Tag: pasta

Shades of Green: My Zara Dress and Pasta and Wine Pairings Made Simple 

mommyteacherfashionista68 Comments

I have to admit I would have never picked out this Zara “Cut Out Back” dress for myself. It was a gift from a fabulous fashionable friend that clearly knows me well. As soon as I put it on I knew I loved it and immediately wanted to… well…blog about it. It is available now in this khaki shade and black. http://m.zara.com/us/en/woman/knitwear/cut-out-back-dress-c0p4115050.html


 At first I thought I should keep it very simple with plain grey booties and not a lot of accessories because I didn’t want to ruin the look of it. After consulting with a very trusted and stylish dear friend I decided that it would be ok to add a little flair. 


I found this camouflage scarf years ago at Claire’s, back when my daughter, Angelina was just starting to be intrigued by the wonderful world of accessorizing. I remember trying it on with my daughter looking at it with excitement and I also recall buying a cap and handbag with the same funky print. William was asleep in the stroller, by the way, which made shopping quite easy for me and my girl.



The shoes are from Target and I’m sure many of you remember them from the endless number of Instagram/ Twitter/Facebook/ Blog posts I’ve featured them in. Yes, I have them in fuschia and leopard too. 


The bracelets are all from http://www.alexandani.com which is an amazing line that began right in my hometown of Cranston, RI. They not only make extraordinary jewelry but give back immensely to the community. 

The color of my much appreciated Zara dress reminded me of a rich olive oil. Because of this, I initially decided to share my favorite recipes that involved olive oil. When I began searching my memory,calling my mom, and going through my old fashioned card catalog of recipes I realized that a lot of the recipes I wanted to include involved pasta.


 This got me to thinking that since pasta is such a popular food staple for many I should share some of my favorites and also include the proper wine pairings. I included recipes as practical as possible but also flavorful and interesting and easy for weeknight entertaining. 

Tomato Based Pasta 


http://philosokitchen.com/ragu-barese-apulian-meat-sauce/


http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/strozzapreti-with-tomato-pancetta-sauce

Wine suggestions: 

Medium – Bodied Red Wines 


http://winefolly.com/review/medium-bodied-red-wines/

Cheese Pasta 


http://ilcorvopasta.com/2015/01/23/tonnarelli-with-cacio-e-pepe/


https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/cheesy-baked-tortellini/0a89db0c-a582-4739-bdd5-595f015f78c0

Wine Pairings:

Full-Bodied White and Light Bodied Reds


http://www.hellovino.com/wine/pairing/pasta/pastacheese

Seafood Pasta 


http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/linguine-ai-frutti-di-mare-238646


http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1940/20minute-seafood-pasta-

Wine Pairings:

Light Bodied and Medium Bodied White Wines


https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/news/pairings/what_wine_to_match_with_different_pasta_sauces/

Pesto (Herb) and Vegetable Pastas


https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/fresh-pasta-with-arugula-pesto-fingerling-potatoes-green-beans


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pasta-primavera-recipe

Wine Pairings 

Light Bodied White Wine 


http://uncorkingcharacter.weebly.com/light-bodied-dry-white-wine.html


Thank you so much for visiting my blog today. I hope you found it worthwhile and inspiring. 

I’m making some changes to my blog and excited to say I will soon relaunch and hope you will like what you see! 

Please feel free to leave a comment or question. I always reply in a timely manner. Also, if you have a blog or link you’d like to share I would be happy to check it out.

I always appreciate your time and attention. 

Yours truly,

Jennifer

Xoxo


Ps.

I can also be found on Instagram:

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Dinner And An Outfit -Monday Motivation 

mommyteacherfashionista20 Comments

There’s just something about Monday. It can be tough, even when you love your job, to go from an unstructured and hopefully relaxing weekend, back to the daily routine of work and life. 

Or , we can look at it like it’s a fabulous new day , new week, full of new possibilities. 

Or, we can just put on an outfit we love, plan a delicious , easy dinner for later, and hope for the best! 

This is a total and absolute look for less , with the entire ensemble , including shoes, bag, and jewelry, costing less than $98.00! 



I found this Cache dress at http://www.thredup.com ($21)last year and I’ve worn it so many times. During the winter I wore it with an ivory scarf, black blazer, tights and knee high boots. 

I’m glad the weather is finally warm enough to wear it with just a few accessories and sandals. My pearls are from http://www.target.com ($8/necklace, $5/bracelet)and the snake bracelet is from http://www.d.alexandercollections.com ($12.00).

The sandals are quite old, but my most comfortable for work. I like to wear them because they are so durable out on the playground. The brand is http://www.mydeliciousshoes.com but I found them at http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com for $14.99. 


This bag was a recent purchase , which I bought with Kohl’s Cash , and still available at http://www.kohls.com ($35).

I like to save money when I can, because although I kind of agree with SJP “Carrie”- 

We do need money for other things , such as dinner. Right ? 

So , that brings us to another way to make your Monday not so Mondayish. 

Plan an easy but delicious meal that you can look forward to making and eating all day long. 

I am Italian , as some of you might remember, and I grew up with a mom that believed in simple food , but high quality ingredients. 

This is a super simple meal to create and even suitable for company when you choose ingredients mindfully , depending on tastes of guests.

Pasta Al Forno


You will need :

1 pound rigatoni pasta

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large eggplant, cubed

10 large sundries tomatoes, chopped 

15 large infornate olives, pitted and chopped

2 dried chile peppers, crushed, optional 

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 jar (25 ounces) tomato puree 

Salt

12 ounces freshly grated mozzarella 

Smoked scamorza cheese, as much as desired, roughly chopped 

Freshly grated parmigiano cheese 

Easy steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cook rigatoni in salted boiling water.

2. Prepare the sauce by heating up olive oil, eggplant, sundried tomatoes, olives, chili peppers, and garlic for a few minutes.

3. Add the puree and salt and let cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.

4. Drain rigatoni, add pasta to saucepan, sprinkle with parmigiano and cook for another 30 seconds. 

5. Place half the rigatoni in a baking dish, adding half the scamorza and another sprinkle of parmigiano cheese over the pasta. Add another layer and finish with final layer of all the cheeses. 

6. Bake for 30 minutes.

You could also add a loaf of bread , salad , grapes, cheese, antipasto favorites and wine to make the meal complete, especially if you have company. 

There’s only one problem with Italian food: 
 

Wishing you all a beautiful Monday and happiness throughout your week ! 

Hope this inspires you to make the most of each day and have fun with your wardrobe and meal selections ! 

Thanks so much , as always , for your time and attention. It is greatly appreciated! 

Yours truly,

Jennifer

Xoxoxo