Category: recipes

Lately / Meal Plan

MichelleLeave a comment

Hope you all had a great holiday weekend! Scott and I began dating on the 4th of July, so it’s always one of my favorite holidays. (We celebrated our 4th dating anniversary this year!) We actually didn’t end up watching any fireworks (except on tv), but we had a great time really relaxing this weekend – it’s been awhile since we’ve had a whole weekend to relax.

Blueberry picking blueberries on a branch

Blueberry picking blueberries on a branch

Blueberry picking blueberries on a branch

We picked blueberries on Saturday when our favorite blueberry farm opened and we had so much fun. We got a ton of blueberries and paid exactly $1. It was a great (cheap) date! If you live in the area, Bowser’s Blueberries isn’t ever crowded, they don’t spray any of their plants, and you can eat as many blueberries as you want while you’re picking!

H&M shopping shoes shirt business casual clothing

Shoes / 3/4 Sleeve Henley / Short Sleeve Blouse (Different Color) / Tank Top / Sweater

I also have a nice little weekend sale haul – H&M had some great deal this weekend! I’ve been on the hunt for some more professional clothes, since I start my first full-time, business casual dress job this week. I got 3 shirts and a sweater for $26 which is an awesome deal. I love H&M for work clothing because the sales are great, they have a lot of nice basics (and fun patterns), and the prices are really reasonable.

Scale model apartment planning

Also, a quick life update: Scott and I found our apartment for next year! I’m SO excited to move to our new place! It’s bigger, has a balcony and a dedicated office, has real (big) windows, and (best of all) it’s not in the basement (which will hopefully mean no more ant infestations. I’m pretty sure they ate through one of the wires in our bathroom. No joke).

Side note: I’m actually posting last week’s meals because at the time I’m writing this, I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to make this week (#realtalk, hah).

Meal Plan / Week of 6-27-16

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers Recipe

Michelle1 Comment

Scott and I rarely eat red meat, but we do occasionally make an exception for hot sausage, and especially for this meal. It’s so easy to make and comes together quickly with just a couple ingredients, and even with a few ingredients, it’s incredibly flavorful!

This recipe is slightly adapted from the 5-Ingredient Cookbook.

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Pasta with Sausage and Peppers
(Serves 4)

  • 8 oz (half a box) farfalle/bow tie pasta
  • 3 links (about 3/4 lb) hot Italian sausage
  • 2 bell peppers (any color), cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup water + 1/2 tsp Better than Bouillon (or 1/2 cup broth, chicken or vegetable)
  • ground black pepper, to taste

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Cook the pasta in salted water, according to package directions. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and peppers over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is brown.

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Add broth and black pepper to skillet. Bring to boiling, then simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

We always use chicken Better than Bouillon because it’s so much easier to have on hand than broth. We just keep the one jar in our fridge (instead of having to buy chicken broth all the time), and 1 tsp of the mix plus 1 cup of water is equivalent to 1 cup of broth, so each tub makes a ton of broth! There are also beef, vegetable, and vegan versions. (This post is not sponsored by them in any way, I’m just a huge fan).

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After you’re done simmering, remove the skillet from the heat and add the cooked pasta. We like to top ours with Parmesan cheese.

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This meal is really to make vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free. For a vegetarian/vegan meal, omit the sausage (or replace with a vegetarian substitute) and use vegetable or vegan “chicken” broth. It tastes great even without the sausage (it’s kind of like a miracle)!

To download the recipe in printable/PDF format, click the button below.

View and Print Recipe

Lately / Meal Plan

Michelle2 Comments

This past week has been really fun! Scott and I both got to celebrate our birthdays, and we really spread out our birthday festivities. (I think we had about 4 or 5 days of celebration!)

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Birthday present setup – I got Scott this silicone wedding ring and a shaving kit (this soap set, a double sided razor, and blades). A silicone ring is a perfect gift for any of you active folks – Scott really wanted one to wear when he was drumming, playing sports, or traveling. I got him this one and it looks almost exactly like his “real” one!

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On Friday we went to the car cruise at our church (it was corvette night) and then had movie night with my family. I’m not really a car person, but it was fun to wander around, drink lemonade, and see all the rows of cars lined up!

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Yesterday we went to the drive-in, which is one of my absolute favorite things to do in the summer! If you haven’t ever been to a drive-in movie, then you’re definitely missing out. We’re lucky enough to have a nice one pretty close to us.

Meal Plan / Week of 6-20-16

  • Monday: Easy Stir Fry
  • Tuesday: Pizza and Wings at the Drive-In
  • Wednesday: Steak and Potatoes
  • Thursday: Southwest Casserole
  • Friday: Eating Out or Waffles (from this cookbook)
  • Sunday: Taquitos and Rice