tortillas. While they were baking I put a pot of Spanish rice on the stove. After the 40 minutes were up, I took the foil off and let them cook another 20 minutes to allow the tortilla to slightly brown. This added a nice crunch to the top of the enchiladas. 

This dish is a little messy (as you can see), but very flavorful. I noticed the bottoms of the tortillas did get a bit soggy from sitting in the enchilada sauce, so next time I might choose to use a little less and focus more on the tops rather then drenching them entirely in sauce. 

Labor Day Weekend

I don't know about you, but I had a very busy, fun-filled Labor Day weekend! My oldest brother, Mark, my dad, and some of my male cousins and uncles went camping over the weekend, so my mom and I decided to have a girls weekend. We gallivanted all over town and by Monday night, we were exhausted!

It all started Saturday afternoon when we visited the Orange International Street Fair. The street fair takes place at the Orange Circle or The Plaza (whichever you prefer), every August. It is considered old-town Orange—surrounded by beautifully maintained historic houses, vintage eateries, and the infamous Chapman University. The city blocks off several streets and assigns different countries to each section. In each "county" there is live music, ethnic food, beer, etc. There are also booths selling everything from art and jewelry to kitchenware and clothes. It is a great place to meet your friends, grab a bite to eat, and observe the inebriated fair goers (or elderly women line-dancing).

Our first stop was my new favorite ice cream parlor, à la minute. What makes this place unique, is the technique they use to make their exquisite frozen concoctions. à la minute uses liquid nitrogen to freeze their ice cream so they can make it right before your eyes. They also claim to use a 100% organic ice cream base and strive to purchase ingredients from local distributors. Mom and I shared fresh mint chip—it was divine. 

We then moved along to the accessory booths were I picked up some awesome items thanks to StyleFox! I fell in love with this chunky, color block piece (it was on sale too!). I enjoy the modern, yet Art Deco vibe that this necklace gives off. 

The next piece I found drew me in with the color alone! I am a huge fan of the color pink and absolutely love the knotted flowers made of rope. This necklace is a bold, statement piece that will bring a burst of color to any monochromatic outfit. 

The final item I chose for myself is this striped, canvas handbag. I am obsessed with all of the colors because I feel like I can make it work with nearly any outfit. This bag also has a super cute light blue, peacock feather pattern liner. My favorite thing about this bag has to be the FAUX leather. No animals were harmed in the making of this purse... J

 

My sister-in-law, Megan, recently rented a home near "the circle" in Orange. She was away for the weekend and allowed us to use her driveway to park so we could walk right into the fair. I got her a little sum'n sum'n as a thank you.

Check out StyleFox's online store!

We ended the night at my favorite street: IRELAND. I do enjoy the food and occasionally the beer, but I LOVE the music (and apparently the crowd did too). 

The fair wound-down around about an hour before closing, which is 10pm. My mom and I promised my grandfather a bratwurst sausage so we picked one up and headed down the street to his house. We spent about an hour and a half talking and then headed home. When we finally got home it was past 11pm, but we took the dogs on a walk anyways. I enjoy walking Domino at night because he has a pretty rad light-up leash and collar combo.

The next morning we headed to The Velvet Lounge in Santa Ana for a buffet, endless champagne, drag show brunch! My mom and I were accompanied by my dear friends Jen Jen and Ruthie. 

Monday my mom and I went to the movies to see Maleficent (finally!) and of course we brought Yogurtland to snack on during the film. We finished off the weekend with lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Richardo's. All in all, I would say it was a very successful ladies weekend!

Mark's 29th Birthday Celebration

"Life should not only be lived—it should be celebrated!"

On August 28th, my husband entered the final year of his 20's. His birthday was on a Thursday so most of the day was business as usual, but I made sure to pamper him any and every way possible.

He started out his morning with homemade "birthday pancakes" and eggs! These pancakes are made with Bisquick batter and colorful heart sprinkles. I topped them off with cinnamon roll icing, which I melted and added sprinkles to. He was in heaven!

He then headed off to work, where he received a HAPPY BIRTHDAY text from me each hour. When he got home he showered and got ready for dinner at Lucille's BBQ in Orange. We were joined by my parents and youngest brother, his parents and two sisters, and our close friends, Jen Jen, Brian, and Ruthie. We enjoyed fried pickles, Irish nachos, potato skins, and much more. We had so much fun!

We finished the night off at our house where everyone gathered and enjoyed carrot cake (courtesy of the family chef—Michael Aimola) and Costco vanilla ice cream. My husband is a true child at heart and can't hide his excitement when opening presents. From me, he received a trip to Glen Ivy, a stack of his favorite candy, a new travel mug, and Dunkin' Donuts coffee for our Keurig. His parents gave him 5 tickets to a Red Wings hockey game in February. Mark is a lover of hockey and has been a Red Wings fan since childhood. I am not a huge hockey fan—and by "not a huge fan" I mean it's my least favorite sport—but I can't wait to go and cheer them on with my man. His sisters both gave him cash—you can't go wrong with that! My parents gave him a Milwaukee power drill that he had been eyeing and our friends so generously pitched in and helped fund our Glen Ivy spa day. We love you all and had so much fun celebrating with you. 

A note to Mark: I hope you had a very happy birthday! You work so hard to make sure all of my dreams come true and I don't tell you enough how much I appreciate everything you do for me. We have everything when we have each other and I am so fortunate to have you by my side. As you enter the final year of your 20's and embark on a new journey that will be your 30's, I want you to rest-assure that I will always be by your side to love, encourage, and support you. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us. I. love. you.