More Yummy-ness

Robin's summer recipe round up the other day reminded me of a recipe I got to taste about two years ago when she made it but hadn't tried it yet myself. It was so good I can't believe I forgot about it. Perfect for the summer.

Pasta with Fresh Corn Pesto!

It takes a little bit of prep time but it's totally worth it. Here's what you will need:

• 4 bacon slices, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears)
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced (I used two HUGE garlic cloves and it was great!)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used less because I don't love this kind of heat. I prefer the heat to come from garlic)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces tagliatelle or fettuccine
• 3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided

Here are the directions:
Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often. All pasta sauce recipes should start with bacon. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add corn, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, red pepper flakes, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to drippings in skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes.
Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernels to small bowl and reserve. Scrape remaining corn mixture into processor. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and pine nuts. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth. I have a very small food processor so I did this in two batches and it was fine. Set pesto aside.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Don't be like me and forget this part and pour out all the water. You can't get it back. I still used water to thin a little but the pasta water would have been better. Return pasta to pot. Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves and reserved bacon. Serve pasta, passing additional grated Parmesan alongside.

I will be eating this a few more times this week. Heat it up at work and watch people become jealous of your lunch as they smell the bacon and garlic. As with regular pesto, I think that it would be great to make a batch (or a double batch) of this sauce while corn is in season and then freeze it for later. Then I can use smaller portions of it at a time if I don't want tons of left overs.

Opinions Requested

I need your opinions please. I feel like it's time to change up my bedding. Since my bed is in my living room, I have to look at it a lot and it's time for a change. I love what I have now. It's a dark brown with a cream paisley pattern. I love a paisley pattern! But, it's kind of dark and I'd like to lighten things up. I was looking at the Pottery Barn catalog the other day and, of course, I found some things that I like. I may not get these exact ones but I need help narrowing down what I'm looking for. A couple of things to keep in mind about my apartment. The two walls that my bed is next two are a darker gray-blue and I'm not re-painting. I have some other pillows on my bed that are in golds and reds and blues. I could change those up but it took me about two years to finally get around to them so I'm not eager to get rid of them. I have an awesome pink chair that I really like.

Ok, here's what I'm thinking:

1. A classic stripe in white and sandalwood. It's classic. It's neutral. 

2. This pretty blue pattern. It's lighter. The blue is different enough that it wouldn't clash with my walls.

3. Basic white or ivory with a little texture. This is originally what I was thinking when I wanted a change. Goes with everything. A good investment.

4. Then there is this fun pattern in Marigold. Blue and yellow is a good combo. It's bright and cheery. Wouldn't go with my existing throw pillows but might be worth it.

Thoughts?

Maybe I'll start a diary

I left church early today so that I could get home before the Pride parade and hide out for the rest of the afternoon. Flipping through the channels, I found Bridget Jones' Diary on tv and since it was between that and a Miley Cyrus movie, I opted for the Diary. When the movie first came out I remember not liking it at all. I don't for Renee Zellweger as an actress at all (her eyes are never open and she mumbles) and I hadn't yet learned to appreciate Colin Firth. After that, I never really gave it a shot again.
This afternoon, I found it entertaining. I think that this time, I relate to it more. I know, it's silly. But, kind of true. I've had the feeling that I'm going to end up a spinster. I've had the urge to just stay at home drinking tequila and dancing to oldies (don't worry, I haven't done that). I regularly make a fool of myself around guys I think are cute. Thankfully, there are some differences. I can cook (I've never made blue soup) and I've never slept with my boss. Unfortunately, I don't have two men fighting over me. I don't even have one man chasing after me.
So, maybe I'll start a diary and start working out more. And then I should probably pay more attention to that online dating profile I've been ignoring.

Hiding on a Saturday night

This weekend is Pride weekend in Chicago. I live in an area call Boystown. That means that my neighborhood is nuts this weekend. Tomorrow is the big parade. Tonight everyone just gets drunk. So, I have now gone into hiding. I will emerge tomorrow for church and then quickly return home for the rest of the day.
This evening, I will find a movie on TV, eat my BBQ chicken pizza and drink some sangria. Not a bad night at all.
If you want to make some really yummy BBQ pulled chicken, I'll tell you how. Put a stick of butter, a little BBQ sauce and some chicken in a crock pot and put it on low for 2-4 hours, depending on how much chicken is in there. If it's looking a little dry, add some water as well. The chicken should totally fall apart when you try to take it out.
Today I made this to bring dinner to some friends that had a baby recently. They can heat up the chicken and put it on some fresh pretzel rolls and you have a great sandwich. I used the rest of it on a pizza for myself tonight. Simple and yummy (although not very photogenic so there are no photos).

It's all about the defense

I don't know about you but I was not blessed with long skinny legs. I was blessed with short, let's call them muscular, legs. When I walk, my legs touch. In the winter when I wear pants or tights all the time, it's not really such a big deal other than a little extra wear in the area where they touch. In the summer though, I like to wear dresses without tights or nylons. This means that my skin can get just a little raw at the end of a long day of walking around.
Then someone told me about this:

Simply put, this is a life changer! I knew about things like this that are primarily used by athletes and I had tried one kind a long time ago. But, I found that it really wasn't much help for me. Oddly enough, those knids all pretty much sweated away and were useless after a couple of hours. Then someone told me that Gold Bond had come out with a new product and I saw it in the drug store one day and decided to give it a shot. It was under $8 and it looks and works just like a deoderant. You glide it on your skin where needed and go about your day. It forms this protective barrier that reduces friction when your skin rubs together. You can also use it on areas where your skin rubs against fabric and gets irritated.
This stuff really does work all day! I used it the day of Operation Cupcake when I was walking around all day in a dress and I had no irritation all day long.
I would guess I'll have to buy one more stick of this about half way through this summer if I continue to use it on a regular basis. But, $16 for a summer free of irritation (at least of this kind) is totally worth it!

Some updates

I think I keep telling you all that I'll keep you posted but I haven't really been doing that. So, here's a bit of a random update from some semi-recent posts.
1. I've tried several of my new products from my first Birchbox. They have been ok. I'm glad I got to try them but so far none of them would be worth paying full price for except maybe the cheek stain. Maybe. Hey, now I know not to waste my money on those things.
2. I didn't end up speaking last Sunday in church. There was a slight mix up. Not to worry, I'll be speaking this Sunday instead. One would think I would have worked more on what I was going to say now that I had more time but I haven't. I still have no idea what to say.
3. I'm very glad that so many of you think that cereal is an acceptable dinner and that I'm not the only one with strange eating habits. I had chips and salsa for dinner tonight.
4. Online dating has been a bust so far. It's probably due to the fact that I've hardly been on to look at things and haven't had the energy to really care. I'll have to devote some time to it this weekend. For some reason, every guy on the site hasn't been overjoyed that I'm there yet and contacted me.
5. The only good thing about 'Operation Cupcake' was the chance to eat a lot of yummy mini cupcakes. Otherwise it was just a lot of walking around in the heat trying to find people who didn't know that we were trying to find them.

Question of the day

Today, during Operation Cupcake, while my co-worker and I were wandering around trying to locate people at the far ends of the earth, we had a lot of time for random conversations. At one point we were chatting about how miserable it can be to cook during the summer because it just heats up the entire house. I made a comment about a favorite summer dinner of mine being a bowl of cereal. It's quick, it doesn't heat up my house, it has a little bit of nutrition and I'm usually not all that hungry anyway at the end of a hot day. As soon as I mentioned cereal for dinner, he emphatically yelled 'No! That is NOT an acceptable dinner.' Apparently, he and his wife have this conversation frequently.

So, here is my question: Is cereal acceptable for dinner?

Operation Cupcake

Guess what I get to spend my day doing tomorrow. Tomorrow I get to walk all over campus handing out cupcakes to faculty and staff who are also alumni of the College. I then get to either thank them for making their gift this year or I get to ask them to make their gift right on the spot.
Normally, I am a fan of anything that has to do with a cupcake. However, this situation has many things that are not working in it's favor thereby making me think that tomorrow is not going to be my favorite day ever. Here are the flaws as I see them:

• It's going to be about 867 degrees tomorrow with 400% humidity.
• We will be carrying around large boxes full of cupcakes. They will be heavy and start to melt.
• I'll have to ask people for money. 
• I hate asking people for money.
• I don't know any of these people. They don't know me. 
• We aren't even sure we can get into all of these buildings
• We have to walk all over the place. 
• It's going to be about 935 degrees tomorrow with 875% humidity.

If you run into me later in the day tomorrow and you aren't holding a very large, cold beverage that you want to give to me, just keep walking. I will be cranky. 

I'm a copy cat

Just like the lovely Robin, I joined Birchbox. Guess what arrived today!

My first Birchbox! I haven't had a chance to try anything yet but here's the rundown of the goodies inside:

Borghese Bontanico Eye Compresses. I'll give these a try after I wash my face tonight. If they work well it might (I emphasize might) be worth the investment for my tired self and the dark circles under my eyes. Getting more sleep hasn't really been an option so I'll need something else. 

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint. In theory, I'll really like this. I'll give it a shot tomorrow. I have a feeling that this color is a bit too dark for me and will look fake. Tinted moisturizers often leave me looking a bit oily but we'll give this a shot.

Scalisi Anti-Aging Moisturizer. This stuff better be good because a full size is about a million dollars. I'll test it out and see if it beats my favorite Origins. Most likely, this will end up in my travel bag and be nice for a weekend trip when I don't what to schlep everything else with me. 

Stainiac in Beauty Queen lip and cheek stain. I've never used a cheek stain so I'm looking forward to testing this one out.

John Varvatos Star USA cologne. As you can see, it's for a Birchbox Man. Now I just need a Birchbox Man to come in the July shipment and I'll be set. 

This is what I am most excited about! Cynthia Rowley Dress Up Band-Aids!! I guarantee this $15 box of band-aids doesn't work any better than the $4 box but they sure are fancy. I get blisters a lot in the summer so these will come in really handy. Plus, I'm super fancy. 

I'll let you all know what shows up in July.

Summer lovin'

Is there anything better in the summer than a bowl full of fresh berries topped with homemade whipped cream? I don't think so. The berries are super sweet and super cheap right now. And homemade whipped cream? I don't think I'll ever buy the kind in a can or a tub again. If you have a stand mixer, it takes no time at all to make. Add a bit of vanilla and some powdered sugar to sweeten it up and whip until stiff peaks form. Just be careful not to turn it into butter. Seriously, it's the best stuff ever.

Public speaking

I am not a fan of public speaking. I'm not bad at it, just don't like it. However, with the campaign at church, I've had to speak a few times. Never for very long but enough for a knot to form in my stomach. Last Sunday I was asked but someone else who was going to be speaking how I managed to get up and wax eloquently without being nervous. I looked at the guy like he was crazy and told him I was nervous all the time. Anyway, I agreed to speak again tomorrow to tell people a bit of what the church has meant to me and why I'm a part of this campaign. I thought about writing out my little speech here but I'm still not entirely sure what I'm going to say. Sometimes it's really hard to describe to other people why such a bit part of your life is such a big part of it. It just is.

The best kind of hand-me-downs

Tonight I got to have dinner with my parents. They drove down and we did a little early Father's day celebration. It's always good to see them but it's especially nice when they bring me things. When I moved into this apartment they found me a really cool chest/crate thing that I've been using as a coffee table. It was really rustic and fun but a little big for the space. Today, they brought me this:

It's a cedar chest from my Grandpa's house. He just moved into an apartment and couldn't take all of the furniture with him. I've had my eye on this for years and hoped that someday it would get passed down to me. When my mom was helping him move she mentioned that I really liked it and he was happy for me to have this. It's smaller than what I had before but fits the space much better. I also love that it's a piece of family history in my house. I'll have to confirm but either this chest was my great grandmother's or it was given to my grandma by my grandpa when they got married. I'm happy with either story.

No more procrastinating

Let's face it, I'm kind of a lazy person. I mean, I get a lot done at work and it's not like I'm a complete slob who never accomplishes anything personally. But, if I can put something off, I totally will. Today I checked three things off my list of a million things I've been meaning to get around to. 

Today, I joined Zipcar. I've been meaning to do it for about 2 years and I finally got around to it. I need a car for a meeting tomorrow so I finally got around to signing up. It hasn't been too bad without a car. I can get almost anywhere on foot, bus or train. I have lovely friends who let me borrow their cars when needed. I make my parents come and get me when they want me to come to Wisconsin for a weekend. And now, I have one more option.

Today I also successfully set up my new wireless router. My old one died awhile ago and I never replaced it because in my small place I didn't really care if my computer was hooked up to something or not. But, with my Kindle Fire, the wireless is really nice. Having the wireless work on the first try made me feel very accomplished. In case you don't know, I'm not exactly the most technologically knowledgeable person you have ever met.

Also today, I worked on finally putting together a bit of a portfolio of some of my work. Again, something that I've been meaning to do for a long time and finally started.

I'd say I did pretty good today.

Very exciting news

At least I think it's exciting. 

My brother is moving back to Madison, WI! Woo Hoo! 

That means that instead of being a 3-4 hour plane ride away, he'll be a 2-3 hour drive away. I doubt that I'll actually see all that much more than I do now but there is something comforting about have him close by. Despite what I probably said when I was 8, I kind of like that kid. Plus, having him closer means that my parents won't always expect me to be the one coming to visit. :)

A few of my favorite things

On Saturday, I stopped by the Origins counter to pick up my favorite daily moisturizer. Since I was in a shopping mood, I wandered a little bit to see if there was anything new and exciting that I just had to have. Guess what. I found something.

It's a lovely salt scrub that smells amazing and has a wonderful cooling effect (perfect after a long hot Chicago summer day). Plus, it's actually really gentle so you can use it every day and not feel like you are scraping all your skin off.

While I'm on the topic of Origins, let me tell you about two of my other favorite things from them. They are only a few of the many products that I love from here but are universally useful no matter your skin type.

I love this charcoal mask. I use it about once a week and it really just makes my skin feel better about itself. 

Then, there is this mask.

This one is perfect if you have a few problem areas. And, it smells great. I was told to use the Out of Trouble mask when my skin was giving me problems and then the Clear Improvements one once everything was all cleared up and I just wanted to maintain a beautiful glow.

Yummy in my tummy

Last night I made one of my favorite summer dishes for dinner. The original recipe is for couscous stuffed peppers with basil sauce but I've modified it pretty significantly. Mostly I've made changes because I eat this as a main dish instead of a side dish so I've made it a little heartier and more satisfying. If you were just having this as a side dish, the below recipe as written would be perfect. I've also modified it based on what I usually have in my kitchen and need to use up before it goes bad. Stuffed peppers are an excellent way of getting ride of left overs and giving them a new life. One note, I don't change anything about the sauce recipe except for the amount of salt and pepper added. I don't measure those, just do it to taste. The sauce is amazing. You'll want to put it on everything or just eat it with a spoon. Don't mess with perfection.
These are also really good leftover for lunch.
Enjoy!

Filling:

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin (I was uncertain about this but it's good)
3/4 cup couscous (I use quinoa)
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup dried currants (I never add these)
1 packed cup chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese (I usually use goat cheese instead because I almost always have it)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium red bell peppers
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1 medium orange bell pepper
Hot water, as needed
Extra Liz addition - I often add ground turkey meat that I have browned. 1/2 - 1 pound

Sauce:
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) creme fraiche
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra, as needed (I don't measure this, just to taste)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra, as needed (I don't measure this, just to taste)

Directions

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. (If using quinoa, prepare according to instructions on box but still add cumin) Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, currants, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. (at this point, I chop up the tops and throw that in the mixture. Why waste it?) Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water (I never add the water. I like the peppers a little crunchy so it's not needed. Plus, I don't think I ever really read this far in the directions) and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cooks Note: If the filling begins to brown too quickly, cover the pan with foil.)

Sauce: In a blender, combine the basil, creme fraiche, olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove the peppers from the oven and arrange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the peppers and serve.

Mon chapeau

Today I bought a hat. It's lovely and will be perfect for the summer. I couldn't get a good picture of myself wearing it so you'll have to trust me that it's cute on.

Yesterday I actually went to the mall. It's kind of a nice treat to have all of those stores in one place. Kelly needed a dress for an upcoming event so I was the official opinion of the day. The dress is beautiful! I'll fully take credit for being the one to find it on the rack. It's not my dress so I won't give away what it looks like. But, seriously, I have good taste in dresses if you have a gala to go to. I got a couple of things for myself as well. Nothing for a gala but still cute.

After a long day of shopping, we enjoyed a cocktail and dinner and P. Diddy's. It was a late birthday dinner for me and always delightful. For dessert, Kelly made her new favorite dessert. Fruit dipped in creme fresh mixed with maple syrup. Delicious.

And now, for the rest of the day, I'm going to relax. It's been a long time since I've had a quiet evening to myself. I'm going to read a magazine, have a glass of wine and make a nice dinner.

A summary

Since I can't really think of anything to write about tonight, I'll give you a summary of the last few days of my life. I know you all have been waiting for this.

• Friday night, I had to work an event for our big alumni weekend. I pretend that it's a horrible intrusion on my life to have to work these events but the reality is that since I know the people heading these things up and giving out the assignments, I've ended up with pretty good gigs the last couple of years. This year, my Friday night was spent at a great restaurant with people celebrating their 10th reunion. The only scary part was when I realized I was the same age as the people there and hoped to goodness I didn't look that old and was much more socially adept. But, it was free food and free drinks and I just had to smile and hand people name tags. 
• Saturday afternoon I chopped 5-6 inches of my hair off. I work up on Thursday morning with the urge to get rid of it so I did. It feels good! The only part that did feel good was when my hair dresser commented on some gray hairs. Apparently he doesn't value tips very highly. 
• Saturday night I worked yet another event. This was a much larger party where I again smiled and handed out name tags and then ate some good food and had a drink and maybe danced a bit.
• Sunday was the usual church followed by a lazy afternoon. Kelly joined me for grilled flank steak, the Miss America pageant and filling out of my online dating profile. 
• Monday I was forced to go back to work. I'm not so much a fan of working. It's been a long week. 
• Monday night was my usual steering committee meeting for the campaign our church is in. The people on the committee are awesome so these meetings are some of the better meetings I've ever been in.
• Tuesday was the usually Family Dinner Night. Just a normal night of food, friends and laughter. How else would you spend a Tuesday. 
• Tonight was a dinner meeting over some tasty German food. The meeting part was productive but a bit frustrating. The food was delicious. I'll be eating potato pancakes for the rest of the week. 

So that's it. That's what you have missed in my life. 

Here we go, again

Well, I did it. I now have a 3-month subscription to an online dating site. Kelly updated my profile for me so it's much better than what it was however many years ago I must have done a free trial or something. Seriously, I sounded really boring before.
I'll admit, I have no expectations for this adventure but I'm willing to give it a shot. I've done this several times over the last decade and I usually find that I have shelled out a chunk of money only to feel rejected on a daily basis. At least in real life I can be rejected for free and it doesn't happen daily. Maybe now with my new and improved profile, I'll have more success. It's worth a shot. I'll be sure to let you know if anything interesting happens.

This is what happens when you grocery shop hungry

You come home with things like this:

Oh. My. Goodness. These are tasty! I'm so glad that I got distracted by these and picked them up. I love Cape Cod potato chips anyway. They are crunchy and delicious. But, you make them in amazing and unusual flavors and they are even better. The bonus with these is that the flavor is a little richer so you actually don't eat as many in a sitting (although I'm sure you could do some damage to a bag if you don't pay attention). Go find these today.