Summer {Bucket List}

1. Bonfire!

2. Make 2 new recipes from Pinterest!

3. Throw the most kick-butt bridal shower

4. Go to a concert!

5. Midnight movie premiere

6. Watch the sunrise

7. California State Fair

8. Lose 20 more pounds (I'm down 20 already!)

9. Have a picnic

10. Meet someone new!

Some of these came from my 101 things in 1,001 days challenge, and others are random, but I hope to be able to accomplish these all by September!

What's on your summer bucket list?

xoxo

Recipe: Basic French Toast

Basic French Toast Recipe
Ingredients:

5 or 6 thick slices bread

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

dash of salt

syrup

Directions:

1. Mix together eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt.

2. Lightly grease a skillet and put over medium heat.

3. Dunk each side of bread in the mixture, making sure to soak both sides. Place in the pan and cook on both sides. Serve warm with (maple) syrup.

Adapted from allrecipes.com.

Enjoy! Happy Saturday!

xoxo

Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf

Not the best picture, but it was delicious! New photo coming soon! (:

We had turkey meatloaf and green bean casserole for dinner the other night. It was like a mini-Thanksgiving in here! Delicious!

Ingredients: 

2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup dry bread crumbs

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 1/2 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 5x9" loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together beaten eggs, bread crumbs, milk, salt, pepper, and ground turkey. Feel free to add an extra dash of bread crumbs if the mix is too runny. 
3. Place in loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. While that is cooking, mix together 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 tbsp brown sugar. 
5. Remove meat loaf, remove white fat that has been baked out, cover in ketchup & brown sugar mix. 
6. Bake for another 5-10 minutes. 
7. Enjoy!

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

xoxo

Recipe: Hot, Skinny Spinach Dip

Pre-oven.

Mmmm... Spinach dip. It has always been a favorite of mine, but I usually only get to have it on the rare occasion that I go to a restaurant in a group. So to not only find a recipe for it, but to find one that is better for you, too?! I had to try it. And I must say, I love it. 

Let's begin:

What I used, this time

Recipe:

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 cup light sour cream

5 tbsp light mayonnaise (I used regular; that's all I had!)

1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

1/4 cup green onion, chopped *

1 clove garlic, crushed **

1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella

fresh pepper (for taste)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Put into an oven-safe dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cheese should be melted. 

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes:

Serves about 10. This recipe was adapted from Skinnytaste.

Also, I was so excited to try out this dip that I forgot to take a picture when it was all ready to eat! I will update as soon as I make another batch. It was delicious!

xoxo

Pinterest Recipe for Revolutionary Mac & Cheese!

Revolutionary Mac & Cheese

Yummy, yummy!

Mmmmm... Mac & Cheese. It's been a favorite of mine for years. While my favorite still comes in a blue box (it's horrible but true), every so often I like to switch it up and try a new recipe. 

That's where Pinterest comes in! I found this recipe for Mac & Cheese, tweaked it just a tad, and viola! A delicious dinner for me! 

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups milk

2 cups dried pasta (I used shells and it worked well!)

1 cup loosely packed cheese (cheddar preferred*), shredded**

1 tsp. salt

Directions: 

1. In a saucepan, add pasta and milk. Bring to a simmer, being careful not to bring to a boil!

2. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pasta is soft. Stir frequently, and again, make sure the milk does not boil! 

3. Turn off heat and add cheese and salt. Stir to combine. Let cool for a minute or two, then stir again. At this point, you may add a little more milk if not creamy enough. 

4. If you would like to bake your Mac & Cheese, you may do so at this point. Place in a baking dish and top with a generous portion of shredded cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about ten minutes, until the cheese has melted. 

5. Serve and enjoy!

(Serves 4)

Adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake

Notes:

*I say cheddar preferred, because it is the usual cheese used in Mac & Cheese, but next time I plan to try out a combination of cheeses!

**Could be pre-shredded or shredded by hand, whichever you prefer. I did not have a cheese grater on hand (moving out is such a pain!) and so I used store bought, and it worked fine!

Have fun making Mac & Cheese!

xoxo

Friday Five

ONE | Bastille

Seriously, this song ("Pompeii") has been stuck in my head for two weeks now. It's just so catchy!

TWO | Black Boots

Rampage Iceland Boot

I've been eyeing these boots for a while now; I really want them! The quilting and the gold accents really make this pair special.

THREE | Pinterest

Pinterest is always a fun distraction for me, and I now have a Pinterest under this blog name! Go check it out and procrastinate with me!

FOUR | The Mortal Instruments

Found on pinterest

I started reading City of Bones before seeing the movie, because that is the only way to see a movie based on a book! (I reviewed the book and movie already; read here.) Now I am obsessed with the books; I am currently about halfway through the third, called City of Glass, and it just completely draws me in. Such a great series. 

FIVE | Headbands

Etsy

Growing out my bangs is taking forever. Seriously. Finding ways to pin back my too-long-for-my-face but too-short-to-be-normal-hair fringe is frustrating. So, when in doubt: headbands! They are the best. Currently I'm using ones I bought in high school and a cheap-but-cute one from Target... but this nautical-chic one from Etsy is adorable! Must have!

xoxo,

Caryn Elizabeth