Quickie Friday: Another Stuffed Pork Loin

Another day, another stuffed pork loin.  This one came about because I had nothing in the fridge except spinach, the pork loin, and a couple of different kinds of cheese.

I pounded the pork loin out so that it was relatively thin, then spread it with a mixture of fat-free garlic cream cheese and ricotta, topped it with spinach, rolled it up, sprinkled some Italian seasoning on the whole thing, and baked it at 400 for about 40 minutes.  Not going to lie, it was a pretty good thrown-together meal.  I may have patted myself on the back when it was done (and by done I mean consumed with great speed and enthusiasm by both the F and myself).

Since I kind of (and only kind of!) broke the bank on the wedding shoes (which I know I've mentioned about a million times, but I love them so much I don't care) I'm looking into more cost-effective alternatives for my spring/summer shoe wardrobe.

via

I am LOVING the pop of color (POC!  Love me some Brad Goreski) on these bad boys, and the price is far from breaking the bank.  Perfect for summer!

Orzo with Tomatoes, Basil, and Gorgonzola

I apologize for my monstrous absence, peeps, but you'll be happy to know that I was indulging in both food and librarian things while I was gone, and have come back a better (and more excited!) blogger.

This recipe is another from the Food & Wine cookbook I received with my subscription.  It could not have been easier to make, nor more flavorful.  It was a party in my mouth.  A fiesta for my tastebuds.  A celebration for the tongue.  You get the idea.

And it even LOOKS wonderful.  I served it with a baked chicken breast (seasoned with some Italian seasoning and garlic, which is pretty standard) and it was a perfectly filling side dish.  I highly recommend it to one and all.

Now that I've purchased my wedding shoes (shhhhh, don't tell the F!) I can move on to (literally) bigger (but certainly not better) things:

Rachel Zoe via Saks

Sista makes some SERIOUSLY high heels.  Which is important when you are a teacup human, like RZ (and like many of my close friends), or tall-adjacent, like yours truly, but with the inclination to be gigantic (visions of Madame Maxine from Harry Potter come to mind, without the giant genealogy).  Anyone with me?  No?

Busy Busy Busy

This week, peeps, I am quite busy with work-related fabulousness (although none involving getting a pedicure whilst working . . . but maybe that can be arranged) but I will return next week with new posts, regularly.  

I promise!

*image via

Favorite Things Thursday: For the Love of the Fryer

I think I have made mention, on more than one occasion, of my love of my deep-fat fryer.  In fact I know I have (Exhibits A, B, C, and D, for your enjoyment).  And so I present to you another favorite thing, my deep fryer.

Or, more accurately, this DeLonghi D895UX Cool-Touch ROTO Electric 1-1/2-Pound-Capacity Food Fryer, which is the closest approximation to my deep fryer that I could find on the internet (size, shape, features, etc., are all very similar). 

While I certainly don't recommend deep-frying EVERY day, I do recommend it for impressing friends and family with your ability to make perfect knock-offs of their favorite bar treats.  Seriously, peeps, pick one up and make yourself some french fries.  You won't be disappointed.

Black Bean Stew with Sherry Creamed Corn

This is one of the most complicated and fancy-sounding recipes I have ever made, but was easily one of the most delicious (not to mention fast and nice to look at)!

I did add an extra cup of chicken stock to mine, I'm not going to lie, but I let it simmer down and thicken up for a longer amount of time than the recipe calls for (and for clarity's sake, I went with a low-fat turkey smoked turkey sausage, yum).

I also simmered my corn in the cream for a lot longer, and substituted white wine vinegar for sherry (because I didn't realize I was out until the last minute, and wasn't about to abandon cream on a stovetop to run to the store)!

Is it just me, or are my pictures getting a MILLION times better, peeps?!  Not to toot my own horn, or anything, but that looks as good in pictures as it did in person, and it tasted even better!  If you're ever intimidated by recipes in Food & Wine or Bon Appetit magazines, this would be a good place to show off your culinary skills . . . without too much skill!

Another illusion that I can totally get behind:

Christian Louboutin via Bergdorf Goodman

These "illusion" pumps are fabulous.  The F would probably argue that nobody should have to see that much of my mangy hooves, but I would counter that the neon yellow would make a tan leg look STUNNING, regardless of how misshapen the foot attached happens to be.  Whose side are you on, peeps?

The Saturday Sip: Champagne Sorbet Cocktail

Peeps who don't know me well, and even those who do, may not know just how much I LOOOOOOOOOOVE champagne. (In fact, the F's sister may be the only one who has actually witnessed my unquenchable love for the bubbly).  So when I stumbled across a recipe that combines champers with blood orange sorbet and frozen berries, I had to have it.

Excuse the filthy counters, I was so excited about my cocktail I didn't bother cleaning up after myself.  I can't remember where I saw this cocktail recipe, but I know it showed up the day of the Oscars and I purchased the requisite ingredients immediately.  And I'm not sorry.  Not even a little.  (Additionally, if the bubbly gives you headaches [in which case I feel VERY sorry for you] you can sub in some chardonnay.  Not nearly as tasty, but equally effective ifyaknowwhatimsayin.)

How much better would this cocktail look in my hand if I had this in my other hand:

Derek Lam via Saks

Granted, it wouldn't have gone well with the outfit I was wearing while sipping this cocktail (namely leggings, an oversized t-shirt, and my frog slippies) but a certain amount of pizzazz never hurt any outfit (or cocktail), no matter how mundane (or plain-old-hideous).

The Super(ball): Sans Balls

And we're back!  I apologize for the long hiatus, peeps, but sometimes a girl's just gotta step away for awhile.  If you recall, prior to my absence, I was going on and on and on about the Superbowl and all of the delicious balls I whipped up for the big event.

This dip relates to balls in no way, shape, or form, but was nonetheless a part of the major spread I created for the F and myself.  A little Hormel beanless chili combined with onions?  Why yes, I think I'll start there!

The chili mixture was layered atop a package of fat free cream cheese (spread to cover the bottom of the baking dish), then topped with jalapenos.

The whole thing was topped with shredded cheese, then baked at 325 degrees until hot and bubbly.  We enjoyed this dip with whole wheat tortilla chips and, of course, all of the balls!

In the spirit of wonderful dips and other wonderful things, I present to you these, which are on wonderful sale:

 Yves Saint Laurent via Barneys

If your feet are a size 10, that is.  Sadly, mine are not, so I present them in the hopes that one of my dear readers loves a good sale and a beautiful shoe as much as I do!!!