The Oscars

Let's face it, I don't watch the Oscars for the speaches, comedy, or musical renditions - I strictly watch it for the fashion. It was really fun to have a young woman as a host, especially when she changed outfits umpteen times!

Here are some on my "Best Dressed List"

Cheers!

Fettuccine With Peas Asparagus and Pancetta

I typcially cook "comfort food" on Sundays, and last night was no exception - I came across this recipe and decided it was a must (I even ventured to the store in my pj's to pick up the ingredients).

Fettuccine With Peas Asparagus and Pancetta adapted from Bon Appetit


Ingredients

•12 ounces fettuccine or penne
•3 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped
•1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
•2 cups shelled fresh green peas, blanched 1 minute in boiling water, drained, or frozen peas (do not thaw)
•1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts separated from dark green parts
•2 garlic cloves, pressed
•1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
•1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
•3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
•1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
•1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
•1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided

Preparation

•Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

•Meanwhile, cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet. Add asparagus to drippings in skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add peas, white and pale green parts of green onions, and garlic; sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

•Add vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, dark green parts of green onions, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, half of parsley, and half of basil to pasta. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle pancetta, remaining parsley, and basil over. Serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese.

Cheers!

Shelving

I have ALWAYS wanted bookshelves, and since my Dad offered to build me some for Christmas, now all I have to do is decide on the room I want them in.....I'm thinking the formal living room? I have SO many books that I am anxiously awaiting to display. Below is some inspiration:

LOVE how these are color sorted



A ladder would be SO cool!

 Cheers!

They Say Happiness is Contagious

Cheers!

This One or That One?

Can't decide, even though they are totally different.

This would be a deep brown.

Or...

I like the 2nd one better, but am worried that it is going to overcrowd the room...it is 80' long...the wall from fireplace to window wall is a little over 100'.

If anyone is out there...thoughts/suggestions/help. Please?

Cheers!

I Heart My Co-Workers

I decided to make my co-workers some Valentine's Day cookies - and so I took another shot at flooding....at Christmas time it didn't go so well. Mostly because by the time I got around to frosting, I had been in the kitchen for the majority of the day.

And so, I took another shot. This time using my Grandma Jo's sugar cookie recipe, and just a standard royal icing recipe.

I was going to attempt re-creating "Conversation Hearts" using frosting to write cute phrases. Well, that was a little over-ambitious - writing with frosting will take much more practice.

Overall, I thought that turned out pretty cute, but more importantly tasted delicious!

Cheers!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cheers!

Wishing and Hoping

That we can do this again, real soon....

Cheers!

Look What Arrived!

Next, a coffee table!

Cheers!

Friday Night In = Taco Night

We are bringing back a tradition in the Fernandez House - Friday Night In Taco Night. We try to be home on Friday nights when we have Andreas, and to make them more special than the "other" nights, we used to do Taco Fridays. We slacked off for a while, mainly during our quest to lose weight for the wedding. Well, we're back on, and they are tasting better than ever!

I find tacos to be one of those things that everyone likes a slight different variation. Andreas likes soft tacos with just "taco meat" and cheese; Shawn likes "loaded" soft tacos, sans tomatoes; and I love "taco salads" which include:

• "taco meat" aka ground turkey with seasoning
• lettuce
• lots of tomato
• cheese
• "re-fried" beans
• black olives
• sour cream
• cilantro
• green onion
• avocado
• salsa
• chips

Have a great weekend!

Cheers!

No Such Thing as a Free Date

Free movie tickets, a gift card to Ruth Chris, and a night on the town... yes please! Shawn and I were so excited for our FREE night on the town! We had been given free tickets to the premier of The Adjustment Bureau (neither of us had heard of it, but it was FREE), and we had found an old Ruth Chris gift card for $49 (the have a GREAT Happy Hour) - we were set. We had yummy appetizers and wine at Ruth Chris - tab was $48.93, we left a $10 tip. After that we headed to the theatre, 2 waters and 2 candies - $18. Movie was entertaining and we had good seats. Leave the parking garage, $13.

So, this free night that we thought we were having actually was $43. So, we decided that nothing is free anymore. But, we did have a great time on our "Date Night" - on a WEEK night at that!!

Cheers!

Loving....

In my quest to limit my diet coke intake, but still quench my never ending thirst, I have come up with the best solution.

Cheers!

Chicken is Chicken

Chicken is boring, especially chicken breasts - but we still eat a lot of it in our house. It's easy to cook, and a lot heart-healthier than red meat. So, I'm always in search of new exciting chicken recipes. So, when I came across this recipe, I was thrilled!

It was EASY, CHEAP, and delicious!

Puerto-Rican Chicken and Potatoes
adapted from Rachael Ray

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 pound small red potatoes, halved
• One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp canned Jalapenos
• Chopped cilantro, for sprinkling 

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until golden, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons oil in the pan.
2. Using a food processor, puree the onion. Add to the reserved skillet along with the garlic, scraping up any browned bits. Puree the red pepper and add to the skillet along with the cumin, jalapeno and bay leaf. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the potatoes, tomato sauce and 1 cup water. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the chicken, cover and simmer, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Top with the cilantro.

 Cheers!