Thursday, June 28, 2012

What I Want

what i want


Shorts  - Topshop
Dress  -  Tobi 
Pink Sandals  -  Tory Burch from ShopBop
Loafers  -  Stubbs and Wootton 
Rug  -  Trina Turk
Skirt  -  Zara
Bag   -   Tory Burch
Earrings  -  Kate Spade
Pink Champagne Cake  -   Booze Cakes via Sterling Engagements

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

I love eating out. I love being taken care of in a restaurant. It's fun and relaxing.
Someone filling my drink, preparing whatever menu items I choose, and then cleaning it all up afterwards.

It's wonderful.

But eating out all the time is expensive and not very healthy. 
Well, the way I eat out isn't healthy that's for sure. 

This recipe from Comfortably Domestic was great and made me feel like I was enjoying a pasta dish from an actual restaurant.


Here's what you need:

4 small, boneless chicken breasts
Cajun blackening seasoning
butter
olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of chicken broth
1 1/2 cup of heavy cream of half-and-half
1 1/2 cup of good quality grated cheese (like Asiago, Parmesan, and/or Fontina)
3 oz. of herbed goat cheese
salt & pepper
fettuccine
nutmeg


1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Rinse each chicken breast with water and pat them dry.


3. Lay the chicken on a flat surface on top of a piece of plastic wrap. Top it with another layer of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer pound the chicken out to 1/4 of an inch thick. 


4. Cover both sides of the chicken breasts with the Cajun seasoning. I used A LOT. 


5. In a large skillet, add a tbsp. of butter and olive oil. Heat the skillet to high until the butter starts to brown. Then add the chicken. I only cooked two breasts at a time to keep the temp. up. 

6. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes until it is very brown. 

7. Put the browned chicken into a rimmed baking sheet and bake until it's cooked all the way through. No pink. Took mine about 10 minutes. Turn the skillet to off and keep it for the sauce. Do not clean it. 

For the sauce:


1. Boil a large pot of water and cook the fettuccine until al-dente. Drain and rinse with warm water afterwards.


2. If the skillet looks dry, add a little olive oil. My skillet was not dry so I just reheated it to a medium heat. Add the white wine or chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Use a whisk to scrape all of the brown, cooked on pieces off the pan. They are full of great flavor.

3. Add the garlic to the pan and saute.


4. Reduce the heat and add the heavy cream of half-and-half. Stir constantly for one minute.

5. Add the salt, pepper, and little bit more butter.Continue to stir for 4-5 minutes. The sauce will reduce slightly. I think my sauce reduced a little too much. 


6. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the grated cheeses. Stir until they are melted and combined into the sauce.


At this point, my sauce was too thick so I added a touch more chicken broth, cream, and butter.


7. Put the skillet back on the heat and add the drained fettuccine. I added small portions of the pasta into the pan. It was easier to combine this way.


8. By now the chicken is ready. Slice it thinly and against the grain. Add 3/4 of the chicken into the skillet. Toss to combine.


9. I topped my pasta dish with the rest of the chicken. The recipe calls for you to add nutmeg at the end but I forgot. I just wanted to eat the food!!

It was fabulous!

I had to make myself stop eating this.

The only negative thing I can say, is that the only thing Cajun about this dish is the seasoning you put on the chicken.

This dish could definitely be kicked up a notch.

More seasoning and spices next time.


Enjoy!









Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Hemline Ridgeland

Hemline just opened in Ridgeland!!! Woohoo!!
I had been dying to stop by so I went and checked them out last Thursday.

I first discovered Hemline three years ago in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
The store was filled with really unique and special clothes and accessories.
I left with this funky dress.




Love. Love. Love this dress.

See what I mean about this dress being kinda funky? You can't just where a tie dyed maxi dress with tribal beading anywhere!

When I think of Hemline, I think of buying something cool and special that you can't get everywhere else.

Here are a few pics of their awesome new store in Ridgeland.




Great accessories on their huge jewelry table!
Lots of bright earrings and bold, statement necklaces.



Obsessed with the neon pants!






Here are a few more pics from their Facebook.


IN LOVE!





Tons of GREAT color, prints, and unique pieces!
Awesome location & nice staff!

I know that I will be frequenting this fabulous new store a lot!

They do a great job updating their Facebook and Instagram (hemlinems) so be sure to check those out as well.

Thanks again to Hemline Ridgeland for allowing me to photograph their gorgeous clothing and new store!

Monday, June 25, 2012

This will be awesome


"In the opening scene of Big Easy Express, Jade Castrinos, singer for folk troubadours Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, is seen frolicking between train cars. The setting is last spring's Railroad Revival Tour, a multi-day jaunt that found Castrinos' band, Mumford & Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show traveling by a 14-car train from Oakland to New Orleans, playing six concerts along the way."

Monday's Must Have

Facebook Jewelry Auctions

It's so simple.
Each auction has a Facebook page. 
They are fixed price auctions.
"Like" the page to receive their updates about auctions and upcoming pieces of jewelry.
Be on Facebook whenever the specified auction date and time is.
The auctioneers will post  pics of the pieces available along with the size, price, etc.

If you would like to purchase the piece, comment "sold" and your paypal address under the pic.

Some sites have different rules for purchasing so make sure you read up on their info page.


Here's the loot I have scored from the awesome Facebook Auctions




I also purchased the white, orange, and pink rope bracelet they had a few weeks ago.
Can't wait for it to come in!





Jewelry Nut Auctions is awesome!
They are featuring this necklace in 12 different colors in tonight's auction.



Pretty lace shorts from Clash Boutique-Clothing & Accessory Auction will be on tonight's auction. 



Cuuuute earrings from last night's auction!


Friday, June 22, 2012

5 Things I Love



Love.
If Fancy Nancy had been around when I was little, I would have been obsessed.
I'm looking for a gift for my niece who is turning one soon. Is Fancy Nancy "too old" for? 


I know, I know EVERYONE has seen Blair from Atlantic-Pacific wearing this Tibi dress.
But I LOVE IT and can picture myself wearing it.
I can also picture Cam's face if he got a bill for about $700 for ONE dress.
Not loving that.


Truthfully, I love everything about her. 
See that ring?





My husband and I have decided to start playing tennis. 
Step one: Get this Kate Spade "Make a Raquet" bag!



I have been loving our new patio. Perfect for reading on summer evenings.
I'm on the third Fifty Shades of Grey book and this is how I feel about myself...


I am ashamed.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Girls

The first season of HBO's Girls just ended. 
I am so sad.
I LOVE THIS SHOW!

Some people get it, Some people don't.

I get it.

HBO is playing the entire first season on Saturday afternoon.

Watch the trailer (below) at the very least.


"I am thirteen pounds overweight and it has been awful for me my whole life."
Best line ever



Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Julia's Kitchen Shower




I cannot say enough about the gorgeous arrangements that Au Courant created.
Absolutely Gorgeous!

They even used Kale in some of them because it was a Kitchen/Cooking Shower.
So creative!



To say that the mimosa bar was a hit would be a understatement...


Au Courant also created these really cute signs for each of different foods we were serving.


Setting up the table...


A couple of the sweet hostesses live in New Orleans.
They brought macaroons from the oldest bakery in New Orleans.
Delicious!


Petit Fours from Primos in Jackson.


Sweet hostesses getting ready.



Gorgeous arrangement for the table from Au Courant. See the Kale?


 


Beautiful bud vases. I don't know they got those roses to open like that. SO pretty!


Bitching/Asking Cameron to do something and my Dad says smile.
Always ready for a photo #highschoolcheerleader

  
A bow from one the the gifts.
Made of fresh herbs.
So creative, smelled amazing.


The Bride's Gradmother, the Bride, and her future Mother-in-Law






  
More beautiful flowers!






Many thanks to my Mom and Dad for driving from Georgia and helping me every step of the away with the party!

Thanks to the sweet hostesses for ALL that they did!

Thanks to Julia for ALWAYS being such a REAL and sweet friend to me.

I don't think that the party could have been more perfect!