haricot verts

Cooking dinner is my actual favorite.  Hopefully this is the last time I have to make a dinner that is then transported in tupperware containers to Shae's study room at the church? That DAT is coming right up in a week from today. Eating dinner at the church has been fine though. I'm getting really creative about what kinds of foods are actually portable and can stay hot. Tonight we had bbq chicken, risotto, and green beans with garlic and lemon juice. I did french toast with strawberries once. That one wasn't easy. Also I dared Shae to go to the bathroom in the women's restroom tonight and he did. Granted, the stakes were pretty low because no one is using this building on a weeknight in the summer. It's kind of like our own house extension if we want. Also, I did my eyeliner this morning when I still had fetus face so that's why it looks so un-precise, wow. Better luck tomorrow.

Red Pepper Pasta

We eat pasta about 2-3 times per week. Maybe if we had lived in China or Brazil we'd eat rice or something, but we are pasta people through and through now. The best thing about it is that there are SO many variations you can make, and you can pretty much make a sauce out of anything.

Red pepper pasta is one of our favorites, and it's super easy to make. I learned this one while in Sicily and it's seriously so good.

Red Pepper Pasta:

Serves 2-3 (If you want more servings I'd just add more red pepper and more half and half. Everything else could stay about the same)

1 large red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3/4 cup cream (I use half & half)
Salt to taste
1/2 grated parmesan cheese
Cooked pasta of your choice (My favorites with this sauce are shells, penne, or rigatoni)

Chop red pepper and onion into 1/2-1 inch pieces. Cut up garlic clove into small pieces. Saute together in a large pan (big enough that you can put your noodles in at the end) with a bit of olive oil over medium heat until soft (red pepper doesn’t crunch when you bite it).

When that stuff is soft and smelling super good, put about 3/4 of it in a blender, leaving some peppers and onions remaining in the pan. Blend together with the half and half until pink and smooth.

Pour back into the pan with the remaining pepper/onion mixture. Simmer until the sauce thickens more (I learned from Chopped that that is called "reducing your sauce"). Add salt (and garlic powder if it needs it) to taste. You could also throw some basil in there if you’re into that.

Add as much grated parmesan as you want YUM YUM YUM YUM.

Put in the noodles into the sauce and toss around.

Add more grated parmesan on top if you want!

It's so so good and fast! Buon appetito!

sweet

We are kind of into designer chocolate over here. Shae takes dark chocolate VERY seriously, and we like to keep a bar in the fridge so we can eat just a few bites after lunch or dinner. Here's what happened last night:

Me: You can have the last little bit.
Him: Let's split it.
Me: Ok, are you sure?
Him: Yeah, I like sharing chocolate with you. It makes it sweeter.

Hahaaa... is he even real!?

amiamo la pizz'

that's a pure happy face right there.

we love it so much we might name our future child margherita.

**napolini at downtown disney in CA.. more honeymoon pics on their way!!!

red pepper pasta recipe

I posted a super easy and delicious red pepper pasta recipe on my other blog. Authentic Italian, people. You should go check it out. Click HERE

daddy daughter date on tuesdays

want a little pizza my heart?

i'm only half-vegan though

this is me not enjoying the smell of a vegan restaurant.

enjoying the food, though, several minutes later.

so fat. so happy.

my last week as a not-missionary has been such a good one so far.

first of all:

it's been a FOOD week. I don't know why but I just keep eating so much great stuff. pastrami burgers, costco gelato, and not pictured: the best pizza, vietnamese food, fish and chips, chick fil a, and all the ice cream and shakes. these people are spoiling me.

secondly: watching the craziest lightning storm from the capitol, hot springs, movie-watching, and reminiscing. all with sam. i'm sure it's the fact that i'm leaving so soon, but these last days we have spent together have been some of the sweetest.

holy crepe

we ate crepes at that cool place with the tree inside tonight for sister date.

it was just us two, and then like 8 tight bros. 

now i know where all the sweet chill dudes eat on guys' night out.

bless my sweet parents

they are the best and i love them. 

(not just because they bought me christmas cadbury eggs and a lot of pizza today).

experiments

experiment #1: homemade chocolate ice cream.

1 frozen banana

1/4 c. milk

1 Tbsp. cocoa

as much sugar as you want

blend it up nice.

voila. homemade chocolate ice cream that is pretty good. 

not amazing. but pretty good. i'd make it again.

experiment #2: website sounds.

i'm learning a lot about experimental media.

my professor showed us this cool website.

it's called In B Flat.

you can play any and all of the videos at the same time,

 in any order and they all sound good!

it's cool. i played with it this weekend.

orange.

this is what i think of every single time i open something that came out of a vending machine.

and most things i get out of vending machines are, in fact, orange.

except for this little treasure, of course.

also, while we're talking about my college diet:
i'm legitimately afraid of getting scurvy.
some changes need to be made.

i'm obsessed with donuts + a poll

i would like to give a huge shout out to maddy for giving us this big box of free donuts on saturday morning. you absolutely made my week, you have no idea.

which brings me to this question:

donuts or cupcakes?

which do you pick?

i'd really like to know where everyone stands.

i think you all know where i stand...

my instagram history speaks for itself.

are you a donut person or cupcake person?

our biggest liz lemon-ism

me: there was free food on campus today for freshmen. i should have just joined a Ygroup instead of going to work. #sandwiches

kylie: ahhhhh that sounds so good. you should have been a freshman.

me: i could definitely sneak into a group. i blend right in. i don't have college student swag yet.

kylie: i think you have swag, but you could def tone it down if there are sandwiches involved.

coconut macaroonskis

if you're obsessed with coconut like i am, these will be your favorite food.

i use this recipe, and i make them all the time.

they're good with chocolate and without chocolate.

make them, and you will be in love.

also this weekend

went to in-n-out with my ladies and ate my first double-double.

watched this and this.

went bowling with brooke and peypey. i lost. had to buy them ice cream.

ate a lot of cadbury eggs.

listened to a lot of awolnation.

the best kind of crepe

brown sugar

bananas

whipped cream

caramel

i won't take my crepes any other way.

seriously. try it.

if ryan gosling was a sandwich, he would probably be like this.

hello, which wich.

if you were a person, and not a restaurant, i would marry you.

i just want to eat all the sandwiches in the whole world. really.

it's summertime again...

...you know what that means.

more posts like this and this and this!

i should call it the edit bay 12 instagram project or something.

this is the treat i bought myself for making it a full 4 hours today.

that's the longest i've lasted in a while.

go me! not... my paychecks are little.

but cookies & cream milk? that stuff fell straight from heaven.

all the candy

i've always claimed that i have a salt tooth instead of a sweet tooth.

my whole life, i have usually chosen cheetos, chips, or cottage cheese and wheat thins over cookies, candy, ice cream, and cupcakes.

but this past week since i've been home, i think i have eaten more candy than ever before.

so much candy.

i ate that chocolate bunny for breakfast like it was no big deal.

see ya salt tooth. it's been fun.