What Me Eat Wednesday!

Butternut Squash Soup 

Last week I found an amazing recipe for Butternut Squash soup and I was so excited to make it. But then when I went to find the recipe I couldn't find it anywhere! So... I decided to make up my own recipe. I must say it turned out amazing and I just had to share it with you guys! 

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash (cut in cubes)

3 Large Carrots

1/2 cup Coconut Milk 

1 tablespoon Ginger

2 tablespoons  Garlic 

1 Large Onion 

Red Pepper Flakes (to taste) 

1 cup Vegetable Broth 

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

How I made It: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cleaned carrots and cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet and splash with olive oil.  Bake for 35 minutes. Dice carrots when cooled. 

2.  Place olive oil, onions, garlic, ginger in a large pot. Cook until onions are translucent. 

3.  Place butternut squash, carrots, red pepper flakes, vegetable broth,  and coconut milk in pot. Cook for 30 minutes. 

4. Transfer soup into a blender and blend until soup is smooth. 

The Best of 2012

Outfits

Here are a few of my favorite outfits from this year. 

Meals 

Top Left: Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili   Top Right: Lightened Up Power Protein Goddess Bowl 

Bottom Left:Red Quinoa and Black Bean Vegetable Salad  Bottom Right: Butternut Squash Casserole 

Top Left: Spicy Thai Noodles Top Right: Creamy Pumpkin Pasta 

Bottom Left: Swiss Chard and Sun-Dried Tomato Mac and Cheese  Bottom Right: Thai Fried Quinoa 

Books 

If you are in the mood to stay up all night reading here are a few books that will keep you interested! 

Insta-Sentiments

 I went a bit crazy at Barnes and Nobel 

 It's feeling amazing in the mornings here in Houston 

 #wiw

 Finally cupcakes in Cypress! 

I got this from a drive thru! 

Follow Me on Instagram @L0veeisha

Rushing Around

Have you ever felt like you are going one hundred miles an hours? Well I feel like this week has flown by. I have been working twelve hours a day trying to get things just right for my students. I decided to share this super random outfit and random lunch with you guys just to show you what I came up with in a hurry Thursday morning. 

What I Wore

Shirt- Forever 21

Jeans- Zara

Shoes- Steve Madden

Jewelry- H&M

I have no name for this dish. I guess it could be called a little of this and a little of that. 

Ingredients 

Quinoa 

Black Beans

Diced Tomatos

Onion

Corn

Spinach (finally chopped in food processer) 

Garlic

Season All 

Cilantro 

Red, Green and Yellow Bell Pepper 

Ginger Lime Dressing 

Balsamic Vinegar 

I was pleasantly surprised with the taste of this dish. It was perfect for lunch and easy to pack.  

Watch Me Eat Wednesday: My Favorite Meal

Cajun Chicken Alfredo 

I absolutely love this meal! It could be the fact that it has two of my favorite thing in it, sun-dried tomatos and wine. My mom got this recipe from my cousin randomly and now I am obsessed with it. 

Ingredients

*      4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*      1 cup blackening spice
*      2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
*      3 tablespoons minced garlic
*      1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
*      1/4 cup white wine
*      3 cups heavy cream
*      3/4 cup grated Parmesan
*      1 teaspoon sea salt
*      1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
*      1 pound cooked whole grain fettuccine
*      1/2 cup sliced scallions

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Dredge the chicken breasts in the blackening spice and place in a cast iron skillet over very high heat. Blacken both sides of the chicken and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Slice in strips on the bias and set aside.
In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and lightly caramelize. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken slices. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the heavy cream, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half.
When the cream sauce is to desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and pasta.
Nest the pasta on large rimmed plates, pour sauce over pasta, and garnish with scallions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Insta-Sentiments

Hey guys!!! I hope you are having a wonderful Friday...I know I am. This weeks insta-sentiments are a bit long because I have so much to share with you guys! I hope you enjoy your weekend.

 You can't always rely on your GPS...

 Pain Killer at Cheddars 

 Throwback Thursday baby pictures 

 Fierce Baby 

 China Glaze Yellow Polka Dot Bikini 

  

 Chipotle Veggie Bowl 

 Leftover Cold Stone Birthday Cake 

Yummy Whole Foods Cheesecake Brownies  

Rainbow Roll at Ra Sushi  

 Gearing up for football season thanks to Pink by Victoria Secrets 

I cut my hair!  

 Empire Club 

 Black Bean Burger at Smashburger 

 Old School Coca Cola 

Yummy homemade Guacamole 

Follow me on Instagram @L0veeisha 

Halfway Through My 20's

Last Thursday was my 25th birthday and I had a wonderful day. I spent the day with family and friends eating and laughing. I got amazing gifts like a Clarisonic Mia 2, an Ipod Classic, a University of Houston car decal, an amazing photo album, tons of cool Hello Kitty memorabilia, teacher goodies and tickets to see M83!! I am truly blessed and I look forward to an amazing year. 

 I went to lunch with my mom at a restaurant we heard about on a local television show. Sweet Paris was amazing! I ordered the Truffle Oil Caprese crepe and it was splendid! I can't wait to go back and try their sweet crepes. If you live in Houston you should stop by Sweet Paris in Rice Village. 

Thursday night I celebrated by going out to eat sushi at Crave Sushi in Midtown and then going to a drive-in movie. Yes I said drive-in!! For six dollars my friends and I got to see two movies. We talked through Ice Age and then watched The Amazing Spiderman.

Watch Me Eat Wednesday

I know I have been slacking on my food post but I have come bearing gifts!

Over the weekend I went to the Farmer' Market and got some fresh veggies and I had to stop at El Bolillo Bakery for some Tres Leche Cake.

Grilled Eggplant with Tomato and Feta 

recipe  

While I was at the Farmer's Market I picked up some eggplant and hit up Pinterest to find a recipe. I love finding recipes that are simple and easy like this one. The eggplant combined with tomato, feta and basil is amazing! If you enjoy eggplant I suggest this recipe. 

Roasted cauliflower, Manchurian-style

Recipe

So I believe that cauliflower is broccoli's big brother. As a kid and a teenager I hated cauliflower but since then I have grown to love cauliflower and I kind of cheat on broccoli with it. If you do not care for cauliflower then you will probably love this recipe because it is freaking amazing!   

Watch Me Eat Wednesday

First off I want to wish you guys a happy Forth of July!! So far I have celebrated America's birthday by sleeping, taking a long bath and cooking. I am really excited about this Watch Me Eat Wednesday because I loved everything I made. 

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies 

Recipe 

These cookies were super yummy however they were a bit too soft. When I make them again I will be sure to bake them for a bit longer. 

Grilled cabbage with Worcestershire dressing

Recipe 

I was a bit leery about this recipe because I wasn't sure it would be flavorful however it was AMAZING!!! Guys this is something I will make over and over again and I think its a must try.

Grilled Chicken Kebabs

Recipe 

First of all these babies were so juicy and flavorful; second they were so easy to grill and third I am in love with them! If you guys plan on grilling anytime soon you have to try these! 

Sarasota Lemonade 

Recipe 

Any drink that features Moscato is ok with me and throw in some fresh fruit and it's a party!