spicy thai noodles

last night i branched out from my typical weeknight meal and made spicy thai noodles with chicken and veggies. i don't make asian food a lot, except for the occasional simple stir fry with rice, so this was pretty different for me. it turned out really well and i liked the flavors a lot.

the one drawback...it was a lot spicier than i realized it was going to be! i teared up and sniffled the whole time i ate. michael can handle a lot more spice than i can, so i think he enjoyed it a little more. i may just cut back on the amount of crushed red pepper i use next time!

i got the original noodle recipe from a small snippet.. i modified it in a few ways:

1. didn't add the carrots, green onion, cilantro or peanuts that the recipe calls for. i don't love cilantro or green onion, and i'm not a fan of peanuts (unless they're boiled or peanut butter of course). i ended up adding carrots as part of my veggie mix but i didn't care enough to go buy carrots when i was shopping for this recipe.
2. added grilled chicken. a meal isn't a meal to me without some source of protein (preferably lean), so i grilled up 2 chicken breasts and sliced them to add to the noodle bowl.
3. added veggies. as i mentioned in #1, i didn't buy any extra veggies to add to this because i assumed i'd have some sort of veggie laying around waiting to be used. thankfully, i did! i had some frozen stir-fry veggies left over from a meal a week or 2 ago, so i added those to the mix.

spicy thai noodles with chicken & veggies

1 box whole wheat linguine or angel hair (i used angel hair...you probably don't need to use a whole box but i knew my pasta-loving husband would eat it)

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper (next time i may be using more like 1/2 tbsp.!)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup toasted sesame oil

6 tbsp. honey

6 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

2 chicken breasts

stir-fry veggies

pepper

ginger

garlic powder

1. cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

2. pound chicken breasts to even thickness. season with pepper, ginger, and garlic powder (approximately 1/2 tsp of each for each breast.) cook for 10-14 minutes on preheated grill pan.

3. add vegetable and toasted sesame oils to a small saucepan. add crushed red pepper and heat until simmering. let simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

4. strain crushed red pepper out of oil. i didn't have any cheesecloth or mesh strainers in the kitchen, so i used a coffee filter. worked like a charm!

5. add honey and soy sauce to oil and whisk until thoroughly blended.

6. once pasta is done and drained, add sauce and toss until coated.

7. saute veggies in a small frying pan until tender. (i skipped any seasoning here since the chicken and sauce were both pretty heavily seasoned.)

8. slice chicken into thin strips and add, along with veggies, to noodles. toss until combined.

tadaaaaa!

sidenote: i had a happy accident when i took my grill pan off of the stove and put it on my wood trivet to cool off. i should've thought better of it, but i didn't, so after it cooled, it was stuck to the trivet. i'm really glad no one was there to see me struggle to separate the 2. anyway, it turned out well because look how cool my trivet looks now!

spring fever

this past sunday was the most beautiful day i've seen in my part of the world in quite awhile! the sun was shining and it was in the high 60s...perfect weather for making me crave spring. the ground was wet, but my sweet husband waterproofed an area of the yard for me and put a blanket down so i could soak up some sun. it was wonderful!

late february is the time of year when i reallllllly get tired of cold weather. i'm really thankful for the love i have for boots, because i'm pretty sure footwear is all that gets me through winter. but inevitably, by this time of the year, i'm even getting tired of wearing boots, so my spring fever is in full force.

in honor of the soon-to-be-warmer weather, this is my spring wishlist:

shorts, in all colors and patterns

j. crew makes the best shorts. this pattern is precious!

lighter wash denim
i usually stick to dark wash denim since it's more flattering and tends to look a little dressier than lighter colors, but i feel the need to lighten up for spring so i may be picking up a pair similar to these!

old navy rockstar super skinny jeans

floral sunglasses

i bought my favorite pair of sunglasses when michael and i were in hawaii on our honeymoon. they were floral and so cute and comfortable. they broke about 2 weeks ago, so i've been hoping to find a good replacement! 

aldo grazina sunglasses

outdoor accessories

this weekend we're going to pick up a picnic table that my grandpa built for us and i am so excited to find a home for it in our yard! now that we'll have a nice place to eat outside when it's warmer, i'll need to stock up on outdoor entertaining supplies. here are some things i have my eye on:

pier 1 flatware caddy

pottery barn mason jar mugs

williams-sonoma margarita glasses

bed bath & beyond food cover...how smart!

coral nail polish

essie's peach daiquiri

neutral sandals

as much as i love my jack rogers navajo sandals, i wear them out in the summer and need another option that will go with anything. something tan and gold is calling my name...

aldo okelly sandals

rah rah carolina!

today's post is dedicated to all things unc. i am a proud graduate of unc chapel hill and, while i'm certainly not the biggest or most devoted sports fan by any means, i love a good game in blue heaven.

tomorrow michael and i will be making the trip to chapel thrill to see the boys in blue take on the wolfpack. while nc state is not our biggest rival (down with duke forever and always), it's still always a heated game and will be fun to watch. unless we lose, of course, in which case it will not be fun thanks to my husband and wolfpack alum brother. regardless, i'm very happy to be going back to the dean dome for the first time in too long.

[where else can you get such a lovely view of hinton james?]

at any rate, i figured while i've got the tar heel spirit revving up for tomorrow, i'd post a little something for all of you fellow tar heel fans to enjoy.

hark the sound.

winter workouts

working out in warm months is so convenient...it's so easy to just walk out the door and go for a run, play tennis, walk the dog, whatever. even if it's hot you can wait until almost 9 at night when it cools off because there's still plenty of light!

winter is when i struggle. i used to be a member of a gym, but i didn't really use it enough to get my money's worth. i would always end up working out at home instead of making the drive to the gym.

i decided when the cold weather really set in last year that i would make working out at home using dvds and online workouts a priority. it's worked really well so far and i haven't felt nearly as cabin-feverish as i thought i would. since we have an actual house now with plenty of room instead of an apartment, i don't really have an excuse not to work out at home.

here are a few of my favs:

• tracy anderson method dance cardio: this video is awesome, especially for people with a dance background. she teaches you several different sets of choreography, then you just dance! the music is really good too, and it's an insanely hard workout for how fun it is. (warning: not easy to do with a small dog around. i save this one for weekends now when i have michael around to entertain loki)

• 10 minute solutions: these videos are great for people who feel like they don't have enough time to work out. they separate workouts into 10-minute sessions which is really convenient. i first got into these videos because special k used to put examples of them in their cereal boxes!
  
  these are my 3 favorites from the series:
  (the whole series can be found at http://www.the10minutesolution.com/series/index.html)

• health/fitness websites: shape.com, prevention.com and self.com are all great resources to find step-by-step photo instructions for at-home workouts.
  
  these 2 are in my current rotation and will leave you with some serious muscle aches if you do them correctly:
  
  shape.com lower ab workout
  
  prevention.com ballet boot camp

i hope this post gives you some winter workout inspiration! bikini season is not that far away!

no-bake peanut butter cups

we thankfully had a long weekend due to president's day so not only did we get to play in the snow; i also had plenty of time for a new baking project!

here's a little proof of the snow. we never get this much real snow without all of the ice and freezing rain that usually comes with it around here.

snow day!

 yesterday i made a pinterest recipe that i've been wanting to try for awhile: no bake peanut butter cups! they turned out really well and were super easy to make.

crunchy no-bake peanut butter cups:
[recipe makes 24 cups]

3/4 cup butter
2 1/4 cup peanut butter
2 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk
sea salt

step 1: line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. [i would recommend using a mini muffin pan unless you like really rich desserts. i used a regular muffin tin and, while i love chocolate and peanut butter, it was a pretty big serving!

step 2: my grocery store didn't have graham cracker crumbs, so i bought regular graham crackers and crushed them until fine in my food processor.

bottom layer ingredients

step 3: melt butter and peanut butter together for about 45 seconds in the microwave. stir until smooth.

step 4: add graham cracker crumbs and sugar and mix until combined.

step 5: distribute mixture evenly among muffin cups. put in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to allow bottom layer to set.

step 6: combine chocolate and milk and heat in 25 second intervals until chocolate is melted. stir until smooth.

step 7: distribute chocolate evenly among the muffin cups, pouring over each peanut butter layer.

step 8: sprinkle with sea salt and put back in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

before fridge

final product!

diy monogram wreath

several versions of the diy monogram wreath have been floating around pinterest for awhile. i've had the same winter wreath on our front door since Christmas, so i figured it's about time for a change! i planned a trip to hobby lobby today to get some craft stuff for my bff's upcoming bridal shower, so i picked up the wreath supplies while i was there.

i decided to tackle the wreath as soon as i got home, despite the freezing temperatures and on-and-off snow. i'm just glad i got it done and on the front door by early afternoon because right now the snow is really coming down!

materials:
-grapevine wreath
-grapevine floral wire
-burlap ribbon (which was on sale for 50% off!)
-"s" particle board letter
-3 white flowers
-krylon champagne brushed metallic spray paint
-glue gun
-clear coat spray paint

the first thing i did was wrap the entire wreath in the burlap ribbon. this wasn't my plan from the get-go, but we have a huge front door and anything too plain tends to get lost on it. wrapping the ribbon around the whole thing helped it to show up a little more on the door.

to secure the ribbon around the back, i tied it in a simple knot.

next i added the flowers. these came with really long stems so i cut them off with a wire cutter. the wreath i got was so tightly wrapped that i didn't have to secure the flowers with anything on the back; i just stuck the stems through and they were really secure.

the "s" came last! the one i bought was made out of really light particle board so i knew i wanted to spray paint it. i gave it a few light coats of the champagne color and wiped each one in the same direction with a paper towel when it was almost dry. that gave it a really cool, not-so-perfect, vintagey look, which i much prefer to a perfectly even spray paint.

this is my spray painting in the snow outfit. be impressed by my crafting style. :)

when the spray paint was dry, i gave it a quick clear coat of outdoor sealant. the spray paint was indoor only, so i wanted to make sure the color would last outside.

after the sealant dried, i attached the letter to the wreath. i hot glued a loop of grapevine floral wire to the back, then used the same wire to wrap through the loop and around the back of the wreath. i also hot glued the letter itself in a few spots to hold it upright.

finished product!!

love love love love crazy love

happy valentine's day!

it's still early and michael and i have already celebrated a pretty awesome day. we exchanged cards/gifts this morning and i woke him up with breakfast in bed! pretty much nothing is appropriate for a valentine's day breakfast if not heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes.

hope everyone has a great day and fully embraces the sappiness of this hallmark holiday like i plan on doing. :)

starting off the day with some serious valentine style

workday cupcakes!

me & my valentine :)

boberry biscuit hearts from sunday...precious

rainy night dinner

yesterday was such a rainy, chilly, gloomy day. i planned this week's menu last week and the dinner i decided on for last night turned out to be perfect for such a gray day!

we had corn, black bean, and beef chili with cheddar bay biscuits (the famous red lobster knock-off).

the chili was so good and so fast! it has a slow-cooked flavor but only needs to cook for around 15 minutes total. and of course, the cheddar bay biscuits need no explanation. they're just so good.

black bean, corn, and beef chili

1 lb ground beef
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 can beef broth
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
cheddar cheese for garnish

1. cook ground beef in a large skillet with chili powder until beef is done. drain, then add to a large pot.
2. add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
3. bring to a boil, then turn heat down and let simmer for 10 minutes.
4. top with cheddar cheese.

cheddar bay biscuits

*these measurements will make about 7 biscuits
**in order to make these somewhat healthier, i used the "heart healthy" version of bisquick, skim milk, and i can't believe it's not butter instead of regular butter. i've had the full-fat version of these biscuits many times and i couldn't tell the difference between those and these!

1 cup bisquick
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup milk
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp garlic salt

1. preheat oven to 400.
2. mix bisquick, cheese and garlic powder in a medium bowl.
3. add milk and mix until sticky dough forms.
4. drop mounds of dough onto greased baking sheet.
5. bake for 10-13 minutes or until tops of biscuits are golden brown.
6. right before taking the biscuits out of the oven, melt butter, then mix in garlic salt.
7. immediately after removing biscuits from oven, brush butter/garlic salt mixture on top of each.

happy birthday love!

today is my sweet husband's birthday! i hope 25 is even better than 24 was...even though our past year will probably be pretty hard to beat. :) i love you!!!

wish list

i'm a recovering shopaholic. i used to go shopping pretty much every weekend for something i didn't need. now that i'm married, own a house, have a dog, and prefer to watch downton abbey in my spare time, i'm thankfully spending much less time looking for ways to spend my money and cram my closet.

pinterest has actually helped me curb my shopping cravings a little...for some reason, when i pin something i feel like it's magically mine already! i'm training my brain to be satisfied by a pin instead of actually buying it. :)

here's what's currently on my wish list. i'm hoping getting this out of my system now will make me feel like they're mine already (although only virtually).

such a cute pouf from west elm! imagining it in our living room...

not sure if i'm brave enough to try wedge sneakers yet...but if i ever am, these are awesome

j crew beach tunic...already dreaming of our mexican vacation in a little over a month

gold stella & dot arrow necklace

beautiful leather madewell wallet