Featured

Homemade Granola

We’ve recently been on a big yogurt and granola kick in this house, probably because the warm weather means buying more fresh berries. So when we ran out of granola a week into our grocery cycle, but still had plenty of yogurt left, I decided to make some homemade granola!

I used to make homemade granola a lot when I lived on my own, in particular a random peanut butter granola recipe I found. But I decided to make a classic honey and almond recipe for the 3 of us since that’s what we’d been buying plus we have a Costco bottle of honey. The recipe I found is super customizable and easy to adjust: I’m not a big dried fruit fan so didn’t add any, but you could very easily add raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried blueberries, or anything else you like. The recipe also calls for almonds in particular but what we had were some individual packets of assorted roasted nuts? So I just used a bunch of those! No need to buy a big expensive bag of nuts if you don’t have to. But you could still do truly any nut you like. The recipe also specifies that the key to this granola is that it’s equal parts oil and honey. Which means you could easily decrease the honey if you want something that’s less sweet, just made sure you decrease the oil too.

So here’s a super easy granola recipe! Perfect for when you run out of granola or just want to use up some oats. Bonus points for being an excellent snack that I will be bringing on my camping trip next week.

Easy Homemade Granola

Time: 35 minutes

Makes: 5 cups of granola

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup neutral oil (vegetable oil, coconut oil, etc.)
  • 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup sliced almonds (or any other nut of choice)
  • 1 cup raisins or other dried chopped fruit (or leave out)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven tp 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray
  2. Whisk together the oil, honey, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
  3. Add the oats and nuts ad stir to coat.
  4. Spread the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. The granola is ready when it’s golden brown and the almonds have toasted. It will still feel wet coming out of the oven, but will harden as it cools.
  5. Add the fruit, tamp down, and cool. Store in an airtight container
Featured

Smashed Chickpea Salad

Bringing y’all another easy lunch recipe! This one is particularly good as we head towards summer because there is no cooking at all. It’s smashed chickpea salad! And when I say salad I mean like egg salad or tuna salad, not your average salad with greens.

I’ve seen this kind of recipe around a lot and since my roommates and I tend to eat vegetarian at least 50% of the time, I thought it would be a good recipe to try for some lunch time meal prep. And it was a hit!

I ended up reading through a bunch of recipes and then used what I had in our kitchen to make my own. But this is totally customizable to whatever you have! To make my version, I smashed my chickpeas, added mayo and dijon mustard, sprinkled in salt and pepper to taste, and was good to go! But you could add more or less mayo or mustard depending on your preferences, mix in some hot sauce or sriracha for a spicy kick, mix in some dill if you have it, add chopped cucumbers or celery or bell pepper for some crunch. This recipe simply serves as a base for whatever you want to add.

In terms of serving, my roommate Carissa and I have been eating this in sandwiches: I’ve been adding cheese, she’s been adding pickles. Both are delicious. Other options I think would be tasty: avocado, cucumbers, red onion, hot peppers. This would also make a great filling for a wrap, or a dip/spread for crackers or chips! And it keeps super well in the fridge, so is excellent as meal prep for the week.

As the weather gets warmer and you want to stand over a stove less, try this super easy smashed chickpea salad for some no-cook lunch meal prep!

Smashed Chickpea Salad

Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 2 (14 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1-2 tbs mayonnaise
  • 1-2 tbs dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Mash the chickpeas with a fork, or pulse in a food processor until roughly chopped.
  2. Add mayonnaise and mustard to desired consistency
  3. Season to taste with salt and pepper (or any other spice you wish!)
  4. Enjoy! Keeps super well in the fridge
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #17

Happy Sunday! I’m officially done with college! Which is absolutely bonkers. I had my one final and my last day of work on Friday and I just can’t believe the last 4 years are done. As weird and anti-climactic as it is given the past year, I’m still super grateful for all the people I’ve met and the ways I’ve grown. And looking forward to the future!

This next week will just be some assorted appointments and volunteering, then I’m off on a week long camping trip! My graduation gift to myself 🙂 And then I start my park ranger job! It’s definitely gonna be a summer spent outside and I can’t wait.

Dropping my gratitude list below, lemme know what you’re thankful for this week! ❤ Ce

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Taking graduation photos (shoutout to my roommate’s boyfriend for taking them!)
  • Cucumbers (probably my favorite vegetable)
  • Getting to take an afternoon walk because one of my classes ended early
  • Bbq chicken tacos
  • Crispy crowns
  • Last Habitat meeting!
  • Fleece lined flannels
  • A good week of reading (though I haven’t finished any books lol)
  • Making homemade ice cream for Josh’s birthday
  • Picking up more books from the library
  • A good week of yoga
  • Feeling good about my pchem final
  • Breakfast in bed for Josh for his birthday
  • Last work shift (which entailed eating donuts and drinking wine with all my (vaccinated) coworkers)
  • Finishing college!!
  • Getting Moe’s for Josh’s birthday
  • Getting to treat Josh to his first drink (we went for Seagram’s Escapes!)
  • My ice cream turning out delicious
  • House bonfire
  • Brownie cheesecake courtesy of my Mom
  • Sleeping in this weekend
  • Cleaning my room
  • Birthday dinner with Josh’s fam
  • Roommate bonding time
  • Camping trip planning
  • Getting to try out my new camping coffee maker
Featured

Carrot Cake Coffee Cake

Happy Thursday y’all! This week is the last week of class, so on Sunday I decided to make this Pinch of Yum recipe to celebrate! We’re big carrot cake fans in this house, and I love streusel topping so much I could eat it with a spoon (no joke). This recipe perfectly combines both!

I didn’t have a 9 inch round cake pan, so I made this in a regular loaf pan which worked just fine! You’ll just have to bake it for about an hour instead of a half hour.

Also the honey butter: I have a sensitive stomach when it comes to sugar, but my roommates absolutely do not, so I mixed up some honey butter for them. Just mix 1/4 cup butter with 1/4 honey! Super easy and made plenty (and perfect for other baked goods or some fancy toast).

10/10 recommend this recipe! I’m always here for cake that’s acceptable to eat for breakfast and I hope you are too.

Carrot Cake Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 2 large carrots
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt

Streusel topping:

  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel and grate the carrots. You should have about 1 1/2 cups.
  2. Whisk sugar, melted butter, and eggs. Stir in carrots. Add flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix until just combined. The batter will be very thick.
  3. Mix ingredients for the streusel until you get a texture like pebbles (I used my hands).
  4. Spread batter into a greased 9 inch round cake pan (or a loaf pan). Sprinkle with streusel. Bake for 30 minutes or until center is set (about 60 mins for a loaf pan). Top with honey butter if desired.
Featured

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

This recipe was part of my mission to find more lunch recipes that aren’t sandwiches or leftovers, and oh my gosh guys it’s incredible. I made it 2 weeks in a row if that’s any indication!

Of course this pasta salad recipe comes from Budget Bytes, and it’s honestly one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made. Because I don’t have a grill (college life) I used the broiler on my stove, and this recipe was as easy as 1. cooking my veggies, 2. making my dressing, 3. making pasta, and 4. putting it all together. It honestly took me half an hour, and for a whole week of lunch meal prep? Incredible.

It would also be a great side for dinner, especially for a cook out. And could definitely be a filling vegetarian dinner if you added some protein like beans! Or add (grilled) chicken for a delicious summer meal.

Dropping the recipe below, but just know you could use any vegetables you happen to have! Or use more than the recipe calls for to bulk it up (I did this, adding more peppers and squash)! Add beans or chicken for protein! The possibilities are endless so you should definitely try it. Bonus points for being tasty warm OR cold. Basically a perfect recipe.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbs mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tbs dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 lb penne pasta

Instructions

  1. Wash the zucchini, squash, and bell pepper. Remove the stems from the zucchini and the squash and cut into large slices or pieces (cut each in half, then each half in thirds). Remove the seeds and stem from the bell pepper and cut in half. Slice the red onion into thick slices.
  2. Place all the vegetables on a large baking sheet, drizzle generously with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Grill the vegetables (except the cherry tomatoes) over an open flame, OR move top rack of oven to 6 inches from the top and cook all vegetables (including tomatoes) under the broiler until vegetables are charred, about 10-15 minutes.
  4. Allow the vegetables to cool slightly. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a handful of salt, and cook pasta 8-9 minutes. Drain and let cool.
  5. While the pasta is cooking and the vegetables are cooling, prepare the dressing: mix all dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl and shake/whisk to combine.
  6. Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, chop into 1 inch pieces. Add pasta and vegetables to a large bowl and add about half the dressing, tossing to combine. Eat warm or chill in fridge, adding more dressing as necessary.

Featured

Weekly Gratitude #16

Happy Sunday! One last week of class and I absolutely can’t wait to be done. This past week was super busy with a final presentation for one class, presenting at lab meeting for work, and then presenting my thesis for my honors program. But everything went super well! Just submitting the final draft of my thesis and one final exam standing between me and freedom (and a week long camping trip).

Dropping my gratitude list from this week below, lemme know what you’re thankful for this week! All the love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Lots of lunch meal prep
  • Chicken parm
  • Reading outside
  • Evening walks
  • Spring sunshine and also rain storms
  • A super fun Habitat for Humanity trivia night
  • Jean jackets
  • Comfy pants
  • More library books
  • Pizza
  • Overalls
  • Quesadillas
  • Presenting my thesis!
  • Bubble tea from Josh to celebrate
  • Going out for cider at Arsenal with Morgan
  • Bonfire smell
  • Fleece lined flannels
  • A week of bedtime yoga
  • Successful grocery trip
  • Picking up senior gifts from band
  • Picking up our obnoxious cardboard cutouts and putting them in our living room
  • Carrot cake coffee cake
  • Tofu bowls
  • Thesis cookies
  • Yogurt and granola
  • Finishing 3 books this week
Featured

No Knead Bread

Introducing my go to homemade bread recipe!! Is it any surprise it’s from Beth at Budget Bytes?

When I started living on my own, I decided I wanted to become someone who made their own bread. It’s quite inexpensive and super tasty, so I embarked on a journey of finding the best bread recipe. After a lot of trial and error, and realizing that being in college doesn’t really afford me much time for kneading and preparing bread, I settled on this No Knead Bread.

If you are intimidated at the idea of making bread at home, this recipe is for you. And if you have absolutely no time, this recipe is also for you. And if you would rather spend your time doing anything else, this recipe is for you. Because this is basically the easiest recipe of all time. Just mix flour, salt, yeast, and water. Let it sit for 12-18 hours (or longer! Sometimes I leave it for a whole day). Preheat your oven. Then bake. And you end up with the best, easiest, crusty loaf of bread. Perfect for toast, dipped in sauce (like the shakshuka I shared this week!), or just ripped right off the loaf.

Shoutout to Beth for consistently bringing easy, inexpensive recipes! And give this bread recipe a try, I promise you won’t regret it.

No Knead Bread

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp instant or bread machine yeast
  • 1/2 tbs salt
  • 1.5 to 1.75 cups water

Instructions

  1. The day before baking, combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl and stir until they’re well combined. Stir in about 1.5 to 1.75 cups room temperature water until a shaggy, sticky ball of dough forms and there is no dry flour on the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic and let it sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours.
  2. When you’re ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on top of the fermented dough and scrape it out of the bowl (the dough should be very light, fluffy, and bubbly by this time). With well floured hands, shape the dough into a ball and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Let the dough rise for 30-60 minutes,
  3. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the Dutch oven inside the oven as it heats, and make sure it sits in the fully heated oven for at least 15 minutes before baking the bread.
  4. Once the bread has risen and the Dutch oven is fully heated, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Lift the parchment paper (or just the ball of dough) straight into the Dutch oven and cover with the lid.
  5. Return the Dutch oven to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, lift the bread out by using the parchment paper, and allow it to cool before serving.

Note: if you don’t have a Dutch oven, just use a sheet pan! The bread will just be slightly less crusty (but no less delicious)

Featured

White Bean Shakshuka

Back with another Budget Bytes recipe! But truly, what’s new. This White Bean Shakshuka is amazing: smoky tomato sauce, gooey poached eggs, some beans to give some added heft, and of course salty feta cheese on top. And super easy!!

I made this last week along with some no-knead bread for dipping and it was so tasty. And made for great leftovers! A few adjustments I made: I added a diced yellow pepper that we had in the fridge as well as a yellow squash that I didn’t want to go bad. And to compensate, I added a little bit more crushed tomatoes from an open can we had, and used 6 eggs instead of 4 (so each of my 2 roommates and I got 2 servings!). But this recipe as is still knocks it out of the park.

So try out this White Bean Shakshuka for a super easy dinner! And a nice change of pace from Italian style tomato sauce 😉

White Bean Shakshuka

Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 tbs smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 15 oz can cannelini beans (chickpeas work well too!)
  • 4 large eggs
  • Feta cheese

Instructions

  1. Mince the garlic and finely dice the onion. Cook both in a large deep skillet with olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent (about 5 minutes).
  2. Add the can of crushed tomatoes and the smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
  3. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. Add 1/4 tsp salt, then taste and adjust spices to your liking.
  4. Drain the white beans, add them to the skillet, then stir to combine. Allow the skillet to return to a simmer. Simmer for 2-3 minutes more.
  5. Crack 4 eggs into the skillet, then place a lid on top and let them simmer for 5 minutes or until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft.
  6. Top with crumbled feta and enjoy!
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #15

Happy Sunday! This week absolutely FLEW by. I can’t believe it’s already Monday tomorrow!

This week was definitely a busy one with lots of prep for this upcoming week which is gonna be BUSY. But it was also super warm and sunny! Definitely out of character for Pittsburgh in April, but I’ll take it (even if it means having to break out sunscreen already).

Looking forward to finishing up some classes this week, only 2 weeks until I’m done with college! Dropping my gratitude list below, lemme know what you’re thankful for this week! All the love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • An absolutely lovely Easter at the boy’s house hanging with his family and his dog and eating yummy food
  • Lucking out on finding parking spots again this week
  • Walks in the sunshine
  • Wearing outfits that Josh picked out for me this week
  • Easter leftovers (in particular, ham sandwiches)
  • Overalls
  • Volunteer shift going quickly
  • Wearing shorts
  • Grabbing boba to celebrate the sunshine
  • Random FaceTime call from my bff Christina
  • Lentil curry
  • Announcing board election results for Habitat!
  • Breaking out my baseball caps and birkenstocks
  • Davey (my best friend ever whose birthday was this week)
  • Finishing my thesis!!
  • My first volunteer shift at the Neighborhood Resilience Project Free Health Clinic
  • The enormous house centipede in my room disappearing (but absolutely not the presence of the house centipede…)
  • Making homemade bread
  • Making shakshuka for the first time
  • Getting my cap and gown!!
  • Taking my last pchem test before the final
  • Spring cleaning
  • Hitting 100 days straight of yoga!
  • Practicing headstands
  • Making a blanket fort for movie night
  • Watching the movie Game Night (SO funny 10/10 recommend)
  • Wearing old shirts from the 90s that I stole from my mom
  • A fun DnD session
  • Josh feeding me homemade crunch wraps
  • Carissa’s sister sending us some late night Insomnia Cookies
  • Having time to read outside on the porch
  • My mom getting her covid vaccine!!!
Featured

Cucumber Salad

It has been HOT in Pittsburgh this week. I think the high today is 80° which is a far cry from the snow storm we had last Thursday. But with this heat comes the need for cold, refreshing recipes and this salad from Budget Bytes is perfect.

I made this this past weekend as a side for the burgers we made for dinner, and it was delicious. Refreshing, fresh, crunchy, and so easy! Just chop up your veg, make a quick dressing, and enjoy! Or let it hang out in the fridge to absorb all the tasty flavors (which is what I did).

We’ve had this just chilling in the fridge for the past couple days and it’s made an excellent side for burgers or sandwiches (especially made with leftover Easter ham!) but today I decided to switch it up by mixing it with pasta! It made for an excellent, pretty filling lunch for today and was a nice little change up from eating it plain. You could also totally do that with rice or quinoa too!

So try out this cucumber salad for your next hot spring or summer day! You won’t regret it.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

Red Wine Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Salad

  • 2 cucumbers
  • 4 Roma tomatoes (about 1 lb)
  • 1/2 small red onion
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 oz feta

Instructions

  1. Prepare the vinaigrette first to let the flavors blend as you prepare the rest of the salad. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set the dressing aside.
  2. Peel the cucumbers if desired. Dice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Thinly slice or dice the red onion. Crumble the feta cheese.
  3. Place the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and feta in a large bowl Pour the dressing over top and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #14

Happy Easter! Another week has passed without any recipe posts, but what can I say, the end of the semester is hectic. Fingers crossed I can get some posts up this week!

This past week was hectic: Library books to finish, presentations to prep and give, writing and revising my thesis, class, meetings. Plus some insane weather! It was 75° and sunny on Tuesday, pouring rain on Wednesday, SNOWING on Thursday, and freezing on Friday. But we made it through! Had a busy day yesterday as well, but looking forward to sunshine and relaxing at my boyfriend’s parents’ house to celebrate Easter.

Dropping my gratitude list below, lemme know what you’re thankful for this week! Hope y’all have a lovely Sunday with plenty of chocolate, and a great week ahead!

This week I’m thankful for:

  • A week of cute outfits that I felt good in
  • Denim jackets
  • Sunshine
  • Pretty sunsets
  • Falling asleep with my windows open
  • Turkey chili
  • Killing my practice presentation
  • Chili mac
  • The sound of rain
  • Doing some new experiments at work
  • Snow (but only because it’s pretty, not because I enjoyed snow in April)
  • Some super good podcast episodes this week
  • Dark chocolate Kit Kats
  • Finishing 2 books this week (The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Duke and I)
  • A new month of yoga
  • Starting a new volunteer position at a free health clinic
  • Hoodies + flannels
  • An excellent grocery trip getting TONS of produce
  • A productive Saturday (even if I did have to go into work)
  • Making burgers and homemade fries for dinner
  • Eating dinner with the roomies on the porch
  • Reese’s eggs (the superior Easter candy)
  • Josh picking my outfits for the upcoming week
  • Yogurt and granola
  • Coffee from my roommate
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #13

Happy Sunday! We’ve got a nice cloudy, rainy day here in Pittsburgh which is perfect for getting cozy and being productive (in my opinion). Got back to Pittsburgh yesterday after a few days at home helping my mom pack and saying goodbye to my childhood house, and I definitely have a lengthy to do list. But it will get done!

Had the nicest time at home hanging out with my fam and seeing my grandparents and enjoying some perfect 70 degree, no humidity days. But also very ready to finish out this last month (!!!) of school. The end is in site!

Dropping my gratitude list below, lemme know what you’re thankful for this week! All the love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • An afternoon spent reading on the porch and watching the sunset
  • Doing laundry
  • Getting called off work on Monday
  • More afternoon reading
  • Getting a break from volunteering this week
  • Driving home and listening to my fave podcasts
  • Helping my mom organize and pack
  • Inheriting some old t-shirts and assorted other things (candles! an ice cream maker!)
  • Getting to visit the townhouse my fam is renting while they figure out the move
  • Walking Fritz
  • Finishing up my next thesis draft
  • Homemade blueberry waffles for dinner (a family tradition)
  • Some nice chats with my habitat peeps
  • Watching tv with my mama
  • A morning spent reading in the breeze (and finishing my book)
  • Visiting my grandparents (and getting to squeeze them since we’re all vaccinated!)
  • Thai food
  • Catching up with my bff Davey
  • Saying goodbye to the best house
  • Driving back to Pittsburgh with some excellent jams
  • Finding parking on my street
  • A short but fun DnD session
  • Making enchiladas and Mexican rice for dinner with Carissa
  • Eating and hanging out on the front porch
  • Making good progress on the current pair of socks that I’m knitting!
  • A super good night of sleep
  • Calming rainy Sundays
  • Toaster waffles
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #12

Happy spring!! We’ve had a week of mostly sunshine here in Pittsburgh and though I love a calm, relaxing, rainy day I can’t deny that the sun has been lovely.

Gearing up for a busy week: test tomorrow, oral presentation draft due Tuesday, driving home Wednesday, and second thesis draft due Friday. But very much looking forward to squeezing my mama and not being in charge of cooking haha.

Dropping my gratitude list below, lemme know what you’re thankful for this week! All the love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Taking off work on Monday
  • Hazelnut lattes
  • Zoom call catch ups with Liz
  • The little girl who gave me a cake pop at my hospital volunteer shift
  • Finding parking on my street
  • Sweet cream cold brew
  • The best and most loving support system
  • Sunshine
  • Toaster waffles
  • Pineapple
  • My green wide-leg pants
  • Getting the park ranger summer job!
  • Coffee dates
  • Spontaneous Friday afternoon McDonalds in the park
  • Sleeping in
  • Successful grocery shopping
  • Getting My Inner Sky in the mail (the book from the live event I went to a few weeks ago)
  • Finishing 2 books this week (What I Carry and Nothing to See Here)
  • Making tofu noodles
  • Ice cream dates and evening walks
  • Morning yoga
  • Yogurt with granola
Featured

Lemon Yogurt Cake

We’ve had a few really lovely days of sunshine and warm temperatures up in Pittsburgh these last few weeks, and it really put me in the spring mood. So I decided to spend a random Wednesday afternoon off of work making this lemon cake! I saw this Ina Garten recipe on Twitter forever ago, and it seemed like the perfect treat to get us in even more of the spring spirit.

And it totally did! Super moist, super easy, and delicious. The bulk of the lemon flavor comes from the syrup that you pour over after it bakes, which means the cake itself is very subtle. But I felt like the balance was perfect, and it was enjoyed by me, my roommates, and the boyfriend.

Now that it’s continuing to warm up and Easter is approaching, try this Lemon Yogurt Cake! You won’t regret it.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Time: 1 hour 20 min

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
  3. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
  6. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar syrup over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
  7. Optional: combine 1 cup confectioner’s sugar and 2 tbs lemon juice to make a glaze, and drizzle on top
Featured

Tofu Noodles

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Popping in with a super yummy tofu recipe we tried out the other week. My boyfriend found this recipe on Reddit and raved about it, so we knew we had to try it too. And it is SO good and super easy!

The recipe he sent me was super bare bones and for about 2 servings, so I’m dropping the version we made with more vegetables that made probably 9 servings (3 meals each for me and my two roommates). But this is super easy to scale up or down, and you can add literally anything! We added a bag of coleslaw (an easy shortcut for cutting up your own cabbage), sliced up a container of mushrooms, and added one of those frozen stir fry vegetable mixes. But you could very easily add any vegetables you have on hand: onions, bell peppers, broccoli, green beans, edamame. Just cook them through before tossing with the noodles and sauce! And if you aren’t a tofu fan, try cooking up some pork or beef instead!

We also decided to use packets of extra Ramen we had on hand, but I think this would be amazing with Udon noodles, or any other long noodle you happen to have.

So try out this easy Tofu Noodle dish, and make sure you have leftovers because it’s even better on day 2 (or 3, or 4).

Tofu Noodles

Serves: About 9

Ingredients

  • 6 (2.46 oz / 70 g each) blocks of uncooked ramen, or other noodles of choice
  • 2 blocks extra firm tofu
  • 1 bag coleslaw mix
  • 1 container mushrooms
  • 1 bag frozen stir fry veggie mix
  • Salt, to taste
  • Green onions and sesame seeds for serving

Sauce:

  • 2.25 cups room temperature broth or water
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 4.5 tablespoons corn starch
  • 6 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar (or to desired sweetness)
  • 1.5 tablespoons gochujang or Korean chili paste (or substitute with other chili sauce, like Sriracha) to desired spice level
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice or rice vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1.5 tablespoons sesame oil or neutral oil

Instructions

  1. Mix all sauce ingredients in bowl until well incorporated, set aside. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil
  2. Heat a pan over medium heat and sauté tofu and vegetables in some oil. Then add sauce, leave to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent starch from sticking to the bottom.
  3. Boil noodles according to package directions, then add to the sauce pan. Cook over medium high heat until the noodles absorb the sauce, and the sauce thickens. Season with salt to taste, if needed
  4. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, and enjoy!
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Weekly Gratitude #11

Woo this week was strange. Every day felt like a different day? Wednesday felt like a Saturday, Thursday felt like a Friday, Friday felt like a Monday. It had me all sorts of confused. Plus I had a small stretch of bad luck this week that included slicing my hand open on a can (that I was cleaning after making soup). But alas, such is life.

I have at least had a nice relaxing weekend! And the sunshine and warmth in Pittsburgh has been very welcome. Yesterday I had nothing on the schedule, so the day included sleeping in, going on a nice long walk, cutting my boyfriend’s hair, and making brownies! Now for some productivity and more reading today (I’ve lost count of the library books I’ve checked out…)

Hope you’re not too tired after springing forward! And excited about the longer days and sunshine. Dropping my gratitude list for the week below, feel free to share yours! All the love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Zoom calls with Shelb
  • Meal prepping soup
  • Lots of reading time
  • Facetiming Fi
  • Making homemade spaghetti sauce
  • Roommates who do all the dishes because you cut your hand
  • Bagels with cream cheese
  • Breakfast sausage
  • Having the day off of work
  • Sitting outside reading in the sun
  • Peanut butter sandwiches
  • White cheddar popcorn
  • Rain storms
  • Finishing 3 books this week (working on number 4)
  • Finally catching up with Deena
  • Spontaneous Auntie Anne’s
  • Game nights
  • Long walks looking at cool houses
  • Cutting Josh’s hair
  • Making brownies
  • Sleeping in
  • Fresh sheets
Featured

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Who is surprised, back with another Budget Bytes recipe! This one is her Unstuffed Bell Peppers. All the flavors and comfort of stuffed peppers, but made in one pot with chopped up peppers for ease of eating! No more trying to figure out how to saw through your stuffed pepper without losing any of the filling.

I doubled this recipe for my 2 roommates and I just to guarantee plenty of leftovers, but it couldn’t have been easier. Just sauté your veggies and meat, throw in your rice, and then hang out! We also decided to use red bell peppers instead of green like Beth uses because we like the flavor (although green bell peppers do tend to be cheaper) and we used ground turkey instead of beef because we LOVE ground turkey. This would also work great with ground chicken, ground sausage, or no meat at all if vegetarian is more your style! Although if going meatless, I would suggest upping the vegetables or adding something like diced potatoes to bulk it up.

So try Beth’s Unstuffed Bell Peppers for a super easy weeknight meal! With the best leftovers (perhaps even better than the first day…)

Not the prettiest picture but I swear it was SO good

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Serves: 6

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 pound ground beef (or other meat)
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1.5 cups beef (or chicken or vegetable) broth
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Mince the garlic and dice the onion and bell pepper
  2. Add the olive oil and meat to a deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until it is fully browned
  3. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, minced garlic, basil, oregano, and pepper to the skillet. Continue to cook and stir until the onions are soft
  4. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), uncooked rice, and broth. Give everything a brief stir to combine
  5. Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the broth to come to a full boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let it continue to simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest with the lid on for another 5 minutes
  6. Once the rice has rested, remove the lid and fluff it with a fork, gently folding all the ingredients together (the vegetables may rice to the top during the cooking process)
  7. Pour the tomato sauce over the top, sprinkle with the cheese, and place the lid back on to allow the residual heat to melt the cheese
  8. Remove lid and enjoy! Season with salt if necessary
Featured

Pesto Tortellini

Popping in with a super quick and easy recipe today! Pesto pasta is a staple in our dinner rotation this year, and we’re always changing it up. Plain pasta with pesto, adding in tomatoes, or mozzarella, or sausage, or all of the above. A few weeks ago though, we decided to do something a little special and “splurged” on tortellini instead of regular pasta.

I feel like this can hardly be classified as a recipe because it just entailed putting pesto on tortellini and adding some chopped tomatoes, but I wanted to share it in case you were looking for something extremely easy, and super comforting. So next time you want to change up your pasta routine, splurge on some tortellini! Adding pesto and tomatoes like we did is delicious, but you could also add sausage for some more protein, or toss them in red sauce if that’s more your speed

Pesto Tortellini

Ingredients

  • 2 packages of Aldi cheese tortellini (I think in total this was 6 servings)
  • 1/2 jar pesto
  • 1 carton of cherry tomatoes
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Boil tortellini according to package directions, and save about 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining
  2. Chop cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters (depending on your preference)
  3. Add pesto to tortellini, adding pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary
  4. Add tomatoes and some shredded cheese (or any other mix ins) and enjoy!
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #10

This week was an absolute blur, which is why I didn’t get any recipes up haha. But do not fret, I have some easy and tasty things planned so stay tuned! This week was pretty much exclusively writing/editing my thesis because my first draft was due to my mentor on Friday. Now that that’s done I have more editing to do this week with his comments, but the end is in sight!

This week also featured less lab work (because of writing) which was a nice break, and a super warm day on Wednesday that was perfect for an afternoon walk and making lemon bread 🙂

Lemme know how your week was! Dropping my gratitude list below, all the love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Hoodies
  • Finishing a few books (I think 3 this week)
  • A new month, which means a new section/color of my planner! March is light pink
  • A light week of lab work
  • Good yoga videos from Yoga with Adriene (I’ve done yoga every single day of 2021! 10/10 recommend her YouTube channel)
  • Sunshine
  • Time to read
  • Productive revision time
  • Podcasts
  • Neighborhood walks
  • Making lemon bread/cake
  • My endlessly supportive and loving bffs
  • Lattes
  • Grilled cheese and tomato soup
  • My HaleyDrewThis hat
  • Submitting my first rough draft of my thesis
  • A live book release event for one of my fave authors/writers Mari Andrew (can’t wait to get her new book!)
  • Successful grocery trip
  • Getting back into DnD
  • Spam fried rice courtesy of Carissa
  • Watching the first Lord of the Rings movie for the first time
  • Brown sugar cinnamon pop-tarts
  • White cheddar popcorn
  • Sleeping in
  • Lemon bread and coffee for breakfast
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Weekly Gratitude #9

This week flew by, I feel like last weekend was just yesterday. Between a class presentation on Monday, a “self care day” of no class on Tuesday, working on a research poster/video for Friday, and getting my second vaccine, it felt very good to sleep in and read this morning. Although that also means it’s already 1:30 and I still have lots of work to do, oops.

Dropping my gratitude list below, hope y’all had a good weekend! Lots of love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Meal prepping pulled pork
  • Pulled pork tacos
  • A successful class presentation
  • Making a quinoa salad for lunches
  • Random warm weather
  • Making time for morning walks
  • Grabbing milkshakes for a Habitat for Humanity fundraiser
  • New jeans
  • Cute houses
  • Hoodies
  • Making a huge pot of tofu noodles
  • Getting my second vaccine
  • Finally getting through some thesis revisions
  • Doing two huge loads of laundry
  • Finishing the pair of socks I was knitting
  • Starting a new pair of socks
  • Sausage spaghetti
  • Brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts
  • Pretzels
  • Finishing 4 books this week (up to 24 for this year!)
  • Cookie delivery from Shelb ❤
  • Cozy, rainy Sundays
  • Finishing 2 straight months of yoga
Featured

Small Batch Cheesecake

Sharing the other half of my Valentine’s Day dinner today! Cheesecake is my boyfriend’s favorite dessert, so I knew I wanted to make us one. But making an entire cheesecake seemed like a lot, plus I don’t own a springform pan. Enter in Sally’s Baking Addiction with her small batch cheesecake! Baked in a loaf pan, it makes 5 hefty slices, which was absolutely perfect for the two of us + my roommates.

Sally’s recipe, and thus the one below, is for a plain cheesecake. But my boyfriend humbly requested chocolate peanut butter, so I improvised a bit. I made the crust with Oreos (just crushing up the same amount as the graham crackers), and then added about 1/4 cup of peanut butter to the filling + 1 tbs of extra sugar to balance the saltiness of the peanut butter (and also left out the lemon juice). And it turned out amazing!

So if you want a surprisingly easy but decadent dessert, try Sally’s small batch cheesecake!

Small Batch Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 8 graham cracker sheets)
  • 3 tbs melted butter
  • 1 tbs granulated sugar
  • 2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Optional for serving: fruit, caramel, chocolate sauce, etc.

Instructions

  1. Lower the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the slides to remove the cheesecake from the pan (or just grease the pan well)
  2. Mix all the crust ingredients together. Pour into prepared loaf pan and press down the crust so it is super tight and firm in the pan. Use a flat spatula to compact it down. Bake the crust for 22-24 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges and top
  3. While the crust is pre-baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth. Beat in the sugar, egg, vanilla, and lemon juice until completely combined and smooth, about two minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed.
  4. Pour the batter on top of the warm crust and smooth into an even layer. It will look like a lot of cheesecake batter, but it will sink down as it bakes.
  5. Bake the cheesecake for 40-45 minutes, until the entire surface is set. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cheesecake should come out *mostly* clean.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cool, refrigerate the cheesecake for 4 hours up to 1 day.
Featured

Homemade Pizza

Super short post for today! For Valentine’s Day the last few years, my boyfriend and I have made homemade (heart shaped) pizzas as a fun thing to do together and a yummy dinner. So today I’m sharing my tips for making homemade pizza!

Step 1 is getting a pizza crust. I’ve made my own before from assorted recipes online, but you can also buy the “just add water” packages from the grocery store, or find homemade dough from a store or deli! There’s an Italian deli down the street from my house with the best homemade pizza dough, so that’s been my go to. Make sure you stretch the dough out (no need for a rolling pin!) and shape to whatever your heart desires.

Next, brush some olive oil over the whole crust. The fat blocks water from your sauce, cheese, and toppings from soaking into your crust and making it soggy. I also like to sprinkle some salt and garlic powder on top to make the crust extra flavorful.

Next is the sauce. The way I was taught by my straight from Italy Italian professor is that you don’t need to make or buy sauce, just buy a can of crushed tomatoes and add your own seasonings. It’s gonna cook in the oven anyway, and this is the way they do it in Italy (although no judgment if you do go for a store bought sauce haha). So spoon crushed tomatoes on to your desired level of sauciness, and then season! I like to add fresh minced garlic, salt, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

Last is the toppings! The sky is the limit. Cover that baby in cheese (shredded mozzarella or an Italian mix is always good) and add whatever else you like. I’m a bell pepper and sausage fan (although make sure the sausage is cooked beforehand), and my boyfriend likes pepperoni, pineapple, and jalapeños (don’t knock it till you try it!)

Then bake at 425°F for 10-15 minutes until the crust is cooked and the cheese is bubbly and golden.

Homemade pizza is honestly pretty easy once you have what you need, and makes a super fun date night or Friday dinner special.

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Weekly Gratitude #8

Another week down! And this one was so busy. Between thesis writing, conducting experiments in my lab at work, studying for the test I had last Friday, and prepping for a class presentation on Monday and a research presentation next Friday… I feel like I haven’t had time to breathe haha. But thankfully this weekend has been a bit of a break, so here’s hoping this week is a bit quieter. And less icy.

Dropping my weekly gratitude list below, let me know what you’re thankful for this weekend! Lots of love ❤ Ce

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Cold weather (which means all the warmest sweaters, specifically inherited from my Grandpa)
  • Pesto tortellini
  • Zoom calls with Shelb
  • Overalls
  • Working from home
  • Finishing THREE books this week (Before We Were Yours, Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, and Take a Hint Dani Brown)
  • A delicious one pot rice dinner (recipe coming eventually)
  • On sale Valentine’s Day chocolates
  • Brownie deliveries from Shelby
  • Taking Friday off of work
  • My test going pretty well (I think)
  • Doing lots of knitting
  • Cinnamon toast crunch
  • Getting 9 inches (ish) cut off my hair
  • Super successful grocery trip/meal planning for the week
  • Breakfast for dinner (pink pancakes!)
  • Scrolling through AirBnB just for fun
  • Sleeping in
Featured

Kielbasa Sheet Pan Dinner

Another Budget Bytes recipe coming your way! I hope you don’t get tired of these, but she’s just my favorite source for easy and cheap recipes. Today’s recipe is a sheet pan recipe that’s pretty similar to my Giambotto recipe from a couple years ago, but with a slightly different flavor profile. Plus made simpler with kielbasa!

This sheet pan dinner features kielbasa, potatoes, onions, and frozen green beans and it couldn’t be easier. Just chop everything up, drizzle with olive oil and season with your favorite spice mix (Beth used steak seasoning, I used chicken grilling seasoning, but there are so many tasty options out there) and then cook for 30-40 minutes! I’m always a big fan of one pan recipes particularly because they’re light on dishes to wash at the end.

If you’re new to kielbasa, it’s just a fully cooked Polish pork (or other meat) sausage. In my opinion, it kind of tastes like a grown up hot dog haha. But since it’s seasoned and a bit fatty, as the sheet pan cooks your veggies absorb all that yummy kielbasa flavor. And if you’re not a green bean fan, you could totally customize with other veggies! I think broccoli, zucchini, or Brussels sprouts would be great.

Bonus points to this recipe for making fantastic leftovers too. You could just reheat them, but why stop there? My roommate topped her leftovers with hot sauce and an over easy egg, and it looked incredible.

So if you’re looking for a super easy, super delicious weeknight dinner (that my roommate said was one of the best things I’ve ever made) try out this Kielbasa sheet pan! You won’t regret it.

I actually added sliced zucchini the first time I made this!

Kielbasa Sheet Pan Dinner

Ingredients

  • 24 oz petite red (or yellow) potatoes
  • 12 oz kielbasa
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 12 oz frozen green beans
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp steak seasoning (or other seasoning mix of choice)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and slice the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Slice the kielbasa into medallions. Dice the onion into 1 inch pieces.
  2. Add the potatoes, kielbasa, onions, and frozen green beans (no need to thaw) to a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Toss everything until fully coated with oil and spices (and add more if necessary!)
  3. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 20 minutes, then give the ingredients a good stir. Roast an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and brown.
Featured

Tomato Lentil Soup

It is freezing in Pittsburgh today (and around much of the country) so I’m back with a Budget Bytes soup recipe. We all know I love lentils, and this tomato lentil soup is SO easy and SO warm and cozy. Pairs perfectly with a grilled cheese for a snowy or rainy lunch or dinner.

Not much else to say on that! Hope you’re staying warm and cozy this week, and I’ve got a super delicious sheet pan meal coming tomorrow.

Tomato Lentil Soup

Time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 carrots
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 russet potato (about 1 pound)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 15 oz cans stewed tomatoes
  • 1 cup brown lentils
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and slice the carrots (try for smaller pieces). Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and olive oil to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft. While the vegetables are cooking, peel and dice the potato into 1/2 inch cubes.
  2. Add the tomato paste and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomato paste begins to coat the bottom of the pot.
  3. Added the cubed potato, stewed tomatoes (with juices), lentils, spices, and broth and stir to combine.
  4. Place a lid on the pot and allow the soup to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the soup simmer for about 40 minutes or until the lentils are super tender and begin to break down slightly (this helps thicken the soup).
  5. Add the soy sauce to the soup and then taste, adjusting the salt if necessary.
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Weekly Gratitude #7

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you’re finding some way to treat yourself and love on your people. The boy and I went ice skating yesterday (his first time!) and today I’m making a cheesecake for after our homemade pizzas. And probably a cheesy rom-com on the schedule too.

Dropping this week’s gratitude list below. Hope you all have a lovely Sunday! Sending lots of love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Carissa’s chicken soup
  • Criminal minds and soft pretzels
  • New wide leg pants
  • Monday night date night (watching a live book release event with snacks!)
  • More snow!
  • Getting off work early/working from home
  • Cozy sweaters
  • Calling mamma
  • Picking up even more library books (I think I have 10 checked out right now and 8 requested)
  • Finishing Teenage Bounty Hunters on Netflix
  • Valentine’s Day care package from my mamma ❤
  • Kraft mac and cheese
  • Excellent yoga practices
  • Ice skating
  • Sweet, thoughtful Valentine’s Day gifts
  • Finishing to-do lists
Featured

Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe is one of my all time favorite comfort foods from home, and I was reminded just how much I love it when my mom made it a few weeks before Christmas. Shepherd’s pie has always been a dish I enjoyed, ground meat with vegetables and cheese, topped with mashed potatoes. But my mom didn’t love it, so she made some changes that make it infinitely better (even for me!).

Number 1, she tops it with tater tots instead of mashed potatoes. This makes it SO easy, and the crispy, crunchy tater tots just bring the dish to the next level. And number 2, she mixes sriracha into the meat. To be honest, regular shepherd’s pie just seems boring to me now. The slightly spicy meat and crispy potatoes, with vegetables hidden inside and melty cheddar cheese? The perfect casserole for a chilly weeknight dinner.

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

  • ~3 lbs ground meat (I use turkey)
  • ~2-3 tbs Sriracha sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1-2 bags frozen mixed veggies
  • 1-1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
  • 1 bag frozen tater tots

Instructions

  1. In a large pan over medium heat, cook the ground meat with salt, pepper, and sriracha sauce to taste. Meanwhile, steam the frozen vegetables for about half the time indicated on the bag (just to thaw them, not completely cook them)
  2. Pour the meat into the bottom of a large casserole dish. Pour the thawed (and drained, if applicable) vegetables over the top of the meat, and top with the shredded cheese.
  3. Top with the tater tots, and lightly salt.
  4. Bake according to tater tot package directions (generally, at about 425°F for 25-30 mins, or until tots are golden)
  5. Serve hot, with extra cheese sprinkled on top!
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #6

Does anyone else feel like Monday was months ago, not 6 days? This week was a long one. We got quite a bit of snow on Sunday and Monday which was lovely, but also made driving and walking a bit hazardous for a few days. This week also featured studying for my first test of the semester, lots of writing for work, and getting my first COVID vaccine! I volunteer at the Children’s Hospital in the city and they finally reached the volunteers for vaccines. I’m feeling very lucky, and only ended up with a bit of arm pain and a headache the next day. Looking forward to another week of cold weather and cozy sweaters, and then some fun Valentine’s Day plans next weekend!

Dropping my gratitude list below, lemme know what you’re thankful for this week! Sending lots of love, Celia ❤

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Tons of snow!
  • My green wool sweater from Ireland and my matching socks
  • Breakfast tacos for lunch
  • Phone calls with Mamma
  • Soup and grilled cheese
  • No Tuesday night class
  • Another successful sheet pan dinner
  • A good summer job interview (as a park ranger!)
  • Getting off work early
  • Overalls
  • Snuggles and Criminal Minds
  • Getting my vaccine!
  • Fleece lined flannels
  • Putting together my new bed frame
  • A successful grocery trip
  • Knitting
  • Making chicken parm
  • Finishing 2 more books this week
  • House breakfast of bacon and butter braids
  • A Michael’s/Target trip

Featured

Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad

Back with another lunch prep recipe! Another one from Budget Bytes (can you tell she’s my favorite?). So Beth classifies this recipe as an “autumn” salad, but I thought it sounded delicious so I pretended it was October. And it was so good! So many different textures and flavors (which is really what makes salad worth eating).

The only true “prep” for this recipe is roasting the sweet potatoes. I actually added a can of (drained and rinsed) chickpeas as well as a diced onion to bulk it up a little (and because I had them hanging around) and the mix of the chickpeas and sweet potatoes was actually so good. Plus the spices: I very rarely use cinnamon in savory settings but I promise it makes a huge difference.

After roasting your veg, you could pre-assemble the salads in containers (with or without the dressing), but I just kept all the ingredients separate since I eat lunch at home. It was a nice little routine to build my salad every afternoon! I also decided to just dress it with balsamic vinegar and olive oil (and salt and pepper) because I didn’t feel like making Beth’s dressing, but you could totally use almost any store bought dressing. Balsamic, Italian, or Honey Mustard would all be good in my opinion.

So if you need some easy, tasty lunch prep for work or school, try this sweet potato and kale salad!

A VERY full bowl of goodness

Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs sweet potatoes
  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 large onion
  • 1-2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 cups chopped kale
  • 1-2 medium/large apples (I used gala)
  • 1/4 cup pepitas
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries (I left these out)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, and dice the onion.
  2. Place the sweet potato, onion, and chickpeas on a baking sheet, coat with cooking oil, and toss with spices.
  3. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft and tender, stirring once halfway through.
  4. Chop the apples, and assemble your salad by splitting the kale, apples, and roasted vegetables evenly, and add about 1 tbsp each of pepitas, pecans, and cranberries (you can also store all components separately and assemble each day if you prefer!)
  5. Serve with dressing of choice
Featured

Teriyaki Tofu Bowls

Ready for a super easy, super tasty dinner recipe? Then this post is for you. Bringing you another Pinch of Yum recipe, this time their Crunchy Roll Bowls. This is a tasty combo of tofu cooked in teriyaki sauce, fluffy rice, tons of crunchy vegetables (edamame, cucumber, jalapeño), smooth avocado, and spicy mayo!

I made this recipe a few weeks ago and it lasted me 4 dinners, and it truly couldn’t be easier! Just cook the rice, fry up the tofu, and chop all your toppings. Store everything in separate containers to keep it fresh throughout the week and you’ve got your meal prep sorted! Bonus points, this recipe is vegetarian! But if you’re a meat lover, you could definitely use chicken or pork (though the cook time will be different).

Another shoutout to Pinch of Yum for always bring super tasty recipes to the meal prep game! And try these teriyaki tofu bowls for a fresh, easy, and tasty dinner with tons of different textures

I forgot to buy jalapeños, so just imagine some sliced jalapeños on top too!

Teriyaki Tofu Bowls

Ingredients

  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 1 cup rice, uncooked
  • 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
  • 1 cucumber, finely diced
  • 1 avocado, cut into chunks or slices
  • 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
  • swish of neutral oil
  • 1/2 cup teriyaki or savory-sweet Asian-inspired sauce (I like the Aldi brand!)
  • 1/2 cup crunchy fried onions, crushed (the kind on top of green bean casserole)
  • spicy mayo (just mix mayo with sriracha, or other hot sauce of choice to taste)

Instructions

  1. Press the water out of the tofu by layering in paper towels and pressing down with a large pan
  2. Cook rice according to package directions
  3. Cook edamame according to package directions
  4. Cut the tofu into cubes. Heat oil over high heat and fry tofu until golden brown. Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sauce (just enough to coat the tofu) and stir fry again until golden brown.
  5. Assemble bowls with rice, tofu, more teriyaki sauce, edamame, cucumber, avocado, crunchy onions, and spicy mayo. Enjoy!
  6. For meal prep, store ingredients in individual containers to stay fresh.
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Weekly Gratitude #5

Welp last week was busy and exhausting, so no posts went up. But I’ve been cooking some super yummy things the last few weeks, so hopefully some good posts will go up this week.

This week was also freezing (my fave) which meant lots of warm and cozy outfits, and copious amounts of hot coffee and tea. Looking forward to the snow storm rolling in today/tomorrow, and a bit lighter of a week this week fingers crossed.

Dropping my gratitude list below. Hope everyone had a good weekend! All the love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Hot showers
  • Friends who venmo you money for chocolate
  • Morgan Harper Nichols art
  • Cozy outfits
  • Therapy
  • Finishing a bunch of books
  • Plenty of new podcast episodes
  • Wool sweaters from my Grandpa
  • Snow
  • Tomato (and lentil) soup with grilled cheese
  • Criminal Minds
  • Chai lattes
  • Frozen pizza
  • Fleece lined flannels
  • A calming week of yoga
  • Snow storms
  • Checking out more library books
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #4

First week of school this week and I am tired haha. Classes were not busy, but having lectures again along with working just took it out of me. At least last weekend was a 3 day weekend… but I also definitely wish we had one every week!

Dropping my gratitude list below, let me know what you’re thankful for this week! ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Lot’s of reading (I have SO many library books checked out right now)
  • Having Monday off
  • Making homemade bagels
  • Cozy sweaters
  • A super yummy sheet pan dinner
  • Zoom catch up with Shelb
  • Warm chocolate chip cookies
  • Starting Schitt’s Creek
  • Pretty sunsets
  • BBQ chicken pizza
  • Corduroy overalls
  • Tater tots
  • An excellent week of yoga
  • My roommate Carissa finally returning ❤
  • Soft pretzels
  • Podcasts
  • Phone calls with Davey
Featured

Easy White Bean Soup

Now that school is starting back up and everything is still virtual (and thus I’m still at home a lot), having easy lunches has become super important. This soup is so easy, so delicious, and makes excellent meal prep!

I found this recipe on Budget Bytes a few years ago, and it’s definitely one of my favorites. Beth starts by blending up one of the cans of beans which makes the soup thick and creamy (without any dairy!). The recipe itself is super simple, but it’s super easy to add whatever else you may have in your fridge to bulk it up. The first time I added zucchini and spinach, and this time around I just added the zucchini. You could also add other greens like kale, or other veg like broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, The possibilities are endless! If you are adding more veg, just add it to the oil with the garlic to cook down before you add the beans. If you’re adding greens, add them towards the end since they’re easier to cook down and wilt.

I loved having this on the menu for lunch last week, and it was super filling with a half a sandwich or cheese quesadilla on the side. And it couldn’t be easier! So try this White Bean soup for you lunch meal prep next week!

Easy White Bean Soup

From Budget Bytes

Serves: 4

Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 small zucchinis, chopped (or other vegetable)
  • 3 (15 oz) cans cannelini beans
  • 2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper
  • black pepper and salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Pour one of the cans of cannelini beans with the liquid in a food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth. Drain the other two cans of beans.
  2. Mince the garlic and add it to a soup pot with the olive oil and zucchini. Sauté until garlic is fragrant and zucchini is beginning to soften.
  3. Add the pureed beans, the other two cans of beans, the broth, and the spices. Stir to combine.
  4. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium low, remove the lid, and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Smash the beans slightly to thicken the soup even more. Taste and add salt as needed (depends on the broth you use). Serve hot with crusty bread and shredded parm!
Featured

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

All credit for this recipe goes to my bff Angela ❤ When I moved into my first apartment and was cooking entirely on my own, I had my go to list of easy and tasty recipes. But after awhile I started getting a bit bored of making the same things all the time, and thus Angela to the rescue.

I actually have this recipe saved as a screenshot of a text message on my phone because that’s how easy it is. Just cook the chicken, mix the filling, fill your tortillas, and bake!

Some thoughts: there are a couple different ways you could make the chicken. Angela first suggested just boiling the chicken breasts, which is definitely easy (just boil until cooked through, an internal temp of at least 165°F). But I’ve actually started just throwing the chicken breasts in the crockpot with a jar of salsa. Cook on low for 6 hours and you’ve got super flavorful shredded chicken! That’s honestly so versatile, toss it in tacos or burritos or quesadillas or a burrito bowl.

You can also put pretty much anything in these enchiladas. I always add a can of beans and a jalapeño or two, but you could also add peppers and onions, more beans, corn, a different meat, no meat at all. The possibilities are endless.

Whenever I make these with my roommates, we pair it with some Mexican rice and a vegetable of some kind, like sliced cucumbers or bell peppers.

So enjoy this easy, simple enchilada recipe! That makes great leftovers for the whole week 🙂

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (see above)
  • 1 jar salsa
  • 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese (or equivalent amount of plain yogurt)
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1-2 jalapeños
  • 10-12 small tortillas
  • 2 small cans enchilada sauce of choice (I prefer green!)
  • Shredded cheese of choice, for sprinkling on top

Instructions

  1. In a large sauté pan, combine the chicken, salsa, beans, jalapeños, and any other vegetable you want to add. Cook over medium-high heat and stir until warm and well combined.
  2. Add the cream cheese (or yogurt) and stir until creamy and well combined.
  3. Place a few spoonfuls of enchilada mixture in each tortilla, and roll up. Place tortillas in large casserole dish, seam side down.
  4. Pour enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese.
  5. Bake at 400°F until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted and golden.
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #2

First full week of 2021 down and it’s been… crazy to say the least. But making gratitude lists helps me cope so we shall keep on keeping on.

Hope y’all have a good week! ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Rainy Sundays
  • Tomato soup and grilled cheese
  • Going back to work (and thus having a reason to wear real clothes again)
  • Enchiladas
  • Virtual shadowing events
  • Mint tea
  • Cozy clothes
  • Binge watching Criminal Minds
  • Zoom game night with d group
  • My mom’s “famous” poppyseed bread
  • Hazelnut coffee
  • Finishing book number 1 for the year
  • Celebrating Friday with boba
  • Quesadillas
  • Chilly morning tennis
  • Hiking
  • Ordering Thai food
  • Making more sandwich cookies
  • Fresh laundry
  • Grocery shopping
  • Filling in my planner for the week
Featured

Easy Chicken Parm

For New Year’s Eve, my boyfriend and I obviously decided to stay home, and to make the evening a bit more fun and festive, we made ourselves a “fancy” dinner. I made homemade tomato sauce with peppers and onions and then used that for some homemade chicken parm, and then he made balsamic glazed Brussels sprouts, and we went for some pasta on the side and sparkling white grape juice.

It was so much fun to spend the evening cooking together, and it turned out delicious. And while this was a “fancy” dinner, chicken parm is actually not hard to make at all. Deciding to make homemade sauce definitely adds more work, but it’s just as delicious with your favorite store-bought sauce (my mom has always gone for Prego).

As long as you have your sauce ready to go, this is as easy as coating and pan-frying your chicken, and then baking it to let all that sauce and cheese do its thing! Make some pasta to mix with that extra saucy, cheesy goodness, and some vegetable or salad on the side, and you’re good to go. It’s like an Italian restaurant in your own home! And the leftovers are just as delicious.

Easy Chicken Parm

Ingredients

  • 2 large or 4 small/medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • About 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • About 1/2 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil
  • 1/2 – 1 cup tomato sauce of your choice
  • 1/2-1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • More parm for topping

Instructions

  1. Using a meat mallet/tenderizer, beat the chicken until it is uniform in thickness and about 1/2-1/4 inch thick. Salt and pepper both sides.
    • If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can cut the chicken in half to make thinner pieces. If using 2 large chicken breasts, cut them in half.
  2. Set up your dredging station: fill one medium plate with flour, beat the 2 eggs in a bowl, and fill a second plate with the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese
  3. Dredge your chicken: completely coat each chicken piece in flour, then in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs+cheese. Set on a clean plate.
  4. In a large pan/skillet, heat the olive oil to medium high heat. Place each piece of chicken down and cook, without moving, until golden brown and crispy on the bottom, about 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook the other side.
  5. While the chicken is cooking, lightly coat the bottom of a casserole dish with tomato sauce (to prevent sticking and burning of the chicken).
  6. Once the chicken is done, lay it on top of the sauce and cover with mozzarella cheese.
  7. Pour your desired amount of sauce over the chicken, top with more mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and bake in a 400°F oven until sauce is hot and cheese is melted and golden, 15-20 minutes.
  8. Serve with pasta and more parmesan cheese!
Featured

Homemade “Oreos”

Ready for the easiest, best cookie ever? I saw this recipe on Pinch of Yum a few weeks ago and knew I immediately had to try it. I love Oreos and thought it would be fun to spend a snow day at home baking this super easy version.

As Lindsay says, these are only “Oreos” insofar as that they’re chocolate cookies with frosting sandwiched inside. But they honestly might be better than Oreos: the cookies are soft and super chocolatey, and truly what could be better than a filling of cream cheese frosting (the superior frosting, yes I said it)? These also couldn’t be easier thanks to boxed cake mix!

I made these once, a few days after coming home, and I think they were gone in 2 days. So my brother David humbly requested that I make them again before Christmas, and they were once again demolished by all (including our dog… don’t leave treats within dog distance for any period of time lol). I think I’m gonna make them for a third time with my boyfriend in the next week or so because they’re that easy and delicious. But you’ll just have to try them for yourself to see 😉

Homemade “Oreos”

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup (one stick) butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Beat eggs, butter, vanilla, and cake mix together with an electric mixer until combined.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll into small one or two tablespoon balls. Place on a baking sheet. (Chill the dough for about 30 minutes if it’s too soft to roll)
  3. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
  4. Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer. Using a plastic bag with the end cut off, or a pastry bag (or spread with a knife because college), pipe a swirl of frosting onto one cookie and gently press a same-size cookie on top.
  5. Store in the fridge and enjoy!

Note: extra cream cheese frosting is delicious spread on graham crackers

Featured

Weekly Gratitude #1

New year, new round of Weekly Gratitude posts, where I share what I’m thankful for every week! I started doing this a couple years ago after a “No Negativity November” thing I did where I listed what I was thankful for every day the whole month. It was honestly great for my mental health to remind myself of the good parts of each day, even if there were crappy bits too. So I decided to continue doing it, just every week instead of every day.

I’d love to hear what you’re thankful for below! Hope 2021 is starting off well! ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Baking poppyseed bread
  • Getting my new glasses prescription
  • Movie nights with Faith and the fam
  • Chinese takeout
  • Surviving the drive back to Pittsburgh
  • Unpacking and organizing
  • Binge watching criminal minds
  • Knitting
  • Therapy
  • Rainy days
  • Chocolate oranges
  • Homemade chicken parm
  • Sparkling white grape juice for New Year’s
  • Minto chocolate chip ice cream
  • Starting the show Teenage Bounty Hunters on Netflix
  • My boyfriend buying me a Comfy for Christmas😍
  • A new 30 day yoga challenge with Yoga with Adriene on YouTube (It’s free! Would recommend!!)
  • My best friend’s fiancée asking me to be one of her bridesmaids ❤
  • 2 hour hike with the boyo
  • Jalapeño quesadillas
  • Sleeping in
  • Starting a new month in my planner
Featured

What I Read in 2020

My to be read pile at the start of quarantine… which I never completed because I started checking books out from the library instead #oops

Happy New Year everyone! Bringing you 2020 recap of all the books I read 🙂

Anyone who knows me knows I am a voracious reader. And with so much extra time to read with quarantine and isolating, especially this summer while working remotely, I read the most books this year of any year since I started keeping a list of what I’ve read (since 2014). I read 63 books this year (!!!), and below I’m listing them all for you, as well as a little blurb, and my rating. Since the list is so long though, I thought I’d also real quick share my top 6. In no particular order, my top 6 books of 2020 were:

  1. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
  2. Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman
  3. The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
  4. Miss Meteor by Anna-Marie McLemore and Tehlor Kay Mejia
  5. Carry Me Like Water by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
  6. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

I also want to note that, while having wall to wall bookcases with a huge book collection is my dream, I am in college living with 5 roommates. So probably 90% of these books I checked out from the library on my Kindle. I have no idea how I would’ve survived this year without Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. But maybe someday I’ll have a house overflowing with books.

Not a food related post, but I wanted to share anyway in case anyone wanted book recommendations (especially my grandma, hi Nonni!)

Each book is linked to BookShop.org or ThriftBooks.com, which support local bookstores. If you want to find an independent bookstore near you, check out IndieBound (and most bookstores will order requests for you to pick up)! White Whale is my fave in the Pittsburgh area 🙂

  • Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
    • A classic mystery novel and a nice quick read, 4/5
  • I’ll Be There For You by Kelsey Miller
    • For any fans of the tv show Friends, a book about the making of the show! 4/5
  • Diary of a Bookseller by Shawn Blythe
    • Shawn Blythe’s diary of a year as the owner of an independent bookstore in Ireland. Truly my dream, 4/5
  • Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman
    • I started following Blair on Twitter because she races sled dogs in Wisconsin, and found out she wrote a memoir of her journey to dog racing. Excellent read, 5/5
  • The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
    • A quick read, Ross Gay write about the small delights every day (ish) for a year. Perhaps a project I should embark on myself for 2021. 5/5
  • Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty
    • While this book is geared towards kids, as it answers questions kids have asked about death, it was actually a really fun, interesting read. The illustrations are also amazing. And it’s written by a mortician who is also a YouTuber! 4/5
  • The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
    • A classic noir novel suggested by my dad. A quick, entertaining read. 4/5
  • Murder in C Major by Sarah Hoskinson Frommer
    • This book is kind of the equivalent of a Hallmark or Lifetime murder mystery and I loved it. Centers on a community orchestra in a small town. Definitely a fluff read, but a good distraction. 4/5
  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker
    • Classic novel composed of letters, detailing the lives of African American women in Georgia in the 30s. I had this sitting on my bookshelf forever and finally had the time to read it. 4/5
  • The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal
    • I’m a big Good Mythical Morning fan, so decided to check out the novel Rhett and Link wrote. I loved it, an exciting mystery set in small town North Carolina (and loosely based on the town they grew up in). 4/5
  • Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
    • I loved this book so much I read it in one 4 hour sitting. Follows Evvie Drake as she moves on after the death of her husband, set in her small New England coastal town. 5/5
  • This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay
    • Diary entries of a doctor in England. Definitely illuminating to the life of a doctor in training, and interesting to see the differences between England and America. 3.5/5
  • Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch
    • For some reason this book took me forever to read, but I did like it. About a boy in London who embarks on a ship journey. 3/5
  • Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
    • This is a self help book that I actually listened to the audiobook for. Not sure if it was the book, or the author’s voice, but I didn’t love it. Felt very preachy. 1/5
  • Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney
    • Loved this book, centers on the relationship between two friends in Dublin. The characters felt very real with the problems they encountered and how they handled them. 4/5
  • Girl Logic by Iliza Shlesinger
    • Iliza is one of my favorite comedians, I’ve watched her comedy specials on Netflix so many times. This is her book about life as a woman and I found it so funny and relatable, 5/5
  • Normal People by Sally Rooney
    • This book became a popular show on Hulu, and I really loved it (the book and the show). About 2 high schoolers and how their relationship ebbs and flows as the grow up. Bonus points for taking place in Ireland. 4/5
  • The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
    • This book is WILD. The twist at the end was amazing. About a woman accused of murdering her husband, and now living in a psych facility refusing to speak. 5/5
  • You Can’t Tough My Hair by Phoebe Robinson
    • A hilarious essay collection about race, gender, and pop culture.I definitely learned a lot. 5/5
  • Writers and Lovers by Lily King
    • I loved this book. It was just the right amount of gentle while still having an interesting plot. About a woman who is a writer in Boston. 5/5
  • How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
    • This book was obviously popular back in June, and I’m sure a lot of people have read it, but I genuinely learned a lot about racism and advocacy in America. Very easy to read and understand. 5/5
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
    • This book follows the life of a girl living in the rural south. I really liked it, 4/5
  • The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
    • I absolutely loved this book and read it in about a day. It’s about a reform school for boys that is absolutely horrific. Actually based on a real school that operated for 11 years. 5/5
  • Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    • Another book I loved. Centers on the lives of a couple in love from the same town in Nigeria. One ends up moving to America and one stays in Nigeria, and the book follows both their lives as their relationhip ebbs and flows. 5/5
  • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
    • This book discusses how Henrietta Lacks’ cells came to be used for scientific research, and the ethical problems with using her cells without her (or her family) knowing. 4/5
  • Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
    • I’ve been trying to expand the authors and topics I read to be more diverse in multiple ways. This book is about a Black woman with a chronic illness. I found the plot enjoyable, the characters likable, and felt like I learned a lot that will help me be a more empathetic doctor some day. 5/5
  • Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
    • This book is great, about a Black woman who is a nanny. It takes a look at privilege, particularly when we think we’ve done all we can to recognize our own (but may be wrong). 5/5
  • Black Man in a White Coat by Damon Tweedy, MD
    • My friend Liz, who is currently in med school recommended this book to me. A great look at how the experience of Black folks in medicine differs drastically from others, whether you’re a doctor or a patient. 5/5
  • Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz
    • Another book about chronic illness, this one about teenagers. Focuses on their relationship with each other, as well as with their families who don’t understand life with chronic illness. 5/5
  • An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
    • I’m the biggest Green brothers fan: their podcast Dear Hank and John is one of my favorites, and I’m forever indebted to the Crash Course YouTube channel for getting me through both AP and college classes. This is Hank’s first book, a sci-fi novel that tackles alien invasions and social media fame. I’m looking forward to finally reading the sequel. 4/5
  • I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
    • A really great memoir that explores the history of and continued issue of structural racism, and what we can do (particularly as Christians) to break through that. 5/5
  • Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippencott
    • This book was actually written after the movie, and by a Pitt grad! Centers on two teenagers with cystic fibrosis, a quick and sweet read. 4/5
  • How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson
    • I’ll be honest, I didn’t love this one. Perhaps because I’m in a happy committed relationship? But this book examines dating in your 20s and 30s. 2.5/5
  • Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
    • This book was a wild ride and I definitely recommend it. Follows a social misfit with a traumatic past that is slowly revealed throughout the book. Funny, heartwarming, with a great twist at the end. 5/5
  • Just Breathe by Cammie McGovern
    • This is another book about a teen with cystic fibrosis, and another struggling with depression. I really liked the characters and how the story unfolded, 5/5
  • Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz
    • This book is definitely intense, it switches between past and present, following a teen girl who has been abducted and held in a basement. It follows her journey in trying to escape as well as in coming to terms with what has happened to her. Definitely a tough, emotional read. 3/5
  • MumLife by Louise Pentland
    • I am definitely not the target audience of this book, but I’ve watched Louise Pentland on YouTube since middle school (LOL). She shares all about her life, parenting, crafting, writing books, and styling clothes, and this is her memoir. I really enjoyed the writing, she’s very funny and real. 4/5
  • The Magicians by Lev Grossman
    • This is the first book in a series, and elementary school Celia who LOVED fantasy wanted to love it. But college Celia just didn’t. The book felt too long while simultaneously jumping rapidly through the timeline of the book, and I didn’t really connect with the characters enough to care what happened to them. Also a tv series on Netflix, though I haven’t watched it. 1/5
  • I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
    • I really enjoyed this book, it follows a nonbinary teen who comes out to their parents and is subsequently kicked out, forcing them to move in with their older sister. I really loved reading a book from a new perspective (and written by a nonbinary author). I definitely feel like it gave me a greater understanding for what folks in this community go through. 5/5
  • Carry Me Like Water by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
    • Benjamin Alire Sáenz is one of my all time favorite authors, for both YA and adult fiction. His writing is so incredibly beautiful and I end up sobbing through every book I read. This one centers on a few members of a family, living in different states, and how their stories ultimately come together. 5/5
  • The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
    • Another one written by a nonbinary author, this book centers on two families in a decades long rivalry who travel around the country performing (kind of in like a circus sense). I would call the genre magical realism, so the plot takes place in our world with a few little pieces of magic thrown in. This made it easier to get into (for me) because it felt like something that could actually happen. Like Romeo and Juliet meets classic fairy tale. I LOVED it. 5/5
  • The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
    • This book follows the life of a (fictional) botanist in Pennsylvania in the 1800s, from birth to death. Lots of cool science and nature, an intriguing family story, and lots of themes of life and death. 3.5/5
  • The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
    • I read this book after watching the tv show with my boyfriend before Halloween. While the show is only very loosely based on the book (really just taking the premise of the house and some character names) the book was still quite good. Definitely spooky, and a quick read. 3.75/5
  • Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
    • I may or may not have checked out every book by this author after reading The Weight of Feathers because I liked it so much. This book was another beautiful read, about a family of women who can grow flowers, who can’t leave their land or they will die, and who are trying to keep their family and their home safe from those who want to take advantage of them. 4.5/5
  • When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
    • Another purely magical read, about a girl named Miel who grows roses from her wrist, her best friend that paints and hangs moons around town, and a family of sisters who want to steal Miel’s roses because they believe them magical. 4.5/5
  • Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
    • McLemore’s books feel like modern day fairytales and this one is no different. Switching between Strasbourg in 1518 and an American town in present day, the book follows a “sickness” that has women dancing in the streets until they die. 4/5
  • The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emeji
    • I read this book in one day and while it made me very sad, I think it was still an important read. This book starts with the death of Vivek Oji, and then moves through his entire life, from birth to death, to examine what happened and why. 4/5 for being a well written and important book, 2/5 for making my heart ache
  • Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
    • Backman is my other favorite author of all time, and I was super excited to see he had a new book out this year. This book is about a hostage situation in an apartment open house, but what unfolds is a story about the lives of everyone involved and how they relate to each other. 5/5, did not disappoint (also everyone should read all his other books)
  • The Tour by Jean Grainger
    • This is absolutely a Hallmark movie in book form, but felt like an excellent escape for a year such as this. It centers on a tour guide in Ireland, and all the antics that unfold with his tour group. Not a life changing read, but gentle and heartwarming. 3.75/5
  • One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus
    • This is the sequel to a YA book I read a few years ago called One of Us is Lying. While I don’t think you ~have~ to read the first one to understand this one, it definitely helps. The plot centers on the same town a few years after the events of the first book, but now someone has created a “Truth or Dare” game that ends in death… A quick read (I read almost the entire thing in one sitting), and a nice distraction. 3.75/5
  • Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
    • Another Sáenz book that did not disappoint. This is about a teenage boy in rehab for alcoholism, focusing on his journey and those he meets while he’s there. Beautiful heart wrenching, real. 5/5
  • Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
    • The last McLemore book I read, while it was not my favorite I did still enjoy it. A combination of Snow White and Swan Lake, it features a family that has been cursed for generations, and two sisters who would do anything to save each other. 3.75/5
  • Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
    • This was another quick read (although maybe that’s just me + having nothing to do once classes ended) about a Black woman living in London and trying to find love and herself. The characters felt very real with their flaws and I really enjoyed it. 4/5
  • The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames
    • This book tells the story of an Italian American woman from birth until death, and everything she goes through in Italy, traveling to America, and her life in America. Having an Italian grandfather and speaking Italian, I definitely connected with a lot of this book. 4/5
  • My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
    • This was another extremely heavy book that I felt incredibly angry at (although that’s probably the point). It switches between present day narration, and past narration of a girl who was groomed and abused (although she saw it as a healthy relationship) by her high school English teacher. While I did enjoy the book, I couldn’t help but be extraordinarily angry at the teacher and everyone who allowed him to do what he did (even though it was fiction!). Definitely keep the content in mind if you are sensitive to this sort of thing. 3/5
  • The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
    • This book was popular a few years ago and recommended to me by my grandparents and my mom, but I finally got around to reading it. It focuses on the story of the American rowing team that won gold at the 1936 Olympics in Germany, as Hitler was just beginning his horrific reign. I loved this book, particularly for the “team of small town, working class boys become heroes” theme. Also an interesting look at the effect of the Great Depression and Hitler’s reign at the time. It also made me want to join a rowing team. 4.5/5
  • Heroines by Kate Zambreno
    • This was a book I didn’t super enjoy, but I understood what the point was. This “stream of consciousness” book looks at the wives of “The Greats” of literature (like F. Scott Fitzgerald), and then compares their experiences to that of the author’s. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I had more background on literary heroes and their wives, and I recommended it to my literature major friend as a result. 2.5/5
  • Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore
    • This book was pure magic and I read it in like 4 hours. The story is told from alternating narration of two ex-best friends, and focuses on a small town’s annual beauty pageant. This description doesn’t do the book justice though, so you should really just read it. 5/5
  • The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
    • I gave this book to my grandfather for Christmas, but wanted to read it before I did because it sounded so interesting. This book tells the story of the Radium Girls, women who painted glowing numbers onto watches using radium paint, the health issues that arose as a result, and their fight for compensation and to put an end to the use of radium based paint. It was wild to read about how radium was seen as not dangerous; in fact people thought it was a cure all! And it was infuriating how long it took the women to get what they deserved, and to read about all the women who lost their lives before anything was done. A heart breaking but fascinating read. 4/5
  • Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
    • This is the book that the new Netffix show “Dash and Lily” is based on, and it was a really sweet, festive little read. It’s about two teens who trade a red notebook back and forth, getting to know each other and going on quests around Christmas time. Bonus points for the importance of the bookstore The Strand. 4/5
  • Honest Advent by Scott Erickson
    • I recognize that this book is not for everyone, but it’s the devotional book that my small group leader from college sent to each of us to read during Advent. With a short chapter and corresponding artwork for each day, I enjoyed how easy it was to read and really enjoyed the author’s focus on the humanity of Mary. I don’t think she’s focused on enough in the Christmas story, and I really liked Erickson’s perspective. 5/5 as an Advent devotional
  • Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
    • The sequel to Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first, but it was still a sweet and festive read. I also read it in one day on the 30th so I could make my book count 62 instead of 61 lol. 3.5/5
  • Thoughts of Dog by Matt Nelson
    • This book is based on the Twitter account Thoughts of Dog (probably the best account on the entire internet) and is a few really sweet illustrated stories from the perspective of a dog. The most gentle, warm, uplifting little book. 5/5
Featured

Mexican Rice

Living with roommates again this year has been super fun for a lot of reasons, one of which is all the new recipes I get to try as we merge our individual favorites each week to meal plan. So all credit for this recipe goes to Carissa (or maybe more accurately Carissa’s mom lol).

I obviously knew it was possible to make Mexican rice from scratch and not just from a microwave packet, but I incorrectly assumed it was difficult and time consuming. Let me tell you, it is SO easy and SO delicious. 10/10 worth it, I will never be buying microwave rice packets ever again.

All you have to do is toast the rice in a pan, add the ingredients, and simmer until all the liquid is soaked up! And you end up with the most flavorful rice (that gets all deliciously crispy on the bottom) that makes the perfect side. I made it a few weeks ago with cilantro lime chicken while I was home, and Carissa has made it many a time to pair with enchiladas or soup up in Pittsburgh.

Endlessly thankful to Carissa for teaching me how to make this (and her mom for teaching her) ❤ and now you can make it for yourself!

Mexican Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs butter
  • 2 cups white rice
  • 8 oz can of tomato sauce
  • Chicken broth (or water + chicken bouillon)
  • Half an onion, cut into wedges
  • 1-2 whole garlic cloves
  • 1-2 whole jalapeños
  • Cumin, salt, and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Toast the rice in the butter for a few minutes.
  2. Add enough chicken broth to completely cover the rice.
  3. Add the tomato sauce, onion wedges, garlic cloves, and jalapeños.
  4. Add cumin, salt, and pepper to taste, and cover.
  5. Cook over medium-low heat until all liquid is absorbed, ~20 minutes. Don’t remove lid until liquid is absorbed.
  6. Fluff rice with a fork and enjoy.
Featured

Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken

I love cilantro lime, so when I saw this recipe on Budget Bytes I knew I had to try it. Since I was home for Christmas, I told my mom I would handle dinner one night and ended up making this delicious chicken along with black beans, corn, and some homemade Mexican rice (which I’ll share the recipe for soon!).

The whole spread!

This chicken couldn’t be easier. Just toss it in a ziploc bag with the marinade, leave for anywhere between 30 minutes and 8 hours (I went for the latter), and then bake!

The recipe is for chicken thighs, but you could definitely use breasts, or a mix of drumsticks and wings. Cook times will vary though, so just make sure it’s totally cooked before serving. Plus, this chicken makes for great leftovers: on its own, shredded in a quesadilla, chopped up in a Chipotle style bowl. The possibilities are endless!

So try out this super easy baked chicken for a hands off weeknight meal!

I actually tripled the recipe with breasts and thighs to feed my whole fam, just adjust the amount of marinade accordingly!

Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • freshly cracked pepper
  • 2 limes, divided
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • 6 chicken thighs (1.5-1.75 lbs total)

Instructions

  1. Combine the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill) in a small bowl
  2. Zest one of the limes and then squeeze the juice. You’ll need 2-3 tbs juice, so if needed juice half of the second lime. Cut the remaining lime into wedges to garnish the chicken once cooked. Roughly chop the cilantro.
  3. Add 1 tsp of the lime zest, 2-3 tbs of the lime juice, and half the chopped cilantro to the marinade. Stir to combine. (The remaining cilantro will be added fresh after cooking the chicken.)
  4. Place the chicken thighs in a shallow dish or a large zip top bag. Add the marinade and toss the chicken to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours (refrigerated), turning it once or twice as it marinates.
  5. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F and transfer the chicken to a casserole dish. Pour the marinade over the top. Add a pinch more salt and pepper.
  6. Bake the chicken for 40-50 minutes, basting once or twice throughout. Cooking time may vary based on size of meat; cook to an internal temperature of 160°F.
  7. For a crispy skin, broil for a few minutes once the meat is cooked through.
  8. Garnish the chicken with fresh slices of lime and more chopped cilantro leaves.
Featured

Brownie Peppermint Blossoms

I had planned to share this post yesterday, but then accidentally spent the entire day knitting my first pair of socks, oops! So bringing you a last minute Christmas cookie addition that couldn’t be easier! My mom’s brownie peppermint cookies.

These are just like peanut butter blossoms (peanut butter cookies with Hershey’s kisses on top) but festive and perfect for the holidays! A staple of our Christmas cookie line up, and one of my mom’s best inventions. Brownie cookies made with boxed brownie mix, topped with peppermint Hershey’s kisses! It’s also fun to use other festive kisses, like Hot Cocoa or Sugar Cookie, so let your creativity run wild!

Try these super easy cookies if you need a last minute cookie recipe for porch gift drop offs (or just for eating on your own). They’re the best!

Brownie Peppermint Blossoms

Ingredients

  • 1 box fudge brownie mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1/8 cup water
  • 1/2 bag Peppermint Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped

Instructions

  1. Mix together brownie mix, egg, oil, and water.
  2. Drop cookies by rounded teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet
  3. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
  4. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before pressing a kiss into the top of each cookie.
  5. Transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling
Featured

Pasta with Cauliflower, Sausage, and Big Bread Crumbs

Home for Christmas now, but bringing you another pasta recipe from Carla Lalli Music’s book Where Cooking Begins. Like I said on Tuesday, this cookbook is great for building confidence and creativity in the kitchen with so many options for adjustments based on what you have lying around.

This pasta recipe was pretty easy, and turned out super yummy. The sauce is light but cheesy, the breadcrumbs add a great crunch, and the meat makes it a bit more hearty and filling.

Pasta with sausage is one of my favorite things in the world, but I unfortunately couldn’t find any at the Italian grocery store I go to. I used bacon instead and it was super yummy, so I can only imagine how much better it would be with sausage. I also bought a zucchini and decided to add it into the butter and garlic when I added the cauliflower. This bulked the dish up a bit more, and I’m always a fan of adding more vegetables to my dinners.

I’m listing out below the suggestions Carla gives for adjustments and replacements, as well as what I did. So try out this pasta recipe for an easy weeknight dinner!

Carla’s suggestions:

  • 1/2 pound bacon can replace the sausage
  • If using sausage links, remove casings before cooking
  • Broccoli, Romanesco, or halved Brussels sprouts for the cauliflower
  • Panko can be used instead of fresh break crumbs; toast in same way

What I did:

  • Used bacon instead of sausage
  • Added chopped zucchini in with the broccoli
  • Used red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice (I forgot to buy a lemon oops)

Pasta with Cauliflower, Sausage, and Big Bread Crumbs

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 4 tablespoons (2 oz) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups coarse torn bread crumbs (1/4 inch pieces)
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound hot and/or sweet Italian sausage meat
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 pound rigatoni or orecchiete
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano, plus more for serving
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta
  2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat until foaming. Add torn bread, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing until golden brown and toasted, 4-5 minutes. Transfer bread crumbs to a medium bowl or plate, add lemon zest and parsley, and toss to combine.
  3. Wipe out skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering, add sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break into 1- to 2-inch pieces, and cook until dark golden brown on underside, 5-7 minutes. Use the spoon to scrape up sausage, then toss quickly to get a little heat on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate.
  4. Add garlic to drippings in the pan, remove from heat, and stir to coat (there should be enough residual heat to soften the garlic almost immediately). Set skillet aside.
  5. Add cauliflower to boiling water and cook until tender all the way through but not mushy, 4 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or mesh spider to transfer to skillet with garlic and stir to coat with oil.
  6. Add pasta to same pot of boiling water, and cook for 2-3 minutes less than package instructions (it should be very al dente and will finish cooking in the sauce).
  7. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer pasta to skillet with cauliflower. Add browned sausage and return skillet to medium heat. Cook, tossing and adding spoonfuls of pasta water into mixture until pan sauce starts to cling to noodles.
  8. Add parm and continue to cook, tossing and moistening with pasta water as needed, until cheese is melted and pan sauce is glossy and abundant.
  9. Add lemon juice and half of reserved bread crumbs and toss to combine. Serve with remaining bread crumbs on top and more parm on the side
Featured

Pasta e Fagiole

With a two week break here in Pittsburgh, I decided I wanted to try and cook some recipes from the 57 cookbooks I have sitting around. So I pulled out Carla Lalli Music’s cookbook Where Cooking Begins. You may know Carla from Bon Appetit, but she’s freelance now and absolutely killing the Instagram/Patreon game. Her book is incredible: it really focuses on how to improvise and cook for yourself, utilizing whatever you have in the kitchen. Every recipe has an ingredient list, but Carla also lists alternatives for everything in case you don’t have or can’t find something. It’s a great way to flex your creative muscles in the kitchen and get more comfortable cooking without following a recipe word for word.

I decided to make some homemade Pasta e Fagiole, aka “Fazool”. This is an Italian-American favorite, a soup chock full of beans and pasta and vegetables. You’ve probably seen this canned at the store, or in restaurants, but the homemade version is 1000 times better.

This recipe is definitely a time commitment, but it’s the perfect dish to start on a Sunday afternoon and keep simmering until dinner. The smell will perfume the whole house and you’ll be salivating all day, I swear.

The version I made actually ended up a bit different than the recipe below, but like I said, Carla gives you space to use whatever you can find!

Carla’s suggestions:

  • 1 fennel bulb or 2 celery stalks can supplement or replace the carrots
  • 1 large yellow onion can replace the leek
  • 4 oz bacon ends, pancetta, or sausage meat in place of the ham hock
  • A sprig or two of thyme or rosemary can be added
  • A few chopped Swiss chard stems can be added to the veg mix (sofrito)
  • Escarole can be used instead of kale
  • Lentils, chickpeas, lima beans, or giganta beans instead of white beans
  • 1 teaspoon ground fennel added to the sofrito
  • Canned crushed tomatoes or an equivalent amount of pureed fresh tomatoes
  • 4-finger pinch of fresh thyme leaves or rosemary instead of bay leaves
  • Orzo, small shells, or any other small dried pasta

What I did:

  • 1 large white onion instead of the fennel
  • 4 oz bacon instead of the ham hock
  • A head of cabbage, leaves torn into small pieces, instead of kale
  • A dried “heirloom bean mix” from the grocery store
  • Dried thyme instead of bay leaves

This soup turned out delicious, 10/10 recommend for a warm and cozy Sunday dinner.

Pasta e Fagiole

Ingredients

  • 8 oz dried medium white beans, such as cannelini, soaked overnight if possible
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 4 carrots, scrubbed, roughly chopped
  • 1 leek (white and pale-green parts only), halved, rinsed, and roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • 1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 bunch kale, leaves stripped off stems
  • 1 or 2 Parmigiano rinds (optional)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 oz small pasta, such as ditalini
  • Parmigiano, crusty bread, and crushed red pepper, for serving

Instructions

  1. If you haven’t soaked the beans overnight, do a power soak: Put the beans in a large pot, cover with water by 1 inch, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, stir in a palmful of salt, cover pot, and let beans sit for 1 hour.
  2. In a food processor, combine garlic, carrots, and leeks and pulse until vegetables are finely chopped (if you don’t have a food processor, just chop as small as you can)
  3. In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 1/3 cup olive oil over medium, and add chopped vegetables. Season generously with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until vegetables (called sofrito) start to sweat out some of the liquid, 3-5 minutes. The goal at this stage is to slow-cook the sofrito until vegetables are very soft but do not take on any color. This gives the dish depth.
  4. Cover pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until sofrito is softened and juicy, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat if mixture starts to brown.
  5. Add ham hock and cook uncovered, stirring and scraping surface of pot every 5 minutes, until sofrito has started to brown in places and has lost at least half its volume, about 10 minutes more.
  6. Add beans and their soaking liquid, tomatoes, and kale and season again with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then add Parm rinds (if using) and bay leaves and reduce heat to a very gentle simmer.
  7. Cook soup with lid askew until beans are very tender, 1-3 hours depending on the size and age of the beans. Add water (or stock, if you have it) as necessary to keep the beans submerged by at least 1 inch.
  8. In a pot of well-salted boiling water, add pasta and cook for 2-3 minutes less than package instructions (pasta should be very al dente).
  9. Drain pasta and add to soup, then taste and adjust seasoning. (Do not try to skip a step by cooking the pasta in the soup. The noodles will absorb all the available liquid and the soup will be thick and gummy).
  10. Serve with grated parm, bread, and crushed red pepper
Featured

Homemade Doughnuts

Like I said on Tuesday, I spent two weeks out at my parents’ house for Thanksgiving. And since classes were basically done, and we’d been watching a lot of Great British Bake Off, we did a LOT of baking with our downtime. I shared the chocolate babka we made already, and today I’m bringing you my Great Grandma Ryder’s homemade deep-fried doughnuts.

I haven’t made homemade doughnuts since the last time my family made them, which was when I was maybe 5 or 6? Picture evidence below lol. So I was excited to make them again as a grownup! They were actually way easier than I was expecting, and it was super fun to spend a morning making doughnuts for my fam for breakfast.

While this does require a significant amount of oil for deep frying, and a candy thermometer is particularly helpful for monitoring the temp, past that these are quite easy! Just mix up the dough, roll them out, cut them (tip, if you don’t have a doughnut cutter just use a glass or mug!), and fry! We tossed some in cinnamon sugar, some in powdered sugar, and also dipped a few in melted chocolate.

Another more time consuming recipe, but a super fun way to pass some time over break!

Great Grandma Ryder’s Homemade Doughnuts

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tbs melted shortening
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 1/2-5 cups flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • Confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon sugar, melted chocolate for topping

Instructions

  1. Beat the eggs; add sugar and melted shortening; add milk. Sift dry ingredients and add to liquid mixture to make a soft dough
  2. Roll dough out to 12 inch thickness on floured surface. Cut with small doughnut cutter (or whatever you have!)
  3. Head lard or vegetable oil in deep pot until 375°F (or hot enough to brown a 1 inch cube of bread in 60 seconds, otherwise doughnuts will absorb grease)
  4. Fry doughnuts until golden brown. You will have to turn doughnuts, but holes will flip on their own.
  5. Drain on unglazed paper (like parchment paper or paper towel) and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, toss in cinnamon sugar, or dip in chocolate sauce while still warm.

Featured

Chocolate Almond Babka

Long time no chat! After isolating and getting tested, my boyfriend and I went to my parents house in Montana for two weeks to celebrate Thanksgiving. It was a nice relaxing trip, and now I’m back!

During the two weeks we were in Montana, we watched a LOT of Great British Bake Off. Which inspired a lot of baking. One of the “Technical Challenges” on the show was a chocolate babka, and it looked so good that we knew we had to try it.

I found the recipe they used on the show, but since the show is British all the measurements were by weight (in grams). Since we didn’t have a scale, I had to do the most math I’ve done in a long time. But don’t fear! I will handle the conversions for you so you can try this with a bit less stress.

We couldn’t find hazelnuts, which the OG recipe used, so we used almonds instead and it was delicious. This babka is definitely a decent bit of work and hands-on time, but it was a super fun way to spend a few hours, and turned out delicious! Definitely recommend trying this decadent chocolate babka with all your downtime at home! Makes a great breakfast or dessert with some coffee 🙂

Chocolate Almond Babka

Ingredients

  • 65 g (about 2.5 oz) blanched almonds
  • 100 g (about 7 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 150 g (about 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
  • 80 g (about 3 oz) 70% dark chocolate
  • 40 g (about 3 tablespoons) cocoa powder
  • 275 g (about 1 1/4 cups) flour
  • 5 g (about 1 tsp) fast-action dried yeast
  • 25 g (about 1 3/4 tbs) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 50 ml (about 1/4 cup) whole milk
  • 80 g (about 1/3 cup) butter, cubed and softened
  • 100 g (about 7 tbs) granulated sugar
  • Water

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F
  2. Make the filling: tip the almonds onto a baking sheet and roast in the bottom of the oven about 4-5 minutes, tossing occasionally until golden. Let cool, then roughly chop half the nuts, and finely chop the other half. Set aside.
  3. Place the butter, sugar, and chocolate in a pan and melt slowly over low heat, stirring until smooth and combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool and thicken slightly.
  4. Meanwhile, make the dough. Tip the flour into a bowl. Add the yeast to one side, and the sugar and salt on the other.
  5. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs and milk. Mix by hand (or in a stand mixer with dough hook on low) for 2-3 minutes until firm.
  6. Increase the speed to medium and add in the butter a little at a time. Mix well between each addition, allowing the butter to incorporate completely before adding more.
  7. Once all the butter is added, continue kneading until the dough is smooth, sticky, and shiny.
  8. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the door to a 40 x 30 cm rectangle with a long edge toward you.
  9. Spread the cooled chocolate mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 cm border around the edge. Sprinkle the almonds on top.
  10. Starting from the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight spiral with the seam underneath.
  11. Trim about 2 cm off each end to neaten, and turn the roll 90° so that a short end is closest to you. Using a large sharp knife or a pizza cutter, slice down the middle of the roll lengthwise, cutting into 2 long pieces.
  12. Turn each piece so the cut sides are facing upwards. Gently press the top of each piece together to seal, then lift the right half over the left half, followed by the left half over the right half. Repeat, twisting the dough to make a two-stranded loaf, then press the bottom edges together.
  13. Lift the loaf into a lined or sprayed loaf pan, cover with a clean tea towel, and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
  14. Heat the oven to 375°. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake for 25-30 minutes longer, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  15. While the babka is baking, make the syrup. Add the 100 g of sugar to 100 ml (about 1/2 cup) of water in a small pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and let simmer without stirring for about 5 minutes until syrupy. Let cool.
  16. When the babka is ready, brush the cooled syrup over the hot babka. Leave in the pan until cool enough to handle, then remove from the an and let cool completely.
Featured

Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs

Beth from Budget Bytes shared this recipe on Instagram a few weeks ago and I immediately sent it to my roommates. We love turkey, we love meatballs, and it seemed like the perfect thing to make for our little roommates-giving before the end of the semester.

We made these meatballs on Sunday night along with mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce and it was the best evening (gravy would’ve made a great addition too). We even watched the Kacey Musgraves Christmas Special while we ate to feel extra festive 🙂

We doubled the recipe so we’d have leftovers and we have a TON, but it was still an incredibly easy dish. And honestly perfect for a smaller scale Thanksgiving this year since COVID-19 is raging. I also imagine these would freeze pretty well if you had leftovers and wanted to save them for a rainy day!

Definitely recommend making these turkey and stuffing meatballs to get in the Thanksgiving spirit without buying an entire turkey! And as always, check out Budget Bytes for all my favorite low cost, easy recipes.

Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs

Makes: about 25 meatballs

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 6 oz box of stuffing (we used cornbread and it was amazing)
  • 1 cup hot water (although if your stuffing box says to use chicken broth, use that instead)
  • 19 oz ground turkey (93% lean)
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the dry stuffing mix in a large bowl, add the hot water, and stir until no more water pools in the bottom of the bowl. Let the stuffing sit for another 5 minutes to soften (less water is added to the stuffing than the box calls for to account for the moisture from the turkey and egg).
  2. Add the ground turkey and beaten egg to the partially hydrated stuffing mix. Combine by hand until evenly mixed. Form the mixture into meatballs about the size of a ping pong ball.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray and place the meatballs on the pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
  4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the meatballs and allow them to cook until browned on most sides (about 5 minutes). Transfer the meatballs to a serving dish and repeat with the other half of the butter/meatballs.
  5. Serve warm with your favorite Thanksgiving sides!
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #46

This week felt simultaneously so long and so short. Only one week left of the semester (although finals week isn’t until after Thanksgiving) and I am tired. I’m just counting down the days until I’m finally done.

Not much else to report today, off to go study and get a ton of work done before a little mini roommates-giving tonight. Sending all the love ❤ Celia

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Sunset walks
  • Yoga
  • Meal prep
  • Finishing Haunting of Bly Manor
  • Finishing book number 47 for the year
  • Sunsets
  • Phone calls with Davey
  • Lentil soup
  • Cheesy holiday netflix movies
  • Fionna
  • Thunderstorms
  • Late night cereal in a mug
  • Therapy
  • Yellow sweaters
  • Breakfast tacos
  • Popcorn with peanut m&ms
  • L.L. Bean
  • Christmas shopping (online lol)
  • Phone calls with Mama
  • Rainy sundays
Featured

Weekly Gratitude #45

This was pretty much the longest week of my life… and I think most everyone else would agree haha. But we made it through and now I’m gearing up for a very busy two weeks. My semester ends the Friday before Thanksgiving (save for some finals after the holiday) so we’re really hitting the end with projects and presentations and exams.

I’m truly just counting down the days until the end when I get to spend the holiday at my parent’s house in Montana. We will make it through!

Hope y’all have a good Sunday and a good week! Let me know what you’re thankful for below. All the love, Celia ❤

This week I’m thankful for:

  • Decorating for Christmas with my roommates (Is it the beginning of November? Yes. Do I care? Nope, we need the joy thanks)
  • Watching Coco and drinking hot cocoa with the roomies
  • Waking up to snow on my car
  • Getting to wear my first wool sweater of the season
  • A Starbucks gift card from Bobbi to treat myself
  • Going on an evening walk and watching the sunset to decompress
  • Some really great yoga videos this week
  • Avocado on sourdough bread
  • Peanut butter and apple slice sandwiches (this is one of my fave lunches haha)
  • Finishing 3 books in a week
  • Fall foliage
  • Listening to podcasts while I walk to work
  • Getting all dressed up with my roommates just to eat dip and present silly powerpoints
  • Making my first charcuterie board!
  • Breakfast on the porch and a lovely walk with my gal Shelby
  • Spaghetti with sausage and mushrooms
  • Cranberry orange bread courtesy of Carissa
Featured

Easy Turkey Chili

Making chili runs in my blood; every Halloween my family hosts a pumpkin carving party where we invite everyone we know and my mom makes 30 pounds of mac and cheese, and my dad makes 40 pounds of chili. We all carve pumpkins outside and eat food and drink apple cider and it’s my favorite day of the entire year. I think this year would’ve been almost year 30? But covid meant having it on a much smaller scale back home in MD, and I decided to host my own for my roommates and our significant others.

Naturally, I had to make chili and mac and cheese. This is the chili I made, and I kid you not it’s the best chili I’ve ever made in my entire life. I’ve truly never been more proud. The picture below doesn’t quite do it justice, but that’s just my college house lighting haha. I love the flavor of ground turkey, and the heavy spices really bring it to the next level.

We served this with mac and cheese and some tater tots, and it was delightful fuel for carving pumpkins and watching scary movies. So try out this super easy turkey chili!

This pic is terrible. The chili is perfect.

Turkey Chili

  • Cook time: 45 minutes
  • Serves: 8

Ingredients

  • 19 oz ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon olive/vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • ~1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon pepper
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 2 bell peppers, diced
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1-2 jalapeños, diced
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
  • ~1 cup water with chicken bouillon (or broth)

Instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, in about a tablespoon of olive oil, cook the turkey until cooked through. Add about half of the seasonings
  2. Add the diced onion and bell pepper, season with more salt, and cook until starting to soften.
  3. Add the beans, jalapeños, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth, as well as the rest of the seasonings. Bring pot to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Let simmer for at least 25 minutes to let those flavors meld
  4. Serve with your fave toppings: cheese, chips, sour cream, avocado, mac and cheese, rice. Endless possibilities!
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