New York State of Mind

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Next week I will be on my way to New York. It has been a struggle not to tell everyone I walk by that I'm going, I'm just too excited. I have been mentally planning my outfits for the past three weeks now.
The trip is sponsored through a club I am in called Magazine Interest Group. This is what will make the trip so fun. We have the opportunity to visit the offices of well known magazines such as Lucky, Harpers Bazaar, Real Simple and a few more. I can't wait to come back and tell you guys all about it.

 

Besides visiting the magazines, I am planning on squeezing in a few trips to Milk Bar, lots of shopping, and dinner with my oldest sister!

My fictional eyes will be peeled for sitings of Eloise, Serena, Blaire and Carrie. On the real side, I'll be on the lookout for Naomi and her cute family, Helena, Mackenzie, Joanna or Clara.

images via pinterest
I can guarantee my instagram will be blowing up with pictures next week so follow me (@annefran93) to stay updated on my trip!
xo annie

Fake Spaghetti

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I have been wanting to try making spaghetti squash for about a year now. Spaghetti squash is a type of squash that when it is roasted, the insides become soft enough for you to scrape them out with a fork creating a spaghetti like noodle. Any sauces or toppings can then be added to mimic a standard pasta dish. Spaghetti squash is paleo, vegan, low-carb etc. and most importantly delicious!

I finally got around to making spaghetti squash last week and tested it on a few friends. I used Cassie's, from Bake Your Day, recipe for spaghetti squash with a spicy red wine sauce. I was unsure how the flavor of the squash would turn out, but we all loved it.

{The best guinea pigs to test new recipes on!}

Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Red Wine Sauce
serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash
olive oil, salt, pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup of any red wine (cheap is totally acceptable)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (or a dash of cayenne pepper)
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
grated parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half and scrape the seeds out. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place the squash, flesh side down, on the baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes*, until the skin can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

While the squash bakes, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and saute garlic and onion until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir until the paste is incorporated. Deglaze the pan by adding the red wine and stir in the chili powder if desired. Add the grape tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes and rosemary, and cook on very low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes. The tomatoes will break down and add to the sauce.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the flesh and create the strands of flesh. Add the strands to the sauce mixture and toss to combine. Add in the remaining olive oil. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

*I had trouble getting the squash soft enough, so I stuck it in the microwave for 8 minutes on one side and 8 minutes on the other side. This method was super quick and did the same thing that roasting would.

Very pleased with this dish. So happy I finally got around to making it!

Annie

Bites of My Life

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Last week was the first week in a long time I didn't have much school work. It was nice to have free time to hang out and get some things done I kept having to put to the side. One thing being blogging, it felt good getting back on a pretty regular schedule of posting. This week is very busy, but I'm making a promise with myself to post everyday. 
This week will be busy, but there is so much fun stuff going on I can't complain. There are more birthdays to celebrate (I swear everyone was born in the month of October), pumpkins to be carved and halloween parties to attend. All have to be done so I can prepare for my trip to New York next week. More on that later. 
Now for a recap of last week...
I would apologize for my overload of food pictures week after week, but food kind of takes over my life so I don't have any excuses. 

-I surprisingly made these inside out chocolate chip cookies last Monday. I say surprising because the kitchen and ingredients I had to work with were very limited. I used this recipe, but made some serious adjustments. They somehow turned out being so good!
-I got a manicure from a 6 year old last week. She was more about the rainbow look instead of picking one color.
-These bright blue corn tortilla migas with avocado cream sauce were my Sunday brunch order. It was a birthday brunch for one of my favorite people!
-"Family Dinner" round 2 happened last night. We had been planning since last week. Queso, tomato salad, my mom's chili and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream left me in a food coma for the rest of the night. I'd share the chili recipe, but I'm not one to share secret family recipes.
xo annie