crockpot for one recipe & OOTD

tonight's dinner was one i kind of dreamt up in my head and wasn't sure if it was going to turn out or not! luckily, it was ah-mazing! i ate every bit! it can easily be doubled or made for more than one person! it is a great way to use up leftover cornbread muffins as well!

crockpot roasted & stuffed poblano pepper for one

1 poblano pepper, sliced in half lengthwise, stem and seeds removed

1 cornbread muffin

1/3 cup black beans

1/4 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1/3 cup salsa, plus more for topping

cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, lime juice, to taste

shredded mexican cheese, for topping

1. spray interior of crockpot with non-stick spray. lay pepper halves (interior of pepper side up) in bottom of crockpot. 
2. in a small mixing bowl, combine together all other ingredients except cheese. stir until cornbread muffin has crumbled and everything is mixed well. 
3. stuff pepper halves with mixture. 
4. drizzle more salsa (i added a bit of water to mine for this part to help keep everything moist) over stuffed peppers. sprinkle with cheese.
5. cook on low for 6-8 hours. serve over bed of greens. 

today's outfit contained two of my favorites: jewels and gingham (and LEONA and j. crew for that matter)! i have been dying to wear these fabulous shorts since i got them! 

j. crew collection jeweled top, LEONA robyn shorts, j. crew mid heel sandals

xoxo,

clp

gnocchi recipe & OOTD

day two: done! today was just as busy at LEONA preparing for the Go Gray in May event this saturday (which i hope to see some of your beautiful faces at)! but it was a good day none the less! the weather had me wondering what to wear since it decided to cool off quite some bit! i chose this outfit since it was easy to work in and easy to run around town in if i had to do errands! (picture is awful i know - need to work on that!)

liberty of london for j.crew button down, j. crew stripe sweater, j. crew ankle toothpick jeans, j. crew ballet flat 

also, check me out in today's featured piece at the LEONA nashville store on Facebook! this top is adorable and can be worn in so many ways and i am definitely going to have to purchase a pair of the hoop earring for myself!

nashville exclusive lilly top in sheer stripe, michel short, bar cuff

for supper tonight i fixed something in the crockpot, turned it on and went to work and it was ready when i got home! i wasn't sure if the gnocchi would cook correctly in the crockpot but it worked perfectly! this recipe isn't a soup but i wouldn't call it pasta either... it is more of a conglomerate but i don't like calling it that! still it is a healthy and filling meal that is easy to fix! i had some grapes with mine but a small salad would be also great with it or some baked bread!  

gnocchi and chicken sausage crockpot dish

1 package frozen gnocchi

3 links italian chicken sausage, sliced

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped onion

1 can (or as many as desired) quartered artichokes, drained 

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup frozen kale or spinach

black pepper, garlic powder and italian seasonings, to taste

1. spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. throw everything in crockpot and stir. adjust seasonings if needed.
3. turn on low for 6-8 hours. 
4. serve topped with cheese of choice.

once again, i am quite tired from work! i think tonight will be spent catching up on shows i missed last night and maybe another early bedtime with no alarm set for the morning!

xoxo,

clp

senior status & a recipe

officially a senior in college! yesterday i bubbled in my last scantron of the semester and motored on home for summer! yesterday was like a marathon but i came out on top and all unpacked! for cinco de mayo we fixed upside-down salsa cornbread, homemade refried beans and homemade guacamole! it was the perfect welcome home supper (the angel food cake and fresh picked strawberries from valley home farm weren't too bad either)!

today was busy as well! i don't know why i always try to do everything the first few days when i get home but i always do! i hit up the MAC for a good workout and then it was on to running some errands, cleaning up the house and doing a bit of cooking! i also had to pack a load of things to take to my nashville apartment tomorrow. life has been a bit of a blur since i got home to be honest!

i did find time this afternoon to sit outside and paint my nails in OPI's "kiss me i'm brazilian" pink and finish allegiant by veronica roth. it was different than the first two in the divergent series in that it is told from two perspectives but it is just as gripping as the first two! this is a series that i am so glad i took the time to read! it is a great summer trilogy!

this post is short and sweet but i wanted to share that i was home from knoxville for the summer! tonight's supper is in honor of summer: BBQ pulled pork, corn, baked beans and watermelon! the BBQ pulled pork recipe is one of the easiest i have ever made and the house has smelled wonderful all day!

crockpot BBQ pulled pork tenderloin

1 trimmed 2 lb pork tenderloin

1/2 to 1 cup chopped onion

1 cup BBQ sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's)

garlic powder, to taste

1. cover bottom of crockpot with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce and onion.
2. place pork tenderloin in crockpot and cover with remaining BBQ sauce and season with garlic powder if desired. 
3. cook on low for 4-6 hours, until cooked through and tender.
4. shred tenderloin with two forks (i just did this in the crockpot) and stir to coat. 
5. serve on whole wheat buns with your favorite BBQ sides! 

(recipe courtesy of youbeauty.com)

xoxo,

clp

tuesday target finds & a recipe

tomorrow i start my spring semester of my junior year. how weird is that?! really though, the time is flying by! i came back up to knoxville on sunday to beat the weather and not get stuck in murfreesboro so i have been spending the past two days getting back in the swing of things. trader joe's, publix and target have all been crossed off my to-do list and i think i am ready to start the semester! hopefully it won't be as bitterly cold tomorrow when i have to trek to class - these single digit temperatures getting to me! last night for dinner i was really craving spaghetti squash and italian so what better than to break out the crockpot on such a cold monday? this recipe is so easy and could be done in the morning before going off to work! it is healthy and can be made a variety of ways but the beauty of it is that everything cooks at the same time in one pot! i made a salad to round off the meal and it was delicious! 

crockpot spaghetti squash and meatballs

1 spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeds removed

4-5 meatballs per person (i used frozen, but you can use homemade if you want)

2 cans diced tomatoes 

3 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup chopped onion

italian seasoning, black pepper, etc., to taste

1. in a large crockpot, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic and spices. 
2. place spaghetti squash cut side down in tomatoes.
3. spread meatballs around spaghetti squash.
4. cook on low for 4-5 hours, until meatballs are cooked through and spaghetti squash is tender. 
5. remove spaghetti squash and shred with fork. 
6. serve meatballs with tomato sauce over spaghetti squash, topped with cheese if desired.

*instead of meatballs and the canned tomatoes, you could easily use a meat sauce, homemade sauce with vegetables, or even a jarred pasta/marinara sauce of choice (but watch out for high sodium with the latter!).

i just love target. i can/have done some major damage in there, especially when it comes to apartment shopping. yesterday i was at the super target at northshore and had to practice some self-control and get out of there before i drained my bank account. i am moving to a new apartment next year that i get to completely decorate myself so i have started to shop around for decor! target's threshold line is one of my favorites since it is affordable and usually appeals to my style of decorating. the newest threshold collection is so cute and i am already coveting some pieces that i want for next year! the items below are from the threshold white and gold decor collection and the botanic blush collection!

Demijohn Vase

Butterfly Gold Foil Lampshade

Tufted Bench 

Tufted Ottoman 

Oblong Magnolia Decorative Pillow

i hope everyone is staying warm! i am keeping to my warm apartment and since it is the last day of my break, i felt it necessary to stay in my pajama's, watch netflix and read all day! 

xoxo,

clp 

monday calls for crockpot meals and brownies

i used to not mind mondays at all. not this semester. i detest them. they are my busiest of all days so i like the have supper pretty much ready for me when i come home so that i can scurry off to meeting. tonight i made crockpot jambalaya and for my first attempt at it, it was delicious!

crockpot jambalaya

1 large chicken breast

1 16 oz turkey kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices

2 cups chicken broth 

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

1 6 oz can tomato paste 

1 bag frozen onion, celery and bell pepper mix

2 cups sliced okra 

2 tbsp creole seasonings 

1 tbsp minced garlic 

Oregano, thyme, black pepper to taste

Hot sauce, to taste

2 cups cooked brown rice 

1. Combine all ingredients except brown rice in crockpot.
2. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
3. Remove chicken breast and shred. Return to crockpot and stir.
4. Serve over brown rice and season according to tastes. 

somedays you just need dessert. usually mondays. these brownies are easy to whip up and are actually not horrible for you. i modified them from the recipe on the box for fall and the product is a dense, fudgy pumpkin brownie that is even better topped with my mama's buttercream icing!

no-guilt pumpkin brownies 

1 box no-pudge fudge brownie mix

2/3 cup pumpkin purée

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 

1. mix together the bownieix and pumpkin purée. The batter will be very thick. Spread evenly into an 8x8 non-stick baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Top with buttercream icing and enjoy! 

my mama's buttercream icing

1 stick butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

2-3 tbsp milk, depending on desired thickness

1. cream butter in large mixing bowl. gradually add remaining ingredients and beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. 
2. makes enough for 24 cupcakes. store leftover icing in refrigerator. 

We had formal meeting tonight and commng up with an outfit was a bit difficult. It was hard because the weather is still warm but I don't want to wear any of my summer stuff and it's not quite cool enough for my fall clothes. also, I was not in the mood to dress up after my long day at school! The dress I decided on was simple and comfortable so it worked well for meeting! 

i am ending this long day with a call to my mama and a good nights sleep. i have a quiz, two tests and a lot of homework due this week so tomorrow i will have to hit the ground running!

xoxo, 

clp 

wednesday night supper

mondays and wednesdays are my long days at school so i try to make something that is relatively easy for dinner and doesn't take a ton of prep time. i have a feeling that on mondays and wednesdays this semester, my crockpot will be my best friend. tonight for dinner, i made crockpot salsa chicken tacos. this is one of my favorite meals and i have made it a variety of ways. i change up the salsa or add different spices and veggies depending on what mood i am in. this recipe is nice and easy because you just dump everything into the crockpot, turn it on warm and when you get home, dinner is ready!

crockpot salsa chicken tacos

1.5 lbs raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

1 (16 oz) jar salsa of choice

cumin, garlic powder, etc. to taste

jalepenos, onion, cilantro, etc. to taste

tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese for serving 

1. Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. When ready to serve, drain excess liquid and shred chicken. add more salsa if desired.
2. Serve with hard or soft taco shells and dressings of choice. 
3. Serves 4-6. 

i have made this with whole foods's peach mango salsa and it might be my favorite variation. i also added in cut up peaches to the crockpot to add more flavor. i am anxious to try the recipe with pineapple salsa, which i think i may do next time i make these! tonight, i just used regular salsa. i am making some guacamole and a version of Shape Magazine's creamless cilantro corn.

i have my first overnight visitor tonight at my apartment! my brother is working in the area so he is sleeping on our couch! i was already looking forward to seeing him this weekend for the football game, but this is such a nice surprise! i always love spending time with my big brother and his surprise visit was a great way to top off my wednesday.

xoxo,
clp