Red Wine Sangria... Woof.

Proceed with Caution.  Hangovers will, for sure, ensue.


My friends are hilarious.  Also very politically conscious.  We look forward to the State of the Union every year.  So this year, Whitney made a 5 course, progressive SOTU satire dinner.  It was amazing.  She truly outdoes herself every. time.  Emma was in charge of the drinking game and I was in charge of the drink.  We already had 2 bottles of red wine and a bottle of vodka so I researched and came up with this recipe.  It is served chilled but its dry AND fruity enough for the winter and to drink a lot of (which is what we were looking for)

So here it is!!



Ingredients:
1 1/2 750 ml bottles dry Red Wine (I used Cab Sav)
1 carton of Orange Juice
1/2 cup of Brandy
1 cup Triple Sec
1 small bottle of Vodka
1/4 cup of Sweetened Lime Juice
1 bottle of Club Soda or Ginger Ale
2 apples, cored and sliced
2 oranges, sliced
1 lime, sliced

Pour all together in a pitcher or punch bowl, except club soda/ginger ale, and let chill together in the fridge for one hour.

Pour the club soda/ginger ale in when ready to serve to give an extra kick!

(side bar:  if you're looking for a SOTU drinking game, try waterfalls during the applause.  From start until they finish. every time. thank you and goodnight)

Golden Globes

It. Has. Begun.
My favorite part of the year!!!!!!

Best Dressed:
Charlize Theron, Emma Stone and Reese Witherspoon!  LOVE LOVE LOVE!

 

Worst Dressed:

Sara Michelle Geller and the Glee girls are trying too hard, chose the wrong dresses and take themselves TOO seriously!  (or in SMG's case, not seriously enough)

2 weeks till the SAG awards!!!!!!

#signaturecocktail

Sacred Heart Diet... Have. My. Babies.

Hello my friends. 
These past 9 days of 2012 have been quite eventful.  I have spent most of them either working, watching way too many episodes of The West Wing and being hungry.  If you read my last blog you know I've been on a soup cleanse!  It really blows ass but boy does it work.  So if you've never been on the diet, or you haven't heard of it here is my review.
It's called the Sacred Heart Diet and you spend 7 days on the cleanse.  You make a batch of soup (it's horribly disgusting, so I made some adjustments) that lasts you about 3-4 days.  You can eat as much soup as you want and whatever is specific for that day.  Day 1 is all soup and fruit.  Day 2 is all soup and veggies.  Day 3 soup, veggies, and fruit.  Day 4 is soup, bananas, and skim milk.  Day 5 is beef, tomatoes, and soup.  Day 6 is beef, veggies and soup.  Day 7 is brown rice, veggies and the soup is optional.  I substituted the beef for Jennie O's frozen turkey meatballs in my soup day 5 and I had tilapia and veggies day 6 since I don't usually eat meat.  Also on the banana and milk day, I blended milk, a banana, 1 tsp of vanilla, and ice 3 times and it was great!
THE BEST NEWS?!  I lost 8 lbs in 7 days on this cleanse and will for sure fit into my bridesmaids dress (which was a size too small a week ago!!!!!) this Friday! 
The hardest part of this was certainly not drinking Diet Coke, alcohol, and not eating any cheese or carbs.  I do feel like now I really find ways to get energy and have fun without so much of them.  I find myself going towards the fruits and veggies instead of the pretzels and hummus or cheezits which I'm happy about.  But I cannot wait to have a meal with my girlfriends while we watch the globes on Sunday that involves cheese, chocolate wine :)
I leave you with my soup recipe in case you are wanting to try it.  I really can't recommend it more.  Not only did a lose some pounds, I really feel so much better and more energetic.

Ingredients:
3 lg carrot sticks, peeled and chopped
2 stocks of celery, chopped
1 whole bunch of green onions, chopped/cut in 1/2 inch ribbons
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 jar of smoked sweet red peppers, cut
1 whole bunch of green beans, ends cut and snapped
1 lg can of stewed tomatoes
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 cartons of vegetable broth
some salt, pepper, tony cacheres, worcestershire sauce, chulula sauce, etc.  Whatever seasoning works for you.

Directions:
I saute my chopped carrots, celery, green onions and green pepper in a wok with cooking spray, salt, pepper and worcestershire until they soften and retain some flavor.  Put them in a large soup pot or crock pot.
Add 1 carton of the broth to a small sauce pan and boil your green beans with that and pepper for about 45 min.
Add the other carton of broth, all veggies, the bouillon cube, and your seasonings to the pot/crockpot and turn on low (I put my crockpot on 10 hours cooking)
Add the entire sauce pan of green beans and broth to the crock pot after they are done and then wake up to soup!




Happy New Year and Happy Cleansing!
xxlesley

Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Tomato Sauce

My cousin Leah's wedding is next Friday!!! I am so excited to get back to Dallas and celebrate with her and her new husband-to-be Luke :)  BUT I have to be in a strapless dress that ALMOST fits.  haha
SO I'm on the Sacred Heart Diet aka Veggie Soup Cleanse.  It's pretty terrible and I'm only on day 3!  Anyways you have to eat the soup plus different things everyday.  Today it was Soup and all the cooked, raw, or canned veggies you want.  I HAD to have real food so I realized I had a spaghetti squash and decided to go with it!  This is the sauce I use for all spaghetti, lasagna, penne, etc.  It. Is. Amazing.  And so easy to make!
So here is my Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Tomato Sauce
(sorry I don't have many pictures!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 Large Spaghetti Squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
1 Large can of crushed tomatoes (I love the Contadina brand)
2 yellow onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1tsp sugar
2 tbsp of butter
Goat cheese
1 tbsp of garlic/rosemary seasoning

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees

Start with cutting your spaghetti squash in half.  It's a little hard so make sure you have a large VERY sharp knife.  Make sure you take out all the seeds and such.  Its a little gross, kind of like a pumpkin, so scrape it all out into the trash.

Rub the squash with your EVOO, a pinch of salt and pepper on each half.  Place them cut side down in a roasting pan and roast for 45 min and then flip them over and roast for another 10 min.

While the squash is cooking, chop your 2 onions and cloves of garlic and put them in a sauce pan.  Saute the onions and garlic in a little olive oil with salt and pepper.

After they have become fragrant, put in your spices (basil, oregano, red pepper and sugar) and the butter and saute for a few min longer. 

Pour in your tomatoes, stir together, bring to a slight boil, cover and turn down the heat to a low temperature.   Let it simmer for about 40 mins

After your squash is done cooking, use a fork and scrape the "spaghetti" into the sauce pan.  Stir all together.  You can use a little bit of water to thin your sauce if you think it needs it.  

Stir together the goat cheese an garlic/rosemary seasoning and spoon a little on top of the "spaghetti"  I promise its SO worth it!!

12 in 2012

As I look back on my post last year on 11 in 2011, I only accomplished 2 things.  I became an active person and went an entire year without shattering an iPhone screen (only because mine was already shattered and I just kept that phone).
SO! My theme for 2012 is reasonable, attainable goals.

1. Live on an actual budget.
2. Read a book a month.
3. BUY A NEW COUCH.
4. Go to the BEACH.  Never again will I not let my feet hit the sand and water with my friends.
5. Start playing the piano again.
6. Lose 20 lbs by my birthday, April 6, and maintain it all year.
7. Spend more time with friends that live elsewhere.
8. Actually watch ALL the movies nominated for Best Picture before the Oscars.
9. Go to a Bulls game.
10. Buy my DREAM Michael Kors watch.
11. Decorate my apartment EXACTLY like I've been picturing and keep it CLEAN!!
12. Cook 4 nights a week.

Favorites of 2011

As 2011 comes to a close, I really just cant believe it.  So much has happened to Michael and I this year!  It's very hard to believe this time last year we still lived in Shreveport!  2011 was a year of change for my friends and I and most of us are just ready for a new year.  But I thought I would make a list, before I get into my 12 for 2012 tomorrow, of my favorite things from this past year.

Favorite Event: 
Rhapsody 2011 was by far my favorite event, memory, trip, etc.  Seeing ALL of my friends together again, eating a Taco Mania, I mean... what is better?!

Best Family Moment:
My brother Austin graduated from high school and now goes to The University of Texas.  It makes me want to vomit how old he is.

Favorite Movie:
I saw a goodly amount of movies this year and BY FAR my fave has to be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.  I cannot believe it's over!!

Favorite Book: 
I'm probably behind but One Day was a great book.  Even though it made me want to kill myself it was the book that sparked my interest in reading again!!

Favorite Music:
It's hard to choose with Beyonce, Lady GaGa and Adele coming out with new albums and I overplayed all of them.  But Beyonce's 4 was by far the most overplayed in my household so I choose her :)

Favorite Resturant:
This year it HAS to go to Taco Diner.  For. Real.  Mambo Taxis for. the. win.

In between all of this I celebrated my first year of marriage, moved to Chicago, got a new job, roadtripped to Milwaukee twice and Shreveport, lived by a beach, my car got totaled by a firetruck, moved apartments twice, got a fabulous roommate and became obsessed with Friday Night Lights.  All in all, 2011 was a hard but good year.  BUT I'm so ready for 2012.  Bring. It.

good friends come once in a lifetime

This past weekend changed me. 

Michael, Emma, Whitney and I traveled to Shreveport for last past 5 days for a weekend of reunion with my friends and for the 70th anniversary of the Centenary College Choir and Rhapsody.  Michael, Emma and I hadn't been back there since January!  We had a tour of food itinerary and an abundance of friends waiting!!!  I expected to leave there missing my friends and family, but I really am surprised at how I feel back in Chicago.  

Our weekend was AMAZING!  Filled with mexican food, booze, concerts, late night happy hour, late night round-the-fire chats, celebrating Amelia's first birthday, telling stories we've already told thousands of times and laughing at them like it was the first time we heard them, and my very best friends.  Introducing Shreveport to Whitney was a lot of fun as well.  Love that city and never knew I would be homesick for sweet Shrevegas that I swore I hated.  We left with lots of memories and with probably an extra 5 lbs each. haha  AND we started wondering why this can't be our lives all. the. time.

I talked to my mom on the phone while we were there and she said "Lesley, I haven't heard you this happy in a very long time.  I hope you can find a way to be this happy for the years Michael is in school in Chicago."  Whitney looked at Emma while we were driving and just said "I generally had a great time.  You guys are so lucky you found each other."  After we got back Emma and I looked at each other and just couldn't believe that, what, we will NEVER have as much fun as we did this weekend since we will never live near each other again!?  I really don't enjoy that and seriously not a good time.

When I moved to Shreveport 4 years ago, I never knew I was gaining a family.  I never knew that I could have friends that feel like I couldn't live without them.  I genuinely am in love with my friends I met in Shreveport. 

If I learned anything from this past weekend is that we have all tried to live apart for, like, 3 years now.  No one has even come close to having friends that equal what we all have.  I know that it's a long shot, but we all should live near each other.  How?  Not sure.  But all I know is that I haven't had as much fun in probably a year like I did this past weekend.  Probably since the last time we were all together. 

So I guess in truth, my friends changed me.  This past weekend just changed my mind.