Meandering Mondays: Around Here

I know that I forgot to do my usual Sunday post, but I worked extremely long hours and, frankly, was too exhausted to do anything other than sleep by the time I got home. I am not sure what happened, but it seems like my life has gotten so much busier in the last week. It's a good thing. I'm glad that I am being productive! 


On my reading pile: "From Plate to Pixel" by Helene Dujardin. It's an incredible book about food photography and food styling. Very inspiring!

On my tv: Probably won't be watching much tv this week...

On the menu this week: 

Monday: Garlic parmesan crusted chicken with roasted asparagus and tomatoes with mozzerella.

Tuesday: Penne puttanesca (with chicken for Luis...)

Wednesday: Won't be able to cook today= evening shift.

Thursday: Red wine, mushroom, and tomato ragu pasta.

Friday: Evening shift again...

Saturday: Honey glazed baked chicken with toasted couscous with mango and zucchini.

On my to-do list: Grocery shopping, cleaning, meeting with a potential client about a job, work, selling textbooks online, and much more.

What I am creating: I won't be very crafty this week :( Just finishing up the project that I started for our anniversary photo shoot. 

Tips and Tricks: Make a lemon honey facial mask to improve your skin's quality. "Lemon’s citric acid closes pores and keeps skin’s PH levels in check, while honey’s nutrients add an antibacterial factor to zap zits and add moisturize to your skin. I've been putting honey on my face a lot recently and I love how soft it makes my skin.


Looking around my house: Luis just got home from work. We're doing our grocery list and talking about our busy week ahead.

From the camera: This is a sweet potato cream pasta with crispy kale this past week so here is a preview of it! I am going to write about it later this week.

Meandering Mondays: Around Here

Hello everyone. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do my Monday post at all today. I woke up to some very serious news that has taken up the majority of my day. Fortunately, it's on its way to being worked out and I can finish up this post!


On my reading pile: I finally got An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler. So excited to dive into it! Also reading A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on why we read Jane Austen.

On my tv: Part 2 of BBC's The Hollow Crown Henry IV, and Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations re-runs on Netflix.

On the menu this week: 

Monday: I won't be home to cook tonight. Going out with my best friends, Kelsey and Alyssa!

Tuesday: Spaghetti. Not sure how I'm going to do it up though.

Wednesday: Pasta Fagioli soup (with chicken for Luis).

Thursday: Luis specifically requested my garlic parmesan crusted chicken and potatoes again.

Friday: Probably pizzas...

Saturday: Sweet potato cream pasta with crispy kale.

On my to-do list: Cleaning the bedroom, dishes, more dealing with my college financial aid situation, working on my thesis information. 

What I am creating: I'm starting on a little project for our one year anniversary that's coming up August 14!

Tips and Tricks: The only advice I can give today is to save every penny you have/make. You never know when something unexpected is going to require your financial attention. SAVE! 

Looking around my house: Luis is napping on the floor, the AC is blasting, and Kiki is staring out the window, possibly imagining how to get out and capture the bird that is taunting her. 

From the camera: I bought this ice cream mostly because it had Jimmy Fallon's face on it. Also, the presence of salted caramel and potato chip chunks dipped in fudge....!

Meandering Monday: Around Here

I finally get to sit down and relax. I worked all last week, including the weekend, so since today and tomorrow are my days off, I get to catch up on things I would have done otherwise. I have lots of cleaning to do...

 Here's what's on the docket for this week!

On my reading pile: Still reading Pride and Prejudice. I downloaded a cookbook on iTunes, courtesy of Starbucks, so I'm perusing that today. It's called Tasting Table: Chef's Recipes.

On my tv: Office re-runs as always, Drop Dead Diva, and hopefully going to see The Dark Knight Rises sometime this week! I also want to watch the second installment of BBC's The Hollow Crown.

On the menu this week: 

Monday: Spaghetti with cheesy broiled tomatoes and basil

Tuesday: Caprese panini's (we really loved them...)

Wednesday: I work an evening shift so... leftovers.

Thursday: Twice baked potato casserole and chicken.

Friday: I work into the evening so we'll probably just have pizza.

Saturday: Slow cooker apple bacon-wrapped chicken with creamed corn.

On my to-do list: Cleaning our bedroom, do the dishes/empty dishwasher, wash, go to the gym, straighten my work table, and clean the bathroom floor... Lot's to do. I found this "cleaning calender" on Pinterest that I'm going to stick to. It helped make it not as overwhelming. 'Coz who likes cleaning??

What I am creating: I don't have any projects planned this week, just finishing an etsy job.

Tips and Tricks: I've been putting lemon juice on a cotton ball and using it as a morning toner/astringent. Apparently lemons are a skin brightener and they even out your skin tone. I have been doing it about a week and I've noticed some scar fading! Definitely going to keep it up.

Looking around my house: Dishes are piled high in the sink... confession.

From the camera: It's extremely hot outside, so my plan is to stay hydrated and cool. Thank God I have air conditioning in my apartment!

Meandering Mondays: Around Here

Would you think less of me if I told you that I slept in until 11 a.m. today? ... Well, I did. I had a very busy weekend, full of work and spending time with family. But you will hear more about that later in the week.

On my reading pile: Still reading Pride and Prejudice. I also got a new Marie Claire magazine that I'll be reading. Borrowed a book called French Essence, which is all about French countryside decorating, living, and eating.

On my tv: Probably won't be watching much shows this week. I have a pretty full work schedule, but we'll see what happens.

On the menu this week:  Again, I work evenings everyday this week, so I won't be cooking too much :( Today we're heading over to our friend's house and there might be food, but other than that... fast food, pizza, and who knows what else...

On my to-do list: Get some more thesis reading done. I did a TON of thrifting this weekend, which means that I need to go through and weed out unwanted items and clean up a bit. I live in a small apartment so if something comes in, something needs to go out.

What I am creating: Keeping up with my new plants and working on a couple Etsy jobs. I have two programs I need to make for customers. 

Tips and Tricks: Use grapeseed or canola oil when frying or cooking meats over high heat. They cook well without setting off your fire alarm!

Looking around my house: Luis just got home from work, kitty is running around, hyper because Luis is home and she's excited.

From the camera:  This is a project I finished last night. I went to this amazing antique shop with my mom-in-law and found these old crates. I saw on another blogger's home tour that she used a crate to store shoes in her living room and I really liked the idea. I couldn't believe that I found two!

I put out a little basket to throw our keys and other random object in it, and a mason jar for loose change.

Can you tell I love wedges? I have three pairs alone here...

Happy Monday everyone!