Lightened-Up Cheesy Garlic Noodles

August 7, 2014 by Christine Skari

Guess who got an A+ in productivity today? THIS GIRL. I’ve been up and running and knocking things off my to-do list left and right. POW POW.

I got up and did a few bloggy things over a homemade latte, went on a gorgeous 3 mile run at the beach, picked up some props for my photos from Michael’s, went to the grocery store, started typing up the newest income report, unsuccessfully made homemade banana chips (womp womp womp), but countered that failure with a big success: Lightened-Up Cheesy Garlic Noodles.

I also ate a copious amount of homemade pie and turned my brain into boogers with all the Keeping Up with the Kardashians I’ve been watching. So there’s that as well 😯 .

So anyways, I’m eating these noodles in front of the tv and am getting a little too wrapped up in Khloe’s love life. In this episode, her sisters secretly set up a profile for her on an online dating site and are setting her up with some randoms. That’s the way to true love, my friends.

I think I’m developing a Netflix problem. Since I can get a ton of series instantly, I’ve been binge watching like no other. I’ve learned that if I want to get anything done at all, I need to completely shut off the tv. I try to convince myself that I will reply to emails and type up lab reports after juuust one more show, but Netflix automatically plays the next episode for you unless you click out after a few seconds. And once another episode starts, it’s like rude or something to turn it off. Right?

Mindless reality tv also lends itself to mindless eating and, looking down at the pot (who uses actual plates these days…pshh) I’m already halfway through the entire batch. WOOPS. But can you blame me?! Cheese yummyness. Garlic. GAH. It’s so simple and comes together in just 20 minutes, yet I could eat it all day err’day. I want to swim in a pool of cheesy garlic noodles.

And by swim I mean eat my way through it.

So here’s to a super easy, super speedy, super delicious dinner or lunch that just happens to be on the lighter side as well in terms of calories. WOO!

Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Bake

May 8, 2014 by Christine Skari

Say YES to veggies!

Especially if those veggies involve a creamy garlic cheese sauce that melts into them and makes them ooze goodness in every bite. And wait for it… a crispy and crunchy panko topping! This is what veggies were designed for. They were born to be smothered in white sauce.

It is their destiny.

The other day, I was thinking about the meals Kyle and I usually eat on repeat. We like to experiment, obviously, but we have a few safety dinners like chicken/sweet potato bakes, steak with mac and cheese, lemon shrimp orzo, and panko-crusted salmon. Where are the veggies? Usually in the form of a boring salad that is literally just that, salad leaves. Sometime we branch out and will bake some brussels sprouts, but for the most part, our veggie intake is pretty dull.

No more I say!

Not only is this recipe easy as pie (mhmm, pie), but it comes together relatively quickly and make the whole house smell delicious! While baking in the oven, the cauliflower melts into the cheese sauce and the broccoli collects it in its florets till it’s just saturated with deliciousness. Also, do I call them florets? Mini-tree leaves? Broccoli afro? I don’t know, man, all I know is that even your picky eaters will LOVE this!

More cheese, please.

Cheesy Artichoke Baguette Bites

April 25, 2014 by Christine Skari

Sometimes you just need cheese. And LOTS of it. You know what I mean? Those days where you just want to stuff ALL the cheese into your mouth and call it a day? Well, now that I’m a big ol’ grownup, I can’t go stuffing cheese into my mouth 24/7 and I have things called responsibilities that dictate my cheese consumption hours. Growing up is rude.

I feel like I’m blabbering, but what I’m trying to get to is that you should eat these.

You can get in maximum cheesiness but in the grownup way. In fact, they even can be categorized by the fancy French name of hors d’oeuvres… So that makes you gain sophistication and class just by eating them, right? Just go with it. I’ve been studying like a madwoman for over a week straight and don’t have enough mental energy to type up a coherent post.

CHEESE.

This recipe is literally bursting at the seams with cheese. Let’s count: mozzarella (1), cream cheese (2), and, of course, parmesan (3). They all melt together in cheesy symphony to make the best appetizer ever! And then you place that delicious mixture on top of fresh baguette slices, toast it, and holy heck. Please, someone catch me as I faint.

These are dreamy straight out of the oven and combine all the best of artichoke dip with everyone’s favorite bread. Remember when I professed my entire apartment’s love for baguettes? I’m 100% serious when I say we actively refer to ourselves as the “baguette babes”. The other day I found this gem on the internet machine and HAD to share it with them. I think my other bread-lovers will all appreciate this photo roundup called “Baguette Me Not“. Here’s a sample picture:

Also, did I mention this recipe calls for pancetta? If you don’t have it or want to leave it out of the recipe, that’s fine. It means we can’t be friends anymore, though. Just kiddin’.

Also, don’t forget to enter my Kind Bar Giveaway! You have the chance to win a biiiigg pack of yummies, so don’t miss out!