Month: February 2016

Chicken + Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

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Another day, another one-pan recipe. Well…not exactly. You really need a large pan/skillet and a large pot, but it all ends up in one pan by the time you’re finished cooking. First, let me say that I am not a big fan of canned Alfredo sauce. It’s too much like mayonnaise in taste, look and smell. And I don’t particularly care for it when it’s heated up the next day. Generally speaking, it’s just not my thing. So initially when I found this recipe, I figured I would just have to take an L on this recipe and make something that I don’t really like because I know my fiancé would eat it and at the very least, it’d be something different for my taste buds. I was very surprised to find that this particular recipe with the word “Alfredo” in the title did not actually use any type of canned Alfredo sauce. Instead the recipe calls for heavy cream, milk and flour. It tasted so good! Instead of looking, tasting and smelling like mayonnaise, it’s more subtle and so much better. You can honestly barely see the sauce once the chicken, pasta and broccoli are mixed in. It’s very light but you can certainly taste it. Anyone who feels like they don’t like Alfredo sauce should probably try this recipe. More than likely, if you don’t like Alfredo sauce, you’ve probably just been using/eating a sauce that was too heavy.

Click HERE to see the ingredients and instructions for this recipe.

The Worst Grammy Awards Show Ever!

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This years Grammy awards show was the WORST Grammy awards show I have ever seen. I’ve been watching the Grammys for as long as I can remember. It was and still is a very big event in my household. We watch the red carpet and the ceremony one night. And the next night we watch Fashion Police as a recap. When I was really young, I used to just watch the red carpet with my mom and then go to bed. After Monday’s show, I might just go back to doing that.

The show aired on a Monday.

The Grammys like most other award shows that air on ABC, NBC & CBS, always air on Sundays. But not this year. Continue reading →

Let’s Get In Formation!

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I’m going to see Beyoncé!

On Monday February 15th, I was sitting at home instead of at work because it snowed in my city. At 10:00am that morning, I was frantically refreshing the Ticketmaster app that I have on my phone. By the way, I don’t have a computer at my apartment yet. That’s why I was using the app instead of the website. I’ll have my Macbook Pro very soon though. Anyway, I was using the BeyHive presale code that I received in my email from Beyoncé’s official website last week. But my app kept saying that there were no tickets available. Now, I know that Beyoncé can sell out a stadium in 10-20 minutes BUT it was 10:01. There was no way all the tickets were gone in one minute. So I opened my Twitter app to see if anyone was in Ticketmaster’s mentions complaining about an issue. And of course… hundreds of people were saying that the BeyHive presale code was not working. A few minutes later, I saw that someone that I follow on Twitter was able to get tickets to another show that had gone on sale that same day. So I knew that there had to be a way for me to get my tickets. I checked Ticketmaster’s mentions again and I saw someone say that they had heard the new BeyHive presale code was… “Beyonce” (without the accent mark). So I tried that… AND IT WORKED.

When I wasn’t able to go to the On The Run tour with Beyoncé and Jay Z, I was crushed. And I vowed to myself (and my parents and my then-boyfriend/now-fiance) that I would never miss a Beyoncé tour again. So I started a Beyoncé emergency fund and I actually didn’t have to use it this time around but if I ever need to, I’ve got my coins ready.

Hey Beyoncé girl, see you on May 3rd!

PS. I got FLOOR SEATS! 🙂

From Neutrogena to Clarins

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A couple of months ago I decided that I wanted to change my skincare regimen. I was already on my last tube of Neutrogena so I knew that it was time to start looking for a replacement skincare line. I had been using Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Foaming Cleanser for about five or six years. Although it worked and kept my face clear of breakouts for the most part, I feel like my skin was so used to it that it really wasn’t doing that much for me anymore. I’ve tried a couple of Neutrogena toners but I didn’t like either of them. So now I have started using Clarins products.

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I received samples of their exfoliating cleanser, toning lotion and moisturizer from the spa that I go to every month. I tried using the samples first because Clarins is way more expensive than Neutrogena so I needed to make sure that I really liked it before I spent any money. I ended up loving the samples, so I bought a kit from Belk that included a gentle cleanser and toning lotion for normal to dry skin ($26.00; they have the same type of kit for people with normal to oily skin too). I had to buy the moisturizer separately ($49.50). The prices seem scary but you truly get what you pay for. Continue reading →

Spicy Cajun Pasta

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I tried a new one-pot recipe last week and the results were… pretty good. The recipe is called Spicy Cajun Pasta. It’s one of those recipes where you throw everything into a big stockpot and 30-45 minutes later, you’re done cooking. So it’s very easy to prep and it doesn’t leave you with a bunch of dishes to wash afterwards.

 
The food came out looking and tasting great, especially when topped with Parmesan cheese. I personally felt like there was too much meat in it though. Even my fiancé agreed and he damn near throws a fit when I make a dish that doesn’t include enough meat. This recipe includes chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp. Out of the three, the chicken is the most useless as you can barely taste it. So if I were to make this dish again, I would only include the sausage and shrimp.

Click HERE for the ingredients and instructions.

Dating A Gamer

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If you’re dating a guy who’s under thirty-five, there’s a good chance that he likes to play videogames. There’s also a good chance that if he does enjoy playing videogames, then he might play them more than you would like for him to. My fiancé is somewhat of a gamer. I don’t think he goes overboard with it (ex. he doesn’t dress up like the characters, he usually comes to bed at a decent hour, and he’s not going broke because he won’t stop buying games/consoles), but I do realize that some people may not know how to deal with a guy who has this hobby. Personally, I don’t mind videogames but that is probably due to the fact that my dad and I would play videogames when I was a child. I grew up seeing grown men enjoy videogames but also be functioning adults (ex. They went to work, they took care of their children, etc.). Now I’m about to marry someone who’s just like that.


However, I know that a lot of ladies my age find themselves feeling like they have to compete with videogames for attention from their man. I know because I’ve been there. I’ve fought this battle plenty of times throughout my four-year relationship and I can honestly say this: videogames are not the worst distraction for your man to have. Here’s why: Continue reading →