Weekend Wardrobe: 2021 Outfit of the Week #5

Though off topic for this post, January 31st is National Hot Chocolate Day, so of course I had to make myself a nice big mug full of hot chocolate!  My version is made from a praline-flavored white hot chocolate mix, and is topped with decadent chocolate-flavored marshmallows stuffed with more chocolate, called Stuffed Puffs.  If you have not tried chocolate-stuffed marshmallows yet, I highly recommend them, especially in hot chocolate (according to one reviewer, they are also fantastic in coffee).  Our local Walmart carries the vanilla-flavored Stuffed Puffs marshmallows, but no longer has the double chocolate ones.  The latter can be found here or on Amazon, although they are a bit pricey and come in units of two or more bags only.

Back to the topic of the day, I made one quick trip into town last week, mostly to mail some letters and pick up some items for my horse, and I decided that I was going to wear my new Coldwater Creek sweater (which is sadly already sold out!).  I paired it with Coldwater Creek denim leggings I bought a couple of years ago, and added a pink stone turtle pendant necklace which complemented the lighter pink hue in the sweater.  It was a comfortable outfit with just enough color to make me happy - I just wish I had a more colorful coat!  Here is the complete outfit:

Clockwise from top left: Coldwater Creek Spirit Striped Intarsia Pullover Sweater in Fawn Multi (no longer available - I did not wear it with a denim shirt); Pink Coral Turtle Pendant Necklace (similar to mine); Craghoppers Women's Venta Lite Hooded Insulated Jacket in Black (similar to mine); Great American Leatherworks Braid Flap Crossbody Bag in Dark Tan (color no longer available); EMEM Apparel Women's Dress Socks in Navy (similar to mine); Dockers Vargas Boat Shoes in Rust; Coldwater Creek Knit Denim Mid Rise Leggings in Dark Wash (similar to my older version); Anvil Ladies' Featherweight Long-Sleeve Scoop-Neck T-Shirt in Coral (color slightly modified to more closely resemble my similar tee).

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It's hard to believe that January ends today - February is a busy birthday month for my family, and I need to remember to get those birthday cards in the mail on time.  I also have to get both birthday and Valentine's Day gifts ordered and sent to my husband, so I had better get to work.  Have a great week, and a great February as well!

Foodie Fridays: Chickpeas and Dumplings

When it comes to comfort foods, chicken and dumplings is right there at the top of the list.  But when I saw the recipe for Chickpeas and Dumplings on the How Sweet Eats website, I had a feeling I had found a dish I might just enjoy even more.  It turns out I was not mistaken - this recipe is fantastic!  I made a few minor changes, replacing butter with canola oil and using vegetable instead of chicken stock.  I also left out the fresh herbs (which I did not have) and used dried fines herbes instead.  Any herb blend such as Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence would probably work, but fines herbes is my favorite dried herb blend (it can be hard to find but if you want to try it you can find one brand on Amazon here).  I even managed to stretch out the dumpling batter to make 13 dumplings instead of 12 so that I could split the extra one to give to my dogs, because comfort food is meant for sharing.  They loved it, of course, just as much as I loved this recipe!

Chickpeas and Dumplings

Herbed Dumplings:
1 C. flour (I used white whole wheat)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 C. buttermilk

3 T. vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 T. fines herbes
salt and pepper to taste (I used 1 tsp. salt and just a dash of pepper)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. flour
3-4 C. chicken or vegetable stock
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or use 2 C. diced cooked chicken)
1/4 C. heavy cream

Make the dumpling batter: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poultry seasoning in a medium-sized bowl.  Combine the milk and egg, then stir into the flour mixture until just combined.  Set aside..

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Stir in the onion, carrots, celery, and fines herbes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook one minute longer.

Stir the 3 T. flour into the pot, coating the vegetables to create a roux.  Cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes, making sure it does not burn (add a bit of stock if it gets too dry).  Slowly stream in 3 C. stock, stirring constantly.  Cook for another 5 minutes, letting the mixture come to a low boil (it should thicken a bit).  Stir in the chickpeas and cream.  The mixture should be lightly bubbling over medium heat.  Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Drop about 12 spoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the soup.  Cook for 7 minutes, then flip the dumplings and cook them for 7 minutes more.  Add a little more stock if the stew seems too thick.  If the mixture comes to a full boil, decrease the heat while simmering the dumplings.  Spoon the stew into four bowls and top each serving with three dumplings.  Serves 4.

This 'n That Thursdays: Another Cottagecore/ Hygge-Style YouTube Vlog

 

I just discovered another lifestyle vlog on YouTube from Darling Desi that features a cottagecore/hygge theme, and I enjoyed it so much I thought I would share a couple of the videos here.  I normally prefer silent vlogs, but this vlogger has so many great ideas that I don't mind listening to what she has to say.  The video above is a perfect example, with so many tips for adding cozy touches to your home in the winter.  Books are a big focus in most of the vlogs, as this young woman loves to read, and she has many suggestions for seasonal reading, some of which are new to me - I am already putting together a list of some of her recommended books that I need to find and read!  Her most recent video (below) features recipes inspired by scenes in three of her favorite books.  All three recipes look so delicious, and the tablescape she puts together to present the finished dishes is just lovely.  I am now working my way backwards through all of her videos, and looking forward to all future installments!

Wish List Wednesdays: Chico's Cashmere-Blend Embroidered Cheetah Sweater

If you are looking for a soft, cozy, stylish, and unique sweater, then I can highly recommend the Cashmere-Blend Embroidered Cheetah Sweater (on sale for just $34.99!) from Chico's.  The knit is a blend of nylon, viscose, wool, and cashmere, and feels so soft and luxurious!  The slightly relaxed fit means that you can layer a thin long-sleeved shirt underneath for extra warmth if necessary.  And the embroidered cheetahs are quite detailed and a lovely special touch to a sweater that is neutral enough to work with almost any other color.  This top can be dressed up or down - I plan to wear mine for my next shopping trip into town.  You might want to check out some of the other Chico's sale items as well - there are some great bargains to be had!

Weekend Wardrobe: 2021 Outfit of the Week #4

The rather neutral-colored outfit I wore for my essentials shopping trip into town last week featured a necklace that I have been wanting to wear for a while but for some reason never got around to until now.  It is one of my favorites, and features green turquoise beads with a couple of silver ones plus a cute little pony pendant.  This necklace was yet another gift from my husband - I think I am very lucky my husband has such good taste in jewelry!  Here is the outfit:

Clockwise from top left: Kim Rogers Women's Cable Knit V-Neck Sweater in Heather Grey (color modified slightly to resemble my similar sweater); Green Turquoise Horse Pendant Necklace (similar to mine); Craghoppers Women's Venta Lite Hooded Insulated Jacket in Black (similar to mine); Great American Leatherworks Braid Flap Crossbody Bag in Dark Tan (color no longer available); Bombas Women's Solids Calf Socks in Black; Dockers Vargas Boat Shoes in Rust; Land's End Women's High Rise Compression Straight Leg Colorful Jeans in Dark Olive Green (similar to mine); Ultrasofts Mock Turtleneck in Black (similar to mine).

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We are supposed to get some rain and/or snow today, and we could certainly use it as we have been in a drought for quite a while now.  The past couple of days have been unusually warm but it will be turning cold by the middle of the week.  This has been a much milder and drier winter than last year - I don't mind the milder temperatures, but I do hope we get more precipitation soon!  Enjoy your week no matter what the weather!

Foodie Fridays: Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp and Spinach with Pasta

 

January continues to be my Clean Out the Fridge and Pantry Month.  This week I pulled out a bag of frozen shrimp that had been in the freezer way too long, as well as a bag of frozen spinach.  Two lemons languishing in the fridge were also added to my ingredients list, as well as a container of shredded Parmesan that was threatening to turn moldy.  All I had to add was a package of pasta from the pantry plus some garlic and butter and I had the makings for my version of a shrimp scampi-style recipe.  It turned out surprisingly well considering that half of the ingredients were pretty close to their expiration dates.  It is such an easy recipe that I don't know why I don't make this dish more often.  I will be sure to remedy that mistake in the future!

Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp and Spinach with Pasta

8 oz. linguine (or other long pasta)
1 bag (12 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
1/2 C. butter, divided (I use this product instead)
4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 T.)
1 1/2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined (no tails)
juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Add the spinach for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking.  Drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, melt 4 T. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the shrimp and sauté 2 minutes on one side, stirring occasionally.  Flip and cook 2 minutes on the other side until JUST beginning to turn pink.

Add the remaining butter plus the lemon juice and salt.  Cook, stirring, until the butter melts and the shrimp have cooked through (do not over-cook them).  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the drained pasta and spinach until well combined.  Stir in the lemon zest and serve immediately, topped with the shredded Parmesan.  Serves 4.

This 'n That Thursdays: The Year 2021 in Favorite Dalmatian Pictures

From QWM

Last year I had fun creating my own special image calendar for the year 2020.  I thought I would do it again this year (before the month of January is over!) using pictures of my very favorite dog breed, the Dalmatian, to represent each month. Without further ado, here are my selections for the year 2021:

January

From HipWallpaper

February

From HipWallpaper

March

From Pinterest

April

From WallpaperAccess

May

From 1ZOOM

June

From Sobakino

July

From Fanpop

August

From WeHeartIt

September

From TheWallpapers

October

From OPicture

November

From Dream-Wallpaper

December

From 1ZOOM

Here's hoping that 2021 is a much better year than its predecessor!