Arugula Pesto

Nothing like the end of the year to remind you it's time to tie up some loose ends! It is hard to believe 2013 is ending in just a few days. I know I say it every year (and I'm sure you do, too!), but where did the year go? I definitely didn't spend the majority of my year blogging - oops. I am hoping to finish up posting the last of the recipes from the CSA so I can start 2014 fresh with some new posts!

What do you do with a giant bunch of arugula? What can you make that will last a while so you don't end up throwing it all out? PESTO! The recipe I used is the same one from the radish leaf pesto post from a while back, just substituting the radish leaf with the arugula.

Arugula pesto is a bit more bitter than traditional basil pesto, but it is still delicious! The bunch of arugula made so much pesto that there's still more than half of it sitting in the freezer! The plan is to use it up sometime this week: spaghetti with arugula pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Maybe it will be the first meal of 2014!

Stitch Fix Review!

A few months ago, my lovely friend Leah told me about this new personal stylist/online subscription company called Stitch Fix. The concept is pretty simple - you fill out an online survey with questions about your style and body type and then voila! A box arrives for you filled with 5 items personally chosen for you based on your style profile. The questions are pretty comprehensive: What colors/patterns/fabrics do you like/not like? What parts of your body do you like to flaunt/hide? Are you looking for dressy/work appropriate/casual clothes? They even have accessories, too! Most importantly, they ask how much you are willing to spend on each item. You can also leave comments about pieces you'd like or items you don't want in your next fix. You can either schedule your fix for one at a time or you can subscribe for monthly fixes.

My birthday was earlier this week, and as a present to myself, I scheduled my very first fix! The anticipation was killing me! I was really excited for my fix to arrive, especially since I scheduled it almost 2 months in advance. Since it was for my birthday, I asked for some more fun/different items than I normally would like to receive. Based on my style profile, I was a mix of classic/preppy/casual chic/romantic. I also said I didn't have any body parts I wanted to hide or any ones I necessarily wanted to flaunt, since I wanted the clothes that I received to be things I could both dress up for work or wear out with friends or the husband. So...here's my review:

Items Received: In my first fix, I received 2 shirts, 1 dress, 1 pair of pants, and 1 bag.

The bad:The pants were black denim leggings, which unfortunately were too small. However, I already own a pair of black leggings, so even if they fit perfectly, I would not have kept them. The dress was a fit and flare style dress - black with hints of gold in the thread. Very appropriate for a holiday party! Unfortunately, the dress was too big in the arms (it did that weird gaping thing where your bra shows and hung too loosely in the top where it's not supposed to) and in general, that style is not flattering on my figure. I also received a beautiful teal, lace, peplum tank top that fit very nicely. It was a little more than I'd normally spend on a shirt, but I already own a teal lace top, so it seemed silly and excessive to keep this item.

The good: A convertible clutch/cross-body bag! It's fairly large (which is a good thing!) and black with cut-outs that have gold underneath. It's not something I would have picked on my own, but it's definitely a great statement piece that will dress up an otherwise plain outfit. A flowy, burgundy, sleeveless top - this color is definitely one of my favorites and I loved the loose fit. It's a little too cold to wear it now, but I am looking forward to wearing it once it starts to warm up.

Ease of Use: Stitch Fix is so simple - just fill out the online survey, get your box, try on the items, and return the ones you don't want using the pre-paid mailer that comes with your fix.

Cost: When your fix ships, you are charged at $20 styling fee. This fee then goes toward your total purchase of items in the fix. The only bad thing is that the styling fee not refundable, so if you don't like your fix, you lose your $20. The items in my box were all less than $100, with most items around the $50-75 range. As an incentive to keep the entire fix, you get a 25% discount if you keep all 5 items. With the discount, my items totaled $260. 

Overall Review: My stylist definitely nailed my style, considering two of the items that were sent were pieces I already owned! I think my profile needs some tweaking, but this is definitely something I'd try again. I hope that my next fix has more colorful and unique items. On the Stitch Fix blog, you can see some of the items they have available, and there were some pieces I saw that I was hoping for (and others I was hoping to not get!!!). The brands that Stitch Fix sends are fairly new, up and coming brands. Some I had never heard of, while others, I already owned. Therefore, the items are not things that you'd see everyone else wearing, which is a good thing. Overall, Stitch Fix is a fun and different way to add items to your wardrobe. It definitely does not replace trip to the mall, but it is a great additional way to get some retail therapy!

My new bag and top, courtesy of Stitch Fix

Want to try it? Click the following link to use my referral code for your next fix! Hope you like your fix as much as I did! http://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3240417

Another Snow Day, Another Blog Post

A very sad snowman.

It's "snowing" here in Baltimore today, and snow days are the perfect excuse to update the blog. There are a few more recipes left over from the CSA (including one that my husband claims he will *eventually* write from AUGUST!), and it seems quite possible that I'll be all caught up by the end of the year. Not so bad, considering the CSA ended almost a month ago...right? Ok. I'm lazy. I get it.

Anyway, this post is all about one of my favorite foods: butternut squash risotto! You've heard all about risotto before here, so without further ado, here's my recipe for butternut squash risotto:

Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed and roasted
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5-6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 Tbl unsalted butter
• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Optional: parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add onion and cook until soft, approximately 3-5 minutes. 

2. Add rice and allow to cook 1-2 minutes, until slightly toasted/opaque. Pour in enough broth to barely cover rice (about 1/3 cup). Stir occasionally, until broth is mostly absorbed.

3. Continue adding enough broth to cover the rice and stirring until each addition is absorbed. This will take approximately 15-20 minutes.

4. When rice is al dente and almost soft, add in butternut squash. The butternut squash should be soft enough that it is easily mixed into the rice and is not chunky. Continue adding broth and stirring, until rice is soft, another 5 minutes.

5. Top with parmesan cheese (optional), and serve!

The Caviar of the South

The first time I had pimento cheese was at the end of my first internship for graduate school. My supervisor and the other counselors arranged a surprise potluck lunch for me and my classmate/co-intern who had worked at the school for the past semester. All the counselors brought different foods - turkey wraps, arroz con pollo, salad, and pimento cheese. I had never had or even heard of pimento cheese at this point in my life, and to be honest, it grossed me out. However, I wanted to be polite (and maybe get a good letter of recommendation?), so I dug in to the spread. Surprisingly, the cheese wasn't as bad as I had expected and was actually rather tasty. When pimiento (aka pimento) peppers appeared at the market, I knew exactly what to do with them.

Pimiento peppers are some of the mildest peppers around. You may recognize them as the little red dots inside green olives. However, the most popular use for pimiento peppers is pimento cheese spread. The possibilities for the spread are endless - I found recipes for pimento cheese mac n' cheese, grilled cheese, sandwich spread, and many others that all required to first have some pimento cheese already made. In an attempt to keep things simple, I just ate mine with crackers!

This dip is obviously not the most healthy appetizer, so I would only make it again for a party. As tasty as it is, it can't be consumed by only one or two people!