Sesame Noodle Pasta

Picnic season is officially here! I thought I would share one of my favorite picnic recipes. I have made this for many a picnic and must say that each time it is a hit!! It is so easy to make and a delicious compliment to most summer dishes. This dish should be prepared the night before so the noodles can soak up the sauce.

Enjoy!!

Combine the following in a saucepan and heat on low until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

6 minced garlic cloves
6 tbs. sugar
6 tbs. seasoned rice wine vinegar
6 tbs. soy sauce
4 tbs. canola oil
4 tbs. sesame oil

Cook 1lb. linguine pasta as per directions on box. Drain

Pour sauce over noodles and mix. Refrigerate overnight.

Before serving add 6 thinly sliced scallions and one chopped red bell pepper. Sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds (about 4 tbs).

Things I Like...Sesame Noodle Pasta

Would you wear this? Would your sports playing daughter??

I love stretchy headbands and really love the fancy bands that are popular right now. This is how I like to wear them.

It has recently been brought to my attention that these bands are also very popular with the highschool/college sporty girls.

So, here is my question. Do your sports girls wear them? Would their teams wear them? Would you pay $8 for a headband?
I love them and think they are adorable but am wondering how they would go over with the girls soccer/baseball/basketball/cheerleading/field hockey/lacrosse/track (good god those are all the sports I can think of)teams.

Things I Like...Sparkly headbands!

Shimmy Fringe Tank

Wow, I love this tank and am soooo bummed that it is sold out...especially because it was only $30. Steal. Seriously, this could have been a great little summer addition right up there next to the white skinny jeans that will never make it to my closet. So sad...I will just have to imagine that in my dream 5 foot 8 self (all legs, of course!) I rocked the white skinny jeans and the shimmy fringe tank. Some real world good did come out of this find that was not really a find...a great new website to paruse...lulus.com.

Things I Like...the shimmy fringe tank that is no longer available and probably not a realistic option in the first place!:(

Harem Pant?

So what do we think about the harem pant? Are they about to be the next big thing once we see how fabulous the Sex And The City ladies look on the big screen in the arab-inspired fashions? OR flashback MC Hammer?? I am not sure if I would wear them as they are just not me (ie: they are not sweats/yoga pants), but I sure do think these are gorgeous pants, and I sure do know some women who would wear them well!!

Things I like (on other people)...The Harem Pant
Featured pant: MARC BY MARC JACOBS "Wythe" Sateen Harem Pant PRICE: $228.00

Wham-O!

Sad but true, as children my brother and I were not allowed to have a Slip N Slide as it was deemed a dangerous toy by my mother. I don't think I ever had the pleasure of slippin' and slidin' a summer day away...not even at a friends house because we were well trained to stay away from those neck breaking plastic sheets... Crazy and I am sure therapy should be required to work through the residuals from that type of thinking about a Slip N Slide, but I digress. Anyway, we had a pool, so don't feel too badly for us...our summer rec was taken care of! Well, my kids don't have a pool and so I bought them a Slip N Slide and would be lying if I didn't say that I had a real moment of hesitation filled with worry about broken limbs before I actually took the thing to the register. There was no way I was getting out of that store without it as the kids were already planning their afternoon around it! The kids have spent the last 3 days having a blast on the Slip N Slide! Champ has also taken a liking to it...we bought the double Slip N Slide that has a small pool at the end which Champ has adopted as his personal pond. He rolls around on it and tries to drink/catch the water from the side sprinklers, and of course runs after the kids as they each take their turns. It is too funny to watch Champ and the kids negotiate (ie: trip and fall) around each other! And I am happy to report no broken human or canine bones as of yet. Today, the kids even convinced me and their dad to take a turn....and much to my own surprise, we were good sports and good parents and actually did it! So, at thirty something, I finally had my first turn on a Slip N Slide today...kind of embarrassing to admit. The kids flipped out, thought it was the most hysterical thing to see us run and jump and slide on our bellies (in our clothes!)...and I think the neighbors who were out gardening thought we were nuts. Whatevs, we did it for the kids :)!

Things I like...Slip N Slide by Wham-O!

New Obsession

OMG. Obsession. Addiction. We are all loving this one and Wegmans is partly to blame as they have had Ben & Jerry's on sale for about a month now! Can I convince myself that because it is yogurt it is good for you??? The kids seem to think so, soooo, I think I will just go with it! Ben/Jerry/Love/Hate.

Things I Like. Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Low Fat Frozen Yogurt.

Linen Shift Dress

My birthday is coming up and I am in full hint dropping mode. This adorable Lucky Brand linen slip dress is high on my list for this year and I just hope that it will look as cute on me as it does in the pics and on the mannequin. This is one of those summer dresses that I could see myself living in...as in I would probably wear it everyday. No joke, I had a little sun dress one summer that I literally wore almost everyday for about 2 months...it was so cute and comfortable and just easy to pair with some great flip flops...viola! outfit complete. As a busy mom who is about to get 1000x busier over the next few months as we prepare to open the store, this is just the outfit I need to resolve my morning outfit crisis....at least for 2 or 3 days during the week (the other 4 or 5 I will probably alternate between my hardtail yoga capris with a tank and my be present yoga capris with a tank). So there you have it...now I just have to figure out how to subtly hint that this dress could only be complete with a pair of navy blue Lori Jack Havaianas!

Things I Like...Luck Brand Embroidered Linen Shift dress
http://www.luckybrand.com/Embroidered-Linen-Shift-Dress/LBW00271,default,pd.html?cgid=womensNewArrivals

Pink Lemonade Margarita

One of my favorite summertime memories is sitting at the Boston Harbor Hotel on a warm evening drinking Pink Lemonade Margarita's with friends. BHH had the best pink lemonade margaritas back in the day...wonder if they still do? Will have to check it out this summer when we visit Boston! Anywho, Memorial Day is right around the corner and I thought I would share a recipe for this great summer drink! Enjoy!!

Ingredients
1/4 cup tequila
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
2 tablespoons frozen pink lemonade concentrate
3/4 cup ice
2 tablespoons carbonated lemon-lime beverage
sliced lemon, for garnish
Directions
1 Combine the first 3 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with 3/4 cup ice and shake vigorously.
2 Pour into glass.
3 Top with lemon-lime beverage, and garnish with lemon.

Things I Like....PLM

Supta Baddha Konasana

Best...Restorative Pose....Ever.
It was a Supta Baddha Konasana kind of day.

Things I like....Reclined Bound Angle Pose.

Brow Diva

Definitely one of my favorite places in Rochester...Brow Diva!! I am a recovering brow plucking addict and owe my friends at the Brow Diva a huge thanks for saving my brows! I have been seeing the Diva for about a year now and have to say that she has transformed my brows....they have gone from over-plucked and strangely arched to perfectly shaped in just a few trips! I just love the whole experience, a mini-spa for the brows!! If you are ever lucky enough to visit this great city of Rochester you must make a trip to the Diva!!

Things I Like....Beautiful Brows!!

Ipod

I am off again! Flying out tomorrow for a week of training. We all know that I am a "nervous flier." I rely on my ipod and a trashy magazine to get me through each flight. So, in prepping my trusty Ipod for my trip, I thought I would share my top 10 in-flight tunes in no certain order as this blog will also be on hiatus for the week while I am away!

SO here goes!!

1. Glitter in the Air...P!nk
2. Om Narayana...Wade Imre Morisette
3. Shine On...Wade Imre Morisette
4. Let's Get it Started....Black Eyed Peas
5. Atomic....Blondie
6. Time After Time...Eva Cassidy
7. Feeling Good...Nina Simone
8. Obvious Child...Paul Simon
9. Beastie Boys...Hey Ladies and/or Body Movin'
10. Anything and Everything by Krishna Das
Bonus: Stevie Wonder and Fleetwood Mac

So, there you have it, however, odds are I will replay 1,2,3,6 (my "if I were on American Idol" daydream song) and 8 so many times they will take up the duration of the flight!

Things I Like...In-flight anti-anxiety...I saw Bret Michaels on the cover of People and hope that Glamour has some good reading too :)!!

My favorite OPI

Hooray! It is finally the season for flip flops and toe cleavage!! After the long winter, my feet are in need of some tlc, a pedicure is definitely in order! Try as I might to change my pattern, I am a creature of habit and always reach for my favorite OPI shade of red to decorate my toes (actually, I bring my own bottle with me!)drum roll please.....I'm Not Really A Waitress! This is definitely the best red out there and will make your toes pop!! Great for the everyday flip flop or a dressy pair of wedges.

Things I Like...I'm Not Really A Waitress by OPI

Mitia

So...I asked hubby what I should blog about tonight having hit a creative wall...and thinking he is funny he snidely replied, "you never blog about me,I just want you to like me." So, here is to my darling husband, the person in the world I like the most.

Things I like, love, adore...I won the lottery of love :)

Spoon(s)

We read two of the cutest books tonight!! Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal was one of them...the other I will save for another blog! Spoon is about a spoon who is feeling "blue" because he does not think himself as interesting or exciting as fork, knife or chopsticks. Spoon thinks they have all of the fun and have the most important jobs. Little does spoon know that fork, knife and chopsticks envy HIM and his jobs...banging on pots and pans, diving head first into ice cream, taking a hot soak in tea. This is a really creative, adorable read!! It holds great lessons...appreciate who you are, obviously, but also a lesson about being creative. This author wrote about a spoon! She looked around her house and made up a wonderful story about a utensil! Next time my kids are uninspired, I will remind them to study their environment and to think about Spoon...and how creativity is boundless!

Things I Like...the life and lessons of Spoon

Miniluxe

My tootsies and my psyche are in need of some pampering and I would love nothing more than to head on over to a Miniluxe for an awesome pedi. But, alas, here in Rochie, Miniluxe is not an option. I am hoping that they franchise outside of the Boston area because they really do offer the perfect pedicure...not too low end sticky(you know what I mean) not high end spa that eats up hours of your day...just a clean, hospital grade clean!, cool, very cool, GOOD, VERY GOOD pedicure....at a very reasonable price. Next time I am in Boston I will definitely try to make some time to pretty up my peds.
http://www.miniluxe.com/

Things I Like...Miniluxe...we need to get them to franchise!!

My favorite lunch....

This has become an addiction...and no, I am not pregnant...and no, I don't eat it fried like Elvis. I simply toast a slice of Wegmans whole grain bread(delish!), smear on some Wegmans organic crunchy peanut butter (the best peanut butter ever!) and slice up a banana on top...soo good! Pair this healthy sandwich with a glass of (chocolate) skim milk and you have a vitamin and mineral frenzy for lunch!

Things I Like...PB&B

endless neon ponyball

My sanity needs this. Every morning I find myself frantically searching drawers for elastic hairbands. Anna has such thick hair she usually needs 2 elastic hair bands for a pony tail and 4 to hold in pig tails....and once her hair is all set, the search begins for two hair bands to hold my hair back in the pony tail that my hair undoubtedly ends up in each day. I feel like I buy a pack of hair bands every month, and I have no idea where they disappear to. You think I would be smart enough to start an elastic hair band ball on my own....but I don't think I have the patience....and as I said, can only scrounge up 6 hair bands on a good day....6 does not a ball make. I have tried keeping them in designated drawers and even bought a little bin to try and organize them and keep them together within the drawer...still, it seems that someone in my home is eating these things....I just don't get how they disappear. So perhaps we try the ball....I can part with $16.50 to get some sanity and time back in the morning.

Things I Like...Enldess Neon Ponyball (Jcrew.com)