Beauty | Empties #6

 

Two empty product posts in September?! What is happening? I am gathering empties like you wouldn't believe, so don't worry - more will be in October.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser

I love the Tea Tree line from The Body Shop, but this product missed the mark for me. I was hoping for a primer that would help my makeup last longer AND help treat breakouts. But what I got was a slippery, greasy primer that my makeup just slid off of. Pretty bummed, but will still use the other Tea Tree products that I love.

dr. brandt pores no more cleanser

 I just got this in my September Birchbox and have already used it all up. I am not sure if it helped my breakouts but it made my skin feel silky smooth while I was washing with it. The scent is nice and clean, not medicinal like some cleansers can be. It doesn't really foam up or anything, but you can still tell it cleaned your face. I think I am going to save up some points and purchase this full size to see what some constant cleansing with it will do. I got two uses out of this tiny little sample size, so it's not a great indicator of long term use.

L'Oreal go 360 Clean anti-breakout cleanser

I have used this in the past and like that it comes with a little scrublet. I'm not a complete believer, because while this product definitely gets my skin clean - I'm still not in love with it. I don't really know why. It's like, I should love it, but I don't. It's just not meant to be I guess.

boscia Makeup Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil

If you take ONE thing away from this post, make it be this - I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. Seriously obsessed with it. If you have never used a cleansing oil before, it's super odd. But it breaks up your makeup, including eye and lip makeup, like you wouldn't believe. Then you just rinse it off. Some people stop there, but I usually still wash my face after with a different cleanser just because my skin is a mess right now. But this stuff smells great, doesn't leave a residue and if you have oily skin it doesn't make it worse even though you think it might because, well, OIL. Buy the sample size at Sephora the next time you go and you won't be sorry.

Bath and Body Works Be Enchanted Shower Gel

Love this scent, and this body wash got me clean and smelling good. It's a bit too heavy for me, I got a few breakouts across my chest though. But it works and this is one of my favorite scents from BBW.

Cover FX  Mattifying Primer with Anti-Acne Treatment

Another primer tried with the end goal being that my makeup would stay put on my face while treating my acne issues. This one was better than Tea Tree one but still not a repurchase unfortunately. I am still on the search, so any suggestions are welcome please!

Regenepure Luxury Hair Loss Shampoo

I did a whole blog post about this shampoo previously, so I don't have much to add other than my hair never stopped falling out. Luckily, I have plenty of hair to go around so it's not a huge deal.

Recipes | Thai Chicken Salad

 

 Ingredients 

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cooked and shredded

3 tsp thai sweet pepper sauce
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups kale
4 oz thin spaghetti
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp sugar
4 carrots, peeled and chopped

Instructions

Cook the chicken by either pan frying or boiling. (I boiled them) Then shred.
Meanwhile, start cooking pasta according to package directions.
In a skillet over medium high heat, add the broccoli and kale. Cook until soft.
Prepare the dressing in a small bowl by adding the sweet pepper sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, peanut butter and sugar; whisk until smooth.
To plate: place spaghetti on the bottom, scoop some of the broccoli/kale mixture on top of the pasta and then add the chopped carrots. Drizzle with the homemade dressing and you’re good to go!

Book Review | Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky

 

I have read some of Delinsky's book before and they aren't normally the type of book I go for. A little bit more in the romance novel category than my general preference. But every once in awhile, you just want to be entertained without deep thought. So when I saw her latest book sitting on the new release shelf in the library, I decided to give it a whirl.

Plot

Caroline and Jamie McAfee are a mother-daughter duo who are best friends and coworkers. They're the team that fronts popular home renovation show Gut It! Things are great, until the network tells Caroline that they are going to replace her as host with her daughter, Jamie.  Naturally, Caroline is upset and Jamie is unsettled by the entire situation. This sets off a whole host of devastation in their lives and suddenly Jamie is dealing with a toddler who misses his parents and a fiance who wants nothing to do with the child. 

My Thoughts

I really liked the story this book told. I did at times feel like Caroline and Jamie were a tiny bit unrealistic in their actions, but then again people be crazy, am I right? There is maybe one kind of unexpected twist in the story, but the rest of it is fairly predictable. Don't get me wrong, I really liked it and predictable can be good, definitely can be enjoyable and is obviously dependable. I actually gave this book 4 stars because I think it gives a little more oomph in the story than Delinsky usually does.

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Did:

1. We went to a Grinnell College football game. They lost and football is not the same as it is at MSU but it was a beautiful day! 

2. Speaking of MSU, we are currently ranked Number 2! 

3. I tried this delicious new tea. I'm obsessed.

4. We've been going on evening walks to ensure that I get my 10,000 steps in and it's been a nice way for us to catch each other up on our days and get some exercise to boot.

5. Got some of my Jacks Mannequin tenth anniversary swag in the mail.

Five Things I Ate:

1. My allergies are really bothering me so on his way home, my husband stopped and got me some key lime pie cheesecake. Best guy ever.

2. Thai Chicken Salad recipe will be coming on Tuesday! It was SO GOOD.

3. We got some frozen yogurt this week. They had some amazing flavors like Mango Sunrise, Orange Sorbet, Butter Pecan and Cheesecake. It was some tough decision making.

4. Jimmy Johns

5. I made a Crockpot Chicken and Chilr stew! Recipe will be coming.

Five Things I Read:

1. PhD students dumb down their thesis just for us

2. Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky
Full review coming Monday!

3. Top Secret Twenty One by Janet Evanovich

Okay sorry for the abrupt end and lack of link for the previous book. 

I am linking up over at High Five for Friday with Coffee with Caitlin, Cup of Tea, Bright on a budget and Della Devoted.

Beauty | September 2015 Birchbox

So the theme for September is Better Together. It is meant to celebrate the customers of Birchbox and remind us that we are the reason this whole crazy thing is even happening. If you want to know more about Birchbox, visit their website here or check out my blog post that tells a bit more information about it here.

Onto the products! When I open my box and get my first glimpse of what I am trying this month is always my favorite part!

So let's talk about these products.

1.  ModelCo Ultra Long-Lasting Lipstick Trio

 

Full size of this lipstick trio is $20. I only received one lipstick and I got the color Smitten which is a deep cranberry red. I really liked it on a lot more than I liked it in the package.  My only complaint is that the lipstick was broken in half, so I smushed it together for this photo. But Birchbox Customer Service is amazing, and I am sure they will help me out (they gave me 100 points which = $10). Back to the product: the other two colors in the trio are Kitty, which is a soft pink and Stiletto which is a brighter, richer red. This lipstick is super hydrating and smooth, I'm a big fan.

2.  Harvey Prince Eau So Divine

Full size is $55. This perfume has notes of lemon, lilies, jasmine and vanilla. All I smell are the floral scents, they are quite overpowering. Personally, I am not a fan of floral perfumes so I am not a huge fan of this particular perfume. If you like floral scents, I recommend giving this one a try.

3. 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream

Full size is $25. This eye cream reduces the appearance of lines and dark circles underneath your eyes and works as an instant pick me up. It's super creamy, and doesn't really have any discernible smell. I haven't used it enough to know if it really does reduce circles or lines, but it is hydrating and absorbs into the skin quickly.

4.  dr. brandt pores no more cleanser

Full size $35. dr. brandt is an awesome brand that I am familiar with, so I was excited to get this sample. Plus, my skin has AWFUL and I need to find a cleanser that will help. This is a best-seller and minimizes pores and leaves skin clean, fresh and velvety smooth. That sounds amazing and if it helps clear up my skin I am going to repurchase! It smells pretty great too.

5. amika Bombshell Blowout Spray

Full size is $25. This spray gives volume and smooths your hair for a sleek and bouncy hairdo. You spray this on your damp hair before you blow dry. I honestly can't remember the last time I blow dried my hair...so I'm not sure that I will be using this anytime soon. Kind of a bummer because there are other amika products that I would have wanted to try over this one.

Well there you have it, my September Birchbox! Did we get any of the same samples? Did I get something that you wish you had gotten?

Books | On My Nightstand | September 2015

 

I absolutely love the library here in town, the public one. It doesn't have every book, but it has a pretty good selection and with access to the college's libraries and inter library loans - I think I am in a pretty good book situation. Here are the books waiting to be read (from top to bottom).

1. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

I actually purchased this book in May and still haven't read it. So maybe if I put it on here I will feel more obligated to read it and share my thoughts. I have seen and read varying reviews of this book so we will see what my thoughts are. Honestly, I tried to read the description and couldn't even focus on it. That's not a good sign for the plot...

2. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

 This book was purchased on the same trip as the previous one. I got this because I have read a book(s) by Waters before and really enjoyed them so I picked this one up to try it.

3. On The Run: Fugitive Life in an American City by Alice Goffman

My husband read this book for, I believe, a book club he was in during graduate school. He told me that he thought it was something that I would enjoy reading. I haven't read it yet (obviously) but the idea behind it is totally my scene. The author spent 6 years living in a poor neighborhood in Philly; she observed, researched and interviewed the people living there. I'm excited to read it. Here is a quote from the Goodreads description: "Arrest quotas and high-tech surveillance techniques criminalize entire blocks, and transform the very associations that should stabilize young lives—family, relationships, jobs—into liabilities, as the police use such relationships to track down suspects, demand information, and threaten consequences."

4. Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich

I have read the first 20 books in this series and found, maybe, the first 5 funny. But now I just kind of want to know what happens and how it all ends. 

 

5. Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette 

 This book is about a woman, Zell, whose husband died during a post-Katrina relief mission. She's been grieving for over a year, and is still unable to enter the attic which is full of memories and belongings. She hasn't even turned on her own oven, because cooking was his chore. She decides to enter a baking contest, which (obviously) will force her to turn it on. She hopes to win and donate the winnings to Katrina survivors in her husbands memory. As a parallel story, she has a 9 year old neighbor named Ingrid who is growing up without a mother and obviously is struggling with that. She begins to plot how to help her doting father find the next love of his life, and well I'm sure we can all figure out where this will go. Seems like a nice, light read.

6. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 

This book follows three women who are all at a crossroads in their life. Madeline's ex husband and his new wife have recently moved into her beloved beach side community. Their child is even in the same class as Madeline's youngest, and to top if off Madeline's teenager is siding with her father and his new wife. Celeste is the mom of twin boys, and they are starting school. Celeste and her husband are set to become the "king and queen" of the school parent body, but how much more is Celeste willing to give? Lastly is Jane, a single mom who is young and often mistaken as the nanny of her little boy. Jane is sad beyond her few years, and is concerned about her son. Madeline and Celeste take Jane under their wing, not realizing how her son will affect them all.

Have any of you read any of these books? What did you think? And recommendations of books to read next?  

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Did:


1. I am trying to keep my nails polished because it prevents me from biting them AND it looks nice. I am on week three and still enjoying it!


2. Monday I had six meetings in one 8.5 hour work day. It was productive at least!

3. Had to go to a nearby town for a two day medication manager training so I could learn how to properly dish out the ole meds. I passed the test with a 96%! Feeling pretty accomplished.

 

4. I worked an almost-double on Tuesday night. I worked from 8-4 and then covered a shift from 5-8. 


5. I went to the Farmers Market to pick up a few things. I hadn't been in a few weeks, but I needed some kale and some potatoes.


Five Things I Ate:


1. I ordered in a lasagna and ate it while binge watching some OITNB. A delightful Friday night in.

2. Made a pizza on Sunday, then took a nap on the couch. Life is good.


3. More addicting corn on the cob. I am seriously going to be so sad when corn season is over, yes I just said corn season.


4. Walked to the Dari Barn for a good old fashioned unhealthy meal. 


5. I tried some pumpkin yogurt, thinking it might be terrible. It tastes just like pumpkin pie. It is amazing.

Five Things I Read:

1. At Home in Mitford (Mitford Years #1) by Jan Karon

This book was so boring it took me over a week to read it. I won't be reading anymore. 

2. My Medication Manager book. There was a test guys!

3.  The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

I liked the first one better.
  4. GOING TO THIS

5. It's the season of pumpkin spice

I am linking up over at High Five for Friday with Coffee with Caitlin, Cup of Tea, Bright on a budget and Della Devoted

Beauty | Nars Lip Pencil

I am slowly getting more adventurous with my lip colors. Now that I work in an office setting and not in the classroom, I find myself playing around with my makeup look a lot more. It's much more enjoyable when you know it's not going to sweat off from chasing preschoolers around all day. I received these Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencilfrom Sephora for my birthday. I have been obsessed ever since.

I think that lip pencils are my favorite lip product. Applying them is so easy, just like coloring, and the formula tends to be super creamy and not tug on your lips. This product is no exception. As the name suggests, they are velvety smooth and apply beautifully. The matte finish is not drying at all and I have found that even as the day goes on, if you feel your lips starting to dry out you can apply some balm over it without losing the color. 

The first color (on the left) is Cruella, as you can see it's a beautiful scarlet red. The actual color is a bit darker than photographed. I am recently kind of obsessed with trying out red lipsticks (much to my husbands dismay I am sure) and I LOVE this product.

The second color (on the right) is Rikugien. This is actually from the Satin Lip Pencil line and the main difference between the two is the colors are a bit brighter in the Satin Lip line. As you can see, Rikugien is a rosy pink color and the color is pretty true to the packaging. 

I am in love with these lip pencils, both lines, and when I use up these two I definitely plan on purchasing some different colors.  They last all day and the color payoff is spectactular.

I received these as a birthday gift from Sephora, but all opinions are my own. 

Recipes | Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

 

 So a perk of being unemployed for a few weeks was I took on some cooking adventures I normally would pass on. I don’t like dishes that have lots of steps, and take lots of time. This dish has those elements, but it’s not HARD so don’t think you can’t do it because you CAN. It dirties more dishes than I generally prefer, but that’s not a big deal. You can probably make this a lot easier by using instant rice. Rice is my cooking nemesis. I can never cook it properly, my husband always has to step in and take it over. I should remember this and do instant, but I always think I will figure it out eventually. ANYWAY, here is a delicious (and I can’t wait to eat it in the winter) Chicken and Sausage Gumbo!

Ingredients

4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1/2 lb smoked sausage
2 chicken breasts
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp creole seasoning

Instructions

Boil your chicken in a pot, with water until fully cooked. Then shred and set aside.
Start your rice (I used brown rice and it takes longer to cook). Combine 1 cup rice with 2 cups water and a sprinkling of salt. Bring to a boil and then cover, set to simmer for about 35-40 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy.
In a large pot or dutch oven melt 2 tbsp of butter over med-low heat.
Once foamy, add in celery and bell pepper and a sprinkling of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, until soft.
Add in garlic and cook another 3 minutes.
Add in the chicken stock, black pepper, cayenne pepper and then stir to combine.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover.
Slice the sausage and add to a skillet and cook until browned.
Transfer cooked sausage to chicken broth mixture and pour out any excess grease/fat.
In the same skillet you just cooked the sausage in, melt 2 tbsp of butter.
When foamy, add in flour and whisk until light brown in color.
Add to chicken stock mixture and stir.
Add in creole seasoning and stir.
Throw in chicken and stir.
Let sit at simmer until rice is done, then serve over rice.
Enjoy!

This is super good with cornbread, which my husband made while I did the gumbo. If you’re interested in his recipe, let me know and I will get it from him.

UPDATE: I heated this up for leftovers for my lunch the other day and it was EVEN BETTER. The flavors really had time to soak into the rice and it had a LOT more flavor. It was seriously delicious. So make lots and then eat it for days because it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Book Review | Maud's Line by Margaret Verble

 

I got an email from a publisher asking me if I was interested in reading and reviewing Maud's Line for my blog. I happily accepted and then this little ole blog received it's first mail actually addressed to a mess of es! It happened to arrive right in the middle of moving and unpacking and trying to find a job (I found one!) so it kind of slipped out of my mind. But now we are settled and getting into a life routine; so I picked it up and read it.

The Plot


Set in Eastern Oklahoma in 1928; Maud Nail is 18 years old and lives with her often-missing father and sensitive brother on one of the allotments given out by the US Government to the Cherokees when their land was confiscated for Oklahoma's statehood. Maud's days are filled with hard work, loneliness and is often marked with tragedy and violence as well. Then one day she meets the good-looking newcomer, Booker Wakefield, and her prospects for a better life suddenly don't seem so slim.

My Thoughts


I always want to like a book that I was given for free. Unfortunately, this one left me feeling kinda of meh. I was excited to read it because I don't know a lot about Oklahoma in 1928 or the Cherokees. I still don't know much except that apparently they slept around a lot. I was surprised by the amount of sex in the book; and I'm not a prude! I just wasn't expecting it, but go Maud, she got hers for sure. There was a lot that I wish would have been expanded on, I felt it was lacking in character development for everyone except Maud. I really wanted to know more about her family, her brother and even Booker's past. I just felt like there was a lot more places it could have gone that would have made the story just that much more enticing. Because of all that, I gave this book 2 stars.

I was contacted by the publisher and offered a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Did:


1. I got some new sandals, they were on sale, super cute and are comfortable. All the wins.


2. In the process of trying to buy my leased vehicle, so lots of phone calls regarding that. Being a grown up is so interesting sometimes...


3. I started training at work this week, the days are going by quickly so that's kind of nice.


4. We went for a nice walk around one of the neighborhoods. It was nice to get out and talk/walk.


5. I didn't have work on Monday due to Labor Day but my husband did. So, I binged watched some Netflix and enjoyed my last weekday off until Thanksgiving.


Five Things I Ate:


1. 

We had wanted to make chicken and waffles for our Saturday morning breakfast, but we don't have a waffle iron. My husband got creative and made cluckin' crepes instead. It was amazing.

2. I took for granted the sorbet options in Lansing;moving here as been a challenge in that department, oh the struggle. But this past weekend I found moose tracks frozen yogurt and all is right in my world. Well, the sorbet is still lacking but at least I can have a a delicious frozen treat.


3. Italian Bean and Sausage Pasta. Added some bacon to it cause we needed to use it up. 


4. Cooker Pork Chops. We had it with some mixed veggies and whole wheat pasta.


5. Went to some new little local restaurants. I didn't try anything life changing but I like to go to new places.


Five Things I Read:


1. Blue Stars by Emily Gray Tedrowe


2. James Sirius Potter goes to Hogwarts


3. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
While this book reads like a "comedy" book (and trust me, there are some definite laugh out loud moments) it always is full of research, statistics and all that other good stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it made me incredibly thankful to have met and married my husband before social media and texting became such a big part of romantic relationships. Dang.


4. Friendships in your 30s


5. It's been great to just read and see everyone's kids starting school on social media. So, happy first week of school to those guys!

I am linking up over at High Five for Friday with Coffee with Caitlin, Cup of Tea, Bright on a budget and Della Devoted

Travel | Iowa State Fair

 

So, the Iowa State Fair is a big deal.  It lasted ten days; from August 13-23 in Des Moines and in that time period hundreds of thousands of people came. This was the highest attended Iowa State Fair yet. We could speculate as to why that was; the food, the presidential candidates, the activities, rides, etc. I don't know. But I do know why I went - to eat.

The menu section of the webpage is divided into 3 sections: healthy options, on-a-stick and $3 and under. The healthy options included such things as: fruit in cup and brisket in a waffle cone. I wanted to eat things on sticks. Preferably for $3 and under. So one random weekday we got in our car and went to the Iowa State Fair.

As soon as we got there it began to rain. So we seeked out refuge in a barn that contained some calfs and baby goats. Awww. They were cute and it wasn't as smelly as I had anticipated. The rain let up and away we went on our food mission.

Our first food stop was the Pork chop on a stick. It's a fan favorite and everyone in Iowa says you have to get it - so we did. It was alright, kind of fatty and gristly at the end - seems like a waste. After that we got a bacon wrapped rib on a stick. My husband was a fan of that one, but I didn't really like the BBQ sauce. We also tried: apple pie on a stick, deep fried snickers on a stick, corn brat on a stick, cheesecake on a stick and a double bacon wrapped corn dog on a stick. Does your stomach hurt just reading that? My favorite was the cheesecake - it was dipped in chocolate and heavenly. The apple pie was a disappointment - the idea is a lot better than the reality. 

Another must-see this year at the fair was the butter cow. Yes, a life sized cow made out of butter. Ridiculously awesome, and totally something I waited in line to see. 

I am really glad that we went and got to experience it and a big thanks to my husband for coming with me and taking pictures of me shoving my face with all that food. And for waiting in line for the butter cow with me - that's love.

Beauty | Empties #5

 

 It probably seems like I should have more empty products seeing as it has been over a month since I last did one. Let me tell you something, I threw away a lot of stuff when we moved and I didn't want to pack up a box of just empty containers. So I started a new pile once we got settled and in those few weeks this is what I have collected. 

1. Mirenesse Glossy Kiss in Perfect Kiss 

 I absolutely adore and love this formula and the color I bought it in. It's a pretty matte formula (even though it's called Glossy Kiss) and the Perfect Kiss shade is a kind of cinnamon-y red. It's beautiful. My main complaint is that it's a pencil that you have to sharpen down; it's hard and the product gets wasted and smeared all over. Mirenesse - please make this a twist pencil and I will buy it again. I seriously love this product except for that one thing. 

2. Dove Hair Therapy Intensive Repair Conditioner

 This conditioner boasts smoothing out your hair. While I didn't notice that in particular, my hair was a little bit less tangled after using it, so that's always a good thing. I might buy this again and pair it with the shampoo just to see what happens.

3. FACES Beautiful Brush-On Liquid Mineral Makeup

I did a review of this product awhile back and raved about it. But now summer is kind of waning and I'm spending less time outside; I don't like it as much. It's too dark for my skin tone and I could make it work but it would take a lot of extra effort that I'm not really wanting to put forth. So this isn't technically an empty because I'm just over it. But I still like how it includes a brush - super convenient for travel if I had a color that matched my paleness.

 4. Noxema Deep Cleansing Cream

Noxema is a throw back for me since it's basically what I used all throughout high school. I had purchased some to use on a sunburn (yes, it helps sunburn too!) and then decided to just finish it up. It's a classic, and my face always feels super clean after using it. 

5. Clearasil Refreshing Superfruit Toner

This toner definitely brightened up my skin and it smelled pretty good to boot. I went to repurchase at our local Wal-Mart and they didn't have any. I would definitely repurchase though.

6. Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream

This is another product that I loved the first few times I used it, but now I don't. It's too dark for my skin, am I getting paler? and the smell is terrible. It didn't used to bother me, but now I want to throw up when I smell it. So, away it goes.

7. Marcelle Hydra-C Energizing Hydrating Gel

I love gel formula moisturizers in the summertime, and this one was pretty good. I can't really say too much about it though cause the sample size only allowed about two uses and its hard to get a grasp on a product with so few uses.

8. Mirenesse Mattfinity Lip Rouge

 This color is the bomb. I am such a scaredy cat when it comes to red lips (and my husband hates red lipstick) but I tried this out and ROCKED IT. Until I smiled in the mirror and it was all over my teeth. It transfers SO BAD. All. Day. Long. I don't have time to be worrying about bright red lipstick all over everything, so it's gotta go. I'm bummed.

Recipe | Creamy Chicken and Asparagus

 

 This Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta is super delicious and the hardest part is making the sauce - which isn’t very hard at all. Another thing that made this recipe very easy to make is our new frying pans! We received them for our wedding and have just recently been able to start using them and they are absolutely dreamy. Ceramic is the way to go and I will never use another type of pan again!

But anyway, onto the creamy, yummy recipe.

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cooked and cut into smallish pieces.
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
12 oz penne pasta
1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed off and remainder cut into about 2 inch pieces and steamed.
1 1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup half and half
1 brick cream cheese, diced into pieces
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2-3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled into small pieces.

Instructions

In a small bowl, stir together basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle half the mixture evenly over the the tops of chicken.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken to the skillet with the herbed side down. Then add remaining herb mixture to the tops of the chicken.
Cook chicken until fully cooked. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Then dice into pieces.
Cook pasta according to directions on package. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
In a clean skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
Whisk in flour and then continue to whisk while adding in the milk and then the half and half.
Whisk until there are no clumps in the mixture and then season with salt and pepper.
Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and add in cream cheese and parmesan cheese.
Stir until cheeses have melted.
Combine pasta, steamed asparagus, chicken and sauce together and mix. Top with crumbled bacon.
Enjoy!

Book Review | The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

 

 I have read numerous novels by this author, and only in her more recent ones have I really felt like she has hit her stride. This one is no exception, so I will just get right into it.

The Plot

The Nightingale takes place in France, 1939 in the quiet village of Carriveau. Vianne Mauriac is forced to say goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads to the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazi’s will invade France, but they do - in droves. When France is overrun Vianne is forced to take the enemy into her home; her every move is watched and she is concerned for the safety of her daughter. Meanwhile, Vianne’s sister Isabelle is a rebellious 18 year old.While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terror of war, Isabelle falls in love. When he betrays her, she runs full force into danger and joins the Resistance movement; never looking back or giving a thought to the truly dangerous consequences.

My Thoughts

I felt like this was much different book than what I have read from Hannah before. It was refreshing and she did great with the challenge of historical fiction. The plot line is very intriguing and at times quite suspenseful. The character development is pretty spot on - I found myself caring about what happened to them, and smacking my forehead when Isabelle gets herself into needlessly reckless situations. This book is incredibly heartbreaking though, let’s remember the time frame in which it’s taking place. Good things were NOT going on, and Hannah stays true to that. I give this book 4 stars and hope Hannah sticks with this genre.

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Did:

1. Our new town is an hour away from Des Moines and Iowa City. So we ventured into Iowa City for dinner and some Costco shopping on Friday night.  There happened to be a pretty cool Soul festival going on, so we got to take in some live music as well.

2. I got some new shoes from the local shoe store just down the street. We live right downtown; so it's been fun just venturing into the little local shops and seeing what they have.

3. On Monday I had to travel to the small town of Jefferson, Iowa for new staff orientation. It's about two hours away from Grinnell, it was long and boring.

4. I worked a few days this week job shadowing, it's great to see what the agency does in all of its different departments.

5. Went and saw Straight Outta Compton and it was great! I forget how much I enjoy some of those songs.

Five Things I Ate:

1. We have discovered the best corn I have ever had in my life. It's from Humphrey Sweet Corn Farms and they sell it 6 days a week just around the corner from us from a stand on the side of the road. We have been eating SO much of it and I am obsessed.

2. I made some oven fried scallops; which my husband really liked but I didn't really care for. I will have to try out a different recipe some time.

3. Ate some of my favorite snack of cottage cheese and pineapple. So good.

4. I made up a sweet pepper sauce to go over some pan fried chicken and I was a fan. 

5. Got a frozen pizza from a local pizza place. It was really good and not too bad of a price either.

Five Things I Read:

1. Maud's Line by Margaret Verble
Full review will be coming soon as I received this book from the publishers to read and review for you all!

2. Nantucket Sisters by Nancy Thayer

3. September BookPage 

4. Make time for books guys!

5. The House Girl by Tara Conklin

 I am linking up over at High Five for Friday with Coffee with Caitlin, Cup of Tea, Bright on a budget and Della Devoted

Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa

 

 I know it probably seems like nothing has changed, since you’re just reading this. Probably at the same place you always have. But things have definitely changed on my end. At the end of July my husband and I moved away from our home state of Michigan and to a whole new adventure in Grinnell, Iowa.

I’ve never lived in Iowa before, and Grinnell is a small, college town. It’s home to Grinnell College and a pretty decent farmers market. I’m trying to get back into the swing of things with blogging, and the content should not change. But instead of doing random Pure Michigan travel posts - that will probably change over to talking about neat things we discover in Iowa and the surrounding areas as we explore our new home.

Change is hard, moving is difficult and we are figuring this out as we go along. But for now, welcome to Grinnell, Iowa and we’re pretty excited to be here and have you along for the ride.

Recipe | Husband's Mac and Cheese

 

 My husband enjoys cooking and baking, and I especially enjoy it when he makes his macaroni and cheese. I have dubbed it Husbands Mac and Cheese, and he has allowed me to share the recipe with you guys. He says the key is to have cheeses that compliment each other; he usually uses a smoked cheddar and blue cheese but I don’t like blue cheese so he used goat cheese instead. He maintains that it needs a bit of a kick to it, so I will remain true to HIS recipe, not my own personal preferences.

Ingredients

 4 cups milk

8 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp salt
1 lb elbow macaroni
8 oz (3 cups) of smoked cheddar cheese (the smokier the better)
3 oz (1 cup) blue cheese
2/3 cup panko

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Shred cheddar cheese (if necessary)
Heat milk in a medium saucepan over med-high heat until it begins to simmer. Then turn off heat and set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over med heat.
Add flour, whisking constantly until the mixture turns light brown. Then remove from heat.
Add the hot milk to the flour mixture while whisking constantly. Continue whisking until it’s combined and smooth.
Return saucepan to med-high heat and continue whisking. Cook until the sauce thickens.
Stir in 1 tbsp of salt.
Add in cheeses and stir until melted and smooth.
Add in pasta and toss to coat.
Place mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle with panko.
Bake until bubbling and brown on top, about 25-30 minutes
Enjoy

It reheats wonderfully and I have been enjoy the leftovers for lunch all week.