Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day, peeps!

To celebrate the holiday (and the blissfully long weekend) I've done a guest post over at JC's Loft!





Check it out!

Quickie Friday: Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Today, I bring you the quickiest Friday recipe ever:  cinnamon raisin bread.  For the bread machine.  Which means, of course, less than 5 minutes of preparation for (if you're me and can easily sit down and eat an entire loaf of bread in one sitting) 15 minutes of pure, bread and butter-induced bliss.

I added a little more cinnamon than the recipe called for, and I tossed the raisins in sugar before I added them to the dough.  Otherwise, this recipe (and this bread) is total perfection.

In honor of the long weekend, I present the ideal Memorial Day barbeque sandal:

via

Canvas stripes are going to be perfect for a backyard soiree or a day at the beach.  And for less than 14 bucks, I you can't really say no!

Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Chops

Happy Wednesday, peeps!  Today I bring you a quick and easy pork chop recipe that is sure to delight your taste buds (I don't really know that, for sure, but it did delight my taste buds so I'm making an educated guess).

I have no idea where I got this recipe (I have stacks and stacks of recipes laying around the Cookin' in Heels casa) but I believe it went something like this:  combine 2 tablespoons of brown sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (I used white pepper) and then add olive oil until you have a thick glaze, and coat pork loin chops on both sides.

Then grill!  See how easy, peeps?!  And do you see how the combination of sweet and savory will dance on your tongue like fairies dancing in the moonlight?  No?  Ok.

You may not get the fairies in relation to porkchops analogy, but how about fairies to shoes:

Manolo Blahnik via Barneys

Dancing in the moonlight?  No?  Kickin' your heels down a yellow brick road, maybe?  Still no?  I give up.

Chicken and Mushrooms

Being one of my favorite fungi (as if I have more than one), and being that the BF hates them, I try to sneak mushrooms into the weekday diet as much as possible.  They're healthy.  They have substance.  Supposedly they help prevent breast cancer.  Who am I to not eat mushrooms, I say!

Enter this recipe for Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce.  Easy!  Healthy!  FILLED with mushrooms!

And, of course, the final product had noodles, so I was even happier.  The BF didn't claim to love this dish, but he ate it.  Points for me.

I am embarrassed to admit (although not really) that ever since this:

via 

I've wanted these:

Alexander McQueen via Neiman Marcus

I may not be a princess (or a Duchess of Cambridge) but I think my feet deserve a little McQueen of their own.  Especially skull-accented McQueen.

Quickie Friday: Nach'overs

Since I loved the "stuffing" to my chicken and black bean burritos, I thought I would use my leftovers for some tasty nachos (wolfed down unceremoniously while I stood over the counter, rushing to get ready for work).

The combination of black beans and chicken made this totally filling, and it satisfied my constant craving for Mexican-ish food.  I love me some leftovers, peeps!

Things I also love (although I would never admit it in mixed company):  shoes from Charlotte Russe.

via

I would never shop at good ole CR for a pair of shoes for a relevant or important occasion (they are unGODLY uncomfortable and usually don't last more than a wear or two . . . at least not well) but for schlepping around the beach, drinking an umbrella-accented Miami Vice at a tiki bar, they're just about right!

Chicken and Black Bean Stuffed Burritos

I'm not gonna lie, sometimes finding recipes for the weekday diet is difficult.  A lot of the "light" recipes I find on the internet just don't appeal to me (probably because I would rather eat pasta or pizza or crab rangoon or any number of other things that aren't "good" for me). 

I have found, however, that a lot of times Mexican recipes can fit easily into the diet, and these burritos are no exception.

This recipe was super easy but I do confess to having a bit of difficulty with the grilling.

They fell apart a little bit.  I think that's because I used whole wheat tortillas instead of flour tortillas.  (Also, I substituted tequila for the lime juice.  Does that substitution make sense?  No.  Did it taste good?  So good.)

I had an email from Saks in my inbox this morning announcing the arrival of Prada's pre-fall collection.  A lot of the shoes didn't appeal to me, and then I saw these . . .

Prada via Saks

Since I'm doing my internship, this summer, in a library, flats are a must.  I could wear heels when doing the more office-oriented tasks, but when it comes to shelving books, flats are preferable.  And while these are expensive (for flats, I think) I could totally justify the splurge because I know I would wear them ALL the time.  Something to consider . . .

Quickie Friday: Spinach Salad

There are several things that I didn't think I'd ever hear the BF say.  One:  "I understand why you needed those $700.00 shoes."  Two:  "No, I don't want pizza bread for supper tonight."  And three:  "I could eat this salad everyday."  And here I find myself hearing that third statement regularly.  This is shocking, peeps.  SHOCKING.

But I certainly don't blame him.  I could also eat this salad EVERY day.  And it's so quick and easy:  well-washed baby spinach (the salmonella outbreak a few years back totally freaked me out), red onions, mushrooms, hardboiled egg whites, and bacon (no store bought, imitation bits for this girl.  I fry it up myself every time I make this salad).  I top the salad with Italian dressing and it is wonderful.  WONDERFUL.

Also wonderful, the price on these sandals:

via Target

While I was just technically on vacation in The Vegas, I think I need these for a future vacation.  One which doesn't involve 11 am cocktails and wasting my money on penny slots and deuces wild computer poker.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Happy marriage to my fabulous sister and new brother-in-law!

Bruschetta Chicken

Happy Monday, peeps!  I am back from The Vegas and starting a new internship today (at a federal courthouse library) so things are busy, but no so busy that I wouldn't grace you all with my presence and this fabulous bruschetta chicken (for which I have a misplaced the recipe, when I find it I'll update the post!)!

I diced two tomatoes (seeds removed) with oregano, Italian seasoning, basil, salt and pepper, and olive oil, and let it sit while I prepared the chicken.

The chicken (I used thinly sliced chicken breasts) was lightly breaded in a mixture of bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese, then grilled in a grill pan coated with olive oil cooking spray.

I topped the chicken with the tomato mixture, and served it all with a side of whole wheat, italian-seasoned couscous.  It was delicious and very filling, but still light.  Bruschetta is one of my favorite appetizers, so this was a great way to incorporate one of my favorite things into the weekday diet.

How stinkin' cute are these:

Manolo Blahnik via Bergdorf Goodman

I am normally not a polka dot kind of girl, but I like the stark black and white combined with the criss-cross straps.

Quickie Friday: Turkey Sandwich

In an effort to mix things up here at Cookin' in Heels, as well as maintain regular posts, I introduce to you, peeps:

QUICKIE FRIDAY!

Sounds kinda dirty, right?  It's not, I swear.  These posts (occurring on Fridays, obvs) will be a glimpse into dishes that take very little prep and are, really and truly, quickie dishes that I like to keep on hand.

I realize that some of you might not want to see pictures of sandwiches here on the blog.  But some of you do.  And I live to please (those of you who do).

I realize a sandwich may seem too easy, but I think it's too easy to throw some turkey and cheese on bread and call it a sandwich.  That's boring, peeps.  This turkey sandwich, on toasted 15-grain bread, was layered with pepperjack cheese, red onions, turkey (obviously), tomato, and avocado mashed together with a little garlic salt.  Served with a garlic pickle spear, it was an extremely filling, very satisfying lunch.  And quick(ie)!

In the spirit of quickie Friday, I am also bringing "quickie" shoes, the likes of which can be found at any great knockoff emporium in your area.

via Forever 21

I love the lug sole on these, combined with the strappy tops.  And at $26.80, how can you go wrong?

I'll be back from The Vegas on Sunday and, if you're lucky, might include some posts related to my adventure!  See ya next week, peeps!

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Peppers

In an effort to maintain our weekday diet, I sought out a bunch of low-cal recipes that would be new and different, so as to keep palate boredom at bay for the BF and I.  This recipe, coming in at 282 calories per serving, totally fit the bill.

Served over white rice, this was filling and tasty.  The mix of spices made the chicken very flavorful and it was different than anything else I'd ever made.  Definitely a keeper.

I swear that, after I return from The Vegas, I will get over my fixation with sort of crazy shoes.  These are perfect because they'd be great for The Vegas, but they'd also fit well into my day-to-day wardrobe.

Giuseppe Zanotti via Saks

I love the combination of animal prints with the sturdy heel.  They're very me, Vegas or not.

Gettin' Corny

Last Friday, this recipe for sour cream cornbread wtih aleppo appeared on my favorite cooking blog, smitten kitchen.  When I saw the title, I admit that I had no idea what aleppo was, but I did know that I loved Marcus Samuelsson on Top Chef Masters and that I would try this recipe anyway . . . without the aleppo.

I substituted (a heaping) 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for the aleppo (which I'm confident I couldn't have found anywhere near my apartment), as suggested in the notes before the recipe.

My oven bakes terribly unevenly (I can't WAIT to own a place where I can have decent appliances) so this didn't turn out as well as I would've liked (meaning that it cooked perfectly on the ends and, despite 10 extra minutes in the oven, only browned on one side and remained doughy in the middle).

The outer edges, that were baked through, were delicious in spite of my oven's inadequacies.  The BF informed me that this didn't have as much flavor as the boxed cornbread that I've made in the past, but I think he was wrong.  This tasted better.  It had a kick, but wasn't too spicy, and it was tender and delicious.  I think it would've been better with honey butter, but I'll try that next time, when I have an oven to bake a decent loaf!

With my trip to The Vegas a mere 3 and 1/2 days away (Thursday!  WOO!), I have over-the-top shoes on my mind.

Givenchy via Barneys

These fit the bill for me.  Crazy leopard print, amazing cut-outs, and a high (but not too high) heel for roaming the strip.  Perfect!

We're Baaaaaaaack!

Hey Peeps!  It's May 1 and that can only mean one thing two things:

1)  Spring has gone WAAAAAAAAAAAY too fast (and for those of you who didn't get a spring, i.e. my family in North Dakota who had to deal with a blizzard yesterday, I apologize, since your winter seems to be going on into eternity)

and

2)  It's time to get back to regular posting!

Arnie has suggested some great changes to the blog, so we'll be incorporating a few of those, going forward.  Onward, peeps!