Parmesan Spinach

There are a couple restaurants in town that serve parmesan spinach as a side.  I've been going to these restaurants for a few years now, but never tried the parmesan spinach sides, because I thought I didn't like cooked spinach.  Well, I was wrong!

I'm now obsessed with parmesan spinach!

-Heat a tablespoon of canola oil in a pan.

-Put in a tablespoon of jarred minced garlic.

-Put in a bunch of fresh, raw spinach (I pulled off the stems).

-Saute.

-Spoon the cooked spinach in a bowl and toss with shredded parmesan (not that dry stuff you put on pizza).

-EAT!

Spinach shrinks down quite a bit when cooked, so if you want a lot of cooked spinach to serve, buy several bunches of raw spinach.

Boneless Buffalo Wings (GLUTEN FREE--YAY!)

If you're not gluten free, you're still going to want to try this out!

For those of us that can't have gluten, missing out on breaded chicken can be frustrating.  And breading your own chicken at home can sometimes be a let down, because the flour doesn't always stick to the chicken.  So don't use gluten free flour.  Use cornstarch!

-Cut up 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite size pieces

-Batter them with cornstarch (it sticks evenly to the chicken without needing to bathe it in butter or eggs)

-Drop the battered chicken into a skillet of hot oil

-Cook till golden brown

-Sit the cooked chicken on a paper towel to drain any oil

-Toss with buffalo sauce (I just bought some at the store!)

I served it with baked broccoli to even out the fried chicken ;)

I'm loving this recipe!

Lentils, Lentils Are Good for Your Heart...

I love beans.  Which I was embarrassed to admit growing up, because apparently kids aren't supposed to like beans.  And if you're a kid and you eat beans in front of other kids, you will likely hear "beans, beans are good for your heart...".  You know how it ends.

One bean I somehow had never tried was lentils.  I had them for the first time this week.

I'm not sure how I hadn't had these before.  They're cheap, easy to fix, and taste good.

If you're looking for a good lentil recipe, try this one from Real Simple.

I had to make a few substitutions to fit what I had in the fridge and pantry:

curry paste instead of curry powder

no bay leaf

vegetable stock instead of broth

spinach instead of arugula/watercress

pre-cooked smoked sausage

This makes a large portion.  I'm going to see if it freezes well (I'm all about freezing leftovers for an easy meal later!).

What's even better than the amount that it makes for such a cheap price is that it tastes really good, and it's hearty!  It's Colin approved.

Why eat lentils?  They're apparently amazingly good for you!

Don't take my word for it!  Check out these sites:

9 Reasons to Love Lentils
Livestrong
Livestrong Again- They really love lentils!

New York Fashion Week 2012

I wonder what it would be like to be at New York Fashion Week....

Thanks to the interweb, I can get a sneak peek.

Nylon has some videos that let you see runway collections and interviews.

I'm still checking out all the collections and trying to decide which designers had the best looks.

What do you think?

Websites to Check Out

Here are a few sites you need to check out!

Cute Overload

This website is too much cuteness-- in a good way!  I was going to link to my favorite posts, but I gave up after I realized I "awwwed" at every post!  This site is great when you need some brightening up.

Pinterest

I know, I know, you know what Pinterest is!  I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest.  I think that it can be a huge time waster and it can lead to copying what you see rather than being unique and original.  But I think it can also be a great resource.  I've used it most for recipes.  I can find a recipe in a snap and read what other people think about it.  If you're not on Pinterest yet, and you're trying decided whether or not to join, I say go for it.  Just don't lose your own creativity or let yourself be overwhelmed by it all.

coreylauren.com

I was in college with Corey, and she's now started a styling blog.  I designed her blog and business cards.  Her blog is new, so go give her some love!

EDIT:

I can't believe I forgot this site...I had to come back and add it!

Food On My Dog

Each day (sometimes multiple times a day) this adorable dog patiently sits while food is put on her head.  She should be featured on cuteoverload!  I also love that she looks like my dog Ruby :).

What websites are you loving right now?