Fast, Delicious, Balance

Hello again, Friends!

My last three and a half months have been an absolute whirlwind! Contemporary Photography saw its busiest dance season to date. We have been working nonstop! Add in sick kids, two needy huskies, and a house to maintain, it’s been chaos. With all of that, fast cooking is a must.

Spring has sprung and with that I’ve really been craving bright and fresh dishes. This very fast recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight. It’s healthy and well balanced to boot.

what you do:

1. Cook the couscous as the box instructs (I love couscous in my soul), when its done stir in some pesto.

2. Cook your chicken however you prefer it. All I did was hammer it flat, heavily seasoned some flour, made sure the chicken was covered, and threw it in a skillet with some avocado oil and cooked until done.

3. In a separate bowl, add in beans, tomatoes, avocado, corn, and maybe some fresh basil.

4. Top with pesto, basil, and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

An important note here is that I mostly measured all of this with my heart. Also, feel free to add more chicken and more of everything if you’re feeding more people. This recipe is absolutely going into my rotation and honestly probably took me in the ballpark of 15 minutes or so.

As always, thank you for stopping by my teeny, little corner of the internet.

Have a fabulous day!

That Little Tart

Hello and Happy Valentine’s Day Eve Eve!

Normally, I’m not a sweets kind of girl but I figures with this holiday so quickly approaching, I’d make a rare dessert. I even had a bite or two. Today, I’m making a classic French Strawberry Tart (Tarte aux Fraises). But first, let’s start with the crust. This crust is perfect because it’s not too sweet, a little buttery, but is still sturdy enough for cream and strawberries.

what you do:

In a food processor, add in flour, sugar, and salt. Then add in butter in cubes. Pulse until you get a crumby texture and then add in your egg. Mix until your mixture becomes a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap for about 30 minutes or until you’re ready to use.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. After the 30 minutes, flour a work surface and roll out your dough. I used a 12 inch pie pan because for some reason I couldn’t find my tart pan. Either works. Grease it and lay out your dough in it. Before baking, add foil to the top and something to weigh it down. I used a small cake pan so that the dough would not rise. Bake for about 20 minutes or so, and remove foil. Let cool.

Over medium heat, warm up the milk and vanilla so that it slightly simmers. It’s so important not to let it get too hot or your filling will curdle. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sugar until lighter in color and fluffy. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch. When the milk is just simmering, pour it into the egg mixture, and whisk until incorporated. From heat and put it in a bowl to cool completely.

Then, add your filling, and half your strawberries. Place strawberries in a circular motion to make a pretty design. I used a drizzle of honey on top for a lovely glaze. Chill this for an hour before serving.

I hope this Valentine’s Day brings you lots of sweetness!

Work Fit Two

Hey, hey! It’s another Monday!

Last week we shot our second dance studio so that means it’s another round of my “Work Fit’s”.

1. “Black and White and…Green?”

I really loved this outfit. I’ve had this shirt hanging on my “to be worn” rack for quite some time. I always kind of thought it was a shirt until I put it on and realized it was more of a shirt dress. To make it work, I wore it with tight and bike shorts since as I’ve said, I need to be able to move when I’m shooting. It was a very comfortable outfit for sure. It came with a belt but I always say (most of the time but now all) to get rid of the belt things come with and use one of your own. A cinched waist was what this outfit needed. I also felt like a black shoe was too predictable to I opted for a fabulous green croc booted heel. Silver jewelry since the belt was silver (a belt I’ve probably had for about 20 years). Black pearls and of course my black hat!

2. “Karl and Leopard”

For this look, I just got these pants in and really wanted to wear them. Again, very comfortable. I paired it with a Karl Lagerfeld shirt and used the red to accessorize. Did it bother me that the red stilettos weren’t the exact shade I needed? All night. But we won’t go there. I love this shirt because it’s all things Paris and fabulous. A black blazer made this a more professional vibe.

3. “Favorite of the Week”

I always have a favorite outfit of the week when I shoot and this one was unexpected. I’ve had these pants for a really long time and never felt the call to wear them until this day. I really like the how the left side of these pants has an extra piece of fabric to add a little fun and movement to the look. A black satin top, and my favorite gold platforms were what really pulled this look together. Gold and black jewelry were the finishing touch.

4. “Feelin’ Fun”

To be very honest I put this outfit together in about five minutes. When I build an outfit no matter how fast I usually start with the pants because that’s what I like most. You may notice a trend of flowey easy to move in pants. I love when there is a shine to them as well. Green and purple are complimentary colors so I felt like this was an easy and quick way to look put together. Gold stilettos for a pop, and layered jewelry tied this vibe together.

Until next week, when I’ll share what I wore in my daily life from grocery shopping to Valentine’s Day adventures! My goal? Sunday to Sunday but we shall see what the week may bring.

Thank you so much for stopping by today and I hope your week brings you good fashion, and maybe a present or two!