This is why I'm not a teacher...

First order of business...

I have finally gotten my new items in the shop! I'm loving the way they have turned out and am so excited to keep adding more!

Second - I was contacted by 20 best Twenty earlier this week and they wanted to feature/promote Nora & Jac for the month of May. {Pretty sweet birthday present, huh?!} It launched last night and I'm so grateful for the opportunity! So go check it!!!

Third - Today's topic is to educate y'all on something I know a lot about. And you know what, that's a hard thing to come up with. I've been trying to think of something since I saw this topic last week. I tend to know a little bit about a lot of things. I don't think there's anything that I'm really an expert in. So I thought to myself... what can you teach someone. {Meh, this is why I'm not a teacher...} I can sew. I can knit. I can style. I can do my hair... but I just do them. It's hard to explain how to do something that is almost second nature.

However, I did learn or teach myself how to cook. But instead of a long, detailed tutorial on how to cook - because let's face it - that's boring. And who wants that. I'll give you a little list of my tips and tricks...

1. Experiment. If something sounds interesting... try it. Last night I made an avocado/gouda pasta sauce. I had been wanting to try it for awhile, but hadn't. I finally bit the bullet, and it wasn't bad. But it wasn't amazing. I enjoyed it because it was healthy and full of things that are good for your body - and I enjoy knowing that. However, it probably won't go on my list of go-to meals. It wasn't that good.

2. Test everything. When I'm cooking, I'm always tasting. Not a lot... but a taste of the sauce, a little piece of the meat, a bite of the casserole before it bakes. {If it's a new a recipe} That way there are no surprises... you can adjust it accordingly while you're cooking instead of after the fact.

3. Don't restrict yourself to following the recipe. It's okay to color outside the lines sometimes. You never know, you may come up with the best recipe yet. Who knew throwing a little whiskey in with my ground beef when making lasagna would make it taste that much better... never know til you try. ;)

4. Indulge. I love eating healthy and cooking healthy. But sometimes homemade macaroni and cheese is just needed. And I shouldn't feel guilty about diving into a bowl of cheesy deliciousness. It's all about moderation, kids.

5. Have fun. Cooking should be something you enjoy - not a chore. It's a creative outlet, if you let it be. So go into that kitchen, pull out some ingredients and see what you can come up with!



I'm linking up with Jenni! {And patting myself on the back for completing Day 2! Baby steps.}
Happy Thursday, lovers!

Lemon Spinach Pasta Salad. {She cooks}

Pasta Salad. One of my favorite foods in the world... but I rarely make it anymore. However, for Easter dinner, Mom whipped up an orzo pasta salad and it was delicious! And orzo is delicious, why have I never had it before??? I can't wait to get a bag and make some. Sometimes my cooking nerdiness really needs to take a chill pill. ;)

Anyways, this orzo salad had awakened my pasta salad craving and I decided I'd make some of my own. I used to just mix a balsamic dressing with some Italian dressing. But, I didn't have either of those. Nor did I have an balsamic vinegar... so, I just threw something together and it turned out so good.

Lemon Spinach Pasta Salad.

What you need:
Box {or bag} of pasta of your choice
bag of frozen peas {I only used half}
1 cucumber
{any other veggies you may want}

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
large handful of spinach
1 tbsp honey
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 minced clove of garlic
salt
pepper
chili powder

The best part of this pasta salad was how easy it was to make... cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. Chop the cucumber into bite size pieces. I used a bag of steam fresh peas so I popped that into the microwave while the pasta was cooking, then poured them into a strainer when they were finished and ran cold water on them to chill them a bit. Rinse the pasta with cold water then combine the veggies and pasta in a bowl.

For the dressing, I put all the ingredients into a blender and let it go until the spinach was blended well with the liquids. Season it to your taste... then pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies - give it a good stir, season more if needed. Serve immediately for a room temp salad or pop in fridge. Mine made about 4-6 servings since I used gluten free pasta and it tends to have less pasta in the boxes than regular. {Why is that?}

This is perfect for an easy, healthy, veggie packed lunch.

What's your favorite pasta salad recipe???

Have a fab Thursday, kids!

Chicken Tortilla Soup {She cooks}

I have aquired this strange habit of pinteresting myself to sleep... some people read, some people count sheep, some people watch TV... me? I pinterest. 

Then I dream of these wonderful concoctions. And usually wake up with ideas of what I'm cooking for dinner. Inspiration strikes me funny sometimes. 

I've been wanting to make Tortilla Soup for awhile but the roommate doesn't like beans, and I tend to overload my soup with beans. {But seriously, who doesn't like beans?!} Then she had decided try to live a gluten free lifestyle {which I think is great - and inadvertently I have too} however, when I used to make this soup the base was a cheddar cheese soup base. Not gluten free friendly. 

Then... inspiration struck. And I decided to give this baby a go with a new recipe I had brewing in my head... it's healthy, bean free {reluctantly}, and gluten free! #winning <-- that's not still a thing, huh? 

What you need:

1/2 sweet onion, finely diced

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small can of diced green chilies

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

2-3 large chicken breasts {I used thighs and it turned out pretty yummy as well}

1 jar of any salsa of your choice

1 can rotel tomatoes

taco seasoning {store bought or homemade}

1 small container {6 oz.} plain greek yogurt

1 bag of frozen corn

Garnish:

Sour cream

Cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips

Or whatever your little heart desires

What you do:

The best part about this soup... it's a one pot wonder, and the longer it cooks on the stove the better. I started this soup as soon as I got home from work one evening and just let it simmer on the stove for probably over an hour until it was dinner time. Or... you can eat it right away. That's my favorite kind of meal. 

Anyways... you probably want to know how to make this, huh? 

In a large pot heat the olive oil on medium, add the diced onion, red pepper, can of chilies, and garlic and let saute for a few minutes. I probably let them go for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. While the veggies are sauteing - dice your chicken up in a bite size pieces. How much chicken you use it totally up to you! 

Pour the chicken broth into the pot and give it a good stir to loosen up anything stuck on the bottom. Add the chicken and up the heat a bit to medium-high. While this is cooking, get out your blender... pour the jar of salsa, can of tomatoes {and their liquid}, greek yogurt, and taco seasoning in the blender and let that puree until nice and smooth. This makes the base for the soup... and it's a darn good base if I do say so myself... pour that into the pot, dump the bag of frozen corn in there as well. Cover, turn the heat to low and let it go for about 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally. 

And that's it. Serve this bowl of healthy, yumminess up and you will have dinner and leftovers {at least for me} for a couple of days! 

**I would flavor check before you serve it to make sure it isn't too spicy. If it is... put a heaping spoonful of sour cream in the pot and stir.**

Serves 6 {ish}.

Happy Friday, buttercups!

Do you have anything exciting planned for the weekend? I gotta do some laundry and work... who wants to come do my laundry?!?!?! ;)

{She cooks comfort food} Four Cheese Mac.

Clearly I have a thing for comfort food. It may seem like that's all I cook... but rest assured, it's just all that's made it to the blog. But seriously, who doesn't love homemade mac & cheese? I think I've met one person in my entire life who doesn't absolutely love a bowl of this deliciousness. 

I think they need to seek therapy. Don't you?

Growing up it would always be such a treat when Mom would make the "real" mac & cheese. When she would bake it in the oven and cheese would get all gooey and crispy at the same time. {my mouth is watering and I'm not even hungry} It was one of my favorite meals then and is still one of my favorite foods. I wish I could eat it every day... 

However, since I shouldn't eat it everyday... I make sure when I do have it. That it's the good stuff. 

Four Cheese Mac. 

What you need:

Box of pasta - whichever shape you like. {I used gluten free pasta}

1 c. cheddar cheese 

1/2 c. mozzarella cheese

1/2 c. Gorgonzola cheese

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1 c. 2% milk

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour {I used gluten free all purpose flour}

salt, pepper, garlic - to your tastes

dash of paprika

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare the pasta according to directions of package. 

While the pasta is cooking start working on your cheese sauce. Begin by making a roux. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, once melted add the flour and whisk until combined and slightly browned {but not burnt}. Slowly whisk the milk into the roux, add seasoning at this time. Stir this frequently until it begins to thicken up - 5-10 minutes. Once it has thickened, remove from burner and whisk in the 2 cups {ish} of cheese. I always season again at this point. Once the cheese has completely melted into the sauce you are ready to combine the pasta and sauce. 

After the pasta has been drained, combine cheese sauce and pasta. You can either do this in the large pot you cooked the pasta in or you can do this in your greased casserole dish. Once combined, top it with a little handful of cheddar cheese and parm. Pop into the oven for about 25-30 minutes. 

Let rest for a couple minutes and then... ENJOY! 

**I have added all types of cheese to this when I make it... however, this is my favorite combination. Also, I think I've mentioned this plenty of times before - but, I really don't measure when I'm cooking so these are all approximations.** 

There you have it, loves... one of my favorite, favorite, favorite foods! 

So word on the street is that Google Reader will be on it's way out soon... here's my little Bloglovin' button if you'd like to follow me there...

Oh, and here's my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram if you please.

Happy Tuesday, dollfaces.

Healthy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo. {SPD Style}

Anyone else in love with Rachel Zoe? I'm so thrilled that her show is back on. I have been following her style career since I was in college. She's just one of those crazy, high strung women that I'd love to have coffee with and talk fashion. {A girl can dream...} I do like to channel my inner Zoe though sometimes and wear my sunglasses indoors. ;)

So... it's been such a weather tease around these parts... warm and beautiful on Sunday to cold and snowy today. And when it's cold and snowy, who doesn't want comfort food? I don't think there's anything better.

I got the idea to make chicken Alfredo and hopped on over to Pinterest to find a recipe. And then - I stumbled onto a healthy version and knew I had to give it a go. And I'm so, so glad I did. It was delicious!

Adapted from {here}
Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo

And this is my take...

I know, my food photography skills are seriously lacking... but... it's better than a picture off my phone, right?!

 What you need:

1 bag of frozen cauliflower

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 minced garlic clove

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. fresh grated Parmesan

1/4 c. skim milk

splash of heavy cream

salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasonings to taste

1 box of fettuccine or angel hair pasta {I used gluten free pasta}

2 large chicken breast, diced 

1 steam fresh bag of broccoli

What you do:

In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and garlic clove and saute until translucent and fragrant. Add the bag of frozen cauliflower and let soften a bit on medium heat. Pour the chicken broth into the pan and let it simmer on medium-low for about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Once the cauliflower has soften quite a bit - carefully ladle the mixture into your blender. Puree until very smooth and creamy. I went ahead and added half of my Parmesan cheese at this time and the splash of heavy cream - blend again until smooth. Once it's well blended pour it back into the saucepan... turn to low. Add the rest of the Parmesan cheese, and seasonings to your taste. Slowly stir in the milk and let simmer while your pasta and chicken cook. 

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat olive oil in a skillet to medium - add the diced chicken and generously season with salt, pepper, and garlic - cook about 4 minutes on each side. 

At this time I throw the steam fresh bag of broccoli in the microwave and let it do it's thing. Then let it cool for a minute and dice it all up into smaller pieces. Once the pasta is finished {and drained} pour the sauce over top of it and add the broccoli pieces. Mix well. 

Put a heaping spoonful on your plate, top with the diced chicken and a bit of fresh Parmesan and enjoy a guilt-free bowl of comfort food.

Serves 4.

I was very skeptical on how this sauce would turn out but was so pleased with the texture and taste. It was the perfect Alfredo fake-out!

Have you ever attempted to make an indulgent comfort food, healthy?? How'd it turn out?

I'm linking up with the lovely Katie and Steph for Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. Thursday.

Happy Thursday, lovers! 

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A few pretties on this cold, snowy day...

You know when you're too grumpy or pms-y to write anything nice, inspiring, or creative?

That's me today...

So I'll leave you with what I've been pinning lately... because that's my happy place... where I find inspiration to be creative.

Do you follow me on Pinterest? You should! {jacmaries}

{Source}
Isn't this color combo just amazing?

{Source}
I think next week I'll change it up from smoothies to these Strawberry Shortcake Muffins for breakfast!

{Source}

{Source}
Leopard and purple. I'm in love with this combination. Now I won't be trying it with winter  clothes... but spring?! Yes, please.

{Source}
I need this.

{Source}
I've become obsessed with quinoa lately. And this recipe sounds delish. It'll be on the menu next week!

So my post has made me a little happier just looking at the pretties... I'm linking up with Shanna for Random Wednesday.


Happy hump day, snowcats! {I don't know... I've got snow on the brain...}

This is what we woke up to this morning in Ohio. It can go away now. Words can't express how over the snow I am right now.

Random {Recipe} Rainy Wednesday

...if only Wednesday started with a R - we could have had some serious alliteration going on. Random Recipe Rainy Rednesday... hm, doesn't work so well, huh??

Speaking of random - every, single day I watch my cat go from the floor, to the coffee table, to the couch... as if the coffee table is the portal to the couch. Cats baffle me sometimes.

Please tell me that where ever you are it's not raining... we had one beautiful sunny day then BAM... rain. It's making me beyond sleepy. Kinda just want to crawl in bed and read for the rest of the evening. Anyone else? I think all Ohioan's are suffering from seasonal depression something fierce. We need warmth, sunshine, sand in our toes... what? Ohio has lakes...

Anyways, on with the recipe, Jackie...

Carnitas, Quinoa, Veggies --- Mexican One Pot Wonder.

When I was home a couple of weeks ago I happened to snag a few packages of freshly butchered pork. There's something about knowing exactly where that meat is coming from that makes it that much better. Thank you, Dad and Uncle Kelly!

Ingredients:
Pork Shoulder
1 large jar of salsa
1 onion - diced
1 yellow bell pepper - diced
1 orange bell pepper - diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
mexican spices or taco seasoning
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

This meal was so easy. I put the pork shoulder in the crockpot in the morning with the jar of salsa poured over top of it - threw a few dashes of chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper on it and let it cook all day long.

When I got home I began to pull the pork out of the crockpot and shred it - it had already fallen clean off the bone and began to shred itself. I discarded all but about 1/2 cup of the liquid in the crockpot.

In a large pot - drizzle your EVOO on the bottom and throw in the onion and peppers {you could omit this or add more veggies} let those saute for about 10 minutes on med-high heat. Once the onions are almost translucent put the pork and the 1/2 of cooking liquid into the pot. Stir it to get everything combined - you can add more seasoning at this point if you'd like. I let that cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Next pour the can of diced tomatoes {with the juices} into the pot, add the water, and the UNCOOKED quinoa. {The brand I had was already rinced and drained - but make sure you do that first if you need to}. Let simmer, uncovered on med-low for about 25 - 35 minutes or until the quinoa has uncurled and is cooked through.

I served this with a little bit of cheddar cheese on top and a few tortilla chips for dipping. But it's absolutely delicious just eating it without any extras {that's how I had it for lunch today!}.

And with only 463 calories per serving. It made for a healthy, super easy, and yummy dinner!

Recipe adapted from here.

Happy hump day, loves!

p.s. Don't forget to use code HAPPY for 25% off at Nora & Jac.

Linking up with Shanna for Random Wednesday!